Collection: DIGESTIVE SUPPORT

More than 70% of cases of chronic indigestion do not have a specific, identifiable cause.  Despite that, proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), the most potent inhibitors of stomach acid secretion, have become among the most widely prescribed medications since their advent in the late 1980s.  PPIs are often prescribed inappropriately, on a chronic or even life-long basis, despite the risk of adverse effects from chronic use. 

The nutritional supplements in this protocol offer natural alternatives to PPIs, and rather than suppressing stomach acid secretion to mask the symptoms that such excess acid secretion can cause, they may help address the underlying mechanisms that contribute to chronic indigestion and other digestive ailments.

This contains the pancreatic enzymes that digest all of the food classes -- carbohydrates, proteins and fats.  These enzymes can be particularly helpful for those whose indigestion arises after removal of the gallbladder, or when overeating or eating too quickly.

Choline is an overlooked nutrient, but one that is essential for a broad range of biological functions, including healthy digestion, and in particular the proper functioning of the liver.  Choline provides methyl groups, which are needed for liver function and the clearing of fats from the liver.  With the rise to prominence in the 1980s of the dietary cholesterol hypothesis of cardiovascular disease, people became terrified of egg yolks, which used to be one of the primary dietary sources of methyl groups.  The lack of methyl groups in our diet helps explain the growing epidemic of fatty liver disease.

Our health and immune system all start in the gut.  One important reason to eat vegetables is for their 'prebiotic' effect:  their fiber provides fuel for gut bacteria.  The modern diet in the developed world, with its reliance on highly processed, packaged foods, and foods produced by factory meat farms and industrial agriculture, has greatly damaged and reduced the diversity of our gut microbiome.  This corruption and depletion of our microbiome likely contributes to the immunological and metabolic malfunctioning underlying the multitude of chronic diseases that have become increasingly prevalent.  Preservation and restoration of our gut microbiome would help us to age healthier, less burdened by disease.

• Magnesium is an essential trace mineral that we are getting less of in food, due to modern, industrial agriculture.  In the last 60 years, magnesium content in vegetables and fruit has decreased by 20 to 30%, and an estimated 60% of adults in developed countries are deficient in magnesium.
• Magnesium is often overlooked, but is involved in over 600 enzymatic reactions in the human body, including energy metabolism and protein and DNA synthesis.
• Various formulations of magnesium have been known for hundreds of years to be natural, safe and effective remedies for constipation (1, 2).

We carry exclusively the patented, Albion^® brand of magnesium -- magnesium bisglycinate chelate.  This patented form of magnesium, bound to an amino acid, greatly improves its absorption and tolerability.

This is a medicine that has been used for 2,500 years made from the sap of a tree originating on the Greek island of Chios.  It has shown effectiveness against antibiotic resistant cases of H. Pylori, and may be helpful for GERD, gastritis, and indigestion.  In 2015 the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recognized Chios mastic gum (Pistacia lentiscus L., resin) as a traditional herbal medicine with two therapeutic indications (mild dyspeptic disorders & skin inflammation/healing of minor wounds).

Support Protocols does not yet carry Chios Mastic Gum, but intends to.