What is the Gut? In essence, it’s a long TUBE that is opened on both ends from the mouth to the rectum.
That means that it’s opened to the outside world, and for that reason, 80% of the IMMUNE SYSTEM, lines the small and large intestines to monitor what comes into our blood circulation.
There is the VAGUS NERVE (Nerve no 10) one of the Cranial nerves, that runs from the brain to the GUT, and feeds ALL the ORGANS in the body!
What is Interesting, is that there are 10 x more pathways going from the Gut to the Brain than
vice versa, meaning that the gut has a bigger impact on the brain than the opposite.
That is the reason why the Gut it is also called the SECOND BRAIN (? First Brain).
The DNA in our body tissues and organs only represent 10 % of the total DNA in our body.
The other 90% is in the GUT and that is what we call the MICROBIOME, the bacteria present in the Gut.
Our own DNA is basically equivalent to the DNA of an EARTHWORM!
To achieve what man has achieved the “Good and the Bad” is thanks to them!
The way we are born will determine the diversity of the Microbiome in the gut.
Natural vaginal delivery versus being born via caesarean section can make a massive difference.
As per the vagina, the newborn will swallow bacteria from within the vaginal canal as well as from the rectum, this will increase the diversity of the Microbiome at birth and will create an advantage versus the caesarean section born.
The diversity of the Microbiomemakes all the difference in one’s health, for example, intolerances, allergies etc.
We furthermore live in two different modes: 1) The Rest and Digest mode.
2) The Fight and Flight mode.
These two modes are controlled by the Vagus Nerve that I mentioned earlier on.
The imbalance of these two states takes place within the Vagus Nerve and will also have an impact on our state of health.
Think of wild animals such as a buck chewing on grass and leaves peacefully: That is the Rest and Digest mode.
When attacked by a lion: it goes into the Fight and Flight mode.
We, as humans are in constant Fight and Flight mode, which is the reason for our developing chronic illnesses.
An important factor to include here is the impact of “adverse childhood experiences” such as child abuse, lack of love and affection as well as rejection which will affect us for life and will impact our cellular memory.
The Gut lining is one cell thick with multiple villi that contain digestive enzymes.
The role of this lining is to digest, detoxify, and absorb minerals and vitamins and to produce antibodies.
Now, if the psychological boundary, such as the above-mentioned examples, has been broken, we can expect the same of the physical boundary, which will affect the Gut lining to different degrees.
Two factors are at play regarding the Immune system:
1) The lining of the Gut itself, from within, and there is a shield of mucus protecting it.
2) The “microbiome” is our friends in the Gut: So “We are never alone”.
The secretions released from the bacteria are chemicals that function like natural antibiotics to control the invaders.
Inflammation of the Gut lining will increase the Leakiness of the gut further: from LPS, Heavy metals, Pesticides etc.
Often one will have a Colonoscopy for IBS and it will turn out to be normal whilst the symptoms remain.
The symptoms are related to the Microbiome, unfortunately, it is not tested thoroughly.
When the emotional and therefore the physical boundaries are broken disease will follow.
There is this natural intestinal permeability, that is necessary to enable us to allow the normal absorption of nutrients, but this has now become leaky and allows larger food particles and bacteria debris (LPS) to enter the bloodstream.
Once the immune system is overcome by some particles, the consequences will be a food intolerance.
The Immune System lining the gut will furthermore be mobilised immediately and cause local as well as distal symptoms like abdominal pains, headaches, joint aches etc.
We have now switched from Rest & Digest Mode to Fight and Flight mode, allowing this process of leakiness to persist.
The mobilisation of the Immune System will eventually trigger an Auto Immune Disease.
How is that?
LPS, Food particles will bind to an organ and trigger off an Immune response to attack that particular protein, now bound to that organ.
The type of emotion will furthermore determine the Organ affected by the immune response and this is typically an auto-immune response.
The Microbiome is an organ, as it plays a master role in protecting the lining of the Gut in its role of digesting, detoxing, immune response etc.
Five grams of extremely toxic substances are present in the gut and must never pass that boundary of the gut lining: after trauma or a burst appendix.
The Microbiome will change with age: from a baby, through childhood, to teenager, childbearing age, adulthood and menopause in the elderly, all influenced by our emotions, the food we eat as well as by the hormones i.e., Oestrogen fluctuations, Testosterone and Progesterone.
As food is medicine, it is vitally important to have a balanced diet, i.e., the rainbow colours made up of different fruits and vegetables such as the Mediterranean diet.
The diversity of the Microbiome will be influenced by the variety of food that one consumes daily.
Moreover, the Microbiome will also change according to what we eat.
I believe it would be accurate to say that the gut is the centre of our “body’s universe”.
It is also the first line of defence to protect and support the burden on the Liver, this one is the
The second line of defence as it also produces Antibodies.
It’s important to note that the acid produced by the Stomach, as well as the Bile from the Liver, have antibacterial properties too.
Bile’s role is to detoxify, absorb fats and to also control blood sugar to some extent.
Bile contains glutathione, the most important antioxidant in our body, and plays the role of detoxification as well, as it helps the bile flow.
The most common Gut condition is I.B.S.
To me, it means a lot, and nothing at the same time, as it is not specific and varies from person to person.
The most common condition in I.B.S. is called S.I.B.O. (Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth).
There is a shift of the Bacteria (reflux) from the Large Intestine into the Small Intestine and this causes constant bloating.
The Small Intestine is the essential part of the gut, where most of the nutrients are absorbed, into the bloodstream.
The presence of bacteria in the Small Intestine is now competing with the absorption of these nutrients. This can cause deficiencies of Iron, Vitamin B12, and more so are now feeding our friends and making us deficient in many nutrients.
Note that if there were no bacteria in the Intestines, we would not be around today!
Most neurotransmitters are made in the Gut such as Serotonin, Dopamine, Melatonin and many more. They are shuttled to the brain via the Vagus Nerve and released via the central nervous system accordingly.
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Excess stress: such as trauma, an infection for example will divert the production in the gut of Serotonin from tryptophan and now produce energy instead, to repair the DNA from damaged cells and to fight the infection.
In doing so the Microbiome will deprive the nervous system of Serotonin and cause anxiety, fear and even depression.
This is an example of the link between the gut microbiome and the brain.
To heal the Gut, we need to look at what category of foods we are dealing with as they have a major impact on the Microbiome:
- Dairy
- Gluten
- Salicylates
- Oxalates
- Sulphates
- Citrus
- Nightshades
- Glutamates
- Carbs
- Fodmaps
- Histamines
PROBIOTICS:
They do not stay in the Gut but stimulate the production of the same Bacteria or even the increase of other beneficial Bacteria.
Importance of the 4 R’s
- Remove
- Repair
- Replace
- Reinoculat