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All disease begins in the gut. — Hippocrates
Hippocrates made this profound statement more than 2,000 years ago, but we’re only now coming to understand just how right he was. Gut health is critical to overall health, and an unhealthy gut contributes to a wide range of chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, autism, depression, and anxiety. Many researchers, myself included, believe that supporting intestinal health and restoring the integrity of the gut barrier are two of the most important goals of medicine in the 21st century.
If you’re experiencing issues, learning how to support gut health naturally could make a difference in your overall health and well-being. If you’re working in the health and wellness field as a nutritionist, health coach, or another allied provider, understanding gut health could help you support your clients as they work to restore and maintain a healthy microbiota. Read on to learn why a healthy gut is essential for creating a healthy body and how you can restore and maintain a healthy gut for life.
Finding natural methods to heal the gut can help you get relief from a wide range of distressing symptoms. Find out how to support a healthy gut through diet and lifestyle. #optimalhealth #changeagent #chriskresser
Health Coaches: Why Focus on Gut Health?
If you’re in the health coaching profession, you’ll undoubtedly encounter clients with existing gut problems and chronic diseases. Some may struggle with obvious gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, gas, or bloating that clearly point to gut issues. However, others may have extraintestinal manifestations, such as blood sugar dysregulation or mental health issues, that are also rooted in gut dysfunction. No matter who you’re working with, supporting your clients as they take steps to heal their gut naturally should be a priority due to the profound impact of gut health on overall health.
The idea of the gut affecting overall health may seem far-fetched to some people. Therefore, I recommend beginning any discussion of gut health by briefly describing the two related variables that determine gut health: the intestinal microbiota and the gut barrier.
Are We More Microbial than Human?
The human gut is home to approximately 100,000,000,000,000 (100 trillion) microorganisms, collectively referred to as the “gut microbiota.” (1) The gut microbiota harbors a gene set 150 times greater than that of the human genome. (2, 3)
These microbes aren’t just passively living their lives; they have a profound impact on our health. Within the GI tract, gut microbes promote peristalsis (the movement of food through the intestines), protect against infection, produce vitamins, and maintain a healthy gastrointestinal mucus layer.
Outside the digestive tract, gut microbes influence other organs and tissues through neural networks and signaling molecules. Through these complex communication networks, gut microbes regulate 70 to 80 percent of the immune system and influence blood sugar control. (4, 5) They also modulate the function of the brain, bone, heart, skin, eyes, and muscle tissue. (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
What Disrupts the Gut Microbiome?
There are many features of the modern lifestyle that disturb the gut microbiome. Exposure to these harmful factors is pervasive in our society.
Processed, Inflammatory Foods
The Standard American Diet, packed with processed, inflammatory foods such as refined carbohydrates and industrial seed oils, is an established risk factor for gut dysbiosis. (12) The Standard American Diet reduces bacterial diversity and induces inflammation in the gut, thereby contributing to a slew of downstream adverse health effects.
Low Fiber Intake
Our gut microbes ferment dietary fiber to fuel their activities. A lack of dietary fermentable fermentable fiber, which is quite common in the United States, deprives gut bacteria of this fuel and leads to reductions of beneficial bacteria. (13)
Stress
Chronic psychological stress alters the gut microbiota; in fact, this may be one of the critical mechanisms by which stress contributes to so many chronic health issues. (14)
Chronic Infections
Bacterial, fungal, and viral gut pathogens alter the composition of the gut microbiota. (15) Importantly, a gut infection does not need to be acute to cause problems in the gut microbiota; some infections fly under the radar for years. Stool testing is a valuable tool for identifying both acute and subclinical gut infections.
Antibiotics and Other Medications
Antibiotics and non-antibiotic medications such as birth control pills, proton pump inhibitors, and NSAIDs significantly alter the gut microbiota, according to research. (16, 17) Repeated rounds of antibiotics and the use of non-antibiotic meds are important risk factors to identify.
C-Section Birth and Lack of Breastfeeding
During vaginal birth, a baby passes through the birth canal and is “seeded” with a mother’s beneficial bacteria, setting the stage for optimal gut microbiota development. Babies born by Caesarean section, on the other hand, are first exposed to microbes present on the skin of those who touch them during the C-section delivery (doctor, nurses) and immediately after (mom), as well as whatever limited microbes are floating around a sterile hospital environment. A newborn’s lack of exposure to a mother’s beneficial vaginal bacteria alters the course of gut microbiota development in infancy and childhood and may be associated with future health problems, even into adulthood. (18)
Breastfeeding provides infants with breast milk rich in probiotics, prebiotics, and immunoglobulins, which facilitate the development of a healthy gut microbiota. (19) Infant formula lacks many of these nutritional factors and is associated with suboptimal development of the gut microbiota. (20)
Circadian Rhythm Disruption
Circadian rhythm disruption, induced by factors such as abnormal sleep/wake schedules and blue light exposure at night, causes imbalances in the gut microbiome. It also compromises the integrity of the gut barrier, the second essential variable that influences gut health. (21)
How Does the Gut Barrier Impact Our Health?
As I mentioned earlier, two variables influence gut health: the gut microbiota and the gut barrier. But what exactly is the gut barrier and why is it essential for our health?
The gut is a hollow tube stretching from the mouth to the anus that passes out anything that is not digested. The gut barrier, a multilayer system made up of intestinal epithelial cells and proteins, prevents the escape of non-nutritive (and potentially harmful) substances from the intestine into the bloodstream. When the structural integrity of the gut barrier is compromised, large proteins and other molecules escape from the gut into the blood; this phenomenon is referred to as “leaky gut.”
What Causes Leaky Gut?
We’ve learned that many of the factors that harm the gut microbiome, such as antibiotics and an unhealthy diet, also contribute to leaky gut, a predisposing factor in the development of many health issues.
In addition, there are particular substances that can compromise the intestinal barrier and cause abnormal permeability. Research has identified a protein called zonulin as one primary culprit.
Zonulin increases intestinal permeability, including that of the tight junctions between intestinal cells. It has emerged as a critical link between leaky gut and adverse health consequences such as autoimmune diseases. (22) Gliadin, a component of the gluten protein, promotes leaky gut by increasing zonulin production. You can learn more about the connection between gluten, zonulin, and leaky gut in my podcast with researcher Dr. Alessio Fasano.
The Health Consequences of Leaky Gut
It is possible for someone to have leaky gut even if they don’t have gut-related symptoms. In fact, studies indicate that it can manifest as eczema, autoimmune disease, obesity, and many other chronic health conditions. (23, 24, 25)
If leaky gut is left untreated, it will be nearly impossible to improve other health issues, such as blood sugar control and cognitive function. That’s why it’s so important to focus on promoting a healthy gut barrier.
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Seven Ways to Heal the Gut Naturally
While it’s not always possible to completely steer clear of those factors (an adult cannot control, for instance, whether he or she was born by C-section or breastfed), there are still many ways in which you can improve gut health.
1. Remove Processed, Inflammatory Foods from the Diet
Transition to a whole foods-based, nutrient-dense diet. Identify and remove foods that are causing inflammation, such as gluten and dairy. Inflammatory foods can be identified via food sensitivity testing or an elimination diet.
2. Add Fermentable Fibers
Eat plenty of fermentable fibers, found in foods such as artichoke, onions, garlic, and plantains. These fibers fuel the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and help heal leaky gut.
3. Add Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are rich in probiotics that help restore a healthy gut microbiota and intestinal barrier. Unpasteurized sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, yogurt, and kefir provide probiotics in abundance. However, make sure you’re not struggling with histamine intolerance before increasing your intake of fermented foods, as fermented foods can exacerbate symptoms.
4. Seek Treatment for Any Intestinal Pathogens
Gut infections are an important cause of gut dysbiosis and leaky gut. If you—or your clients—are currently seeking treatment from a Functional Medicine practitioner, ask about testing like the Genova GI Effects test or GI-MAP. These can identify specific bacterial, fungal, or parasitic imbalances causing gut dysbiosis.
5. Emphasize Healthy Sleep Habits
Get seven to eight hours of high-quality sleep a night to support your gut health. I recommend sleep hygiene practices such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule and avoiding blue light exposure at night. Blue light exposure can be minimized with blue-light-blocking glasses and the f.lux and Iris apps.
6. Develop an Exercise Routine
Develop a sustainable exercise program that will keep your gut microbes in shape. If you’re an endurance athlete, you may need additional gut support to mitigate the adverse effects of frequent endurance exercise on the gut microbiota, such as increased intestinal permeability. (26)
7. Manage Stress
Make stress-reduction practices, such as yoga or meditation, a part of daily life. Mindfulness apps such as Headspace or Calm can be helpful for people who are new to meditation.
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Thank you JR, David and Mike so much for the information and advice.
I only briefly read through a few posts on here before posting myself as I was so eager to get my story posted being so desperate for help.
About the probiotic…I’ve been told by my Chinese herbalist to take them WITH food as my stomach and body are to weak at the moment. Could this be true for me or should I just take them on an empty stomach anyway ? Also I went to the health food store to buy the probiotics and they were showing me ones that don’t need to be kept in the fridge? I’m guessing these arn’t the best ones to buy then?
I’m sorry if these are questions you’ve probably answered time and again but it’s so confusing when you get told one thing then something completely different.
I can’t believe my doctor has not told me any of this helpful information, his words were….there’s no cure sorry!
I’m so glad I came across this site, I no longer feel alone in my struggle.
Thanks again.
It is better to take with food, as your stomach has reduced acidity after a meal (helps probiotic make to your gut).
Side note: under this product there is an AMAZING review of several leading probiotics as well as info – highly recommended read:
https://www.amazon.com/Plexus-ProBio-5-60-count/dp/B00LNFP9XO/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1471814184&sr=8-1&keywords=plexus+probio5
I would definitely not consider a probiotic sold by an MLM to be a “leading” one. 2 Billion CFUs per pill isn’t going to do much for people with a real yeast overgrowth. I tried the TriPlex. It was a waste for me.
Hi I’m Tracey. 37 yrs old and this illness has literally ruined my life and continues too. I’ve suffered with cronic constipation for 5 yrs. The first two i just suffered in silence and got on with it, then it started to develop and gradually get worse, laxatives stopped working and i didn’t go for 6 weeks, i was extremely ill, I don’t go to the toilet at all without 2 enemas a week, I look like I’m 9 months pregnant constantly, unable to move most of the time, I don’t sleep, I have memory loss which has got severely worse this year,, confusion, unable to concentrate on anything, mood changes, my eyesight is blurred even though i have good eye site, unbelievable acid reflux which I’ve only now got under control with herbs. When I eat it doesn’t go down as if I’m full to the brim, some times it’s come back up if I bend over. My intestines either side feel like they are being pulled on all the time and being stretched. Foods I’ve eaten all my life are now making me violently ill where ambulance has been called. I’ve put on weight very quickly but I don’t eat enough to justify the weight gain. My life has literally stopped. Some days I can hardly function but have to keep going for my children. I have had all the tests the doctors are willing to do and they came up with maybe a slow colon but no proper diagnosis, they said there’s nothing they can do for me and sent me away to get on with it. I know it’s not what they say it is, the problem is my stomach, I just don’t know how to repair it if I can be repaired at all, I need help. Sorry for the bad layout of this comment, I’m frustrated and just desperate for help.
1- Squat to poop — buy a Squatty Potty and use it daily so you have a complete evacuation instead of a partial one.
2- Read my previous post (from 2 days ago) about the Candida/Yeast-free 6 week nutritional/immune system booster.
3- Google/research & educate yourself on this nutritional plan and also read the paperbook about the Candida Yeast-Free nutritional plan.
4- Take high quality probiotics daily, as directed.
5- Drink six – eight 8 oz glasses of purified water (stop drinking tap water if you are) spread throughout the day.
6- Gradually let go of any toxic people in your life — they will prevent you from healing without your awareness of that.
7- Pray every day.
8- When you feel better (most likely after only 1 week) help others to feel better.
Do this for 42 consecutive days and you will be amazed.
42 days and you will feel better but you will need to make lifestyle changes to get completely well. Read my post below. The probiotics can be purchased online at vitacost.com. To protect them from the summer heat, ship them overnight. As you are in an emergency state, you will need to take 2 / day before bed and do not eat for two hours before you take them. They will start working in a few days. Drink lots of water is important.
@David Right…I mentioned that probiotics are temperature sensitive in another post but seems these days no one reads. For 2 yrs now I keep posting the same thing to try to help others by giving them them helpful info (such as all disease starts with a fungus/candida & cleaning that up is the #1 priority) because I’ve already been there and know how these health problems affect every area of our life and are miserable to live with but can tell my helpful posts aren’t taken seriously and I am wasting my time, which is why this is my last post here.
Within a few days after posting here I get a question about something I clearly stated in my post or previous posts or the following posts steamroll my post or the posts are countering mine when I am not interested in a debate. Half the time I can’t even find my posts in this disorganized mess.
So, right…. once again, either buy the probiotics in the local health food store where they’ve been refrigerated and after purchasing keep them chilled until you get home or get them into refrigeration asap OR if you order them online request a cold-pack (usually costs an extra $20) because most (not all, but most) probiotics are temperature sensitive and need to be refrigerated otherwise they are ineffective and useless.
Also, always check the expiration date — something many overlook. And again, never take probiotics with tap water — the chlorine or chloramine (chlorine + ammonia) used to disinfect public water supply/tap water destroys the probiotics already in your gut, as well as the probiotics you are taking in capsule form. You can buy reverse osmosis distilled water for $1 a gallon. A whole house water-purifier or at least one for the tap water & shower is a great investment.
So I take my first probiotic for the day as soon as I get up in the morning because my stomach is empty. I do not eat or drink anything except water for about 45 minutes. Then I take another one 2 hrs after lunch and then another one 2 hrs after dinner and do not eat or drink anything (except for water) for at least an hour after taking a probiotic.
Generally speaking, if you don’t feel better within 5-days or so, it’s either not the right probiotic for you or they are no longer ‘live’ probiotics — they are dead/ineffective.
I also mentioned several times in other posts here that Kefir and other fermented foods are very beneficial, and they do contain live probiotics that you can’t get in a capsule, but they should not be eaten during the 42 days/6 weeks you are cleaning up and getting rid of the candida yeast/candida/fungus. After the 6 weeks, when you reintroduce these healthy fermented foods/vinegar back into your diet, do it very gradually.
Vinegar and fermented foods are very good for you — just NOT if you have candida/yeast… that must first be cleaned up before including fermented foods/vinegar in your diet.
Eating fermented foods and putting vinegar in your salad while you have candida/yeast actually makes it much worse.
Best of luck here to everyone.
Thanks for that great information!
Sounds like bro science to me
Please don’t discontinue your posts just because you’re discouraged and feel your beneficial knowledge isn’t being read. Perhaps readers in the past hadn’t looked further than a single post or are new to the topic. I have suffered from chronic gut issues, “gluten sensitivity” (as my physician called it), eczema, food allergies including: gluten, dairy, corn, coconut, soy, lamb, and peanut, and a range of gut reactions: vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation most of my life. I’m now 31 years old, far too young to ignore a chronic state of discomfort. About 8 years ago, after the birth of my son, I realized something had to change but I didn’t feel like my physician had any solutions for me. So, I began a diet where I just cut out all the foods I could directly link to my discomfort, namely, bread and dairy. At the time, like you stated, there was not as much information on the topic of leaky gut and the correlation between a lack of beneficial gut flora to chronic inflammation other than in health food stores and natural medicine publications. Point I’m making, everyone starts somewhere. And it’s our duty to share the knowledge we have to help everyone be healthier. Americans are the least healthy people because of our fast paced,always on the go, chronically stressed, and fast food lifestyle. All of which contribute to an unhealthy gut. Changing your diet is a lifestyle change and it’s not easy!! I have compassion for each individual suffering and I encourage each individual to not be too hard on yourself, we all slip up sometimes. Just remind yourself to pick back up the next opportunity you get! I promise you, once your gut is back to a healthy balance, your gut will remind you why stopped eating those things!! And I promise, “cheating” on your diet will not even taste the same. As you become accustomed to a healthier diet your body will crave the good things you should be eating instead of the foods you should avoid. Based on my own experience, I find that adding kombucha, a fermented tea, to my daily intake has helped tremendously. It’s easy to make at home and it provides a good supplement of probiotics to my diet. Plus, it’s so good tasting, I feel like it’s a treat (I typically drink only water, tea with honey, or black coffee), this reminds me of a soda or juice drink due to the sweetness (from added fruit) and carbonation.
Thank you again for your wonderful posts! I love sharing what I’ve learned or experienced and I hope it benefits someone else. Remember to be kind. Be kind to yourself and be kind to those around you. We all are dealing with something and while we don’t always share, compassion and empathy will always win. Every time.
Thank you Jen. How very thoughtful of you. I enjoyed reading your post.
My point was that including healthful Yoghurt, Kefir, apple cider vinegar and healthy fermented foods in our diet is a great idea… just NOT if we have candida/fungus as it makes it worse… a lot worse. Then the posts that follow disregarded (not argued, but totally disregarded) what I had said one the best Holistic doctors on the planet had taught me a few decades ago, and that I was sharing. This is not hearsay, it is fact.
And this happened repeatedly. Then I would re-post that same information only to once again read “I think I have yeast/candida but am taking probiotics along with including Kefir and fermented foods in my diet” when I just said that is exactly what you DO NOT want to do (and I know that for a fact).
I have empathy and compassion for people, but not if they ignore the truth. I have other things do and don’t need to be here. I post because I have compassion for others. But if they don’t want to hear the truth then I can’t help them and don’t need to be here.
If one has gut yeast/candida/fungus, which is extremely common, that MUST BE cleaned up by going on the 6-week, 42 consecutive days, candida/yeast-free diet BEFORE including these natural probiotics in our diet. Fermented foods and yoghurt only make the yeast/candida worse.
Although the candida yeast-free diet is impractical and not easy to stay on for 42 consecutive days, it is impossible to clean up gut/intestinal yeast if we are including these natural probiotics (healthful fermented foods + yoghurt) in our diet, as they only make the yeast/candida considerably worse… especially vinegar. These healthful foods are only beneficial (good probiotics) if we are yeast/fungus-free, otherwise they are only aggravating the problem. It’s not rocket science. JR
I don’t know you but Thankyou for posting!
I would defiantly look at the Ileocecal valve. Also remember unless you are supplying the intestinal tract with magnesium it can’t function. These are a few simple things your ND should be able to help you with. I have a really good ND I can recommend if you need a direction to go.
Tracy, I have just happen to run across this article and read your comment. I could not get myself to NOT comment and tell you about products that I believe in. If you like, you can read into Plexus products for gut health (this company has a probiotic like no other, it’s helped many people I know with constipation problems). If you are interested I can give you more information. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have.
Tried the Triplex…pretty worthless for me. 2 billion CFUs is not going to do much for people with a real yeast overgrowth.
Hi Tracey,
I had a similar experience some years ago. Thought I was going crazy. Terrible bowel problems. I gradually through trial and error changed my diet. I have found that adding fibre has improved my bowel function enormously. I now eat salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber and grated carrot) every day as well as vegetables (broccoli, carrots and potato). I mainly eat natural foods and very few processed foods and drink quite a lot of water each day. I can’t believe the difference that incorporating natural foods into my diet has made to my life.
get ur sibo and endoscopy done.could be bacterias like hpylori.almost the same story.thankfully took action in few months.diagnosed with sibo and hpylori.still Ill but hopefully will recover soon.
I am 35 years old and had suffered for 15 years with chronic constipation which I knew would lead to something more serious. Eventually I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and I knew I had to put all my focus into finding the reason for my constipation. I tried all the usual advice, more water, more fibre, less meat, laxatives, probiotics etc etc. Nothing ever permanently worked. Then I thought perhaps its something I’m eating and after travelling to Thailand I decided to give up ALL dairy for a couple of weeks (prior i would drink tea, eat cheese, soups with cream, porridge sometimes, chocolate etc). After 3 days of not eating any dairy I noticed I needed to go a little more often (in the past I’ve had 1 movement a week at its worst). Then I noticed my stools were softer and almost daily after a week. Now I’m 3 months down the line and it has changed my life, I go twice a day sometimes and always soft and back to not really thinking about if I’ve been or not. Also my autoimmune issues are improving all the time and I’m fairly confident they will soon be over. If your interested, I substituted milk with Coconut and Almond alternatives, stopped chocolate altogether and never eat cheese. Give it a shot. Hope this helps.
thank you guys for all the helpful advices.I have stopped dairy and have ordered grape seed extract and colostrum.let’s see if that works for me.also guys my hyplori has been almost healed,it’s just the damaged gut which is need to be healed.went to all the best docs of the town.they did kill the hyplori but couldn’t heal the gut.now on 10th day of homeopathy treatment and it has really showered me with its love.feeling much better but sometimes I do feel constipated,mainly when I consume nuts or poultry and even boiled sprouts and sauteed vegs at times.will keep u updated with it.thanks guys.really appreciate it.if anyone knows more about damaged gut after sibo and hyplori then please do share.thank you!
You may have candida in your GI Tract. Email me and tell me what you eat on a regular basis, Have you ever taken antibiotics?
This was me. I was diagnosed with crohns! You need to get off of gluten and diary.
@GINGER – Aside from the positive and healthy dietary changes, taking daily probiotics that are right for you (and keeping them refrigerated if they are temp-sensitive) try squatting to poop so you have a full evacuation.
After only a week of high quality probiotics and also squatting to poop you’ll notice a huge difference. You can buy a ‘squatty potty’ if that makes it easier, but sitting on the toilet the usual way only makes the constipation worse.
Also, avoiding constipating foods and also drinking a few ounces of organic prune juice every day helps as well.
Dr. Schultze intestinal formula #1 will help you to go
Dear Tracy….You have every symptom of untreated severe hypothyroidism.
I hope you find a doc who will get you some proper medication quickly.
I had my DNA done online through 23and me. And found it a helpful tool…I learned I have double genetic risk for celiac disease , problems with foods re sulfur..cabbage, broccoli, , cauliflower kale boc Cho, Brussel sprouts , onions etc. And a mutation on my vit d receptors so was low in vit d even when getting sun..so had to start on 5000 units d a day, and was given a b12 shot because my weakened ability to upload or regulate certain vit etc. It was worth every penny to get it done. But you have to do some. Research on line to learn how to understand all your raw data.
Only jesus can help you…. i had been diagnosed vitamin b12 deficiency.. and my doctor prescribed me that i have to take injections for life time but i didnt want to do that i took injection for 1 month, later i atarted investigating the causes of deficiency and found the symptomps of my stomach are not good and that is the reason for deficiency i had every day early morning diarreah and some time even at day time… i am from a christin background and had faith that nothing impossible for god whom i believe in.. he is the one who created me and all my organs… no doctor can heal anyone they practice medice on people but god is the one who knows what exactly problem is and what exactly has to be done… i stopped taking injections and started to heal my gut by maintaing a good gut healing diet with in one week my moring diarhea stopped and my gut started healing…. i can only tell you to have faith in jesus he will heal you… As doctors has left your hand.. but my jesus never will leave you nor forsake you… TRY JESUS
have been tested for celiac’s disease/gluten sensitivity? if not do so as soon as possible. If it comes back negative I would definitively remove all grains anyway and see if you feel better. Add lost of green leafy veggies to your diet while you are getting the grains out. This worked for me. And supplement for Magnesium and drink Coconut water to get potassium in your system quickly. Also add a really good multivitamin. So sorry for your pain. You will get better. The body has amazing healing abilities once you give it what it needs.
Try Dr. Axe and plexus. Both are online. Good luck.
try Metagenics 20 day program and eat lots of leafy greens and raw veggies. I had leaky gut and this worked for me as well as making sure I always eat good quality food and less sugar. A good Natropath may be helpful if you can afford one.
For constipation, relaxation and better sleep, you might try a warm Epsom salts bath. 2 cups per tub of warm water and soak for 20 minutes, 3 times per week should help. Epsom salts will also help detoxify the body. Good luck.
Wow, so many people suffering from gut imbalance. I have had a systemic yeast infection due to antibiotics overuse plus have had constipation and skin issues for years. The yeast infection is getting better. Here’s how I am overcoming it.
First, you absolutely have to follow a STRICT Candida diet and that means not one drink and absolutely no deserts (no foods with over 5 g. of sugar). Second, you need to cleanse your intestines. I did this by using psyllim and bentonite clay and caprylic acid. You can google P&B shakes for instructions. Third, take the best probiotics you can afford and take a diversity of them. The yeast can get used to one probiotic. (You will not find these in Walgreens or CVS). I’m using 2 from Theralac plus the enzyme found there, 1 from BioK Plus (but I’m iffy on these) and a Raw probiotic. Forth, Eat fermented foods. This was a major turning point for me.
Goat kefir works well and fermented kraut. Fifth, get some exercise. I’m doing a lot of yoga and weights. Sixth, try to relax and sleep. Stress hurts your immune system.
I had yeast so bad boils came up on the back of my hand and of course else where. My dogs picked it up from me. My wife had a bought. I have eczema in 6 different places and it is now clearing up and I’ve lost 20 pounds so far. Next up I’m going to try a fast to reboot my immune system and then I will start repairing my leaky gut. Everybody has to go through their own journey with this but you can get healthy again and feel better than you have in years. Your body and spirit want to be healthy.
I eat IMPECCABLY healthy and have avoided as many of lives toxins for years now. For some reason, though. Dairy kefir from organic grass fed cows gives me diarrhea. What can I do to remedy this? Aside from stop consuming it.
How often have you tried the kefir??? I make my own and initially you make experience soft stools but that should subside as did mine. I was told that this was due to the toxins been removed from your gut!! I drink kefir regularly now and am ok.
You also could be more intolerant to dairy…….try coconut kefir, much healthier as it doesn’t have animal hormones and it’s completely natural and delicious ???
There is a new medicine that does exactly what you have spoke about above. EnteraGam A prescription medical food comprised of a very large amount of Serum derived Bovine IgG, IgA & IgM. EnteraGam binds to bad bacteria, viruses, fungi, ect and eliminates them from passing into the lamina Propia activating an immune response and causing inflammation. Is highly regulated by the FDA and holds the highest safety standard from the FDA, GRAS Status which is the same as all the food in the grocery.
Hello, everyone!
I’ve been dealing with severe gut issues for about a year now and I wanted to share what I believe has helped my recovery in the past two months.
After so much time researching, I came across a product called marine phytoplankton. Marine phytoplankton is apart of the algae family like chorella/spirulina; however, this algae requires no digestion!
Many of us experience leaky gut and its difficult to absorb many of the nutrients we need from the food we eat, but marine phytoplankton contains every single component the body requires to thrive!
I highly recommend it for anyone attempting to regain their health as I believe it has helped me since I’ve started taking it two months ago.
I take Ocean’s Alive 2.0 Pure Phytoplankton by ActivationProducts! They have many other wonderful products that are high quality and worth trying!
For a 10% discount,
Use code: MAMA10
This code is from a blogger who reviewed the product and uses it!
The only problem with this is that we are taking the krill and plankton out of the ocean and the whales and other creatures are starving for lack of food.
There is not a lack of plankton for marine organisms because of supplements. Most of the Phyto is grown in laboratories. They don’t separate it from the mix of stuff in the ocean. I grow phyto at my Uni. It’s really easy. Nothing is starving as a result of my efforts.
WHAT? Can you offer a citation for that claim??
Hello! My name is Morgan:) I am a junior in college and have been struggling with digestive issues for about a year now. I just recently got off a round of antibiotics that I was on for more than a year…(dumb of me, I know). The antibiotic is called Doxycycline that I took for my skin. Late into the summer I started having some issues with my gut that actually started after I had gotten on a cleansing diet with my grandma. It consisted of only veggies, chicken and nuts and although my grandma told me I would feel glorious, I felt awful. I got so constipated and backed up. I remember one day when we were camping when things had gotten so bad, that my stomach cramped up like Ive never felt it do before and I couldn’t even walk. I ended up in the bathroom just crying until it finally came out in the form of diarrhea (sorry for the graphic). That really marks the day that I remember everything going down hill. That whole next semester at school I just remember always feeling backed up- I would poop everyday but only little bit..like a couple of hard balls and that would be it. I never felt like I completely emptied, always felt like I had to go, and the bloating was awful. It hurt to stand..I always felt like I was gonna burst and I looked pregnant too. At night time I sometimes get this awful gassy bloating and cramping in my lower stomach. This semester has been a tad bit better because the doctors recommended that I take a stool softener called Natural Calm and that has helped me so much. I poop almost every morning but unfortunately I do need a big dose of that every night for it too actually work and it does come out unusually soft (like diarrhea). Even though I am pooping almost semi regular, I still feel bloated all the time. My stomach always feel tight and uncomfortable..like I just want to lay down all the time. I am a runner and sometimes this even effects my love of being active. I also enjoy eating healthy but struggle a lot with feeling under-nourished where I get shaky even after eating a good sized salad with protein for lunch. I get shaky, headaches and my fingers, lips and tongue get all tense and tingly. I am always craving food throughout the day even though my stomach feels so full and extended all the time. Sometimes I am afraid to eat because I know that it is just going to make me hurt and feel heavy and tight. I have been to the gastroenterologist and after taking blood work and X-rays he can’t seem to see anything. He told me that its because of the antibiotics and just stuck me on something called IBGaurd but thats it. I stopped taking the antibiotics and have been taking a probiotic called Culturell. He said that we just have to wait it out and let my gut heal itself which I am willing to be patient to do but I want to know if there is any certain diet that I can be on to help that process along? And maybe even relieve some of my symptoms and help my gut feel better while Im letting it heal? I am currently living at my college so my source of food is from the cafe so I am a little limited. I do have a fridge and can go to the grocery store but my main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) will usually be in the cafe. I am so sorry that this is so long, I just have been struggling with this for almost a year now and I am desperate for help. Thank you for taking time to read this:)
Hi Morgan,
You sound exactly like me, except I’ve been dealing with IBS symptoms for 10 years now 🙁
My doctor put me on doxycycline for 2 years straight and ever since then I’ve had severe ins symptoms – you name it, I’ve had it!
I recommend going to a specialist and speak to them about it. I’m currently seeing a naturopath who has put me on a low carb, low sugar, low fodmap diet.
It’s hard, but there is no easy fix for this unfortunately
Go to a health food store and explain to them exactly what you been through. They have a blend to soothe and heal your stomach lining.It does take time but it works. All the best
Hi,
Do some research on the GAPS diet by Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride.
I recommend IFM elimination diet. They have a great site to download PDF on what to eat for how long. And how to reintroduce foods back into diet
Try kombucha tea
here is some things that you could consider that will help.
stop eating cafeteria food.
stop dairy of every sort.
google DIY enema recipe.
Hi, Morgan — Please order some “Restore” to restore your gut flora. You take three teaspoons throughout the day on an empty stomach. This product is manufactured in Scottsville, Virginia. Get on Restore and see how much this will help. Maybe you can detox and then begin to fortify your immune system — first using Restore, and then proceed from there.
Hi Morgan, I was actually googling on leaky gut to help myself and stumble across your story. I am so sad to hear your woes. Some of the things that had helped me tremendously (and also tested my discipline greatly) are this
Do not eat chicken, eggs, dairy, anything cold, raw stuff (including salad and sashimi), no fruits including tomatoes, glutinous rice, soft drinks, alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.
Drink only hot beverages and try to eat warm food.
I know this does not sound like what your normal google research says and might be hard to believe or accept.
But I know when we are driven crazy by our ailments, we would be willing to try anything.
These has helped me greatly, give it a try, the results from abstaining raw cold food would be instantaneous and bring relief. If you can drink warm water instead of room temperature water as well, it would be great.
As for abstaining from chicken and eggs, the results are less obvious from the outside, but once you stop for a while and feel better, if you go back to eating them, you definitely feel the difference and you would not feel incline to going back that path again.
The chicken and eggs we eat nowadays are filled with antibiotics and hormones injection. It is extremely bad for us. It dulls our bodily process and further traps toxins.
I hope this will help me as it has helped me.
same story guys.took accutane for a year to heal my skin but never knew that it would damage my gut in such a way that everything seems to be so dull heavy and sick.life has become hell.don’t know what to do.diagnosed with sibo and hpylori.have been on antibiotics since March.hpylori is almost gone but it has damaged my gut really badly.that’s my main ques too,what exactly to eat to get rid of such symptoms and heal our gut too.I am a fashion model and I have left 4-5 shows because of this stupid bloated belly because of the problem mentioned above.would really appreciate if anyone could help me with the same.my brief is just the same as that of Morgan.
I feel your pain and feeling like its hell. Here is how you heal it: take colostrum every day for the next several months. Google it and know it: it is natures powerful cure for this. Take grapefruit seed extract three times per day for several months. You must take charge of your healing journey and these are the two most powerful weapons at your disposal. Use google to learn as much as you can about them and be consistent and relentless. You will heal this!!!
Morgan you need to get on a probiotic. You probably have a Candida issue that has now become a leaky gut issue. If you have any questions just ask. Pamela
I have been diagnosed with a candida overgrowth. What are your suggestions?
My friends, Family & I (& every other person I have recommended this to) have had this problem for a long time… until we found magnesium CITRATE (There’s another magnesium without the citrate, that’s the wrong one) it is the most amazing and most needed vitamin in our bodies that we don’t get enough of. It says on the package it’s for our bones etc but little do we know it’s also for our digestive system & it does many amazing things. Start off with 1 per day and eventually ween yourself onto 3. 1 with every meal. Your bloating will go, you will go for a poop a while after every meal and feel fully empty and satisfied that you have gone completely. It’ll be proper bowel movements so no worries about any kind of diarrhoea. Most amazing things I have ever taken! Highly recommend. They worked for me within 3 days, a few other people 5/7days. Let me know how it goes.
Morgan
Xxx
Hi Morgan, where do you buy it from please, many thanks Julie
Morgan.
Even I can not tell what is going on my body better than you. Thank you.
You are not alone.
I was thinking about a strict diet plan for myself and saw your question.
Get well soon.
My friend had the same issue. She finally started taking my probiotic that I sell. I worked miracles!
Morgan,
I’m so sorry you’re having a tough time. No fun:(.
I’ve been dealing with the GI issues you’ve referred to for many years. I’ve done the GAPS diet, SCD diet, Candida diet, and a couple others. im not completely healed up and still struggle but, I’ve learned a few things along the way. I hope they’ll help you. I’ll be including websites and things for you to check out as I write.
First, Arm yourself with knowledge so you can make good choices in deciding how to proceed in healing up your gut. I recommend reading Clean Gut by Alejandro Junger. Of all the books I’ve read (and there have been many) I like the way this one explains how the gut works. His ideas for healing are very sound and though not all, most of them have been helpful.
Second, Use both Western and Natural doctors to help you. Each has strengths that can benefit you. Find a doctor who will run labs for you so you can rule out or identify problems. I never would have discovered I also had Celiacs and Hashemitos without these doctors (though I went through several before I could get two different ones to diagnose smf treat me for these diseases). I also use a couple of functional medicine doctors to help me nutritional and diet wise ( but I admit after all the reading I’ve done they just followed the information I’d learned and reconfirmed what I’d been studying. That’s why you want to arm yourself with knowledge so you can know if this the professional you’re seeing will be right for your needs. There are good doctors and natural paths out there and then there are some really crappy ones too. I’ve seen all kinds). I can’t stress how important it is to know what is going on inside of your body. I’d definitely rule out Celiacs, thyroid disease, have an ANA test run for autoimmune titers, and an overall physical. You’ll probably come back very healthy on these- well I always do- but keep digging. There is a reason for your symptoms. (Btw These sound like old people tests- bit I’m only about 10 years older than you.).
Third, your path to recovery will be unique. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. The reason for this, I believe, is due to our unique genetics. Due to genetic expression, each person has needs different components to heal, including different forms of vitamins. See Mthfr.net and Google Amy Yasko for further explanations.
Fourth, be patient. a clean diet without too many carbs, lots of herbs, probiotics, and excercise are probably going to overwhelm your body. I suspect that’s what happened when you did your grandmas diet. If you want a good outline, I really like Clean Guts diet protocol, though there are somethings they do that would DEFINITELY not work for me.
Are you overwhelmed yet?:).
Fifth- where to start? If I had to start it over again I’d recommend a clean diet- good aarer( no tap water because the chlorine in it won’t do you’re gut any favors- I reckoned well water or if you don’t have access to that but one of those jugs of spring water at the store), and A good probiotic- ( warning- be prepared to spend some money on this. Go to a health store and find a good one- don’t get the one at the grocery store- they aren’t potent enough).
Good luck! I’d love hear how it’s going
And PS- this reply is a book- sorry about that.
PPS try to overlook spelling errors. Proof reading isn’t my strength while trying to get a bunch of kids off to school at the same time.
Morgan-
Please try drinking Bone broth for two weeks to heal your leaky gut. It is very effective. I found some pre-made at my local health food store, but you can also download recipes if you’d like to make it yourself. Works great!! I’ve seen difference in my digestion and my skin.
Morgan,
Please go see an internist asap. Have you had your stool checked? When you go see the doctor request it.
I had the same symptoms and it turned out to be something called C. Diff.
You should not be in that kind of pain unless something is really wrong.
Try chopped Garlic, cooked or uncooked, both ways. Start off with small amount but do eat with food. Keep oil in control especially “reused cook oil”, absolutely no recycle cooked oil.
Morgan
If you are still on this site I may have some insight for you.
I had similar symtoms as you
I found out I had IBS which my acupuncturist ponted out
It had gotten worse because i was on herbal antibiotics for a while
She had me take all nuts and seeds,which I ate a lot of, out of my diet for one thing bacause they can irritate your intestines.She put me on LOTS of lightly cooked veggies ,chiken, eggs I made juices with my nutribullet
No grains. I take a probiotic called Therelac 3x a day mostly on empty stomach. I take digestive enzymes call Digest Gold and Hydrcloric acid with every meal. my gas and bloating, the runs, cramps, and urgent bowel subsided after 3 weeks
She also put me on mineral broth which you make from bones
I was a vegetarian but I did this to heal myself
there are a few other things i do but most important are what i just said
My acupuncturist has healed many people including cancer by starting with their gut health. This is where the immune system starts.Once that is stablizing then other issues can be addressed. Stress was a big part of my picture so i do meditation and audio programs centered on my health
Theres something called paraliminals by Learning Stratagies which can assist you since really everything starts with our mind
I wish you the best
Lea
The one thing that stuck out to me Morgan while reading your novel ;p. Just messin. What came to mind is. whole psyllium husks. I would look in to it and see if it will help you. Sense you got grafix so will I :p. Naw. It packages your shit up and sends it out, no wiping necessary.
I recommend taking VSL-3. Your GI bacteria tract balance is most likely out of whack where you have more bad bacteria than good. This is sometimes called SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth). I’ve had this and my GI Dr. put me on Xifaxan to wipe out all of the bacteria in my GI tract and then put me on a strong probiotic to rebuild the good bacteria. The probiotic is called VSL-3 (https://www.amazon.com/Potency-Probiotic-Capsules-Ulcerative-Colitis/dp/B0014R4RZW?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top) and it is the highest rated probiotic on the market. You can buy it for the lowest cost at Costco or buy on Amazon. You must refrigerate VSL-3 or some of the bacteria strains will die after two weeks. It may take a while (2-3 weeks) for VSL-3 to work but I’d give it a shot. I’ve been taking one each morning and slowly been getting better. It may cause some GI issues the first few days since your body is not used to it but this means it is working as it is getting rid of the bad bacteria in your gut. Good luck!
Read the fibre menace , this sounds like constipation, this book which you can download to Kindle makes a lot of sense. You need to change you diet just taking medicine and supplements will not work . Read around the topic of natural gut healing as much as you can . Good luck .
If someone is allergic to milk, lactose. For example when I consume any milk or cheese all my nasal passages become blocked and I can’t breath at night. Can someone then consume yoghurt?? Thank you.
I have the exact same issue. Yogurt and kefir do not seem to give me the same issue as milk or ice cream do. I do have Crohn’s disease, and it’s severe, so I’ve tried all fermented foods. Kefir from grass-fed cows is the only dairy I tolerate. It’s great stuff.
Yogurt or Kefir is better, but you can try goat milk yogurt, kefir and cheeses instead. They are more easily digested and usually do not cause the problems that cow’s milk does.
Hello, I just wanted to share my journey with auto immune disease. I was very sick as a kid from the age of 1 until my early teens. Lots of antibiotics were prescribed by my doctor. I grew up during the 70’s, and 80’s. I was always very active, but when I would get sick it was bad. Fast forward to my 20’s
I had alot of reflux through my young adult life. I was always athletic, and into working out. Long story short my early 40’s I was diagnosed with celiac disease. This was actually a blessing on disguise. My health has been the best it has ever been. Do not get me wrong I have lingering symptoms at times, but nothing near before being diagnosed. I completely agree that leaky gut , and rebalancing the flora in our gut is paramount to regaining your health… I was taking probiotics after my diagnosis, but was reading that probiotics can cause more harm than good. Could you share your thoughts about this.. I do know I my overall health felt better… Sorry for the long post…
Hello! I am not expert but I did hear a lot of good and bad on probiotics. I take them when I absolutely have to, like when I ate something bad. And they work. But like you, I am a little worried about the bad effects from eating probiotics regularly. I think if probiotics is helping you, why don’t you try taking fermented food with every meal? It is natural and should work even better in long run without bad side effects?
How would you know if you have an intestinal parasite?
I’ve been eating soup for wk, this whatever is just started. Pain on my left side feeling nauseous usually after I eat. Went to the health food store and got basic digestive pill to take b/f I eat didn’t help. Thinking I might have to try apple cider vinger b/c I really don’t want to take medication.
I was poisoning myself making soup in my older metal pan. Aluminum, It gave me a pain on my left side, toward my overworked liver, spleen area. Researched it on google and felt better totally when I stopped using it with in two days. My joint pain stopped in one.
That’s one reason of several why I limit eating out / ordering take-out food because restaurants aren’t supposed to use aluminum cookware, but some still do.
A doctor once told me that aluminum poisoning, aside from causing organ damage, leads to Alzheimer’s. There are other reasons people get Alzheimer’s, but he said aluminum toxicity is a sure way, even if a person isn’t exposed to it every day it’s still bio-accumulative.
Hi I’ve been on a gut healing diet for a few years now. Always trying to keep from being hungry due to the amount of foods i’m intolorant of. I do okay with sweet potato. Is it risky to eat more than 1 per day since it’s a starch?
Hello, My brief history is as follows…chronic vag. yeast infections from age 16 – 49. At 39 was diagnosed with auto immune disease ANA 1:320. Rheum. said prob Lupus watch and wait for more symptoms. Checked 2xyr. by Rheum. never got really bad but did have flare ups of extreme fatigue and anxiety. Was on birth control pills and Effexor. At 49 started to feel huge amount of fatigue with extreme digestion problems, gas, bloating, constipation/loose stool. Had a balloon ablation for uterine blood clots, no more periods no more yeast infections…yay! Tests showed neg. ANA, low wh. blood cell count. Rheum said no Lupus now IBS. Fast forward now 56 living in different state with new Rheum. Since 49 my mouth started growing white stuff on inside of cheeks and weird taste and sometimes no taste buds and constant sores and peeling lips. Dentist, Rheum don’t know. GP sends me to be checked for lymphoma…neg. GP sends me to oral surgeon for lip biopsy. Lip biopsy says Sjogrens Syndrom but no yeast or lymphoma. Now have had a strange rash and itching (like pin pricks) on face and upper arms, neck & shoulders. Go to dermatologist he takes one look at rash & mouth and says Lichen planus another autoimmune issue plus somewhere along the road ways told Raynauds Phenom. Ugh!!! Been on Doxicycline and topical desonide for 1 month. Showed inprovement on day 4 but then gradually went back to the same. I eat a mediterannean low inflamation diet no wheat, mostly veg. fish & chicken. Take supplements Vit.c, D, primrose oil, Bcomplex, stinging nettle and quercetin for allergies. I know something is not right still get tons of fatigue but I look healthy at 56 and 5’1 & 105lbs. and very active but the fatigue, mouth stuff, weid itching and constipation (which is supposed to be caused by Sjogrens). Just don’t know what to do next. Suggestions appreciated!!!
Systemic Candida? That’s what I’m fighting off. Have you tried anti-fungal? In addition to low sugar diet with Probitoics.
What about natural sugars, from rockmelon and watermelon, as opposed to refined sugar and carbs?
Julia
How are you? Please update. We must be cloned;) duplicate issues. Sending you healing wishes. We are even the same size!
Julia and Lorey, you definitely have an overgrowth of yeast (candida) caused by a leaky gut. You need to completely illuminate all sugar and all products containing yeast and gluten and all dairy. Basically eat nothing but meat and vegetables and some nuts (no cashews or peanuts). then start taking 10 to 20 grams of glutamine daily, as well as drinking organic bone broth, take omega 3 fatty acids and probiotics. Do this in conjunction with some type of internal fungal treatment. You both have severe cases so it may take months of doing this but you will feel better
Thanks Hun r u sure we will feel better even we have eczema pls let me kno thanks
what are the treatments for internal fungal??
How about taking magnesium (great for constipation) and a very good probiotic? ProBio5 from Plexus is a good probiotic and magnesium will help you detoxify and is used in so many bodily functions. Coconut oil also good for you to eat. Omega 3s would also help.
Your Plexus probiotic you are advising most likely contains yeast and the capsule casing materials aren’t necessarily the greatest when trying to battle GI issues. But probably more beneficial than not taking anything.
Check out knowthecause.com with Doug Kaufman, could be fungal problem. You can aiso watch him on youtube
You have an extreme case of candida infestation. You should try supplements and a low sugar diet.
Which supplements?
Have you found out what the problem is. I have semilar concerns.
Julia, please tell me you are seeing THE BEST naturopath there is? You should be seeing a fabulous one, who will help you manage alllllll of those issues.
You clearly have a nutritional defiency. Look into a women’s nutrition product called Thrive. Your body is communicating to you. It needs a balance, of hormones and nutrition.
I had similar issues with lupus and other auto immune issues but eat only whole foods and that helped. However, read Dr. David Perlmutter’s books and also read Clean Gut to heal your leaky gut. Finally, do some research on coffee enemas to detox your liver ( sounds crazy but it was used during WW I with great results- modern medicine has thrown it away and more recently alternative medicine has noted the benefits). Lastly, find a doctor who practices functional medicine to look at your whole body and not just its parts. Good luck!
you poor thing, I am new to the leaky gut diet but have been suffering with Autoimmune disease for years.. I have just listened to a fascinating documentary which talks about adrenal fatigue and gut health being intrinsically linked.. that following a diet or making lifestyle changes wont effect stage 3 adrenal fatigue – thus leaky gut / autoimmune symptoms still persist.. It might be something to look at – treating the two together with the help?
What is the name of the documentary please?
Buy Garlic from the US not China and put it directly where you have issue…
You peal off the skin, eat 1 bulb take a knife make 1 or 2 scores in another bulb and some coconut oil and insert… in the other area’s where you need.
Google this method online first to see. it’s cheap works fast do it 3 times in the back end a week for 1-2 weeks top.
Your welcome.
Julia, I have a great suggestion for you. Have you ever heard of Plexus? Plexus sells health and wellness products. I’ve personally heard testimonials of women who have had yeast
infections all their life almost, and very soon after taking the products they have become infection free!! I also have a cousin who has Lupus and after taking the products, her Lupus is now in remission! If you are interested i can give you more details! I would love to help you! You can email me at [email protected]
I also heard plexus was great for IBS which I have. I have not tried it yet but going to
U have a fungial infection. The white stuff in your mouth is a dead giveaway,so is the constant yeast infections and the thyroid issues.coconut oil will cure it.
In addition to Coconut Oil (make sure it’s Organic / Virgin) go on the yeast-free/candida diet for 60 consecutive days.
It requires enormous will power & planning ahead every day (no eating out or take-out food at all) but is well worth it. Also take high quality probiotics every day as well. It’s not about calorie counting / starving yourself, it’s about clean up.
Since caffeine is not allowed it’s best to gradually reduce caffeine intake a little more each day for a week, before starting the program, rather than going cold turkey.
You’ll notice a difference in only 1 week, but have to stay on it for 60 consecutive days or the yeast will return. The results, and side benefits as well, are amazing. Good luck!
Great info… She’s great…watch every video she’s posted. Christa Orrechio http://youtu.be/nWxp8SMHfb0
Try out the keto health plan. I love it and feel much better. No mayo or eggs for me though
Igenex Lab.
Test name
Complete Lyme Panel.
Complete co-infections Panel.
Lyme disease
And or blood testing to verify if you have been exposed to and are affected by mold. I.e. mold induced illness.
Check out “the vegan couple” on YouTube who healed there candida and yeast infections with fruits and vegetables – it’s not the sugar that causes issues it’s the fat that you eat…. Anyway look hen up and you will see it took him 7 years to finally find a way to heal themselves after countless doctors and nothing ever working xx
@Isabella & other Posters here; You need to go on the (clean up) Candida/yeast-free diet for 6 weeks (42 consecutive days) while also taking a daily, high quality probiotic.
The specific candida diet that works is the one that does not even allow vinegar/fermented foods (pickles, olives, pickled coleslaw, aged cheeses, etc.) while these healthy foods have natural probiotics, and are good for you, but not if you have yeast/fungus. The candida/fungus must be cleared up first before you can include vinegar/fermented foods in your diet.
The diet should also not include any mushrooms.. so not only avoid all fermented/aged foods for 6 weeks but also fungus foods like mushrooms, as well as all canned/boxed foods.
If you can manage to stay on the right candida diet (not the imitations) and for 42 consecutive days and also take daily probiotics, most, if not all, your health issues would resolve.
Problem is, most people don’t stay on it as it’s not a practical diet. It’s not about starving oneself but it’s still not easy… I can tell you that. And since one can’t go out to eat or eat take-out food, and everything must be organic/freshly prepared every single day, 3-4x per day during the 6 weeks, it’s also very time-intensive… and like I said, not practical in today’s world.
But, it can be done — I did it — several times in fact. It works, IF, and only IF, you stay on it. Anyway, best of luck to you.
Which diet, please?
FAST!!! Holy cow. If all that nonsense isn’t working then drink pure water for 7-10 days and get some sun (vit D). Let your body heal itself.
Chris or site administrator, please consider answering! Thank you!
Anyone have experience healing gut from relapsing polychondritis or a related connective tissue disease? This along with histamine intolerance, HLA-B27 (and possibly ankylosing spondylitis), and systemic candida overgrowth. Specific challenges: animal proteins causing inflammation and destruction of limited (irreplaceable?) cartilage; histamine intolerance limit ability to take in probiotics, ferments, bone broths, etc.; genetic challenge in digesting starch (including veg starches); and if dialing down animal proteins…carbs feeding candida.
I am 63 and recently diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. It has been a long hard road to identify, beginning at age 40. I believe it was all started with the underlying problem of systemic candisis. I am looking for a definitive solution toward healing while trying a number of things. I remain hopeful. Any help is appreciated.
In July I had my first anaphylactic reaction to Mahi Mahi after eating seafood my whole life. I’m 44. Since then, I’ve had several more reactions…. About 1 per month, either from cross contact or accidental ingestion (drank an herbal tea that had tuna oil in it, ate BBQ made with Worcester) anyway…. All RAST and skin tests are negative, yet I’ve still had these reactions.
I’m convinced it’s a gut issue and or histamine intolerance. I also have deep fissures in my tongue and geographic tongue.
I’m desperately looking for a list of foods I might be able to eat that will help heal. Currently I’m afraid to eat anything for fear of another reaction.
The last one was so bad I had to stay in hospital. I asked my doctors about histamine intolerance and he said there was no such thing.
I believe there is.
I have had the same issue with shellfish for the last 6yrs. All allergy tests show that I am “not allergic” to shellfish. Following to see if anyone has any good info. Good luck!
Have you checked ciguatera poisoning? It’s a marine micro algae that bioaccumulates in fish tissues and through consumption, human tissues. As I understand it (not very well) you reach your limit and every small amount of fish related product can then “trigger” a reaction.
I recommend you try the Blood Type diet. It’s by D’Adamo. Can be found on Amazon. Please give it a try. I think it’d do wonders for you. We can email if you like.
hair analysis test might be more accurate
Jen, is it possible it’s not an Allergy and either a IgG or IGA reaction? There is a test which saved us.
JEN, Our allergist told us there was something that was related to what u call histamine intolerance. You describe exactly what I’ve been going through with my 19yr old daughter. Her reactions started only two years ago after never having allergies before (could maybe coincide with her hormone changes after puberty & starting contraceptives also) At 44, its possible your hormones have slightly started to change, this in turn can affect your immune system. (I didn’t develop auto immune disease until late 30’s, I believe chronic stress which releases the hormone adrenaline & being pregnant which again changes your hormones, triggered my immune system change, again, its all about hormones) Our last appointment with a new allergist was a relief for my daughter to be diagnosed with not an actual food allergy being the sole cause of every reaction (her first reaction seemed to be to fish also) but please look into IDIOPATHIC ANGIOEDEMA. This is basically a reaction that is identical to that of an allergic reaction, as it is still histamine being over released in the same way, but instead of an allergen causing it, it is unstable Mast Cells that are basically waiting for any excuse to burst, triggers can be: stress, hormone changes, sudden changes in body temp..going from being really hot to cold & vice versa, even having a cold virus in your system, being run down, tired & then with a body full of food additives (which are in almost everything)..add any of these combinations to consuming something you may be only mildly allergic to & may not necessarily always react so badly to and BAM! you have a recipe for a nasty reaction, which at first u try to pin down to what u ate being the exact cause, when it may have only been a small contributor or a coincidence, if u cut certain other factors out of your diet & life (stress is a hard one to avoid) then u may be able to lessen your reactions. We were told instead of thinking that there were ‘foods that heal’ (which really is just natural real food like we humans are supposed to eat, fruit, veg, seeds etc & real meat not processed meat) instead to avoid ‘foods that harm’ (or at least cut down these foods) ie any food that is processed, comes in a packet & contains things such as food additives, E numbers, which no longer are labeled as E numbers but rather the scientific names such as emulsifiers, acidity regulators etc (google E numbers and find out the names which are labeled on your food) in short..if the ingredients look like a chemistry lesson then its chemicals u are consuming and no good for anyone, let alone people with a sensitive immune system, we were told things like Spreads (opt for butter in moderation, it is purely made, I’d rather eat natural fats than chemical spreads,check out its ingredients list compared to Flora spread!) & orange squash are the worst offenders & to opt for natural juices (100% orange juice etc) & of course water more often..if u like a drink (alcohol)..opt for vodka & use a cranberry juice as a mixer NOT cola, small changes can make a big difference, we have not managed to cut all things out of her diet yet, she simply refuses to not have a little of what she fancies. In the meantime she was told to take a daily allergy tablet such as cetrizine hydrochloride or Loratadine until she has been symptom free for 3 consecutive months, Always carry Piriton (Chlorphenamine) tablets & if u notice the starts of a reaction (lumps etc) to CHEW TWO PIRITON tablets, this is more effective than swallowing with water & As effective as an allergy injection in A&E apparently, this new method we were made aware of prevented my daughters last nasty reaction from being another trip to A&E. So u are correct in your thinking it being from your gut, we put too many chemicals in our guts these days, this ruins our gut flora too, her allergist said if u can cut out man made rubbish then u may one day actually be free of this condition (she does have allergies to nuts, some fruit among other things) but avoiding foods and being scared to eat is no good for u (we’ve been there too) you need food, you need nutrients & this condition can be made worse from lack of nutrients, its especially important to keep up your iron levels & B12 as low levels of these can also contribute to histamine release. We need to go back to eating meat & veg & fresh foods that are not out of a packet, how can our bodies cope with all these chemicals, our bodies are not designed to process these things!! They’re only in our food so fat cat companies can make money off us, food that has a long shelf life is good for business..but not good for human consumption!! Hope this helps if u didn’t fall asleep before u finished reading it LOL 🙂
I have some of the same reactions. I’m 67 & have eaten tuna all my life. Two years ago everything changed. Few foods I can eat, & also have have reactions when I walk in a place w/ foods at times. Reach to nonfoods as well. I searched for answers & Will look into idiopathic angioedema. Where can I get Piriton tablets? Glad your daughter is doing better having found some effective treatments. Don’t know what will help me, but will keep trying to find a way back to better health. Thanks much for sharing this info.
Jen, October 10, 2015
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html
Reactions to MSG and natural flavorings give me reactions that require Epipen and Benadryl and have been happening more frequently as more and more foods contain extremely small amounts of MSG that is labeled natural flavor or countless other names to throw us off. The link above is the best list I have found to keep you away from all the foods that could give you a reaction.
25 years of food and chemical sensitivity childhood allergies
God bless and keep you fighting the fight… As one of the first allergy foods books called us, “We are the canaries being sent in the mine to see if the air is fit to breathe!” and we are!
sorry but you def need a new doc, your doc is ignorant
I have to recently having weird allergic reactions to food. Cumin, celery, carrots, dill, paresley. I too am in fear of ehat to eat as these things are in everything. This too is stuff i ate my whole lufe. Im convienced its a gut issue. God i hope there is a way to repair your gut and this nightmare goes away.
Crystal, that’s interesting…all those foods are in the apiaceae family. This is a plant group that has flower heads that look like umbrellas. Here’a a quote from Wikipedia:
Apiaceae vegetables including carrot, celery, fennel, parsley and parsnip, contain polyynes, an unusual class of organic compounds that show cytotoxic activities.[8][9] Many species contain coumarins or coumarin derivatives, such as furanocoumarins.
Something to check out?
The comments I have read are confusing. I have low thyroid, irritable gut, spasms, burning skin, food intolerances, etc. I have been to many Medical doctors, naturopaths, holistic doctors. Everyone has a plan but none work. I have also been on sleep meds for years. I am on 2 probiotics, garden of life given to me by the holistic doctor and tested by an Asyra test, muscle tested, and to find out that the 50 billion strains, l. Casei is in it and you list that as histamine releasing. Need some advice. I am already gluten and dairy free but can eat nothing.
So you are describing hypothyroid symptoms which you’ve already been diagnosed as being. Are you trying to cure the hypothyroidism naturally without the use of thyroid hormone? Without the use of thyroid hormone? The plans that your doctors have for you better include natural thyroid hormone otherwise you’re going to get sicker and sicker.
Hello. I read several of your replys about medium deficiency. I do have Candida which I believe is caused by my addiction to subutex. I have eaten an very healthy diet for at least 13 years. Do you have any suggestions to why when I take magnesium I am extremely fatigued and sleeping up to a day and a half after. I especially have this reaction when I take dr. Ron’s ultrapure cal 1000 mag 500. Thank you.
Magnesium
i have similar issues and just wanted to try to help you with what ive found. i was always perfectly healthy until i placed a birth control in my arm and then started to have numerous health issues after removing it and long story short….zinc helped with my buring scalp but didnt cure my sebborheic dermatitis and omega 3’s helped with my buring skin. i did take a stool test and found that my secIGA was off the charts high. my only option is to heal my gut inflamation and go from there. hope that helps
might try calling Dr. Wallach’s radio show to ask him. He’s brilliant!
S I unds like a magnesium and vitamin d deficiency. An imbalance in your pH levels create candida. Try a kefir or fermented food like sauerkraut and eliminate wheat and dairy and all gmo foods.
if you have candida you must not eat anything with yeast in it, including some supplements (check labels) and Kefir. I believe GMO foods, birth control and antibiotics are the cause of the huge increase in leaky gut and candida overgrowth
Did you read GAPS introduction diet (to find on GAPS diet. Com. Get rid of allergies through leaking gut. )
I have suffered from chronic urticaria(hives) and angioedema for eight years. Recently, I have had some severe heartburn and so am on a two week omeprazole dose. No hives this past week. AT all. What is the correlation? Is it just coincidence or leaky gut or what. (also am a celiac, but can not find any link between the celiac and hives. I am very careful about NO gluten. Any thoughts?
To control hives/welts, aside from eliminating gluten, also eliminate sugar and processed foods, as well as alcohol. But the biggest offender is really foods known to be high in histamine. A few high-histamine foods are; spinach, turkey, tomatoes and processed meats/foods. For most, they’re okay once in awhile, and in moderation, but not on a regular basis.
Also try probiotics that are not histamine-releasing, such as Lactobacillus (L.) plantarium, rhamnosus & salivarius combination. These probiotics must be refrigerated at all times, so if you order them online be sure to request a refrigerated pack. Once they freeze or reach room temp for more than an hour or so they start to become ineffective.
Also, take the non-histamine releasing Bifidobacterium combination (B.) infantis, brevi longum & lactis.
They don’t need refrigeration, but cannot be exposed to sunlight or temperature extremes or they become ineffective. Allergy Research Group has good probiotics, but there are other manufacturers as well.
DO NOT take probiotics with tap water.
If you don’t have a water filter or reverse-osmosis filter in the home then buy $1 gallon jugs of distilled water, which is usually not sold in the water aisle of most stores–they are in the cleaning isle. Take the probiotics as directed, but 3x daily on an empty stomach is the usual recommended dose.
Along with a low-histamine diet and using natural soaps (I prefer Dr Bronner’s soaps) AND use pure virgin organic coconut oil (Spectrum is a good brand) for face and body lotion, instead of facial creams and body lotions. You can also eat the coconut oil (1 teaspoon per day) or use it for cooking.
All of this should help a lot.
Additionally, you may want to run all laundry through an extra 10-20 minute plain cold water rinse-cycle to remove soap residue. Doing that also really helps with skin conditions.
I have a water filter installed in the shower that removes toxins, bacteria, cysts, parasites & chlorine, or chloramine, which is a combination of chlorine + ammonia….really, really bad for our skin, especially for those with sensitive skin or with a skin condition/disorder. Hope that helps. Good luck.
Have you considered the possibility of a yeast overgrowth (like Candida) causing your heartburn/reflux? This summer I resolved a 40-year battle with heartburn by eliminating the Candida I never knew I had. Candida overgrowth causes a slew of other symptoms as well. The cure was ridiculously simple.
And the cure was….?
Antibiotics will knock it out quick.
NO. antibiotics is usually what causes Candida overgrowth! That is the worst information ever! There are candida cleanse kits you can buy, or go to a naturopath and they will do tests for candida, and then set you up on a routine.
I have always heard that garlic and ginger are potent antifungals, but I had been consuming large quantities of each for years, with little effect. Even consuming them raw didn’t seem to do much good. Then I stumbled on a candida website which listed a recipe for a drink called a ‘liver flush:’ 1 clove garlic, small chunk ginger, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a cup of water, all buzzed up in a blender. I tried the concoction for 30 days, drinking it morning and evening. My reflux cleared up pretty quickly, but I continued the regimen for 30 days. Now I drink it occasionally, a couple of days per week, to prevent recurrence.
Of course, common sense regarding diet is necessary. Low carb high fat works best for me.
Try it! It worked for me.
hey what was the best way you found to combat it?
So what is the cure for yeast overgrow?
Lisa –
Get off that omeprasole asap! That stuff will cause SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)….which in turn cauaes IBS. Trust me you don’t want to go there. I’m being treated for SIBO now. My Naturopath has me on Allimed (a super strong garlic extract that is costly but highly effective), Neem extract, cinnamon capsules and Oregon Grape Root. Also a probiotics product made by Klaire Labs called Lactoprime Plus…which I am to take at a different time as the garlic, etc.
Try apple cider vinegar in purified water with mealtimes for your heartburn. It works like a charm. It helps you digest your food and prevents heartburn. And unlike other vinegars, it does not feed Candida yeast. Contrary to popular belief, heartburn is not caused by too much stomach acid, but in fact by very low stomach acid. And that low stomach acid, for some odd reason, triggers that flap that is supposed to prevent acid from going up your throat. Apple cider vinegar or helps to regulate this. Something called d-Limonene (a health supplement) can be used short term to help with the triggering of that flap.
Take care All. We will heal eventually.
Lisa, my daughter is an RN and they sometimes give Omnp…(prilosec) to elderly just for the histamine if they suspect the patient is having a reaction to something. That histamine may have been enough to prevent you reaction.
Thanks John for the information! I have been researching histamine neutral or degrading probiotics. Is the one you take dairy free? I am very interested in reading more on the one you take. I have a migraine disorder and most probiotics I’ve tried bring on a bad headache…however I need a good probiotic to help with the health issues I have. Hoping it’s just a simple thing of finding the right one that I can tolerate!
Hi! I noticed you were looking for a probiotic that’s dairy free and I’m lactose intolerant so I know the struggle. I use Daily Body Restore which is dairy free, gluten free, soy free and sugar free. I have a lot of allergies and this is the only probiotic that has really helped me. Hopefully it’ll help you too!
Magnesium is involved in histamine and adrenaline metabolism. Magnesium deficiency causes migraine. If you are having exaggerated startle reflex, anxiety with racing heart, constipation, photo/sound sensitivity, depression, high histamine, leg cramps then you’ve most likely have a magnesium deficiency… AND a potassium deficiency as they go hand in hand.
Gut issues/food allergies cause magnesium deficiency because big magnesium molecules are difficult for the gut to break down and absorb even in a healthy stomach… its next to impossible in an inflamed GI tract to absorb it. You can megadose 1200mg of magnesium glycinate for months and not put a dent in your magnesium deficiency and I speak from experience. You need to calm that inflammation down first to begin to absorb it or bypass the GI tract entirely with IV’s of magnesium sulphate. Transdermal helps somewhat…. epsoms salt baths, dissolving crystals on the skin in a hot bath and magnesium oil.
I have dealt with (H/S) Histamine/Sulfite sensitivities my entire adult life. Allergy Research Group’s “Lactobacillus ProBiotics” work great and that’s what I highly recommend.
There are other manufacturers but this following combination of ProBiotics works great and seem to be the most effective. I’ve been taking them for years and highly recommend them to anyone with H/S problems as well as SIBO.
The PB’s it specifically contains, that are extremely helpful and are not histamine-releasing, are a combination of; L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus & L.salivarius. Take on empty stomach. Must be refrigerated at all times.
Careful ordering them from Amazon during the warmer months as these PB’s are definitely temperature sensitive and Amazon is more concerned with quick on-time delivery than with the effectiveness of the PB’s. Amazon cannot guarantee the PB’s will still be effective when they arrive. They need to be sent in a refrigerated pack.
And, also the combination of B. infantis, B.breve, B. longum & B. lactis are also VERY helpful when also taken with the above recommended Lactobacillus PB’s,— and are also not histamine-releasing.
If you take these two separate PB’s 3x daily and eliminate sugar, gluten, all canned/processed foods and GMO condiments (as well as toxic people) from your life you’ll start feeling better within just a few days. Toxic, argumentative, entitlement people cause inflammation as they cause our stress-hormone (cortisol & adrenaline) levels to escalate. Having them around and in our life is just as detrimental to our health as eating unhealthy, GMO frankenfoods.
Also, anything that touches our skin enters the bloodstream within 20 seconds and wreaks havoc on the immune system. So, if you have dry or sensitive skin use Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, not body lotions. For bathing/showering I recommend Dr Bronner’s bath soaps. Hope that helps.
Hi John, would you mind exchanging emails? You seem to have a hold of what I’m struggling with. Thanks
@Stefeni – I can answer any questions here. This way, many can benefit, including those who don’t post here, but who come to read the comments. I should mention that I am not a physician or trained in the health-care profession.
I have struggled all my life with gut issues, for many, many decades now, and had to learn how to heal myself. I had no other option. Plus, over the years I’ve also been to several great Holistic Doctors, as well as Biological Dentists who were a wealth of information — these are the reasons I am knowledgeable, at least up to a point, but again I am not a Dr.
Ask me whatever you need to know and if I know the answer I will either share what worked for me or I’ll be honest and tell you I am not sure.
Hey Joon, are you saying Bifidobacterium is high histamine? Because I’m severely low in that and my Naturopath just prescribed it. Last time I took a probiotic I got very ill but I’m not sure which strains exactly were causing the issues.
Thanks
No, the two different, separate ProBiotics I mentioned, one is Lactobacillus the other Bifidobacterium, are not histamine releasing which is important for those (like myself) who suffer from high histamine.
I think both should be taken daily by those who suffer from high histamine, along with the diet improvements I mentioned, as well as limiting all foods high in histamine.
For those who don’t have high histamine I am not sure what is best to take or if it’s best to take these two PB’s along with others. I would do the latter — take these two along with additional ones and see how you feel. Hope that helps.
@the pan – I was saying they are not histamine-releasing, which is very important for people like myself with high histamine levels.
Certain ProBiotics are histamine-releasing (such as L. Lactis for one, while B. Lactis is not histamine releasing) and therefore I can’t take the histamine-releasing ones without suffering the consequences; digestive problems, burning hot, super itchy hives and rashes, and insomnia.
Ugh, this is confusing. So B. infantis, B.breve, B. longum & B. lactis are all Bifodobacterium? So they would not be histamine releasing. Lactobacillus you say is also not histamine releasing, but my probiotic called Pro-15 only has Lactobacilli (same as Lactobacillus I think?) and Bifidobacterium, yet I still get a histamine reaction. Maybe that’s just detox from them crowding out the Blasto I have and I should just tough it out?
@the pan – Correct on your first sentence.
Some ProBiotics, such as Lactobacillus casei & Lactobacillus lactis (L. casei & L. lactis) to name two, are histamine-releasing. You can just google it for a complete listing.
BY THE WAY:
L. is the standard abbreviation for the genus Lactobacillus.
B. is the standard abbreviation for the genus Bifidobacterium.
A few examples of many, many species are; rhamnosus, salivarius, casei, acidophilus, lactis, breve, infantis, longum, etc, etc.
Species refers to a type of microorganism existing within a genus (or family.) For example, acidophilus is the name of a species within the Lactobacillus genus/family = L. acidophilus.
B. longum is a species within the Bifidobacterium genus/family = B. longum.
And, breve is one species of many within the Bifidobacterium (B.) genus/family = B. breve.
I think it would be to your benefit if you sought the expertise of a Holistic Dr/Practioner, as well as a Biological Dentist. As previously mentioned, I am not trained in the health-care field.
I am very knowledgeable, as I’ve been dealing with gut issues for decades, but I am not a Dr, and cannot claim to cure anyone of anything.
finndian and others, thanks for all the responses! I have been to my Naturopath and tried the magnesium IV as suggested. I felt relaxed after, but unfortunately no other improvement long term. Was worth a shot. But we did the Genova testing along with Diagnostechs and results show I do not have leaky gut, sibo, ibs, or low stomach acid etc. Turns out my initial self diagnosis of parasites years ago was correct… both tests picked up on a severe infection of Blastocystis Hominis and minor inflammation of the colon. Apparently a common parasite, but one of the hardest to remove. Partly explains why Humaworm years ago did nilch. I’m taking herbs over the next 4-5 months for it now, alternating them like you should (unlike Humaworm), so hopefully that makes a difference. Yet I read online many find no luck this route. There are antibiotics that work better, but are not available in Canada.
For anyone considering doing GI testing, take into consideration that Diagnostechs picked up on internal bleeding that Genova did not. And Genova picked up on a Butyrate deficiency which Diagnostechs could not. Both issues which are indicators or prerequisites for colon cancer. I went with two companies for this reason, as others on the web had mentioned the same inconsistency with testing. And it has been especially valuable for me because low Butyrate could have led to the parasites, as low Butyrate means your immune system is weak, which makes your GI vunerable to parasitic infection. On the other hand, parasites could be the cause of low Butyrate, because my immune system is so taxed dealing with the parasites. A question of which came first… So I am addressing the Butyrate issue as well, with Calcium D Glucarate, as perscribed. And I could not have addressed this issue without having done Genova. And if I don’t solve my low Butyrate deficiency, the parasites could return after removal. Should mention, Genova also picked up on low enzyme production which Genova didn’t.
On the upside, my Naturopath does not think I have psoriasis, but Hypertrophic Keratosis. I have yet to get a second opinion on this and will post when I do. I question her diagnosis as she said it’s caused by a vitamin A deficiency, but I read myself that it’s caused by too much sun exposure (which is impossible as I’m an obligatory hermit), so that all makes me question her.
Will keep everyone posted on the outcome. Be back in a few months when the herbs are gone. Guess if they don’t work the next course of actions is smuggling antibiotics in…
Forgot to mention that Genova shows I’m severely depleted of Bifidobacterium, usually one of the most numerous and thus most important bacteria’s in the gut. Also low on some other strains, all of which Diagnostechs does not test for. So I will be supplementing with Pro-15 despite the fact that the high histamine content of probiotic’s makes me want to die. So once again, good things come from testing with multiple companies x_x
Some doctors believe that low Butyrate is very common and not indicative of anything… like my parasite specialist Dr Stuppy and this this guy.
http://www.drdebe.com/articles/preventing-colorectal-cancer
The secretory IgA test that Diagnos-tech does is what needs to be focused on. ThAT is your gut immunity to infection. Do did you do the expanded GI panel with Diagnos-tech? Do you have low secretory Iga? Chances are you do with Blasto. Not only will Blasto show blood in your stool but Blastocystis also causes cortisol disfunction. High cortisol not only causes sleep disruption and insomnia but also low secretory Iga! So yes, which came first.
The high cortisol will interfere with thyroid hormone conversion from T4 to T3. I became hypothyroid as a result. Blasto oddly enough also causes issues with Chromium. I sometimes wake up at 5 or 6 am with with stomach issues and a 500mg capsule of Chromium picolinate acts like a valium for me. I’m assuming it lowers cortisol… but I’m not sure. My exercise recovery is much improved with the chromium as well.
As for the magnesium… you need to get 3 IVs (one a week for 3 weeks) of 2500mg of Magnesium sulphate to know what it feels like to have your levels restored to normal… if you are deficient. With high histamine levels, parasites and even mild gut inflammation chances are you are very magnesium deficient. Even mild stomach lining inflammation causes vitamin and mineral deficiency… especially B-vitamins, magnesium and with me… vitamin K and vitamin A. Vitamin A is absolutely necessary to restore your gut lining back to normal after you eradicate the parasites. Sounds like your doctor picked up on the vitamin A deficiency so don’t give up on her yet!
When you have a lot of weird stuff going on all at the same time chances are they are interrelated. God help you if you get a doctor that wants to take advantage of the situation an treat each issue separately or worse is incapable of seeing the bigger picture. If someone suggests mercury detox just get up and run.
I still have Blasto and Toxoplasma. I’ve just gotten so good at supplementing that I don’t experience the symptoms anymore… high histamine, anxiety, bruising, insomnia, canker sores, etc are not an issue. I tried a round of a very, very strong anti-parasitic drug (Alinia) that did not work. I need to try the drugs again but the it was so hard on me the first time and impacted my thyroid so hard that it took me a couple months to recover AND it didn’t work! I do need to address this eventually. Herbs were absolutely useless against Blasto.
I don’t think I see secretory IgA anywhere on my results, I don’t know the name of the GI panel my Naturopath ordered me. We just discussed what testing we thought was appropriate. Totaled some $1500 for testing and didn’t wanna push it. I do have insomnia and symptoms of Hypothyroid though. Good to know about the low Butyrate. You would think that would make me really happy but I think it only frustrates me more; so many opinions.
Yeah, according to badbugs.com, herbs are throwing my money away. Yet my Naturopath says she has found success treating her patients with herbs (she also had Blasto herself). So people do find success with it. I think it’s worth it to me to try the herbal route first. Obviously no one wants to have to take antibiotics; I have heard of people taking them without success, only to add to the problem and contract thrush or some other infection. Your experience with Alinia causes me dread -_- Still, if the herbs don’t work, I’ll be trying the Triple Therapy prescription (badbugs.com), have you heard of it? It’s hard to obtain, but people have been able to ship it out from Mexico. I haven’t contacted the site owner for further details yet. What kind of herbal regiment did you follow to treat the parasites? I wonder if we failed because we did not alternate herbs or use high enough doses for long enough periods of time? That was my situation with Humaworm anyway.
I did one infusion of magnesium because according to my Naturopath, I don’t need more than that. Don’t remember how much it was but she said she gave me the limit before I would pass out, that it was definitely more than 2500 mg. She said giving magnesium directly to the bloodstream makes the “receptors” more sensitive to picking up magnesium from my diet which is why infusions work – loading is not necessary. I might look into loading again in the future, would rather focus on the bugs ATM. Mostly I just can’t take the time off from work necessary to do loading for three weeks. As for your concern about treating one issue at a time, I WOULD supplement with vitamins. I have all vitamins you recommended in my cupboard, only they make me deathly ill 🙁 I assume they are feeding the parasites, as according to my Naturopath, I did not nearly take doses high enough for overdosing to be the problem. Once the parasites are gone, I will be taking them.
Crazy how similar our predicament is. You seem to suffer with a lot of the same symptoms I have had, even the canker sores…
The expanded GI panel from diagnos-tech is $285. It would have tested you for the secretory IgA and more good/bad bacterias and toxoplasm. They would probably upgrade the test by just sending you 1 vial for you to send another sample and just charge you the difference in the 2 tests… they are good that way. You don’t mention results for food allergy antibodies… any showing on Diagnos-tech?
I use to think that my supplements and certain foods made me deathly ill but it turns out that the state my stomach was in they were simply irritating it because it was raw. My body was in such stress because my body would respond with soaring cortisol every time I ate anything that was not bland… and yes, nausea. If I continued irritating my stomach with a drug like Alinia for any length of time as I said my thyroid would start to falter, I’d get insomnia as well and just look like death warmed over with a sallow coloring.
The only thing I could tolerate when I was at my worst was Mediclear plus. It was recommended to me by a parasite specialist. Its a vitamin-y sludgy kind of unpleasant tasting drink mix that was like a fire extinguisher on my GI tract and this was while I was at my worst. Not only could I drink all those vitamins without feeling deathly ill but it was soothing… perhaps because of the curcuminoids?? At my worst I was drinking it once in the morning and once at night after temporarily cutting out foods that I had grown allergic to. Two of the three food allergies reversed themselves once I got the stomach irritation under control. I don’t use Mediclear anymore. I’m still deal with the gluten issue and who knows maybe that will clear up after the parasites get handled.
As I said, with this level of stomach irritation you cannot breakdown larger molecules like magnesium…. so “restored receptors” or not you can’t breakdown magnesium in food to absorb it into those receptors. You must bypass the GI tract until you are better. An IV can be “pushed” into you to speed things up if you have limited time. It would be interesting to hear just how much magnesium you were given during this infusion. Did it make you feel warm? Pregnant women are giving 50,000mg to stop premature labor contractions… I’ve never heard of it rendering them unconscious however. One product called “Natural Calm” a hot drink mix uses a food grade acid that hot water activates to do the job your body can’t and that is to breakdown the magnesium to a bio available form so your body can absorb it even with the stomach irritation. I suggest you try that if you can’t do the IVs. Its just that the IV’s are so immediate.
Your bacteria levels are in disarray so your B12 intrinsic factor is probably non-existent causing B12 deficiency and that can result in canker sores, nerve conduction problems and depression. You should be receiving shots of methyl-cobalamin and supplementing methyl-folate. My life long tendency for cankers is now totally gone. Google the B12/canker sore study. This b12 issue is very important as methyl cobalamin is a methyl donor and this lack of b12 methylation could slowly let genes express themselves in your DNA that you don’t want to come to the surface… like autoimmune diseases. I believe that not only did the stress of all this blow out my thyroid but the gene for Hashimoto’s was expressed when my methylation became insufficient. There are all kinds of nasty gene’s we have in us that lay dormant until the protective effect of gene methylation is insufficient. Time is of the essence in my opinion.
I don’t remember the herbs as its been a while… I know I took oil of oregano, usa versa and tanalbit and some mixtures that guaranteed to eradicate the Blasto and promised a refund if it didn’t work.. they refunded me. Some doctors will argue it is a biofilm that is protecting the parasites and will give you another pill to dissolve the biofilm so the herbs can work. My specialist believes that the parasites are in the protective mucus that only antibiotics and anti-parasitics can penetrate.
I met a guy online that was struggling with blasto at the same time I was experiencing my blasto struggle with the leaky gut. He tried the 3 drug combo and cleared his blasto the first try. My drug, Alinia, was like using the nuclear option to get rid of the parasites and it didn’t work. I will probably try the drug combo next time. He is still today having gut issues and weird fungus and SIBO now years later. I am not having escalating issues and I still have the parasites! The only difference in our recovery was I mega-dosed all the deficient vitamins and minerals for a couple months after I was able to take the vitamins again without the stomach irritation… Magnesium, methyl B12 injections, methyl-folate, vitamin A and K and now Chromium. He was fearful of this and still is and in my opinions still suffers as a result.
Not sure the concept that the parasites feed on your vit/minerals is correct. Blasto causes chromium deficiency and now when I take chromium picolinate… based on my bodies almost immediate reaction it seems the bugs are immediately subdued and the irritation reversed. I didn’t know about the chromium issue that blasto causes until my stomach was recovered but it would have been interesting to have tried it when I was at my worst. If you have 500mg capsules of chromium picolinate you might want to try it and see if it makes you feel better or worse at this stage. My parasite specialist told me most of his patients are deficient in the mineral.
Keep us posted to your progress! Good Luck.
I paid $288. K I don’t see anything titled Secretory IgA, but I have a few results for SIgA. Taxoplasma SIgA, Entamoeba histolytica SIgA, Tapeworm SIga and Trichinella spiralis SIga, all negative. I thought those were all parasites and I’m pretty sure that’s not what you’re looking for. Total Intestinal SIgA is 29, Normal. I guess I could order the other test… what supplements would I take for low Secretory IgA? I did not bother with allergy testing. I hear the gold standard is still food challenging, which I’ve done and I’m fully tuned in to what works and what doesn’t.
As for the magnesium IV, no I did not feel warm. I just bought Natural Calm though, so I’ll see how that goes. Funny how I tolerate magnesium and vitamin c so well, but all the others you recommend – not so much. I only haven’t tried the Chromium yet. I might just have to buy some Mediclear Plus, only I am concerned about the rice and pea protein in this product as I do not tolerate those foods.
What do you think about probiotics? Wish I could handle Bifido and others, I’m so low in them and I’m sure that’s contributing to my issues. Do you tolerate them or do you think they feed the parasites (that’s the rumor)? I hear S. Boulardii often suggested for Blasto. I have purchased some probiotics at the recommendation of my Naturopath but I’m not even sure I’m going to take them until I get a handle on these parasites.
The herbs I’m taking is Wormwood, Pumpkin, Clove, Yarrow, Gentian, Quassia and Black Walnut for two weeks. Then two weeks of Garlic, and two weeks of Black Walnut in liquid form. This I am to repeat three times, so a total of four and half months of treatment. It is definitely the longest treatment for parasites I have heard of. I am also taking DE and coconut oil, although that wasn’t prescribed. As for biofilms, I have considered taking enzymes to break them down. Bu biofilms serve a function in the body, not sure I should be ridding myself of it.
I wonder if Blasto is not something we need to totally obliterate, that it’s similar to candida in the sense that we simply need a healthy immune system to keep it in check. Many people have tested positive for Blasto and experience no symptoms, as I’m sure you know. And currently MS is being treated with Whipworm and there is promising results with it. So I agree with you about addressing all issues as opposed to addressing the supposed main culprit. There’s gotta be more to our health issues than just parasites.
Sorry, I never got this follow up response e-mailed to me. Hope all is going well. You say that total intestinal SIgA (Secretory IgA) is 29 and thats normal so no problem there. Doesn’t sound like you did the Saliva part of the test to check Milk, Egg, Gliaden, Soy SIgA. That would have been helpful to see how far along the leaky gut road you are. It would have shown if your body’s immune system was mounting a defense against these food proteins.
As I’ve said I still have all the parasites and will take Alinia soon. In the meantime I’ve cured all the deficiencies that they’ve caused and I keep on top of it so my symptoms have retreated. Histamine intolerance (aka Magnesium deficiency) is a symptom of nutritional deficiency and I cured it… its not something you have to tolerate.
I spent 8 years taking then discarding supplements thinking I couldn’t tolerate them or something in them. Now I realize its not the supplement its how my raw stomach reacted to it.
The short little article above is terrible as it really doesn’t address the issue of restoring the gut! It says you must “heal the gut” and restore gut flora but tells very little on how to do that. I’m amazed we are all here when a lazy useless article like that heads this forum. It never mentions L-glutamine, B12/folate, Vitamin A, magnesium. It also never mentions “fecal implant” only expensive probiotics. Its really ridiculous.
Good to know I don’t have to worry about SIgA. Already did a ton of research into it. Who ever has low SIgA, look into Epicor, looks promising. For the record, my Naturopath said point blank that I do not have a leaky gut after she saw my test results (and she previously prescribed L-Glutamine based on the assumption I had leaky gut, so something must have changed her mind). Not sure how she came to that conclusion, but with only a 30 min session to go over my results I didn’t have much time to ask questions. She must think the Blasto is causing all my issues. I did the fecal implant a long time ago, using a healthy family donor which is considered ideal. I had no success with it. But I imagine I wouldn’t, having not addressed parasites at the same time. And since my last post, I looked into the age old question of whether or not you can take probiotics in conjunction with antifungals. According to recent studies, this practice is beneficial. So I have started taking Hyperbiotics Advanced Pro-15, Hyperbiotics Immune (Epicor), Saccharomyces Boulardii, and my staple probiotic, Prescript Assist. Funny, within a few hours of taking the Immune formula, my pain levels plummeted. And that’s not a placebo effect; most supplements I have no success with. And the high histamine Hyperbiotics Pro-15 I can tolerate quit well now… I am crediting the Epicor with that.
I have low SIga so I’ll try the Epicor. I was going to do a fecal implant last month from a friend of mine but then there was an article published in the UK about proteins responsible for plaque build up in those susceptible to Alzheimer’s. It says it possibly can be passed from one person to another! I think most scientists disagree since that was published last month but it gives me pause now since my friend has Alzheimer’s in his family. It would be just my luck!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11853619/Alzheimers-disease-may-be-caught-through-medical-accidents.html
Cutting all irritants to my stomach was key in my recovery….no more metamucil, no Xylitol. Some of these irritants didn’t feel irritating immediately but my cortisol levels would soar and I’d start looking like death warmed over an hour later as it made its way through my system. It wasn’t easy to make the correlation immediately.
One thing that helped me get a little insight to what my body was doing was with the inexpensive body water sensing weight scales. I bought mine at Costco for $39. Body water should be 60% and it is now that I’m better. My body water was 49% at my worst and I looked and felt like death warmed over. I found that my body sheds water immediately when I’m sick… I guess I should have suspected that but while I was in it it never occurred to my that it was the major reason I was suffering. I was chronically dehydrated as a symptom of the gut problem. My confusion was that I was drinking a ton of water but doing a lot of peeing as well. Without a major electrolyte like magnesium and potassium then the cells don’t accept the water.
I also found that when I’d ingest some food or supplement that I had developed an allergy to or was irritated by, my body would become dehydrated. I assume trying to shed the offending proteins. Using electrolytes… magnesium, potassium and sodium and water to reverse this reaction and of course rooting out the irritant limited my feeling miserable while I figured this all out.
Don’t be too quick to assign credit to Epicor. You just had a magnesium IV and you can tolerate some histamines now… thats exactly what it’s supposed to do. Magnesium is responsible for metabolizing histamines in your bloodstream and tissues. If you find you regress histamine wise then I suggest you go back and finish the last 2 mag IV’s to top off your tank.
In the meantime, I’m going to take Epicor and retake the Expanded GI panel. My insurance wants recent testing in order for them to pay for the Alinia as its $1500 for 2 weeks supply! I’ll let you know if my low SIgA shows any movement upward after all these years. Thanks for the suggestion.
Symptoms of food intolerance are so subtle that irritants won’t show an immediate or noticeable reaction, absolutely. This is why I opted to go the excessive route and cut out every known allergen & intolerance.
I found vitamin & mineral brand today that is supposed to be easy to absorb like the Natural Calm I’m taking. It’s called Isotonix. Really pumped to try this one out, will order it soon. Best part is you can make your own cocktail: http://isotonix.marketamerica.com/shopping/custom-cocktail
I can’t hold my water at all either! I also get cold sweats every day. Dehydration sounds about right. My Naturopath told me to drink more electrolytes (tried coconut water) but even that doesn’t stay in me. I hope Isotonix will help with this.
I’m quick to give Epicor credit because I only just started it a couple weeks ago, while the magnesium IV was started way back in early June. I had results within 2-3 hours of taking my first Epicor pill XD If the magnesium IV is to be credited with that, it would be quite a coincidence. Only other supplement giving me results that fast is Magnesium. Not even my beloved Prescript Assist comes close, that took almost 24 hours for a positive response. I’m not doubting the Magnesium is a major key dealing with histamines, but the one IV did not help enough for me to notice any improvement. But since I’m not willing to go in for more just yet to really prove the point, maybe Natural Calm and Isotonix will make the difference. I didn’t now you had low SIgA… I’m glad I mentioned the Epicor then. This may interest you if you haven’t come across it already:
http://www.embriahealth.com/products/epicor/research/mode-of-action-summary-on-all-studies/slga-antibody/
If you want another suggestion, look into Saccharomyces Boulardii for Blasto XD The study below is a good start:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20922415
Yeah maybe put that fecal transplant off lol…
I might be changing the topic a bit but I just have to ask this question…I have big time reactions to supplements. I can’t take any vitamins, herbs, probiotics, etc. I get anxiety sometimes but always can count on a migraine (I am very migraine prone). I can take digestive enzymes, a small dose of magnesium, and Barlean’s liquid fish oil. I am currently taking Transfer Factor through my chiropractor. Most regular doctors tell me my sensitivities is just the way I am and I have low clearance. I used to take tons of vitamins,etc with no problem. Now I can’t. Can this be part of leaky gut issues? My chiropractor thinks I might be dealing with some autoimmune issues. Thanks for any replies…it has remained a mystery to me and to any holistic doctor I see. They don’t understand my extreme reactions to supplements and because of bad reactions I never get well as I can’t tolerate anything! Help!!!
I might be changing the topic a bit but I just have to ask this question…I have big time reactions to supplements. I can’t take any vitamins, herbs, probiotics, etc. I get anxiety sometimes but always can count on a migraine (I am very migraine prone). I can take digestive enzymes, a small dose of magnesium, and Barlean’s liquid fish oil. Most regular doctors tell me my sensitivities is just the way I am and I have low clearance. I used to take tons of vitamins,etc with no problem. Now I can’t. Can this be part of leaky gut issues? My chiropractor thinks I might be dealing with some autoimmune issues. Thanks for any replies…it has remained a mystery to me and to any holistic doctor I see. They don’t understand my extreme reactions to supplements and because of bad reactions I never get well as I can’t tolerate anything! Help!!!
Did you ever deal with impacted bowel? Any insight there? I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year, was very active and competing in running until I started having severe GI issues last year. It seems I’m frequenting the ER for impacted bowel and all I’m given is harsh laxatives.
I take magnesium chloride, it’s slow release. What’s the benefit of magnesium sulphate, is it better absorbed?
Pan
Try Diatomaceous Earth also known as shell flour for your parasites. Be sure to purchase the food grade kind only if you decide to try it.
does anyone here know about any recipes for fermanted foods
and also what are some of the best things to do for sleep
does probiotecs help with this
please help what should i do
exercise gives you a leaky gut, how do you address that one? everything we do makes the gut permeable… you focus on partial (convenient) theories but where’s the full picture?? stop teaching “fad medicine” please and get proper phd training
You really are a self-righteous (insert expletive). Gut permeability due to microbiota disbiosis is an affliction that affects thousands of people, and one that is being increasingly recognised by mainstream scientific community. Why would having a phd in front of your name give you any more right to post on your own blog (a blog which has helped huge numbers of people where conventional medicine has failed) about the human body?
Exercise does but that doesn’t mean, nor did this particular article insinuate such.. That doesn’t mean exercise is bad for you. But physical exertion without proper diet will accelerate the entropic process.
I can tell you first hand that exercise without eating good nutrition leads to trouble with a capital T. I have been having problems now because of this. Since I have started taking care of myself I see improvements in everything about me. My skin, hair, nail, are huge improvements. My muscles and joints are feeling the effects as well. Marked improvement in both agility, motor skills, connectivity, cogitative functions have improved as well as eye sight. Over all cutting added sugar out of my diet, eating fruit and veg and adding Flax seed and Lecithin to has help beyond words. Still working on getting the gallbladder to spit out that freaking stone that is lounging around in my thickened bile, but I’ve sent the eviction notice on the stone and now I just have to wait it out. It’s going to happen.
bone broth will cure a leaky gut. Much faster than the fermented foods. I make it weekly and drink at least a cup a day. It also got rid of my sore feet and muscle cramps and my constant diarrhea.
That’s great it worked for you Bonni, but bone broth is very high in histamines (just like fermented foods) and so it makes things a lot worse for those with histamine problems.
The real answer to gut health is helminth therapy.
i agree – most women have histamine problems and dead food like fermented grains etc can cause problems. I think fresh is best and if you have high histamine foods like yogurt or smoked fish or fermented foods its wise to eat anti- histamine foods or avoid If better suited to you. Vitamin C, onions, pineapple, quercitin rich foods are good
I think that why Apple was peared with fermented yoghurt or cheese as like pineapple is.
I have had urticaria on/off and eyelid swelling and I wonder if it is due to fermented foods – high histamine ?! I despair sometimes as I think I have digestion and leaky gut issues so if anyone can suggest a breakfast lunch and or dinner ideas I would be very appreciative xxxx thanks in advance
Since this a gut health forum we should all know the basics. If you have food allergies or stomach inflammation from a number of potential issues for any lengthy period then you will be magnesium deficient (then potassium deficient as a result) and also develop a deficiency in B vitamins especially B12/folate.
Low magnesium then causes histamine levels to run out of control. One of the important functions of magnesium is to help create the histamine metabolizing enzyme Diamine Oxidase (DAO). You are right about woman and histamine. Women lose magnesium during their monthly cycle and often crave magnesium rich chocolate as a result.
If you are here for gut health issues and have histamine intolerance then its not too much of a stretch to say you should run not walk to buy a very high quality magnesium supplement like Magnesium glycinate, magnesium threonate or even get IV’s of magnesium sulphate to bypass the inflamed gut that is having the issue breaking down the large magnesium molecules to begin with.
I also like the hot magnesium drink “Natural Calm”. They use a natural food grade acid in the mixture that makes it fizz and smoke when you make it. The magnesium gets broken down and dissolved clear by the acid and then the mag neutralizes the acid (think tums)… its a great idea to get the magnesium to a more absorbable form. Good luck.
Hi – If you react to certain foods due to an allergic reaction to histamine level, it may be all the foods w/yeast in it such as tomato ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, salad dressings, fermented vegetables (from yeast/vinegar fermentation), etc., avoid them completely because after a leaky gut case, the lining from the stomach (which has good bacteria) has been removed due to the cause of leaky gut (i.e. antibiotics, toxins, stress, etc.) and therefore, anything with yeast fermentation will cause skin/stomach issues. I have the same problem so I avoid as much as possible those items from my diet so I can stay skin problem-free. When I do cheat, I have to pay the price so basically, I eat everything “dry” w/o sauces, w/o any fermentation (i.e. flat breads). Also, yogurt doesn’t bother me so try that because yogurt is actually good bacteria. Try simple foods, such as plain grilled/steamed foods (chicken/fish, vegetables, etc).
I hope this helps.
Infecting oneself with parasites? Helminth therapy? Sounds like jumping into a water tank filled with sharks.
How do you make the bone broth?
http://paleoleap.com/eat-this-bone-broth/
Hi can you elaborate on what bone you use? Please, I was given NSAIDS medication and now are having stomach aches and knotted cramps and feeling very low as result.
Could you share your broth recipe ?
Thanks in advance.
I didn’t know exercise has a bad effect on you gut. It is my first time to hear this. I just started to do exercise a week ago. I walk fast on a treadmill for an hour and work on the machines for 30 to 45 minutes.I am afraid not to make things worst. I am doing it because I am tired of being sick and tired, Please explain for me what to do.
Thank you
it’s only excessive exercise or ‘overtraining’ that can cause intestinal permeability.
Why? Because it’s stressful and any kind of serious chronic stress can cause problems.
A google search will turn up studies.
Yes, I have had both sides of this, becoming weaker using the gym, walking cycling etc
Only improved when, using STS, Iodine, Turps etc, and changing diet, but noticed when I went back on my usual foods, I was still improving, till I stopped taking STS, Iodine, Turps etc..
I had a spell of 8 months eating salads, veg, nuts, turkey, cheese etc.. much better than previous diet..but still very weak for my age and again only improved when addressing my gut, with other supplements.. alot of health probs which I initially blame on using antibiotics from the age of 2 months to aged 10, then a serious gastro problem at 15, (very fit and strong at the time), saw me go downhill rapidly for 2 years, then get fat, hungry all the time too.. Previously i ate when I needed to and wasnt alot or just small amounts to “top up” where as now, its a totally different matter.
Unbelievable that I used to just fill up on any food, and think job done.. How dumb I was, which is like most people today.
So much to fix, after 50 years of ignorance and poor health treatment, and listening to media, pharma, docs.
The clock is now ticking to fix things or give up…will be the hardest thing in my life… not least to get shut of diabetes..lose weight, get fitter and stop poisoning myself on “foods” and “meds”
What is STS and turps?
Exercise do not harm the stomach. Stomach harm the brain and as a result your sleep is dominated by rem and acid regulation is effected.
Again don’t prppogate modern medicine is science based. The culture
If you are so unhappy here, why don’t you leave? Or if you stay, why not communicate in an appropriate way. And rather than just criticize, why don’t you contribute helpful information or constructive feedback?