Spilling The Green Tea

Call me odd, but I don’t necessarily believe everything a doctor tells me. Nowadays, you need to question doctors and do research on your own because, from my personal experience and from what I have seen from family and friends, the Hippocratic Oath is more like the Hypocritic Oath.

In today’s fast-paced, modern world, you don’t feel like a patient. You wait for weeks to months to see a doctor (or CRNP or PA) because they are overbooked and once you do finally arrive at your appointment, you are treated like a fast food drive thru; they want you in and out as quickly as possible. Any symptoms you have are treated with a prescription drug, but what is treating the cause of those symptoms? No one wants to take the time to do the detective work.

I decided to write about Leaky Gut Syndrome because a family member of mine is experiencing symptoms related to LGS and the doctors he has visited (gastro and urologist) don’t have a clue what is going on. They told him they can’t find anything wrong so now they are ordering blood work and a CT scan. I have a feeling that nothing wrong will be found so then what is a person to do when you are experiencing debilitating symptoms and have no help from the medical field? These doctors probably will just say to take some OTC meds for the symptoms or think it is “all in his head”.

When I was being treated for my tick infections by a holistic doctor, he had also given me some supplements that would help my digestive track. Everything in my body needed to be functioning like a well-oiled machine so that it was strong enough to overtake and flush out those infections. He discussed Leaky Gut Syndrome and how that can cause a whole host of symptoms that can go undiagnosed by medical doctors.

I decided to look up Leaky Gut Syndrome and see what the facts are and was surprised to see that most medical sites define it as a theory or something other than a fact:

Cleveland Clinic: Leaky gut syndrome is a theory that intestinal permeability is not only a symptom of gastrointestinal disease but an underlying cause that develops independently.

Medical News Today: Leaky gut syndrome is a proposed digestive condition where the intestinal lining allows bacteria and toxins into the bloodstream. Many doctors and healthcare professionals do not recognize leaky gut syndrome (LGS) as a diagnosable condition.

Wikipedia: This article is about a proposed medical condition in alternative medicine. 

Very Well Health: Leaky gut syndrome is considered a theory, rather than a condition traditionally recognized by the general medical community.

Time Magazine: Leaky gut is a great visual term for patients, but it isn’t a true medical diagnosis,” says Dr. John Whyte, a board-certified internist based in the Washington, D.C., area.

But, from what we know, just because the medical field is in denial or just plain ignorant, doesn’t mean it isn’t fact.

Leaky Gut Syndrome is defined as: Along the inside of the digestive tract there is a net-like lining of tiny holes that controls which substances pass from the gut through to the bloodstream. When this lining is damaged, large molecules such as undigested food, toxins and microbes are able to pass through the lining, causing an immune response that results in chronic inflammation. There are a number of factors that can contribute to the destruction of the lining in the digestive tract including – a high sugar diet, chronic stress, excessive alcohol consumption, food allergies, gastrointestinal infections, bacterial imbalance, yeast overgrowth, antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Symptoms of LGS include:

• Bloating
• Fatigue
• IBS
• Weight Gain
• Food Sensitivity
• Mood Changes
• Indigestion
• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Burning Sensation In Your Gut
• Acid Reflux
• Headaches/Migraines
• Aches/Pains
• Autoimmune Issues
• Constipation

My holistic doctor told me that the gut microbiome needs to be balanced. We have both good and bad bacteria in our guts. There needs to be a stronger presence of good bacteria in our gut so that it keeps the bad bacteria in check, aid in proper digestion, and support our brain, heart and immune health.

It only makes sense, and it’s downright common sense when you look at it, if you have an UNBALANCED gut microbiome then wouldn’t it produce negative symptoms and need to be BALANCED? Not complete rocket science, but why doesn’t the medical field at least entertain LGS and educate themselves more on the issue? Are they afraid? Or just plain ignorant? Or if LGS is cured via an all natural remedy, would Big Pharma lose profits? Who’s really looking out for who?

So what causes LGS:

• poor diet (gluten, sugar, dairy, gmo)
• overconsumption of alcohol
• smoking
• Vitamins A, D and Zinc deficiencies
• stress (emotional or physical)
• toxins (medications, mercury, pesticides, BPA)
• gut infections (candida overgrowth, SIBO and parasites)

Considering what we ingest daily, whether it is via food, water, or air, and knowing how everything is contaminated with some sort of toxin, it is no wonder that 40% of Americans’ daily lives are disrupted by some sort of digestive issue.

Next time you visit your doctor with some sort of gastrointestinal issue, don’t just take antacids or stool softeners or antibiotics or histamines or anti-inflammatory drugs. They may help with symptoms you are experiencing, but will not cure what is causing those symptoms. Furthermore, those drugs may do further harm to your gut health.

Taking into consideration your symptoms and the information on Leaky Gut Syndrome, if you feel you are experiencing LGS here are ways for you to heal your gut microbiome:

• Eat whole foods like fruits, veggies, lean proteins and healthy fats
• Eat fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut
• Increase fiber intake
• Exercise at least 30 minutes every day
• Drink plenty of water
• Reduce medication usage (antibiotics kill not only bad bacteria but the good bacteria)
• Take probiotics
• Take Vitamin D
• Take Collagen supplement
• Take L-Glutamine
• Avoid processed foods, sugar, gluten, caffeine, canned foods, cured foods and pre-packaged foods
• Reduce alcohol consumption
• Quit smoking
• Lessen stress
• Sleep 8 hours every night

The best part in taking steps toward healing LGS is that you don’t need a prescription and there are no side effects. It is all about eating clean and taking care of your body.

My advice is to try this technique and see if it relieves your symptoms and makes you feel like your healthy self again. It is unfortunate LGS is still treated as a theory but it is my hope and mission to shed light on alternative medicine and approaches so that YOU can start living a better and healthy life.