Holistic Health Information Healing “Leaky Gut” Syndrome

I am inspired to share with you the importance of healing the intestinal tract, and eradicating the “Leaky Gut Syndrome” that plagues so many of us. The intestinal tract is, after all, the mother of the body. Its function is to break down all the nutrients we ingest, so they can be absorbed through the intestinal wall. These vital nutrients are then delivered to every cell in our body, via the blood stream. Without an intact and healthy intestinal wall, this process is not possible.

Ingesting inflammatory foods such as gluten, casein (a milk protein), sugars, allergens, preservatives, additives and alcohol, just to mention several, leads to chronic inflammation and irritation of the lining, subsequently leading to a wearing away, until small holes are formed. These holes then allow large molecules of food, which are not normally able to pass through, into our blood stream, to initiate an activation of our immune cells and the production of allergic and antibody proteins. This leads to severe food sensitivities, and/or protein intolerances.

In the spirit of renewal, I am embarking on a healing journey of my intestinal tract and will be starting a 45-60 day “Leaky Gut” repair program as of 1/03/2010. This program entails a restrictive diet, which eliminates all allergenic and inflammatory foods, and ingestion of healing/repair nutrients for two weeks.

The next 21-day stage includes a medical food that helps to detoxify the liver, and continues to heal the intestinal tract, as well as a combination of potent herbal supplements that kill any yeast, parasites, or bacterial overgrowth that may have developed, due to the inflamed and compromised intestinal tract.

The third and last stage of 30 days includes taking an effective pro-biotic supplement to re-establish the healthy flora necessary for optimal intestinal health. Each stage allows you to gradually and systematically increase the variety of foods you will be able to ingest..

Contact me to learn more about holistic approaches to healing “leaky guy syndrome.”
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Holistic Health Information: Gluten Intolerance

                

 I am inspired to address the issue of gluten intolerance and celiac disease this month. There is now evidence that over 35% of Americans are subject to these two conditions. The effects of consuming this protein are far reaching. It is found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, soy-isolated protein, and soy sauce. It is also found as an additive in packaged and prepared foods, disguised as modified starch; in every pain killer as a filler; and many prescription drugs. It is also present oats and corn that have been milled in the same place, or cooked in the same oil as wheat products.

The effect of gluten intolerance goes beyond the inflammatory effects on the digestive tract. It can also inflame your brain, pancreas, liver, bladder, skin, and possibly, any organ in the body. In a study done with gluten intolerant people, an MRI was taken of their brains while still consuming gluten-containing foods. The MRI’s showed extensive plaque throughout their brain tissue, similar to that which is seen in MS patients.

After instructing these patients to undergo a 100% gluten-free diet for 6-8 months, the MRI’s were done again. The images revealed that the plaque had been almost completely eradicated. This is due to the fact that gluten inflames and triggers an aggressive antigenic immune response in the body that is very destructive.

When the inflammatory response goes on for years in the digestive tract, the ultimate consequence is called “leaky gut.” Leaky gut refers to the fact that the intestinal lining has been inflamed for so long that it now has little holes over much of it. This leads to incomplete digestion and absorption of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Normally, the small intestine finishes the digestion process, and allows for small nutrient particles to cross the lining and enter the blood stream for distribution throughout the body. When there are holes in the lining, this process is incomplete, and much bigger particles of carbohydrates, proteins and fats cross the lining and enter the blood stream.

When this happens, our white blood cells do not recognize these particles as food, rather they consider them foreign invaders, and start attacking them. Since we are also made of these building blocks, our white blood cells (the immune soldiers of the body) get confused and cannot distinguish between us and these undigested particles, and then attack our tissues. This leads to autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroid disease, etc.

The only definitive way to test for gluten and celiac disease is to do genetic testing through a lab called Entero-Labs. Because the immune system in people that have been exposed to gluten for many years is less than optimal, and the cells that produce antibodies may be compromised, conventional blood and biopsy tests may produce false negative results. I encourage my patients that present with autoimmune symptoms to use this genetic testing.

There is a wonderful website I recommend to all of my gluten-intolerant and celiac patients, that gives multiple resources for finding gluten-free products, restaurants, cooking classes, and educational resources to live a gluten-free lifestyle: www.karmic-health.com.

I carry a gluten digestive enzyme formula that can be taken when people are inadvertently exposed to gluten and want to minimize the inflammatory effects.

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