A ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate diet where total daily carb intake is usually at 20 grams or less. It is a diet that excludes sugar, starch, grains, cereals and fruit. Protein and fat-rich foods make up the bulk of the diet. Rather than using glucose for energy, people on a ketogenic diet convert fatty acids into ketones and they provide the body with fuel. Ketones can be produced from body fat stores and from the fat present in a meal.

How can keto help heal the gut?

A ketogenic diet can help in the following ways:

• Anti inflammatory effects. The name of one ketone body is beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). It is able to provide energy and fuel for the cells that line the gut and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut. BHB can help to repair a damaged intestinal lining.
• Changes to gut microbes: Keto diets can cause a shift in gut microbes, reducing harmful microbes and increasing beneficial ones such as Akkermansia. Because it is a sugar free diet, ketogenic diets lead to a reduction in yeast, Candida and bad gut bugs that thrive on sugar such as clostridia, klebsiella, streptococcus and enterococcus bacteria. People with inflammatory bowel disease have unbalanced gut bugs which is referred to as dysbiosis. A keto diet can help correct that imbalance.
• It’s a low residue diet: Grains, cereals and legumes are high in fiber. These foods are eliminated on a keto diet, thus it’s usually a low fiber diet. Reducing fiber can be therapeutic for people with very inflamed intestines. Fiber can be irritating and scratchy to people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Sugars, starches and fiber may irritate the gut

We are usually told that increasing the amount of plants and increasing the fiber in our diet is the best thing we can do for our health. That’s usually not the case for people with inflammatory bowel disease. Along with reducing carbs, a few recent studies have shown that a low FODMAP diet may offer significant relief of symptoms. FODMAPs are a group of carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed by many people. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. Some people have a very low tolerance to these foods, and eating them causes a great deal of digestive discomfort. They can cause secretion of fluid into the intestines, thus may trigger a bout of diarrhea. Examples of high FODMAP foods that can aggravate the gut include onion, garlic and cauliflower.

Strategies to help heal your gut

Inflammatory foods need to be avoided

These include gluten, grains, sugar and dairy products. These foods can worsen auto-antibody production in those with autoimmune disease. Sugar causes the proliferation of nasty gut bugs. If present in high quantities, these bugs can inflame the lining of the intestines, creating a leaky gut. An excessively permeable gut lining is the doorway to autoimmune disease. BactoClear capsules contain antimicrobial essential oils of clove, oregano and thyme. They are excellent at killing off bad gut bugs.

 It’s best not to eat all day

Try to just eat 2 or 3 meals a day and minimize snacking. It’s best to give your digestive system a rest between meals. Fill up on protein-rich foods such as seafood, poultry, eggs, and meat. Fat is also satiating, so make sure you have adequate good fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, or animal fats.

Raw foods may aggravate diarrhea

Cooked vegetables are usually better tolerated than raw salads. Try steaming or roasting your vegetables, or eat them in a stew or casserole.

Ensure you produce sufficient digestive secretions

If you have a weak digestive system, take digestive enzymes in the middle of your meal and sip one to two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar diluted in 3 tablespoons of warm water 5 minutes before the meal.

Heal and soothe the gut lining. Ultimate Gut Health powder is a powerful formulation that can be taken daily to repair, heal and restore the gut lining. The Ultimate Gut Health powder has multiple actions and provides fuel for the cells lining the intestines and protects the lining of the gastrointestinal tract (known as the mucosa).

Re-inoculate your intestines with beneficial microbes.

A good quality probiotic is helpful, as is including fermented foods in your diet, such as sauerkraut, kefir and kimchi.

There is detailed information about how to help inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune conditions in our book called Healing Autoimmune Disease: A plan to help your immune system and reduce inflammation.

Reference

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Reference

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

Could a specific bad gut bug cause colon cancer?

When you find bacteria in a tumor, how do you know if they caused the cancer or just moved in after the cancer was already there? Several clues point toward F. nucleatum being a causative agent:

• It switches on cancer-driving pathways inside colon cells, including damage to their DNA.
• When researchers put it into an animal’s colon, the animal develops cancer.
• It’s also been found in pancreatic tumors, suggesting it isn’t picky about where it causes trouble.

The only way to prove beyond doubt that this bacterium causes cancer in people would be to infect healthy volunteers and see who gets cancer. Obviously nobody would ever run that experiment, so total proof isn’t possible, but the circumstantial evidence is strong.

In one study, 74% of colon cancer patients had F. nucleatum in their tumors, at levels 250 times higher than in healthy people. In another, patients with high amounts of the bacterium were far more likely to have cancer that had spread to their lymph nodes (59% of cases) compared to patients with low amounts (0%).

This bacterium originates in your mouth

1. nucleatum actually lives mainly in the mouth. It’s the single most common species there. It shows up in even bigger numbers when someone has gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis), and it’s also been linked to oral cancers.

You’d assume the obvious path is: bacteria build up in the mouth, you swallow saliva, and the bacteria ride down into your colon. But a research team in Israel found something more surprising. The bacteria don’t mainly travel by being swallowed; they get into your bloodstream directly, through everyday actions like brushing your teeth, flossing, or chewing. Once in the blood, levels can reach roughly 10,000 bacteria per milliliter. From there, the bloodstream carries them to the colon.

This fits a bigger pattern researchers are noticing: bacteria that normally live in your mouth, stomach, or intestines aren’t necessarily stuck there. They can slip into the bloodstream and settle in other parts of the body entirely. This is likely how a probiotic taken by mouth, like B. infantis, can end up in breast milk and benefit a nursing baby, or how another probiotic, L. reuteri, taken orally can end up in the vagina and help fight off yeast infections. Your gut isn’t a sealed pipe; it’s in constant two-way contact with your bloodstream and the rest of your body.

In people with a leaky gut, the intestinal lining is excessively permeable, allowing too much bacteria to seep into the bloodstream. Glutamine is the most important nutrient for healing and sealing the gut, making it a healthier barrier.

How to reduce levels of this bad gut bug

If bacteria from your mouth can travel through your blood and potentially help trigger colon cancer, how can we prevent that?

So far there’s no proven prevention plan yet, but there are a few sensible, low-risk habits worth adopting . Your mouth alone is home to about 100 billion bacteria across roughly 700 species, and how you treat that ecosystem seems to matter.

• Cut back on foods that feed the “bad” mouth bacteria. Sugar and starch can encourage the growth of bacteria which throws the mouth’s balance out of balance and creates more acidity. The acidity raises the risk of cavities and gum disease. Insufficient vitamin C promotes bleeding gums, allowing bad bacteria easier access to your bloodstream.
• Don’t rely on mouthwash to “clean out” your mouth. Just as wiping out gut bacteria with antibiotics tends to backfire, wiping out mouth bacteria with mouthwash disrupts a delicate ecosystem rather than fixing it.
• Keep up good oral hygiene — regular brushing and flossing, to hold gum disease at bay and keep levels of bacteria like F. nucleatum in check. That said, this matters most for people who still eat a lot of sugar and refined grains; it likely matters less for those who’ve already cut those foods out.
• Pay attention to gut health, too. It probably takes more than a disrupted mouth environment for F. nucleatum to settle into the colon and drive cancer. An unhealthy gut microbiome is likely part of the equation as well, since a disrupted gut is increasingly linked to cancer risk in general. BactoClear capsules contain the essential oils of clove, oregano and thyme, plus berberine. They help reduce levels of bad bacteria in the intestines.

A lesson from hunter-gatherers

Traditional hunter-gatherer groups — the Hadza of Tanzania, the Maasai of Kenya, the Yanomami of the Amazon, and others — almost never get cavities, gingivitis, or gum disease, despite having no toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste, or dentists. They also have essentially no colon cancer, hemorrhoids, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, or inflammatory bowel disease. They do face infections, parasites, and injuries, but not the gut-related “diseases of modern life” that are so common in industrialized countries. Their mouth and gut bacteria look very different from ours. There’s likely a real lesson in that for the rest of us.

Reference

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

Cirrhosis occurs as a result of long term damage to the liver.  Eventually scar tissue replaces normal healthy liver cells, leaving the liver unable to carry out its functions.  The liver becomes unable to cleanse and filter the bloodstream adequately; hence waste products accumulate and adversely affect other parts of the body.  When waste products reach the brain they disrupt normal mental function and nerve function; this is referred to as hepatic encephalopathy.  Patients with cirrhosis of the liver also commonly experience a disruption to the heart’s normal rhythm.

Researchers from the University College London Medical School decided to measure the level of cytokines in the bloodstream of cirrhosis patients.  Cytokines are inflammatory molecules.  They are released by immune cells, fat cells and some other cells of the body in response to tissue damage.

The study recruited 80 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and 11 healthy people with no liver disease.  The participants were assessed for the presence of hepatic encephalopathy through various cognitive tests and a brain scan (electroencephalogram).  They were also checked for any heart abnormalities with an electrocardiogram.  Lastly the researchers measured the levels of cytokines in the participants’ bloodstream; one of them being the inflammatory chemical interleukin-6.

Through this research the scientists discovered that higher blood levels of cytokines (particularly interleukin-6) are strongly associated with a worsening of both mental and cardiac function in people with cirrhosis of the liver.  All cirrhosis patients have elevated levels of inflammatory chemicals compared to healthy people.  As cytokine levels rise, the complications of cirrhosis increase.

So what causes inflammation and what can be done to minimize it?

Inflammation is an immune system response to infection, injury or allergies.  Acute inflammation occurs as a result of conditions such as a sprained ankle or a blister; however inflammation can also occur in a subtle, chronic form.  Several factors promote inflammation in the body, these include:

• Allergies
• Diabetes
• Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity
• Lack of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the diet
• Stress
• Exposure to environmental pollution
• A high intake of omega 6 polyunsaturated vegetable oil – such as found in sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, canola oil and soybean oil.
• A deficiency of omega 3 fats – such as found in oily fish, walnuts, pecans and flaxseeds.
• Smoking cigarettes
• A high intake of alcohol, sugar, wheat
• Infections

If you want to minimize inflammation in your body you need to minimize each of the factors above.

Here are some natural ways to reduce inflammation in your body:

• Get adequate good quality sleep.  This is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory. If your sleep quality is poor and you’re a light sleeper, magnesium may help you.
• Exercise regularly. It triggers your body to produce anti-inflammatory compounds.
• Consume raw vegetable juices.  They are a potent source of inflammation reducing antioxidants.
• The mineral selenium has an anti-inflammatory effect.  Selenomune capsules  are an excellent source of selenium and other immune boosting nutrients.
• Serrapeptase is a natural enzyme that helps to clean up cellular debris in your body and may reduce the presence of scar tissue.
• Keep your blood sugar in the healthy range.  High blood sugar activates the immune system in a destructive way.  If you have diabetes, follow the eating plan in our book Diabetes Type 2: you can Reverse it Naturally.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

Reference: American Physiological Society

Stomach acid blocking drugs are some of the most used drugs in the world. The most common class is called proton pump inhibitors. Some popular brand names include Losec, Zoton, Nexium, Pariet and Prevacid. New research has shown that by blocking stomach acid, they change the composition of microbes in the large intestine, increasing the risk of bowel cancer.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common causes of death in most parts of the world, and cases are rising. One in seven colon cancer patients are under the age of 50. Individuals born in 1990 have double the risk of developing colon cancer, and four times the risk of rectal cancer than those born around 1950. Genetics is not an explanation. This new research finding may offer one important clue.

A study published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics analysed older adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) associated with erosive esophagitis, nonerosive reflux disease, and Barrett’s esophagus. All of those conditions showed a statistically significant increased risk for colon cancer. There were more colon polyps as well as colorectal cancer. Colon cancer often begins with a polyp that was initially benign and then started spreading and became cancerous.

It has been known for some time that people with colon or rectal cancer have too much oral bacteria in their colon. In healthy people, oral microbes should be killed in the stomach by the acid that is naturally present there. Stomach acid blocking drugs typically used for GERD make the stomach less acidic, allowing bacteria from the mouth to make their way to the colon. When the bacteria is in the wrong location, it can promote cancerous changes to develop in the large intestine and rectum.

This study was led by Amnon Sonnenberg, MD, from the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon. He concluded the study with the statement “These findings lend support to the hypothesis that long-term use of antisecretory medications may constitute a risk for developing colon neoplasms.”

Natural ways to help acid reflux

• Avoid drinking with meals – Drink at least 20 minutes away from meals as drinking with meals can dilute digestive enzymes and worsen digestion. Taking a Digestive Enzymes supplement helps to top up your own body’s enzyme production, helping you digest food more thoroughly so that it doesn’t ferment in the gut and cause reflux.
• Have some apple cider vinegar – The exception to the no drinking with meals is organic apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar helps to balance stomach acid and lessen the symptoms of acid reflux. Dilute one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in water and sip slowly during your meals. Taking a Betaine Hydrochloride supplement is an even more powerful way of increasing stomach acid. Most people with GERD actually don’t make enough acid. The GERD symptoms are due to stomach acid being in the wrong location.
• Maintain a healthy weight – If you are overweight it is vital to lose weight, and the best way to do this is by consuming a diet low in sugar and carbohydrates, and high in vegetables, protein and good fats. A diet low in sugar and processed foods and high in vegetables will reduce symptoms of heartburn and reflux.
• It may be necessary to avoid wheat, gluten, dairy products and certain high FODMAP foods. Some people are not able to digest those foods well and they cause fermentation and gas production in the intestines. Increased pressure in the stomach can force stomach contents up, leading to heartburn or reflux. Overgrowth of the wrong gut bugs causes the fermentation. BactoClear capsules contain herbal antimicrobials that help to kill bad gut bugs.
• Try to avoid eating three hours before bed. To help prevent reflux when you lay down to sleep, have a heaped teaspoon of Gut Health powder in a little water after your evening meal. The ingredients help to heal and soothe the lining of your esophagus.
• If you feel bloated, tired and uncomfortable after a rich or oily meal, it usually means your liver is struggling to produce sufficient bile for fat digestion. Livatone Plus improves the ability of your liver to produce bile and detoxify your bloodstream.

Reference

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

Doctors have used antifungal medications to treat it for a long time, but the fungus is increasingly becoming resistant to these drugs, so they don’t always work well anymore. The other problem is the infection comes back once the medication is stopped. Anti fungal drugs can be toxic to the liver.

For the yeast to cause an infection, it first has to stick (adhere) to the cells lining the vagina. Earlier research found that this sticking step is a key part of how the infection takes hold. If you can stop the yeast from sticking in the first place, you might be able to prevent or treat the infection more effectively, even in cases where it’s become drug-resistant.

How berberine helps

Berberine is a natural compound found in certain plants, and it’s been used traditionally to treat this kind of infection. Until recently, scientists didn’t really understand how it worked at a cellular level. The researchers showed that berberine reduces the yeast’s ability to stick to vaginal cells in two main ways:

–It lowers the levels of three specific proteins that the yeast normally uses as “grip points” to attach to vaginal cells.

–It rebalances two immune signaling molecules that control inflammation. Specifically it lowers IL-2 and raises IL-4 which calms down the inflammatory damage caused by the infection.

By blocking the yeast’s ability to grab onto vaginal cells and by calming the inflammatory response, berberine shows promise as a natural, plant-derived treatment option for this type of yeast infection, potentially offering an alternative or complement to existing antifungal drugs, especially as resistance to those drugs grows.

Other natural remedies to help fight yeast infections

• Avoid yeast extracts such as vegemite and marmite, alcoholic drinks that contain sugar (unsweetened spirits are generally safe), pickles and preserves containing sugar, jams, canned fruits, dried fruits, peanuts, melons and any fruit that is moldy.
• Avoid bread, muffins, pastries, cakes, and biscuits and all foods containing white sugar, baker’s yeast and flour. Avoid lollies, sugary sweet drinks, and any foods containing malt as an additive.
• Fruit can usually be eaten provided it is very fresh and free of moldy areas. Restrict the intake of fruits to no more than 2 pieces daily. In those with severe candida, fruit should be totally avoided for the first three months.
• It is best to avoid dairy products and gluten because these foods increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome) and will worsen the terrible symptoms and adverse health conditions that Candida can cause. Glutamine is one of the best natural remedies for repairing a leaky gut because your intestinal cells use it to repair themselves.
• Your diet should be high in healthy fats from nuts, seeds, oily fish, pastured meat, avocados and coconut oil. Coconut oil is particularly effective against several intestinal parasites including Helicobacter pylori bacteria and Candida. Intestinal Parasite Cleanse capsules are a powerful herbal formula that helps to eradicate Candida and other unwanted microbes in the gut. It is then vitally important to repopulate the bowel with good bugs, such as those found in FloraTone capsules.
• The liver is the first stop for all blood flowering from the intestines. An overwhelmed liver will not be able to cleanse and purify your bloodstream well. This can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, foggy head, sugar cravings, weight gain and allergies. Livatone Plus helps to support a healthy liver and can repair inflamed liver cells.

Reference

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

If your liver enzymes are found to be elevated on a blood test for liver function then this test should be repeated by 6 weeks.

Common causes of elevated liver enzymes include –

• Fatty liver
• Excess alcohol causing alcoholic liver disease
• Early cirrhosis
• Viral hepatitis
• Hemachromatosis (hereditary iron overload)
• Drug side effects on the liver – the most common drug culprits are statins (cholesterol lowering drugs), analgesics, Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), antibiotics, anti-epileptics, and immune-suppressant drugs. NSAIDs are available over the counter and will soon require a warning that they can be liver toxic and prolonged use is not advised. Also it is good to remember that acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) can be very liver toxic.

Elevations of the liver enzyme GGT (gamma glutamyltransferase usually indicate alcohol or drug side effects.

Elevations of ALT or AST (alanine amino transferase or aspartate aminotransferase) usually indicate inflammation due to hepatitis, toxic injury from drugs or iron overload.

Elevations of ALP (alkaline phosphatase) may indicate slow bile flow or infiltration of the liver with cancer. ALP may also come from the bone.

If liver enzymes remain elevated over several months, further tests must be done and these include, blood iron studies, hepatitis virus tests, blood copper levels, auto-antibody levels and an ultrasound of the liver. A Fibroscan of the liver can be done to check for cirrhosis and in some cases a liver biopsy may be needed. It is wise to also consult a liver specialist (hepatologist).

Elevated liver enzymes indicate inflammation of liver cells and thus damage to liver cells. It is important to stop this inflammation to prevent cirrhosis of the liver.

Essential nutrients to support healthy liver function and to reduce liver inflammation include –

• NAC
• Selenium
• A comprehensive liver formula such as Livatone Plus which contains activated B vitamins to increase methylation
• A raw juice to heal the liver can be made from kale, cabbage, mint, parsley, lime, lemon, orange, carrots and ginger
• The diet should be high in fruits and vegetables and easily digested protein such as bone broth, grass fed red meat, nuts and seeds. Avoid sugar and processed foods containing trans-fats.
• If you have autoimmune liver disease such as autoimmune hepatitis, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) or Sclerosing Cholangitis it is vital to follow a gluten free diet.

If liver disease is picked up early, and before end stage cirrhosis sets in, it is usually possible to reverse it and restore a healthy liver.

Of all the organs in the body, the liver is most able to regenerate itself

Reference

BMJ 2001; 322:276-78

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

People who have one autoimmune disease are more prone to developing another one. Modern research has shown that a significant proportion of people with the autoimmune liver diseases primary biliary cirrhosis, sclerosing cholangitis and autoimmune hepatitis have celiac disease. Celiac disease causes irritation and damage to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract; this makes the intestinal lining more permeable, resulting in “leaky gut syndrome”. A leaky gut allows bacteria, toxins secreted by bacteria, undigested food and other waste into the bloodstream, where it travels straight to the liver. These toxins are capable of causing direct damage to the liver cells; they increase the quantity of white blood cells in the liver and can produce raised liver enzymes. Chronic irritation of the immune system and liver can spark the development of an autoimmune liver disease in susceptible individuals. Many doctors now recommend all patients with autoimmune disease, as well as unexplained raised liver enzymes be tested for celiac disease.

Dietary and lifestyle recommendations for autoimmune liver disease

A great deal of research has shown that adhering to a gluten free diet can halt the production of auto antibodies in autoimmune disease. Auto antibodies are antibodies produced by the immune system that mistakenly attack and destroy organs and tissues. In this case the antibodies are destroying the liver and biliary tract. We also strongly recommend that dairy products are avoided by people with autoimmune disease; this is because the casein (a type of protein) found in dairy products can act as an immune system irritant in susceptible people.

Here are my recommendations for those with autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary sclerosis and sclerosing cholangitis:

• Avoid all gluten. This is predominantly found in wheat, rye, barley, triticale, spelt and kamut, but is hidden in many foods. For a complete list of unsafe gluten containing foods, click the link provided.
• Avoid all dairy products. This means no cow’s milk and all foods containing it such as cheese, yoghurt, ice-cream, butter, cream, cream-based sauces and other foods containing milk.
• Follow the vital health principles outlined in my Heal Your Gut: An A-Z Guide. This book contains specific information about the different types of autoimmune liver diseases.
• Take a selenium supplement. Selenium is a mineral essential for a healthy immune system, and it is anti inflammatory. Research has shown that taking 200mcg of selenium per day can halt the production of auto antibodies. Selenium is also required for the production of glutathione, which is a powerful detoxification agent. Glutathione also reduces inflammation. Along with selenium, your body requires N-Acetyl Cysteine for glutathione production.
• Take a good liver tonic. A good liver tonic should contain the vitamins, minerals and amino acids required for the two step detoxification process in the liver. This will help to make the liver more efficient at detoxification. It should also contain the powerful antioxidant herbs green tea and St Mary’s thistle. St Mary’s thistle can help to repair damaged liver cells.
• Try to avoid high stress levels. Stress has a very detrimental effect on the immune system and it is well known for aggravating autoimmune diseases.

It is especially helpful in younger people who are not obese. These people are typically not thought to be at risk of fatty liver disease.

Researchers have found there is a strong association between blood levels of uric acid and fatty liver. Uric acid is normally elevated in people with gout. Smaller elevations in uric acid can also indicate a person has a fatty liver, even if the level isn’t high enough to cause gout.

Scientists conducted a prospective cohort study to check the association between blood uric acid levels and the risk of non alcoholic fatty liver disease in young adults under 45 years of age. None of the participants had a fatty liver at the start of the study and none of them were obese. The study ran for nearly 10 years.

Fasting uric acid levels were measured at the start, and then participants were divided into four groups, based on how much their uric acid level rose during the duration of the study. Liver health was determined using fasting abdominal ultrasound scans, with follow up conducted every 2 years.

Results found that as blood uric acid level rose, so did the accumulation of fat inside the liver. The study authors made the following statement:

“The increase of serum uric acid within the physiological range, even if it doesn’t reach the level of hyperuricemia, will impose a significant burden on the occurrence of non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, further research is needed to determine at what level serum uric acid should be ultimately controlled to be beneficial to the human body.”

Why does fatty liver raise uric acid?

Fatty liver disease occurs when excess fat accumulates in the liver. This can lead to inflammation, scarring, and eventually liver failure in some people. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is usually caused by metabolic syndrome, obesity, and insulin resistance. Gut dysbiosis (overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria in the intestines) is often a contributing factor as well.

Gout is an inflammatory arthritis caused by the build up of uric acid crystals in joints. The build up leads to intense pain, swelling, and redness in the affected area. Gout most commonly affects the joint at the base of the big toe but can involve other joints as well. Ankles are often affected.

A person is more likely to develop gout if they suffer with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, and if their diet is high in sugar or alcohol.

Both fatty liver and elevated uric acid are associated with insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Uric acid can contribute to the development and progression of fatty liver by promoting oxidative stress, inflammation, and scarring inside the liver.

Solutions to manage uric acid and fatty liver

The same healthy diet and lifestyle strategies can help reduce the risk of both conditions because they address the underlying insulin resistance.

• Minimise or avoid alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of gout. Beer is the worst type of alcohol, followed by spirits and wine.
• Sugar reduces your body’s ability to excrete uric acid. Fructose is the specific sugar most strongly linked with gout. That’s because in order to use it for energy, your liver must first convert the fructose to glucose. This process creates uric acid. That means it’s important to avoid foods that contain sugar, high fructose corn syrup or fructose. Consuming too much carbohydrate in general will also make you more prone to gout. That means it’s best to reduce your intake of bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and any food that is made of flour. This is an effective way to lose weight too and there’s an eating plan plus recipes in the book called I Can’t Lose Weight and I Don’t Know Why. Glicemic Balance capsules contain herbs and nutrients designed to stabilize your blood sugar level. This means you’ll have less hunger and fewer cravings for carbs.
• Caffeine reduces your body’s ability to excrete uric acid. Therefore it’s important to cut down on coffee, tea, energy drinks and other sources of caffeine if you are prone to elevated uric acid.
• Celery helps to clear uric acid from your body and eating lots of it can shorten the duration of a gout attack. Celery is a natural diuretic and supports healthy kidney function. You can include celery in raw vegetable juices, eat it raw in salads or cooked in soups. The book Raw Juices Can Save Your Life contains a vast array of healthy raw juice recipes.
• Have a blood test and ultrasound scan of your liver to check if you have a fatty liver. Often there are no symptoms, but having a fatty liver increases the risk of a lot of different health problems, especially a heart attack or stroke. See the book Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It for practical tips on how to reverse fatty liver. My liver tonic Livatone Plus helps to make your liver more efficient at burning fat. This means it can help clear the fat out of a fatty liver and enable weight loss from other parts of the body as well.

Reference

Reference

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

Glutathione is an antioxidant. It’s actually the most powerful antioxidant because it is made in your own body, helping to protect you from the chemicals we are all exposed to each day. Glutathione is made in your liver. You need an extremely healthy liver in order to make sufficient glutathione. It’s not just alcohol that adversely affects the liver. Many common health conditions such as fatty liver, gut problems like irritable bowel, food sensitivities, chronic infections, nutrient deficiencies and immune problems all impair glutathione production.

Having a health problem can make you deficient in glutathione, but also having low glutathione puts you at risk of health problems. It’s a vicious cycle.

What is glutathione?

It is a small molecule made from 3 amino acids (building blocks of protein). These amino acids are glutamine, cysteine and glycine. Several nutrients are required for the manufacture of glutathione, especially selenium, vitamin C and glutamine. Being deficient in these will impair your production of this vital compound. Fortunately, there are several ways of boosting your production of glutathione.

What are the symptoms of low glutathione?

The following are possible symptoms:

• Brain fog
• Aches and pains (fibromyalgia)
• Fatigue
• Weak immune system
• Headaches
• Joint pain

How to boost your body’s production of glutathione

• Selenium is required for glutathione production. You probably know how important selenium is for the health of your immune system and thyroid gland. It is also a powerful antioxidant and this is largely because of its role in glutathione production. Many parts of the world have selenium deficient soils and very few foods are a rich source of this mineral. The best food sources of selenium include Brazil nuts, seafood, onion and garlic. Getting plenty of those foods in your diet is a good way of maintaining your health, but if you wish to improve your health, you may need to take a selenium supplement.
• N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the precursor of glutathione and can be taken in supplement form. Studies have shown that most oral forms of glutathione are not well absorbed. The body tends to digest it to its building blocks and blood levels of glutathione don’t rise significantly. NAC supplements tend to be far more effective. This substance has a long history of use; it is given to patients who overdose on Tylenol because it can prevent liver damage. NAC also helps to protect the kidneys from potential harm caused by contrast dyes used in diagnostic scans. Taking an NAC supplement each day can help to protect your body from oxidative damage and help to make you a more efficient detoxifier.
• Methylation nutrients are important. Methylation is a process that assists your body’s production of glutathione. The main nutrients required for methylation are B vitamins, particularly B6, B9 (folate) and B12. B12 is found in animal foods such as meat, poultry and seafood, while plant foods are an excellent source of the other B vitamins. It is important to eat lots of vegetables each day, either as salads, vegetable juices, smoothies, or cooked vegetables.
• Sulfur is needed for glutathione production. Sulfur is found in cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic, leek and eggs. If you don’t include much of these foods in your diet, you can take a natural sulfur supplement called MSM, which can be found in our Collagen Food powder. This stands for methyl sulfonyl methane. It is traditionally taken by people who want to improve their liver health and also reduce joint pain, but MSM is also necessary for glutathione production.
• Try to get some movement each day. Exercise boosts your body’s production of glutathione. As long as you don’t exercise to complete exhaustion, exercise acts as a minor stress on your body, boosts your immune system and improves your detoxification abilities. It is often said that “sitting is inflammatory” because inactivity raises your body’s production of inflammation generating compounds. Exercise helps to counteract that.

For more information about autoimmune disease see our book Healing Autoimmune Disease: A plan to help your immune system and reduce inflammation.

Reference

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.