Renew You Challenge

Let’s start this week off right!

Weekly challenge (I mean opportunity!) to help set you off on the right foot and in the right direction for bringing health to your week. You could even add it to your calendar. Join us!

A study published back in May was the first to show that the Bt toxin from genetically modified corn enters the bloodstream. The study involved 30 pregnant women and 39 non-pregnant Canadian women, and found the toxin in 93 percent of the pregnant women, in 80 percent of the umbilical cord blood of their babies, and in 67 percent of the non-pregnant women.

The researchers suggest that the toxins entered the bloodstream by way of the consumption of meat from animals fed Bt corn. Certainly dairy from animals fed Bt corn, or even corn products made of Bt corn, could also be sources of the toxin. Fully 88 percent of the corn planted in the U.S. is genetically engineered. Much of this is used as animal feed, though genetically modified corn ingredients can also be found in a vast array of processed foods.

There is currently a movement to pass legislation that would require labeling of genetically modified foods. Visit the website for the Institute for Responsible Technology to sign a petition, and to see video segments from the Dr. Oz show on this topic.

When it comes to genetically engineered foods, one major fear has been that genetically modified plants could spread to the wild. Another recent study, published in the online journal PLoS ONE, has found that this is now a reality. Large populations of genetically engineered canola have been found outside of cultivation areas, and are capable of hybridizing with each other, creating yet new combinations of transgenic traits.

This week, if you think that genetically modified foods should be labeled, sign the petition here.

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Do you love shopping for antiques? Is your cupboard filled with thrift store trinkets? Do you serve food out of a pewter dish that was passed down from generation to generation? Did you ever think that it might contain lead? Read on…

Not long ago, it was reported that lead and cadmium were found in children’s drinking cups given out by a fast food restaurant. Even more recently, lead was found in reusable shopping bags. Now, another report has found that many items purchased from second-hand or antique shops contain dangerous amounts of lead.

Surface lead concentrations of more than 700 times the federal limit were found on items such as toys, home décor, kitchen utensils, and jewelry. Researchers purchased items from stores in Virginia, New York and Oregon, and were able to purchase an item that contained lead from every store they visited!

Nineteen out of 27 products exceeded the federal standard for lead, which is currently 600 parts per million. One salt shaker lid contained 714 times the federal limit! Regulation of the sale of second-hand and antique items would be both difficult and expensive, so a national public health education campaign will be launched to inform consumers of the dangers of these products.

Children are especially at risk for exposure to dangerous levels of lead and should not come into contact with antiques or use products that may contain lead. Used dishes and kitchen utensils, as well as construction debris and salvage items should be avoided until tested.

Avoiding all toxins is impossible, I know, but we can all take a few steps to lessen our toxic burden. Remember to support your body’s natural detoxification processes by eating a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables, getting plenty of exercise, and cleansing regularly.

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Would you be surprised to know that eating a high-fat meal and/or high-sugar meal causes your arteries to not work in a normal manner? Let’s say we start the day with either coffee with cream/sugar and donuts, or same coffee/sugar with eggs and toast with butter/jam. And then for lunch or supper, we eat meals with high-fat meat, bread and butter, a baked potato with sour cream and butter along with an alcoholic drink (or even ice tea with sugar). Then we finish the meal with a nice dessert.

Each of these meals can cause your arteries not to function properly by the end of the meal which could last for several hours!¹ If you tend to eat this way, most of the day your arteries are constricted and not dilating normally in response to routine activities. The result, at the very least, is high blood pressure. This problem can be eliminated simply by cutting out the excess saturated fat and sugar, and adding probiotics or cultured foods high in bifidobacteria, in addition to eating plenty of vegetables throughout the day.

The above illustration of the diet-artery connection illustrates just one of the many ways to create a problem known as endothelial dysfunction, a condition that occurs when the cells lining the arteries, veins, and lymphatics don’t work properly.² There are a multitude of ways to cause the vessels to not dilate or constrict normally, and to cause the lining to leak (let’s call it leaky vessel syndrome). Endothelial dysfunction is a precursor to atherosclerosis.³ Here is a short list of endothelial dysfunction triggers:

1. Smoking, polluted air,⁴ food, and water⁵ – All of these create excess free radicals which are a major cause of endothelial dysfunction.

2. High blood sugar and/or high insulin levels – High blood sugar results in glycosylation (think of it like a sticky sugar coating) of the insulin receptor substrate, which eventually leads to an inability of protein kinase B (Akt) to increase endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) enzyme activity, resulting in low nitric oxide (NO) and poor blood vessel function.⁶

3. Microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites), parts of microbes, and toxins made by microbes migrating from inside the intestinal lumen into the arterial, venous and lymphatic circulation – Microbes and their toxins activate white blood cells and they release bullets (anti-microbial peptides) named alpha-defensins that not only damage the microbes but the endothelial lining as well.

4. Stress – Stress increases cortisol, which can elevate blood sugar and insulin, again sugar coating receptors to result in low NO, and thus, endothelial dysfunction.

5 Aging – Aging decreases stem cells that help with repair processes, increases blood cortisol levels (see number 4), and decreases bifidobacteria levels in the colon. All of this leads to endothelial dysfunction.

6. Increased body fat, especially in abdomen – Even a modest gain of about 8 pounds (which can happen over a vacation) will cause endothelial dysfunction. “In normal-weight healthy young subjects, modest fat gain results in impaired endothelial function, even in the absence of changes in blood pressure. Endothelial function recovers after weight loss. Increased visceral (belly) rather than subcutaneous fat predicts endothelial dysfunction.”⁴

One of the mechanisms by which fat hurts the arteries is by releasing a cytokine known as resistin. Resistin has been shown to cause oxidative stress and decrease endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) which is essential for nitric oxide (NO) production, itself essential for arterial health and function.

7. Physical inactivity – Merely by doing nothing, the process of ongoing free radical activity due to diet, stress and environment, will decrease nitric oxide (our natural vasodilator), superoxide dismutase (our own natural anti-oxidant) and citrate synthetase (the enzyme in our mitochondria involved energy production—essential to a healthy heart / blood vessel function). These natural sources of blood vessel protection return merely by walking briskly on a regular basis.⁵

8. Diabetes types 1 and 2 – Again, elevated blood sugar and either high or low insulin levels, as are seen in diabetes, will lead to endothelial dysfunction as described above.

9. Drugs which elevate or lower blood sugar and insulin – Many diabetic drugs can cause endothelial dysfunction by not maintaining steady levels of blood sugar and insulin. Insulin itself is one of the worst offenders.

10. Even children receiving second-hand smoke in a household with smokers, begin developing endothelial dysfunction at an early age.

References

1. Rudolph TK, et al., “Acute effects of various fast-food meals on vascular function and cardiovascular disease risk markers: The Hamburg Burger Trial.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):334-40.
2. Endemann DH and Schiffrin EL, “Endothelial dysfunction.” J Am Soc Nephrol. 2004 Aug;15(8):1983-92.
3. Davignon J and Ganz P, Role of endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis.” Circulation. 2004 Jun 15;109(23 Suppl 1):III27-32.
4. Romero-Corral A, et al., “Modest visceral fat gain causes endothelial dysfunction in healthy humans.” J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Aug 17;56(8):662-6.
5. Suvorava T et al., “Physical activity causes endothelial dysfunction in healthy young mice.” J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 Sep 15;44(6):1320-7.
6. Wautier JL and Schmidt AM, “Protein glycation: a firm link to endothelial dysfunction.” Circ Res. 2004 Aug 6;95(3):233-8.

Leonard Smith, M.D.
Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent Board-Certified, general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon who had a successful private practice for 25 years. In addition to his active surgery practice, he also incorporated lifestyle, diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and stress management into many of the therapies he would prescribe. Many of his patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses did so well under his treatment regimes that he began to devote most of his career to foundational health care and preventive medicine.

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Belly fat is usually detectible—people generally have a good idea if they tend to accumulate fat in their midsection, as opposed to their hips and bottom. But how do you know if your liver is fat? Well, abdominal fat and liver fat often go hand in hand. In fact, fat from the liver can be sent to the belly, and vice versa. Often, an underlying feature of both of these is inflammation, which may come from the gut. Nutrients and other substances—including fat, toxins and inflammatory compounds—are absorbed from the small intestine and travel straight to the liver via the portal vein.

A recent study found that obese individuals with high amounts of abdominal fat and liver fat are at increased risk for heart disease. The researchers found that liver fat is strongly associated with increased secretion of very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), which contain the highest amounts of triglycerides, known to increase heart disease risk.

It has long been known that abdominal fat can be dangerous. The increasing knowledge about the dangers of liver fat adds to the story, as these two go hand in hand, each setting the body up to be more susceptible to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Together, belly and liver fat mean trouble.

Both liver and abdominal fat can be reduced with exercise and weight loss. These steps, in addition to addressing any underlying gut dysfunction that may be contributing inflammation to the liver, can help reverse these metabolic precursors to heart disease.

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The immune system is a complex organization of coordinated responses to “foreign” invaders in the body. Foreign invaders include microbes—bacteria, fungus, parasites and viruses—as well as toxins and even food. As a matter of fact, one major role of the immune system is to not respond to food. As is seen with food allergies, however, the immune system is not always successful at this. Food allergies involve an overactive immune response to certain foods, which would normally be recognized as harmless. 

The immune system is comprised of two main branches: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system, also known as cell-mediated immunity, involves an immediate non-specific immune response, often against pathogens. The adaptive immune system, also called humoral immunity, involves a delayed, specific, organized response involving the production of antibodies that later recognize invading microbes so that a more effective immune response can be mounted. The innate immune system involves the production of cells called T helper 1 (Th1) cells, and adaptive immunity involves the production T helper 2 (Th2) cells. T helper cells are lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. They are like the messengers of the immune system, sending signals that stimulate various immune responses.

Th1 and Th2 responses are joined by another type of T helper cell known as Th17. Th17 and Th1 responses are both associated with over-active immune responses, as is seen in autoimmune conditions, in which the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Both these responses produce inflammation by way of cytokines, the immune equivalent of hormones. These three types of T helper cells are all regulated and balanced by cells known as T regulatory cells, or Tregs.¹

Are you confused yet? Think of all these T cells as a four-way seesaw.  Th1 and Th17 are on two prongs of one end, and Th2 and Tregs are on two prongs of the other. When all is well, this seesaw is in balance, like a harmonized symphony responding appropriately to that which the body comes into contact.  If out of balance, you may see higher levels of Th1 and Th17, an indication of underlying autoimmunity as is seen with type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematous. In contrast, higher levels of Th2 and Tregs are characteristic of allergic conditions like asthma, food allergies and hay fever, and with immune suppression.

How can we balance immunity? Well, probiotics are one solution. Since over 70 percent of the immune system is in the gut, probiotics are in the right terrain for immune system communication. Probiotics help balance immune response.  Gut bacteria essentially “prime” the immune system,² educating it so that it responds appropriately to what passes through the digestive tract—and to what may ultimately pass through the small intestine and into the body.

Omega-3 fatty acids also affect immunity, largely by helping to balance the inflammatory response—an important aspect of immunity. You see, inflammation is a necessary physiologic occurrence.  But too much inflammation spells trouble.  The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in fish oil help to quell inflammation at the right time.  They help stimulate the production of resolvins, chemicals knows to help “resolve” inflammation—or end it at the appropriate time.³ 

Further, the proper digestion of food is necessary so the immune system doesn’t have to work too hard.  When food is not broken down properly, undigested food particles can aggravate the gut, causing inflammation and even leaking through a permeable intestine (also known as leaky gut) and entering circulation where yet more inflammation is triggered, in a downward spiral of excess inflammation (which is at the basis of most, if not all, chronic disease).

Also important is regular bowel elimination, which can be attained by the consumption of dietary fiber—at least 35 grams per day. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is essential, and a fiber supplement can help reach 35 grams, which can be difficult to obtain through diet alone.

In essence, the HOPE Formula—High-fiber, Omega Oils, Probiotics and digestive Enzymes—can help improve digestive health and improve immune balance. Brenda and I have been recommending this formula for years for many good reasons. With the HOPE Formula, there is hope that your health will improve. 

References

1. Cooke A, “Th17 cells in inflammatory conditions.” Rev Diabet Stud. 2006 Summer;3(2):72-5.
2. Round JL and Mazmanian Sk, “The gut microbiota shapes intestinal immune responses during health and disease.” Nat Rev Immunol. 2009 May;9(5):313-23.
3. Serhan CN and Savil J, “Resolution of inflammation: the beginning programs the end.” Nat Immunol. 2005 Dec;6(12):1191-7.

Leonard Smith, M.D.

Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent Board-Certified, general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon who had a successful private practice for 25 years. In addition to his active surgery practice, he also incorporated lifestyle, diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and stress management into many of the therapies he would prescribe. Many of his patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses did so well under his treatment regimes that he began to devote most of his career to foundational health care and preventive medicine.

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Autoimmune disease involves a process whereby the immune system mistakes part of the body as a foreign invader, and mounts an attack against it, damaging tissue. The most common autoimmune diseases include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease, psoriasis, lupus, and Grave’s and Hashimoto’s diseases.

Prevalence of autoimmune disease is on the rise. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates as many as 23.5 million Americans may be afflicted with at least one autoimmune condition, up from 8.5 million in 1996. But even this estimate is low, since those numbers only consider 24 autoimmune conditions, when these illnesses actually number over 80.

Though genes do play a role in autoimmune diseases (they tend to run in families), environmental triggers are also involved and contribute to the increase in prevalence rates, according to Fred Miller, director of the Environmental Autoimmunity Group at the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences. “Our gene sequences aren’t changing fast enough to account for the increases,” Miller says. “Yet our environment is—we’ve got 80,000 chemicals approved for use in commerce, but we know very little about their immune effects. Our lifestyles are also different than they were a few decades ago, and we’re eating more processed food.”

Environmental triggers of autoimmunity include: chemicals, infections, stress, hormones, drugs, diet, weight gain and behavior. Of these, chemicals are particularly concerning due to their prevalence in the environment and to the lack of safety testing and regulation. The following toxins have been linked to autoimmunity: polyaromatic hydrocarbons (found in air pollution), heavy metals (lead and mercury), trichloroethylene (an industrial solvent that contaminates our water and air) and asbestos (found in building materials of older buildings).

Studying the link between environmental toxins and any illness is difficult, but because there are so many autoimmune disease, and because each one has different features, studying the link between chemicals and each illness is particularly difficult. Scientists are calling for better ways to link autoimmune diseases together, as occurs with cancer, to increase funding and understanding of what factors trigger this complex of diseases.

In the meantime, reducing toxin exposure, following a healthy diet, and supporting the seven channels of elimination—colon, liver, lungs, lymph, kidneys, skin and blood—with regular internal cleansing is recommended to help reduce toxic burden.

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A recent study published in the journal PLoS Biology has found that Candida albicans forms two distinct biofilm types according to what form the Candida is in—the sexual or asexual form.¹ A biofilm is a protective polysaccharide matrix in which microbial populations exist and are able to hide from the immune system and antimicrobials. As it turns out, when Candida is in an asexual form, it produces a biofilm that is impermeable to antifungals, antibodies and white blood cells. This asexual form makes up the majority—about 90 percent—of Candida cells in the body. The other ten percent are sexually reproducing Candida cells that form a similar looking biofilm that behaves differently and is susceptible to antifungals and to the immune system.

Biofilms are formed by more than just Candida, however. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that nearly 80 percent of chronic microbial infections are due to biofilms.² Dr. Maria Usman, MD has developed, and is refining, a Biofilm Protocol for use in children with gut disorders on the autism spectrum.³ She is seeing some success with this protocol, though it must be tailored to the individual and can cause a “die-off” reaction, also known as the Herxheimer reaction. (When microbes are killed they give off microbial toxins that can cause sickness-like symptoms that can make the patient feel worse before getting better.)

Another approach that can help get Candida and gut issues under control is the 4R Model.⁴ The Institute of Functional Medicine promotes this model as the best way to evaluate and treat patients with gastrointestinal complaints. The 4R model asks four main questions:

REMOVE—What may need to be removed? This may be pathogenic or potentially pathogenic organisms like Candida, bacteria or parasites. It can also be foods or toxins to which the person is sensitive or allergic.

REPLACE—What may need to be replaced? In this step, the use of digestive enzymes and HCl should be considered to ensure that they body is properly absorbing necessary nutrients.

REINOCULATE—What may the body need to be reinoculated with? This considers intestinal microbes and uses probiotics and prebiotics to reestablish intestinal balance.

REPAIR—What may be needed to repair a healthy mucosal layer? The use of certain nutrients, such as L-glutamine, to repair the mucosal layer are useful here. 

One probiotic—the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii—may be particularly helpful for those with Candida problems. Candida often occurs in people who have been treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics target bacteria, both good and bad, but do not affect Candida because it is a yeast, leaving no competition for Candida. This is where S. boulardii can be helpful, because it is not killed by antibiotics like other probiotic bacteria. Futher, S. boulardii has also been shown to inhibit Candida albicans.⁵ S. boulardii produces capric acid, and both have been shown to downregulate (reduce) the expression of genes associated with Candida virulence. Thus, the capric acid secreted by S. boulardii inhibits C. albicans hyphal formation, adhesion properties and biofilm formation.⁶ Probiotic bacteria have also been found to be helpful for Candida by helping to reduce and inhibit Candida, and by stimulating immune response against Candida.⁷ 

Bringing the gut back into balance takes a multipronged approach.  The 4R program can help address the multiple issues that arise when faced with digestive conditions like Candida overgrowth. 

1. Song Y, et al., “Alternative mating type configurations of Candida albicans result in alternative biofilms regulated by different pathways.” PLoS Biology. Aug 2011;9(8): e1001117.
2.  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-047.html
3. http://www.autismpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Protocols/Usman
4. Jones DS (editor), Textbook of Functional Medicine, The Institute for Functional Medicine, 2005, p. 462-8.
5. Krasowska A, et al., “The antagonistic effect of Saccharomyces boulardii on Candida albicans filamentation, adhesion and biofilm formation.”FEMS Yeast Res. 2009 Dec;9(8):1312-21.
6. Murzyn A, et al., “Capric acid secreted by S. boulardii inhibits C. albicans filamentous growth, adhesion and biofilm formation.” PLoS One. 2010 Aug 10;5(8):e12050.
7. Wagner RD, et al., “Biotherapeutic effects of probiotic cacteria on candidiasis in immunodeficient mice.” Infect and Immun. 1997 Oct; p. 4165-72.

Leonard Smith, M.D.

Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent Board-Certified, general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon who had a successful private practice for 25 years. In addition to his active surgery practice, he also incorporated lifestyle, diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and stress management into many of the therapies he would prescribe. Many of his patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses did so well under his treatment regimes that he began to devote most of his career to foundational health care and preventive medicine.

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A recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives and based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) investigated the exposure of pregnant women to 163 chemicals, revealing, “ubiquitous exposure to multiple chemicals during a sensitive period of development.” The study found that pregnant women were even exposed to chemicals banned decades ago, and some of the chemicals analyzed were found in 99 – 100 percent of the women.

Health effects were not assessed in this study, but many of the chemicals found are known to have detrimental consequences on health. In another case study of one women with particularly high levels of bisphenol A (BPA) during her 27^th week of pregnancy, the infant experienced neurobehavioral abnormalities at his one-month study visit. Researchers of this study were able to trace her abnormally high BPA exposure to the high consumption of canned foods, heating of plastic food containers, and use of plastic cups. The week of her highest recorded BPA level, she consumed canned ravioli each day. It is known that acidic foods can bring out more BPA from can lining, and canned tomato foods have been found to be higher in BPA.

BPA and phthalate exposure can be reduced by purchasing fresh unpackaged foods and avoiding plastic food packaging, storage containers and utensils. In one study, again published in Environmental Health Perspectives, consuming fresh foods prepared and consumed without the use of plastic was associated with a 66 percent reduction in the amount of BPA in urine.

We can’t eliminate all toxins, but there are small things we can do try to reduce them. Replace your plastic Tupperware with glass containers. Don’t use plastic wrap and try to prepare as much food as you can from fresh, unpackaged foods. And never heat food or drink in plastic. Do what you can and know that you are at least doing something. Spread the word—pass this information on.

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I often blog about the widespread negative effects of chemicals and pesticides. We live in a toxic soup, and the more people realize that, the more likely they will be to make changes. Ultimately, the more natural products and services you buy, the more those products and businesses will appear until one day (in my perfect world) we will be able to live without all these toxins!

Take a couple of recent studies (out of many) on pesticide exposure—as it turns out, prenatal exposure to pesticides is linked to lower IQ in children at age 7. And people exposed to pesticides near the workplace are at increased risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. Everywhere I look is another study to add to the mounds of evidence that the toxins we are regularly exposed to in everyday life are destroying us. Literally.

In the prenatal pesticide exposure study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, for every ten-fold increase in organophosphate pesticides detected during pregnancy, the child experienced a 5.5 point decrease in IQ score by age 7. The study found a correlation with prenatal exposure specifically, suggesting that there is a critical time period to which the baby in womb is susceptible.

In the Parkinson’s study, researchers found that exposure to the three commonly sprayed crop pesticides—ziram, maneb and paraquat—while at work was associated with a three-fold increase in risk of later developing Parksinson’s disease. Working near a field (not necessarily in direct contact with the pesticides, as they tend to drift up to several hundred meters from the fields) was enough to increase risk.

These are two small—yet significant—reasons to try to eat organic when possible, and to support your seven channels of elimination—colon, liver, lungs, lymph, kidneys, skin and blood—with regular cleansing and detoxification.

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A recent study to be published in the journal Pediatrics found that the prevalence of food allergy in children is higher than previously thought.¹ It turns out that 8 percent of children—that’s about 1 in every 13 children—are affected by food allergy. Food allergies and sensitivities are far-reaching problems contributing to many autoimmune conditions like type 1 diabetes, arthritis and psoriasis, and to neuro-inflammatory conditions like autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).^2-5

Food allergies and sensitivities are essentially the result of a breakdown in gut mucosal immune regulation in response to food antigens that pass through the gut. The gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) makes up about 80 percent of the body’s immune system, and it resides in and around the gut. The job of the immune system in the gut is to respond to foreign invaders, like pathogens, by destroying them. At the same time, it must also not respond to the large amount of food that passes through the gut every day—this is known as oral tolerance.

When it comes to food allergies and sensitivities, building and maintaining a healthy gut lining is key. The HOPE Formula can help you to achieve this with High fiber, Omega oils, Probiotics and digestive Enzymes.   

If you have the right bacterial balance, as can be achieved with probiotics, the gut lining will be minimally inflamed and therefore minimal leakage of microbial toxins will be available to activate the GALT. The beneficial bacteria also create more of an immune tolerance with the epithelial cells that line the intestine—especially the mucosal-associated lymphocytes that are part of the epithelial lining.⁶

The right balance of soluble fiber and insoluble fiber can also minimize allergies—the soluble fiber by producing beneficial short chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, which is the primary fuel of the colonocytes; and insoluble fiber by diluting out any toxins associated with allergens that are exposed to the intestinal lining. In addition, it holds water and bulks the stools to promote better and quicker elimination, thus reducing the time of exposure to allergens.

The essential omega-3 and omega-6 oils in the right ratio promote immune balance in the gut lining and gut-associated immune system. Most people consume too many omega-6 oils and too few anti-inflammatory omega-3 oils. Omega-3 supplements can help reverse this imbalance. Digestive enzymes help by effectively breaking down proteins, fats, and carbs into less-antigenic food particles so that the intestinal (epithelial) lining does not react in an allergic, immunologic manner.  

HOPE should be a foundational health concept to help eliminate and/or prevent food allergies, especially when combined with avoidance of known allergenic foods and a rotation diet that avoids repetition of any given sensitive food for at least 3 to 4 days before eating it again. 

1. Gupta RS, et al., “The prevalence, severity, and distribution of childhood food allergy in the United States.” Pediatrics. 2011 Jun 20. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Wasmuth HE and Kolb H, “Cow’s milk and immune-mediated diabetes.” Proc Nutr Soc. 2000 Nov;59(4):573-9.
3. Hvatum M, et al., “The gut-joint axis: cross reactive food antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis.” Gut. 2006 Sep;55(9):1240-7.
4. Abenavoli M, et al., “Celiac disease and skin: psoriasis association.” World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Apr 14;13(14):2138-9.
5. Curtis LT and Patel K, “Nutritional and environmental approaches to preventing and treating autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a review.” J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Jan-Feb;14(1):79-85.
6. Savilahti E, et al., “Pre and probiotics in the prevention and treatment of food allergy.” Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Jun;8(3):243-8.

Leonard Smith, M.D.

Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent Board-Certified, general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon who had a successful private practice for 25 years. In addition to his active surgery practice, he also incorporated lifestyle, diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and stress management into many of the therapies he would prescribe. Many of his patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses did so well under his treatment regimes that he began to devote most of his career to foundational health care and preventive medicine.

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