Functional Medicine
Back Clinic Functional Medicine Team. Functional medicine is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.
Practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.
By changing the disease-centered focus of medical practice to this patient-centered approach, our physicians are able to support the healing process by viewing health and illness as part of a cycle in which all components of the human biological system interact dynamically with the environment. This process helps to seek and identify genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that may shift a person’s health from illness to well-being.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Cancer Health, Natural Health, Wellness
“Eat a healthy diet” and “exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week” are the two top suggestions from experts on how to stay youthful and live a long, healthy life. Unfortunately, that excellent advice can often seem overwhelming to novices who are trying to improve their health.
Where do you start? Are there easy ways to boost your health and keep aging at bay? Fortunately, there are quick, dead-simple things that clinical studies show you can do in less time than it takes to eat a cheeseburger. They include:
• Drink a cup of coffee. When the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed a series of studies, they found that regular coffee drinkers had a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who avoided it. They found that those who drank four to six cups a day cut their risk 28 percent, and people who drank more than six cups reduced their risk by 35 percent.
The good news about coffee keeps pouring in: A European study found that drinking three cups of coffee daily slashes the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and a study published in The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that drinking three cups of coffee daily can help forestall Alzheimer’s in people who are already having memory problems.
There’s also good news on the war against cancer. A study from Harvard Medical School found that men who drank the most coffee slashed their risk of developing the fastest growing and most difficult to treat prostate cancers by more than half when compared to men who drank no coffee. Men who drank the most coffee — six or more cups daily — reduced their risk by 60 percent. Another study found that people who drank up to three cups of coffee daily slashed their risk of liver cancer by 55 percent.
The latest news, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people 65 years and older who drank four or more cups of coffee daily lowered their risk of heart disease by 53 percent.
• Get enough vitamin D. Multiple studies show that a deficiency of vitamin D raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, depression, and several cancers. One study found genetic markers that indicated the difference between the highest and lowest levels of vitamin D equaled five years of aging. The government recommends 400 I.U. daily, but many experts believe much more — 1,000 I.U. to 2,000 I.U — is needed for optimal health.
• Pour a glass of red wine. A few glasses of red wine every week protect against many ailments of aging such as Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes. It prevents heart disease by increasing levels of HDL — the good cholesterol — and guards arteries against damage. Red wine slashes the risk of some cancers, including lung and colon, by as much as two-thirds.
A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that women who drank moderately (about one drink a day) reduced their risk of mental decline by 23 percent when compared to women who were teetotalers.
Researchers believe one of the main active ingredients in red wine is resveratrol, a compound found in the skin of red grapes that acts as an antioxidant and is anti-inflammatory. Resveratrol is also available as a dietary supplement.
• Take a daily aspirin. People take a low-dose aspirin daily to ward off heart disease, but studies have shown that the 100-year-old wonder drug also helps prevent many types of cancer. A daily low-dose aspirin can cut the risk of breast cancer and deadly melanoma skin cancer by up to 30 percent, gastrointestinal cancers and colorectal cancers by 38 percent, and lung cancer by up to 62 percent.
A new study from the University of Oxford found that a daily aspirin reduced the risk of developing cancer of any kind by about 25 percent when compared to controls who didn’t take aspirin. After five years, the risk of dying in the group taking aspirin was reduced by 37 percent. Aspirin also helps keep aging brains healthy, according to Swedish research that studied women aged 70 to 92.
• Sip green tea. People who drink more than three cups of green tea each day live longer, according to a Japanese study of more than 40,000 people. Study participants who drank the most tea — five or more cups a day — were the least likely to die during the 11-year follow up. Green and white teas contain generous amounts of EGCG, a powerful antioxidant linked to a lower risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and numerous types of cancer. Catechins, which are antioxidant compounds found in green tea, may also protect aging eyes from glaucoma.
• Eat fish. Choosing fish over beef or pork twice a week can give your health a big boost. A study published in the journal Neurology found that seniors whose diets were rich in omega-3 fatty acids had lower blood levels of beta-amyloid, a protein that’s deposited as plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and another study found fish oil reduced by 26 percent the risk of brain lesions that cause dementia. Additional studies have found that eating fish lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, prostate cancer, obesity, and heart disease.
• Dance. A study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that while reading reduced the risk of dementia in those 75 years and older, frequent dancing cut the risk by 76 percent — more than any other activity studied, mental or physical. Experts believe dancing is so effective because it combines intense mental and physical activity.
An Italian study found that people suffering from heart failure who waltzed significantly improved their breathing and quality of life when compared to those who biked or hiked. Dancing also reduces stress, depression, and obesity while it aids balance, increases energy, and helps control weight.
• Nibble on chocolate. Studies show that chocolate increases brain function and lowers blood pressure. A study at Harvard Medical School found that older people who ate chocolate every day improved their thinking skills as well as blood flow to the brain, and a German study found that small amounts of chocolate daily could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by almost 40 percent. Most experts recommend 1 to 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Chronic Back Pain, Mind Body and Spirit, Wellness
Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alexander Jimenez looks into Tai Chi for back pain.
Q&A with Tai Chi Specialist Dr. Paul Lam
While lots of people take a �no pain, no increase� approach to work out, that�s for handling back and neck pain not always safe or effective. That�s where tai chi comes in. This low-impact, slow moving form of exercise delivers results without the sweat and soreness. Though it�s tender and meditative tai chi promotes strength, flexibility, and balance�the trifecta to get a healthier spine.
In case you have back or neck pain�or you�re looking for methods to prevent it in the first place �tai chi may be worth investigating. To help answer common questions and shed light on lesser-known facts relating to this ancient Chinese mind and body practice, we reached out to Dr. Paul Lam, manager of the Tai Chi for Health Institute in Australia.
Tai Chi Can Help
Q: During your research, what has become the most insightful finding you�ve found about tai chi as it relates to back pain?
A: The most insightful finding in my research concerning tai chi involved the mental impact and the deep stabilizer muscles to back pain.
Ninety percent of men and women have back pain at some period in their own lives, and more than 60 percent of that is continual. I discovered that nearly all individuals with back pain, no matter what the cause, have poor stabilizer muscles. Research has shown that strong stabilizers will prevent back pain and hasten healing.
Reinforcing the stabilizer muscles that are back is quite similar to tai chi training. The main element is an erect pose, exercising the stabilizers through the pelvic floor along with the transverse abdominus muscles, and using abdominal breathing. This really is among the important reasons why tai chi works so well for back pain.
One other insight I�ve discovered involves your head. Anxiety makes pain worse. Oftentimes with the continuing and persistent back pain, the cause of the pain might have gone, but the pain continues. Like a phantom pain, the thoughts�s ingrained custom proceeds to provide pain signals to the brain. Tai chi trains body and the mind, making both integrated and more powerful. It is but one of the utmost effective tools to greatly help with the mental aspects of back pain.
Q: What�s your best advice for somebody who’s apprehensive about beginning tai chi?
A: The reason why they are apprehensive about beginning tai chi, it depends. I can guarantee them it is safe, simple to understand, and proven effective, if people believe tai chi is a martial art and might be overly hard to learn. Millions of people around the globe have learned and profited from it, although the other consideration is the fact that individuals might believe tai chi is too tough to learn.
Q: How do individuals get the most?
A: I advocate people to practice tai chi for 30�40 minutes daily (it may be performed in separate sittings) most days each week. You will gain significant improvement in your quality of life and relief from back pain.
Q: Do you have some success stories that are personal which you can share regarding the benefits of tai chi for back pain?
A: Thousands! But to pick on only one, I�ve comprised a letter below written by a woman named Amatullah from Saudi Arabia.
“In 2009, I ‘d back pain for quite a while. Nothing worked, although I attempted many types of therapy. My friend said, �Try tai chi, it’s a gentle exercise.� Because my back was sore, I refused at first, but I attempted it. It was really surprising to me how people from 35 to 80 years old could do the movements, when I couldn�t. I found to be able to steadfastly keep up their health, some of them had been practicing for up to 35 years. I understood they were much fitter and much more flexible than my parents, therefore I decided to learn it. I practiced in all weather, in the park every day. My back pain vanished and has never return.”
Q: Are there tai chi resources you can recommend?
A: Yes, the Tai Chi for Health Institute web site has many resources, including a summary of accredited educators around the planet.
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by Dr Alex Jimenez | Leaky Gut
Leg discomfort might slip up quietly or may hit abruptly. Regardless of how it is got by one pain may become worse fairly rapidly. No further nowadays a disease that inflicts just the aged, leg discomfort is becoming typical for individuals of ages. Several natural home remedies have been outlined by us for knee-joint pain that may give respite from the discomfort to you. #HomeRemedies
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Leaky Gut
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins—the “bricks” that build your entire body: organs, bones, hormones, skin, hair, nails, etc. If you imagine yourself as a brick house, the busier you are (i.e., long work days, exercise, late nights, etc.), the more bricks you wear out and thus the more you need to replace.
Your body can make most of the 20 amino acids from its own internal machinery, except for the essential amino acids, which must be obtained from the food you eat. However, the rules of the game change under one particular circumstance… stress!
There is a group of amino acids called conditionally essential; under times of stress, they become essential. You’re probably wondering what qualifies as “times of stress”? In today’s 24/7 society of constant connectivity, fewer hours sleep, and nutrient-poor, calorically-dense Western diet, you could make a strong argument that we’re constantly in this state and thus would benefit from taking in more conditionally essential amino acids, especially one in particular called glutamine.
What Is Glutamine?
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. It is considered conditionally essential, meaning your body can make it from its own internal machinery, but under times of stress (i.e., if you’re training for a marathon, working long hours, struggling with cold or flu), it’s required in much greater amounts.
Your body needs glutamine in times of stress. In this day and age, it you could be in this state fairly often!
Glutamine is also a primary fuel for your gut and immune system, and it supports healthy brain function (one of the few amino acids that can cross the blood-brain barrier), helps to clear waste products like ammonia from the body, and accelerates healing from trauma or intense exercise.
7 Glutamine Benefits
1. Promotes Weight Loss
If you’re stuck on a weight loss plateau, amino acids like glutamine can be very supportive for weight loss because they can be converted to glucose in the kidneys and used as a fuel source for the body, without the blood sugar and insulin spike typically caused by processed carbs and simple sugars. (1)
Glutamine can help you lose weight by converting stored glucose to an immediate fuel source.
2. Fights Leaky Gut
Sugar consumption is ubiquitous in our environment today, and, combined with stress and lack of sleep, can easily lead to dysbiosis or too much “bad” bacteria in the gut. This is very common today and when it persists, it can lead to chronic inflammation and damage to the lining of your intestinal tract. This damage can result in a leaky gut, where food particles are able to pass through your gut wall (when normally they shouldn’t be able to), which in turn leads to food allergies and increased risk of autoimmune reactions. (2) Glutamine is one of the primary fuels for your gut cells, thus helping to maintain the integrity of the gut wall and prevent leaky gut.
3. Improves Skin Tone
Keeping your glutamine intake sufficient is crucial for keeping your skin firm and supple. If you don’t eat enough protein, your body breaks down muscle to tap into your body stores, leading to the loss of protein, thinning muscles and skin potentially sagging more easily. (3) Animal protein is the best source of essential and conditionally essential amino acids, making the Paleo diet a great platform for meeting your requirements.
4. Boosts Brain Function
If you’re run down, not sleeping well or generally exhausted from too many late nights, you’re likely experiencing some brain fog. When your brain has a deficiency in glutamic acid (precursor for glutamine), you cannot produce adequate amounts of GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), the body’s natural “relax” neurotransmitter. This can lead to increased tension, brain fog, anxiety, or sleep disorders. (4) By topping up your glutamine intake, you provide your body the building blocks for GABA and better brain function.
5. Helps Post-Workout Recovery
Exercise is a stressor, so you would think that the addition of conditionally essential amino acids like glutamine would enhance athletic performance. While many websites will cite studies that claim there is a benefit from glutamine supplementation and performance, the overall data don’t support this claim.
Try supplementing with glutamine right after a workout to help you bounce back quicker.
However, there is some good evidence that added glutamine increases glycogen resynthesis after exhaustive exercise, which means adding it would be a nice addition to your post-training shake if you’re following a keto or low-carb diet. (5)
6. Boosts Immunity
Glutamine does indeed support improved immunity during times of stress, but the therapeutic dose you need to consume is quite high: 20g per day for a sustained period of time (i.e., weeks). (6) This could be divided up into 5g doses throughout the day. Before jumping into a plan like this, talk to your doctor or naturopath.
7. Supports Cancer Therapy
Cancer therapy, while essential for eliminating cancerous cells in the body, is intense and takes its toll on the patient’s overall health. Supplemental glutamine has been shown to be an effective adjunct treatment, supporting the patient’s metabolism while not increasing tumor growth. (7) It can therefore be considered, with the agreement of your doctor, as a support for patients going through radiation or chemo.
How Can You Get Enough Glutamine?
Glutamine is naturally found in abundance in animal protein. Paleo diet staples like grass-fed beef, wild game, pastured eggs and poultry, wild fish, seafood, and organ meats are all phenomenal sources of glutamine.
Leafy greens, such as spinach, cabbage, parsley, kale, beets, are also a nice source of glutamine. The tricky part is you’ll maximize your intake by eating these vegetables raw, so including these veggies in salads, juicing, or adding into smoothies is your best bet.
Natural Sources of Glutamine
- Grass-fed beef
- Wild game
- Pastured eggs and poultry
- Wild fish
- Organ meats
- Leafy greens, i.e., spinach, cabbage, kale
You can also supplement with glutamine to increase your daily intake. While it’s important to remember that glutamine is made inside your body, if you’re under stress (i.e., really busy, training hard, not sleeping well, sick, etc.), glutamine becomes essential, so adding more into your diet can be highly beneficial. All of the benefits listed above are the result of supplementing with the natural form of the amino acid (called L-glutamine).
Glutamine Powder
Supplemental glutamine is relatively inexpensive and tasteless, which means it’s quite easy to add into your nutrition arsenal. I typically suggest that my clients add 5g daily in their breakfast smoothie, mixed into water while they eat breakfast, or added into afternoon tea or before bed.
Add glutamine powder into your breakfast smoothie or add it to your tea before bed.
If you have a more long-standing complaint of low immunity, digestive problems, inability to recover from exercise, then it’s possible to increase your daily dose to 0.2 grams per kilogram body weight. However, I suggest you work with a functional doctor or naturopath in your area to discuss this in greater depth.
Bottom Line
If you feel like you’re constantly sick, struggling with chronic gut problems or just feel rundown, then getting the right amount of amino acids—the building blocks of your body—is critical to getting your health on track. Today, if you’re like most people, you’re busy and constantly on the run, making amino acids like glutamine really important to keep your immune system strong, digestive system healthy and overall resiliency robust. For many, it’s a great addition in the winter months to increase your resiliency so you can keep up with the pace at work and play.
(This article originally appeared @Paleohacks.com)
Dr. Marc Bubbs ND, CISSN, CSCS
Check out more articles in the “PROTEIN” SERIES…
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Gut and Intestinal Health, Natural Health, Wellness
Using antibiotics very early in life may lead to developing inflammatory diseases later in life, says a new report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. Using antibiotics in infancy disrupts the normal development and growth of gut bacteria, and in addition to contributing to gut problems such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the altered environment may contribute to other inflammatory diseases such as asthma and multiple sclerosis.
The study also indicates that altering gut bacteria may be a way to treat or prevent some inflammatory diseases.
“Our study demonstrates that gut bacteria in early life do affect disease development in adulthood, but this response can be changed,” said Colby Zaph �of the School of Biomedical Sciences at Monash University, Australia.
The study has important ramifications for using pre- and probiotics, in the administration of antibiotics to newborns, and to the understanding of how gut bacteria play a critical role in the development of �inflammatory diseases such as IBD.
For the study, scientists used two groups of mice. The first group included pregnant females treated with broad spectrum antibiotics during pregnancy and pups treated with broad spectrum antibiotics for the first three weeks of life.
The second group was a control group that consisted of untreated pregnant mothers and pups. The pups in the treated group were weaned at three weeks of age and antibiotic treatment was stopped at the same time. These pups had reduced levels of gut bacteria and were allowed to age normally.
At eight weeks of age, immune cells (CD4 T cells) from both the treated and untreated pups were examined for their ability to induce irritable bowel disease in other mice. The immune cells from antibiotic-treated mice induced a more rapid and more severe disease than those from the untreated mice.
Another recent study connected Gulf War Illness (GWI) to changes in gut bacteria. Researchers found that the chemicals, etc. that veterans were exposed to altered the microbiome � the bacteria that inhabit the gut. The affected microbiota then produce endotoxins, which pass through a thinned lining of the gut (called a leaky gut) and into the blood where they circulate throughout the body.
These compounds trigger an inflammatory response that, in turn, initiates several neurological abnormalities commonly observed in GWI, such as cognitive difficulties, widespread pain, and debilitating fatigue.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Cancer Health, Turmeric
The ability of turmeric to fight cancer has been extensively researched. In fact, over 1,500 published studies show that curcumin, turmeric�s active ingredient, is an effective treatment for over 100 different types of cancer.
The fact that mainstream medicine hasn�t embraced turmeric as a non-toxic cancer therapy is nothing short of outrageous. But a new study, in which curcumin outperformed conventional chemotherapy drugs, may finally bring turmeric the recognition it deserves.
Turmeric Gains Popularity From Growing Awareness Of Chemotherapy & Side Effects
Chemotherapy targets cancer cells as foreign invaders to be eliminated � an approach that ignores the root causes of the disease, and doesn�t help to create an �anticancer� environment in the body. Toxic chemotherapy drugs � which kill healthy cells and cause debilitating side effects � are not very effective against cancer stem cells, the �mother cells� that regulate the growth of tumors.
In fact, the result of these toxic drugs is to make the body even more susceptible to the cancer stem cells � spurring them to create even more treatment-resistant cells.
However, chemotherapy does succeed in killing significant amounts of cancer cells, and this is not to say it should never be used. But, the opinion of many integrative healthcare professionals is that it should be used as a last resort, not a first line of defense � especially when safer, non-toxic options are available.
Curcumin Makes Chemotherapy Safer & More Effective
In a 2015 study published in Cancer Letters, curcumin was tested in conjunction with the chemotherapy drugs 5-fluoroucil and oxaliplatin against colorectal cancer. Adding curcumin to the regimen improved the efficacy of the drugs � the curcumin inhibited cancer cell growth and even increased apoptosis, or cancer cell suicide.
Even more impressive, the curcumin appeared to help the chemo drugs specifically target cancer stem cells, reinforcing the drugs� cancer-fighting abilities while lessening the side effects � including the neuropathies that can be caused by oxaliplatin. Side effects from curcumin � on the other hand � were minimal, involving mild gastrointestinal upset and dry mouth. Researchers concluded that curcumin is a �safe and tolerable adjunct� treatment.
But this wasn�t even the most significant result of the study.
Stunning Finding: Curcumin Outperformed Chemotherapy Drugs
In a small subset of patients, curcumin alone was found to be more effective in reducing overall cancer cells and cancer stem cells than the pair of chemo drugs alone. In other words, curcumin went head-to-head with chemo drugs and outperformed them � a truly astonishing result.
Researchers credited curcumin�s multiple methods of action with its success. Curcumin not only directly killed cancer cells, but also induced apoptosis, inhibited the growth of new cancer cells on a genetic level, and prevented blood supply from reaching new tumors.
All this, while promoting health with beneficial anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hormone-balancing properties.
Extensive Studies Attest To Curcumin�s Ability To Fight Many Types Of Cancer
As the researchers noted, clinical trials of curcumin in an oncology setting have targeted many types of cancer, including colorectal, pancreatic, breast and blood cancers.
In one study, colorectal cancer patients who were given 1,080 mgs of curcumin daily showed an increase in the amount of dying cancer cells, a reduction of inflammation, improved body weight, and higher gene expression indicating suppression of cancer.
In another study published in Nutrition Research, curcumin-supplemented lab animals showed a 40 percent decrease in the development of colon tumors. These results are supported by an animal model of colon cancer in which curcumin improved survival rate and colon health by completely eliminating cancerous tumors.
In yet another study, patients with pancreatic cancer who were given 8,000 mgs of curcumin a day showed increased survival time along with significant reductions in tumor size � in one case, up to 73 percent.
And, finally, in a study involving prostate cancer, curcumin was shown to cut in half the growth rate of prostate-specific androgen, a marker of tumor progression.
Turmeric Is Still Unapproved & Unacknowledged By Conventional Medicine
In spite of its proven results, turmeric is not approved by the FDA for cancer treatment � and does not enjoy mainstream acceptance in the conventional medical community. The reason, many say, is financial � with hundreds of millions of dollars invested in clinical trials, and massive profits to be made, big pharma doesn�t have much incentive to develop a treatment from a common kitchen spice.
In fact, the industry lobbies to make treatment of cancer by alternative means a criminal offense.
Having said that, we naturally suggest you talk to a trusted medical professional before using turmeric � for any reason � and, don�t stop taking prescribed medication unless advised by your physician.
It should be noted that in the past, turmeric�s therapeutic potential has been limited by its poor bioavailability � the fact that the body doesn�t absorb or use it effectively. But, the development of liposomalized turmeric extract has changed all that, increasing the bioavailability 10 to 20-fold and allowing the curcumin to begin its health-promoting and cancer-fighting work.
Hopefully, the research � presented in this article � will shine a light on the amazing healing potential of turmeric. We encourage every caring physician to do their own research � for the sake of their patients.
Editor�s note: I, personally, use a wonderful liposomal form of turmeric � which you can purchase here and, yes, your purchase does support our operations � at no extra cost to you.
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References:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4510144
www.naturalhealth365.com/curcumin-prevent-cancer-1803.html
www.naturalhealth365.com/curcumin-cancer-cells-2009.html
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Gut and Intestinal Health, Natural Health
Using antibiotics very early in life may lead to developing inflammatory diseases later in life, says a new report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. Using antibiotics in infancy disrupts the normal development and growth of gut bacteria, and in addition to contributing to gut problems such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the altered environment may contribute to other inflammatory diseases such as asthma and multiple sclerosis.
The study also indicates that altering gut bacteria may be a way to treat or prevent some inflammatory diseases.
“Our study demonstrates that gut bacteria in early life do affect disease development in adulthood, but this response can be changed,” said Colby Zaph of the School of Biomedical Sciences at Monash University, Australia.
The study has important ramifications for using pre- and probiotics, in the administration of antibiotics to newborns, and to the understanding of how gut bacteria play a critical role in the development of inflammatory diseases such as IBD.
For the study, scientists used two groups of mice. The first group included pregnant females treated with broad spectrum antibiotics during pregnancy and pups treated with broad spectrum antibiotics for the first three weeks of life.
The second group was a control group that consisted of untreated pregnant mothers and pups. The pups in the treated group were weaned at three weeks of age and antibiotic treatment was stopped at the same time. These pups had reduced levels of gut bacteria and were allowed to age normally.
At eight weeks of age, immune cells (CD4 T cells) from both the treated and untreated pups were examined for their ability to induce irritable bowel disease in other mice. The immune cells from antibiotic-treated mice induced a more rapid and more severe disease than those from the untreated mice.
Another recent study connected Gulf War Illness (GWI) to changes in gut bacteria. Researchers found that the chemicals, etc. that veterans were exposed to altered the microbiome — the bacteria that inhabit the gut. The affected microbiota then produce endotoxins, which pass through a thinned lining of the gut (called a leaky gut) and into the blood where they circulate throughout the body.
These compounds trigger an inflammatory response that, in turn, initiates several neurological abnormalities commonly observed in GWI, such as cognitive difficulties, widespread pain, and debilitating fatigue.
