Digestive complaints have become increasingly common. Recent statistics show that gastrointestinal complaints account for nearly a third of all visits to primary care doctors and that nearly one in two Americans suffer from digestive disease. Millions more suffer from conditions such as migraine headaches, arthritis, mood disorders, chronic fatigue, asthma, allergies, and menstrual dysfunction, which are all related to a disorder in digestive health.Despite the evidence in support of integrative approaches to treatment and prevention of digestive symptoms, these approaches are largely overlooked in treating gastrointestinal disorders. Rather, treatment plans tend to be exclusively pharmacologically based and have appreciable toxicity.Integrative Gastroenterology, Second edition, is a comprehensive guide to helping health care practitioners understand and appreciate how to manage patients with gastrointestinal conditions integrating conventional and complimentary approaches. This text reviews the latest advances in science and research with regards to the gut microbiome, physiology, and interconnections between the gut and other organ systems. Coverage includes a diverse range of treatment methods, such as probiotics, meditation, massage, yoga, supplements, special diets, energy medicine, homeopathy, and acupuncture, as well as a special section devoted to mind-body medicine in digestive health and disease. In discussing unconventional treatments, the authors address many of the controversies that surround the remedies.

Foreword - Andrew WeilPrefaceSection I. The Principles Integrative Gastroenterology1. Introduction: Why Integrative Gastroenterology?2. The Gastrointestinal Superhighway: An Overview of Digestive, Sensing, Barrier and Immune Functions of the Gut3. The Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease4. The Gut-Brain Axis5. A Guide to Food-Based Gut Reactions6. Integrative Gastroenterology for Children, Adolescents and Parents7. Superfoods for Digestive Health8. Herbal Medicine and Nutritional Supplements for Gut HealthSection II. Complementary Modalities for Digestive Disease9. Osteopathic Manipulation10. Chiropractic11. Acupuncture12. Ayurveda13. Homeopathy14. Energy Medicine15. Naturopathy16. Mind Body MedicineSection III. Integrative Approaches to Gut-Based Illnesses17. Abdominal Pain18. GERD, Dyspepsia, and Peptic Ulcer Disease19. Colorectal Cancer20. Constipation21. Irritable Bowel Syndrome22. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases23. Liver Health and Disease24. Weight DisordersSection IV. Personalized Medicine: The Future of Integrative Gastroenterology25. Conventional Laboratory Testing For Gut Health26. Functional Laboratory Testing For Gut Health27. Nutrigenomics28. Functional medicine29. Lifestyle MedicineSection V. Conclusions30. Implementing Integrative Gastroenterology into Practice