Houston Gastroenterology

[Ravi Mani]

Houston, Texas (Marketwire) – March 2, 2010 –Maintaining good
gastrointestinal health is a goal of the physicians of Bay Area
Gastroenterology. Many symptoms, when diagnosed at an early stage can
be treated minimizing the chances of cancer and other disorders.

A hot issue currently facing Americans is the use of Probiotic drinks
or yogurt to restore balance to the intestines. Diets high in
processed foods and sugars, antibiotics in foods and fluoride in
drinking water have an effect on gastrointestinal health. When the
ratio of good bacteria to bad bacteria is out of balance, the side
effects include gas, bloating, constipation and difficulty in
absorbing nutrients.

For optimal health, there is a delicate balance of 85% "good bacteria"
that keeps the 15% "bad bacteria" in check and manageable. Micro-
organisms such as E. coli, salmonella and Candida yeast have the
potential to wreck havoc in the body when this balance is disrupted.
Probiotics are useful in that they feed the gut with "good bacteria"
such as the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. When these
supplements are ingested, live bacteria regains its place in the
intestine resulting in the prevention of bad bacteria growth.

Dr. Syed F. Jafri, M.D., F.A.C.P. of Bay Area Gastroenterology knows
that many patients have questions on the effectiveness of probiotics
and if their use will have a positive impact on gastrointestinal
health.

"Due to the recent television advertising of several probiotic
commodities, many of our patients ask our opinion on these products,"
said Dr. Jafri. "We are always pleased to discuss preventative
measures for good health and fighting colon cancer and other serious
gastrointestinal diseases."

March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month and Bay Area
Gastroenterology continues to be a leader in encouraging early
detection in preventing colon cancer. President Barack Obama recently
had a Virtual Colonoscopy for screening of colon cancer and Bay Area
Gastroenterology was the first Houston, Clear Lake and Pearland
practice to offer this procedure in their office.

Bay Area Gastroenterology
As gastroenterology consultants, the Board Certified Physicians at Bay
Area Gastroenterology specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of
colon cancer and ailments of the stomach, intestines, colon, liver,
gallbladder and pancreas. Under the direction of our board certified
gastroenterologists, the staff at Bay Area Gastroenterology provide
state-of-the-art medical care and treatment. Bay Area
Gastroenterology’s affiliated Endoscopy Center has been recognized by
the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) for
following the ASGE guidelines on privileging, quality assurance,
endoscopy reprocessing and CDC infection control.

For more information, please contact:
Bay Area Gastroenterology P. A.
(281) 480-6264
http://www.gibay.com