Do you have a leaky gut?
We are completely missing the continuum concept that looks at chronic disease on a continuum from optimal health to full blown chronic disease with complications. So many of us walking around feeling bad but are told that there is nothing wrong with us. This is because our current health care model is not designed to pick up the imbalance that occurs in the early continuum of chronic disease. This is why chronic disease is rising, because we are missing the chance to reverse the disease state as it progressively worsens on the continuum. We are treating “parts” of people rather than the whole person. Would you plant a vegetable garden without tending to the soil? This is what we are doing in traditional medicine.
A new way of thinking
If we are going to get ahead of chronic disease we need to start thinking outside the box. Functional Medicine is a new way of thinking – a patient centered approach rather than a disease centered approach that looks for the underlying cause of the disease rather than applying a Band-Aid to symptoms. This requires us to “look upstream” for the triggers driving the Chronic Disease continuum.
The eyes are the window to the soul
I am sure many of you have heard this phrase. But what you may not know is the gut is the window to our immune system. The first time I heard this, I was startled to say the least. After 12 years of traditional health education and many, many more years of experience, I never made this connection.
A startling 100 million Americans suffer from gastrointestinal problems! Is it possible that our gut may be one of the key factors in healing our body from chronic illness? Given my traditional training and highly skeptical nature, my first response to this question was NO WAY! Fortunately, my skepticism is balanced by my willingness to think outside the box. Now that I know what to look for I am completely blown away by the fact that imbalance in our gastrointestinal tract can be an underlying trigger for many chronic issues such as arthritis, acne, skin rashes, allergies, chronic fatigue, depression, autism, cancer and a host of autoimmune disorders. Hence, one of the primary goals in treating chronic disease is to balance the gut.
If you have been following my blog you are already aware of the fact that our typical American diet is highly inflammatory and that inflammation is the underlying thread to most chronic disease. Superimposed upon these facts is that the medications that are currently being prescribed for gastrointestinal issues may further compound the underlying problem and worsen gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Role of the Gut
Our gut or gastrointestinal system is essential for the absorption of nutrients from our food. That inherently assumes that the food we eat actually has any nutritional value. The gut plays a major role in defending our body against toxins, microbes and allergens.
“There are bugs (bacteria) in your gut that form a diverse and interdependent ecosystem like a rainforest. In fact, there are 500 species and 3 pounds of bacteria in your gut which form a HUGE chemical factory that helps you digest your food, regulate your hormones, excrete toxins, and produce vitamins and other healing compounds that keep your gut and your body healthy”. Dr. Mark Hyman, MD
So an overgrowth of bad bacteria or a lack of good bacteria can have serious consequences. These consequences can be manifested in a variety of ways. While some individuals will have typical gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation, cramping or gas, many others may have more covert signs and symptoms such as joint pain or a skin rash with no associated gut related symptoms.
What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?
The gut is the window to our immune system. The one-cell thick layer of our intestinal lining is our primary defense against foreign invaders (see photo above). The surface size of our intestinal lining equates to the dimensions of a tennis court, which leaves a large surface area open to assault. Leaky gut is a result of inflammation or damage to the intestinal lining. When the intestinal lining becomes inflamed, gaps can form between the cells (enterocytes). This tiny gaps allow particles that would usually stay in your gastrointestinal tract to move into the bloodstream. So for example, if you happen to be like the 1 in 30 Americans thought to have gluten intolerance, when you ingest gluten containing grains, they will not be fully digested by the stomach. These partially digested food particles move into the small bowel where they irritate the intestinal lining, which in turns creates gaps between the enterocytes allowing food particles, bacteria or metabolic waste to leak into the bloodstream. Since these particles are typically foreign to the bloodstream, they trigger an immune response which leads to an inflammatory and/or autoimmune response. To further compound the issue, inflamed intestinal mucosa leads to varying degrees of malabsorption. This is why vitamin and nutrient deficiencies commonly co-exist with leaky gut. I often see people who have been seen by multiple specialist for a long list of seemingly unrelated chronic issues – in many cases, it all boils down to the gut.
Managing gut imbalance is core to our Functional Medicine protocols and typically includes a Diagnostic Elimination diet, Advanced GI Testing followed by a comprehensive Gut Healing protocol. Learn more about our approach at Optimal Wellness for Life.