THE LEAKY GUT CONNECTION

If you are looking for MLM (Multilevel Marketing), a magical pill or the cure for your illness; you will not find any of those answers here. However, this article will give you more insight, awareness, answers and a guide to where you can find affordable solutions to help your gut health and immune system.
There are so many factors that will eventually come into play with the title of this article. The gut and brain work together, taking power over your body and your mind. Increased intestinal permeability (aka “Leaky Gut”) and it’s connection to brain function, inflammation and autoimmune disease; has become a hot topic. My goal is to attempt to simplify the complicated. You must first know the basic terminology and definitions before you can comprehend the massive overload of information.

What is Meniere’s Disease?

Meniere’s Disease is a disorder that affects the inner ear. The inner ear is responsible for hearing and balance. The condition causes vertigo, the sensation of spinning. It also leads to hearing problems and a ringing sound in the ear. [1]

However, look at the actual definition:

[ˌmānˈyerz dəˌzēz]
NOUN
1. a disease of unknown cause affecting the membranous labyrinth of the ear, causing progressive deafness and attacks of tinnitus and vertigo.

(My ENT’s explanation: You have fluid in your inner ear (balance center) and fluid in your brain. One is high in potassium and one is high in sodium. These fluids are not suppose to mix. There are membranes to stop the interaction. When you have Meniere’s Disease or vertigo related illness, these membranes start to stretch. The cause is unknown. The more they stretch, the more the fluid makes contact, thus causing your balance to become unsteady. Once stretched opened, full vertigo occurs. Thus, why the shunt surgery has had much success. If you’re bilateral, the surgery is not an option.)

What is Chronic Disease?
Chronic disease: A disease that persists for a long time. A chronic disease is one lasting 3 months or more, by the definition of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Chronic diseases generally cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medication, nor do they just disappear. [2]

What is autoimmune disease?
Autoimmune disease is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells. The immune system normally guards against germs like bacteria and viruses. When it senses these foreign invaders, it sends out an army of fighter cells to attack them. Basically, when you have auto immune disease, your body attacks itself. It sees an organ, muscle, joints or skin as a virus. The body then releases an overload of auto antibodies and goes to war on the healthy cells. [3]

List of Autoimmune Diseases: [4]
Addison’s disease
Adult Still’s disease
Agammaglobulinemia
Alopecia areata
Amyloidosis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Anti-GBM/Anti-TBM nephritis
Antiphospholipid syndrome
Autoimmune dysautonomia
Autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Autoimmune hepatitis
Achalasia
Autoimmune myocarditis
Autoimmune orchitis
Autoimmune pancreatitis
Autoimmune retinopathy
Autoimmune urticaria
Axonal & neuronal neuropathy (AMAN)
Baló disease
Behcet’s disease
Benign mucosal pemphigoid
Castleman disease (CD)
Celiac disease
Chagas disease
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO)
Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) or Eosinophilic Granulomatosis (EGPA)
Cicatricial pemphigoid
Cogan’s syndrome
Cold agglutinin disease
Congenital heart block
Coxsackie myocarditis
CREST syndrome
Crohn’s disease
Dermatitis herpetiformis
Dermatomyositis
Devic’s disease (neuromyelitis optica)
Discoid lupus
Dressler’s syndrome
Endometriosis
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)
Eosinophilic fasciitis
Erythema nodosum
Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia
Evans syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Fibrosing alveolitis
Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis)
Giant cell myocarditis
Glomerulonephritis
Goodpasture’s syndrome
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
Graves’ disease
Guillain-Barre syndrome
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Hemolytic anemia
Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP)
Herpes gestationis or pemphigoid gestationis (PG)
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) (Acne Inversa)
Hypogammalglobulinemia
IgA Nephropathy
IgG4-related sclerosing disease
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
Inclusion body myositis (IBM)
Interstitial cystitis (IC)
Juvenile arthritis
Juvenile diabetes (Type 1 diabetes)
Juvenile myositis (JM)
Kawasaki disease
Lambert-Eaton syndrome
Leukocytoclastic vasculitis
Lichen planus
Lichen sclerosus
Ligneous conjunctivitis
Linear IgA disease (LAD)
Lupus
Lyme disease chronic
Meniere’s disease
Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA)
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
Mooren’s ulcer
Mucha-Habermann disease
Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) or MMNCB
Multiple sclerosis
Myasthenia gravis
Myositis
Narcolepsy
Neonatal Lupus
Neuromyelitis optica
Neutropenia
Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid
Optic neuritis
Palindromic rheumatism (PR)
PANDAS
Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD)
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)
Parry Romberg syndrome
Pars planitis (peripheral uveitis)
Parsonage-Turner syndrome
Pemphigus
Peripheral neuropathy
Perivenous encephalomyelitis
Pernicious anemia (PA)
POEMS syndrome
Polyarteritis nodosa
Polyglandular syndromes type I, II, III
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Polymyositis
Postmyocardial infarction syndrome
Postpericardiotomy syndrome
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Primary sclerosing cholangitis
Progesterone dermatitis
Psoriasis
Psoriatic arthritis
Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA)
Pyoderma gangrenosum
Raynaud’s phenomenon
Reactive Arthritis
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Relapsing polychondritis
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Retroperitoneal fibrosis
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sarcoidosis
Schmidt syndrome
Scleritis
Scleroderma
Sjögren’s syndrome
Sperm & testicular autoimmunity
Stiff person syndrome (SPS)
Subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE)
Susac’s syndrome
Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO)
Takayasu’s arteritis
Temporal arteritis/Giant cell arteritis
Thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS)
Transverse myelitis
Type 1 diabetes
Ulcerative colitis (UC)
Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD)
Uveitis
Vasculitis
Vitiligo
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease

Author’s Note: Meniere’s actually made a list somewhere!

I was told during my MD (Meniere’s Disease) diagnosis in 2001, that the MD was autoimmune related. Years went by and I was diagnosed with more conditions, continually hearing the words “autoimmune disease.” I now have Meniere’s Disease (MD), Fibromyalgia, Crohn’s Disease, Sacroiliitis, Iritis and survived Melanoma skin cancer two times. The fact that one third of MD patients have autoimmune disease [5] has become even more intriguing as I learn about the gut connection.

What is Leaky Gut?
A condition where the lining of the small intestine has become damaged. Tiny holes are torn in the gut lining. This allows foreign bodies and toxins to “leak into the blood stream-causing symptoms and disease-especially inflammatory disease. [6]
Other causes include long term medication use, food allergies, stress and gut infections. Leaky gut has been linked to other psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Additionally, studies show that the cause of food allergies, low energy, joint pain, autoimmune conditions, and slow metabolism could be leaky gut toxins spreading through your body. [7] This is where the gut and mind also going hand in hand. Therefore leading to the popular phrase; your health starts and ends with your gut.

Putting it together for you:
Many warriors are suffering from bowel movement issues. They are so focused on the greater diagnosis that they ignore the issue completely or write it off as just another side affect of their diseased life. Moreover, doctors do not even ask this question during evaluation and we do not think to mention it. Why would we? How are we suppose to know that the gut is interacting at all times with our medical conditions and our brain? In 2005, after being diagnosed with Sacrolitiis (swelling of sacrum), the doctor specifically asked me if I was having any problems with my stomach and/or bathroom routine. It was definitely an issue I was having and she referred me to a Gastroenterologist. After a colonoscopy, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. If you have any of the above listed diseases in this article and are also struggling with your stomach, you are more than likely battling the daily affects of leaky gut.

How to better your Leaky Gut and overall Health:
*First and foremost, I always suggest you see a specialist. You should make sure you did not develop yet another disease that may require medical attention.*

#1: Find if you have any food triggers. Most warriors need a gluten free diet and do not even know it. Dairy may be a cause and effect for you. All warriors should avoid processed and refined junk foods.
#2: Eat foods that promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria, including fruits, cultured dairy products, healthy fats, lean meats and fibrous and fermented vegetables. Also, eat probiotic foods such as:
-Yogurt (Greek yogurt is best or one that clearly says priobiotic). You should also have yogurt 20 minutes before taking your medications.
-Kefir -Sauerkraut -Tempeh -Kimchi’ -Pickles-Traditional Buttermilk -Natto
#3: Reduce stress levels.
#4: Sleep and Rest are imperative.
#5: Add supplements for healing and maintenance. L-glutamone, Omega3 and Priobiotics.

My personal experiment:
During my research, I reached out to Marty, a former pharmacist, now advocate for natural healing and owner of Burman’s Health Shop. I started 2 products on March 1, 2019 after discussing Leaky Gut in detail with him.

I was looking for relief of:
*Inflammation
*joint pain
*pain and difficultly with bowel movement
*brain fog
*anxiety
*crohns
*fibromyalgia
*overall health improvement

Please note that according to my hours of research, it takes about six (6) months to get the gut back to the healthiest state possible. I started using Glutamine Powder in my yogurt and fresh berry blend morning shakes. I use Plant Fusion in the afternoon as a partial meal supplement. Plant Fusion has Probiotics and Omega3 in one, along with other very healthy nutrients.
It has been just a little over thirty (30) days and I STAND BEHIND THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME I HAVE HAD PERSONALLY ALREADY. I no longer have to run to a bathroom, endure painful cramping, or deal with the bloating feeling every time I eat a substantial meal. I would say the other issues I mentioned above are at about a 60% success rate.

My medical thoughts:

As usual, there is more substantial evidence by warriors then there is by the medical field. But let’s be honest, we always have known more because we live it; not learn it. We are all the same but, different. There is no doubt in my mind that our health begins and ends with our gut. To think that all this time, I have had toxins leaking into my blood stream is extremely concerning. Your gut is most likely now like a strainer. A bunch of holes just allowing these toxins to drain out underneath. By fixing that, you are helping your overall health and may just assist your body in gaining relief to many of your symptoms from your disease(s).

Resources:
[1] healthline.com
[2] medicinenet.com
[3] meniereslifewithginamarie.com (article “Autoimmune Disease and Meniere’s”)
[4] aarda.org
[5] sciencedirect.com
[6] foodintol.com
[7] Natural Cures, Nov. 18, 2016