Amanda Williams, Dietitian, Author at Diet vs Disease

Lactose Intolerance: What You Need to Know to Live a Normal Life

Amanda Williams, Dietitian — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 02:05:05 +0000

Does dairy give you digestive discomfort? Lactose may be the culprit… but that doesn’t mean you have to give up milk and cheese forever. This article explains what you need to know about lactose intolerance. What is Lactose? Lactose is a natural sugar found in dairy products. When eaten, it travels to the small intestine where it’s broken down into smaller sugars by an enzyme called lactase. These smaller sugars are called glucose and galactose, and are more easily absorbed by the body. Break down of lactose into glucose and galactose. Image Source Summary: Lactose is a sugar found in dairy products. It’s broken down into two smaller sugars before being absorbed by the body. Lactose Malabsorption or Lactose Intolerance? Lactose malabsorption occurs when people have low levels of the lactase enzyme (1). Low levels of lactase means that lactose[Discover More...]

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Benefits of Echinacea: Does It Really Work?

Amanda Williams, Dietitian — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 11:42:51 +0000

Echinacea is a popular herbal supplement. It’s used as a natural remedy for preventing and treating the common cold… but does it work? This article reviews the known benefits of echinacea. What Is Echinacea? Echinacea, also called purple coneflower, is a flowering plant from the Asteraceae family. It’s native to North America and was first used as a traditional medicine by the American Indians. There are nine species, but only three are used as medicine (1): The plant is dried to make capsules or prepared as a liquid for supplementation. The products are often very different from each other because they: Active Ingredients Echinacea is thought to have immune boosting, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects. However, how it works is not fully understood by researchers. It seems like the active ingredients are one or a combination of different chemicals such as[Discover More...]

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Celiac Disease and Celiac Disease Diet: The Beginner’s Guide

Amanda Williams, Dietitian — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 08:41:22 +0000

Around 1 in 100 people have celiac disease worldwide (1). The only known treatment is a strict gluten-free diet, which is not easy to do. This article takes a detailed look at managing celiac disease and how to do a gluten-free diet. What is Celiac Disease? Celiac disease (also called coeliac disease) is an autoimmune condition that can damage the small intestine. Specifically, the small intestine has many small projections (villi) along it, which help absorb nutrients from food. In celiac disease these are damaged and nutrients can’t be absorbed properly. Normal villi vs. celiac disease villi in the small intestine. Image source. Click to enlarge. Celiac disease causes the immune system to see gluten as a threat, attacking both the gluten and the villi of the small intestine. Therefore, people with celiac disease need to avoid foods containing gluten. Gluten is a[Discover More...]

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Fructose Malabsorption: A Beginner’s Guide to Treatment

Amanda Williams, Dietitian — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 17:15:14 +0000

Fructose malabsorption is a gastrointestinal condition that causes digestive discomfort. It’s common in sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), but can also be experienced in others. This article looks in detail at fructose malabsorption and explores the scientifically-proven diet changes that can help improve your symptoms. What is Fructose and Fructose Malabsorption? Fructose is a simple carbohydrate, or single sugar, found in many plants. It’s the major sugar found in fruit, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as ‘fruit sugar’. However, it also occurs naturally in honey, wheat and some vegetables. Fructose can be found in three ways: When fructose is eaten, it travels to the small intestine where it is absorbed without needing help from digestive enzymes. Fructose Malabsorption In fructose malabsorption, the left over fructose travels to the colon and takes lots of water with it (called an[Discover More...]

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