Food Sensitivities: Then What?!?

💥 Let’s figure out why!

If you’re dealing with food sensitivities, this post is for you.

Did you know there might be fixable issues that are driving food sensitivities or making them worse?

That’s right:

Research 📚 has linked food sensitivities to changes in:

👉 Gut Microbiome

👉 Intestinal Permeability (“Leaky Gut”)

👉 Gut inflammation

So…

Gut support makes a lot of sense.

Keep following along if you want to learn more about how I can help with a root-cause approach to health 🙌

References

Caminero A, Meisel M, Jabri B, Verdu EF. Mechanisms by which gut microorganisms influence food sensitivities. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019;16(1):7-18. [link]

Ohtsuka Y. Food intolerance and mucosal inflammation. Pediatr Int. 2015;57(1):22-29. [link]

Ventura MT, Polimeno L, Amoruso AC, et al. Intestinal permeability in patients with adverse reactions to food. Dig Liver Dis. 2006;38(10):732-736. [link]

Do You Know These 4 Food Reactions?

👋 Hey there! If you’re wondering if foods might be triggering you ⬇️⬇️

Lots of people get this confused, but do you know how many different types of food reactions there are? 

👉👉there are 4️⃣

🚑 Food allergies trigger an immune reaction that can be life-threatening.

🤷‍♀️ Food sensitivities trigger more gradual reactions that can be harder to recognize. 

🥛 Food intolerances occur because of an inability to digest certain foods (like lactose).

🍞 Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction to gluten.

Of all the types, food sensitivities are the most confusing, so I’ll be sharing a series of posts on this soon. 

Be sure to tap FOLLOW if you want to learn how to recognize food sensitivities and what to do about it!

New Study Shows HOW the Microbiome Protects Us!

How do good gut bacteria protect against harmful ones?

📢 New research alert!!

The gut microbiome consists of hundreds of different bacterial species and strains. One health benefit is that these bacteria can protect against the invasion of harmful bacteria.

But until now, there have been unanswered questions about how this works and whether some strains are more important than others.

A new study published in Science found that it was NOT any single bacterial strain that was protective but instead the combined effect of at least 50+ strains together.

Also, the WAY the collective bacterial communities protected against harmful invaders was by consuming nutrients those invaders might need.

The takeaway?

An optimal microbiome is a diverse microbiome.

Gut health is always something we look at as part of the bigger picture of our patient’s health.

Reference

Spragge F, Bakkeren E, Jahn MT, et al. Microbiome diversity protects against pathogens by nutrient blocking. Science. 2023;382(6676):eadj3502. [link]

70% of Your Immune System is Here…

😮 70% of your immune system is in your gut.

Have you heard this statistic?

It’s true.

Of all the immune cells in the human body, 70-80% are located in a place called the GALT, which is lymphatic tissue around the gastrointestinal tract.

These immune cells are trained by the gut microbiome, which means…

🙌 Healthy Gut Microbiome = Healthy Immune System 🙌

Most people never think about it, but eating in a way that supports the gut microbiome is one of the best ways to support your immune system!!

Want some ideas for microbiome-friendly foods?

🥦 Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables

🥣 Probiotic-rich yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut

🧄 Prebiotic-rich foods like garlic, onions, and bananas

Not everyone does well with these foods, depending on many individual factors. Please do not take this as medical advice.

Reach out for specific guidance on how to support your immune & gut health in a personalized way.

Like if you found this helpful ❤️

Reference

Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J, Knippels LMJ. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):886. [link]

Research Alert! Microbiome & Weight Loss

🌟 Exciting Research 🌟

One of the most common questions people ask me is: Should I take a probiotic?

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria to populate the gut microbiome, and a general trend we see in research is that a more diverse microbiome (more variety of microorganisms) is associated with better health.

But a new study has found yet another way to improve the microbiome:

Weight loss.

Regardless of whether people followed intermittent fasting or calorie restriction, weight loss led to more diversity of the microbiome AND (another sign of better health) changes in DNA methylation.

Why am I so excited by this?

Because it shows how resilient the body is.

When we make changes in a positive direction toward health, our bodies benefit in ways we cannot even see and may never even know.

Drop me a ❤️ if you agree.

#gutmicrobiome #microbiome #microbiomehealth #metabolichealth #elementsnatmed

Reference

Hill EB, Konigsberg IR, Ir D, Frank DN, Jambal P, Litkowski EM, Lange EM, Lange LA, Ostendorf DM, Scorsone JJ, et al. The Microbiome, Epigenome, and Diet in Adults with Obesity during Behavioral Weight Loss. Nutrients. 2023; 15(16):3588. [link]