In your gut, there are trillions of bacteria that live in your gut but, according to J. E. Williams, OMD, FAAIM, a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, longevity, and natural health, these bacteria are as damaged as the environment of the planet. Just like we are damaging environmental wellness with the harmful substances we put in the atmosphere, we’re ruining our gut ecology with the toxins we put into our bodies.
According to Williams, ‘Over the course of my practice, I’ve seen ever increasing incidences of cancer, autoimmune diseases, thyroid and adrenal glandular conditions, autism, Alzheimer’s and other progressive neurodegenerative diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, mood disorders, and obesity. We blame meat eating, viruses, stress, and weak adrenals. But, clinically, none of these, unless taken to the extreme, hold up as underlying causes. Rather, they appear to be tag-along conditions. Is the gut the missing link?’
Williams explains that, in the 90s, wellness experts thought probiotics would be the solution to the gut problem, but this came with certain difficulties. ‘Laboratories had a hard time keeping bacteria alive,’ Williams notes. ‘Then, the acid bath of the stomach knocked them dead on arrival. How many friendly microorganisms made up the right dosage? How many times a day? To take with or without food became the naturopath’s dilemma. Nobody really knew the right answer.’
However, hope came when scientists made an important discovery. ‘Laboratories got smarter, and made available more choices of probiotics with greater viability,’ says Williams. ‘We already knew about fibre and gut health, so we made sure our patients got at least 25 grams daily in their diet or included a fibre supplement. Fibre helps friendly bacteria stay alive. We learned about prebiotics: fibre and carbohydrates—like Jerusalem artichoke flour, which probiotics feed on to help colonies thrive.’
So where do we go from here? Williams advises, ‘We have to learn respect for the ancient bacteria that live with us, and in many ways, “are” us. Each of us has a unique mixture of bacteria. Healthy populations of friendly bacteria are associated with robust health. Restoring health requires effective therapy for repairing the gut.’ Williams outlines five steps you need to take to restore your gut ecology if you have a chronic disease:
- Get a stool test to evaluate your microbiome.
- Maintain a plant-based, high-fibre diet.
- With meals, take aedical grade probiotics up to 50 billion units daily.
- Take a prebiotic supplement.
- In six months, retest your levels of bacteria, changing probiotics and carrying on if no improvement is found.
Comments are closed.