Medical Research: Creativity, Innovation, Scientific Advancement 

One of the main goals of the research of the Intestinal Health Institute is to further the knowledge base of our areas of study so that other researchers and the population at large may best benefit. By utilizing what we consider to be the "art" of science, we employ a creative approach to our scientific work to optimize the innovation of our research discoveries. Optimal innovation means optimal benefit from our research dollars.

A few examples of the creativity and innovation that has been employed to date:

  1. We have developed new diagnostic tests for the detection of gluten sensitivity, dietary yeast sensitivity (for the diagnosis of Crohn's disease), and are developing similar tests for many other foods. Building on the concept that food sensitivity is an immune reaction centered inside the intestinal tract, our method utilizes stool analysis and has proven more accurate than blood and skin tests which are ordinarily employed for detection of food sensitivity.

  2. We have discovered that almost all patients with microscopic colitis possess the genes that causes gluten sensitivity, and many have evidence of this gluten-mediated immune reaction by our new tests. Although not the cause of the syndrome, significant gluten sensitivity seems to perpetuate the colitis, making it very difficult to be treated successfully with medicines until gluten is removed from the diet. Based on correspondence from numerous individuals with this disease, it appears that a gluten-free diet is helping as many, if not, more patients with microscopic colitis than all drug therapies combined.

  3. We have developed the first treatment regimen for microscopic colitis ever proven successful in medical research studies. The regimen utilizes inexpensive, non-toxic, over-the-counter compounds aimed at improving the quality of bacteria growing in the colon, often combined with dietary gluten restriction. These manipulations inhibit immune reactions in the colon that cause colitis. Although most of our investigation has centered on microscopic colitis, early experience is showing that patients with all forms of chronic colitis (such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) may benefit.

  4. We have developed a new quantitative method for detecting dietary nutrient malabsorption (which can result from small intestinal damage or pancreatic enzyme deficiency). The main benefit of this new test is that it requires that the testee collect only a single stool specimen: the now out-dated test demanded that patients collect all stools they passed for 3 continuous days which, according to another Intestinal Health Institute research study, can be accomplished completely by no more than 70% of people. Thus, our new test is more simple and more accurate.


Practical Implications, Helping people today

Rather than focusing on molecular aspects of cells in petri dishes, our clinical research is designed to utilize sensible scientific and nutritional principles to help people and patients. Those benefitting include the participants in our research studies, whom receive both diagnostic and therapeutic gain. The practical implications of our studies aid in the accomplishment of the ultimate goal of our research: to improve the intestinal and overall health of people today and tomorrow!

Importance: Global Implications 

Consumption of gluten, yeast, cow's milk, and other immunogenic foods occurs in every inhabited continent of the globe. Inflammatory bowel disease (including celiac sprue) afflicts people around the world. We hope and expect that your investment in our research will have a favorable impact on the health of people world-wide.




The Future

We have come a long way in 16 years. Based on the communication with people all over the world by mail, email, and telephone, the feedback regarding our research as it relates to our stated mission has been overwhelmingly positive. We are young, enthusiastic, hard working, determined, spiritually minded, and service-oriented, and feel we have just begun to make a difference in improving the intestinal and overall health of men and women around the world. Please help us help others! Thank you.