Dr. Susan Rubino  Moves Her Office 

Dr, Robert Rubino on XM Radio

Your Colon: Function, Testing and Health 

Healthy Living - The Connection Between Your Brain and Your Stomach

Meet the Staff 

Office Announcements  

Medical Fact

Dr. Susan Rubino, Internist, Shares Space at the Main Office

Susan Rubino, M.D., Internist, has  moved her office and is now sharing space in The Rubino OB/GYN Group location at 101 Old Short Hills Road, Suite 101, in West Orange, NJ. She maintains a separate private internal medicine practice.

Dr. Robert Rubino On XM

Dr. Rubino will be moderating a

show on @Reach MD on XM Radio  January 9th as a subject matter expert on operative hysteroscopy.

ReachMD is a revolutionary healthcare communications and education network dedicated to helping busy healthcare professionals stay abreast of clinical research, treatment advances, expert opinions, and patient care strategies. Their unique, integrated network leverages peer-to-peer dialogs among medical experts to educate and inform listeners across a wide spectrum of topics.

Listeners can 'tune in' to dialogs on XM Satellite Radio Channel 167, enjoy online streaming radio, download podcasts, participate in web-enabled segments on ReachMD.com, and access content through the MedicalRadio mobile app.

Your Colon - Function, Testing and Health

Your colon, also called the large intestine, is made up of four parts: the ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid colon. The function of the colon is to remove water, salt and some nutrients to form stool.

Muscles line the colon's walls which squeeze the contents of the colon as it moves along. There are billions of bacteria that coat the colon and its contents - which live together in a healthy balance with the body.

When this balance is interrupted. it can cause certain conditions. Many of these conditions are a result of inflammation of the colon including ccolitis, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis or diverticulitis, crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and diarrhea. Other conditions may occur from infection - such as diarrhea, salmonellosis, and shigellosis.

One of the most commonly known conditions of the colon are polyps - small growths and colon cancer - when the polyps develop into something more serious. Colon cancer affects more than 100,000 Americans every year. Most colon cancer takes a long time to develop and is preventable through regular screening.

Both men and women should have a colon cancer screening by age 50. People who are at a higher risk for colon cancer may need to start screenings earlier. Risks include a family or personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps. 

Screening options/tests for the colon include:

• A colonoscopy (using a flexible tube with a camera on the end and inserted into the rectum) - every 5 years (but commonly spaced out 7 to 10 years)
• Double contrast enema (x-ray of the large intestine) - every 5 years
• Blood test (FOBT) to check for blood in your stool - every year
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy (using an endoscope in the rectum through the left side only) - every 5-10 years
• Virtual colonoscopy (using a CT scan) every 5 years

Screening for higher risk patients should be done using a colonoscopy.

If polyps are found in the colon, they may be extracted for a biopsy to determine if there are any risks or concerns.

How to keep your colon healthy

The single greatest cause of an unhealthy and unclean colon is chronic constipation. Over time, constipation causes your bowel walls to face a great deal of pressure which can cause little pouches to form and can trap small bits of waste. To keep your colon healthy, it is recommended that you:

• Listen to your body and do not suppress a bowel movement - go when your body tells you to go
• Drink lots of water and water-rich foods
• Eat fiber-rich foods regularly including vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains
• Ensure you have an adequate amount of vitamin D and vitamin A - both work to significantly reduce your risks of cancer
• Consume healthy, unsaturated fats including avocados, eggs, olives, olive and coconut oil, raw nuts and seeds and cold-water fish
• Keep your stress levels low and manageable 

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please make an appointment with one of our doctors.

With its vast network of neurons lining the stomach and controlling your physical and mental well-being, the stomach is being referred to as the "second brain" in our bodies.

The enteric nervous system in our stomach goes bar beyond simply  processing the food we eat and giving us "butterflies" when we are anxious. The "brain" in our stomachs, in connection with the brain in our skulls, contributes to our mental state and plays key roles in some diseases in our body. What you put in your stomach could affect your mind.

Our stomach contains about 100 million neurons (more than in the spinal cord or peripheral nervous system) that allows us to feel what is happening inside our guts, is responsible for daily digestion and provides complex muscle mechanics to move everything through our intestines. Therefore, the stomach can control the behavior in our gut independently from the brain.

In addition, your gut produces more hormones than any other part of your body, including 95% of the body's serotonin. When your gut isn't functioning properly, you could experience emotional distress. Up to 90% of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) also suffer from mental-health issues. This relationship between the two brains may also cause other diseases, like osteoporosis, since the gut regulates bone mass. 

When our stomach does not funtion properly, it indicates an imbalance. Cutting-edge research is investigating how the stomach controls the body's immune response and funtion. At least 70% of our immune system is a funtion of the gut, which is responsible for expelling and killing foreign invaders. Trillions of microscopic bacteria fill our stomach, called the intestinal microbiome, and are essential to life as they help the body extract nutrients from food, regulate tissue development and kill off germs and are controlled by the enteric nervous system in your stomach. 

It is believed that our modern diet of processed foods are disrupting the function of the microbiota in our stomachs, therefore our stomach function. In addition, excess amounts of stress, alcohol and antibiotic medications destroy these beneficial bacteria.

There are ways to recoup the healthy balance in your stomach. This includes swapping junk foods for natural, healthy foods, getting outside, exercising to relieve stress and adding probiotics to your diet to balance the healthy bacteria in your gut.

Future research will continue to help us discover the connection between the two brains and the impact it has on our health. For now, it is important to feed your stomach (and hence, your mind) with healthy, natural foods and a high activity level to maintain a natural balance.

This month, we highlight LaTrece Cladd, receptionist at The Rubino OB/GYN Group.

LaTrece studied law at Raritan Valley Community College. After  spending six years in the retail industry, LaTrece joined the Rubino OB/GYN Group in late August 2012.  She enjoys working with the patients.   

LaTrece lives in North Brunswick and loves spending time with her dog Burberry and her boyfriend Malcolm.  In her spare time she enjoys shopping and reading.