Do Autoimmune Diseases Start In The Gut?

Gut Health · Feb 10, 2021

The majority of people with autoimmune issues have been told by their medical doctor that there is nothing they can do about it. They were told that they will be suffering from a particular condition for the rest of their life and that the only thing they can do is take a medication to suppress the symptoms.

Does this sound familiar to you? I bet so!

It is unlikely that your doctor will ever even talk about finding the underlying root cause and the role that the gut is having on your health.

I see incredible transformations that my clients with autoimmune issues make by following my GI Protocol and this is why this programme is the most important one in my entire private practice.

WHAT IS LEAKY GUT?

The intestinal tract is about 8.5 meters long, around 7 metres of which is the small intestine and 1.5 metres the large intestine.

When the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, it causes undigested food particles, toxic waste products and bacteria to “leak” through the intestines and flood the blood stream.

This is what we call leaky gut or increased intestinal permeability.

If you’re suffering from an autoimmune issue, it means that your immune system is not functioning correctly. Your immune system became overactive and started to mistakenly attack your own tissue, whether it is your thyroid (Hashimoto’s), your joints (Rheumatoid Arthritis, your skin (Psoriasis), gut lining (Crohn’s or Colitis) or any other organ.

So, what do we need to do?

Simple, we work on the immune system and the first step to that is working on our gut. Remember, 80% of your immune system is in your gut so if you don’t fix your gut, you won’t be able to have a healthy immune system.

My GI Protocol, will tell you exactly what you need to do to repair that gut and take back control of your health once and for all.

WHAT CAUSES LEAKY GUT?

1. Food Sensitivities

There are so many people walking around with food sensitivities and have no idea about them. Just because you don’t have a reaction straight away doesn’t mean you’re not sensitive to that food. Remember, an IgG food sensitivity can take place up to 3 days later leading to fatigue, joint pain, skin issues, etc.

If you continue eating these foods, they will overstress your immune system. There are many common triggers that I see in my private practice and I have eliminated all of those from the recipes in the HWP Programme.

However, sometimes there are random foods that you might be sensitive to and this is why I recommend a food sensitivity test. Remember, not all food intolerance tests available today are accurate!

2. Gut Dysbiosis

If you have a fungal overgrowth such as candida, then you probably have leaky gut. Fungal overgrowth and even mould exacerbates the immune system.

Bacterial overgrowth and parasites can also be big contributors.

The reason for that is that immune cells will go into the intestines and begin to attack these pathogens and cause inflammation.

The OAT test is amazing when looking at bacterial, candida or yeast overgrowth and there are even mould markers in it as well.

A 3-day Stool test is incredible when looking at your inflammation levels, parasites, bacterial overgrowth and more! However, it is not the best test to assess yeast overgrowth as this usually dies off by the time it reaches the lab.

3. Alcohol

Drinking alcohol with an autoimmune issue is like adding fuel to the fire. It will lead to greater intestinal permeability.

4. Stress

You could be eating the best organic foods in the world and taking your supplements daily but if you’re highly stressed, it will lead to increased intestinal permeability.

Stress itself can imbalance the immune system without even touching the gut because certain parts of it becomes suppressed.

The diurnal cortisol test is a great lab test to assess your stress levels because it looks at cortisol at 4 different times on the day. You get to see exactly what times of the day you’re more stressed so now you know what the best times to take your supplements and practice mindfulness is.

HOW DOES LEAKY GUT AFFECT AUTOIMMUNE ISSUES?

1. Overactive Immune System

The substances that are released into the bloodstream through leaky gut are picked up by the immune system because it sees it as “foreign invaders”. Your immune system tried to protect the body and so it turns on.

Eventually, it becomes overstressed and begins to function incorrectly, leading to autoimmune issues. Every time it does that, an inflammatory response takes place and so your body will become more and more inflamed overtime.

2. Molecular Mimicry

Many of those foreign substances leaking into the bloodstream have a very similar chemical structure to your own cells and so the immune system can get confused and start attacking your own tissues as a result.