No More Digestive Problems

March 15, 2004
Yoshida, a gastroenterologist, points out that "a decade ago women weren't included in clinical trials." It was assumed that diseases in women were the same as in men and that their reactions to medications would be the same. Once in private practice, Yoshida recognized the fallacies of those assumptions and established a Women's GI Clinic. The first portion of this extensive book explains women's GI problems and the role of sex hormones in digestive health, discusses current medical remedies and offers a slew of treatments readers can implement for problems associated with PMS, pregnancy and menopause. Linking America's obesity epidemic to the GI tract, Yoshida lays out sensible diets that will improve digestion and assist in weight loss. The book's second part matter-of-factly presents strategies to combat the various ills that can afflict women daily, from heartburn and constipation to irritable bowel syndrome and gas. And all readers, regardless of gender, will learn something from the information provided in the book's third section, on dealing with doctors. Yoshida offers detailed planning suggestions so that readers may obtain maximum benefit from a doctor visit, including questions to ask and information to provide. A "Know your belly pain" chart and diagram provides instructions on how to explain symptoms to health care providers. For Yoshida, "celebrating yourself as a woman is a vital part of staying healthy," and in this astonishingly comprehensive and well-written work, she offers many ways to do that. (Apr.)

Forecast:
Patients and doctors alike will be drawn to Yoshida's book. Given that one in four women suffers some kind of gastrointestinal disorder, its potential market is huge.