Q…Doug, I am a bit confused. I have read several articles describing E. faecium as dangerous and I have read about the same number of articles describing it has a good and natural bacteria found in the intestine. I have seen it in bottles of probiotics. So which is it? Good or dangerous?

Thank you for your time! Debbie

A…E. faecium is indeed one of the hundreds of microbes commonly found in the normal, human intestinal tract. However, all that is there is not good just because it is there; nor should we supplement with every bacteria that exists in the gut. A prime example: the yeast, Candida albicans, is commonly found in the intestinal tract, too, but to supplement with Candida albicans would be to invite a heap of trouble upon ourselves.

E. faecium was probably safe as a supplement about 50 years ago. Probiotic expert Natasha Trenev of the Natren company (www.natren.com) informs us that, due to the excessive use of antibiotics over these 50 years, though, the strain of E. faecium we find today is probably not safe to take as a supplement.

Governmental standards also come into play. In Germany, the selected strain of E. faecium is okay to use, but in America, the selected strain is not okay to use.

Natasha is such an expert (and you know how conservatively I use the word "expert"!) in the probiotic field that I would go so far to say that if the bacteria is not in one of Natren's product, it probably either isn't safe or isn't necessary.

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Q…Sir, I have been struggling with the Haley-Haley disease for about 10-15 years on and off. Over the past 2-3 years I have had it constantly in my arm pits and groin area. Working with my dermatologist, we have not been able to eliminate it. We have used Fluocinonide gel and Desonide with limited success. Over the last few months, my groin area irritation has erupted and made it hard to walk. Since this has happened, we have started using Oxistat and Tetracycline as well. My Doctor has suggested I consider Soriatane as a possible solution. We seem to be out of answers. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you, Ralph

A…Haley-Haley is a disease named after two brothers who first described it in the late 1930s. It is also known as "familial benign chronic pemphigus" since it is apparently an inherited skin disorder-yet there are no tests available to screen family members for the disease. The skin rash that characterizes this disease occurs typically in the groin and other skin folds-anywhere skin can rub together. When the skin becomes inflamed, it can crack and bleed and become infected. Symptoms can become worse in the heat, i.e. summer months or during exercise (which may be impossible). Doctors don't know how to treat this disease, so they often prescribe immune-suppressing medications such as topical corticosteroids (such as prednisone). Antibiotics and antifungals might be used for the "secondary" infections that may develop as a result of the skin cracks.

Soriatane, or acitretin, is a form of Vitamin A, and doctors don't even really know how this medicine works, though it's mostly used in the treatment of psoriasis (another skin disorder). It's also highly toxic and can cause birth defects in the embryo of any mother who happens to become pregnant while using Soriatane (www.drugs.com).

From my previous articles, you've learned that fungus loves warm, moist areas on the body. Violá! That would be the skin folds: arm pits, groin, feet, vaginal area, neck folds, etc. Skin infected with fungus in these areas can crack and bleed and become infected. Skin fungal infections become worse with heat and moisture. Is this sounding redundant? Let's move on: Fungi make fungal poisons that can damage our DNA and theoretically lead to inherited gene defects and definitely birth defects (such as neural tube defects). Are 'inherited genetic disorders' more a result of our dietary habits and fungal exposure? There's more: Vitamin A and Vitamin A analogs are toxic to fungi-they kill fungus and protect against the harmful effects of mycotoxins, though Vitamin A must be taken in moderation, since we accumulate Vitamin A in our natural fat stores in our body.

Putting all of this together, if I had Haley-Haley disease, I would assume that the Haley brothers knew very little about fungi and mycotoxins, and I would treat it as though it were a fungal infection. That would involve changing my diet (see my Phase I diet in the Fungus Link book) and taking antifungals, whether natural or prescriptive antifungals are used. Given the severity of your condition, I would opt for the stronger, oral, prescriptive antifungals such as Nizoral (ketoconazole) or Sporanox (itraconazole) or Diflucan (fluconazole).

In addition, since gut fungi often precede skin fungal disorders, I would use Nystatin tablets: a couple of tabs 2-3 times per day for a month. Lastly, beta-glucans, which assist the immune system in fighting off a variety of infections, would be beneficial to take as a supplement.

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Q…Jake is really in bad shape. He has a pacemaker, a defibrillator, he is diabetic and now they tell him he is retaining too much fluid. He has to go 2 or 3 times a week to have fluid drained off which takes about 4 or 5 hours each time. He says he does not have any energy at all. No matter how he feels he has a wife with Parkinson's and has had 3 hip replacements (the last because of an infection) and he has to take care of her.

Can you recommend something that will make him feel better and help his heart. He longs to get off some of the drugs. I would appreciate any help you can give. Sincerely, Robert and Marjorie

A…Jake has a lot on his hands, to say the least. They say that, to take care of a debilitated person at home, it takes on average three people. So, Jake's doing the job of three people, in addition to attending to his own health needs. I would find out if any home care nurse or volunteer is available to assist him in taking care of his wife. A social worker is invaluable in this regard.

If Jake has heart failure and if this is causing him to retain fluid, then there are some measures he might take to assist him. Hawthorn berry has been shown to assist the heart in such cases, according to Dan Mowrey, PhD.

Additionally, Uva ursi, a natural diuretic, or "water-pill", might help get rid of excess fluids. Most importantly, I'd look at my diet. If I were eating lots of grains and sugars (carbohydrates), I would expect to be swollen and retaining fluid. "What makes bread rise?" asks one of our books. Could the same yeast that makes bread rise make us rise? Indeed, the mycotoxins that are commonly found in our grain food supply can also cause edema, or swelling, according to the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. That being the case, I might limit my intake of bread, sugar, potatoes, corn, and peanuts, and I would focus on eating higher protein foods such as eggs and meat, and I would snack on vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and celery. Water retention should shrink to a minimum just by a diet change alone. I'll also do my duty of saying a prayer for Jake and his wife!

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Q…Hi Doug! I have heard you mention in the past that bananas are not a good food. What is the reason, and what can replace them as a good source of potassium? Love your show! Thank you, Donna

A…A CNN report in March, 1999, apprised us that the world will be without bananas in ten years if the current problem of fungal contamination of bananas was not brought under control. We have just 4-5 more years to find out if this is true.

Bananas are so commonly contaminated with fungi that the average batch of bananas must be sprayed 49 times with fungicides from the time of growing and harvesting to the time it reaches our grocery store. Once you take your bananas home, don't they turn dark in a mere few days? A fungus called the "black Sigatoka" and others such as Fusarium molds are common culprits of fungal contamination of bananas, and these fungi are hearty-they easily develop resistance to the currently-used fungicides.

Additionally, bananas are very sweet, so they can literally "feed" an existing fungal problem. If it's just potassium you need, celery is a wonderful source of potassium-and it's on our diet!

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Email your questions to knowthecause@lakeshore guardian.com or mail to Know The Cause!, c/o The Lakeshore Guardian at 9697 Purdy Road, Harbor Beach, MI 48441. To order one of Doug's books, please call 972-772-0990. To learn more about Doug Kaufmann and his research, go to www.knowthecause.com.