The Experts Weigh In: Not Just A Gut Feeling!

Image via getresponse.com

BY: CYNTHIA HENRICH, CONTRIBUTOR

"The primary seat of insanity is generally in the region of the stomach and intestines." - Philippe Pinel, 1807

Imagine for a moment that you find yourself in a strange room. Surrounding you are heaps of garbage which are oozing a rather disturbing Love Canal-like substance onto the floor that even the bugs are avoiding. And the bugs; hoards of bugs munching on some sticky, sugary stuff wedged into the nooks and crannies of the floor boards. There’s a cleaning lady frantically trying to mop up the mess, but it’s impossible to keep up. You’re starting to feel a bit nauseous and unable to focus. Out of the corner of your eye you notice a rather shady looking gang of people and notice the flash of a weapon here and there on their bodies. Your tend to really absorb the energy of your surroundings, so at this moment you are teetering between a soul-sucking depression and a massive breath-stealing anxiety attack. There were a couple of policeman patrolling a moment ago, you seem to remember, until you notice that they are tied up over in the corner. You suddenly have a flash of clarity and see that there are gaping holes in the walls and that you can escape through them. No sooner are you through the nearest breach, when you are assaulted, asked for your ID (which no one can decipher) and pinned to the ground. You are told that you have triggered a security alert and have been determined a threat to the community. And your nightmare is just beginning.

That’s what conditions are like in an imbalanced digestive system. 

The villi lining your intestines - Image via flylib.com

Your intestinal system is a complex environment that is truly the core of your health. What you eat is only a part of the picture. What you absorb and what you can produce and defend against are the other big parts of this puzzle. A healthy small intestine is lined with villi, small finger-like projections that if spread out over a surface would be equivalent to the area of a tennis court. These villi are responsible for absorbing what we consume, by letting nutrients seep into our bloodstream so the body can use them for energy. 

Throughout our intestinal system, we have bacteria that function almost as an independent organism. This is known as our microbiota. Eating fermented foods and taking different probiotics can help to keep this system balanced and healthy. These bacteria fight for real estate on the lining of our intestines. This can get challenging, because the typical diet tends to feed the bad bacteria and give them the edge in the battle. The good guys prefer to eat non-sugary, green based foods, and the bad guys just want sugar and junk. Guess who usually wins the battle?

These microbiota are where the story gets very interesting. They help to regulate inflammation in our body by controlling certain inflammatory markers known as cytokines. Cytokines are like the special forces warriors that support the bad bacterial troops with flame throwers. They run the good guys out of town and invite over their friends... the yeast, viruses, fungal colonies and (if the party is really happening) the parasites get in the game. At this point, it’s the Animal House fraternity party of epic proportions, and you know what that’s like to clean up. Our inflammation gets out of control, and the good bacteria cannot produce the neurotransmitters that are crucial for a calm and balanced mood and brain. So the holy war going on in our intestines is mirrored in our brain, which is literally so inflamed that it feels like it’s on fire. 

Image via nicecarmrslarusso.blogspot.com

Now that we’ve broken the proverbial windows and punched holes in the sheetrock of our intestines, food that is not properly digested is making its way into our bloodstream. This is known as a leaky gut and these undigested proteins are being coded as invaders by our immune system. The immune system now initiates an attack which is the basis of many of our autoimmune conditions. This is similar to my example earlier where you were trying to escape the room but security considered you a threat to the environment. You know that you’re a good guy, but no one recognizes you anymore.

The gut is the production and storage facility for approximately 90% of the neurotransmitters that enable our brains to perform with clarity. Some of the top offenders responsible for throwing our system out of balance are:

•  chemically laced processed foods
•  foods treated with pesticides and fertilizers
• genetically modified foods
•  sugar and substances digested as sugar
• antibiotic usage
•  unrecognized or ignored food allergies and intolerances
•  stress
•  hormonal imbalances
• resultant nutritional deficiencies

There is a relationship between certain neurotransmitters and our microbiota. Different strains can reduce anxiety, reduce inflammation in bowel conditions, like colitis, IBD and IBS, regulate those inflammatory cytokine warriors, and importantly regulate the neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. If we think of serotonin as being responsible for a happy mood, then we should think of dopamine as being in charge of the rush associated with risk taking. This risk taking could come in the form of gambling, risky sexual behavior, drinking, drug use; these behaviors wash your deprived brain in dopamine. Your brain then craves more dopamine because it is not getting it from a balanced gut system, and this leads to addictive behaviors to constantly provide the pleasure chemical of dopamine to your thirsty brain. Similarly, those feelings of being choked with emotion are due to a release of serotonin in our esophagus; the feeling of having to run to the bathroom is also due to a release of serotonin, but in our intestines (often why Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRI’s, are prescribed off label for constipation).

The key is achieving and maintaining the health and balance of your digestive system and the over one hundred million neurotransmitters that line its length, which incredibly is approximately the same number as in the brain. So when you have a gut feeling about something, it’s not just a saying - it’s the reality of your physiology.

Cynthia Henrich is a Certified Holistic Health Coach specializing in healing gastrointestinal conditions, inflammation, and cancer with an integrative approach. You can join her "tribe" on Facebook at Holistic Health Insider and follow her latest project on Facebook at Urban Homesteading - The Sanctuary on the Glen Project. I've been blessed to call Cynthia my personal Health Coach and she has helped me immensely.

The Experts Weigh In: To Drug or Not To Drug

Image courtesy of anitashealthblog.blogspot.com

BY: DAVE ERICSON, CONTRIBUTOR

One of the most remarkable breakthroughs in medicine has been the discovery of antibiotics. Their use has decreased mortality and sequelae of serious infections in significant numbers.

Unfortunately though, their use has increased in recent years due to inappropriate prescribing practices and demand from patients. Bluntly, it is far easier to write a prescription for a cold than to explain to the patient that 90% of upper respiratory infections are viral. This practice is then reinforced when the patient experiences improvement while taking the antibiotic. The patient 'learns' that the antibiotic heals them, so the next time they come in with a cold, they request an antibiotic. Ironically, the cold got better in spite of the antibiotic. Some antibiotics, such as azithromycin (Zithromax) have a very potent anti-inflammatory component, thereby improving the symptoms of a cold by reducing the inflammatory responses.

Image courtesy of healthhabits.ca

Medical literature has continually supported the reduction of antibiotic usage. Primary care offices are constantly inundated with common upper respiratory tract, ear, sinus and bladder infections. With the patients being programmed to expect antibiotics, a refusal to prescribe by their primary care doctor may cause discord between the doctor and patient. Many precribers have complained that while they acted responsibly by treating symptoms of a virus without antibiotics, patients have gone to other clinics in search of their desired antibiotic.

Antibiotics are of immense value for treatment of bacterial infections. However, they do NOT treat viral infections! But more importantly, even when antibiotics are used correctly for the treatment of bacterial infections, they still have inherent risks that need to be considered and anticipated.

Antibiotics are effective in either killing or impairing the growth of bacteria. Unfortunately, treatment can also reduce the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. These bacteria are a normal part of our digestive system and aid in the digestion of food. Bacteria live in concert with various yeasts, mainly the candida species. Bacteria feed on yeast, controlling their numbers. If bacteria levels are diminished, yeasts are able to overgrow, possibly causing secondary illness.

As with any medication, antibiotics can put you at risk of allergic reactions and adverse reactions. Allergy severity can range from a simple skin rash to a full anaphylactic reaction with closure of the airway structures and collapse of the cardiovascular system.

Antibiotics can also potentiate an overgrowth of clostridium difficile in the gut. Clostridium difficile is a bacteria that is found in a small number of people normally. It can also be picked up by accidentally ingesting spores in a hospital or nursing home. These bacteria, when allowed to proliferate, can cause severe inflammation in the colon, even invading the colon wall.

Lastly, some antibiotics can actually weaken tendons, putting you at risk for future rupture of these structures.

Image courtesy of medicaleducator.co.uk

It is important to be cautious in your decision to use antibiotics. Typically, a cold or upper respiratory infection (because it is a viral illness) will dissipate within a week. Treating your symptoms with over the counter medications, rest and good hydration is the appropriate course of action. Also, stay home from work when you are sick! Your fellow co-workers will thank you. If your symptoms persist after one week, seek out care from your doctor. However, if you develop a high fever or develop more severe symptoms than the typical cold, seek out care immediately. It may still be viral, but let your doctor decide.

When a lucid decision is made to utilize antibiotics, it is important to supplement your diet with probiotics while taking the medication. It is recommended to take the probiotics during treatment and for 10-14 days after finishing the medication. Some foods, such as yogurt and some cheeses, provide these benefits. There are numerous over the counter probiotic supplements available for use as well.

While antibiotics have certainly improved our quality of life, indiscriminate use has caused increased strains of resistant bacteria. These developments have already decreased the benefits of antibiotics, causing more serious illnesses and deaths. Please be judicious in your use of these agents. Talk with your doctor before deciding on or accepting an antibiotic prescription.

Dave Ericson is a Physician Assistant based in Western Massachusetts. He also doubles as my uncle and personal healthcare consultant. When he's not treating patients, you can find Dave fly fishing on one of the many rivers near his home or jamming out on the guitar (an instrument he taught himself to play, and play well, I might add). He once played in a cover band in New Jersey and jokes that his band mates were young enough to be his kids. A bit of advice from a patient-healing, guitar-jamming, life-saving uncle?, "Quit worrying, particularly if there's nothing you can do. Enjoy your kids more... time flies by". Well said, Uncle Dave... well said.