Dr. Scott Sherr: Repair Your Gut Health with L-Glutamine and Butyrate. Glutamine is fuel for the small intestine. Butyrate is fuel for the large intestine (colon). Also see our Glutamine Page.
Also see: Signs of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) | Use of Coconut Oil as Enema Saves Woman's Colon from being Surgically Removed due to Colitis After Drugs Failed.
Also see: How the Vagus Nerve Heals Your Gut: The Key to Digestive Health and Healing, Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD
Colitis, Crohn's and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are symptoms of a much bigger problem; weak gut tissue. Many/most people with GI tract issues also have moderate to severe SIBO which has weakened their GI tract over the years.
So exhausted/weak gut tissue = inflammation in the small intestine and colon. The result if often massive pain. The GI tissue is desperately crying out for rest and recovery.
This healing strategy is all about a.) Crisis Meds if necessary, b.) No wheat anti-inflammatory mono diet, c.) lifestyle and d.) metabolic balance. Also, start some basic superfood supplements.
The overall integrative health strategy? 1.) reduce inflammation 2.) rebuild healthy gut tissue and 3.) clear toxins. You need healthy body tissue to be able to clear toxins.
How to start?
Start with the Dr. William Davis Wheat Belly Protocol / Wheat Belly Book or the TheRootCauseProtocol.com. EVEN BETTER: create your own perfect mix. Important: Research Dr. Scott Sherr slowly start L-glutamine and butyrate supplements.
Also use this fantastic resource: Ten Days to Optimal Health, A Guide to Nutritional Therapy and Colon Cleansing, Kristina Amelong.
Be sure to research Low Dose Naltrexone to see if it is right for you.
Many are reporting significant improvement from intestinal / colon challenges after several cycles of low dose Ivermectin (also Fenbendazole) together with the other health measures covered here. Start by cycling on/off every 3 -7 days. Dosage is individual. Many adults do well on 6mg of Ivermectin per day for 3 days and then cycle off for several days prior to re-starting. Ivermectin is one of the safest and most natural anti-parasitics. Dr. Edward Group: Major factors underlying all disease is parasites
Soothing, healing foods for an inflamed gut include: castor oil (hexane free) start with small amounts mixed in food, bone broth soup, baked/steamed squash / pumpkin / yam / apple, avocado, banana, manuka honey, papaya, baked/steamed plantain / sweet potato, KEFIR (dairy based or coconut milk based), aloe vera. Other baked, stewed or steamed mild veggies and fruits as preferred. Healing edible clays are also very anti-inflammatory.
Easy Kefir With 3 ingredients: milk (pastuerized or raw), kefir (active culture), agave inulin powder.
Add 1/2 to 1 gallon milk to Instant Pot or Crock Pot. Bring milk to body temp. Put on Yogurt Setting (body temp). Add 1-2 cups store bought kefire (active culture) and 2-3 tablespoons agave Inulin powder. Fermentation time varies, 7-15 hours. Both Kefir and L. Reuteri ferment at low heat (body temperature or room temp in warmer climates). Make larger amounts of kefir easily using the same method as L. Reuteri. See below. Also see Rebuild Your Gut Microbiome With Kefir.
The dietary suggestions described below are a.) simple, b.) high-moisture, c.) home cooked, d.) nothing synthetic-artificial and e.) avoid med side-effects and dependency.
GI tract problems typically develop over many years. At a certain point the body protects itself by inflammation (organ-Location + 'itis'). Are medications and surgery the only answer? No. Complete healing means helping your body re-build tissue integrity through diet and lifestyle. With some modifications, this healing diet also works for leaky gut syndrome and diverticulitis. Candida overgrowth is often an underlying factor that promotes tissue destruction and weakness, especially in the GI tract.
Instant Pot L. Reuteri Yogurt The Exact Instructions and Dr. William Davis: How to make L. Reuteri Yogurt A step-by-step guide.
Dr. William Davis is the author of Super Gut. Below, Dr. Davis talks about how Lactobacillus Reuteri (BioGaia Gastrus Reuteri Starter) strengthens gut tissue, natural immunity and has many other benefits for your health:
Also see Bowels Gone Wild: Microbiome Strategies For Age-Reversal.
Healthy probiotic bacteria help reduce gut inflammation. L. Reuteri is a healty gut bacteria that can populate not only the small intestine, but also the colon. Buy BioGaia Gastrus Reuteri Starter. L. Reuteri prefers to colonize the upper gastrointestinal tract, the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. While it takes residence in the upper GI tract it produces natural antibiotics called bacteriocins that are very effective against undesirable bacteria species that live in the small intestine that can cause SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth)... Restoring this species is becoming part of the solution to SIBO
...and other gut inflammations. ~ CulturedFoodLife.com
Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) can be a difficult situation to manage. There are good microbes in the small intestine that are essential for health. These can be encouraged to grow through diet and probiotics.
However, destructive microbes-bacteria can displace the good microbes and cause distress and disease. Sometimes these destructive bacteria set up house in the small intestine. Low dose CLO2-CDS | CLO2 / CDS Rescue Me is very effective at reducing these bad bacteria (including candida) in the small intestine and not harming the good ones with no significant side effects. Another option is low dose naltrexone (LDN) which also has few significant side effects.
Integrative medicine combines the best of both allopathic and natural medicine. Crisis meds and surgery are vital to save lives during crisis events such as hemmoraghes, intestinal blockages, bleeding, ulcers, dehydration, low-metabolites, etc.
The goal is to use them temporarily (hopefully less than one or two years) and at the lowest dosages possible. This is to avoid side-effects which can often be worse than the original problem. Long term medication use causes dependency. Medications overload the liver. Medications can alter body chemistry. Medications cannot build new body tissue. Medications cannot replace old body tissue.
Long term healing for Colitis and IBS means re-building tissue integrity in the entire GI tract. The human body is incredibly designed to build new tissue and replace old tissue - when supplied with the proper building materials (natural, bio-organic foods) and when allowed to freely eliminate toxins through the liver, lymph, colon, skin and kidneys. Can you heal from colitis and IBS? Absolutely! What is the long-term healing solution? Diet. Lifestyle. Discipline. Diligence.
Below are 7 steps for creating your own healing monodiet. Modify it for your own individual needs and preferences. This list is just a place to start. Your monodiet may change over time or depending on the climate you life in etc.
Healthy GI tissue ensures 1.) food absorption and 2.) body hydration. Food absorption is ensured by a healthy mucousal lining (similar to our nasal lining) that sloughs off and is expelled every 12-24 hours. Its function is to protect and lubricate the small intestine villi tissue that is absorbing food nutrients. The small intestine food content is relatively fluid. The small intestine pulls in water from the body to process nutrients and move food along. The colon extracts water from the food and returns it to the body.
Establish an individual monodiet baseline for yourself. Next, slowly get off the meds. Follow a cycle of: a.) establishing a digestive-monodiet baseline and b.) reduce meds slowly. For example, it may take you 2-6 months to establish a digestive baseline with this diet. After this, you may be able to reduce your meds every 1-3 months until none are needed.
Simple monodiet. An individual monodiet can have anywhere from 2 to 20 different foods. Find the core foods that work best for you. Why limit the amount of foods? 1.) Tracking. You want to track food variables - what works, what doesn't work. You want to track your improvement over days, weeks, months. And know why you are improving. It's very difficult to isolate a problem food if you eat everything - the simpler your diet - the easier to isolate problems and benefits. If you are a severe case you may need to maintain this food-lifestyle regimen for the rest of your life. 2.) Rest. Your entire GI tract and supporting organs need recovery and rehabilitation. 3.) Reduce the burden on your pancreas and liver. Complex and varied foods require more enzymes that your pancreas and liver have to produce.
Avoid all packaged, processed foods. If there is any question on gluten sensitivity, avoid all wheat / spelt products / breads / grains. No bread. No pasta. No crackers, muffins, etc. In addition to gluten, these products often contain artificial ingredients and or additives. They also dry and clog your intestinal system. This is a high-moisture diet. The fine particle size from modern flour milling procedures clogs up the sensitive mucousal tissue of both the small intestine and colon.
Eliminate processed and packaged foods and sugars. Why? Food preservatives and additives can wreak havoc in the body - monosodium glutamate (MSG) and artificial sweeteners like aspartame or splenda are examples. If you can't pronounce the ingredient, don't buy it. Buy items with the shortest ingredient list possible.
Fats & Oils are essential - ignore our societal fat-paranoia. Why? 1.) every cell in the body needs to waterproof itself - the body is mostly water, 2.) fats and oils help the old intestinal mucousal lining slough off, and help build and protect the new mucous lining 3.) every neuron has a protective fat layer that needs to be maintained. Brain and liver tissue are largely composed of fat - monosaturated fat. 4.) liver bile, which carries fat-loving toxins out of the body, is built from fats and oils. Avoid all of the seed oils: canola, vegetable oil, corn oil and soy based oils. More info at: The Great Con-ola. Please see the list below for healthy fats and oils. Article: Taking the Fear Out of Eating Fat
Soluble fiber. Focus on soluble fiber (squashes, pumpkin, banana, pectin, chia). Individual tolerance varies for insoluble fiber (bran, broccoli, raw veggies). Why? Soluble fiber is moisture rich and easiest to digest; especially when combined with healthy oils and fats, it helps moisturize and lubricate the mucousal lining. For those with colitis, a high percentage of soluble fiber may work best to start out with until the intestinal tissue heals. Insoluble fiber may initially be too rough on the system for many: however, juicing, shredding and purees may work.
Corporate lifestyle If the list of changes here looks overwhelming, start with one or two things and go from there. Keep it simple. Choose foods that are easy for you to prepare and put in small units that you can grab-and-go. Another option is to hire someone to home cook and/or deliver food, so you can just grab it as you head off to work.
Dairy and meat. Individual tolerances vary. If you are lactose intolerant and need a dairy substitute, avoid soy milk and soy products. Coconut milk is a great substitute. Other choices are almond milk and rice milk. If you are comfortable with dairy, then puddings, no-crust quiches and souffles are all good options - as long as they are home cooked - no packaged ingredients. Choose high-quality, pasture raised meat - without growth hormones and local if possible. The authors of this article share the ideals of vegetarians. If you are vegetarian, it is vital to educate yourself about additional or unusual food sources that can help prevent nutrient deficiencies. One recommendation is to add coconut and red palm oil. Myths and Truths About Vegetarianism.
Healing edible clays. ...clay has been used safely by humans and animals for tens of thousands of years....Clay has traditionally been known to be the very best natural substance to use for acute digestive system issues. For example, the only active worthwhile ingredient in the old original Pepto Bismol formulation was kaolin clay....
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Raw food vs cooked food. Those with colitis typically need all cooked food - it's easier on the system. If you can handle raw food, this is wonderful - it can be more nutritious because it is full of enzymes. Tolerance for raw rood is individual So the answer is to find your individual, comfortable balance.
Meals and snacks. Many small meals throughout the day and snacks in between may be most comfortable and digestible. Have snacks with you to avoid convenience foods. If you are stressed or upset, wait till later to eat. For times when you know you may be stressed, shift to nutritious smoothies (coconut milk, honey, banana, fruit) and/or soups.
Mucilagenous foods. Mucilagenous foods heal the mucosal lining of the stomach, small intestine and colon: Nopales, Chia, Pectin, Kelp, Flax, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow Root, Aloe, Okra, Plantain, Cassava.
Supplements? Metabolism? Learn more at: TheRootCauseProtocol Intro Videos
Create your own simple, monodiet. Some options are below. Add your own favorites. Reduce or expand your list as you track your body's response. When you add new ingredients, add them one at a time so you can track them. All ingredients should be in their natural state, i.e. not devitalized, refined or enriched; check out the bulk foods section in a natural foods store.
Good food and lifestyle are your first line of defense. Avoid any artificial protein and soy based powders. Supplements that may help include:
Small intestine gas pains may be one of the challenges in getting through the Colitis and IBS healing process. In the long run, the gas pains should decrease as the stomach, small intestine and colon tissue heal. For the short term, pharmaceutical grade activated charcoal is one of the most effective supplements for reducing gas pain. It helps a.) break up the gas bubbles and b.) neutralize toxic acids as they are flushed out of the system. It can be purchased in capsules or in bulk; I typically purchase 1-3 US pounds worth, and ingest a heaping teaspoon mixed with water 2-3 times a day.