The Four Most Common Gut Health Conditions_Final
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>> Hi, in this lecture,
we'll be talking about the different ways a person's gut
may stop working properly and the symptoms associated
with the four most common GI tract conditions.
Do you know what they are?
The four most common conditions
of gut malfunction are leaky gut,
small intestine bacterial overgrowth or SIBO,
yeast overgrowth, and fatty liver disease.
Unbelievably, over 50 million people a year
in the United States
seek medical attention for digestive diseases
with a price tag of over $32 billion.
Imagine how much time and money could be saved
by addressing the underlying causes of these conditions
rather than just treating the symptoms?
It can be confusing to try to figure out what's going on
when your client appears
to have a condition of gut malfunction
because these four syndromes are all interrelated
and it's unclear which starts first.
It does seem that fatty liver disease
is a result of the first three
as it's usually last to appear,
and they're all related to inflammation
and changes in the gut flora.
It's even possible that all four of these malfunctions
can be present at once.
People with one or more of these conditions
might complain of a number of seemingly
unrelated health concerns and symptoms.
A client with all four gut conditions
might have bad breath, brain fog,
anxiety or depression, PMS,
fatigue or low energy, gas or bloating,
cramping or urgency, mucous -y bowel movements,
loose stool, diarrhea, constipation or a combination,
food sensitivities, and carbohydrate intolerance,
particularly after eating fiber and/or beans.
First, let's discuss leaky gut.
To maintain good general health,
the wall of the GI tract must be intact.
And it's especially critical for good gut health.
Yet unbelievably, the lining of the gut
is actually only one cell layer thick.
Underneath this ultra thin lining are barrier cells
that keep the gut protected from toxins
and keep waste products from entering the bloodstream.
Interestingly, the gut is designed to be a little leaky
to allow nutrients and water to pass through.
But when the system breaks down and it becomes too leaky,
everything from bacteria to food particles to toxins
can get through.
And as you can imagine, this is bad news.
What's good to have inside the walls of the gut
is not so good in the bloodstream.
Those same bacteria that do
all that good work in the GI tract
can cause severe problems
when they escape their well-guarded prison.
So you are likely wondering
what makes the gut lining break down.
The initial hit is believed to be hereditary.
Some people are just more susceptible
to having a leaky gut barrier.
This is particularly true for people with celiac disease,
meaning that their body produces antibodies against gluten,
and those with inflammatory bowel disease
such ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
It's actually bacteria that protect the intestinal wall
especially in the colon.
As long as the beneficial bacteria are healthy and numerous,
they help to maintain the barrier.
But when the balance of the gut flora shifts toward
inflammatory and toxic bacteria,
the barrier breaks down.
In addition, inflammation due to grains, sugars, dairy,
inflammatory fats, commercial meats,
and alcohol can also weaken
and contribute to the breaking down of the gut barrier.
Chronic release of the stress hormone cortisol
can break down the gut wall
which increases intestinal permeability.
This is one more valuable reason
why your clients can benefit
from incorporating stress reduction practices
into their lives,
especially if they're experiencing GI symptoms
because their stress really is making them sick.
Zinc deficiency appears to have an effect
on leaky gut as well
because zinc helps maintain proper cell division
and can make strong cell membranes.
Often, the first symptom your clients will complain of
when they have leaky gut is food sensitivities.
They suddenly can't eat wheat products or dairy
without feeling bloated and gassy,
their sugar cravings are usually off the wall
and fiber makes them miserable.
Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye,
is very big,
so normally it can't fit through the little spaces
between the cells in the intestine.
But when the barrier has broken down,
these big proteins can get into the bloodstream
and wreak havoc within the system.
Next, we have a small intestine bacterial overgrowth.
Normally, the small intestine has very little bacteria,
but if it gets out of balance,
the bacteria population gets out of hand
and it grows like crazy where it isn't supposed to.
When the beneficial bacteria in the gut are decreased,
the inflammatory bacteria can inhabit the small bowel.
The result is gas, bloating, and poor digestion.
The cells of the small intestine
can't do their job of absorbing nutrients and liquids.
And this result in diarrhea,
uncontrollable gas, and discomfort.
High carbohydrate, low fiber intake
is associated with SIBO.
Also, low stomach acid can contribute to SIBO
because normally the stomach acid kills the bacteria
before they make it to the small bowel.
There's a gate between the small intestine and the colon
called the ileocecal valve.
For some patients with SIBO,
the valve doesn't stay closed
and allows the colon contents
to wash up into the small bowel.
This may be one cause for SIBO.
People with leaky gut or SIBO are more likely to have
sensitivity to histamines in their food.
Histamine is a chemical that is involved in both
nerve transmission and the immune system.
You might be familiar with antihistamines
which are used for both allergy medicine
and to block stomach acid.
These are medications that block histamines as well.
Some people react to certain foods that release histamine
into the system
causing a variety of reactions including
flushing, sneezing, itching, anxiety, hives,
headaches, fever, difficulty sleeping, diarrhea,
wheezing, and swelling.
People with leaky gut
or small intestine bacterial overgrowth
are more prone to histamine sensitivity.
While there are other causes such as food allergies
and genetic defects that prevent the breakdown of histamine,
gut dysbiosis makes the problem much worse.
Histamine-releasing foods to avoid include fermented,
cured, or sour foods such as yogurt, lunch meat,
pickles, and sour cream,
aged cheeses such as cheddar and goat cheese,
citrus, dried fruits such as apricots and raisins,
alcoholic beverages, especially wine and beer,
nuts including walnuts, peanuts, and cashews,
avocados, eggplants, spinach and tomatoes,
smoked fish, chocolate, and dairy.
Before considering histamine sensitivity,
it's important to rule out any genuine food allergies.
We highly recommend referring your client
to a healthcare practitioner
for further testing
to conclude a food allergy doesn't exist.
Once a food allergy is ruled out,
you can start your clients on a gut healing protocol.
You'll also want to help your clients identify foods
that are low in histamine.
The keyword for people with histamine sensitivity is fresh.
They should avoid any foods that are preserved, aged,
cultured, fermented, soured, or smoked.
This includes canned foods.
Frozen foods are usually tolerated.
Low histamine foods include
freshly cooked meat or poultry, freshly caught fish, eggs,
fresh fruits including apple, watermelon, mango, and pear,
fresh vegetables, except tomatoes, spinach,
avocado, and eggplant,
dairy substitutes like coconut, rice, hemp, or almond milk,
gluten-free grains such as rice and quinoa,
pure peanut butter with no added oils or sugars,
healthy cooking oils including olive oil and coconut oil,
leafy herbs like basil and parsley, and herbal teas.
The third gut malfunction is yeast overgrowth.
Simply put, when yeast takes over, the GI tract runs amok.
The most common yeast found in the body is Candida albicans.
This is a normal part of the gut flora
and doesn't usually cause any symptoms,
however, stress, gut flora imbalance, high blood sugar,
and impaired immunity can lead to overgrowth.
When it over grows, it produces something called a biofilm.
A biofilm is a large group of yeast buds
surrounded by a thick covering
that makes it resistant to treatment.
This biofilm can coat the GI tract.
When the gut barrier cells are intact,
the yeast stays in the GI tract
where it causes gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
However, when there's a case of leaky gut,
the yeast can spread to other parts of the body
and cause more serious consequences.
Symptoms of yeast overgrowth outside of the GI tract
include fatigue, brain fog, irritability,
strong sugar cravings, vaginal yeast infections,
eczema, and itchy ears.
A combination of yeast overgrowth, leaky gut,
and a compromised immune system
can allow Candida to infect the blood, which can be fatal.
Treatment seeks to reverse the imbalance in the gut flora
and address the leaky gut.
You'll learn more about that later on
when we lay out a basic gut protocol to help your clients
heal their GI tract
and get on their way to happier, healthier lives.
Finally, we have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
This actually appears
to be a manifestation of metabolic syndrome.
The liver is an essential part of the GI tract.
It's where protein and fat
complete their transition into energy
and bacteria and toxins are broken down.
The liver also produces bile,
a thick greenish liquid
that breaks down fat in the upper digestive system.
So as you can imagine,
when the liver stops functioning properly,
the whole system gets out of whack.
When we overeat, especially too many carbohydrates,
energy is stored in the liver.
Initially, this is stored as glycogen
which is a sugar complex.
But as more and more energy accumulates,
the liver begins to store fat.
Leaky gut allows bacterial toxins to reach the liver
causing inflammatory cells to gather around the fat,
this is called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Mostly, this is worrisome
because it's a part of metabolic syndrome.
This means that the person is at risk for heart disease,
vascular disease, and stroke.
The good news is that the process is reversible
by correcting the diet and blood sugar abnormalities.
However, over time, if it's not corrected,
the inflammation can cause scarring
which makes the liver function poorly.
Once this happens,
it's irreversible and can be quite serious.
Okay, so now let's recap.
In this lecture, you learned about the four most
common conditions of gut malfunction.
These are leaky gut,
small intestine bacterial overgrowth or SIBO,
yeast overgrowth and fatty liver disease
which can result from the first three conditions.
The major takeaway point for you to remember
is that all disease begins in the gut.
Therefore, it's crucial that you look at your client's diet
and digestive symptoms
when trying to determine
the cause of their hormonal imbalances.
Luckily, with the right dietary changes,
your clients will likely see a major improvement
in their gut health
and ultimately their overall quality of life.
Be sure to take the quiz
and review the handout for this module,
then hop on over to the Facebook group
and let us know what you learned.
Do you now have a better understanding
of the four most common gut health conditions?
What's something that stood out to you?
Discussing what you learn in this course
is so important to applying it
to your practice as a Health Coach,
so we encourage you to take the time to connect
and share with one another.
Thanks so much for watching, and I'll see you soon.