From: ((Steven B. Harris))
Subject: Re: Vitamin C - What's that hissing sound???
Date: 26 May 1995
Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative

In <3q0k48$cvm@pinch.io.org> pdyoung@io.org (Paul Young) writes:

>On the advice of my new "nutritional therapy" MD I have been increasing
>my Vit-C intake. I have gone from 6 g/day (as "time released" caplets) to
>over 20 g/day in crystal form. (I am disolving 2.5 gm into a glass of
>water with a little bit of fresh juice.) I haven't yet reached a
>'tolerance' level (loose bowels) but I have been experiencing
>>>>substantial<<< bowel gas.
>
>Is this a short term phenom. or is it an indication of my personal limit.
>
>Any advice would be appreciated, especially by my very tolerant wife.
>
>Paul Y.


Well, if you want MY advice, it's "Why fart around with a quack?"

Look, you're going to absorb no more than 2 grams of that 20 gram load
no matter how you take it.  The rest remains for your gut germs to make
gas with, which is what they're doing.  THey probably have a
little shrine already set up to you in your colon: "To the Unknown God."
If you enjoy feeding your gut gas germs, fine.  Some people have ant
farms.

                                              Steve Harris, M.D.

From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Re: digestive problems and enzymes
Date: 12 Feb 1999 09:57:18 GMT

In <36C36D2B.29C30E8C@ebicom.net> jec <jec@ebicom.net> writes:

>i have digestive problems with gas and bloating almost all of the time.
>Over the counter products and prescription products have little or not
>at all. I have read that digestive enzymes have produced wonderful
>results.



   Only if you don't have any yourself.  Which is unlikely.  Probably
you've tried a bean and lactose free diet.  You might try an herbal
preparation of fennel, which is harmless, and has a long and probably
deserved reputation as a "carminative" or anti gas agent.  The stuff
probably doesn't inhibit gas, but just gets it out more evenly, so you
it doesn't build up and hurt.

   Note that some fraction of people just make a lot of methane, and
I'm not just talking about congress and the icons at NOW.   It's a
genetic trait, autosomal dominant.  If you have it and it bothers you
socially, about the only thing you can do is take a lot of long walks,
or move to Japan or Tanzania.

                                       Steve Harris, M.D.