Healthy Gut, Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
One of the most common reasons to visit a functional medical doctor is chronic complaints involving the gut, whether heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, or abdominal pain. It is absolutely essential to stress that the traditional gastroenterologist should play a part in any investigation of serious gut issues. Before embarking into a deep holistic dive into the stomach and/ or gut, any such issue, long- standing or acute, should be explored with traditional studies. Based on history and symptoms, this could include colonoscopy, endoscopy, and any radiological studies of the abdominal organs (ultrasound, CT, MRI, etc.) Bypassing these studies of anatomy and tissue pathology can potentially lead to grave consequences. Truly holistic medicine should always encompass the best of traditional medicine.
Radiological and endoscopic studies can find or eliminate thoughts of obstruction, polyps, and tumors, malignant and benign. They may also identify H. pylori, the aggressive bacteria that is one underlying cause of severe heartburn and erosive gastritis. This can be treated with nutrients, but prescription antibiotics are the treatment of choice. In the alternative context, antibiotic treatment must always be paired with aggressive use of probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are the beneficial organisms that populate a healthy gut, and without taking precautions, these can be badly reduced in number by the use of antibiotics. Prebiotics provide the nourishment to encourage the “good” probiotics to flourish in the colon. A probiotic regimen should always include both good bacteria and beneficial fungal forms from the Saccharomyces group.
But what if, as in more cases than not, nothing is found in traditional studies? The next possible investigative steps are somewhat tedious, although simple.
- A detailed food and symptom history taken by a nutritionally-oriented doctor: What do you eat, when you eat, when symptoms occur, what they are, and what makes them worse or better.
- A comprehensive stool test, showing the full range of the gut population of microorganisms and much more.
- A food sensitivity test, to see which foods might be aggravating the colon and the body via small micropore openings in the colon lining, the so-called “leaky gut”
- Tests from labs like Quest or LabCorp determine any nutritional deficits that may have been caused by the disruption in the gut. These tests can also provide clues to the underlying problem at hand.
The results of this investigation are then put together to determine the underlying causes of the unpleasant chronic gut symptoms, and what steps are necessary to correct them, with careful attention to all details. This is usually a very straightforward process. Difficulty, if any, may be encountered by trying to implement or follow the therapeutic protocol prescribed. Supplements would likely be called for, as would dietary change, and other additional lifestyle modifications and interventions. It’s very simple stuff, though not always fun to do. However, the results of cleaning the gut, balancing the microbiome, and changing the diet are beyond worth it. Not only do GI symptoms clear, but gut health is critical to energy, moods, focus, and prevention of a variety of autoimmune diseases as well. And a healthy GI tract is the source of a strong, resilient immune system. It’s a time-consuming goal to achieve, but it is doable and surely never too soon or too late to address and accomplish.
Robin Ellen Leder, M. D. has been practicing functional/ holistic medicine in Hackensack for over 30 years since working side-by side with Dr. Robert Atkins. She has successfully treated thousands of patients for such issues as GI distress, thyroid/adrenal insufficiency, fatigue, hormonal imbalance and psychiatric problems via dietary change, nutritional supplements, counseling, and intravenous infusions. For more information, see www.drrobinleder.com.
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