FUNCTIONAL GUT

Imbalances in our gastrointestinal system has implications that extend to all systems and health of our body. A quick test is to look at your tongue. Does it have a coat on it? Yellow/grey/white? Also look at the sides of your tongue does it have scalloping at the edges? This is usually the sign of food intolerances and there will be GI tract issues.

HCL- made by the parietal cells. Stimulates the pancreatic enzymes and forms a defensive barrier to pathogens. Necessary for the absorption of Ca+ and Fe+.

Factors that reduce HCL dd

1. Ongoing stress, therefore no parasympathetics.

2. Aging 50% of people over 60 have decreased levels.

3.Rushed eating. This also doesn't turn on the para's as well as doesn't give the parietal cells enough time to make adequate HCL. So slow it down, smell, see,

taste.

4. H pylori kills the parietal cells.

5. Drinking to much fluids when eating will dilute the HCL.

Stimulating HCL

1. Unprocessed sea salt in water15-20 minutes before eating.

2.Apple cider vinegar 1-8 tsp start at one increase to as much as 8, 5-10 minutes before eating.

3. Lemon juice 1/2 to 1 lemon 5-10 minutes before eating.

4.Swedish Bitters- 1 cap. or 10ml in water 5-10 before eating.

5. Betaine HCL start with 1 10mg capsule with food make sure the person is hydrated in general

6. Zn and B-6 are co-factors in the production of HCL. Zinc at 15-50mg 1/day Don't take zinc with other minerals as zn effects others.

ZINC TALLY TEST To determine if the person is ZINC deficient hold zinc in the mouth for 1 min. If the taste is horrific they will spit it

it out and this is good.

If they don't taste that much then they are deficient and need supplementation.

SIGNS OF POOR DIGESTION AND GI ISSUES

1. Bloating

2. Regurge or reflux/heartburn

3. Gas

4. Fatigue

5. Fatty stools

6. Constipation/diarrhea

7. Weight gain

8. Lowered immunity

9. Skin rashes

11. Bad Breath

12. Cognitive and memory defects

13. Food intolerances

14. Shortness of breath

15. Muscle aches and pains

LEAKY GUT

Normally the intestinal cells are tightly aligned next to each other with only small gaps between them. This limits the absorption into our blood of larger poly-peptides that have intact antigenic codes on them as well as parasites, bacteria and viruses. Leaky gut is caused by SUGAR one reason for this is sugar competes with vitamin c for absorption, therefore less vitamin c less structural integrity and more leakage. It is also caused by stress, chronic inflammation, food intolerances, food allergies, celiac, or after radiation or chemotherapy. Whole food exposure before 4 months of age as well as premature births will also lead to leaky gut syndrome.

Symptoms include:

1. Bloating

2. Cognitive and memory defects

3. Diarrhea

4. Fatigue and Malaise

5. Fevers of unknown origins

6. Food intolerances

7. Muscle aches and pains

8. Shortness of breath

9. Skin rashes

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

IBS relates to;

1. Sexual dysfunction

2. Fibromyalgia

3. Increase urination

4. Poor sleep

5.Chronic fatigue

6. Bouts of diarrhea and constipation

7. Bloating

8. Loose stools

9. Mucus in the stools

10. Taking antacids such as prylosec

11. Taking antibiotics

12. Stress

13. Taking NSAIDs

14. Pain that is removed by a bowel movement

15. EMOTIONS AND THINKING This is because 95% of our seritonin is found in the gut. IBS reduces our serritonin therefore our mood, ability to sleep and think are effected. The enteric nervous system is called our second brain and is in the gut controlling all activity there. 90% of the information of the enteric nervous system is afferent and therefore goes to the brain. The brain wants and needs to know exactly what is happening in our digestive tract as this is the interface of the outside world with our body. It is for this very reason that 70% of our immune system is in our gastrointestinal tract. It is vital for our health that virus's, bacteria, and parasites don't get access to inside our body via the blood stream.

Treatment for IBS

1. Slippery elm bark- take 2-3 cups a day

2. Increase your fiber intake from vegetables not breads and cereal.

3. NO sugar sugar competes with vitamin c for absorption and prevents glutathione from absorbing, coffee, tea, alcohol

4. DGL-take this throughout the day

5. Enteric coated peppermint oil (ECPO) use this throughout the day

6. L glutamine - cabbage juice is a good source of this, or take a supplement 1,000 -2,000 mg 1-2/day

7. Digestive enzymes 15-20 minutes before eating

8. Fish oil 1,000 - 2,000 mg/day

9. Tumeric a powerful anti-inflammatory from curcumin

10. Ginger

11. Exercise and stress reduction

12. Probiotics very important to get a good strain so they live. Also take SACCAROMYCES BOULARDI as this inhibits bacteria from adhering

to the gastro-mucosal wall. Take saccaromyces in the AM and the probiotic at night.

13. 5 Hydroxytryptophan or 5 HTP This is the precursor for serritonin "the happy" neurotransmitter. Take 200 mg/day. Take 30 minutes before sleep.

95% of our serritonin is in our digestive tract and their a link between mood and digestion. This is why.

14. Zinc 15-60 mg/day but don't take zinc with other minerals as it effects others.

BILE

Low bile symptoms include:

1. Constipation

2. Fat malabsorption

3. Gas

Factors to increase bile production are:

1. Dandelion root

2. Sylimaran

3. Tumeric

4. Globe artichoke

5. Lecithin take 1-2 tbs with food of the granules. This is usually a soy or sunflower source. Phosphotydly choline is a good source of lecithin.

6. Fish oil 1,000 -2,000 mg/day

GUT HEALING PROTOCOL

For all GI troubles and for all ALCAT patients:

1. ZINC 15-60 mg once a day. Zinc help increase the protective mucus layer among other things such as is a co-factor in the production of HCL. Don't take zinc with other minerals as it effects them. If taking higher does of zinc such as 60mg or more only do so for 6-7 weeks if longer keep checking other minerals especially copper. 50 mg and below don't need to worry. Bananas also help this protective layer

2. L Glutamine 1,000 -2,000 mg 1-2/day

3. B5 and B6

4. Avoid stress

5. Avoid alcohol

6. Avoid sugar it is a primary cause of leaky gut

7. Avoid caffeine

8. Avoid NSAIDs

9. Vitamin A 10,000-25,000 IU helps the healing. and vit D at 3,000 iu/day

10. Slippery Elm Bark as a tea 2-3 cups a day is great for all gut issues.

12. Fish oil 1,000 - 2,000 mg/day

13.Digestive enzymes

14. Ginger

15. Tumeric

16. Good mineral supplement for B-12, Ca, Fe, Cu, Mg, K, Na. It is best to take these sublingually.

17. Saccharomyces boulardi this will stop the adhesion of bad bacteria to the GI tract wall. Take in the AM and the probiotic in the PM

18. Don't take prylosec or any other antacids.

18. GOOD BACTERIA MUST BE REPOPULATED. We have 3-5 pounds of bacteria in our GI tract. The good bacteria help our bodies break down and utilizes vitamins and minerals. They aid and support our GI immune system, Digest carbohydrates. They also form a protective coating like mucus does. They produce short chain fatty acids from soluble fiber which help feed the cells of our GI tract as well as create an acidic ph in the bowels which protects against polyps. They inhibit the growth of certain pathogens. They are aerobic and need oxygen to survive.

Bad bacteria are anaerobic and will die if oxidized. They produce waste, toxins and pollute our bodies. They inhibit our immune system. They interfere with fat metabolism by breaking down bile salts. They inactivate the brush border and pancreatic enzymes.They provide a good environment for yeast and parasites as well as the development of cancerous polyps. They are better at multiplying then the good bacteria and can over take the GI tract. REVERSING DYSBIOSIS IS A KEY FOR ANY AND ALL GI ISSUES.

Reasons for the over proliferation of bad bacteria a condition called Dysbiosis are:

1. Antibiotic use, as this kills all bacteria good and bad and the bad are better at recolonizing.

2. Diarrhea, again this flushes out all bacteria and the bad ones proliferate.

3. Stress stress kills good bacteria

4. Maldigestion

5. Food intolerances

6. Poor diet

ULCERS AND H PYLORI

A burning achy pain but can be sharp. May awaken you at night. May radiate to the back. May be relieved by food (duodenal ulcer) or aggravated by food (Gastric ulcer). Usually caused by H pylori and stress.

Treatment for ulcers

1. Zinc 25-60 mg/day this increases the mucus layer.

2. Vitamin A 10,000-25,0000 IU a day

3. Bananas also helps with the mucus protective layer.

4. Slippery Elm bark tea 2-3 cups a day, this is good for all gut issues.

5. Reestablish proper HCL levels in the stomach as this act to kill H pylori. Start this only after the pain has reduced and the stomach lining is healing. So take zinc and vitamin B-6 which are co-factors in the production of HCL.

6. Mastica gum to inhibit H pylori take 500 mg 2/day on an empty stomach for 30 days then reduce to once a day for 6-8 weeks. For H pylori also take matula tea which may have to be taken for 60 days. No alcohol, coffee, tea, spicy foods, sugar.

7. Deglycyyrrhized licorice root or DGL this calms and soothes the GI tract take all day long

8. Aloe Vera this also soothes the GI tract.

9. No sugar it competes with vitamin c for absorption and inhibits glutathione from being absorbed, therefore no phase 1 and 2.

10. No alcohol

11. No spicy foods

12. Reduce fat intake

13. Best to eat small meals 5-6 times a day

14. Raw cabbage juice. Best is savoy cabbage this heals the GI tract lining. Take 1 liter of cabbage juice per day in divided doses for 10 days. This will stimulate mucus production. It also contains high levels of L glutamine.

15. L Glutamine take 1.6 grams a day over 4 doses.

16. 2 day juice fast. Take mostly green leafy veggies and green and orange color juices, ie green leafy's and carrots. Add aloe vera juice 1 tsp.

17. Aloe vera

18. Chlorophyl take 2/day between juices

CONSTIPATION

Take 1 tsp of flax seed pour boiling water over it and leave overnight. Drink in the morning.

Fish oil as this will increase the bile flow.

PROBIOTICS

A good probiotic must have:

1. Human strain probiotic and contain lactobacillus as well as bifidobacterium

2. Bile and acid resistant so it can get to the colon before it's destroyed.

3. Be able to adhere to the GI tract

4. Be metabolically active in the GI tract.

5. Reduce colon PH

SACCHAROMYCES BOULARDI SB

Sb-secretes compounds that enhance the migration of enterocytes, therefore enhances and excellerates repair of damaged intestinal epithelium.

-So any gut condition with damage epi. ie. Crohn's, UC,IBS,Leaky gut,diarrhea Sb helps to heal.

-Sb produces lactic acid which inhibits bad bacteria. it also produces some b vitamins

-SB due to lactic acid production enhances the proliferation of good bacteria lactobacillus acidopilus and b bifidus.

-It enhances and increases levels of secretory IG-A

-inhibits candida or other strains of yeast boulardii is not S. cerevisiae which is brewers yeast or bakers yeast

-The Candida strains of yeast are bad. They decrease the acidity of the GI tract making the arena more susceptible to invasion by disease causing bacteria and yeast. sb

has the opposite effect and creates an acidic environment by producing lactic acids which inhibit Candida which is disease causing

-It is just a temporary guest of our GI tract imparting benefits as it passes on through.

-So Sb increases the intestinal populations of good bacteria like bifido bacteria whilst

decreasing the bad. I think this is because of it's production of lactic acid and other acids.

-Sb degrads via protease's toxins, bacterial toxin ie from clostridium difficile and inhibits toxins from binding to intestinal receptors and lessens toxin-induced inflammation.

Sb reduces the ability of disease causing bacteria from adhering to and invading intestinal cells.

-Sb stimulates brush border enzymatic activity and therefore aids in the production and absorption of nutrients.

It produces short chain fatty acids which help feed our colonic cells.

-take 250-1000mgs per day.

-take for about 1 month if a bad disease ie. crohn's disease take longer.

-take between meals avoid hot food or beverages with it

-E coli and Salmonella are shown to strongly adhere to a mannose (sugar) on

the surface of Sb via lectin receptors (adhesions, which is appendage that the bacteria uses to

latch onto other surfaces and is a virulence factor). This is at least one of the mechanism by which

Sb can help with diarrhea. The e coli or salmonella are then not able to attach to the brush border

and are pooped out.

-E coli infections lead to the phosphorylation of myosin light chains this addition of a phosphate group to the myosin allows for the cross-bridging of myosin with the actin filament. I suspect that any intestinal inflammation will lead to this phosphorylation, anyway this results in the reduction of the gap junctions and a "leaky gut"……..what happens here is that the connexin or gap junction is where the two cells touch and form a barrier as well as a communication pathway. They touch at a series of strand like proteins which branch out and are trans-membranel. On the extracellular side they touch and form this barrier on the intracellular side they are attached with the actin component of the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton forms amounts other things the scaffolding of the cell. If it contracts the cell "shrinks" and the gap junction is leaky. Sb stops the phosphorylation and therefore the leaking….wow

-sb decreases the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 8 and TNF alpha,

Therefore sb it is anti-inflammatory……….wow very good for the gut.