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THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GUT HEALTH, REPAIRING THE DAMAGE ___________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Trinity School of Natural Health ___________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Naturopathic Doctor Certification ___________________ by Rebecca A. Plotner April 2014 The intestinal tract is a long tube filled with good and bad bacteria working together in perfect balance creating a state of homeostasis. If something kills off the good bacteria, the bad bacteria grows unchecked and can become pathogenic. This is the source of illness in the body affecting each person according to their genetic weakness and according to the specific pathogen overgrowth. A healthy microbiome will process pathogens and toxins as they pass through the body. A compromised microbiome can not. Each person responds differently to toxins and chemicals according to their body's weakest link. For some this imbalance shows up as illnesses like toenail fungus or cracked heels for others it is fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis. Each is connected to the health of the intestinal tract and the bacteria that lies within the 30 feet that make up our digestion. "In healthy individuals there is a thick bacterial band attached to gut mucosa, keeping it intact and healthy. In inflammatory bowel disease different pathogens are found in the mucosa, even inside the gut cells," says Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.1 McBride is the leading forerunner in autoimmune disease, autism, psychological issues and all other gut related diseases which she believes are all caused by an imbalance in the microbiome. McBride is a Medical Doctor, neurologist, neurosurgeon and holds a degree in Human Nutrition. She is considered the pioneer of gut healing. Other findings and studies have sourced from her clinical experience, verifying her work. Studies performed in 2015 only confirm McBride's clinical findings from 2004 and earlier. Rebuilding the microbiome can be accomplished through introducing the proper beneficial bacteria for that person's weakness while eliminating all factors that cause the pathogens to grow. The National Institute of Health (NIH) reports, "There are qualitative and quantitative differences in the composition of gut microbiota between patients affected by FA (food allergy) and healthy infants. These findings prompted the concept that specific beneficial bacteria from the human intestinal microflora, designated probiotics, could restore intestinal homeostasis and prevent or alleviate allergy, at least in part by interacting with the intestinal immune cells."2 If the intestines were spread out flat it would cover the size of a tennis court. The mucus lining itself weighs three pounds, the same weight as a brick. A healthy mucosal lining is vital to a healthy body. All aspects of the body are connected to the gut. If the gut is sick, the body is sick. If the gut is healthy, the body is healthy. Each person can tolerate different toxins or chemicals, even if ingested, according to the state of their intestinal flora that covers the walls of the intestines. When this mucosal lining is compromised, due to pathogen overgrowth, different illnesses will manifest in the body, according the that person's weakness. This weakness can be because the good mucosa was not passed down from the mother, creating weak strains of necessary beneficial bacteria or it can be because something has killed off the proper balance. McBride's clinical experience with the gut microbiome shows irrefutable evidence that the overgrowth of bad bacteria is the root cause of disease. Her protocol to heal the damage and recover health, even for the most damaged cases, is done through anti-inflammatory, easy to digest foods accompanied with building the flora with probiotics. The intestinal tract is considered the area between the stomach and the anus, however, when the microbiome is not in balance the mucosal lining in all areas including the stomach, esophagus and mouth, is compromised. This means when food enters the mouth the saliva that normally starts to break down food, is not able to perform its job. When this happens there are signs, showing the imbalance and damage is present. If the microbiome of the intestinal tract has pathogen overgrowth this will be evident through several factors including gas, bloating, pain, diarrhea or constipation, acid reflux, GERD, H. pylori, hiccups and burping, as well as other complications. There should not be gas in the intestinal tract, flatulence is a sign something is wrong. This could be food fermenting in the intestines, it could be yeast, it could be worms passing out of the body releasing toxic gasses as they pass or it could be die off from other pathogens. Gas should be evident in a healthy gut if the fecal matter is in the final stages of transit and you are not able to evacuate in a timely manner. At all other times the tract should not produce gas. When the stomach is compromised stomach acid does not function properly. This can take different forms. When there is low stomach acid the secretion glands in the stomach go into overdrive producing hydrochloric acid to compensate for the deficiency. This low stomach acid can present in two ways – as low stomach acid or as the secretion glands overproduce acid to accommodate for the deficiency, too much acid. McBride says if the stomach wall is overgrown with pathogens, "They produce toxins which have an ability to paralyze the muscles of the stomach, causing gastro-paresis with slow emptying. The same situation happens in the bowel causing slow transit of food and constipation."3 When this happens a person can experience acid reflux, burning in the throat and food spurting up from the stomach as the overactive acid sloshes against the sphincter. This will happen if certain pathogens that paralyze the muscles are present. When there is low stomach acid the secretion glands in the stomach go into overdrive producing hydrochloric acid to compensate. This is the source of too much acid. In rare cases the person will get pain in their lungs as the stomach acid splashes up and falls back into the lungs. This causes a lot of pain as the stomach acid is caustic to the lining of the lungs. If the damage affects the salivary glands the person will be picky with food, specifically food textures as the pathogens release toxic gasses. McBride says, "Toxins get secreted through saliva. This contributes to the toxic load in the mouth, altering the taste and feel of foods."4 The child in this situation will refuse food if the texture is not right, but there is a reason. He's not just being naughty or defiant. Certain foods are cleaning foods which cleanse the body of toxins. Raw fruit, vegetables, herbs, uncooked nuts and seeds, cold pressed oils and other foods kill off pathogens. When the child eats foods that kill the pathogens in their saliva the food does not taste like food. When the pathogens are killed they release toxic gasses. Different foods kill off different pathogens, specific to each person. Some toxic gasses are chemically acetone, others are acetaldehyde, the chemical in your body which gives you the hangover feeling. When these toxins are in your food the food doesn't taste good. This can cause the child to become a picky eater, spit out their food or refuse to eat. For a child in this situation if they put a spoonful of healing food in their mouth it kills these toxic pathogens, killing them. When they die the acetone, or methane, or hydrogen gas, or many other toxins fill the mouth. Not the child is not tasting pastured egg yolk they are tasting broken glass or nail polish remover. This child will not like that food for clear reasons. Even twins who have the same make up have a different pathogen load. One child may love a certain food while it causes texture issues for another. Texture issues range in food types according to the pathogens. McBride describes it well saying, "Foods have strong detoxifying substances, which bind to the toxins in the mouth trying to remove them. This can feel far from nice, ranging from stinging, itching and burning to simply an unpleasant taste."5 “We’re all being slowly poisoned in some ways, some advertently, some inadvertently. The food is really tricky these days,” says Dr. Robynne Chutkan, author of Gutbliss A 10-Day Plan To Ban Bloat, Flush Toxins, And Dump Your Digestive Baggage.6 Gastroenterology issues are regularly healed through health and nutrition. Chutkan is a Medical Doctor and Integrative Gastroenterologist who says, "There are more than one billion bacteria in each drop of fluid in your colon." She says her paradigm that pills fix everything has changed. “There is so much that we don’t know in medicine. A lot of the evidence is not compelling. What continues to cause me a great deal of anguish is looking at the commercial aspect of medicine. So much of what we do is based on who is providing our medication.”67 Acid suppressing drugs block stomach acids but also create a hospitable environment for bad bacteria. This is a direct cause of boating caused by possible overgrowth of bacteria and yeast. The next step is skin issues, eczema, allergies and food intolerances. She goes on to say, “Unfortunately these days pharmaceutical companies are the ones providing much of the medical education. Therefore there is often a pharmaceutical fix for something that could very often easily be treated with a lifestyle fix.”78 McBride says, "Once you heal and seal your gut lining, once you make your digestive system healthy and working properly again, you'll be surprised how many various symptoms in your body, far removed from your digestive system will start disappearing.

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