(Note: If you are overwhelmed with the length of this review, you can skip my digestion trials and tribulations and go directly to the last paragraph, which is where I talk about the product.) I've been suffering from chronic diarrhea for over 3 years, ever since I started college, which involved a lot of stress and eating bad cafeteria food during my first year of college. Before college, I was eating an organic, vegetarian diet and never had any long-term digestive issues. During the first year of college I would have about 6 bowel movements a day, sometimes more. I was also experiencing bloating and gas. I was constantly eating because I always felt hungry. My body was not able to absorb enough nutrients. I think my malabsorption problems made me more tired than usual and played a role in my insomnia. And I drank A LOT of water because I was always dehydrated. After the first 9 months of suffering from diarrhea, I consulted a doctor specializing in digestive health and was tested for food allergies. The results showed that I was not "allergic" to anything, but I am mildly sensitive to certain foods like dairy and gluten. I was also almost anemic at that point and had nutritional deficiencies. I was given an iron supplement, vitamin D, and an acidophilus supplement. I first went on a gluten-free diet for about 1 month and then a dairy-free diet for 1 month. Eliminating dairy did not seem to do much, so I included it back in my diet, and continued avoiding gluten, which helped tremendously with my digestion, at first..... When I started my second year of college, the stress began again, and 1-2 months into the school year I was re-experiencing chronic diarrhea, even on a gluten-free diet! However when I visited home, where I feel calm and relaxed, I was having fewer and better bowel movements. But then during the last term of the 2nd school year I lived at home and commuted, and even in my more relaxed home environment my diarrhea symptoms got worse on a gluten-free diet. So I eventually gave up on the diet and started taking a variety of digestive supplements, algae, enzymes, and probiotics. I didn't notice any significant difference. I tried acupuncture for a few months, which seemed to help in the beginning. But after 3 months, I realized that maybe I was having one less bowel movement a day, if that. So I stopped the acupuncture. As with all of my previous approaches and products, it appeared my body was becoming immune to everything I tried after a period of time. When my 2nd year of school finished I decided to do a food cleanse for 4 days to see if that would help. I ate only fruits, vegetables (both raw and cooked), and quinoa. It did not seem to do much, except make me crave cheese, chocolate, and grains. I was losing hope, so I contacted a medical intuitive. She said I had too much fungus and parasites in my body, so I took a variety of remedies to eliminate them: 3 different treatments for parasites, 2 different treatments for candida, enzymes, and probiotics. I took these remedies for 1-2 months. Also during that time I went on a strict diet of eating fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds and avoided eating dairy, refined carbs, and sweets/chocolate. I saw some improvement in my digestion, but I could not say for certain if the amount of fungus and candida in my body decreased to a healthy level. Anyway, during my 3rd and final year of college, I ate gluten on and off. My digestion was definitely better than what it was 2 years ago during my awful 1st year of college, but it was STILL not normal!! I would have good days and bad days and anywhere from 3 - 6 bowel movements a day, sometimes formed, sometimes diarrhea. After I graduated, I decided to try swedish bitters, as I heard that it is good for digestion and eliminating fungus and parasites. And I wanted to have something that I could take while visiting England because traveling makes my digestion worse. Well, after going through the bitters, I can't say I noticed anything significant. Based on my experiences and what I have been told, it is important for my body to feel relaxed if I want optimal digestion. I need to be more aware of stress or tightness around my stomach. Meditation and conscious breathing are good practices - if I can just get around to doing them! Perhaps I need to stop relying on products or treatments because those don't seem to fix the underlying problems. However, out of all the products, diets, treatments, etc. that I've tried for 3 years of chronic diarrhea, these Seacure capsules work the best!!! (I am a strict vegetarian and normally won't even take capsules made of gelatin, but I was desperate! The capsules do have a strong fishy smell, which I can smell whenever I am near the closed bottle, but they do not taste very fishy. I always have to wash my hands after handling the capsules, otherwise my hands will stink! Maybe I will put the bottle in the fridge to see if that diminishes the smell, as...
