Nutritionhelp Statistics – More Skin Health

The skin is actually the largest organ in the body, protecting the body against damage, infection and dehydration. The skin is important in keeping the body at a constant temperature, removing wastes and synthesising vitamin D.

 

Generally, in wanting to improve the condition of skin we apply creams and cosmetics, which may be synthetic and not actually contribute to the health of skin. Many skin conditions people feel they just have to ‘live with’, not realising that addressing diet and nutritional status may actually encourage skin integrity. Ensuring key nutrients are in the diet, while avoiding unhelpful refined foods and high sugar, and working to balance gut ecology may not only influence chronic skin conditions such as eczema, but also help improve the quality of skin, whether it is dry or oily, rough or wrinkled etc. A Nutritionhelp online report provides tailor-made recommendations to support health, which includes encouraging good skin integrity.

 

Following are the Nutritionhelp statistics for some skin conditions that we frequently don’t even consider might be supported with diet. Here is Senior Nutritionhelp Director Robin White’s explanation on what our records contain and how they were collected:

1. Symptoms are assessed by the client on a scale of 0-3 on the initial questionnaire and on subsequent reviews.
2. The initial questionnaire was compared with the second review.
3. An improvement of two points or more (i.e. 3 to 1, 3 to 0, 2 to 0) is designated ‘considerable’. An improvement of 1 point is considered ‘slight’.
4. The client is solely responsible for assessing the points assigned to each symptom.
5. For the purpose of this study we are only considering clients who recorded symptom scores of 2 or 3, and then went on to complete a further two review questionnaires.

So let’s see how these statistics  apply to skin health:

• For clients reporting rough skin, 93% saw some improvement, with 64% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients reporting greasy skin, 92% of clients saw some improvement, with 58% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients reporting premature wrinkles, 86% saw some improvement, with 57% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients reporting chronic rashes or itching, 90% saw some improvement, with 52% seeing considerableimprovement.
• For clients reporting dry, flaky skin, 89% saw some improvement, with 48% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients reporting easy bruising, 69% saw some improvement, with 47% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients reporting stretch marks, 74% saw some improvement, with 37% seeing considerable improvement.

In my next blog I will report on some nutrients and foods which are reputed to support skin health.

Health practitioners are, quite properly, not allowed to make unsubstantiated claims, so please consider the following points regarding the use of our statistics:

• These figures embrace all our clients and have not been ‘massaged’ for advertising purposes.
• We have no way of checking the accuracy or truth of clients’ self-assessments and we have to assume that they are at least consistent in their scoring between initial and subsequent questionnaires.
• We do not know if, or to what extent, a client has kept to the recommendations within his or her report.
• We may not know if the client is trying to follow other advice at the same time as the advice within our report.
• These records are just that; records in the past of other people that may or may not be relevant now.
• We cannot claim that advice within a Nutritionhelp report will ‘make you better’.

Nutritionhelp Statistics – Skin Health

A number of nutritional factors may influence skin health. For example, a food sensitivity may trigger eczema or spots, a diet low in zinc may make an individual more prone to acne, and women may find they experience ‘out-breaks’ on their faces in correlation with their monthly cycle, if their hormonal system is not sufficiently supported with vitamins and omega 6 essential fatty acids.

All of these skin symptoms, and many others besides, might also be influenced or exacerbated by poor gut ecology – where yeast levels have got out of control and friendly bacteria levels are reduced. Antibiotics, stress, hormones, stimulants and poor diet all encourage the gut yeasts that should be present in minute amounts, to overgrow. Once yeast is flourishing it can change into its fungal form, allowing it to burrow through the gut wall and enter the blood stream, and potentially affect different parts of the body, including the skin.

Some skin conditions are very obviously associated with yeast overgrowth: athletes foot, ring worm, and fungal nail conditions are all clearly connected with yeast. However, rashes, eczema, itching, easy bruising, psoriasis and acne may also have yeast overgrowth as a contributing factor. Addressing skin issues with diet needs a good deal of perseverance since the balance of microbes on the surface of the skin is 3 months behind the balance of microbes within the gut. Therefore, if yeast is playing a part in a skin condition, it first needs to be brought under control in the gut by following Erica White’s Four-Point-Plan.

As always when working to bring yeast under control, as it dies it produces even more toxins, which can further aggravate symptoms in the short-term. It is as this stage that certain herbal creams may be beneficial in helping to relieve irritation and discomfort.

Over the next two weeks I will review the Nutritionhelp statistics on skin health. For information on how the results were gathered see the post on Nutritionhelp Statistics – PMS 

• For clients recording the symptom of eczema, 78% saw some improvement, with 67% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the symptom of acne 82% saw some improvement, with 64% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the symptom of greasy skin, 92% saw some improvement, with 58% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the symptom of chronic rashes or itching, 90% saw some improvement, with 52% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the symptom of dermatitis, 100% saw some improvement, with 50% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the symptom of psoriasis, 100% saw some improvement, with 33% seeing considerable improvement.

A Nutritionhelp protocol ensures that not only is gut ecology being supported, but that optimal levels of nutrients are included in the diet to encourage skin health.

Nutritionhelp Statistics – Candida

I am frequently asked how it is that Candida can get out of control.  There are several factors that encourage yeast over-growth, but first let’s consider what Candida actually is.

In healthy individuals, Candida is a bud-like yeast, that is present within the intestines in small numbers, and kept in check by billions and billions of friendly bacteria. A key role of Candida is to kick-start decomposition within the body once we die, and it does this by changing into its fungal form which needs no oxygen. It can then spread rapidly, putting roots into the walls of the gut and pushing spores through the gut wall, to move throughout the body. In this way, Candida is able to break down cell membranes, providing food for other microbes in decomposition. It was for this reason that the Egyptians removed the intestines before mummification in order to prevent any decomposing.

 

Certain factors within the  21st Century Western World, encourage Candida activity prematurely, leading to a number of health problems. Not only can gut yeast affect the digestive process, but when unchecked, in its fungal form it can push through the gut wall (causing much damage on the way) and enter the circulatory system, where it can travel to any part of the body. It favours mucous membranes including the vagina, lungs, urinary tract and sinus passages, and sites of wear and tear, such as joints and muscles.

The 79 plus toxins that Candida releases can cause problems in their own right – for example mimicking oestrogen or interfering with energy production in the Krebs cycle within cells. The toxins might also exacerbate any other problems influenced by yeast, increasing or intensifying symptoms.

So what influences encourage the yeast Candida to become such a problem. Erica White lists a number of factors within her Beat Candida Cookbook , where she comments in some detail on the processes involved. A main issue is sugar. If you have ever made bread you will know how a small spoon of sugar gets the yeast going, causing it to froth and bubble and expand.  In just the same way, sugar in our diets encourages yeast within the gut to increase. The problem is that sugar now is predominant in our Western diets. It is in everything from tomato ketchup to an Indian take-away, in addition to all the sweets, drinks, desserts, biscuits and snacks that are regularly included in our daily diets.

 

Another influence is the use of antibiotics, which in addition to killing off the infection, wipe out friendly bacteria as well, leaving more space for the yeast to expand, grow and colonise. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, available on prescription or over the counter can also destroy friendly bacteria, while steroid treatments (including HRT and The Pill) might influence immunity, weakening the body’s ability to keep yeast in its proper place. Viruses too, as they impact immunity, can influence the body’s ability to keep yeast in check.

Stimulants such as tea, coffee, chocolate, cola and alcohol, can cause the adrenal glands to release sugar from the body’s stores, which may well find its way to feeding yeast. The stress response may influence the adrenal glands in a similar way, so it is of utmost importance that stress-management is practised while bringing yeast under control.

 

Hormonal changes for women, whether within the menstrual cycle, menopause or pregnancy can all encourage yeast activity, so it is not unusual for more women than men to suffer with yeast-related symptoms.

So let’s continue to review the impact of the Nutritionhelp protocol on yeast-related symptoms. For details on how the statistics were gathered read here

• For clients recording a craving for bread, 93% saw some improvement, with 87% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording a  need for frequent tea, coffee or sugar foods or drinks, 92% saw some improvement, with 76% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording a craving for sweet foods, 91% saw some improvement, with 71% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording mucus in stools, 86% saw some improvement, with 50% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording nausea, 90% saw some improvement, with 45% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording abdominal pain, 83% saw some improvement, with 38% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording bloating, belching or intestinal gas, 77% saw some improvement, with 36% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording urinary frequency or urgency, 70% saw some improvement, with 43% seeing considerable improvement

Remember, that as yeast dies it releases even more toxins which can continue to contribute to and influence symptoms in the short-term form time to time, so this may be impacting some of the statistics above.

To gain your own personal programme to support gut ecology, encouraging friendly bacteria and limiting yeast activity, visit www.nutritionhelp.com  This also provides a tailor-made supplement programme to help support the immune system.

Nutritionhelp Statistics – Digestion

Many clients coming to Nutritionhelp suspect that they may have an overgrowth of the common yeast, Candida albicans. Candida is usually present in the gastrointestinal tract in just small numbers where it resides side by side with millions of bacteria. The majority of these bacteria in healthy individuals should be friendly organisms, and these, according to Ralph Goplan in Optimal Wellness should “synthesize vitamins and help fight undesirable intestinal bacteria, high cholesterol levels and even some cancers.They keep the bowel functioning normally and discourage the overgrowth of yeast.”

However, the use of antibiotics kills off the friendly bacteria along with the infection it is treating, leaving the yeast populations room to expand and grow. As we have seen previously, too much yeast can affect health in all manner of ways, influencing anything from immunity to hormone function. However, since yeast is designed to be resident within the gut, it is not surprising that an overgrowth will frequently affect health throughout the entire digestive tract, form a cracked or coated tongue, gum inflammation and oral thrush, to heartburn and indigestion, to bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, to itchy anus.

A Nutritionhelp protocol is designed to starve the yeast and support the re-establishment of friendly bacteria again. In this post I will start to review the Nutritionhelp statistics relating to digestion, and then complete that list in my next blog when I will also discuss additional factors which might encourage yeast, leading to an unhelpful overgrowth. Remember, these statistics followed clients over  just two reviews (a time period of about 6 months). For details on the gathering of the statistics click here

• For clients recording indigestion or heartburn, 81% saw some improvement, with 57% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording the symptom of Diarrhoea, 90% saw some improvement, with 62% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording the symptom of constipation, 77% saw some improvement, with 45% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients recording irritable bowel syndrome, 86% saw some improvement, with 54% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients reporting the symptom of rectal itching, 92% saw some improvement, with 44% seeing considerable improvement.

For your own Nutritionhelp report with dietary and nutritional supplement recommendations click here. A Nutritionhelp online report takes into account your own personal nutritional requirements, your health history and your gut ecology score, which gives an indication of how the balance of yeasts and friendly bacteria may be influencing your health.

Nutritionhelp Statistics – Fatigue

Many clients contact Nutritionhelp who have been given a medical diagnosis of ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) or CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). Frequently these clients have suffered for several years, with a number of symptoms making living a ‘normal’ life almost impossible.Characteristically, a main problem is an over-riding sense of fatigue, that does not lift even with rest and sleep.  Nutritionhelp’s protocol for working with CFS follows Erica White’s approach, which is outlined extensively in her Beat Fatigue Handbook.

In her years of experience in working as a Nutritional Therapist, Erica White found that CFS could not be regarded as one specific illness, with one specific cause, but that it is a combination of a number of different conditions, which could vary from person to person. Erica recognised that there were 10 major possible contributing factors, and any number of these may be influencing the health of the client, by overloading the immune system so that the body could not get well.

Each of these ten factors needs to be explored in relation to the clients health. However, the starting place is to ensure that the individual is receiving a tailor-made supplement programme to provide sufficient nutrients to support the body’s systems and energy production, and to encourage correct gut ecology (the ratio in the gut between friendly bacteria and other bacteria and yeasts). All these factors will be considered within a Nutritionhelp personal report

 

The following statistics followed clients over the course of two reviews with Nutritionhelp, generally covering a time span of 6 months, but in some cases this may be longer.

• For clients recording the symptoms of fatigue or lethargy, 84%  saw some improvement, with 54% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the need for excessive sleep, 85% saw some improvement, with 68% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the symptom of exhaustion after light exercise, 85% saw some improvement, with 62% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the symptom of feeling ‘drained’, 84% saw some improvement, with 60% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording feeling drowsy during the day, 86% saw some improvement, with 59% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording the symptom of lack of energy, 85% saw some improvement, with 58% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients recording  feeling dizzy, faint or irritable when hungry or exhausted, 78% saw some improvement, with 54% seeing considerable improvement.

To find out how the statistics were compiled read the blog on Nutritionhelp statistic – PMS here  

These figures will again be influenced by Herxheimer reaction, or ‘die-off’ – the increased number of toxins that yeast released as it is killed.  However, even taking this into account, the statistics are encouraging, especially when a number of these clients have been struggling with symptoms of CFS for several years.

To Purchase Erica White’s Beat Fatigue Handbook click here for a link to Amazon.

Nutritionhelp Statistics – Mental Clarity

A problem many clients face is that a number of their health issues are not visible. Stomach or skin problems for example, can be observed by others, therefore being understood and allowed for. However, some symptoms for a client with yeast overgrowth are not readily seen, including symptoms associated with mental clarity.  Without the support and understanding of family, colleagues or the medical profession,  clients may have feelings of self-doubt and despair.

We need to remember that Candida produces 79 distinct toxins, that might cause a broad range of symptoms, including affecting the ability to think clearly. Dr. Stephan Cooter, Ph.D, writes in  Beating Chronic Disease, “Candida is responsible for flooding the system with an accumulation of toxic acetylaldehydes. Acetylaldehydes are known to poison tissues – accumulating in the brain, spinal cord, joints, muscles and tissues.” 

It is no wonder then, that with yeast toxins potentially affecting the brain, that some symptoms of yeast overgrowth may be panic attacks, inability to make decisions and to concentrate, mental confusion or ‘woolly head’ and apathy. As I have written previously, as yeast dies, it releases even more toxins, which for a short time may aggravate and accentuate some symptoms. This increase in toxins is known as ‘Herxheimer reaction’ or more simply, ‘die-off’.   This can affect mental stability as much as muscular aches and pains, potentially influencing panic attacks or increasing mental dullness. By supporting the liver in its detoxification processes as carefully as possible, such an increase in symptoms might be avoided, minimised and short-lived. All Nutritionhelp supplement recommendations include nutrients to help support liver,  but if someone is particularly struggling with die-off symptoms a consultation (telephone or face to face) with me may be helpful. Any supplement being taken to address the yeast needs to be taken in a very controlled manner  in order to prevent a build up of ‘die-off’ toxins.  Sometimes additional supplements may be helpful to consider, in order to help support the liver in its detoxification processes.

With that said, Nutritionhelp statistics identify that clients do find support for symptoms affecting mental clarity. For information on how the statistics were gathered see the post on Nutritionhelp statistics and PMS here. These results were gathered over just two reviews – a time span of roughly 6 months.

• For clients reporting apathy, 88% saw some improvement, with 60% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients reporting panic attacks, 85% saw some improvement, with 58% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients reporting an inability to concentrate, 82% saw some improvement, with 49% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients reporting mental confusion or ‘woolly head’, 88% saw some improvement, with 48% seeing considerable improvement
• For clients indicating inability to make decisions, 85% saw some improvement, with 46% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients reporting clumsiness, or lack of co-ordination, 92% saw some improvement, with 48% seeing considerable improvement.

If you feel that yeast may be behind some of your own symptoms you may like to consider a Nutritionhelp report which contains advice on diet and nutritional supplements to support your health, taking into consideration your own nutritional status and health history.

Nutritionhelp Statistics – Mood

Clients come to Nutritionhelp with a vast array of symptoms, many of them quite debilitating. Of all the health issues faced, those that often cause the most distress are those associated with mood, affecting mental and emotional outlook. Feeling ‘low’, depressed, anxious, irritable or panicky can cause as much distress as stomach discomfort, migraine and muscle ache. It is therefore often with much relief that clients hear nutritional status and gut ecology may be affecting their mood.

Keeping blood sugar levels stable is vital in supporting mood.  If blood glucose dips too low  it is very easy to feel irritable and low.  Nutritionhelp recommendations to support blood sugar will include removing refined foods and sugars, and to make sure protein is included with each meal and snack, to keep a steady flow of glucose in the blood, providing energy for the body’s cells.

The correct balance of nutrients in the diet is also important to support good mental outlook and mood.  Certain vitamins, particularly the B vitamins, can help to promote emotional and psychological stability. Nutritional status should be encouraged by both diet and a Nutritionhelp supplement programme, tailor-made to ensure adequate levels of vitamins and minerals for each individual.

Gut ecology plays a vital role in mental health as well as physical well being. Yeast can release toxic by-products that might enter the blood stream causing disturbances in organs and tissues distant from growing yeast colonies.This can result in diverse conditions, varying from bronchial asthma to emotional liability and schizophrenia.

Ralph Golan, in Optimal Wellness, writes: “One of the yeast toxins, acetylaldehyde, is known to adversely affect red blood cell flexibility, making the cells abnormally rigid and thus impairing circulation and diminishing oxygen transport. Such a mechanism may explain many of the mental symptoms, as well as the cold hands and feet often experienced by those with yeast syndrome. Mental symptoms are also precipitated by acetylaldehydes binding to the amine groups of neurotransmitters.”

So, the Nutritionhelp, yeast and sugar-free protocol might be beneficial for those suffering with problems associated with mood. Here are the statistics for Nutritionhelp clients presenting with emotional and psychological symptoms:

• For clients indicating the symptom of irritability, 80% saw some improvement, with 45% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients indicating the symptom of tearfulness, 93% saw some improvement, with 44% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients indicating the symptom of poor memory, 87% saw some improvement, with 43% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients indicating the symptom of nervous tension, 76% saw some improvement, with 41% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients indicating the symptom of depression, 88% saw some improvement, with   37% seeing considerable improvement.
• for clients indicating the symptom of anxiety, 79% saw some improvement, with 33% seeing considerable improvement.

Please go to the blog post on PMS to find details on how the statistics were collated.

It is important to comment that in following a yeast-free protocol, yeast will be killed. When it is alive, the yeast Candida albicans is known to release at least 79 toxins, but this number actually increases as it is dying. These toxins can continue to affect mood. Therefore, although some improvements may well be experienced, some symptoms might continue while yeast is still being brought under control.

Nutritionhelp Statistics – Migraines

Continuing a review of Nutritionhelp statistics, collated by senior Director Robin White, I want to consider today the impact of a Nutritionhelp protocol on migraines and headaches.

Many dietary factors can contribute to headaches, so the highly nutritious foods that are encouraged within a Nutritionhelp plan, and the avoiding of processed foods, sugars and stimulants, may immediately affect headache frequency and intensity.

Refer back to the blog on PMS for details on how the statistics were gathered.

• For clients with Headaches or migraines, 81% saw improvement, with 65% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients feeling ‘spacey’ or ‘unreal’, 92 % saw improvement, with 63% seeing considerable improvement.
• For clients with dizziness and loss of balance, 82% saw some improvement, with 68% seeing considerable improvement.

As I mentioned, many factors can be playing a part in headaches, and supporting gut ecology by balancing the ratio of friendly bacteria and unhelpful yeasts, may be an important consideration. Likewise, ensuring that blood sugar levels are kept steady and constant is also important. Recommendations to this end, will include avoiding caffeine. You may have come across conflicting research in recent months over coffee, so I post here an article by Dr Mark Hyman, documenting research that shows just how unhelpful caffeine can be.

1. The caffeine in coffee increases catecholamines, your stress hormones. The stress response elicits cortisol and increases insulin. Insulin increases inflammation, and this makes you feel lousy.
2. Habituation to caffeine decreases insulin sensitivity, making it difficult for your cells to respond appropriately to blood sugar. High blood sugar levels lead to arterial deterioration and increased risk of mortality related to cardiovascular disease
3. Unfiltered coffee has the highest amount of beneficial antioxidants yet also leaks the most diterpenes into your system. These diterpenes have been linked to higher levels of triglycerides, LDL and VLDL levels.
4. The helpful chlorogenic acids that may delay glucose absorption in the intestine have also been shown to increase homocysteine levels — an indicator for increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which tends to be elevated in diabesity.
5. The acidity of coffee is associated with digestive discomfort, indigestion, heart burn, GERD and dysbiosis (imbalances in your gut flora).
6. Addiction is often an issue with coffee drinkers and makes it really difficult to rely on the body’s natural source of energy. Ask any coffee drinker about how it feels to withdraw from coffee, and you will mistake their story for that of a drug addict’s…
7. Associative addictions trend with coffee — who doesn’t immediately think of warm, frothy sweet cream and sugar when they picture coffee? Surely the business of coffee has inspired a culture addicted to the sugary, fatty tastes of what has become more of a meal than a drink! That morning latte is the epitome of food lacking nutrition density yet packing energy!
8. 5-HIA, an organic acid and component of the neurotransmitter serotonin (the happy chemical) seen in the urine tends to be elevated in coffee drinkers, which means they may be at risk for lower levels of serotonin synthesis in the brain. Serotonin is necessary for normal sleep, bowel function, mood, and energy levels. It is a vicious cycle, as caffeine can disrupt sleep and promote anxiety and depression. We all know someone who tends to be tired, wired and over-caffeinated!
9. Elevated urinary excretion of important minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium have been noted in coffee drinkers. An imbalance in your electrolyte status can lead to serious systemic complications.
10. Constituents in coffee can interfere with normal drug metabolism and detoxification in the liver, making it difficult to regulate the normal detoxification process in the liver. Another issue to be aware of with coffee intake is how certain medications such as levothyroxine (thyroid) as well as tricyclic antidepressants are poorly absorbed, making symptoms curiously worse for patients.

For references click here

Nutritionhelp Statistics – Female Health

 

Last week I commented on the Nutritionhelp statistics that senior Director, Robin White has been collating, and reported in particular on the role of nutrition with PMS. Today I want to follow that up by considering vaginal health, something very much influenced by gut ecology.

The specific type of fungus most commonly responsible for vaginitis is Candida albicans. This yeast would normally be found in small amounts in the gut, on skin and in areas of moisture, such as the mouth and vagina, and it is estimated that between 20% to 50% of healthy women normally carry yeast in the vaginal area. If yeast is encouraged, by diet and lifestyle factors, it may increase and spread, leading to very unpleasant symptoms. Vaginitis, the inflammation of the vagina, is very common and is reported by as many as 75% of women at some point in their lives. It is important to check with a doctor as to whether symptoms are caused by a bacterial infection, but if it is fungal in origin it is beneficial to support health with a yeast and sugar-free programme to promote balanced gut ecology.

Why do so many women suffer with yeast-related problems?  R. Golan writes in Optimal Wellness that the menstrual cycle may encourage yeast activity:

 “About 10 -14 days before a menstrual period, progesterone levels rise until the monthly flow starts, at which point progesterone levels drop abruptly.  This hormone stimulates Candida, and whatever symptoms it produces are much aggravated during this high progesterone premenstrual time. This monthly mechanism stimulates yeast, so menstruating women are more susceptible to this condition than men. Additionally, other hormonal factors may play a part.

“The stimulation of synthetic hormones in oral contraceptives, predominantly the progesterone fraction, can contribute to more disruption of the body’s ecologic balance than a woman’s natural premenstrual progesterone surge.  If used for more than 2 years, oral contraceptives may contribute to yeast-related symptoms.

“Pregnancy presents two extremely favourable conditions for Candida yeast to grow and proliferate, namely, continuous high levels of progesterone and higher than normal blood sugar levels. If a woman has not already developed a yeast over-growth from her Candida promoting diet and medications, the pregnancies will almost certainly tip the balance in favour of yeast.”

Some women may find almost immediate relief from vaginal discomfort once they commence their Nutritionhelp dietary and supplement recommendations. For others it may take a longer time, working to support a correct balance of microbes in the gut initially, and then seeing benefit for other areas of yeast influence, such as the vagina. Supporting the immune system and ensuring adequate nutrients are included in the diet are also important factors in dealing with vaginitis.

So what are the Nutritionhelp statistics for working with female health?

• For vaginal soreness 86% of clients saw some improvement, with 36% seeing considerable improvement
• For Vaginal itching or discharge, 91% of clients saw some improvement, with 34% seeing considerable improvement.
• For heavy periods 82% of clients saw some improvement, with 55% seeing considerable improvement.
• For period pain 67% clients saw some improvement, with 30% seeing considerable improvement.

For information on how these figures were recorded, refer back to last weeks                    blog Nutritionhelp Statistics – and PMS. In assessing the figures above remember that the results monitored clients over just two reviews. Therefore,  some of these clients were still concentrating on addressing yeast within the gut, and they may not have moved on to a supplement to deal more specifically with yeast in other areas of the body. Progress may sometimes be slow, but for many of our female clients who have been plagued with vaginal irritation for years, any progress is helpful.

Nutritionhelp Statistics – and PMS

Over the last few months, Robin White, co-founder and senior director of Nutritionhelp, has been pulling together statistics for the Nutritionhelp online report system. We cannot use these statistics to make any claims, but we think that you will find viewing them to be very interesting. Over the next few weeks I hope to summarise some of the statistics,  particularly covering key factors that many of our clients mention within the questionnaire.

First of all it is important to mention what our records contain and how they were collected. Robin White explains:

1. Symptoms are assessed by the client on a scale of 0-3 on the initial questionnaire and on subsequent reviews.
2. The initial questionnaire was compared with the second review.
3. An improvement of two points or more (i.e. 3 to 1, 3 to 0, 2 to 0) is designated ‘considerable’. An improvement of 1 point is considered ‘slight’.
4. The client is solely responsible for assessing the points assigned to each symptom.
5. For the purpose of this study we are only considering clients who recorded symptom scores of 2 or 3, and then went on to complete a further two review questionnaires.

Further comments on the gathering of our data are at the end of the blog, but now let’s turn our attention to one of the symptoms we have assessed. To begin with I want to consider the subject of Pre Menstrual Syndrome.

Although this picture may make us smile, PMS is no laughing matter. The NHS website lists symptoms of PMS as:

Physical PMS symptoms

• fluid retention and feeling bloated
• pain and discomfort in your abdomen (tummy)
• headaches 
• changes to your skin and hair
• backache
• muscle and joint pain
• breast tenderness
• insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• dizziness
• tiredness
• nausea
• weight gain (up to 1kg)

Psychological PMS symptoms

• mood swings
• feeling upset or emotional
• feeling irritable or angry
• depressed mood
• crying and tearfulness
• anxiety 
• difficulty concentrating
• confusion and forgetfulness
• restlessness
• decreased self-esteem

Behavioural PMS symptoms

• loss of libido (loss of interest in sex)
• appetite changes or food cravings

Any chronic (long-term) illnesses, such as asthma or migraine, may get worse.

This list really doesn’t make for pleasant reading, and yet many women are struggling with combinations of these symptoms month by month. However, nutritionally there is much support that can be offered in order to encourage correct hormone function. Firstly, it is important to ensure that the diet contains sufficient nutrients to benefit the hormonal system. A tailor-made Nutritionhelp programme will include the important vitamins and minerals for this area of health, whilst also recommending omega 6 oil, in the form of Gamma-linoleic Acid, which has been found to encourage hormonal health.

Another vital consideration in PMS is gut ecology. It is documented that Candida albicans produces over 79 toxins, and some of these waste products mimic oestrogen, which tricks the body into thinking it has produced adequate levels, leading to a reduction of its own oestrogen production.(click here for article) Since it is thought to be the decline in oestrogen and rise in progesterone (for up to two weeks before the period starts) which causes PMS, we can see that the interference of these yeast toxins are far from helpful. Addressing gut ecology by encouraging a reduction of yeasts and an increase of friendly bacteria is vital therefore in addressing symptoms of PMS. This, of course, is included within Nutritionhelp’s recommendations.

So what are our unbiased statistics for working with PMS, within the time between an initial Nutritionhelp report and two reviews?

• For pre-menstrual bloating, 87% of clients saw some improvement, with 66% seeing considerable improvement.
• For pre-menstrual depression, 87% of clients saw some improvement, with 60% seeing considerable improvement.
• For premenstrual headaches, 92% of clients saw some improvement, with 58% seeing considerable improvement.
• For premenstrual tiredness, 82% of clients saw some improvement, with 56% seeing considerable improvement.
• For premenstrual breast tenderness, 88% of clients saw some improvement, with 56% seeing considerable improvement.
• For premenstrual irritability, 87% of clients saw some improvement, with 48% seeing considerable improvement.

These figures can speak for themselves, but it is helpful to remember that in dealing with yeast, as it dies it produces even more toxins.  This means that with symptoms that might be effected by Candida toxins,  such as oestrogen levels, as yeast is being brought under control it may continue to have an influence, although slightly reduced, until gut ecology is more balanced.

Health practitioners are, quite properly, not allowed to make unsubstantiated claims, so please consider the following points regarding the use of our statistics:

• These figures embrace all our clients and have not been ‘massaged’ for advertising purposes.
• We have no way of checking the accuracy or truth of clients’ self-assessments and we have to assume that they are at least consistent in their scoring between initial and subsequent questionnaires.
• We do not know if, or to what extent, a client has kept to the recommendations within his or her report.
• We may not know if the client is trying to follow other advice at the same time as the advice within our report.
• These records are just that; records in the past of other people that may or may not be relevant now.
• We cannot claim that advice within a Nutritionhelp report will ‘make you better’.

In coming weeks I will review other health areas and how they are represented within Nutritionhelp statistics.