Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 8 probably to have iris scanning capabilities
Sep 1, 2016, 2:41 am
Ankita P.
Apple will celebrate its 10th anniversary of the iPhone in 2017. On this grand the company is planning to make it more grand. Technology giant is already in news for its upcoming iPhone 7 and now a new rumor suggests that Apple to introduce iris scanning capabilities in iPhone 8.
Some news providing the information about the features of iPhone 8. It’s going to be a fiery redesign, having edge-to-edge display. That does away with the top and bottom bezels and features like the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and the front-facing camera are housed. Instead, Touch ID and the camera may be built directly into the display, meaning there will be no Home button.
With this kind of design, the display would take up the entire front of the iPhone. But it isn’t clear if the display will grow to fit the iPhone or the iPhone will be shrunken down to fit the display.
The display itself is said to be flexible OLED rather than an LCD, allowing Apple to introduce a thinner device that consumes less power and offers a better display with higher contrast ratio and more true to life colors. It may also feature edges that are curved on both sides, similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
Jony Ive, the Chief Design Officer of Apple has wanted to introduce an iPhone that looks like a single sheet of glass for several years, and it looks like 2017 will be the year for Jony to make this dream come true.
Some rumors suggest Apple is finally omitting the aluminum which was used in the iPhone 5, 5s, 6, 6s, and SE, and re-adopting a glass body that’s similar to the body that was used previously in the iPhone 4.
According to Apple supplier Catcher Technology, At least one iPhone model coming in 2017 will use a glass body.
iPhone 8 is expected to have a 10-nanometer A11 chip. That will be both faster and more efficient. Apple is said to be planning to position the dual-curve OLED iPhone 8. A “Premium” model that will be sold alongside standard flat display 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 8 models.
The iPhone 8 is still under development and is expected to launch in the 2017. In 2016, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 7, a device with more modest design changes. And iPhone 8 is planned to be introduced & launched in 2017.


The Michelson-Morley Experiment
In 1887 two physicists named A.A.Michelson and E.W.Morley created an experiment in search of what was named the "Aether Wind."
Assuming aether permeated all matter, the Earth's rotation would cause a relative movement between the Aether and the surface of the Earth. This relative moment is known as the Aether Wind.
The experiment works on a concept that can be explained with the analogy of two boats travelling the same distance at the same speed on a river with a current.
Assume that the boats are going at 5km/h, the distance they travel is 2km and the current is 3km/h
For Boat A: It has to battle the current directly, and its speed is reduced to 2km/h, and it takes 1 hour to complete the trip.
For Boat B: While it has to battle current, it does not have to as much as Boat A. If Pythagoras' theorem is used, it is found that its speed vertically is 4km/h. Thus it takes 30 minutes to complete its trip.
For return trips, Boat A is helped by the current with a speed of 8km/h, and Boat B maintains the speed of 4km/h. Ultimately, they take different amounts of time to go forward and back.
From this, it can be seen that depending on the direction one travels with a current, its speed will change.
When applied to light, the existence of the Aether Wind implied that light travelling one direction will be at a different speed in the other direction, similar to the current of a river.
Michelson and Morley set up an experiment to find this relative speed using this concept in an "interferometer"
A beam of light is shot from S into M, a half-silver mirror that splits up the ray into 2 perpendicular directions.
Assuming the Aether wind is travelling in v's direction:
For Beam 1: this is similar to Boat A, where it battles wind on the way there, and when bounced off full-mirror M1, flows with wind.
For Beam 2: this is Boat B's case, moving diagonally with the wind.
When the two beams are reflected into telescope T, due to their different speeds, they create an interference pattern.
This apparatus was then rotated 90 degrees, which would create a different interference pattern due to Aether Wind's constant direction.
However, they discovered no difference in the interference patterns, despite the extreme sensitivity and many, many attempts.
There was one attempt where they put the apparatus on a cement block floated in goddamned Mercury.
Results and Implications
Michelson and Morley received a null result as they could not determine the speed of the Aether Wind.
Scientists of the time were initiall baffled by this null result, but it only created doubt in the aether model.
Some suggestions were made to adapt this lack of a result, but all were un-experimentable.
Until Einstein and Maxwell's theories in 1905, the Aether model remained used, but was waning in popularity.
Einstein used the MM experiment as proof for his competing theory.
Eventually the theory was phased out since no one used it any more.
Thus it can be said that the MM experiment casted doubt onto the Aether model and allowed competing and possible correct models to be recognised.


"Six offered professional terms is great for the Academy and local area to be represented by their club." - Coventry City's Rich Stevens
Laura Hunter
CCFC Academy Manager gives his assessment on a positive season for the Sky Blues Academy...
Coventry City Academy Manager Richard Stevens has praised the 2015/16 season as a ‘progressive’ year for the Sky Blues production line.
It’s been a busy year for the Sky Blues Academy which many changes and additions amongst the staff and the players of all age groups.
Whilst the FA Youth Cup and Under-18s grab the headlines, the Academy’s key to success is it’s people power and Stevens has explained some of the changes and additions to the staff which should improve the future.
Stevens started: "It's been another progressive season for the Academy. All the aims we set out at the start of the year have been achieved and even surpassed.
"The Academy is important to the club and it's important to have good staff around me. Scott Curry was previously at the Academy and went to Wolves. He has since returned here as the Head of Recruitment and has already set about reshaping our recruitment network.
"Scott has already been really busy forming links with local teams and getting out and about in Coventry and Warwickshire. At the end of the day, trying to get boys from the local area into the club is the brief.
"Jackson Moody joined the club from Swansea as the U5-U11 lead coach and has been excellent ever since he walked into the Academy. He's brought fresh ideas to the table and the children are really enjoying the sessions at that young age."
The Sky Blues Academy was pushed into the mainstream local news during the season after their progression in the FA Youth Cup. City progressed to the fifth round to face Premier League giants Arsenal at the Ricoh Arena where City were beaten on penalties after Bassala Sambou’s last-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw.
Despite the spot-kick defeat, Stevens only has fondness for the Youth Cup run.
"Clubs always go crazy for the Youth Cup but in my nine seasons with the club, we've done ok and had some good results over the years,” he remembers.
"We did well last season and eventually went out to Manchester City, but I think we learnt from that. This season, we just captured the magic of the competition.
"We had some tough games right through the rounds. Started with Walsall and then played Crewe Alexandra, Stoke City and Charlton; all difficult tests for the boys which they came through.
"Of course, that led to Arsenal at the Ricoh Arena which was a special occasion and can only bring a smile to the face. It was a magical evening with over 2000 supporters in the stadium cheering on the boys.
"We took them all the way to penalties and it was an excellent effort. It doesn't feel like a defeat looking back on it and it is a night we should all be proud of as a football club."
On the back of the FA Youth Cup run and another great season in the league for Jason Farndon’s Under-18s side, six players were offered professional terms. Corey Addai, Darragh Leahy, Callum Maycock, Jordan Shipley, Bassala Sambou and Jacob Whitmore were all offered, and Stevens says that is a great achievement for the staff.
"It's a great achievement for us. To have six offered professional terms here is a great for the Academy and the local area who will be represented properly by their football club,” Stevens says.
"Jason Farndon, Andy Hemming and Matthew Ellis do a fantastic job with the Under-18s and it's great for them as well. The players now need to make sure the hard work continues going into the summer.
"They'll have to be around it during pre-season and work hard to catch the manager's eye. The main focus for them is Under-21s but if they can progress, they might just succeed that.”


Tag Archives: Personal Connections
When Churchill And Stalin Hit The Bottle
The BBC has an interesting story about a World War II summit meeting that tells us a bit about how the world has changed, and also, perhaps, about how it hasn’t.
The story took place in 1942, when Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, traveled to Moscow for a summit meeting with Joseph Stalin, the dictator who led the Soviet Union. The two countries were new allies, brought together by their common foe, Nazi Germany.
The initial meetings between the leaders didn’t exactly go smoothly. Churchill requested another meeting, which began at 7 p.m. At 1 a.m. an under-secretary of the British Foreign Office was invited to join the proceedings and found Stalin, Churchill, and Russian Foreign Secretary Molotov sitting around the shredded remains of a suckling pig on a table covered with countless bottles of liquor. By that time Churchill was just drinking wine and complaining of a headache, and Stalin made the bureaucrat drink a concoction that was “pretty savage.” The meeting continued until 3 a.m., when the Brits stumbled back to their rooms, packed, and headed to the airport.
The drinking party was unconventional — although not unusual for the Soviets, whose reputation for long, vodka-saturated banquets continued for decades — but it did the trick. Churchill and Stalin established a personal connection that helped the allies steer their way to victory over the Axis powers.
It’s hard to imagine our modern political leaders having drinking bouts and making bleary-eyed policy decisions at 2 a.m. after guzzling countless shots of booze. We obviously wouldn’t want them to do so. But the importance of making a personal connection remains as true today as it was 70 years ago during the dark days of a global war. Summit meetings still make sense because we want our leaders to be able to take the measure of each other and establish relationships that can stand the stress when times get tough.
Posted in Politics, World	| Tagged Alcohol, Drinking, Great Britain, History, Joseph Stalin, Liquor, Personal Connections, Politics, Soviet Union, Summit Meetings, Winston Churchill, World, World History, World Leaders, World War II	| Leave a reply


Frederick the Great and the Corporal's Watch
One day, Frederick the Great learned that a corporal in one of his regiments had a gold watch, which he wore suspended at the end of gold chain. Impressed by the man's frugality, the King approached him. Sure enough, he could see hanging from the man's waistcoat a gold chain which disappeared into a pocket.
"Corporal! You must be a very prudent fellow, to have saved enough out of your pay for a watch."
"I flatter myself that I am, Your Majesty, but the watch is of little consequence."
Hearing this, the king took out his watch, studded with diamonds, and examined it. "My watch says that it's five. What does yours say?"
The corporal hesitated, somewhat taken aback. Then he tugged on his watch chain. What emerged from his pocket at the end of the gold chain was not a gold watch but a lead musket ball. In a firm voice, the man said, "My watch, Sire, says neither five nor six � but tells me that I ought to be ready at any hour to die for Your Majesty."
Robert Jeffrey, HMS Recruit, and Sombrero /a>
Born in Polperro, Cornwall, in 1789, Robert Jeffrey went to sea in a privateer in 1806, to help support his widowed mother and three younger siblings. In 1807, as Jeffrey's ship was returning home, it was intercepted off Cornwall by HMS Recruit, an 18 gun brig-rigged sloop-of-war.Along with several of his shipmates, Jeffrey, then just 17, was pressed into service by the Royal Navy.�
Recruit, commanded by Captain Warwick Lake, sailed to the West Indies. Shortly after reaching the Antilles, in December of 1807, Jeffery was caught stealing beer from the midshipmen's stores� He was hauled before the captain.� Apparently deciding that several score lashes were not sufficient punishment to fit Jeffrey's crime, on December 5, 1807 Lake marooned the young man without food or water on a remote and barren island known as Sombrero.�
The northernmost islet in the Lesser Antilles, about 38 miles from Anguilla, Sombrero is essentially a large, flat rock about a mile long, and about 400 yards across at its widest point.� With a total area of about 95 mostly barren acres, the island never stands more than about 40 feet above sea level.� Even on relatively calm days it's not unusual for larger rollers from the north to wash over the entire island.� Needless to say, the "naked lump" of an island had neither food nor potable water.��
Shortly after Jeffrey was marooned, Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, the commanding officer of the West Indies Station, learned of Lake's cruel deed and ordered him to rescue the lad. But when Lake returned to Sombrero, about two months after having abandoned the young man, there no sign of him.� What had happened was that on December 13th, just eight days after being marooned on Sombrero, the half-dead Jeffery had been rescued by a passing American schooner.� The Americans took Jeffrey to Massachusetts, where he found employment as a blacksmith.� .
While Jeffrey was making a living in America, word of Lake's cruelty to the young seaman created a stir in England.� Questions were raised in Parliament, by such notable "radicals" as Samuel Whitbread and Francis Burdett.� After making inquiries, Whitbread discovered that Jeffrey's family, in Polperro, were in contact with the young man.� A ship was sent to fetch him, and early in 1810 he landed in Portsmouth, and was taken to London, where he became a temporary celebrity; and appeared on stage as the "Governor of Sombrero" and "Jeffrey the Sailor."
Meanwhile, pressed by Burdett, one of the great liberals of the age and later a champion of Catholic Emancipation, the Royal Navy subjected Captain Lake to a court martial.� On February 10, 1810, the court ruled that Lake be cashiered from the service and pay Jeffrey, �600 in compensation, an enormous sum for the day, equal to many years' pay for a common seaman. With that nest egg, Jeffrey returned to Polperro, where he was accorded a tumultuous reception.� He bought a small schooner and entered the coasting trade, married, and had a daughter.� Alas, his business efforts did not prosper, and he also acquired consumption. Robert Jeffrey died in 1820, leaving his family in poverty.
As for Sombrero, well, naturally, it's still there, and something of a tourist attraction, due to Jeffrey's ordeal, not to mention the fact that there's good fishing in the vicinity; in 1938 F.D.R. caught a 20-pound pompano off the island.


What is augmented reality…
Augmented reality or referred to as virtual reality, is an interactive technology that superimposes digital imagery over the physical world. Typically, this content is viewed through a camera of some sort, thus the technology has become quite popular for mobile devices. This technology is becoming a common component in gaming and marketing, with its interactive features garnering acclaim amongst a wide range of consumers. The technology has been seeing practical uses as well, finding uses in industries including medicine, construction, and space travel.
Augmented reality is often considered an emerging technology, but it is actually older than many people think.
The technology was first developed in 1968 by Ivan Sutherland, who created a full-fledged augmented reality system for Harvard University. After a stint of popularity, augmented reality faded away from mainstream attention, finding a home with NASA and other agencies of the U.S. government. Part of the reason augmented reality was so poorly received was because of the lack of computer hardware that could support the technology.
Computer hardware has come a long way since the late 60’s and now augmented reality is gaining more attention.
With the advent of mobile technology, such as smart phones and tablets, virtual reality is seeing more attention than it ever has in the past. Today’s smart phones are capable of handling the high demands of the technology, thus application developers are devoting more attention to it all together and what it can bring to the table. The vast majority of these applications are for entertainment, but some also have practical purposes.
Beyond applications, augmented reality is gaining traction in the game industry.
Companies like Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are developing these systems for next generation game platforms and titles. Nintendo’s Wii U, for instance, boasts of augmented reality technology in its controller, allowing gamers to interact games in a more dynamic fashion. Both Sony and Microsoft are working to build augmented reality into their new consoles, as well, the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox 720, respectively.
Famed technology giant Google has become a big name in the world of augmented reality.
The company is part of the reason the technology is getting so much attention today. In early 2012, Google unveiled Project Glass, an effort to build augmented reality eyewear. Google had hopes that Project Glass would help bring augmented reality into the mainstream, but the technology has proven difficult to work with. Several other companies, Microsoft included, are now working on similar projects that could cast Project Glass into obscurity.
Augmented reality is garnering a great deal of attention from many industries all over the world.
As computer technology becomes more advanced, augmented reality is expected to play a major role in many of these industries. The technology has already won the hearts of many consumers around t he world, a trend that is expected to continue well into the future.


The Five Best Billy Zane Movies of His Career
Tom 4 days ago
Brian Boone of Looper isn’t exactly accurate in stating that Hollywood won’t cast Billy Zane any longer, but it is evident that there are some roles that he can’t outrun and a feeling that he’s just not the leading man type. That’s pretty accurate to be honest but as a character actor he’s always been solid and he’s been able to bolster a movie since he can play the role of the bad guy in a big and very convincing way. It does seem as though this would put a big damper on his career since honestly it’s not what an actor wants to hear. But all in all he has been successful in his career quite often and it does seem that he’s been remembered for more than one role. That being said Billy is one of the most charismatic individuals in the business and he does still work when he wants to, meaning that he’s not the kind of guy that just disappears when the curtain falls, but instead will show up wherever and whenever he’s needed. In other words, he’s as solid an actor as can be found.
Here are a few of his best movies.
5. Sniper
Snipers have to rely on the person next to them to survive, so when Beckett is given a replacement after his spotter is killed it’s no wonder why he’s not impressed. Miller was a SWAT sniper but without any confirmed kills and no jungle combat experience, so it’s too obvious that he had no idea what he was doing. It’s kind of amazing to think that something like this might ever happen, but it’s also highly unlikely since sending someone into a combat zone like this would be about as close to murder as you could get without pulling the trigger yourself. The fact that they have a prolonged spat before finally coming together to complete the mission is proof that you don’t pit a novice with an expert in this manner.
4. Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
Yes it was a campy movie and didn’t have a lot of redeeming qualities, but Billy still played it pretty well and was actually the star of the show despite the fact that he was supposed to be the supporting actor. William Sadler however is another supporting actor that’s not horrible but isn’t any more of a leading man than Billy is, so it was almost as though they had to play off of one another in an effort to create a credible movie. But hey, there was a time when Tales from the Crypt was actually one of the best things going, and this has Bordello of Blood beat eight ways to Sunday.
3. Posse
Quite honestly this was one of those movies you watch when you can’t find anything else, but find that it’s still somewhat enjoyable since Billy plays an over the top villain that is too arrogant to be believed and yet offers up the best performance out of half the cast. Mario Van Peebles made it a habit to star in movies that allowed him to be presented as a great action star, but this usually required that he be flanked by actors that had his back when it came to making him look credible, and Billy Zane, despite being a little dramatic, was the perfect man to do so in this movie, and even better is that his character was killed off in the end.
2. Tombstone
He didn’t have a huge part in this movie and it ended in tragedy since he was shot by the Cowboys, the same men he’d been entertaining earlier in the movie. While he was more of a dandy and not much of a manly character as was defined by the rest of the cast, he was still impressive in his delivery since he did play his part with a great deal of skill that made him seem like someone that was self-assured, confident, and yet not fully capable of embracing the rough and tough nature of the old west. In this manner he was perfect for the role since he can definitely play the dramatic roles that give him leave to flash that smile and pomp.
1. Titanic
Cal was just a disgusting human being, and trying to say that he was anything else is kind of difficult. So yes it’s true that Jack came along and wooed Rose, who was betrothed to Cal, but given that Jack wanted her to be sure of her place in life, Cal already had it picked out and wasn’t about to let Rose make any of her own decisions. Plus, grabbing up a child to make certain that he got a place on a lifeboat is just despicable, especially since after that he didn’t let anyone else on once it was in the water.
Billy is a great actor, but he’s definitely not a lead.
Tom Foster
Wake has been a freelance writer for the past several years now and has continued to do what he loves to do while attempting to get his work out to the masses. His greatest loves in life are writing, being a family man, and entertaining readers with his take on pop culture as it continues to change throughout the years.
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Pages tagged "religious freedom"
Chelsea Pietch's speech at the ACL National Conference 2012
Chelsea Pietsch is a lawyer and the executive officer of the Freedom 4 Faith group. She spoke at the ACL National Conference about her work with the group. Click here to listen to her speech.
David Wilson's speech at the ACL National Conference 2012
David Wilson is a senior consultant with Sophia Think Tank, an initiative of the Bible Society Australia. He spoke at the ACL National Conference 2012 about work of Sophia Think Tank and its work to repair the social environment in Australia. Click here to listen to his speech.
Jim Wallace's speech at the ACL National Conference 2012
Jim Wallace is the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby. He addressed the ACL National Conference 2012 about religious freedom and the importance of a Christian influence in modern society. Click here to listen to his speech.
Dennis Shanahan's speech at the ACL National Conference 2012
Dennis Shanahan is a journalist and the political editor at The Australian. He spoke at the ACL National Conference 2012 about religious freedom in a secular democracy from a media perspective. Click here to listen.
Dennis Shanahan on The Political Spot
Dennis Shanahan is a journalist and the political editor of The Australian. He was one of the speakers at ACL's National Conference, addressing the topic of religious freedom in a secular democracy from a media perspective. Here are some of the highlights from his speech. Click here to listen to his whole speech.
The Hon Robert McClelland's speech at the ACL National Conference 2012
The Hon Robert McClelland MP is the Labor Federal Member for Barton (NSW) and the former Attorney-General of Australia. He spoke at ACL's National Conference 2012 about the federal government's review of anti-discrimination law. Click here to listen.
The Hon Kevin Andrews' speech at the ACL National Conference 2012
The Hon Kevin Andrews MP is the Liberal Federal Member for Menzies (Vic) and the Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services. He spoke at the ACL National Conference 2012 about religious freedom and persecuted people. Click here to listen.
Professor Greg Craven’s speech at the ACL National Conference 2012
Professor Greg Craven is a constitutional law expert and the vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University. He addressed the ACL National Conference 2012, speaking about religious freedom in a secular democracy. Click here to listen.
Professor Greg Craven on The Political Spot
Professor Greg Craven is a constitutional law expert and the vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University. He was one of the speakers at the Australian Christian Lobby's National Conference in Canberra, addressing the topic of religious freedom in a secular democracy. Here are some highlights from his speech. Click here to listen to the whole speech.
The Hon Robert McClelland on The Political Spot
Robert McClelland has been the Labor Member for Barton since 1996, and was Attorney-General of Australia from 2007 to 2011. He spoke at the Australian Christian Lobby's National Conference about the federal government's review of anti-discrimination law. Here are some highlights of his speech. Click here to listen to the whole speech.


The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
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Author(s): Kirk Wallace Johnson
As heard on NPR's This American Life "Absorbing . . . Though it's non-fiction, The Feather Thief contains many of the elements of a classic thriller." --Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air "One of the most peculiar and memorable true-crime books ever." --Christian Science Monitor A rollicking true-crime adventure and a captivating journey into an underground world of fanatical fly-tiers and plume peddlers, for readers of The Stranger in the Woods, The Lost City of Z, and The Orchid Thief. On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London's Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British Museum of Natural History. Home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world, the Tring museum was full of rare bird specimens whose gorgeous feathers were worth staggering amounts of money to the men who shared Edwin's obsession: the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Once inside the museum, the champion fly-tier grabbed hundreds of bird skins--some collected 150 years earlier by a contemporary of Darwin's, Alfred Russel Wallace, who'd risked everything to gather them--and escaped into the darkness. Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist high in a river in northern New Mexico when his fly-fishing guide told him about the heist. He was soon consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. What would possess a person to steal dead birds? Had Edwin paid the price for his crime? What became of the missing skins? In his search for answers, Johnson was catapulted into a years-long, worldwide investigation. The gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man's relentless pursuit of justice, The Feather Thief is also a fascinating exploration of obsession, and man's destructive instinct to harvest the beauty of nature.
"A true-crime tale that weaves seemingly unrelated threads into a spellbinding narrative tapestry" -- Mark Adams, author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu "A captivating tale of an unlikely thief and his even more unlikely crime, and a meditation on obsession, greed, and the sheer fascination in something as seemingly simple as a feather" -- Paul Collins, author of The Murder of the Century "This is the type of book I absolutely love - one that takes a seemingly obscure topic and shines a brilliant and bizarre and endlessly fascinating light upon it. Kirk Wallace Johnson's portrayal of the crazy world of feather fanatics makes this an unforgettable read" -- Michael Finkel, author of The Stranger in the Woods "This gem of a book, is marvelous, moving, and transcendent. I can't stop thinking about it" -- Dean King, author of Skeletons on the Zahara "This extraordinary book exposes an international underground that traffics in rare and precious natural resources, yet was previously unknown to all but a few. A page-turning read you won't soon forget, The Feather Thief tells us as much about our cultural priorities as it does about the crimes themselves. There's never been anything like it" -- Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Dogs
Kirk W. Johnson is an American author and founder of The List Project, a not-for-profit foundation that helps Iraqi refugees who previously worked for the U.S. government during the Iraq War. He lives in LA.
Imprint : Hutchinson
Publication date : January 2018
Dewey classification : 364.1628598074
Author : Kirk Wallace Johnson


Radiation therapy (also known as radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to damage or kill cancer cells by preventing them from growing and dividing. Similar to surgery, radiation therapy is a local treatment used to eliminate cancer in a specific area. Radiation therapy is not typically useful in eradicating cancer cells that have already spread to other parts of the body. Radiation therapy may be externally or internally delivered. External radiation delivers high-energy rays directly to the tumor site from a machine outside the body. Internal radiation, or brachytherapy, involves the implantation of a small amount of radioactive material in or near the cancer.
Optimal treatment of patients with Ewing’s sarcoma often requires more than one therapeutic approach. Thus, it is important for patients to be treated at a medical center that can offer multi-modality treatment involving radiation oncologists, orthopedic surgeons, pediatric oncologists, and rehabilitation specialists.
Ewing’s sarcoma is relatively sensitive to radiation, and conventional radiation therapy plays a major role in treatment. When radiation therapy is given to patients with Ewing’s it is usually given with chemotherapy.
External Beam Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is delivered to areas of cancer from a machine outside the body, called a linear accelerator, or from a shielded repository of a powerful isotope, such as cobalt 60. External beam radiation therapy is most often administered in conjunction with chemotherapy. In some instances, patients with advanced disease are treated with radiation therapy alone for relief of symptoms. Conventional radiation therapy is administered over a course of five to seven weeks.
The main effect of radiation therapy is to prevent local and regional recurrences (cancer recurrence in the area of the primary tumor). A recent review suggests that radiation therapy can prevent local cancer recurrence in 58 to 93 percent of patients.[1]
Surgery, Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy for Localized Ewing’s Sarcoma
The most common approach for the treatment of localized Ewing’s sarcoma is to remove as much tumor as possible surgically, deliver local radiation to eradicate microscopic tumor not removed by surgery, and administer systemic (whole-body) combination chemotherapy to eradicate micrometastases (very small areas of cancer that may have spread to other parts of the body). Radiation therapy has no effect on distant metastatic disease.
Researchers from St Jude Children Research Center have reported the outcomes of 39 patients with localized Ewing’s sarcoma treated with definitive surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.[2] They reported a five-year survival of 90 percent and a local recurrence rate of 11 percent. Patients who had positive surgical margins (evidence of cancer at the edge of the tissue that was surgically removed) had a local recurrence rate of 17 percent compared to 5.2 percent for those with no tumor in the surgical margins.
Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy for Localized Ewing’s Sarcoma
Patients who have inoperable tumors or tumors in sites not suitable for surgery are treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Researchers at St Jude Children’s Research Center have reported the outcomes of 79 patients with Ewing’s sarcoma treated with low-dose or high-dose radiation and chemotherapy with vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide with alternating cycles of ifosfamide and etoposide.[3] The local recurrence rate was 30 percent. Overall survival was 65 percent. Patients who were older or who had larger tumors had worse outcomes. In addition, radiation doses below 40 Gy were associated with an increased rate of local recurrence.
Although patients do not feel anything while they are receiving radiation treatment, the effects of radiation gradually build up over time. Large doses of radiation can cause skin damage in the areas receiving radiation. Large doses of radiation to patients with Ewing’s sarcoma can damage blood vessels and nerves. Researchers from Emory University have described several late effects of radiation therapy in children including: atrophy, fibrosis, bone growth abnormalities, impairment of mobility, edema, and peripheral nerve injury.[4] The most worrisome side effect among long-term survivors is second cancers due to radiation. One Italian study involving 597 long-term survivors with Ewing’s sarcoma found that the risk of second cancer after radiation therapy for Ewing’s sarcoma was higher than after other childhood and adolescent cancers treated in the same manner.[5] Some researchers have suggested that postoperative radiotherapy should be avoided when surgery is accomplished with adequate margins (no evidence of cancer near the edge of the tissue that was removed).
Significant progress has been made in the treatment of Ewing’s sarcoma. Future progress in the treatment of Ewing’s sarcoma will result from continued participation in appropriate clinical trials. There are several areas of active exploration aimed at improving the treatment of Ewing’s sarcoma with radiation therapy.
Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT): Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is a single dose of radiation therapy that is delivered directly to the area of surgery during the operation. IORT is performed in specially-equipped operating rooms. During IORT, the radiation doctor can see the area being treated, and sensitive normal structures, such as blood vessels and nerves, can be moved away from the radiation beam. Results from some studies evaluating IORT indicate that cancer may recur less often in the area of the surgery.[6]
Three-dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy: Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy can precisely target radiation to the areas where cancer cells may be located and therefore, minimize side effects from radiation to normal structures such as the liver, stomach and kidneys. Intensity modulated radiation therapy is a newer method of precisely delivering specified doses of radiation to cancer cells. Neither of these techniques have been evaluated for treatment of Ewing’s sarcoma, although both techniques are probably utilized for this purpose in many radiation oncology centers.[7], [8]
Brachytherapy: Brachytherapy is the placement of a radioactive material directly into the cancer at the time of surgery. This technique has not been systematically studied in patients with Ewing’s sarcoma. However, promising results in controlling local disease have been reported.[9],[10]
[1] Donaldson SS. Ewing sarcoma: radiation dose and target volume. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2004;42:471-476.
[2] Krasin MJ, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Davidoff AM, et al. Efficacy of combined surgery and irradiation for localized Ewings sarcoma family of tumors. Pediatric Blood Cancer. 2004;43:229-236.
[3] Krasin MJ, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Billups CA, et al. Definitive irradiation in mulitidisciplinary management of localized Ewing sarcoma family of tumors in pediatric patients: outcome and prognostic factors. International Journal of Oncology Biology Physics 2004;60:830-838.
[4] Paulino AC. Late effects of radiotherapy for pediatric extremity sarcomas. International Journal of Oncology, Biology, Physics. 2004;60:265-274.
[5] Bacci G, Longhi A, Barbieri E, et al. Second malignancy in 597 patients with Ewing’s sarcoma of bone treated at a single institution with adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 1972 and 1999. Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology 2005;27:517-520.
[6] Sakayama K, Kidani T, Fujibuchi T, et al. Definitive intraoperative radiotherapy for musculoskeletal sarcomas and malignant lymphoma in combination with surgical excision. Int J Clin Oncol. 2003;8:174-179.
[7] DeLaney TF, Trofimov AV, Engelsman M, et al. Advanced-technology radiation therapy in the management of bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Cancer Control. 2005;12:27-35.
[8] Marec-Berard P, Philip T. Ewing sarcoma: the pediatrician’s point of view. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2004;477-480.
[9] Ozaki T, Hillman A, Rube C, et al. The impact of introperative brachytherapy on surgery of Ewing’s sarcoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 1997;123:53-56.
[10] Merchant TE, Parsh N, del Valle PL, et al. Brachytherapy for pediatric soft-tissue sarcoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2000;46:427-432.


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Most experts agree that fiber is a vital part of any healthy diet. But how much fiber is appropriate? And could eating too much cause your Crohn's disease symptoms to flare? In this HealthTalk show, two opposing views are presented about the role of fiber in Crohn’s disease.
Announcer:
Before we begin, we remind you that the opinions expressed on this show are solely the views of our guests. They are not necessarily the views of HealthTalk or any outside organization. And, as always, please consult your own physician for the medical advice most appropriate for you.
[Medical editor’s note: Please note that some of the subject matter of this program is controversial and the speakers disagree on many points. You should read both opinions before following any of the advice that is given.]
Now here’s your host, Mary White.
Mary White:
Hello and welcome to our show, Crohn’s and Fiber: Helpful or Harmful? I’m your host, Mary White.
We hear a lot about fiber being a vital part of any healthy diet. Yet fiber itself remains somewhat of a mystery. What is fiber, and how much is appropriate? Could eating too much fiber cause your symptoms to flare or help your symptoms? With all the controversy surrounding the role of fiber in Crohn’s disease, it’s no wonder we’re all confused. Tonight, we’ll discuss both sides of the debate and attempt to uncover the mystery with our expert panel.
Joining us is Konstantin Monastyrsky. Konstantin graduated with a degree in pharmacology. He’s a member of the American Association of Nutritional Consultants and a certified nutritional consultant. He has written two best-selling Russian language books entitled “Functional Nutrition, the Foundation of Absolute Health and Longevity” and “Disorders of Carbohydrate Metabolism.” In 2006, Konstantin released his first English language title, “Fiber Menace, the Truth About the Leading Role of Fiber in Diet Failure, Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease and Colon Cancer.” Welcome, Konstantin.
Konstantin Monastyrsky:
Hello everyone, and thank you, Mary, for inviting me to participate in your show. I look forward to helping our listeners with what some may say are very unusual insights.
We’re glad you’re here. Thank you for being here.
Also with us is Dr. Marcia Nahikian Nelms. Dr. Nelms is a professor, registered dietitian and director of the Dietetics Program at Southeast Missouri State University. She has over 25 years of experience practicing as a clinical dietitian and public health nutritionist, and she specializes in gastrointestinal diseases, hematology-oncology, nutrition support, bone marrow transplant, HIV and AIDS. She has published numerous articles and books including “Nutrition Therapy and Pathophysiology” and “Medical Nutrition Therapy – A Case Study Approach.” Welcome, Dr. Nelms.
Dr. Marcia Nahikian Nelms:
Thank you so much for having me.
Dr. Nelms, let’s start with you. We talk a lot about fiber, but most people don’t know what fiber actually is. Can you tell us what fiber is and how it is different from a carbohydrate?
Dr. Nelms:
I would like to be able to give you a very simple definition because many scientists define fiber simply as the portion of plants that cannot be digested. But others may give you a slightly different definition, and therein lies some of the confusion about fiber. In order to understand fiber, you have to give a quick mini-lesson on carbohydrate.
In quick detail, remember that carbohydrates are like their name. They are composed of carbon, hydrogen and water. In their simplest form, we call them a monosaccharide, or one carbohydrate unit. Glucose [sugar] is a monosaccharide that is the simplest form of carbohydrate. All carbohydrates and fiber, for that matter, are combinations of glucose and other carbohydrate molecules. We call starch and fiber a polysaccharide, or simply another word for many glucose molecules.
The difference between fiber and other types of carbohydrates is the chemistry. It’s the bonding between the molecules and the other types of molecules that may be located on that structure. The other thing that’s important to remember is that carbohydrates come from plants, and fibers play different roles in the plants from which they come. Some of them may serve as the woody part or the outer covering of the plant, or some of them may be part of the plant cell wall. The differences among different types of fiber have to do with the plants that they come from, their chemical bonding and the chemical substances that are found within their structure. That is what makes up the difference between fiber and other types of carbohydrates.
In other words, a slice of bread is different from a carrot peel?
Absolutely. It’s difficult to define fiber as one word because in actuality we’re talking about lots of different substances. Our listeners may have heard some of those words like lignan, cellulose and hemicellulose. Those are all different types of fiber that make up different parts of plants. When you and I eat, we don’t eat one thing. We eat a mixture of foods, and, therefore, we eat a mixture of fibers.
Konstantin, what are the different types of fiber?
Konstantin:
There are two of them known, but the specifications may sound strange because fiber is an undigestible substance. On the other hand, it’s divided into soluble and insoluble parts. The closest thing to insoluble fiber is paper, which is made from cellulose, an alternative name for fiber. Just like paper, insoluble dietary fiber is undigestible in the small intestine because the human body, unlike sheep, pigs or cows, lacks the enzyme to digest cellulose. Hence, it absorbs water, gobs of water, about five times its own weight, and it expands in the process. This particular quality of insoluble fiber is employed in what is known as bulking laxatives, the substances which are intended to bulk up stools, stimulate intestinal peristalsis (movement of muscles that pushes food through the gastrointestinal tract), and plunges stools from your colon by means of mechanical pressure and gravitation. These particular physical properties of insoluble fiber are the primary, from my perspective, culprit behind hemorrhoids, diverticular disease, constipation and the subject of our conversation, Crohn’s disease. The human body wasn’t designed to process undigestible substances, and little children and, especially, senior citizens are the most vulnerable.
Examples of insoluble fiber are the skins of fruits and some vegetables, bran, husks, and the shells of nuts and grains. It’s actually quite hard to consume a lot of undigestible fiber unless you are ready to eat a lot of potato skins, raw carrots, celery sticks or bran. So most of the insoluble fiber in the contemporary diet comes not from regular food but either from processed fiber, intentionally added to food, such as fiber in high- fiber cereals, or fiber in bran-enriched bread, or from laxatives that may contain psyllium or psyllium seeds. These are your laxatives Metamucil DM and Benefiber and a number of generics that specifically say they contain fiber. Soluble fiber is a much more complicated beast.
All soluble fibers that are found inside of plants and fruits and vegetables are the main sources of soluble fiber in our diet. A lot also comes from food additives, and that is where real harm comes. It’s in yogurt, ice cream, desserts, sauces, salad dressings, canned soups and even breakfast foods for kids.
You mean like carageenan?
It comes from carageenan, cellulose, guar gum, [agar], inulin (an extract of chicory root that’s used as a fiber supplement in some foods), modified corn starch and many others. Chemically, they go by names such as oligopolysaccharides, starches or complex carbohydrates. The most common type of soluble fiber is also used in laxatives. Psyllium, which I mentioned, contains 30 percent soluble fiber. Soluble fiber from my perspective is even more dangerous than insoluble because it isn’t evident. And because it is not evident, it’s harmful. The main harm comes from its inability to get fermented in the intestine and its ability to block intestinal absorption of water and gases, which are by-products of normal digestion.
Does fiber contain calories?
Fiber itself doesn’t contain calories, but here’s a very distinct point about it. If you are healthy and your gut is populated by healthy bacteria, when fiber finally gets into the large intestine it gets fermented. In the process of fermentation, bacteria generate short-chain fatty acids, and these fatty acids contain the same nine calories [per gram] that are attributed to regular fat. If they get absorbed into the bloodstream, they carry a fairly substantial caloric load. And, according to experts, up to 70 to 80 percent of insoluble fiber and almost a 100 percent of soluble fiber gets digested in the guts in people who have these bacteria.
Dr. Nelms, does fiber contain nutrients or vitamins?
There are a couple things that are important to remember. One is that when you asked the question, “Does fiber provide calories?” our other speaker is correct that some fibers are fermentable in the large intestine, and they do produce short-chain fatty acids and lactate. But all of us do that in a very different way, so the ability to measure that is very difficult. One of the reasons why calories from fiber are not listed on a soup label is that’s it’s very difficult to measure that.
Your next question is, “Does fiber contain other things beside energy?” You have to put fiber in the context that plant foods are our best sources of not only carbohydrates but also vitamins. They are important for vitamins such as folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, and minerals such as iron and calcium. And plant foods contain our best sources of other substances such antioxidants and phytoestrogens. So in order to talk about fiber, we have to talk about the source. Our plants and whole grains that have the largest amount of fiber contain the largest concentration of these other nutrients.
Fiber – does it aid in vitamin absorption, or does it detract from that? Konstantin, would you have an answer to that?
Natural food and natural plants do contain a great deal of minerals, vitamins, micronutrients and antioxidants. However, most Americans do not consume these kinds of foods. They mostly consume processed food that contains added fiber. The major source of fiber in the American diet is morning cereals. This is a very processed food, and all the fiber is artificially added, and not necessarily from the food. Also, minerals or vitamins in those foods are added artificially, so they (cereals) are all fortified.
When we think about the fiber benefits from plants that also contain vitamins, it’s a great idea, but, unfortunately, we don’t consume these foods. Also, it is a well-known fact that insoluble fiber inhibits assimilation in the small intestine, and the primary reason for assimilation is to absorb the vitamins, minerals and micronutrients you’re getting from food. This would be quite inhibited by insoluble fiber. And insoluble fiber has a tendency to scoop up the supplements from pills we take and inhibit their digestion. [Medical editor’s note: This is controversial, see below.]
Dr. Nelms, do you agree with that?
No I don’t. There are a couple of things that were said that I think are misleading. One is that, when we think about the sources of fiber in the American diet, breakfast cereal is an excellent source, and a lot of breakfast cereals are made from whole grains. So I don’t think you can lump all of those together. I don’t think it’s an all or none principle. The other thing is that fiber does not necessarily inhibit digestion in the small intestine. It is the small intestine where most digestion does occur, but fiber does not interfere with digestion in the small intestine. There doesn’t appear to be evidence that consuming fiber within the recommended amounts of 25 to 30 grams for adults should have any impact on the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Is that all kinds of fiber, doctor?
It sounds to me like we have a couple of very strong opinions. Before we talk about how the body processes fiber, can you tell us, in general, Konstantin, how a healthy stomach and a healthy colon work to process foods verses how someone with Crohn’s disease processes foods?
Very briefly, a healthy stomach and healthy intestine process food well, but for people with Crohn’s disease it’s a very serious problem. They pretty much don’t process food. The whole point of digestion is to digest. The digestion begins in the mouth with chewing and maceration literally soaking food with saliva. The stomach is the next step. It performs three primary functions: digestion of proteins; sterilization of food, not a well-known fact; and storage of excess food. To digest proteins, the stomach excretes hydrochloric acids and proteolytic enzymes. To sterilize food, the stomach excretes the same hydrochloric acid. That is why acidity is important in the stomach.
To store excess food and liquid, the stomach stretches out from its usual capacity of about 1, 1-1/2 to 2 quarts to a gallon or more, if you’re a big eater. A very important point is that the stomach does nothing to digest carbohydrates, including fiber, and the stomach has nothing to do with the digestion of fats. In fact, a great deal of fiber in the stomach stimulates appetite and causes the stomach to expand more. It’s why restaurants will give you free bread – so you order more food. The real digestion, as the doctor correctly mentioned, happens in the small intestine. This action takes place with the help of bile, very important for fat, and enzymes for the rest, including proteins and carbohydrates. Obviously, while a person is healthy, the whole process works likes clockwork. Once you get Crohn’s, it doesn’t, and here’s what’s going on. [Medical editor’s note: The following information is controversial and represents the personal opinion of the speaker.] Because inflammatory bowel disease blocks the digestion of essential nutrients, neither the stomach nor the intestines are capable of producing sufficient quantities of digestive enzymes to digest proteins in the stomach, and undigested proteins enter into the small intestine and begin to rot. It’s a natural consequence of not digesting food properly.
Rotting and undigested proteins may cause an allergic reaction and contribute to further inflammation of the immune response, and those undigested products slip into the blood and wreak even more havoc there. The same is true for pancreatic enzymes intended to assimilate carbohydrates and fats. The result is that whatever you eat doesn’t digest except, perhaps, simple carbohydrates like glucose, galactose and fructose in a simple form like table sugar, orange juice or grape juice because they digest very quickly.
If you don’t digest food too well, you can’t assimilate what you eat. And if you assimilate undigested food, it causes diarrhea and inflammation, and everything else suffers including your immunity, your brain and your mood. The body begins to waste.
A reason for weight loss during Crohn’s is because proteins stored in our muscles and fat stored in the skin become a source of nutrients. It’s not a pretty picture but one that explains weight loss, muscle wasting, depression, fatigue, sexual diseases and other prominent manifestations of Crohn’s disease.
Dr. Nelms, did you have anything you wanted to add to that?
I just want to make sure that our listeners understand that in normal digestion that is exactly correct. The stomach is a holding place where food is liquefied, and a small amount of protein digestion begins there. No carbohydrate digestion occurs in the stomach. In a normal, healthy small intestine, as carbohydrate passes into the small intestine, we separate the simple sugars and the starch, and they’re broken down by enzymes into glucose, which then can be absorbed. Then the fiber particles that cannot be digested in the small intestine reach the colon, chemically unaltered. This is where the micro-organisms will begin to act and chemically change different types of fiber. We then have electrolytes and water that are re-absorbed. What’s left is what makes up our feces.
How does the body process fiber specifically, Konstantin?
Actually, it doesn’t. That’s why the French and Italians skin their tomatoes. And if you go to an Italian restaurant in Italy and ask for a sandwich, they cut the crust from bread so they can enjoy lots of food without bloating, constipation and the risk of intestinal obstructions. That said, when fiber reaches a healthy large intestine, the local bacteria begin to ferment most of it. Up to 70 to 80 percent, according to some sources, gets digested. If there is too much fiber, that results in a lot of by-products of fermentation. The process is very similar to making alcohol at home. While gases cause bloating and flatulence, short-chain fatty acids get absorbed back into the bloodstream, and they may contribute to obesity. By the way, excessive acidity isn’t too welcoming by the large intestine because it’s an acid, I think up to 2.5 pH. It may cause severe diarrhea for the body to get rid of the offending acids. This point is irrelevant for people who suffer from Crohn’s because they took antibiotics for some time and may no longer have any bacteria left, so the fiber leaves their bodies unprocessed.
Dr. Nelms, is that why this process will be different for people with Crohn’s – because they don’t have the right bacteria?
Not completely. One of the things that is important to remember is that Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease that can affect any portion of the gastrointestinal tract, unlike ulcerative colitis, which mainly affects the colon. Crohn’s disease can affect everything from the mouth all the way through the colon. Another distinction about this disorder is that individuals go through periods of exacerbations or flare-ups that are followed by periods of remissions. When someone is experiencing an exacerbation or flare-up of the disease, they may experience bleeding, diarrhea and inflammation of the GI tract, and that can interfere with normal digestion and absorption in any part of the GI tract. So processing of any nutrients is going to be affected. But during periods of remission, the ability to digest and absorb nutrients should return back to their normal state.
A lot of people experience gas and bloating after eating fiber – why is that?
That is exactly what we were talking about with the fermentation process. The symptoms are due to the action of the micro-organisms in the colon, their processing and release of those by-products, including methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Those gases have to be released. That is what you’re referring to.
Let’s talk about the pros and cons of fiber from both your perspectives. Dr. Nelms, I want to start with you. If fiber isn’t absorbed by the body and it expands in the stomach, how can it be good for you, and, specifically, how can it be good for someone with Crohn’s?
I have to go back to what I just said in that our nutrition therapy recommendations for someone with Crohn’s need to be highly specific for that individual. That’s one of my concerns in making a statement that all fiber may be harmful is that we have to be very individualized with our recommendations. During periods of acute flare-ups and exacerbation, fiber may make symptoms worse. But during periods of remission, fiber helps normalize gastrointestinal function. It produces normal soft bowel movements. It’s like aerobics for your intestine. We have to have fiber there in order to provide substrate for the micro- organisms in the large intestine to grow. It’s even been proposed that a disturbance in the bacteria population may, in fact, play a role in the development of Crohn’s. That’s where we have come into the discussion of pro- and prebiotics and their relationship in the inflammatory process that we see in Crohn’s disease. We might find in the future that fiber intake may help treat Crohn’s. So, in summary, a variety of plant sources can help provide the concentrated sources of our phyto-chemicals – the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals – and fiber. But how much fiber we recommend truly depends on the status of disease with that individual.
If fiber does expand in the stomach, how can that be good for someone with Crohn’s?
If it expands in the stomach, it is simply there for a short period of time. It may cause someone to feel full, but it doesn’t necessarily cause any damage by just being in the stomach. It will be liquefied and then slowly released into the small intestine. One of the things that was said a few minutes ago about the acidity reaching the small intestine if we have a normal pancreas, it’s going to release bicarbonate, and that will neutralize the acidity that’s going from the stomach to the small intestine. So that should not be an issue.
You mentioned earlier that for someone with Crohn’s in an active situation, fiber can be a negative. Do you think there are any cons to fiber?
If someone is experiencing acute exacerbation of their disease and if they have active bleeding or large amounts of diarrhea, high-fiber foods may be contraindicated at that time. It doesn’t mean that once they reach their remission stage they can’t add fiber back because if you eliminate all high-fiber foods, then you are eliminating large sources of nutrients that are important for you to consume.
In general, for healthy people, are there any cons to fiber?
Primarily the only situation that we would be concerned about large amounts of fiber is one, when we don’t consume adequate amounts of fluid with it because that might cause constipation if you’re increasing fiber intake but not increasing fluid intake.
That would be one. The second is that in young children when fiber makes them feel full, if they eat large amounts of fiber, it may decrease their appetite. So it would be important to monitor that so that they have large amounts of nutrients from all kinds of foods.
Konstantin, let’s get your take on this. Many professionals and ads on TV say fiber’s great. Why do you think it’s bad?
That fiber feels great is a conventional point. It was made for over a 100 years, and there is a great body of circumstantial and observational evidence that points towards fiber’s greatness. I undertook very substantial research. I’m a recovering diabetic, and I was consuming a huge amount fiber. I was consuming an enormous amount of carbohydrates, and it brought my body to the point of destruction. I’ve been on a fiber-free diet for almost 11 years.
What is a fiber-free diet?
It’s a very natural diet. It’s described in detail in my book. I’m 52 years old. I work for about 12 to 15 hours per day. I have a beautiful young wife. Obviously, so there is a huge lot of energy required for me just to exist. I get up in the morning and have a glass of water. My lunch is usually 50 grams of boiled rice. The rice contains only 0.5 percent of fiber, so the fiber load is minimal. To that I add about 100 grams of regular butter, and that keeps me happy until 6 in the evening. At 6 in the evening, I’ll just have a very simple dinner – lamb chops, filet mignon or meatballs, usually with a small salad. That’s about all I eat. I love drinks, but drinks make me gain weight, and they interfere with my work, so I try to drink as little as possible. I’ll maybe have half a glass of wine. I look with dread at holidays or birthdays because that’s where I get loaded with everything.
What about vitamins, minerals and coenzymes?
I take a lot of vitamins. Let me recite the points which I’m making in my book about how fiber harms.
My book begins with an opening statement, “If you consume a moderate amount of fiber, there is nothing wrong with it as long as it’s soluble.” The harm comes from processed foods, which are rich in carbohydrates, preservatives, colorings, trans-fats and neurotoxins, such as monosodium glutamate. It’s terrible for people who suffer from Crohn’s because the foods that contain a lot of fiber also contain a great deal of gluten, which is exceptionally allergenic, especially for someone with inflammatory bowel disease. If you have Crohn’s and are in remission and afraid of relapse, you have to stay away from all foods containing gluten. [Medical editor’s note: controversial, see below.] Most likely, if you once had an inflammatory disease, your body has already built up a great deal of antibodies, so it’s unable to respond the second time around.
Second, dietary fiber has zero nutritional value on its own. It contains no vitamins, minerals or micro elements. Worse, it removes most minerals and vitamins from the body or blocks their absorption, if it’s in an insoluble form. We mention the point that fiber absorbs water and expands, while the purpose of chewing and digestion is to reduce food particles to the barest minimum and liquefy them for easy passage through the digestive tract. Fiber does the complete opposite. It balloons from its normal size, four to five times. It grows in weight and has a tendency to congregate into large lumps. This particular property of fiber is a primary cause of intestinal obstruction and many hernias, especially in older people because their intestines are no longer as flexible as younger people.
Next point, dietary fiber makes the stool large and heavy. The average American has about 500 grams of stool daily. A normal person should have no more than about 100 grams. When you carry four to five times more stool than necessary, that may cause constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticular disease. By age 70, about 80 to 90 percent of all adults already have all those combined.
Next point, dietary insoluble fiber makes stools rough. It’s called roughage, and it’s rough enough to cause anal tears. That’s why, incidentally, many toddlers on high-fiber diets refuse to move their bowels because they experience pain. But they’re too young to actually verbalize this point. Parents have to go to the hospital, and doctors have to perform manual disimpaction, which is a terrible procedure by itself and will leave a child traumatized for the rest of his life.
Next point, dietary fiber causes bacterial fermentation. Gases and acids, which are the by-products of fiber fermentation, cause bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain and are the driving force behind IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), diverticular disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. That’s why, for people who have Crohn’s, doctors prescribe antibiotics specifically to wipe out those bacteria. Unfortunately, once the bacterial are gone, constipation becomes forced because in the healthy human being about 50 percent of the stool is made from those bacteria. At this point, doctors recommend even more fiber.
Next point, dietary fiber, especially insoluble, causes diarrhea. It is specifically sold as a laxative, and its laxative effect is described as mucilage. Once inside the intestine, soluble fiber blocks water absorption. It acts like a hyperosmotic laxative. Along with blocking absorption, it blocks all essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. [Medical editor’s note: controversial opinion, see below.] This causes diarrhea. Of course, consuming foods that have laxative effects can’t be good for our health, particularly for people who already have diarrhea coming from Crohn’s.
Konstantin, do you think there is anything good about fiber?
If you’re young and healthy, and you have no chronic disease, do not consume processed food with added fiber, and don’t take fiber laxatives. There is nothing wrong with eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Enjoy them. But once you develop problems or you go over 40, fiber, especially fiber from processed food, added fiber, and fiber consumed with laxatives, causes a great deal of harm to the body, and I would stay away from it.
Dr. Nelms, a lot of Crohn’s sufferers are confused about what they can and cannot eat, especially when it comes to fiber. How much fiber would you recommend for someone with Crohn’s?
If the recommendations are during the period of remission, my recommendations would be the same as for any adult – about 14 grams per 1,000 calories. That comes to be about 25 to 35 grams for most adult men and slightly less for women. During periods of an acute flare-up, all nutritional intake may need to be adjusted in order to minimize the symptoms and promote healing. It’s important for us to clarify a couple of positions that were stated a few minutes ago. In one of them, Konstantin was mentioning that all Crohn’s patients needed to restrict gluten in their diet. Gluten intolerance is in celiac disease, not inflammatory bowel disease, so that is wrong. Another point is that fiber doesn’t remove or block the absorption of nutrients. There is no evidence for that whatsoever. Another is that when physicians prescribe antibiotics for someone with Crohn’s, I’m not sure how Konstantin suggests that we repopulate the colon with bacteria, unless we consume fiber. That would be the only way that we could repopulate the bacterial population in the colon – provide it with food – and that would be from fiber.
Konstantin, what is your fiber recommendation to someone with Crohn’s and why?
Crohn’s disease is a very complicated affair, and it doesn’t take place on its own. This is a very important point. It manifests itself in what is known among physicians as gastroenterocolitis. Hence, you can’t treat Crohn’s on its own. You must undertake a whole gamut of actions intended to pacify your gastritis; which means stomach inflammatory disease; enteritis, which means inflammation of the small intestine; and colitis, which means inflammation of the large intestine. In the amount of time we have, I can’t provide a full-blown recommendation, so I’ll just go briefly over the points, which I make in my book.
Point one, you have to have prevention first. Remove all sources of soluble and insoluble fiber from your diet. That means excluding all processed foods.
Which would eliminate all vitamins and minerals.
You’re absolutely correct, but what I am talking about is the person with Crohn’s. We’re talking about somebody who is trying to prevent a relapse, so we have to undertake some drastic actions. I know everything is alarming you in my suggestions for the right reasons. We won’t be getting enough vitamins and minerals. So let’s take quality supplements. That is what our government does for our food supply. They require food processors to fortify foods with iron, folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and so on. Food processors don’t buy high quality supplements that you can get in a health food store, and they don’t add that much. My point for people who want to protect themselves is to consume all natural food in its least processed form. That means, from my perspective, fresh meats, poultry and fish.
I don’t suggest eggs to people with Crohn’s because they may be highly allergenic. [Medical editor’s note: controversial] And, obviously, you must exclude all dairy. [Medical editor’s note: controversial] That will deprive you of dietary calcium. So cook yourself some bones for the bone marrow. It will have a very high amount of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other minerals. Take quality supplements and calcium ascorbate. It delivers a double punch.
You must also exclude all wheat products because of the gluten. [Medical editor’s note: controversial] Dr. Nelms mentioned celiac disease.This is an inflammatory disease of the bowel. It may become a precursor of Crohn’s. The reason this disease is unknown in the United States is because you can’t stick an endoscope in the particular region where it takes place, so physicians don’t know. It’s always a speculation. If you look at the Merck [Manual], it’s says only 0.5 percent of Americans suffer from celiac disease. But if you look at some European sources, they say 30 to 40 percent of the population who consume a great deal of whole wheat may suffer from this condition. It’s simply very hard to diagnose.
Also, if you are to the point of excluding all wheat from your diet, you have to be very careful because there is a great deal of hidden wheat and gluten in foods, like chicken nuggets. They use breading which contains a great deal of this stuff. Also, exclude all vegetable oils because they’re not synergistic in the human body, especially during inflammation. Yes, it will deprive our bodies of omega-3 fatty acids. So my suggestion is to take liquid cod liver oil instead.
But our bodies react differently to supplements than they do to food.
That’s true, but, again, we’re talking about people who are taking autoimmune modulators and who take antibiotics and steroids. We are talking about people who are facing 40 to 50 percent risk of having their colon or intestines removed. We are talking about people that have a 1,600 percent risk of colon cancer. With all that, I wouldn’t be so concerned about them taking supplements. I would be concerned about them surviving and staying away from this terrible disease.
Your recommendations are based solely from your own personal experience, not from long-term research.
It’s not my personal experience. I’ve seen over 1,000 patients. I’m on the radio every week. I have sold many of my books, and a lot of people follow the particulars I’m offering. I don’t see patients. I work on a volunteer basis with a lot of people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, as I can. Everybody who took my suggestions is in the remission stage. I cannot say they’re fully recovered. You are never fully recovered from an autoimmune condition. But if you stay in remission, that is good.
How old is this research – 10, 20 or 30 years? It means very little. A great amount of research is being done in academia, and most of the funding for this research comes from the industry.The Kellogg Foundation is the largest source of money for researchers who would write up articles on fiber benefits.
And if you do what I do, the Kellogg Foundation would not let you in because they are a major purveyor for fiber. That is how it goes.
We have an e-mail from Bonnie. Her question is, “Are flaxseed and wheat germ okay for someone with Crohn’s?” Konstantin, what would you say to that?
Flax is recommended because it contains flax oil, and it’s a well-known source of omega-3 fatty acids. Years ago, flax oil and flax seeds were used essentially as a food for cows, and flax oil was used primarily to grease sewing machines. So when I hear people taking flaxseed oil, it’s laughable. If you need high quality omega-3, take liquid cod liver oil. Wheat germ, it’s the same thing. It’s even more difficult to digest. And if you have Crohn’s disease, I would stay away from all wheat products.
Dr. Nelms, how about you?
Flaxseed and flax oil are concentrated sources of omega-3 fatty acids. They can assist with the anti-inflammatory reactions. So I would not be opposed for someone who is in a remission period to take flaxseed and flaxseed oil.
In remission, you think those would be okay?
Sue from Cedar Hill, Texas, has a question. Her e-mail says, “I have had Crohn’s for almost 30 years. All fiber causes major pain for me. I can eat a salad, but I have major pain for several hours, sometimes for several days. But I experience the same with fruit, bread, milk as well as roughage. I must tell you also that I only have approximately 12 feet of small intestine left. Now, do you recommend the water soluble fiber that can be taken in water?” Dr. Nelms, what do you think?
What is important is that last sentence in her e-mail, that she has only a very small portion of her small intestine left. When you remove large amounts of the small intestine, you have difficulty digesting and absorbing. So I would avoid large sources of fiber because of the difficulty in processing those nutrients. She has to also work very hard to meet her calorie and protein needs.
That’s one of the biggest issues that’s important about her situation and other patients with Crohn’s is that we have to take into consideration if someone has previously had surgery. How much of their bowel has been removed? What portions of their bowel have been removed? What medications are they on? We have to consider every single person’s case individually.
Here’s an e-mail from Himstead, New York. The question is, “Whenever I add cereal to my diet, any type, I have increased stools, 15 times a day. Is this normal for a Crohn’s patient? I am on 100 milligrams, 6-MP daily. Thank you.” Dr. Nelms, what would you say to that?
Probably, they are not tolerating that amount of fiber. I would reduce the amount of cereal fiber that they consume because it wouldn’t be normal to have that number of stools a day. But, again, it depends on if they’ve previously had surgery and how much damage they have to their intestine.
Konstantin, what would you say to that?
I would like to make a point about fats. Fat is the best source of calories for people with shortened intestines. It’s very important if you have Crohn’s to consume fat, and here are the reasons. First, you must neutralize bile because if there are no fats in your intestine, the bile slips through, and it is very astringent and will reach affected intestinal sections in its original form. And it will literally burn them and cause more inflammation and diarrhea. It’s very important to consume fats to neutralize bile. [Medical editor’s note: Information on bile is controversial – see below.]
Number two, fat is essential for assimilating vitamins A, D, E and K that are essential for health. Vitamin K is very essential for recovery for people with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease because they lack bacteria, and the body no longer produces vitamin K. The production of vitamin K takes place in the colon thanks to these bacteria. Fat is also very essential for intestinal cells, particularly restoration of mucosal membranes. The turnover of mucosal cells takes place daily, and without innate fats – I mean animal fats, saturated fats – this turnover stops and our membranes suffer. I believe that lower fat diets are behind a great deal of cases of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). The question comes up, what is the best source of fat? The best source of animal fat is regular butter. I prefer European brands because many of them are produced from milk harvested from cows whose nutrition comes from natural pastures, and it contains more vitamins. If cholesterol alarms you, don’t be alarmed. The membrane of each and every cell in your body, including your intestines, is made from cholesterol.
So you feel that fat is much more important than fiber?
Absolutely. Fat is a critical for a recovery, and fat contains a great deal of calories and digests quite well, up to 98 percent. It helps people, maybe 80 percent of people, who are not healthy and provides a source of energy. In fact, if you consume an adequate amount of fat, you can be on a completely carbohydrate-free diet, as I used to be for six years. I still feel great and have a great deal of energy.
Dr. Nelms?
One of the things I think is important to also remember is that when people have Crohn’s and they previously had surgery, fat is probably one of the things that is most difficult to digest and absorb. I have to agree with what Konstantin has said that fat is an essential part of our diet. We have to have those essential fatty acids and calories in order to maintain our nutritional status. But fat is oftentimes one of the things that causes diarrhea because it is not easy to digest and absorb. There are a couple of things Konstantin said that I disagree with. First of all, talking about fat neutralizing bile, bile is what allows us to digest fat. I’m not sure what we mean by the neutralizing of bile. The other point is that when we reduce the amount of time that food has in the small bowel, fat is the first nutrient that is not digested or absorbed well. It causes a condition called steatorrhea, which simply means fat in the stool, fat malabsorption. A lot of people with Crohn’s have fat malabsorption.
My research indicates that soluble fiber blocks digestion of fats a great deal.
I think that’s totally not true.
It’s a very simple point. If something breaks absorption, it doesn’t matter what’s inside the small intestine – it can be water, fat, supplements, proteins or any other nutrients – as long as you have a substance which prevents assimilation of food, it impacts everything.
I have to agree with that. One of the biggest issues we have with someone with Crohn’s is simply that they aren’t able to digest and absorb during those acute exacerbations of the disease. The other thing that’s important to remember is that some of the medications that we use for Crohn’s cause an increase in nutrient requirements. For example, steroids increase your need for both calcium and vitamin D.
Some individuals with Crohn’s will be on methotrexate or sulfasalazine, and that increases the need for the vitamin folate. There are certain times that vitamin and mineral requirements change during treatment for Crohn’s.
Here’s a question from Joe from Spartanburg, South Carolina. “I rarely find fiber to be helpful, even when in remission. I’ve had Crohn’s since before 1972, short gut since that year’s surgery, and now an ostomy means that unrelenting diarrhea makes life awful. How do I eat any fiber without blockages?” Doctor, what would say to that?
The deciding factor for him is that he has an ostomy and short gut syndrome. Fiber is not going to be tolerated well.
What is short gut syndrome?
Short gut syndrome is when more than 75 percent of the small intestine is not usable. That’s usually because of damage that has occurred because of an infection, because of the Crohn’s, and we’ve had to do a surgical resection.
I have a question from Portland, Oregon. “If you’re eating bread at all, what kinds of breads are the best?” What do you think about that, doctor?
I would recommend bread that the first ingredient says whole grain, so we know that the majority of the carbohydrate source is from a whole grain, whether it’s from wheat or whatever the grain source is, if we’re talking about encouraging a high-fiber diet during a remission period.
Konstantin, even if the person was in remission, you would disagree?
I would stay away from bread because any wheat bread is a source of gluten. Even if you’re not allergic to gluten, I would eat only white bread and would cut the crust. And if you go to whole wheat or high glutinous wheat bread, you consume a much greater deal of gluten and fiber, especially when it’s added with bran.
You guys have a very differing opinion.
That’s because there’s really no relationship between gluten intake and Crohn’s disease that we understand at this time. There is a definite relationship between gluten and celiac disease. We’re talking about two completely different disorders.
Here’s a question from Morris from Tucson, Arizona. “I have Crohn’s disease, and eating high-fiber cereal just made me feel worse. Is this normal?” Doctor, what would you say to that?
During a period of flare-up, a high-fiber cereal will cause an increase in pain. So we have to slowly increase fiber from fruits and vegetables in small amounts.
We have an e-mail from Carbondale, Illinois. “I’ve two friends recently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Both went to the same physician, but they were advised differently. One was advised to reduce his fiber intake and the possibility of surgery was discussed. The other, however, was advised to increase his fiber intake except during any flare-ups, of course. And he was prescribed several medications, but no surgery was discussed. Why would my friends, both suffering from the same disease, get different treatments?
That goes to the point that we have to have highly individualized recommendations. That’s what my biggest concern is with Konstantin’s recommendations. We have to look at everyone’s situation very differently. We cannot wholesale say that all fiber is bad.
I respectfully disagree because, essentially, the genetic difference between us is about 0.1 percent. So whatever harms me will also harm you, and whatever heals me will also heal you. The reason the doctor gave different advice to those patients is because by experience he or she knows that the closer the person is to surgery, the more vigorous reaction he or she will experience to taking fiber. When you get admitted to the hospital, the first thing they do is put you on what is called a low-density diet, a diet which is completely free of fiber.
It’s to help reduce the symptoms that they are experiencing.
Nobody said, “I have Crohn’s, I eat fiber, and I feel great.”
We have an e-mail from Bolivar, Ohio. The question is, “I would like to know about fiber consumption for children. Our son is 10 years old, and he was diagnosed at age 8.” Konstantin, what would you say to that?
Children should stay away from fiber completely because their organs are much smaller and much more vulnerable. [Medical editor’s note: controversial, see below] They have a much more vigorous immune system, so it will respond with more vigor and inflammation. Also, if a child consumes a great deal of fiber, especially gluten, there is a high risk of developing celiac disease. [Medical editor’s note: controversial assertion] That immune condition stays with you for the rest of your adult life. Also, because children are growing up and developing, they need to consume a great deal of food and need to absorb it. They need to get all those vitamins and minerals for intellectual development. I would just keep them on a very basic, simple diet. Just provide them with what they want in abundance.
Remember the big scandal about broccoli in the Bush family, and the kids never wanted it, but the mother was pushing broccoli onto them? It’s exactly the same point. Children cannot verbalize what’s wrong with fiber, but they sense it. They’re much more instinctive. If you have a cat or dog, try to give the cat or dog a food that contains a great deal of fiber and observe them. The dog may eat it, but the cat will not. That’s why it’s difficult to convince kids to consume fiber because they feel the sensation of pain much faster, and they’re more assertive about it. Dogs, because of conditioning, can do a lot of things to harm themselves unconsciously.
Dr. Nelms, do you have anything to add about what children should be eating?
My biggest concern in the recommendations that children should avoid fiber is that when we limit fiber, we’re eliminating fruits and vegetables that are our highest sources of vitamins and minerals. That’s a very drastic approach to young children who need to meet their growth needs. We need to make sure that we are not substituting a pill for foods. There are other things in foods that we don’t even know about as far as phytochemicals and phytoestrogens that can be helpful.
Konstantin, are there any last words you’d like to leave us with?
I wish to remind everyone that we started on this earth with breast milk or formula, and neither had any fiber. That didn’t stop most of us from having healthy and abundant stools and health, so let’s consume as little fiber as possible.
I want to make sure that all of our listeners know that individual tolerance and needs are paramount for any nutrition recommendation. That’s especially true for you with Crohn’s. Your individual case is unique. You need to consider what portion of the gastrointestinal tract has been affected, whether you’ve had surgery and your medications. Make sure that you talk about your concerns with a registered dietitian and with your physician. Be careful in taking wholesale advice.
You both have been very interesting. I want to thank you all for listening tonight. I’m Mary White, thank you for listening.
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