Transcript LeakyGut2015WayofLifex

Gastrointestinal Imbalance:
The Root of Dis-ease
Dr. Holly German
PLEASE DO NOT DUPLICATE OR DISTRIBUTE THIS
LECTURE WITHOUT PERMISSION
THE INFORMATION IN THIS LECTURE IS NOT
INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL CARE
Interesting Facts
 You’re not just what you eat, you’re what you
ABSORB!
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Even the healthiest diet doesn’t equal good health unless the
vitamins and minerals are accessible
 The surface area of the gastrointestinal system is
greater than the surface area of a tennis court!
 There are over 400 species of microbes living in your
gut, totaling over 15 pounds of mass and containing
more bacteria than there are known stars in the sky
 Poor digestive health is the #1 “obstacle to cure”
Overview
 Symptoms of GI Imbalance
 Dysbiosis
 Leaky gut
 Causes of GI imbalance
 Lab testing
 Treatments - Optimizing GI health
Symptom Overview – Head to Toe
 Fuzzy thinking, poor memory, anxiety, depression,
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insomnia, fatigue, lethargy
Acne, eczema, mouth sores, bad breath, acid reflux,
heart burn, belching
Stomach aches, nausea, bloating, uncomfortable
fullness, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea,
inconsistent bowel movements
Gas, constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids
Frequent illness, reduced immune response
Thyroid/adrenal imbalance, weight gain
The Brain/Gut Connection
 There are more neurons in the small intestine than
in the entire spinal cord
 The GI system is the only system in the body that has
its own, independently operating, nervous system
 GI imbalance is OFTEN the underlying factor in
depression, anxiety, and more serious mental
disorders
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Conditions aggravated by nutrient depletions – B vitas
 A large portion of serotonin is actually created in the
gut and the rest of the serotonin that your body
creates requires many nutrients to be made
Skin Health
 GI tissue and skin tissue are from the same origin
 Skin health is a mirror of GI health
Weight Gain
 Too many bad bugs and too few good bugs 
inflammation
 Inflammation in GI leads to improper
glucose/insulin balance
 Cells become desensitized to insulin  metabolic
syndrome and insulin resistance
 Symptoms of metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance
– increased appetite, weight gain (and difficulty
losing weight), high blood pressure, high cholesterol
and triglycerides
Immunity
 The GI system comprises 75% of the body’s immune
system
Causes of GI imbalance
 Poor diet
 Beyond “junk” food
 Food intolerances – not the initial cause but do make the
imbalance worse
 Stress
 Physical, mental and/or emotional
 Medications
 Environmental Toxins
 Smoking
 Nervous system/endocrine imbalance – anxiety 
fight or flight reponse  nutrient malabsorption
Poor Diet
 Obvious “junk” foods – sugar, simple carbs, alcohol
– all lead to GI imbalance
 What works for 1 person does not always work for
the next
 Excessive caffeine makes the body mimic a stress
response  impaired digestion
Food Intolerances
 Aka Food sensisitivies
 IgG immune (long term) reactions
 3hours-4 days after consumption
 NOT the same as a food allergy – IgA or IgE
 The result of GI imbalance or leaky gut and also an
obstacle to GI healing
Stress
 Stress state = fight or flight, NOT rest and digest
 In stress state, digestion STOPS!
 Even when you have food in your stomach
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 fermentation and putrification  toxins released into the GI
tract
 Stress (cortisol) turns off your secretory IgA – your
gut immune protection
Medications
 Antacids
 Both over the counter and prescription
 Analgesics
 i.e. Tylenol, Aspirin
 Antibiotics
 Directly or from food (animal) sources
Environmental Toxins
 Pesticides in food
 Chlorine in water
 What does bleach do? Kill bacteria – both good and bad bugs!
 Filtered H20, chlorine filter on shower
Dysbiosis
 Too few good bugs and too many bad bugs in the gut
 If the good bugs are killed the bad bugs will take over
 i.e. candida overgrowth after antibiotics  yeast infections,
thrush
Dysbiosis
 “Bad” bacteria
 Always present in small amounts, only problematic when get
out of control
 Yeast
 Candida, geotrichim, rhodotorula
 H. Pylori
  stomach ulcers
 Intestinal parasites
 Many lesser known “bad” bacteria
Leaky Gut
 Usually arises from a chronic state of GI imbalance and
dysbiosis
 Some suspect that leaky gut can start very early as a result of
maternal stress, cesarean birth, reduced breastfeeding time
 The lining of the GI tracts is usually made up of tight
junctions, leaky gut is when the tight junctions are impaired
and large food particles escape into the blood stream
 Linked to many diseases
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Autoimmune, asthma, hormone imbalance, migraines, GI upset of all
kinds, mood disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, arthritis, fibromyalgia,
chronic sinusitis, chronic allergies
 Often results in MANY food intolerances
 Leads to overwhelm of detoxification systems and sluggish
liver clearance
Leaky Gut
Lab Diagnostics
 Food sensitivity panel
 Stool test – bacteria, yeast, parasites
 H. Pylori breath test
 Lactulose/mannitol urine test
 Nutrient analysis
 Celiac’s blood test
 Lactose intolerance
 Glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1C
Food Intolerance (IgG) Testing
Stool Test
 Comprehensive stool test – sample report
 http://www.doctorsdata.com/repository.asp?id=2253
Lactulose/Mannitol Test
 More info
 http://www.metametrixinstitute.org/file.axd?file=2011%2F6%
2FPage-426.pdf
 Normally, mannitol is easily absorbed but lactulose is not. In
leaky gut, both are absorbed and excreted through urine.
Treatment Overview
 Remove the cause – medications? Stress?
 Avoid food intolerances
 Maximizing nutrition
 Nutrient-dense diet, IM, IV, supplementation
 High dose nutrients essential to heal up leaky gut
 Balancing gut bacteria
 Kill off bad bugs
 Replenish good bugs
 Repairing GI lining
Stress
 Don’t eat if you’re stressed
 Take a few deep breaths before you eat, sit down, eat
calmly, savor your food – be present, take this
opportunity to practice gratitude
 Chew slowly and completely
Diet
 Minimize sugar, processed foods, alcohol
 Avoid your individual food intolerances
 Avoid rancid or bad oils
 Don’t cook oils beyond their burn temps
 Cold pressed and unrefined oils should not be highly heated
(i.e. olive oil)
 Ensure adequate fiber and bowel transit time –
should be 12-24 hours
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Test with beets or activated charcoal
Fiber supplementation may be necessary
Diet
 Emphasize nutrient dense organic foods
 Minimize ingestion of foods with the “anti-nutrient”
phytic acid (see handout)
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Soak grains, nuts, and beans before preparing
 Maximize foods with glycosaminoglycans
 Bone broth – Kitchen Witch
 Gelatin – Vital Proteins or Great Lakes
Bone Broth
Ingredients: (From WellnessMama.com)
 2 pounds (or more) of bones from a healthy source
 2 chicken feet for extra gelatin (optional)
 1 onion
 2 carrots
 2 stalks of celery
 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
 Optional: 1 bunch of parsley, 1 tablespoon or more of sea salt,
1 teaspoon peppercorns, additional herbs or spices to taste. I
also add 2 cloves of garlic for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
 You’ll also need a large stock pot to cook the broth in and a
strainer to remove the pieces when it is done.
Bone Broth
Instructions (from WellnessMama.com)
 The first step in preparing to make broth is to gather high quality bones. As I said,
you can find them from sources listed above or save them when you cook. Since we
roast chicken at least once a week, I save the carcass for making broth/stock.
 I also add, per batch, a bunch of parsley from the garden. Since I make in bulk, I
usually use about 4 times the amount of each of these. You can make in any amount,
just multiply or divide the recipe up or down.
 If you are using raw bones, especially beef bones, it improves flavor to roast them in
the oven first. I place them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes at 350.
 Then, place the bones in a large stock pot (I use a 5 gallon pot). Pour (filtered) water
over the bones and add the vinegar. Let sit for 20-30 minutes in the cool water. The
acid helps make the nutrients in the bones more available.
 Rough chop and add the vegetables (except the parsley and garlic, if using) to the
pot. Add any salt, pepper, spices, or herbs, if using.
Bone Broth
 Now, bring the broth to a boil. Once it has reached a vigorous boil, reduce to a
simmer and simmer until done. These are the times I simmer for:
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Beef broth/stock: 48 hours
Chicken or poultry broth/stock: 24 hours
Fish broth: 8 hours
 During the first few hours of simmering, you’ll need to remove the impurities that
float to the surface. A frothy/foamy layer will form and it can be easily scooped
off with a big spoon. Throw this part away. I typically check it every 20 minutes
for the first 2 hours to remove this. Grass-fed and healthy animals will produce
much less of this than conventional animals.
 During the last 30 minutes, add the garlic and parsley, if using.
 Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain using a fine metal strainer to
remove all the bits of bone and vegetable. When cool enough, store in a gallon
size glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use. The best bone
broth will gel when cooled.
Optimizing Digestion
 Digestive enzymes before meals
 Bitter/digestive enhancing herbs before meals
 Ginger, chamomile, bitter orange oil, peppermint, gentian
 “Sweetish Bitters” by Gaia
 Bitter greens with meals – arugala, endive, radicchio
 Apple cider vinegar
 Lemon water in AM
Nutritional Supplements
 May be necessary if absorption is highly
compromised
 Injections
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Especially B vitamins
 IV therapy
Feeding the good guys
 Probiotics
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Supplement with 5 billion +
Take WITH meals
+ lactoferrin
Inhibits ability of bad bugs to stick to intestinal wall
 Immune booster
 Found in colostrum
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Sacchromyces boullardi
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Boosts GI immunity
Probiotics may initially cause gas/bloating – should dissipate after
taking for 1-2 weeks
 Yogurt, kefir, kombucha, saurkraut, kimchi, miso
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Food sources often not enough when dysbiosis present
Killing the bad guys
 Antimicrobial herbs
 Goldenseal, artemisia, black walnut, oregano oil, garlic, pau
d’arco, grapefruit seed extract
 Nystatin
Repairing a Leaky Gut
 Cannot be done with supplements alone – irritating factors
must be removed
 Gut building nutrients are usually given in conjunction with
an elminiation diet and gut microbe support
 Glutamine
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500 mg 3x/day
 N-Acetyle-D-Glucosamine (NAG)
 750 mg 3x/day
 In bone broth and gelatin
 Phosphatidylcholine/Lecithin
 150 mg 3x/day
 Mucilagenous Herbs
 Licorice, slippery elm, aloe, marshmallow
 Glutathione
 Repairs leaky gut, supports liver detox
 Milk thistle, selenium, whey protein, IV very effective
Repairing a Leaky Gut
 Abdominal massage
 Castor oil, essential oils – stimulate MALT and GALT
 Gut healing tea
 1 tsp gelatin
 1 tsp honey or molasses
 1 tsp coconut oil and/or ghee
 1-2 cups hot tea – tulsi, chamomile, ginger, peppermint, green
tea
 Blend and drink warm/hot
Resources
 Probiotics and Depression
 http://www.livescience.com/15822-embargoed-probioticbacteria-treat-depression.html
 Gut bacteria and weight gain
 http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1969807,0
0.html
 Levin, Buck, Ph.D., R.D., "Intestinal Permeability
and Nutritional Support of Intestinal Integrity",
Quarterly Review of Natural Medicine, Summer
1994.
Resources
 GAPS diet
 Weston A. Price
 Nourishing Traditions cookbook
Contact Info
Questions? Comments?

[email protected]
 www.DrHollyGerman.com
 Recipes, Newsletter, etc
 www.ThriveNatMed.com
 Thrive Natural Medicine
 Call for a free 15 consultation – 831-515-8699
 2840 Park Ave. Ste. A, Soquel