Primo Health Blog

Guest blogger Dr. Turbide shares some expertise with us on Crohn's disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Christian Turbide is a gastrointerologist working in Canada. He is a fellow health blogger with a passion for health like my own. I'm happy to give Dr. Turbide an opportunity to share with my readers.

In the United States the most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroid. An autoimmune condition is an immunological response of the body against...

If you haven't been following my latest series, I've been discussing the thyroid gland. This seemingly insignificant organ produces hormones that can affect the metabolic rate of every cell in your body. If the thyroid is not functioning properly, your body will begin to feel the negative results of this malfunction.

We have been examining the function and disorders of the thyroid gland, the butterfly shaped gland just below our skin and surrounding our throat. As we get older we become more susceptible to disorders of the thyroid. Unfortunately, most thyroid conditions are not diagnosed early enough to prevent deterioration of the gland and its function. A dead or dying thyroid will impact the quality of one's life. Identifying and preventing damage to this gland will ensure healthy thyroid function.

In part 2 of our series Healthy Thyroid Function we will learn what a healthy thyroid is supposed to do (Read Part 1). This complicated little butterfly shaped organ is quite remarkable in its function and influence on our health.

The butterfly shaped organ that wraps around our throat is called the thyroid gland. This seemingly indescript organ can actually have a tremendous effect on our health. It's function is somewhat complicated, and disorders of the thyroid are very often overlooked or downplayed. This occurs in spite of the prevalence of thyroid disorders in our society.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) can be a crippling and painful condition of the joints of the body affecting millions of Americans. It is not just a disease of the elderly, typically appearing in people from age 30 to 50. Understanding the mechanism of this autoimmune condition and known treatment options can help the sufferer cope with and possibly control its disconcerting symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the entire body, but especially the joints.  There is much evidence that RA is an autoimmune reaction, in which antibodies formed by the immune system attack components of joint tissue. (Murray, 2005, p. 761). 

Crohn’s Disease is one of two diseases considered to be a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).  It is characterized by an inflammation mostly of the ilium, or end of the small intestines. But it can occur anywhere along the digestive tract.   Characterized by intestinal pain, diarrhea and malabsorption of nutrients (Murray, 1996, p. 441).  

The human genome project, which set out to map the DNA of the human being has led to many great advances in health and science. Scientists set out to identify the approximately 25,000 genes in human DNA. They've been able to pinpoint the genes and patterns responsible for how each one of us will uniquely turn out. The mapping of the genome was completed some time in 2003, years before they had expected to finish.

If you watch television you've likely seen one of the many commercials touting the benefits of probiotics. An advertising campaign by Activia brand yogurts has actress Jamie Lee Curtis explaining the benefits of the probiotics found in their product. There are several other commercials like it. But what's all the hype about?