Do any of these symptoms sound familiar?
- Bloating (feeling pregnant when you aren’t)
- Gas (so embarrassing to try to silently pass gas during meetings)
- IBS (feeling urgency and not knowing where a bathroom is located)
- Food allergies (weird rash or joint pain after eating something)
- Low energy or exhaustion (that 3rd cappuccino does NOT seem to be helping)
- Brain Fog (what was I just saying? where did I leave my phone?)
- Skin Issues/rashes (what is that rash on my face/arms/legs?)
- Joint Pain (feel like I just sprinted a mile but all I did was get out of bed)
Do you suffer from any of these but don’t know why?
Leaky gut syndrome could be the missing link. One of our patients came in desperate for help. She had gas, bloating, IBS, fatigue, weight gain, achy joints and depression. She also had acne that no dermatologist could fix. After doing some high tech specialized testing, turns out she had leaky gut syndrome (along with a few other issues). After fixing her leaky gut, her belly and mind are much happier, she hasn’t yawned at work in weeks, she doesn’t feel like the Tin Man in her joints and her acne has cleared up without the expensive cream. What a difference!
Why doesn’t my doctor test for this?
Most doctors have never heard of it and those who have aren’t adequately informed and have little experience treating it. But if you have these debilitating symptoms you might agree that doing something about leaky gut could help you like the patient above. Hippocrates, the father of medicine said all disease begins in the gut and I believe that too. It is the root of our health.
SIgA is the Best Friend You Didn’t Know You Had
Secretory IgA (SIgA) has long been recognized as a first line of defense in protecting the intestinal epithelium (gut lining) from enteric (intestinal) pathogens and toxins.Simply put, SIgA protects your gut from bad things. It is an immunoglobulin (antibody) within the mucous of your GI tract, responsible for attaching to all the foreign invaders trying to harm you. People with low SIgA have trouble fighting infections because they are being constantly attacked by these foreigners. Their overall level of inflammation (and stress) in their bodies is high.
Secretory IGA in your gut helps the mucosal lining and is highly regulated by cortisol. Meaning the higher your stress level the lower your SIgA level or the more stressed you are the sicker your GI tract is. If you lead a high-stress life, or have been diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue, there’s a good chance your SIgA isn’t working optimally.
Now What? How Do I Feel Better?
You can use the 5 R’s to dramatically improve your symptoms, and sometimes completely resolve your issues.
- Remove stressors: get rid of things that negatively affect the environment of the GI tract including allergic foods, parasites and potential problematic bacteria or yeast. This might involve using an allergy “elimination diet” to find out what foods are causing GI symptoms or it may involve taking medications or herbs to eradicate a particular bug.
- Replace digestive secretions: add back things like digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid, and bile acids that are required for proper digestion and that may be compromised by diet, medications (like Prilosec, Zantac), diseases, aging, or other factors.
- Reinoculate: Help beneficial bacteria flourish by ingesting probiotic foods or supplements that contain the “good” GI bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacillus species, and by consuming the high soluble fiber foods that good bugs like to eat, called prebiotics.
- Repair: Help the lining of the GI tract repair itself by supplying key nutrients that can often be in short supply in a compromised gut, such as zinc, antioxidants (e.g. vitamins A, C, and E), fish oil, and the amino acid glutamine. To speed up the process take L-Glutamine, DGL, Aloe Vera Extract, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow root (if you want everything in one, we have a wonderful powder drink called GI Revive).
- Rebalance: It is important to pay attention to lifestyle choices. Sleep, exercise, and stress can all affect the GI tract. Balancing those activities is important to an optimal digestive tract.
If you think you may have Leaky Gut Syndrome and want help with the 5 R’s, click here.