Today’s world can be a stressful one, even in a country where we have so many freedoms. What with the economy, job losses and general financial uncertainty, stress is definitely a factor in many people’s lives.
Stress can be caused by many stimuli, and in turn, can also cause physical ailments in our bodies. Many in the traditional medical model see these ailments as psychosomatic; in other words, they assume that they are created by the patient’s imagination. They are starting to talk about irritable bowel syndrome, but most will not even recognize leaky gut syndrome as a legitimate problem.
We look at things differently at AskDrKing, especially when it comes to managing certain disorders that there isn’t a known medical or drug-based treatment. This definitely applies to irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut syndrome—we have great success with our patients that come to us with these diseases.
A Testimonial on Leaky Gut Syndrome from a client of Dr. Corey King.
In these cases, there can be multiple factors involved in activating the leaky gut syndrome, including food sensitivities, antibiotics, chemical exposure,
…but the main reason is stress.
Stress affects the gut lining by first activating the adrenal glands, also known as the “stress glands”. When the adrenal glands are overactive due to physical, emotional or chemical stressors, they release too much cortisol. Cortisol is not only toxic to the gut lining, the cortisol will also start eating away at it.
And when cortisol starts eating the gut lining, two things happen: one, microglial cells get activated and start attacking brain function; and two, it also makes the gut lining permeable. The permeability allows undigested food compounds to slip through the lining and get into the bloodstream, which causes an inflammatory reaction.
Part of managing the problem is calming down the cortisol, which requires the adrenal glands to be brought under control. This way there’s an appropriate level of cortisol being released, preventing the gut lining from being under attack.
Leaky gut syndrome can easily turn into a snowball effect is when those undigested food compounds or bacterium get into the bloodstream and the immune system reacts, it causes those microglial cells to become activated at the brain and start destroying neurons, which, in turn, affects the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve, also called Cranial Nerve X, comes out from where the cerebellum and brain stem are located. With the neurological degeneration and the brain not working as efficiently as it should, the vagus nerve slows down blood flow and neurological innervation to the gut.
This is how the vicious cycle performs
Food sensitivity or antibiotics destroy the good gut flora, added to the adrenal glands producing the cortisol causing the gut to be permeable and allow the food or antibiotic to be released into the bloodstream, it then affects the brain neurologically through the microglial cells, and now the brain loses control of gut function through the vagus nerve, and finally, the vagus nerve does not fire properly.
If the vagus nerve does not fire properly, two things happen: One, proper innervation will not get to the gut; and two, it won’t control the blood flow to the gut. If the blood doesn’t get to the gut, it won’t heal.
So what makes the Tustin Chronic Condition Center different?
“Firstly, there’s not a drug out there for it,” says Dr. King, owner of the Tustin Chronic Condition Center. “So the traditional medical community can’t give a patient anything for it. In fact, the medical model will not even acknowledge that there is any such thing as ‘leaky gut syndrome.’ In our experience, the traditional medical models are usually loathe to find out about or try and treat a problem that there’s no easy, drug-based solution for.”
How do you recognize leaky gut syndrome?
There are several symptoms, including bloating and/or flatulence after eating, stomach pains, bouts of constipation or diarrhea, or a person might even notice undigested food in their stool. However, not everyone experiences symptoms. There are ‘silent-symptoms’ and these are the patients that are typically diagnosed years later with Celiac/Crohn’s Disease. More to come on this in later blogs.
At the AskDrKing, we treat leaky gut syndrome in two ways. The first thing we do is put them on an anti-inflammatory diet, and the second course of action is to put them on a natural herbal supplement that starts patching up the gut lining. Taking that herbal supplement a few times a day allows their gut lining to start healing, and we also recommend the use probiotics to accentuate the anti-inflammatory diet and the supplements. Also, neurological rehabilitation on the region of the brain controlling the Vagus nerve is extremely important, which is why all of our patients are going through neurological rehabilitation.
We are very successful with our patients in managing their irritable bowel or leaky gut syndrome. We treat people by coaching them in what to eat and what to avoid in order for their gut to heal.
If you are concerned that you are experiencing irritable bowel syndrome or leaky gut syndrome, we can help. Please call Dr. King now on (714) 731-7680 or use our schedule a consultation form.
