Hi, James:

First, let me apologize for the name of the NSD. It should properly be called a series of dietary measures that will hopefully result in elimination of most starches that provoke an AS reaction.

Since our nemesis germ also ferments lactose and lactose is sometimes not absorbed early enough in the digestive tract, milk and many milk products can cause AS problems. Fruits can also be a problem here, since the bacterium’s first food choice is sugar and if we could deliver sugar unabsorbed into our lower tract, it would cause flares. Consider that some fruits are very rich in fructose and this sometimes does not so easily come out of the pectin cell matrix—no matter what level of Fletcherization we apply.

I think, however, that you have something else going on more related to dysbiosis and candidiasis. Dysbiosis is the accepted term for normal intestinal flora either being out of balance or out of place or, usually the case, both. Candidiasis is the condition caused by the overgrowth of the common bowel flora Candida albicans, technically a yeast. Symptoms of this include that very personal itching that might cause us to ‘fidget,’ and there is a basic test for this: A clear glass of room temperature distilled water and upon arising before brushing teeth, spit onto the surface and place in a cool dark place. Check it in four hours and intervals of two after this, noticing whether there are ‘stringers’ or threads issuing down from the surface. If so, there is a good chance you have severe candidiasis.

But this may not be the root of the problem, either.

Understand that AS is caused by the common bowel germ Klebsiella pneumoniae, but it is triggered by anything that causes LGS (leaky gut syndrome) and we cannot get AS—no matter what our genetics are—unless we have LGS. Candidiasis causes LGS, but NSAIDs do, also. It by this very mechanism that NSAIDs will greatly accelerate (exacerbate) AS activity. We have a technological diet—foods are refined, treated, adulterated, and otherwise screwed up to extend shelf life or get us hooked or make it pretty enough to stuff into our faces. Our bowel flora take full advantage of this and what we eat determines the relative composition of our mucosa (it this case, the substrate for the over 200 enterobacteriaceae, 3000 viruses, 50 or so fungi, and other identified residents we don’t even want to talk about).

Scientists label most of these residents as benign or non-virulent, but we absolutely know that they can be virulent when misplaced—so there is probably an in-between condition that we know as AS but others know as asthma or perhaps conditions not yet associated with various residents.

Sometimes a reaction to sugars can be due to candidiasis, other times, as when the reaction is so immediate, there is dysbiosis associated with gastric ulcer. It is not easy to tell the difference, and in treating the gastritis using antibiotics, the candidiasis will almost certainly get worse (fasting will successfully treat both).

Not to belabor the point, but the gastritis, which may or may not be caused by H. pylori, but certainly there are some bacteria involved where they ought not be, and things like PPI drugs only make this worse, long-term.. A course of antibiotics along with PPI (proton pump inhibitor) during this and slightly after, might be a good alternative to fasting, but fasting also reduces AS symptoms. I learned many years later the reason fasting eases AS—it is because our intestinal flora is greatly reduced. After an extended fast of 20 days, I was in remission for many months and my explanation, in light of what I have learned since then is that such a lengthy fast allowed much intestinal healing.

It took fasting (7 days plus 4 days with week of no dairy in between) for me to eliminate my own cases of GI-itises (proctitis, diverticulitis, jejunitis, colitis, cryptitis…) that were the result of my own NSAID abuse (taking ANY NSAIDs at recommended dosages will almost always result in abuse; they kept changing the warning literature inside the boxes of Voltaren I was buying…I actually read that stuff…). This was before the connection with H. pylori was accepted, and when I resolved to not return to the doctors for still more drugs to treat the side effects of…drugs.

There are about four or five days of misery to endure starting the fast and eliminating NSAID usage, but this can be endured—and should be, to eliminate NSAID usage after the fast so that intestinal healing can continue.

I don’t know whether or not the Edgar Cayce 3 Day Apple Diet would help set things right again, but with apple season fast approaching, it is something to consider, even if you treat for H. pylori, which can also help with AS, btw, if you remain on a reduced-starch regimen.

What I am certain about is that control of AS requires many cycles and treatment options; it does not go away so rapidly, just as it took a long time to develop. The treatment options should always include diet, but some individuals may not need to be so strict, albeit everyone should be very strict at first.

Cycles should include anti-candidiasis regimens (elimination of sugars, refined starches, cheeses, table grapes, pineapple, etc). Tuna is our friend as are colloidal silver, caprylic acid, raw garlic, enteric-coated oregano oil, and vitC. Also, anti-parasite regimens like taking wormwood and eating seven servings of bitter melon in one week ( 3 and a half average sized melons—the size of a small cucumber, usually, total). The Zampieron, et al book (Arthritis: An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide) contains many good suggestions, despite not giving proper credit for Cayce’s castor oil packs. But my main cycles were those I dictated (after discussions with microbiologists and others who might know about our nemesis bacterium)—antibiotics, total starch and dairy exclusion, fasting, apples, less strict diet, etc.

Eventually, I was able to eliminate all the inflammation, reducing my ESR from 45 to 18 and able to maintain this level using diet alone, staying away from milk products, generally. Once I began eating too much cheese again (I keep forgetting it is a condiment and not a main dish!), the symptoms would creep back and I needed to take more antibiotics and be strict with diet again. In this period, it would take almost a day for minor symptoms to happen and about 3 days to resolve the pains, measuring ESR up to 26, then a fast would move the needle back down. Taking NSAIDs and anything else that dulls our pain also dulls our perception of exactly which foods were the worst. Although I did discover the deep-fried foods connection with flares while taking these terrible drugs.

Sorry this is such a lengthy reply, but there are no simple solutions, and therefore no promises to the problems of both healing the gut while treating some of these conditions.

By the time I discovered antibiotics, I had fasted so often that I do not think that I had candidiasis, so this is a compilation of experiences that other people fighting both AS and candidiasis have had to endure. I did have all the gastric ulcers, top-to-bottom, and did treat these with great success: No recurrence in 20 years.

To heal the gut, supplements are important: VitC, vitE, niacin, lysine, glycine, and vitD (especially from sunlight). Foods can also help: Okra, lychee fruit (available in Asian markets), and yoghurt (live active cultures; I recommend Brown Cow and Stonyfield Farms brands in this order) in small quantities at first. Some believe that yoghurt is low-lactose and galactose, since much of these have been consumed in the fermentation process, and goat’s milk yoghurt might be superior, if it can be found. Some of us will react to yoghurt (even at 2oz/ serving 2 servings daily), until more intestinal healing has been achieved. Colostrum can be used, and EV olive oil at 2-6 teaspoonfuls daily, GLAs as in borage seed, evening primrose, and black currant oils. Flaxseed oil and cod liver oils can also be used to total at least 11g EFAs (omega 3 essential fatty acids) daily. Zinc is especially important to intestinal health, also, and this plus magnesium citrate and calcium in any form (chelated is best) should be taken. After a few months of NSD without dairy, supplementation, and healing foods, some borderline foods might be “tested” provided we are in remission and not taking drugs.

Foods that have high-lectin content or can otherwise have adverse effects upon the intestinal lumen: Citrus juices, nightshades, fry oils, and most refined starches, especially in persons with AS.

Sorry if this is redundant—I was waiting for my internet connection to come back up after some maintenance, so had too many hours to reply…

bon appetit,
John