"The occurrence of spontaneous human and animal models of demyelination, serologic studies, and epidemiologic data provide persuasive circumstantial evidence for an infectious trigger in this disease."  From a 1995 issue of Acta Neurologica Scandivavica (Evidence for Multiple Sclerosis as an Infectious Disease)

"Multiple sclerosis is a serious chronic neurological disorder in which demyelination and inflammation occur in the white matter of the central nervous system. The most likely cause is a virus because more than 90% of patients with MS have high concentrations of IgG in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. Most chronic inflammatory central nervous system disorders are infectious."  Cherry-picked from the March 2005 issue of Lancet Neurology (Infectious Causes of Multiple Sclerosis)

"Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neuroinflammatory disease that is characterized by progressive, inflammatory, and multifocal demyelination of the brain and spinal cord. MS affects approximately 2.5 million people worldwide, with women being afflicted twice as frequently as men. Importantly, young adults are the primary groups afflicted with MS: the average age of diseases onset is 30 years, with half of these patients requiring a wheelchair within 25 years of their diagnosis.  Currently, there are three prevalent theories on the pathogenic mechanisms for MS: autoimmune, degenerative, and infectious.  These pathogenic mechanisms are not mutually exclusive."  From the October 2016 issue of the Journal of Neurology and Neurophysiology  (A Review of Multiple Sclerosis as an Infectious Syndrome)

Back in January, Brett Stetka published an article for NPR on a topic we have been recently discussing on my site titled Researchers Find A Web Of Factors Behind Multiple Sclerosis.  What was the chief factor in this web? Chronic infections.  "It's looking more and more as though MS strikes when infectious, genetic and immune factors gang up to eventually impair the function of neurons in the brain and spinal cord.  It is for the most part accepted that microbes play some role in MS given that dozens of microbes, including the Epstein-Barr virus, have been tied to MS."  What this means is that when the perfect storm of 'bad' genes combines with epigenetic factors (HERE); and there is some sort of infectious trigger present (a bacteria, virus, fungus, etc) to fire up the immune system (HERE, HERE or HERE), it can result in autoimmune reactions against one's own brain and nervous system --- in this case causing the disease we call MS.

I want to start by addressing something that everyone is already thinking --- just vaccinate people so they don't become infected.  No infection, no disease --- right?  While vaccines MIGHT prevent overt diseases (emphasis on the word 'might'), because they contain germs, germ parts or germ proteins; thanks to MOLECULAR MIMICRY, one's immune system can begin attacking self if it perceives that the germ-based proteins it's been attacking has a close enough molecular shape to myelin or other human proteins or structures (it's similar to the concept of GLUTEN CROSS-REACTIVITY).  This would help explain why even though the number of vaccines has increased exponentially over the past several decades (HERE), we are seeing more autoimmunity than at any time in human history (HERE or HERE).

"The immune siege appears to be a result of something called "molecular mimicry." Normally the body's immune system attacks foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria. If a molecule that's part of the body happens to closely resemble a portion of an intruding microbe, then both molecules can be targeted.  Put another way, say a particular protein on the surface of a virus is similar in structure to a protein found in myelin. The immune system ramps up to clear the virus but also attacks the myelin. It's a case of mistaken identity, of collateral damage.  The idea of molecular mimicry is one of the most important ones in MS.  We and others have shown that mimicry between myelin peptides and viral and bacterial peptides indeed exists."

Here's what's even crazier.  When quizzed about which germ was believed to be the culprit, just as you saw in the links provided in the first paragraph, the answer was that it could be just about any of them.  In other words, there are large numbers of germs, antigens and other "factors" that can lead to autoimmunity.  I've actually spoken of some of those 'factors' HERE.  And when asked about what the scientific community is doing to address this, the answer was that rather than relying on the IMMUNO-SUPPRESSING drugs which are almost universally used today, a new form of treatment (immuno-tolerance therapy) is supposed to REDUCE IMMUNE SYSTEM ACTIVITY by acting as (and I quote) "a sort of negative vaccine."   A negative vaccine?  Huh?

In light of everything we've discussedin this post, coupled with THESE POSTS (not to mention THIS POST), we can't be surprised that constantly amping up immune systems --- especially young and immature immune systems --- with large and constantly-increasing numbers of shots has led to HUGE CONTROVERSY concerning what sorts of SIDE EFFECTS we may be heaping on future generations.  If you appreciate what you are finding on our site, be sure to like, share or follow on FACEBOOK.  And if you are looking for ways to control systemic inflammation (the root of most chronic illnesses and chronic pain), THIS FREE MOSTLY-DIY POST might provide you with a few ideas.

An article from a recent edition of The Scientist (Can the Flu and Other Viruses Cause Neuro-Degeneration?) is yet another example of a phenomenon we have been discussing quite a bit as of late --- that chronic or latent (dormant) viral and bacterial infections have been associated with any number of autoimmune or neuro-degenerative diseases (HERE and HERE are examples of Alzheimer's Disease as related to chronic infections).   Take a look at this cherry-picked quote from the paper concerning INFLUENZA.

"As far back as 1385, doctors in Europe recorded connections between influenza infection and psychosis. That link between the flu and the brain became much more apparent during and after the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. More direct evidence for the virus-brain link came in the 1970s, when researchers found viral antigens in the brains of deceased people who had been afflicted with a condition known as encephalitis lethargica.  One of the earliest links between influenza and neural dysfunction was a correlation between the 1918 Spanish flu, caused by a subtype called H1N1, and an epidemic of Parkinson’s a few decades later. In the 1940s and early 1950s, diagnoses of the neurodegenerative disease appeared to increase abruptly, from 1–2 percent of the US population to 2.5–3 percent, then fell back down to 1–2 percent. 'Basically, 50 percent more people in those years got Parkinson’s.'"

The authors spoke of two different mechanisms whereby this happens.  The first involves something we have discussed many times previously; a disruption of the blood-brain barrier.  Metabolically and physiologically this is quite similar to what happens in leaky gut syndrome, which is probably why it has a similar name ---- LEAKY BRAIN SYNDROME.  The second had to do with an "over-activation" of a type of neurological / immune system cell known as GLIAL CELLS.  The end result?  "Two different flus, two different mechanisms, but the same effect in a sense. They were both inducing inflammation and death in the parts of the brain that degenerate in Parkinson’s disease."  What's doubly interesting is how GUT HEALTH came into play. 

The authors went on to talk about a "widely accepted hypothesis" that's been around for nearly two decades. "Parkinson’s disease starts in the gut, manifesting as digestive issues, and then moves into the brain. The progression of the disease from the gut to the forebrain, that takes place over maybe 25 or 30 years in a human."  From there the discussion moved on to several other chronic neurological diseases that have can have roots in chronic infections.  MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, more on PARKINSON'S, and HIV.  If you follow my site you already know how common this phenomenon really is (HERE). 

What's their recommended solution?  You already know the answer.  "Vaccination for the flu—or at the very least, taking Tamiflu if a person gets infected—might help prevent neurological complications of influenza infection."  Key word here is 'might'.  What other issues 'might' their approach lead to?  Unfortunately, numerous studies have shown that not only do consecutive years of flu vax make it increasingly ineffective at preventing flu (HERE), but that those same consecutive years of shots can actually lead to significantly increased chances of developing Alzheimer's (HERE).  And as for Tamiflu; if there's been a bigger hoax perpetrated on the American people through the concerted efforts of big pharma and the medical community (HERE), I'm not sure what it might be other than possibly STATIN DRUGS.

Although it's impossible to cut your risk of chronic disease to zero; because this short article mentioned the word INFLAMMATION nine times, it would behoove us all to both understand what it really is, and have a plan for diminishing it systemically.  My plan is free of charge (HERE), and is in no ways to be considered a "cure" for neurodegenerative diseases.  But as far as helping reduce the factor that seems to be the common denominator in virtually all health problems (inflammation) it's a start.  Fortunately there are doctors out there (Karim Dhani in Toronto is one of them) who specialize in tracking down and helping chronically ill people with occult infections.  Oh, and if you like what you are seeing on our site, be sure to like, share, or follow on FACEBOOK.

"The immune system is essential for maintaining a delicate balance between eliminating pathogens and maintaining tolerance to self-tissues to avoid autoimmunity. An enormous and complex community of gut microbiota provides essential health benefits to the host, particularly by regulating immune homeostasis. Many of the metabolites derived from commensals can impact host health by directly regulating the immune system. Many autoimmune diseases arise from an imbalance between pathogenic effector T cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells. Dysbiosis, an imbalance of the gut microbiota, is involved in autoimmune development.... Although it is well known that dysbiosis can impact diseases occurring within the gut, growing literature suggests that dysbiosis also causes the development of non-gut autoimmunity."   From the December issue of Immunology (Impact of Gut Microbiota on Gut-Distal Autoimmunity: A Focus on T Cells)

Today I want to discuss just how important a healthy MICROBIOME (the normal bacteria, fungus, and other microorganisms that live in and on us) is as far as overall health is concerned. The quote above does a good job of giving us a bird's eye view of the process.  The immune system (including Tregs) are "trained" by these Gut microbes (HERE).  If the immune system is like a car, these microorganisms keep it turned on and idling, ready for acceleration at a moment's notice.  This is loosely known as the HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS, with studies repeatedly showing that people who are not exposed to these bugs as infants and children are more prone to developing the problems we are going to discuss here today (AI ASTHMA is a biggie).  When the immune system is either suppressed (the car is locked in the garage, covered with a tarp, and the fuel drained from the tank) or "BOOSTED," such as what commonly happens with autoimmunity (the car is driving around the neighborhood randomly at 130 mph), bad things happen. 

As long as there is balance in the microbiome, the immune system idles softly, ready for immediate response if called upon.  However, when there is a disruption in gross numbers or ratios of these organisms (DYSBIOSIS), the end result is sickness and disease of numerous kinds --- diseases that are linked in more ways than the average doctor realizes or typically cares to understand (HERE).  When AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES RESULT (click for a list of some of the more common ones), it's critical to realize that most of these have nothing overtly to do with the gut.  In other words, the self-immune system attack and subsequent symptoms can occur anywhere, which is why, regardless of symptoms, natural healers have been preaching "heal the gut, heal the body" since well before THE ADVENT OF MODERN MEDICINE.  Today we will look at a few brand new studies that spell this out.

Next month's issue of Current Opinions in Rheumatology (The Microbiome in Systemic Autoimmune Disease: Mechanistic Insights From Recent Studies) tells us exactly why this is happening.  "Recent changes in modern societies have disrupted homeostasis and contributed to a rise in immune-mediated conditions."  First, to call what's going on a 'rise' is like me calling the Grand Canyon a ditch (HERE).  The truth is, thanks to modern, Westernized lifestyles, we have been facing an EXPLODING INCIDENCE OF AUTOIMMUNITY for decades.  Secondly, we see today's first mention of compromised epithelial barriers ('THE LEAKIES').  "Recent studies highlight that a breach of the gut barrier and translocation of commensal bacteria to non-gut organs can trigger several autoimmune pathways that can be prevented by commensal vaccination or dietary interventions."

While it's quite true that vaccinations can cause autoimmunity via the dysbiosis pathway (HERE), this is not the sort of "vaccination" these authors are speaking of.  They are talking about "vaccinating" (their word, not mine) using entities such as PROBIOTICS, FECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANTS, VAGINAL SWABBING (SEEDING) for babies born via C-section, or maybe even plain old GARDENING OR HAVING AN INDOOR / OUTDOOR PET.  It could be as simple as feeding your microbiota with plenty of NON-DIGESTIBLE FIBER.  The object is to get people exposed to diverse microorganisms, and lots of them, while feeding them what they need to colonize the Gut.  As the authors reveal, this diminishes inflammation and helps shore up the "leaks" that allow these organisms into the general circulation.   Let's move on to another concept that is starting to gain traction in the current research on GUT HEALTH --- molecular mimicry as a cause of autoimmunity (as seen in the same study).

"Recent findings suggest that autoimmune manifestations in genetically susceptible individuals can arise through cross-reactivity with commensal orthologs of autoantigens or commensal-mediated posttranslational modification of autoantigens. Physiologic responses to gut, oral, or skin commensal bacteria can thus be misdirected toward such autoantigens in susceptible hosts."

Two things to talk about here.  First is that in most cases, the majority of those who are "genetically susceptible" do not get sick.  Why not?  Because as I've shown you HERE and HERE, epigenetic factors (bad habits and exposure to bad things like THIRD-HAND SMOKE, TOXIC CHEMICALS, SUGAR, or XENOESTROGENS) are, at least in the vast majority of cases, much more important than raw genetics and whether or not you carry a particular gene.  This is why I have said repeatedly that you are not controlled by your genes nearly as much as you have been led to believe (HERE).  Secondly, in many ways this phenomenon is similar to GLUTEN CROSS-REACTIVITY.

Because there are many foods with proteins that have a similar molecular structure to GLUTEN (wheat protein), in certain individuals, these proteins can trigger serious gluten sensitivity-like reactions (EVEN IN NON-CELIACS).  The highlighted paragraphs simply show that some "commensal organisms" (bacteria, fungi, etc that we live with every day) are "orthologs of autoantigens".  This is a fancy way of saying that some of these microorganisms contain or secrete compounds with a similar enough molecular architecture to a tissue, enzyme, or protein in your own body that given the right conditions, your immune system may actually start attacking said tissue, enzyme or protein in the case of autoimmunity. 

We just saw an example of this in a study on a common autoimmune issue, ECZEMA, that was published earlier this week in Science Translational Medicine (The Nonlesional Skin Surface Distinguishes Atopic Dermatitis with Food Allergy as a Unique Endotype).  Bottom line, while it's always possible for the immune system to go haywire without any outside help, these sorts of dysfunctions are mostly related to epigenetic issues --- issues that if understood, can be somewhat controlled or at least managed.

Now, back to the leakies.  Last month's issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Recent Advances on Microbiota Involvement in the Pathogenesis of Autoimmunity) had this to say about LEAKY GUT SYNDROME (which in the scientific medical community is known as increased intestinal permeability or similar).....

"The impact of an imbalanced gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity has been suggested by an increasing amount of experimental evidence, both in animal models and humans. Several physiological mechanisms, including the establishment of immune homeostasis, are influenced by commensal microbiota in the gut. An altered microbiota composition produces effects in the gut immune system, including defective tolerance to food antigens, intestinal inflammation, and enhanced gut permeability. In particular, early findings reported differences in the intestinal microbiome of subjects affected by several autoimmune conditions, including prediabetes or overt disease compared to healthy individuals."

Not only do we see "enhanced gut permeability" here, which allows an array of particles to get into places they shouldn't, we see the authors talking about both "food antigens and intestinal inflammation".  Let's see how these work in concert with a leaky Gut to cause autoimmunity.  If you are consuming foods that your body is sensitive to, whatever those might be and for any number of reasons (GRAINS, DAIRY, NIGHTSHADES, LECTINS, etc, etc) your body will react by creating INFLAMMATION.  This inflammation causes the cellular 'tight junctions' that separate the contents of your intestines from your blood stream to actually get bigger (looser).  The end result is that particles of undigested food, PARASITES, toxins and other "stuff" are allowed to leak through, winding up in systemic circulation, where the body mounts increasingly intense immune system responses against them.  What's interesting is that for nearly a century, science has shown that once the immune system starts attacking gluten, it's much more prone to start attacking self --- it's own cells, tissues, enzymes, proteins, etc (HERE) via autoimmune reactions.

Just so you are aware, the importance of GUT HEALTH encompasses both autoimmunity and a wide array of inflammatory diseases (see earlier link on inflammation) as seen in this three month old issue of Clinical Science (Impact of the Gut Microbiome in Cardiovascular and Autoimmune Diseases). 

"The gut microbiome functions like an endocrine organ, generating enzymes and bioactive metabolites, which affect host physiology. Alterations in intestinal microbial and metabolic composition play an important role in human health and disease, including cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. Changes in the composition of gut microbiota (dysbiosis) are linked to chronic inflammation, thrombosis, atherogenesis, chronic kidney disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, significant evidence exists to implicate the role of microbiota in blood pressure regulation and heart failure.  Microbiota interacts with the host through multiple pathways....."

The GUT BACTERIA AS AN ENDOCRINE ORGAN?  Of course!  It's why none of this should be shocking if you understand some of the larger "pathways" indicated in the last sentence.  For instance, we've known for a long time (HERE) that cardiovascular disease is not so much caused by consuming fat (HERE) as it is caused by consuming sugar and high glycemic processed carbs.  I would take that a step further, saying that virtually every modern health problem has roots in BLOOD SUGAR DYSREGULATION.  And the cherry on the sundae is that sugar feeds infection, dysbiosis included (HERE).  This is why I have written so many articles on doing whatever it takes to BREAK YOUR SUGAR ADDICTION.

Now that we've established that your microbiome is critical for your health, the most important question to ascertain is what you might be doing to foul it.  Although most drugs have anti-microbial properties (HERE), the one class of drug that will absolutely throw your microbiome into dissaray is ANTIBIOTICS.  Nothing, and I mean nothing screws people up faster, longer, and often times earlier in life than antibiotics (the most dangerous offender of being the family of antibiotics known as FLUOROQUINOLONES such as cipro).  THIS ARTICLE shows the numerous ways in which antibiotics are screwing up people's health.  A brand new study, takes it a step further, showing that prescribing babies antibiotics messes up their brains.  From last month's issue of Science Reports (Oral Neonatal Antibiotic Treatment Perturbs Gut Microbiota and Aggravates Central Nervous System Autoimmunity).....

"Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been considered the essential element in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Antibiotics were administered orally to Dark Agouti (DA) rats early in their life with the aim of perturbing gut microbiota and investigating the effects of such intervention on the course of EAE. As a result, the diversity of the gut microbiota was reduced under the influence of antibiotics. Consequently, aggravation of EAE, paralleled with stronger immune response in lymph nodes draining the site of immunization, and increased inflammation within the CNS, were observed in antibiotic-treated DA rats. Thus, the alteration of gut microbiota leads to an escalation of CNS-directed autoimmunity in DA rats. The results of this study indicate that antibiotic use in early life may have subsequent unfavourable effects on the regulation of the immune system."

The last link above proves that while this might be scary, it cannot in any ways be considered new information.  How scared should you be as a parent or grandparent of young children if you are taking them to the doctor for antibiotics for anything less than life-threatening situations?

"There is an increasing awareness of serious consequences of antibiotic use on gut microbiota. Indeed, a rising number of observational, clinical, and epidemiologic studies focused on children and antibiotics use show that antibiotic exposure-related dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota increases the risks for various diseases such as obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, celiac disease, allergies and asthma. Antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed pediatric drugs, taking a share of more than 30% of all drugs prescribed to children younger than two years."

If this doesn't wake you up, this next study might.  Thanks in part to antibiotics, "rare" diseases are becoming increasingly less rare.  January's issue of the Journal of Autoimmunity (The Microbiome and Immunodeficiencies: Lessons From Rare Diseases) described a few of the pathways whereby this increase in previously rare disease is occurring.  The study started by describing PID's (Primary Immune Deficiencies) as "inherited disorders," leaving those individuals more prone to "malignancy, inflammation and autoimmunity". 

Next, the authors suggested that a DIMINISHED HOMEOSTASIS of the gut bacteria (dysbiosis) leads to "altered intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation".  In other words, bacteria and their metabolites gain access to the systemic circulation, where the immune system either attacks these bugs outright or via the 'molecular mimicry' pathways we spoke of earlier.  This leads to "immune system dysregulation," which results in "enhanced pathobionts colonization" (can anyone say BIOFILMS?), "increased disease susceptibility and secondary infections in these patients".

Here's where things really start to get dicey.  Not only do the factors discussed by the authors (increased inflammation, increased autoimmunity, increased malignancy) occur directly, they can occur indirectly as well.  We are seeing this in the numbers of studies relating chronic latent infections to these sorts of problems.  Although I spoke of this relationship recently in a post linking still another infection to Alzheimer's (HERE), in my post titled SECOND THOUGHTS ON THE GERM THEORY, I wrote......

"Despite our best efforts to "cure" infectious disease, why are rapidly growing numbers of people plagued with illnesses that are increasingly believed to be the result of what Dubos referred to as "latent infections" (ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, DISC HERNIATIONS, EBV, PANDAS/PANS, IBS, FLACCID PARALYSIS, DISEASES FROM ROOT CANALS OR OTHER ORAL INFECTIONS, and on and on and on)?"

More importantly, how do these authors --- MD / Ph.D research types from prestigious institutions and universities in both Italy and the United States --- propose we solve this issue?  Pay close attention.  "Finally, we provide evidence, in preclinical models of PIDs, for the efficacy of microbiota manipulation to ameliorate disease complications, and suggest that the potential use of dietary intervention to correct dysbiotic flora in PID patients may hold promise." There are essentially four ways to deal with underlying dysbiosis, with doctors (especially doctors with a 'natural' bent) trying them in various combinations. 

• You can try to kill the dysbiosis off with either natural or chemical antibiotics (which often means you kill everything and have to start completely over or almost so from scratch).
  
• You can do FMT, which is quite amazing and effective if YOU CAN FIND THE RIGHT DONOR (it's all about your donor).
• You can take prebiotics, probiotics, and various bacterial metabolites marketed as nutritional supplements (the problem is, at least with probiotics, they don't do a very good job of matching your gut's natural microbiome --- HERE).
• You can change your diet, because there is abundant evidence that what you feed your "Gut Bugs" is either driving or squelching your health (i.e., antibiotics usually precipitate dybiosis, but sugar and high glycemic carbs feed it).  See earlier link on fiber.
  

How can information like this help you solve your chronic health issues?  For starters, simply by better understand and deciphering the current scientific literature.  For instance, the issue of Autoimmune Reviews that came out about six weeks ago published a study titled Autoimmunity in Celiac Disease: Extra-Intestinal Manifestations that dealt with all the "extra-intestinal" (non-gut) ways that CD can affect people (something I've shown you previously in my posts on gluten's association to neurological disease --- HERE, HERE or HERE).  Here are the mechanisms, exactly as we have previously discussed today....

"Nutrients, dysbiosis, dysbiotic components and their mobilome, post-translational modification of naive proteins, inter-enterocyte's tight junction dysfunction resulting in a leaky gut, microbial lateral genetic transfer of virulent genes, the sensing network of the enteric nervous systems and the ensuing pro-inflammatory messengers are mutually orchestrating the autoimmune interplay. Genetic-environmental-luminal events-mucosal changes are driving centrifugally the remote organs autoimmunity, establishing extra-intestinal multi organ injury."

Super technical sounding, but what is this really saying?  That certain nutrients (gluten, for instance, is a protein) can team up with dysbiosis and the molecular byproducts created by these 'bad' organisms, causing the tight junctions to become loose or leaky, which can lead to bacteria transferring "virulent genes" to their buddies.  The result is an "interplay" (a vicious cycle that can feed itself while spinning either direction) between inflammation and autoimmunity.  Once the necessary factors are in play to actually turn these 'bad' genes on (the very definition of epigenetics), the problems they cause are not constrained to the Gut, but can travel to the farthest (remotest) reaches of the body, leading to even more "autoimmunity and multi-organ injury".

Although we could play "pick a disease, any disease" and watch this phenomenon in action, let's take a look at arthritis.  In December's issue of Arthritis and Rheumatology (Microbiome Analytics of the Gut Microbiota in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Patients...) we see something that we already knew or at least suspected; that the guts of children with inflammatory autoimmune arthritis are different than the guts of children without.  "We found evidence for dysbiosis in JIA patients."  Why is this important to both know and understand?  The same month's issue of Cell Immunology revealed via its title (Modulation of Autoimmune Arthritis by Environmental 'Hygiene' and Commensal Microbiota) that there are steps that people can be taking to help themselves, without relying on DANGEROUS DRUGS for everything.

"Specific commensal organisms are associated with enhanced severity of arthritis in susceptible individuals, while exposure to certain microbes or helminths can afford protection against this disease. In addition, the role of metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan catabolites), produced either by the microbes themselves or from their action on dietary products, in modulation of arthritis is increasingly being realized. In this context, re-setting of the microbial dysbiosis in RA using prebiotics, probiotics, or fecal microbial transplant is emerging as a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of arthritis."

Interesting because this is exactly what I was talking about in my earlier bullet points (although I fialed to mention the part about purposefully creating HELMINTH INFESTATIONS).   It's all about the HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS folks.  And although VITAMIN D is mentioned in my GENERIC AUTOIMMUNE PROTOCOL (not to mention several of these studies), let's take a bit deeper look at why it's doubly critical to understand for those of you with AUTOIMMUNITY.  Just remember as you read this next (short) section that the reason that Vitamin D gets so much publicity in relation to other vitamins is because it's not really a vitamin at all, but an immuno-modulating hormone precursor.

A study from November's issue of Nutrients (Vitamin D: Nutrient, Hormone, and Immunomodulator) spells out what I suggested in my last sentence.  "Vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) signaling together have a suppressive role on autoimmunity and an anti-inflammatory effect, promoting dendritic cell and regulatory T-cell differentiation and reducing T helper Th 17 cell response and inflammatory cytokines secretion."  Yes, we all want less systemic inflammation, but HERE is why you would want diminished TH-17 response (hint, it helps prevent programed cellular death known as 'apoptosis').

Under a header titled Vitamin D and the Innate Immune System: Antimicrobial Activity, we start to learn how necessary Vitamin D really is if you want to stay healthy.  We'll get there, but first let's talk about the innate immune response (as opposed to acquired immunity).  The innate response pertains to the aspects of immunity that you are born with, namely white blood cell function (except for lymphocytes) and inflammation as well as the cellular barriers that I already showed can become "leaky".  Also under innate immunity you'll find numerous types of enzymes and other proteins that have varying degrees of antimicrobial properties.  Acquired immunity pertains mostly to the antigen / antibody reactions, which we will cover momentarily.

Citing studies from the 1940's, the authors wrote that "Vitamin D is a well-known regulator of innate immunity....  D3 increases chemotaxis, autophagy, and phagolysosomal fusion of innate immune cells.... and up-regulates CAMP in cells participating in the innate immune system as first-barrier defenses"  In essence this means that with Vitamin D the body can get the proper cells or metabolites to where they need to go quicker (chemotaxis), that the body is better adapted to a form of detoxification that involves deconstructing and recycling old and worn out cells in an orderly fashion (autophagy), that the cells that engulf and dissolve harmful invaders in "BLOB-LIKE" fashion are working at full capacity (phagocytosis / phagolysosomal fusion), as well as aiding in cellular signaling / messaging (up-regulating cyclic AMP).  What did the authors conclude after looking at these factors in detail?

"Taken together these data point to a role of vitamin D in defending the organism against pathogens, suggesting that vitamin D sufficiency has to be granted in patients affected by acute or chronic infection."

In other words, if a person is dealing with an infection (overt, occult as we spoke of above, or some form of dysbiosis), decades worth of studies mean it's a given that Vitamin D levels will be compromised / depleted.  What this really means is that if you have an infection (dysbiosis included), there is an entire cascade of harmful effects to the immune system that will follow.  The authors discussed why "THE LEAKIES" (hyperpermeable epithelial barrier membranes) are a factor in Vitamin D deficiency as well.

"Vitamin D is responsible for the barrier function of the intestinal epithelium and for the modulation of the bowel immune system, hence, low levels may be associated with greater gut permeability and, consequently, with Gut-induced metabolic endotoxemia that induces a low-grade inflammation. Moreover, vitamin D administration may influence Gut composition.  In animals with vitamin D depletion and the knockout of the Vitamin D Receptors, Gut dysbiosis favors metabolic disorders. Other studies in mice demonstrated that Vitamin D Receptor [dysfunction] reduces the response to infection of the intestinal epithelium."

Metabolic endotoxemia implies that lipopolysaccharides (LPS) is present in the blood stream or organ that these epithelial barriers are trying to protect (lungs, brain, spinal cord, nerves, etc).  LPS are byproducts of certain kinds of bacteria and are not only heavily associated with low grade inflammation, but with the sort of immune system hyper-reactivity that can lead the body to start attacking itself (although they are also associated with T2D, LOW T (or HIGH T), high levels of IL-6 and TNFA, DEPRESSION, FATTY LIVER, PARKINSON'S, OBESITY, and for those who regularly follow my site, CHRONIC PAIN).

The authors went on to mention Vitamin D's relationship to something I've already touched on, cellular apoptosis.  "Over-expression of VDR in the intestinal epithelium induces resistance to colitis and decreases mucosal inflammation suppressing epithelial cell apoptosis, boosting tight junction function."  In other words, having lots of (an "over-expression of") receptors for Vitamin D suppresses epithelial apoptosis.  Activated by the TH-17 part of the immune system mentioned earlier, apoptosis is cellular death that is programed to occur when one of several things happen.  Of course AGE can be a factor, and so can STRESS (metabolic stress, physical stress, psychological stress, etc). 

Another factor, kind of like falling dominoes, is the fact that if I'm a cell and the cell next me undergoes apoptosis, I'm very likely to undergo apoptosis as well.  Not to freak you out, but the average adult loses 50 to 70 billion cells a day to apoptosis, while children lose about half that many.  Thus, it's easy to see why slowing this process down by addressing the factors that speed it up (vitamin D deficiency being one of many) could have some very beneficial results.  Furthermore, research that was published just last week shows that making the correct changes to the cellular environment can slow down and in some cases, actually REVERSE cellular apoptosis.

Adaptive / acquired immunity is the opposite of innate immunity and deals with a type of white blood cell (lymphocytes) that will differentiate into either T-cells or B-cells (to see the difference, you can read THIS POST on the relationship between overactive immune systems and autoimmunity) or Natural Killer cells. 

"D3 suppresses adaptive immunity. In experimental models it down-regulates the immune responses mediated by T helper (Th) 1 cells, thus inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as Interferon-y, IFN-y, IL-6, IL-2, and TNFA.......  It has been suggested that Vitamin D3 acts as an immunomodulatory not only by suppressing Th1 cells activation, but also modulating Th2 cells, T regulatory (Tregs) cells activity, and Th17 cells." 

We just discussed the TH-17 system, but TREGS are interesting because you want them activated in cases of autoimmunity.  Why?  They slow down or "regulate" an immune system that's galloping out of control.  

After suggesting that there is strong data for the role of Vitamin D's ability to act as a modulator of the immune system to better fight pathogens, the authors revealed that there are no medical recommendations for Vitamin D supplementation in those specifically coping with autoimmune issues --- issues that by official counts affect almost 25 million Americans.  Once, however, you start factoring in the dozens (maybe hundreds) of diseases that are believed to be autoimmune but not proven because the specific auto-antigen ---- the entity that's being attacked --- has yet to be discovered), many experts put this number at at least double or even triple this.  Not surprisingly and for many reasons that are no fault of their own, the author's Vitamin D "recommendations" fall short.

"Thanks to the evidences of immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D the role of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation in autoimmune diseases has long been studied. Animal studies showed an important role of D3 supplementation in the control of autoimmune diseases...."  [However], "There is no current indication for vitamin D3 supplementation in patients with infections and/or autoimmune diseases."

What we can do is read between the lines a bit.   Even though, depending on one's age (older people are supposed to take a higher dose), the RDA for Vitamin D ranges from 400 to 800 international units (IU) per day, every FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE expert I know (including many who are MD's) laughs at this.  While I am not going to make any recommendations of my own, suffice it to say that the authors of this study talked about certain conditions and studies where the participants received as much as 50,000 IU a week, or (gulp) 300,000 IU in a one-time "bolus".  One of the more brilliant functional medicine MD's I know has told me that for certain patients in certain situations, he sometimes recommends as much as 80,000 IU's a day, short term (do not do any of this without first consulting your physician).

If you are interested in seeing some more information on Vitamin D as it pertains to natural light (HERE and HERE) or how it plays a part in my generic health protocol (HERE), as well as what the profile of the average autoimmune sufferer tends to look like (HERE), just follow the links.  And as always, if you like what you are seeing, be sure and like, share, or follow on FACEBOOK as it's still a great way to reach the people you love and care about most.

"In the past few decades, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become more prevalent in U.S. adolescents and is currently the most common cause of chronic liver disease in this age group.  'NAFLD is almost always associated with obesity; we are seeing this correlation in both children and adolescents.  Various studies estimate that roughly 30 to 50 percent of obese patients have NAFLD' says Praveen Selvakumar, MD, Pediatric Gastroenterologist in Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology.  'Left untreated, the presence of fat in the liver can lead to significant liver damage, and even end-stage liver disease. Even adolescents and young adults have required liver transplantation due to end-stage liver disease caused by NAFLD'.  Dr. Selvakumar and his team of collaborators recently examined the prevalence of NASH and advanced fibrosis, two of the most advanced stages of NAFLD, in US adolescents.  'We found a fourfold increase in the prevalence of NASH in adolescents from 1988 to 2010. The rates of NASH occurrence increased from 0.74 percent in the 1988-1994 period all the way up to 3.4 percent in the 2005-2010 period...."  Cherry-picked from Cleveland Clinic's September 2018 article, Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Advanced Fibrosis in U.S. Adolescents: The Rising Burden of NAFLD

Why is the liver so important?  Acting as both an endocrine and digestive organ (HERE), it also happens to be the body's center of detox along with a critical function known as methylation (HERE).  And while everyone is aware that alcoholism often leads to a scarring of the liver known as fibrosis (fibrosis in the liver is called cirrhosis), what you may not be aware of is that there are other fibrotic liver diseases that are far more common than alcohol-related cirrhosis. Enter NASH and NAFLD.

NAFLD (Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) is an overarching term for several diseases; one of which (NASH ---- nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) is so much more common than the others that it and NAFLD are frequently used interchangeably.  Although I am not going to delve into the subtle differences, just realize that these two diseases represent the most common cause of liver dysfunction in Westernized society, with over 1/3 of our nation's population affected.  What's it look like?  Just look around you.

Thanks to our CARB-RICH DIETS, OBESITY has exploded here in America, with 70% of the adult population overweight or obese, and another 7-10% appearing that way via blood work even though their scale might say they are of a normal weight (HERE).   The result is that fat accumulates not only around the liver, but (gulp) in the liver (this fatty accumulation within the liver's cells is called "steatosis").  Without intervention (we'll get to what that looks like in a moment), NAFLD will progress to NASH in a significant part of this population, leading to massive inflammation (hepatitis) and subsequent scarring (cirrhosis), because as I've shown you repeatedly, inflammation always leads to fibrosis (HERE).

Not surprisingly, NASH is associated with MOST OF THE DISEASES ON THIS LIST --- particularly METABOLIC SYNDROME / DIABETES ---- simply because they are all intimately related to inflammation.  And lest I forget to mention, the rate of a certain NASH-related cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma or HCC) is literally exploding.  Considering we already know that sugar and simple carbs are cancer's fuel-of-choice (HERE), not to mention the fact that OBESITY IS HEAVILY LINKED TO ALL CANCERS, we shouldn't be shocked.  And once you realize that "Immune activation is a prerequisite for the development of NASH" (HERE), you'll understand why it's thought to be AUTOIMMUNE as well.

Why do I being this all up?  Last Sunday's edition of CNBC carried a story by Lorri Ioannou titled The $35 billion Race to Cure a Silent Killer that Affects 30 Million Americans.  After providing numerous scary facts, including the exploding incidence in young adults and even children, we learned that there is no drug to treat this problem (thus the title); a fact noisily touted by every single study I read on the subject.  But with a 35 billion dollar market at stake, the race is on like Donkey Kong.  And unfortunately, that was where the article ended.  It was a piece about BIG PHARMA and sick people blaming others for their sicknesses (the quote below comes from a person who was diagnosed with NAFLD several years ago, but only recently diagnosed with NASH).

"The 71-year-old got ascites, varices in his esophagus and severe muscle cramps. Three months later he was diagnosed with liver cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital after his family decided to take him to its Recanti/Miller Transplant Institute in New York City for evaluation.  'I feel like my hometown doctors let me down,' he says, now grateful to be on the liver transplant lists at both Mount Sinai and the Mayo Clinic in Florida. 'For the most part, the medical community is not addressing this horrible disease, testing for it or offering any treatment."

Doctors aren't offering treatment because there is no treatment --- at no least no pharmaceutical treatment.  The harsh reality is that while it's true that few physicians will spend the time to educate patients about the LIFESTYLE CHANGES needed to actually reverse disease BY CHANGING PHYSIOLOGY, the harsher reality is that STATS LIKE THESE (along with the quote above) prove that patients aren't listening anyway.  It's why the current Republican / Democrat healthcare debate is moot.  No matter how you slice it; without some serious national dietary and lifestyle changes, our current healthcare trajectory is totally and utterly UNSUSTAINABLE.

An excellent (free) study was published in last August's issue of Frontiers in Endocrinology, titled Pathogenesis of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Hormone-Based Therapeutic Approaches.  What I want you to notice here is that mainstream medicine is showing you that not only is NASH linked to diet, it's linked to several factors that are directly mediated by diet (LEAKY GUT SYNDROME --- intestinal permeability issues, DYSBIOSIS / MICROBIOME PROBLEMS, TRANSLOCATION OF BACTERIA, and ALTERED IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION), all of which are HALLMARKS OF AUTOIMMUNITY.

"Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging global health problem and a potential risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced form of NAFLD, is a predisposing factor for development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The increasing prevalence of NASH emphasizes the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Although therapeutic drugs against NASH are not yet available, fundamental insights into the pathogenesis of NASH have been made during the past few decades.  Growing evidence suggests that the intestine-liver axis plays a crucial role in the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis, and that its impairment is an important causal factor in the pathogenesis of diverse liver diseases such as obesity-related steatosis, NAFLD/NASH, and liver cancer. Feeding.... NASH diets causes impairment of intestinal barriers, dysbiosis of the microbiota, and alterations of intestinal immunity, leading to increased translocation of bacteria or bacterial products into the systemic circulation."

What's most telling are the guidelines for dealing with NASH as put forth by insurance giant, Cigna.  I realize that insurance companies are schmucks, but it's interesting that in their article titled Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH): Topic Overview, they mentioned things like REDUCING CHOLESTEROL (which does not work as touted when drugs are used), CONTROLLING DIABETES (ditto), along with WEIGHT LOSS, CUTTING OUT THE BOOZE, and REGULAR EXERCISE, but no specific meds.  For people interested in having their health done for them via medication, as opposed to having to do anything difficult themselves, this is a bitter pill to swallow (no pun intended).

What are my recommendations if you have NAFLD or NASH?   As is always the case, it's critical to look for ways to reduce systemic inflammatory load.  While MY GENERIC PROTOCOL is not the entire ball of wax for everyone, for most people (talk to your doc), it's a great way to get the ball rolling.  The super cool thing is that the most effective methods of dealing with weight also happen to be the most effective methods of dealing with overall health --- a big deal when you remember how intimately these twin diseases of liver destruction are related to DIABESITY.  Oh; and be sure to like, share or follow on FACEBOOK to reach the people you love and value most.

A few days ago the British Medical Journal published a study titled Association Between Maternal Gluten Intake and Type 1 Diabetes in Offspring: National Prospective Cohort Study in Denmark, in which Danish health authorities determined from looking at almost 68,000 pregnancies and following the offspring for an average of over 16 years (January 1996 to October 2002) that the more GLUTEN a woman consumed while pregnant, the greater the chances of her child developing the autoimmune disease, Type I Diabetes.  In fact, women who ate more than 20 grams a day were twice as likely to have children with T1D than women who consumed under 7 grams.

"Risk of type 1 diabetes in offspring increased proportionally with maternal gluten intake during pregnancy. Women with the highest gluten intake versus those with the lowest gluten intake had double the risk of type 1 diabetes development in their offspring. High gluten intake by mothers during pregnancy could increase the risk of their children developing type 1 diabetes."

Firstly, we can't be surprised by this on any level because it's not news that if people become sensitive to gluten, where the immune system recognizes it as a foreign invader and starts mounting attacks against it (HERE); for reasons no one has completely figured out, this predisposes people to mounting immune system attacks against themselves, which is otherwise known as autoimmunity (HERE) --- a fact found in peer review decades ago (HERE). 

Secondly, a simple Google search of Gluten Sensitivity Type I Diabetes provided almost 7 million hits.  For instance, a 2015 study from Nutrients (Central America in Transition: From Maize to Wheat Challenges and Opportunities) concluded that, "Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama are in transition from a dietary culture based mainly on maize to a wheat-containing diet. The change permits a prediction of an increase of celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases such as type I diabetes and thyroid disease."  Allow me to give you two of a myriad of others.

• "Long term exposure to gluten in celiacs, and celiac disease diagnosis after 16 years of age may induce type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other autoimmune disorders. Increased prevalence of celiac disease among diabetics and their relatives is well documented. Early introduction of gluten to children at high risk for T1D produces T1D associated islet autoantibodies. Similarly, in the absence of overt clinical symptoms of T1D, some celiac children produce diabetes autoantibodies in a gluten dependent manner."  From a 2006 issue of Gut (Cryptic Gluten Intolerance in Type 1 Diabetes: Identifying Suitable Candidates for a Gluten Free Diet)

 

• "Over the last five decades the association between coeliac disease and other autoimmune disorders such as autoimmune thyroid disease or diabetes mellitus type 1 has been well established through many studies and to this day is subject to on-going clinical and scientific investigation worldwide. While no link has been established between celiac disease and type-2 diabetes, coeliac disease is common in patients with type 1 diabetes. The improvement of symptoms in patients with both conditions through dietary intervention, in the form of a gluten free diet, has been widely described within the literature."  From a 2014 issue of Gastroenterology and Hepatology: From Bed to Bench (Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Gluten Induced Disorders)
  

So, almost five years ago, these authors were saying that the known scientific link between autoimmunity (including T1D and THYROID DISEASE, 90% of which is autoimmune) and gluten was fifty years old.  And while much of the literature talks specifically about Celiac Disease as opposed to Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, I would suggest you read THIS ARTICLE if you are interested in understanding the difference. 

Bottom line, not everyone is sensitive to gluten (protein in wheat and other similar GRAINS).  If, however, you are, it could mean serious problems (both autoimmune and NEUROLOGICAL) if you continue to consume it anyway.  It's why an ELIMINATION DIET is so important for anyone with even the slightest inkling of a health problem.  If you know someone who could benefit, be sure and get this information in front of them.  Liking, sharing, or following on FACEBOOK makes it easy.

"There is no scientific evidence that breast implants and leakage of silicone has been the cause of any type of autoimmune disease." Dr. David Song, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and vice chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine as quoted by Roberta Alexander for the July 28, 2016 issue of Healthline (Should Women Have Their Breast Implants Removed?) 

"The FDA responded to claims from women who had scleroderma, lupus, fatigue, or other autoimmune diseases.  They looked for associations between the implants and the symptoms, and they found no difference."  Dr. Daniel Mills, president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.  Ibid

"By coincidence alone, thousands of women will have both breast implants and an immune disorder."   Dr. Marcia Angell, executive editor of the New England Journal of Medicine and author of Science on Trial being quoted by Doug Bandow for his 1999 article for the Cato Institute (Breast Implant Myths)

"Judge Pointer formed a four member expert panel in 1996 to assess the scientific evidence on implants. Recently, it concluded: 'No association was evident between breast implants and any of the individual connective tissue diseases, all definite connective diseases combined, or the other autoimmune/rheumatic conditions.'  A succession of peer-reviewed studies from researchers at such diverse institutions as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, the Mayo Clinic, and the University of Michigan had previously exonerated implants.  Nor is this only the opinion of American professionals. Earlier this year the European Committee on Quality Assurance and Medical Devices in Plastic Surgery, which included experts from Israel and South Africa, concluded that implants do not cause auto-immune or connective tissue diseases, and that 'there is no scientific evidence that such things as silicone allergy, silicone intoxication, atypical disease, or a new silicone disease exist.' Similarly, the British government’s Independent Review Group reported that it could find 'no histopathological or conclusive immunological evidence' and 'no epidemiological evidence' of implant-caused diseases. Nor did it discern any 'good evidence' of such conditions as silicone poisoning.  This succession of research is about as conclusive as one could imagine. Dr. Elizabeth Connell, who chaired two FDA hearings on implants, observes: The Pointer Panel report 'might not be the end of it, but it will be extremely helpful in putting the controversy to rest.'"  Ibid

"Silicone gel breast implants were removed from the U.S. market for cosmetic use in 1992 owing to safety concerns. They were reintroduced in 2006, with a call for improved surveillance of clinical outcomes....  32 studies (in 58 publications) met eligibility criteria.  The evidence was most frequently not specific to silicone gel implants, and studies were rarely adequately adjusted for potential confounders.  The evidence remains inconclusive about any association between silicone gel implants and long-term health outcomes. Better evidence is needed from existing large studies, which can be reanalyzed to clarify the strength of associations between silicone gel implants and health outcomes." From a study funded by the Plastic Surgery Foundation and published in a 2016 issue of the Annals of Medicine (Long-Term Health Outcomes in Women With Silicone Gel Breast Implants: A Systematic Review)

Even though the information above "proves" that breast augmentation surgery is safe (or as the last bullet point shows, just how poor and inconclusive much of the research has actually been), there is plenty of information showing otherwise.  For instance, the study above came to some of the same conclusions as the MD Anderson study I'll show you momentarily.  Regardless, breast augmentation is big business in America, with 300,000 augmentation procedures and 100,000 reconstructions done annually, as well as 50,000 implant reversals ("explants").  Reversals?  Why in the world would someone who went through the time, effort, pain, and expense of having breast augmentation in the first place be interested in having it reversed?

Since the late 1800's, doctors have been experimenting with injecting or implanting a wide array of substances into breasts for the express purpose of making them larger or changing their shape.  The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (Information for Women about the Safety of Silicone Breast Implants (2000) Chapter: A History of Implants) revealed that, "ivory, glass balls, ground rubber, ox cartilage, and sponges, sacs, and tapes made from various synthetic substances. Later came rubber, Teflon, and finally silicone" were all tried, before settling on the later.  For the record, when silicone was first used it was injected directly into the breast.

Although silicone breast implants have been around since 1961, they didn't really take off until the 1980's.  Throughout this time, Dow Corning, the original manufacturer, didn't need to argue for their safety because the FDA had not made any safety requirements for them.  However, as the number of complaints and adverse events associated with the implants grew, in the early 1990's the FDA issued a "voluntary moratorium" (key word being 'voluntary') to slow things down while studies were being done.   A 1998 issue of the  Journal of American Medical Women's Association put it this way in a study titled Silicone Breast Implants and Autoimmune Disease.

"In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration requested a voluntary moratorium on the scale and implantation of silicone-gel-filled breast implants because of growing concern over the lack of scientific and clinical data supporting their safety and effectiveness. Breast implants had been reported to cause serious local complications, and new questions about breast implants and increased risk for autoimmune disease, including the rare but sometimes fatal connective tissue disease scleroderma, were also raised."

The legal fallout from this and similar admissions was brutal, with several well-known corporations (Bristol-Myers Squibb, Union Carbide, 3M, Baxter International, Inamed, and of course Dow) forced to cough up just under five billion in settlement fees.  The May 2010 issue of the AMA Journal of Ethics (Silicone Breast Implant Litigation) put an industry spin on this story by writing......

"In March of 1994, after Dow Corning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the remaining manufacturers agreed on a settlement that more than 90 percent of the class action plaintiffs accepted. At $3.4 billion, it was the largest class action settlement to date. Preliminary approval was obtained in March 1994, clearing the way for women to start applying for claims in the settlement. In June of 1994, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study by Mayo Clinic epidemiologists that found no increased risk of connective tissue disease in women with silicone gel breast implants. In 1995, the Journal followed with yet another study—this one larger and more refined—that found no association between implants and connective tissue disorders. As a result of the studies, the American College of Rheumatology issued a statement in 1995 asserting that the evidence was “compelling” that “silicone implants expose patients to no demonstrable risk for connective-tissue or rheumatic disease,” and that “anecdotal evidence should no longer be used to support this relationship in the courts or by the FDA”. In 1997, the American Academy of Neurology reviewed existing silicone gel breast implant studies and concluded that there was no link between the implants and neurological disorders. In the same year, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published a review of studies and concluded that breast implants did not cause breast cancer."

Despite years of haggling, disagreement, and debate as to the mechanism and severity of health problems associated with silicone implants (and actually, whether said implants had anything to do with autoimmunity whatsoever ----see the FDA's Regulatory History of Breast Implants in the U.S.), in November of 2006,  "The FDA approved Allergan and Mentor’s premarket approval applications for silicone gel-filled breast implants.  This was the first time silicone gel-filled breast implants were available for augmentation, in addition to reconstruction and revision, since the moratorium was established in 1992."  As you might imagine, women flocked to have the procedure.  However, this is not the end of the story.

Interestingly, a study was published just the other day (US FDA Breast Implant Postapproval Studies: Long-term Outcomes in 99,993 Patients) by the plastic surgery department of the famous cancer center, MD Anderson, in the journal Annals of Surgery.  Listen to the conclusions this elite team of researchers came to after looking at the long term results of 100,000 post-augmentation surgeries, in what is unarguably the largest study of it's kind.

"Despite the number of patients with breast implants followed by United States Food and Drug Administration large postapproval studies, this database has not been thoroughly analyzed or reported.  Compared with normative data, silicone implants are associated with higher rates of Sjogren syndrome (814%), scleroderma (700%), rheumatoid arthritis (596%), stillbirth (450%), and melanoma (371%).  At 7 years, re-operation rate is 11.7% for primary augmentation, and 25% for primary/revision reconstruction. Capsular contracture occurs in 7.2% of primary augmentations, 12.7% primary reconstructions, and is the most common reason for re-operation among augmentations."

Gulp!  Not only are these numbers dumbfounding, but the first sentence provided a hint at what was to come for the research team.  If you make accusations against the FDA ("their database has not been thoroughly analyzed or reported") you had better be prepared for some backlash.  They received that backlash in the form of an editorial published in the same issue (Assessing the Risks of Breast Implants and FDA's Vision for the National Breast Implant Registry) as well as a PRESS RELEASE (Statement From Binita Ashar, M.D., of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health on Agency’s Commitment to Studying Breast Implant Safety), both authored by Dr. Binita Ashar, a surgeon, who is director of the FDA's Division of Surgical Devices.

In as good as an example of governmental CYA as I've seen lately, Ashar essentially said that the government had done its due diligence, requiring that manufacturers do a series of studies on their implants.  Unfortunately, when it comes to the FDA, THE FOX ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE GUARDING THE HENHOUSE.  Maybe it's why their results were so different.  Different?  You see, MD Anderson's researchers looked at the very same raw data from the very same studies that the FDA had used to approve these devices, while coming to the almost unbelievable conclusions seen above.  This forced Ashar and the FDA into some admissions of their own.

"We respectfully disagree with the author's conclusions.  Because of these concerns, we urge the public and healthcare community to view this external assessment's conclusions with caution. Breast implants are not lifetime devices and the longer they have the implants the more likely they are to experience local complications and adverse outcomes requiring implant removal.  Local complications and adverse outcomes include capsular contraction, re-operation, and implant rupture.  Many patients also experience breast pain, wrinkling, asymmetry, scarring and infection.  Breast implants are associated with BIA-ALCL, a cancer of the immune system....  At the present time there is not sufficient evidence to show an association between breast implants and rheumatologic or connective tissue diseases"

So, not only are there a veritable treasure trove of side effects, which according to Ashar, seem to be relatively common, but she argues that despite this there is not a link to AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES ("rheumatologic or connective tissue diseases").  Why do you think that this kind of protection of industry goes on in the FDA, both with medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs?  Might it have something to do with THIS STUDY, essentially pulling back the curtain and revealing yet another of their many dirty little secrets --- the revolving door between government and industry?  As a side note: if you are interested in seeing my post about SCARING OF BREAST TISSUE, simply follow the link.

The truth is that some of the previous 'major' studies from the big hitters in American medicine (the Mayo study, the Harvard study, and a famous study published in the New England Journal of Medicine) have been so dirty and conflicted that it's virtually impossible to believe anything in them.  Although it's certainly not peer-review, the Alexander Law Firm provided an excellent example of exposing some of these study's significant "limitations" in an article titled  Breast Implants: Fact v. Fiction in the Harvard and Mayo Clinic Studies.  For starters, "Two of the authors of the study... admitted under threat of perjury that they were paid consultants of breast implant manufacturers."  Isn't that special considering what research has repeatedly shown us about FINANCIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST in academic medicine?

Although we could discuss a wide array of topics here, I want to tackle just one --- ASIA.  While many of you may think of ASIA as a continent on the other side of the planet, for our purposes today think of it as Autoimmune/Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants.  What in the world is an adjuvant?  For now just understand that adjuvants create INFLAMMATION --- the root cause of virtually all pain and disease.  Two major studies were published on this topic just last year, the first in BMJ's Annals of Rheumatic Diseases (Prevalence and Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease in Patients with Autoimmune/Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants Associated to Silicone Breast Implant) saying that, "We found a prevalence of ASIA associated to silicone breast implants of 11%," and the second, from Immunologic Research (Two Hundred Cases of ASIA Syndrome Following Silicone Implants: A Comparative Study of 30 Years and a Review of Current Literature), which came to similar conclusions.......

"Despite changes in the principal constituents of the silicone implants during the past fifty years, silicone remained an adjuvant that may ‘bleed’ and subsequently may be a chronic stimulus to the immune system resulting in similar clinical manifestations...  In conclusion, we report that there is a group of patients who develop complaints related to silicone breast implants. In the past thirty years, the character of silicone-related complaints has been similar." 

It wasn't, however, like this was new information last year.  Five years earlier, in 2012, SAGE Insight published a fascinating study titled Silicone Implants and Autoimmune Conditions (ASIA Syndrome).  The part about this study that caught my eye was not the information on the disease itself, but the way the process of its discovery unfolded, reminding me of the Larry Nasser molestation case, where the therapist for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University was convicted of sexually abusing young female athletes for decades (plural) before finally being caught.  The dominoes did not start falling until one woman came forward publicly, opening the flood gates and eventually leading to dozens upon dozens of women coming forward to accuse Nasser of sexual improprieties.  Worse yet were the numerous complaints against Nasser since the 1990's that had been covered up and buried --- similar to what you will see industry doing momentarily ---- HERE). 

Likewise, the women in the study below knew they had problems, but neither they nor their doctors had any idea what was causing them until someone figured it out and started talking about it publicly, subsequently starting an avalanche of cases (of course there was some cover-up in this tale as well).  It helps you understand why hundreds of studies on ADVERSE EVENTS have shown they are only reported to proper authorities slightly more than 1% of the time (see link, not a misprint).

"In 1976 researchers in Japan reported on 9 cases of systemic sclerosis in subjects with silicone implants. A further 100 similar cases were quickly then discovered followed by  hundreds of case reports and patient studies reporting the development of diverse clinical symptoms following the insertion of silicone implants, which especially when these implants had ruptured. However, even when not ruptured an increased incidence of autoantibodies was recorded in many of these subjects. We now know that an asymptomatic presence of autoantibodies in the serum may precede the eventual development of full blown autoimmune diseases by several years. This new syndrome has been called ASIA (Autoimmune syndrome induced by adjuvant). Silicone was selected for use within implants because of its consistency as well as the belief that it is inert and would not be targeted by the immune system, yet it has been found to act as an adjuvant, especially when invading neighboring tissues when an implant ruptures."

A few years later the journal Medical Cases (Silicone Breast Implants as Predisposing Factor for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: An Additional Facet of Auto-Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvant) reported that "Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were previously reported as risk factors for subsequent emergence of non-Hodgkin’s B-cell lymphoma.  ASIA syndrome is an array of autoimmune responses considered to evolve after, and result from chronic immune stimulation by adjuvants."  The study went on to link silicone breast implants to FIBROMYALGIA-LIKE symptoms, CHRONIC FATIGUE, muscle pain, joint pain, stiffness, RA, and a hodge-podge of other autoimmune symptoms and diseases, including MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, many of which are risk factors for this cancer.

Writing for the Clinical Neurology News later in 2014 (Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants May be Precursor to Autoimmune Disease), Sharon Worcester explained how exposure to said "adjuvants" occurs (ADJUVANTS are chemicals that intentionally or inadvertently FIRE UP OR "BOOST" ONE'S IMMUNE SYSTEM, leading to INFLAMMATION).  She quoted noted researchers as showing that the number one "intentional" adjuvant people are being regularly exposed to is ALUMINUM, which is added to most VACCINES (including the FLU SHOT) for the express purpose of creating inflammation and intensified immune system responses because in most cases, germs alone won't do this.  A major inadvertent adjuvant exposure is silicone.  I'm not going to go into details on this article concerning the work of physician and researcher, Dr. Yehuda Shoenfeld, but his latest book (Vaccines and Autoimmunity) should make you stop and think.

"Adjuvants were formerly thought to pose little or no independent threat, but animal models, and some human studies, have suggested otherwise. In his article and during his presentation, Dr. Shoenfeld reviewed the data on the role of infections, silicone, and aluminum salts commonly found in vaccines as they relate to the development of autoimmunity.  Activation of the autoimmune mechanisms by infectious agents is common, he explained in the article."

Spot on, including his assertion that microbes (germs) have the propensity to themselves ignite autoimmune responses, SOMETHING I SHOWED MY READERS recently.  This is especially freaky after seeing information revealing that silicone implants have been shown to be breeding grounds for a potentially highly reactive microbe, continually releasing it back into the body --- Aspergillus Niger, otherwise known as BLACK MOLD.  Take a look at this absolutely crazy three minute video clip from the Discovery Channel on the relationship between silicone implants, black mold, and autoimmune symptoms (MONSTERS INSIDE OF ME).

The silicone implant fiasco should lead us to ask other questions; namely what else might the FDA be lying about?  What about many of the DRUGS we take (at less than 5% of the world's population, Americans use over 2/3 of all the world's meds --- HERE)?  What about vaccines, which researchers are unable to tell the truth about if they value their careers (HERE)?  After all, that's where we almost exclusively see the terms "ASIA" and "adjuvant" used, and frequently together.  What about "PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE" that doesn't remotely manifest the almost magical health-preserving powers ascribed to it?  The truth is, as I've shown you in my dozens of posts on EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE, healthcare is all too often about the same thing it's always been about --- money.  

Allow me to show you tidbits from a quarter century of studies showing in "CHERRY-PICKED" fashion why the FDA should have been doing a better job of protecting women from autoimmune-inducing silicone breast implants.  Believe me when I tell you that this is barely scratching the surface --- I could have given you a book.

•  "An association between crystalline silica and immune disease has long been recognized. Silicone has been shown to 'bleed' from the implants and can migrate to distant sites. There is evidence of cellular and humoral immune responses to silicone.... The implant population needs to be closely monitored; their clinical management should be based on a case by case evaluation."  From a 1993 issue of Europe PMC (Autoimmune Disease and Silicone Breast Implants)
  

• "The association between the use of silicone breast implants and the later development of connective tissue disease was reviewed. Data from case reports (only 40 in the world literature), case series, case-control studies, surveys of plastic surgeons, and cohort studies provided no evidence of an association. In many studies, the appropriate information was not collected to evaluate the association. The case-control and cohort studies were too small to detect even moderately increased risks should they exist."  From a 1994 issue of Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism (Autoimmune Disease Following the Use of Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants: A Review of the Clinical Literature)

 

• "As rheumatologists who have examined and evaluated a combined total of more than 3,000 symptomatic women with silicone breast implants, we feel compelled to point out the shortcomings of the study by Gabriel et al. (June 16 issue).  We, like many others, believe that many symptomatic women with silicone-gel implants have a new and unique rheumatic syndrome characterized by chronic fatigue, myalgia, polyarthralgia, cognitive dysfunction, symptoms similar to those of the sicca syndrome, rashes, and neurologic disturbances. This disease was first described 20 years ago by the Japanese as 'human adjuvant disease' and more recently has been labeled 'atypical connective-tissue disease.'  Pending definitive studies, we believe that the FDA is justified in continuing the ban on silicone-gel implants. The burden of proof should be on implant manufacturers, to provide evidence of safety, not on physicians who treat symptomatic women, to provide proof of injury."  A letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine (Breast Implants and Connective-Tissue Diseases) written by rheumatologists from elite institutions around the nation

 

• "As early as 1954 an in-house study by Dow Corning, a prime implant manufacturer, found that the silica in silicone has quite a high order of toxicity, according to recently released documentation of that previously suppressed study. In 1956, silicone fluid injected into laboratory dogs migrated to all the major organs; and in 1961, the year the first implants were released, Dow's own internal medical research department reported that silicone leaking from implants is equivalent in toxic effect to direct injections of silicone into the body.  Prior to implants, that had been the preferred method of breast enhancement. But in the 1940s, Japan, for one, banned this procedure for its immunologically toxic effects, which included poisoning, infections, and the early development of cancer. Even so, it remained legal in the U.S. until the 1960s."  From a 1996 article titled Scientific Evidence Proves that Silicone Breast Implants can Produce Autoimmune Illnesses

 

• "In the last 2 decades, based mostly on anecdotal reports of association with certain phenomena, e.g. neoplasia and autoimmune disease, they have been subject to a wave of negative publicity so that the use of the silicone gel filled types has been banned in the USA except for special cases. They continue to be available in other parts of the world, including the UK. Nevertheless their usage is associated with some complications. Calcification of the capsules has been reported mostly as individual case reports but in a recent study it was noted to occur in 16% of explanted silicone gel implants and more so in the patients with long-term augmentation (greater than 10 years).  The etiology is unknown but suggested predisposing factors include postoperative infection and inflammation."   From a 1997 issue of the British Journal of Plastic Surgery (Silicone Breast Implants: Complications)

 

• "For decades, women who have undergone breast implant surgery have reported high implant failure rates and general, unidentifiable illness.  We do know that a very high number of women have been affected by breast implant-related complications. A Mayo Clinic study in the United States, for example, found that 25% of women with breast implants suffered local complications requiring additional surgery within five years. We also know that there were 103,343 adverse reaction reports associated with silicone breast implants and 23,454 reports involving saline implants received by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between January 1, 1985 and September 17, 1996.  Systemic complications appear most frequently several years after breast implantation. These complications tend to present as a cluster of symptoms, including those associated with autoimmune diseases, connective tissue diseases, “human adjuvant disease” and/or fibrositis/fibromyalgia-like disorders. (The classic autoimmune and connective tissue diseases thought to be associated with silicone implants are scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren-Larsson syndrome.) Women with breast implants have also reported granulomas and lymph node involvement, chronic flu, respiratory problems and infections."  From a 2003 article on the Canadian Women's Health Network titled Health Complications from Breast Implant Surgery Common

 

• "The immune system activation from silicone/silica causes a unique fibromyalgia syndrome. My peer reviewed paper in the Journal of Rheumatology entitled 'Where There’s Smoke There is Fire' was a plea to define the newly recognized and still controversial subject of a silicone breast implant (and any other silicone device in the body) syndrome. This opinion is not unfounded. It is based on my experience caring for 2,000 sick women over thirty years in Tampa at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and three years in Detroit at Wayne State University School of Medicine. We let people smoke and we know that kills them. I don't think silicone kills people, but it can make you feel like the flu every day, which is a pretty miserable way to live. If you are sick and your doctor can only diagnose fibromyalgia, you steadily worsen with activity, feel like you need to urinate all the time and have in apparent insects crawling on your burning skin, consider removing and not replacing your silicone breast implants."  Renowned rheumatologist, Frank Vasey, from an article he wrote for a 2007 issue of the New York Journal of Style and Medicine

 

• "Today, breast implant augmentation remains the most common plastic surgery procedure in the United States; in 2009, 311,957 breast augmentations were performed, half were with silicone implants.  The possible association between silicone and systemic events has been suggested because as silicone degrades, its fragments, which are non-inert, are deposited around the capsule and scattered to other parts of the body potentially causing an interaction with the body’s defense systems leading to cancer or autoimmune phenomena.  Autoimmune reactions to presumably silicone shell breakdown in patients with saline-filled breast implants have been well documented. The amount of extracapsular silicone from implant rupture statistically correlates with systemic problems. Pain and symptoms of chronic fatigue were more frequently reported in patients with ruptured versus unruptured implants. Implant manufacturers changed to harder elastomer shells to decrease the chance of rupture because the adverse effects of silicone on immune function was becoming evident and well described. When silicone migrated outside the scar tissue capsule surrounding the implant, women were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune or connective tissue disease.  Oftentimes, symptomatic breast implant patients do not fit into a particular disease category. If their symptoms are never adequately defined or quantified, it will never be possible to conclusively prove, or disprove, any assumed link between silicone breast implants and systemic disease. A relationship between silicone implants and a particular constellation of symptoms, which did not fulfill any diagnostic criteria for any recognized connective tissue diseases has been documented in several studies and analyzed in a recent meta-analysis.  Whereas silicone-elicited inflammatory fibro-proliferative response is irrefutable and the presence of anti-silicone antibodies, non-related autoantibodies and nondefined silicone-associated autoimmune phenomena seems plausible."   From a 2010 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation (Silicone and Autoimmunity)

 

• "Silicon is one of the most common chemicals on earth. Several compounds such as silica, asbestos, silicone or, nanoparticles are built from tetrahedral units with silicon as the central atom. Despite these, structural similarities, they have rarely been analyzed as a group. These compounds generate significant biological alterations that include immune hyperactivation, production of the reactive species of oxygen and tissue injury. These pathological processes may trigger autoimmune responses and lead to the development of rheumatoid arthritis. A recently denominated autoimmune / inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvant (ASIA) was defined (for complete review see references). As it was described previously by Shoenfeld and Agmon-Levin this syndrome includes four particular medical conditions, defined by hyperactive immune responses. The major diagnostic criteria are the clinical manifestations such as arthralgia and/or arthritis, neurological manifestations, unrefreshing sleep or sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment and memory loss, myalgia, muscle weakness, myositis pyrexia, and dry mouth after a systemic exposure to external stimuli, for example, infections, vaccines, silicone, and adjuvants.  As an adjuvant, silicone is capable of inducing autoimmune-like conditions (e.g. Gulf war syndrome, siliconosis, postvaccination phenomena, and the macrophagic myofasciitis syndrome). This could be the case for symptoms such as arthralgia and myalgia that are more common in individuals exposed to silicone implants. Siliconosis is one of the most characteristic diseases because of its potential as an adjuvant in the immunization process."  From a 2012 issue of the journal, Arthritis (Silicon, a Possible Link between Environmental Exposure and Autoimmune Diseases: The Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis)

 

• "Despite changes in the principal constituents of the silicone implants during the past 50 years, silicone remained an adjuvant that may 'bleed and subsequently may be a chronic stimulus to the immune system resulting in similar clinical manifestations as 50 years ago. Silicones are spread throughout the body and can be detected in tissues and the central nervous system. Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome by adjuvants (ASIA), allergies, autoimmune diseases, immune deficiencies and lymphomas occur in patients with silicone breast implants. There is a need for adequately adjusted epidemiological studies to ascertain the frequency of these diseases. Removal of the breast implants, however, should be advised to patients with complaints, as 60–80% of patients show an amelioration of the signs and symptoms after explantation. Silicone breast implants are associated in a proportion of patients with complaints such as fatigue, cognitive impairment, arthralgias, myalgias, pyrexia, dry eyes and dry mouth. Silicone can migrate from the implant through the body and can induce a chronic inflammatory process."  From the July 4, 2017 issue of Current Opinion in Rheumatology (Silicone Breast Implants and Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases: Myth or Reality?)

 

• "We included 24,651 SBI (silicone breast implant) recipients and 98,604 matched SBI-free women in our study. The association between SBIs and autoimmune disease was significant. The strongest association with SBIs was recorded for systemic sclerosis and sarcoidosis. Similar results were calculated when analysis was limited to cancer free women. Multivariable Cox regression model yielded.... being diagnosed with at least one autoimmune disease in women with SBI compared to those without.  SBIs seems to be associated with higher likelihood of auto-immune disease diagnosis."  From the June, 2018 issue of the British Medical Journal (Silicone Breast Implants and the Risk of Autoimmune Diseases: Real World Analysis)

I sincerely hope that this has quenched any desire some of you may have had to have silicone surgically implanted into your body --- especially after seeing statistics from Canada's National Center for Health Research (What You Need to Know About Breast Implants).  "46% of women with silicone gel implants and 21% with saline implants underwent at least one re-operation within three years; 25% of silicone patients and 8% of saline patients had implants removed; and 6% of silicone patients and 16% of saline patients experienced breast pain.  A Danish study of ruptured silicone gel implants suggests that after 20 years the few that are still intact will break."  The paper went on to talk extensively about the autoimmune consequences when this inevitably happens.  Ask yourself this ladies; is it really worth it?  "Jane" would argue vehemently that it's not.

I well remember the first patient I saw this phenomenon in.  It was late 1993, and I hadn't seen Jane for a few months.  When I did see her it was quite obvious that she had gotten implants.  However, within a year or so she was complaining about bone-crushing fatigue, chronic all-over pain and stiffness, and mental fog.  To make a long story short, although she eventually had them removed, the desire for larger breasts had essentially destroyed her life and career --- something I've seen happen on more than one occasion, and with butt implants as well (HERE).   For information on natural approaches to reducing systemic inflammation and subsequent autoimmune symptoms, HERE is the post.  And if you know any women, be sure to do your part to see that today's post makes the rounds on FACEBOOK!

"Atopic dermatitis was significantly associated with 11 of 22 examined autoimmune diseases and with having multiple autoimmune diseases... according to study results published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.  The autoimmune diseases that were significantly associated with atopic dermatitis included: alopecia areata, vitiligo, chronic urticaria, celiac disease, chronic glomerulonephritis, Sjögren syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, unspecified inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis."  From a 2017 issue of Helio Dermatology (Atopic Dermatitis Significantly Associated with Several Autoimmune Diseases)

"Eczema joins the list of inflammatory conditions linked to cardiovascular risk.  There is growing evidence that people with severe chronic inflammatory diseases may be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, independent of more traditional cardiovascular risk factors."  From a paper in the British Medical Journal published three short months ago (Atopic Eczema and Cardiovascular Disease)

"There are many different types of eczema according to various sources. Contact Dermatitis, Dishydrotic Eczema, Hand Eczema, Neurodermatitis, Nummular Eczema, Stasis Eczema/Dermatitis and Seborrheic Dermatitis, Scalp Eczema, or Cradle Cap."  From Dr. Stephanie Davis' April 2017 article, Eczema: The Autoimmune Disease Everyone Seems To Be Overlooking

"Atopic dermatitis and the immune system.  Immune system disorders are disorders in which the body’s immune system is either too active or too inactive. In the case of autoimmune disorders, the body’s immune system is too active, causing it to attack and damage itself. Inflammation is a classic sign of an autoimmune disease. Inflammation represents the body’s attempt to heal itself and repair damaged tissue.  Underlying chronic inflammation is a major component of atopic dermatitis...  It also contributes to the clinical features of other inflammatory skin diseases such as the autoimmune disease scleroderma.  The condition [eczema] is autoimmune in nature. This year, researchers discovered that an overactive immune system skewed toward allergy actually alters lipid formation in the skin of eczema patients, which affects the skin’s barrier."  From Sarah Hackley's May 2018 article, Is Atopic Dermatitis an Autoimmune Disease?

The portion of BIG PHARMA charged with creating and marketing vaccines has gotten smarter.  Taking a page out of the 'Political Correctness' movement, they created a tagline for anyone who as much as questions certain aspects of certain vaccines --- "ANTIVAXXER".  The insinuation is that firstly, you don't really give a rip about your own health or the health of your family --- especially your children; and secondly, you're dangerous because you don't give a rip about the health of anyone you or they might come in contact with.   I've spent a great deal of effort showing you that not only is none of this really true (HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE are examples), but that in many cases, the exact opposite is true.  The cold hard reality is that while doctors have taken to calling people like me antivaxxers, as a profession, they have largely become Vaccine Damage Deniers.  Allow me to explain.

Two and a half decades ago, the NVIC was doing surveys showing that only 1 in 40 physicians ever report to VAERS --- the government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.  Let that sink in a moment.  1 in 40.  Study after study after study verifies that this has not improved, with adverse events to all drugs only being reported about 1% of the time; a phenomenon widely known in the SCIENTIFIC MEDICAL COMMUNITY as "UNDERREPORTING".  Along with things like making your studies "invisible" or simply "abandoning" them (HERE are numerous examples), it's one of the chief ways that industry skews statistics to make their products and services appear safer and more effective than they really are.

And if you rock the boat concerning vaccine safety or the use of common vaccine ingredients like aluminum adjuvants (HERE) or MSG, may God have mercy on your career (HERE or HERE). What ultimately happens is that both patients and physicians have become increasingly muzzled as far as their ability (or in the case of physicians, their desire) to report adverse events.  Sure, you as a patient can always go to any of the numerous sites on the world-wide web that deal with this sort of thing.  But face it; too many people believe they are strictly for nut jobs and conspiracy theory advocates.  Allow me to show you an all-too-common example of Vaccine Damage Denying that I got from "Lori" via a heartbreaking email this past weekend (I chose her case to do a CASE HISTORY ON).  Lori lives in a large Midwestern city.


Hello Dr Schierling,

I was wondering if you work with toddlers?  I have a 17 month old daughter who has already had a long health history. I am looking for someone who can give me guidance in healing her.

Her health issues started after her 2 month vaccinations. Less than 24 hours after her scheduled 2 month vaccinations, she went septic. The hospital diagnosed her with UTI related sepsis. I think she was vaccine injured. She was then placed on broad spectrum IV antibiotics for 3 weeks.

After we came home, she developed SEVERE eczema (head to toe weeping eczema). She never slept and itched chronically. She would wake up bloody all the time. I was unable to find a physician that agreed to stop vaccinating her despite my efforts in trying to explain how it affects her. With each vaccination it got worse. I finally decided to stop bringing her in to wellness checks because I didn't want her vaccinated further.

I've brought her to several pediatricians, dermatologists, and allergists. They all just wanted to put steroids on her from head to toe and to give her antibiotics. I refused. I later started doing my own research and started learning about gut dysbiosis. Since I was breastfeeding her, I completely changed my diet to a bland whole foods diet and started giving her probiotics. Her skin started improving and then she started to thrive. I thought I was on a good path.

Then i started weaning her off my breast milk (at 16 months) and that's when we started to face a even more devastating problem. She started to have seizures. I'm really lost and really want to help my daughter. Do you think you can help?


First off Lori, I work with toddlers but not in the capacity you are looking for.  You may need to take her to a FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGIST (for the seizures) who is versed in FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE as well.  Once you understand what sorts of chemicals are purposefully put in vaccines (be sure and read MSG link above for a complete CDC list), it's easy to see why DYSBIOSIS occurs.  The problem was then compounded when your daughter became septic and they hit her with the heavy artillery --- the very thing that most-causes dysbiosis --- antibiotics.  And in her case, a massively heavy dose.

To my readers who are new parents, grandparents, or just plain interested in health, I have a suggestion.  Read pediatrician, Robert Mendelsohn's, timeless classic, HOW TO RAISE A HEALTHY CHILD IN SPITE OF YOUR DOCTOR. He talks at length about several aspects of child and infant healthcare, including ANTIBIOTICS and VACCINES (FLU VACCINE also).  Why do you need to be versed in these topics?  Because of what you are starting to hear from many of the medical mouthpieces --- Dysbiosis drives vaccine failure.  In other words, the reason your child's vaccine is not working properly is because he / she does not have the proper bacteria in their gut.  Here is some of the evidence for this way of thinking.

• "Bifidobacterium predominance may enhance thymic development and responses to both oral and parenteral vaccines [shots] early in infancy, whereas deviation from this pattern, resulting in greater bacterial diversity, may cause systemic inflammation (neutrophilia) and lower vaccine responses. Vaccine responsiveness may be improved by promoting intestinal bifidobacteria and minimizing dysbiosis early in infancy."  From the August 2014 issue of Pediatrics (Stool Microbiota and Vaccine Responses of Infants)

 

• "Human health is undeniably dependent on the vast number of commensal microorganisms that inhabit the gut. Yet we have only recently begun to understand the mechanisms by which these microbes impact host immunity against infection and disease.  What determines vaccine efficacy (at the individual level) is largely unknown. Decades of vaccine research have shown that several factors may affect vaccine efficacy, including genetic background, prior exposure to antigen via natural infection or vaccination and nutritional status. A growing body of evidence now suggests that gut microbiota may also play an important role in determining vaccine efficacy."  From the April 2015 issue of Review of Vaccines (Is the Gut Microbiome Key to Modulating Vaccine Efficacy?)

 

• "Probiotics comprise bacterial genera thought to provide a health benefit to the host. The intestinal microbiota has profound effects on local and extra-intestinal end organ physiology. As such, we further posit that the adjuvant administration of dedicated probiotic formulations can encourage the intestinal commensal cohort to beneficially participate in the intestinal microbiome-intestinal epithelia-innate-cell mediated immunity axes and cell mediated cellular immunity with vaccines aimed at preventing infectious diseases whilst conserving immunological tolerance."  From the December 2017 issue of Vaccines (Adjuvant Probiotics and the Intestinal Microbiome: Enhancing Vaccines and Immunotherapy Outcomes)

 

• "Antibody-mediated responses play a critical role in vaccine-mediated immunity. However, for reasons that are poorly understood, these responses are highly variable between individuals. Using a mouse model, we report that antibiotic-driven intestinal dysbiosis, specifically in early life, leads to significantly impaired antibody responses to five different adjuvanted and live vaccines.  Our results demonstrate that, in mice, antibiotic-driven dysregulation of the gut microbiota in early life can modulate immune responses to vaccines that are routinely administered to infants worldwide."   From the May issue of Cell Host & Microbe (Early-Life Antibiotic-Driven Dysbiosis Leads to Dysregulated Vaccine Immune Responses in Mice)

 

• "Both undernutrition and GI infection have been shown to profoundly affect the microbiota, inducing ‘dysbiosis’ characterized by narrowed bacterial diversity and increased frequency of bacterial clades associated with the induction of inflammation. Recent studies have demonstrated that the microbiota exerts a profound effect on the development of mucosal immune responses. Therefore, it seems likely that oral vaccine failure in resource-poor regions is affected by alterations to the immune response driven by dysbiotic changes to the microbiota."  From the June issue of Clinical Science (Role of Nutrition, Infection, and the Microbiota in the Efficacy of Oral Vaccines)

There are any number of others including last month's study in Nature Immunology (Dysbiosis Shapes Vaccine Responses).  What do these studies really tell us?  Do they provide a so-called ah ha moment as far as bettering our collective health is concerned?  Of course not.  They tell us only what we already know --- that when the health of the Gut is fouled, every single aspect of one's health is at risk.  Once you realize that 80% of your body's entire immune system is made up of bacteria that live in the gut (HERE), it's not difficult to understand why.  After all, it's no longer news that GUT BACTERIA "TRAIN" THE IMMUNE SYSTEM (or HERE). 

But the deeper question here remains largely undealt with by treating physicians --- where is the dysbiosis largely coming from?  I say largely because even though it's far and away the number one causative factor, there are things other than antibiotics that can cause dysbiosis in infants.  For instance, a study published in last month's issue of Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism (Dysbiosis in Children Born by Caesarean Section) warned of something I showed you well over five years ago (HERE).

"The rate of Caesarean-section delivery in the United States has increased by 60% from 1996 through to 2013 and now accounts for over 30% of births.  The gut microbiota plays a critical role in infant immune and metabolic development, and the mode of delivery is a major determinant of early life exposure and colonization. The human gastrointestinal tract is essentially uncolonized in utero, so exposure to microbes during delivery and in the environment immediate­ly following birth is key to the establishment of the microbiota. In the case of vaginal delivery, the infant is in contact with maternal vaginal and enteric contents. Vaginally delivered infants are colonized with microbes, which have been identified in vaginal and fecal samples from adult mothers. Microbial dysbiosis during pregnancy is often associated with complications that can indicate Caesarean-section delivery, such as preterm birth, extremes of maternal body mass index (BMI), infection, extremes of infant size, and gestational diabetes. Birth via Caesarean section interrupts the normal pattern of microbial colonization; infants are no longer exposed to maternal vaginal or enteric microbes during birth. Instead, Caesarean-section-delivered infants are dominated by human skin and oral bacteria, including Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. The gut microbiota is intimately associated with training the innate immune system, and its disruption in early life can result in infections, sepsis, and systemic immune and metabolic disorders, which influence lifelong disease risk. Microbial dysbiosis caused by Caesarean-section delivery has been associated with an increased risk of conditions such as asthma, obesity, food allergies, eczema, type 1 diabetes, systemic connective tissue disorders, juvenile arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and leukemia."

I showed you this study because I want you to notice something.  I want you to notice that dysbiosis is heavily associated with AUTOIMMUNITY (the body attacking self).  By clicking each provided link, you can specifically see that ASTHMA, T1D, (MCTD's such as Raynaud's, Lupus, Scleroderma, etc... all found HERE), JRA, IBD, etc, etc, etc, are all autoimmune diseases.  And guess what; so is eczema, which is also known as Atopic Dermatitis ---- "atopy" is the name for the condition where people are hyper-allergic to everything they're exposed to.   Not surprisingly, both eczema and atopy are associated with immune system hyper-activation, a hallmark of autoimmunity.

According to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Dupilumab Improves the Molecular Signature in Skin of Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis), researchers were able to figure out that eczema is autoimmune by creating a drug that blocks certain protein markers associated with INFLAMMATION, thereby improving its symptoms.  Before you get too excited, however, you should be aware that this class of drugs, known as biologics (they usually end with "mab"), while often quite effective, work by SUPPRESSING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM (the most well known of these is probably Humira, aka adalimumab).  As you can imagine, there are some potentially ugly side effects that can happen when the immune system is suppressed (can anyone say increased levels of infections and CANCER?).  As a side note, do not think for one moment that "BOOSTING" the immune system is the answer either.

Listen to what this study from the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism (Atopic Dermatitis: Global Epidemiology and Risk Factors) said of eczema; "Atopic dermatitis affects up to 20% of children."  Did you catch that?  As many as 1 in 5 children suffer the effects of eczema, which is characterized by itchy and "LEAKY" skin (the epithelial barriers are compromised).  Treatment of choice is exactly what I mentioned earlier --- immune system suppression, almost always in the form of CORTICOSTEROIDS, creams and in some cases, injections (for the record, MY  BRO --- an MD with two decades of experience --- says that cortisone creams almost always perpetuate dermatological problems, ultimately making them worse).  In other words, most docs never even attempt to get at the root of the problem.  And what is the root of the root of the problem?

Before I tackle that question, allow me to address the opposite of the thought process we spoke of earlier --- that dysbiosis is what ultimately drives infant vaccine efficacy and reactivity (if you could ever get anyone to admit there was a vaccine reaction in the first place).  Even though the medical community hates to talk about it, vaccine reactions drive dysbiosis.  Not only did I show you this back in my six year old post titled "AUTISM COMMERCIALS," but the venerable Dr. Alex Velasquez has something to say on the topic as well.  Just remember that even though his article pertains to AUTISM, we know that autistics not only have a plethora of Gut issues (HERE and HERE), but are far more likely to suffer skin conditions like eczema.  For instance, a meta-analysis of "18 studies assessing the association between ASD and AD" was published in a 2015 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology (Association Between Atopic Dermatitis and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review).  The five Italian researchers concluded that.....

"Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an allergic disorder caused by both immunological dysregulation and epidermal barrier defect. Several studies have investigated the association between AD and mental health disorders. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by impairments in social communication and restricted, stereotyped interests and behaviors.  When all atopic disorders were considered when evaluating the risk of ASD, the association was strong...  Overall, the results of this systematic review seem to reveal an association between ASD and AD, suggesting that subjects with ASD have an increased risk of presenting with AD compared with typically developing controls, and vice versa. This association is supported by clinical/epidemiological aspects, shared genetic background and common immunological and autoimmune processes."

Dr. Velasquez is not only a physician, but a chiropractor, naturopath, clinical nutritionist, and researcher.  Last September, Dr. V published a paper called Autism, Dysbiosis, and the Gut-Brain Axis in ResearchGate.  Listen to the overview of his paper --- a paper with nearly 200 sources in its bibliography.  "This brief ebook substantiates the 'biological plausibility' that gastrointestinal dysbiosis contributes significantly to the autistic phenotype. The second section provides additional citations and justification regarding treatment and also exploring a possible interconnection between vaccination and the induction of gastrointestinal dysbiosis."  Lest you think Dr. Alex is not on top of his game, check out the post I did on him destroying a recent study from the American Heart Association, who concluded that nutritional supplementation has little to no effect on heart disease (HERE).

As far as what needs to be done to reverse this; I am not giving you a list of things you should do.  Instead, I'm telling you what I would do if something similar happened to a child in my family.  Be aware that this list is short because I am not going to repeat everything ON THIS GENERIC PROTOCOL.  Also be aware that not all of these points have been studied in infants and children, thus I cannot really recommend any of them other than to say do your own research.

• Firstly, I would probably continue nursing, or pumping and feeding via a bottle.  For how long?  I'm not really sure.  Also be aware that COW'S MILK is heavily associated with eczema both anecdotally and in peer review.

 

• Secondly, I would seriously question future vaccinations and avoid antibiotics unless the situation were literally life-threatening.

 

• Thirdly, I would do an intensive study on FECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANTS (not sure that there is much research on using this mode of treatment on youngsters).

 

• Fourthly, I would make myself a lay-expert on eczema, autoimmunity, vaccine reactions, seizures, etc.  Not sure whether or not you are a stay-at-home mom, but if you spent an hour or two a day studying the topics I provided you here (no, not just on my site), it won't be long before you know more than your doctor on this topic.

 

• Fifthly, because of the seizures, be sure to look into the roll of the KETOGENIC DIET in stopping or slowing them down (HERE is the specific link).  I have never done research into the effects of ketosis on children that young, but a ketogenic diet was the standard of care for halting seizures long before anti-seizure medication came on the scene.  At the very least, increasing intake of good fats will be beneficial for both the brain and the eczema.

 

• Sixth, understand that when used by the medical community, the word "WELLNESS" is as bogus as it gets.  In fact, in the context they use it in it is heavily associated with a phenomenon known as OVERDIAGNOSOS & OVERTREATMENT.  It's what caused a friend of mine who is an MD to ask a rhetorical question in a discussion we were having, "why would you ever take a healthy baby to a doctor"?  It's probably also why doctor Mendelsohn famously said that when it comes to your baby's health, "one grandmother is worth two medical doctors."

Instead of the medical community thinking like Dr Alex, let me show you where this thought process is headed.  It's no mystery that ALTERATIONS IN ONE'S MICROBIOME (the type and ratios of bacteria both in and on you) lead to a myriad of problems, including autoimmunity (HERE).  So instead of working to restore these as gently and naturally as possible, the medical community is now taking a their usual bull-in-the-China-closet approach.  What do I mean? 

In March of this year David Railton published an article in Medical News Today titled Could Targeting Gut Bacteria Prevent Autoimmunity?   "In the study, researchers from Yale University discovered that bacteria in the small intestine can travel to other organs and induce an autoimmune response.  Importantly, the team also found that this reaction can be treated by targeting the bacteria with an antibiotic or vaccine." Although it may come to that, treating SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) with antibiotics should be a last resort because of the massive side effect profile, including the fact that it was ANTIBIOTICS that likely caused it in the first place.  And as for using vaccines to do this kind of work, be aware that the latest tend in vaccine development is to create vaccines that work by actually inducing autoimmunity (HERE).  No, that was not a misprint.

In almost all disease states, a failure to deal with underlying GUT HEALTH issues (LEAKY GUT, YEAST OVERGROWTHS, PARASITES, SIBO, H.PYLORI, etc, etc, etc) likely means either the problem isn't going to get better, or it appears to get better for awhile, only to rear its ugly head later in life in similar (or maybe dissimilar) ways.  Furthermore, autoimmune disease tend to travel in packs.  For instance, eczema is not really a "SKIN PROBLEM," but an immune system problem.  Once the immune system starts attacking self, all bets are off as to what other tissues it might decide to attack. 

Even though the American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association says there are approximately 100 known autoimmune disease (most sources say 80), realize that because there are literally tens of thousands of different cells, tissues, enzymes, proteins, etc, in your body, any of them can be attacked by your own immune system.  However, most of these autoimmune conditions do not have names because in most cases they are still working on tests to determine what specifically is being attacked.

Finally, I'm not here to suggest that everyone has problems with vaccines, nor am I saying that vaccines are the only reason people get some of the problems that have been widely associated with them (LIKE THIS ONE).  I am saying, however, that with the absurd numbers of "jabs" being forced on children whose parents follow the recommended schedule (not to mention the 300 VACCINES currently in R&D), today's children are getting dosed in ways that children from past generations did not.  If you thought this was a worthwhile 15 minutes of your day, be sure to like, share or follow on FACEBOOK since it's a great way for you to reach the people you love and care most about.  And may God bless you Lori in your endeavor to find solutions for your daughter.

Hi Dr. Schierling, I just want to thank you for taking the time to answer my concerns in a blog post. The information that you provided is very helpful and I will be taking your suggestions on how to go about caring for my daughter moving forward.  I hope other mothers like me who are struggling to find answers for their sick babies will stumble across more people like you - someone who wants to educate the public about REAL health and wellness.  Please continue to be so passionate about true health. Know that your response to me has made a good change for my daughter and probably many others. God bless you. "Lori"

Last month the journal Nature Genetics published a study by an MD / Ph.D autoimmunity specialist named John Harley (Transcription Factors Operate Across Disease Loci, with EBNA2 Implicated in Autoimmunity).  How did he feel about his paper?  "I’ve been a co-author in almost 500 papers. This one is more important than all of the rest put together."  What could possibly lead Harley, the Director of the Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology (CAGE) program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, to make such a powerful statement?  It seems that his team has proven something that the natural health community has known for a very long time --- that chronic infections with certain viruses (EBV or Epstein Barr and CMV or Cytomegalo Virus are two major offenders) are associated not only with CANCER but with a myriad of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES.  Here is part of the study's cherry-picked abstract.

"Using new computational methods, we show that transcription factors (TFs) occupy multiple loci associated with individual complex genetic disorders.  Strikingly, nearly half of systemic lupus erythematosus risk loci are occupied by the Epstein–Barr virus EBNA2 protein and many coclustering human TFs, showing gene–environment interaction. Similar EBNA2-anchored associations exist in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and celiac disease. Instances of allele-dependent DNA binding and downstream effects on gene expression at plausibly causal variants support genetic mechanisms dependent on EBNA2. Our results nominate mechanisms that operate across risk loci within disease phenotypes, suggesting new models for disease origins."

What Harley's team is saying is that certain transcription factors have an affinity for genes associated with certain diseases --- namely autoimmune diseases.  Transcription factors are proteins that control the rate of taking the genetic information contained in DNA and turning it into RNA, which will eventually be used to make proteins, among other things.  Transcription factors are critical because they can turn genes on or off so that they express themselves the right amount at the right time.   When this system works, PHYSIOLOGY & HOMEOSTASIS progress seamlessly.  However, when it does not, mutations of transcription factors can cause the diseases seen above, as well as any number of others.

When I've talked about the immune system in the past (HERE & HERE), I've discussed B-Cells --- the part of your system that makes antibodies --- the TH-2 portion of the system.  EBV has a mechanism that allows it to commandeer B-Cells, alter their transcription factors, and make them do its bidding, potentially leading to the problems mentioned in this NIH Press Release (Epstein-Barr Virus Protein can 'Switch On' Risk Genes for Autoimmune Diseases).  "Infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the cause of infectious mononucleosis, has been associated with subsequent development of systemic lupus erythematosus and other chronic autoimmune illnesses...  Many cases of autoimmune illness are difficult to treat and can result in debilitating symptoms."   The NIH is not lying --- the list of mentioned diseases (LUPUS, MS, RA, T1D, JRA, CELIAC, and IBD / IBS) is devastating; especially when attacking like autoimmunity tends to do (I've always said that A.I. diseases are like a ravenous wolf pack, frequently attacking en masse).

During the polio epidemic of the 1940's and 50's, a little known fact is that virtually everyone had the disease. 90% had no symptoms whatsoever, with most of the remaining 10% having symptoms of a cold.  However, for reasons not clearly understood, a small percentage came down with varying degrees of the paralysis we today call polio.  In some ways EBV is similar.  Although it's the virus best known for causing mono, only a small portion of the population ever contracts mono, even though antibody titers show that virtually everyone has been exposed to the virus.  Furthermore, because CMV and EBV are both in the herpes family, in the same way that chicken pox can go dormant, hiding in nerve roots and then causing shingles later in life, these others can go dormant, potentially leading to autoimmunity.  Listen to what Cort Johnson wrote in an article from Simmaron Research called The Autoimmune Virus? Groundbreaking EBV Finding Could Help Explain ME/CFS.

"We’re well equipped to ward off EBV when we’re young – it usually produces only minor symptoms – but as our immune systems alter as we age, that changes.  Encountering EBV as an adolescent or adult (infectious mononucleosis, glandular fever)  – as increasingly happens in our germ phobic age – often means months of convalescence as our immune systems struggle to ward off this powerful virus. The problems don’t stop there. We know that infectious mononucleosis is a common trigger of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) but coming down with IM/glandular fever in adolescence has also been shown to increase one’s risk of coming down with multiple sclerosis 2-4 fold and lupus by fifty percent.  Because of EBV’s ability to remain latent in the body, EBV reactivations are a huge problem for transplant patients with compromised immune systems."

Johnson went on to give some history, showing not only that peer-review has been nibbling around the edges of this link for over four decades, but that there are almost 100 other diseases being linked to EBV as well; likely to be proven in the wave of research this study will surely trigger.  As far as CHRONIC FATIGUE is concerned; I've discussed it's relationship to glandular fever (mono) and numerous other chronic diseases HERE.  By the way, ME/CFS is widely thought to be an autoimmune disease and is intimately associated with FIBROMYALGIA (a form of SMALL FIBER NEUROPATHY / ADRENAL FATIGUE that is itself likely autoimmune).

I couldn't possibly write about every health issue associated with EBV, but I am going to talk about just one in order to show you how easy it is to do your own research.  If I randomly pick a health problem (I chose ESTROGEN DOMINANCE from the health categories section of my blog) and then search it with EBV, the first thing that comes up is an article on the site Metabolic Healing called Estrogen Dominance: Viruses & Autoimmune Disease.  Although there has been a great deal of recent research on various autoimmune diseases as related to one's sex, listen to what the authors say of this relationship...

• 78% of people with autoimmune disease are women
• The rate of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is 7X more likely to occur in women than men
• Lower estrogen increases CD8 lymphocytes, which is central to activation of TH1 inflammatory immunity and viral defense
• Evidence from mice suggests Estradiol medication can reactivate HSV-1 (herpes simplex-1)
• EBV (epstein barr virus) can increase aromatization of testosterone into estrogens
• DIM is both anti-estrogenic as well as anti-viral
• Numerous botanicals participate in antiviral and anti-estrogenic effects

What have I shown on my site forever?  Women get autoimmune diseases at approximately three times the rate that men do (an even worse ratio with HASHIMOTO'S).  I've talked about AROMATIZATION, although not due to EBV (due to sugar consumption), and I've talked at length about the difference between the TH1 and TH2 systems.  In fact, in my search I found numerous articles on this subject, including a number of authors talking about the intimate relationship between EBV and autoimmunity --- a relationship that as Dr. Nikolas Hedberg said in his article Epstein-Barr Virus and Autoimmune Diseases, "The first connection in the literature between EBV and autoimmune disease was actually in 1971. So a little over 40 years ago when they found that patients with Systemic lupus erythematosus had elevated antibody levels to EBV....  We talked about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis which is basically Fibromyalgia Chronic Fatigue Syndrome of viral origin." Truth is, it's easy to find info linking EBV to just about any chronic health issue you care to study.

Let me show you one other interesting tidbit I discovered.  Because many viruses have the ability to go dormant (herpes cold sores for instance), viral diseases have the ability to lie latent in your body for decades before being unleashed by STRESS, CHRONIC PAIN, CHRONIC ILLNESS, CHEMICAL EXPOSURE, etc, etc, etc.  This is exactly what happens with a disease like shingles.  Not surprisingly, one of the "Holy Grails" of VACCINE DEVELOPMENT is the EBV Vaccine. 

Writing for the January 2015 issue of Clinical & Translational Immunology (Epstein Barr Virus Vaccines), the author stated, "Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is the primary cause of infectious mononucleosis (IM) and is associated with epithelial cell malignancies such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric carcinoma, as well as lymphoid malignancies including Hodgkin lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder.  EBV is also associated with autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. Primary EBV infection as well as IM is associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis. The mean time between EBV infection and development of multiple sclerosis was estimated to be about 6 years in one study EBV vaccines to prevent primary infection or disease, or therapeutic vaccines to treat EBV malignancies have not been licensed."  Why do I mention this?  

A 2011 paper by Dr. Arifa S. Khan, writing for the FDA's Vaccines, Blood & Biologics Division (Investigating Viruses in Cells Used to Make Vaccines; and Evaluating the Potential Threat Posed by Transmission of Viruses to Humans) revealed that viral latency in vaccines can be a problem.  For example, UCSF's Elswood and Stricker published a study 25 years ago in Medical Hypothesis (Polio Vaccines and the Origin of AIDS) saying, "it is now known that the early polio vaccines were contaminated with at least one monkey virus, SV40. The transfer of monkey viruses to man via contaminated vaccines is particularly relevant to AIDS, since the causative agent of AIDS is thought to be derived from a simian precursor virus. Furthermore, human infection with this virus appears to be a relatively recent event. We hypothesize that the AIDS pandemic may have originated with a contaminated polio vaccine that was administered to inhabitants of Equatorial Africa from 1957 to 1959."  I don't even hope to know whether these researchers were / are correct, however the quote below from Dr. Khan's article should send a shiver down everyone's spine

"Virus-based vaccines are made in living cells. Some manufacturers are investigating the use of new cell lines to make vaccines. The continual growth of cell lines ensures that there is a consistent supply of the same cells that can yield high quantities of the vaccine.  In some cases the cell lines that are used might be tumorigenic, that is, they form tumors when injected into rodents. Some of these tumor-forming cell lines may contain cancer-causing viruses that are not actively reproducing. Such viruses are hard to detect using standard methods. These latent, or "quiet," viruses pose a potential threat, since they might become active under vaccine manufacturing conditions."  

Do we really need yet another vaccine?  Those struggling with the aftermath of chronic EBV-related problems would certainly argue that we do.  As a huge proponent of GUT HEALTH and the HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS, I would dissent --- at least as far as the vaccine being forced on me or my family is concerned (HERE).  Big Pharma and our government (which are all too often the same entity) are spending inordinate amounts of time, energy, money, and resources to do everything they can to attack various germs, both viral and bacterial in the form of VACCINES and ANTIBIOTICS (and OTHER DRUGS) instead of promoting real health.  Can we trust our government?  Let me answer that question with an example.

During the era our government was in the process of telling everyone how bad fat was for their health and likewise either silent on the detriments of sugar and junk carbs or in many cases actively promoting them (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE are some examples --- remember that THESE ALL FEED INFECTION), their single most prominent form of medical treatment became IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPRESSION.   This is a huge deal once you realize that 80% OF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM RESIDES IN YOUR GUT.  If you are interested not so much in "BOOSTING" your immune system (clicking the link shows how dangerous this can be), but fine tuning it into a well-oiled disease-fighting machine, HERE are some tools that might prove helpful.  If you know people that need to be reached with this message, be sure to show us some love on FACEBOOK.

"Sure enough, Dr. Juhn’s research showed that children and adults with asthma have a much higher risk of developing shingles compared to patients who do not have asthma. These findings were replicated by other research groups. Similarly, adult asthma patients have a higher risk of developing community-acquired E. coli blood infection, rheumatoid arthritis, heart attack and diabetes. Children with asthma have higher risks of developing celiac disease and appendicitis compared to those without asthma.  Our data suggest that suboptimal immune responses and rapid waning of adaptive immunity, and risks of pro-inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases presented as asthma-associated comorbidity overlap with the dysfunction of the immune system with aging"   Dr. Juhn comparing an asthmatic immune system to the immune system of the elderly in his cherry-picked Mayo Clinic bio

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and, in the latter part of the 20th century, reached epidemic proportions.  Asthma represents a dysfunctional interaction with our genes and the environment to which they are exposed, especially in fetal and early infant life. The increasing prevalence of asthma also may be an indication of increased population risk for the development of other chronic non-communicable autoimmune diseases."  From the December 2013 issue of Expert Review of Clinical Immunology (Prevention of Asthma: Where are we in the 21st Century?)

The quote above not only shows why EPIGENETICS are far more important than genetics, but shows us that ASTHMA is at least associated with AUTOIMMUNITY, and quite possibly --- even probably in many cases --- an autoimmune disease itself.  Incidence of asthma is exploding in Westernized society, with approximately 25 million Americans being afflicted.  Although it has historically been included in THIS LIST of diseases known to be caused by inflammation, it's becoming increasingly clear that a significant amount of asthma is in fact autoimmune.  One of the biggest tip-offs should be the amount of research implicating INTESTINAL BARRIER FUNCTION (aka "Leaky Gut") in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.  In my post, "THE LEAKIES," listen to what researchers say are the only two things associated with this hallmark of chronic illnesses, and specifically autoimmunity....

There are two critical points to be made in this paragraph. First is that gliadin is a component of gluten. Gluten is intimately related to autoimmunity because (secondly) regardless of your genetics  ("irrespective of genetic expression" --- these are the epigentic factors I told you we would get to), it activates zonulin.  What the heck is zonulin?  Discovered in Y2K by Dr. Alessio Fasano and his team from the University of Maryland's School of Medicine, zonulin is not only the chief modulator of the tight junctions (increased zonulin breaks the tight junctions and causes the Gut to "leak") --- it's the only known modulator of the tight junctions.  And as you just saw, the two primary modulators of zonulin are dysbiotic infections (bacteria, mold, yeast, virus, and other nasty critters) and gluten.

Did you catch that?  GLUTEN & DYSBIOSIS are the only two things associated in peer-review with development of leaky barriers (Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Leaky Lung, Leaky Cord, etc --- see last link previous paragraph).  We'll spend a bit more time on this shortly, but right now I want to show a brief time line concerning the scientific thought process of asthma as an autoimmune disease.  Today's post will also help you understand the why behind YESTERDAY'S ONE PARAGRAPH POST, showing brand new CDC research that those who receive the most healthcare (healthcare workers) have the highest rates of asthma.

• 2003:  A 2003 issue of the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology (Asthma as a Paradigm for Autoimmune Disease) got the ball rolling by saying, "Allergy and autoimmunity result from dysregulation of the immune system.  New discoveries suggest possible common pathogenetic effector pathways. The parallel appearance of asthma and autoimmune conditions in the same patients may reveal that such aberrations of the immune system have a common pathophysiologic mechanism."  Pay attention because nothing has changed as far as mainstream medical treatment is concerned --- everything is based on IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPRESSION. Think I'm exaggerating? "Immunomodulation is the key to successful treatment of asthma and autoimmune conditions."  In 99% of the cases, modulating the immune system implies suppressing the immune system. 
  

• 2007:  A study from University of Washington was published in Science Daily (Connection Between Allergic Diseases And Autoimmune Diseases) revealing that, "Autoimmune disease refers to a group of more than 80 serious, chronic illnesses including diseases of the nervous, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems as well as skin and other connective tissues, eyes, blood, and blood vessel. In all of these diseases, the underlying problem is similar—the body’s immune system becomes misdirected, attacking the very organs it was designed to protect. 'Our study implies that allergic and inflammatory diseases may actually trigger autoimmune diseases.'"  The thing to remember here is that while there are probably 80 'well known' autoimmune diseases (HERE is a list), there are thousands upon thousands of autoimmune diseases that are not named simply because no one has figured out what the autoantigen is (the tissue, protein, enzyme, etc being attacked), or likewise how to test for it.
  

• 2008:  The November issue of Expert Reviews in Clinical Immunology (Asthma and Autoimmunity: A Complex but Intriguing Relation) said this...  "Approximately 50% of patients with nonallergic asthma react to intradermal injection of autologous serum... suggesting an autoreactive mechanism. Recent findings in experimental animals support the involvement of an autoreactive mechanism in allergic asthma as well...  Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation of the respiratory airways that can be triggered by allergen exposure or by other mechanisms, possibly autoreactive / autoimmune. The autoimmune hypothesis is further supported by the response to immunosuppressive drugs."  Autoimmunity is an immune system raging out of control to the point it starts attacking self.
  

• 2010:  Two years later, the Annals of Epidemiology (Subsequent Autoimmune or Related Disease in Asthma Patients: Clustering of Diseases or Medical Care?) said this about the relationship; "Asthma includes immunological components that may share mechanisms with autoimmune diseases.  Hospitalized asthma patients [just over 4,000 in this study] presented with a number of subsequent autoimmune and related diseases. Although we were unable to exclude the effects of environmental factors, the data suggest that shared genetic factors or gene-environment [epigenetic] interactions may explain coexistence of some of these diseases."
  

 

• 2012:  The May issue of the Annals of Medicine (Risk of Asthma and Autoimmune Diseases and Related Conditions in Patients Hospitalized for Obesity) showed how asthma and autoimmunity are related via inflammation (in this case by OBESITY, which is considered inflammatory).  That same month, Human Immunology (Immune Responses to Self-Antigens in Asthma Patients: Clinical and Immuno-Pathological Implications) stated, "Asthma leads to chronic airway inflammation that shares pathological features of chronic rejection after lung transplantation. Due to significant role of autoimmunity in rejection, we hypothesized that immunity to self-antigens may also be present in asthma.  Asthmatics had higher concentration of antibodies to collagen compared to control. These autoantibodies correlated with severe asthma and corticosteroid use. Additionally, antibodies to novel self-antigens epidermal group factor receptor (EGFr), activin A type 1 receptor, and alpha-catenin (α-catenin) were detected in asthmatics. Epithelial [barrier] damage from airway inflammation during asthma may result in exposure of self-antigens or their determinants resulting in immune response to self-antigens and these may contribute to pathogenesis of asthma."  The body making antibodies against itself is never a good thing. Period.  Furthermore, when epithelial barriers are compromised, you get "the leakies" (in this case, Leaky Lung).  This study shows that this is exactly what's happening in those with asthma.  This next bullet reveals why.
  

 

• 2013:  The underlying culprit of virtually every chronic inflammatory degenerative disease (of which asthma falls into) is inflammation.  What is inflammation?  If you are not quite sure (I find about 1 in a thousand who really know), read THIS SHORT POST.  Hint; it's not swelling or infection, although it can be related to both.  The February issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America showed this in a study titled The Overlap of Bronchiectasis and Immunodeficiency with Asthma (the government's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines bronchiectasis as "a condition in which damage to the airways causes them to thicken and become flabby and scarred."  In other words, bronchioles start showing FIBROTIC CHANGE / FIBROSIS of the bronchioles.  Most of you would be shocked to click the link and see that fibrosis (the medical word for scar tissue) is America's number one cause of death.  Control inflammation and you can manage almost any disease.  The problem is that we are mostly going about controlling inflammation the wrong way (RED INK EXAMPLE).
  

 

• 2014:  More of the same rubber (inflammation) meeting the road, with an amazing study in the July issue of Cell Microbiology (Defining Dysbiosis and its Influence on Host Immunity and Disease).  "Mammalian immune system development depends on instruction from resident commensal microorganisms. Diseases associated with abnormal immune responses towards environmental and self antigens have been rapidly increasing over the last 50 years. These diseases include inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS), type I diabetes (T1D), allergies and asthma. The observation that people with immune mediated diseases house a different microbial community when compared to healthy individuals suggests that pathogenesis arises from improper training of the immune system by the microbiota."  This is a mouthful, but can be easily broken down by realizing that your MICROBIOME is everything, and that furthermore your Immune System is actually "trained" (their word) by the commensal organisms in and on your body (HERE).  This is a great example of the HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS in action.  "Thus, perturbations to the structure of complex commensal communities (referred to as dysbiosis) can lead to deficient education of the host immune system and subsequent development of immune mediated diseases."  The more healthcare one is exposed to (vaccines, antibiotics, medications of all sorts, etc, etc) the worse off your microbiome.  A poor micribiome means that your immune system will be trained in an ineffective manner.  This means you start trading acute infectious diseases for chronic diseases like CANCER.
  

 

• 2015:  The June issue of the Journal of Immunology (GIMAP GTPase Family Genes: Potential Modifiers in Autoimmune Diabetes, Asthma, and Allergy) showed yet another complex immunological link with autoantigens found in asthma.
  

 

• 2016:  Another similar study from October's issue of Respiratory Research (Perip7lakin is a Target for Autoimmunity in Asthma) discussed yet another of these antigenic molecules.  "The role of autoimmunity targeting epithelial antigens in asthma has been suggested, in particular in non-atopic and severe asthma. Periplakin, a desmosomal component, is involved in epithelial cohesion and intracellular signaling. We detected anti-periplakin antibodies in 18% of patients with asthma."  In this case, not only is the body attacking itself, it's actually attacking the tissue (epithelium) that make up the body's barrier systems.  Can anyone say "leaky"?
  

 

• 2017:  Although asthma and allergies are typically associated with Mast Cells (which release histamine), another type of immune system cell (eosinophils) took center stage in 2017.  July's copy of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Sputum Autoantibodies in Patients with Severe Eosinophilic Asthma) "identifies an autoimmune endotype of severe asthma that can be identified by the presence of sputum autoantibodies against EPX and autologous cellular components."  April's issue of Allergology International (Autoantibody Profiles and their Association with Blood Eosinophils in Asthma and COPD) dealt with autoimmunity in COPD, concluding that "It is possible that asthma tends to involve autoimmunity associated with antinuclear antibody more frequently than COPD because asthma is the more robust factor for antinuclear antibody positivity. Antinuclear antibody and rheumatoid factor are associated with eosinophilic responses." For the record, although it's not always accurate, the antinuclear antibody (ANA) test is the most commonly used test to determine non-specific autoimmunity.  And finally, in April, Frontiers in Immunology published Eosinophils in Autoimmune Diseases, which concluded that, "The association of eosinophilic diseases with autoimmune diseases was also examined, showing a possible increase in autoimmune diseases in patients with...  non-allergic asthma." 
  

 

• 2018:  Speaking of Mast Cells, last month's issue of Immunology Review (Mast Cells as Sources of Cytokines, Chemokines, and Growth Factors) talked about CYTOKINES and other inflammatory mediators as related to Mast Cells and the immune system.  "There is strong evidence for important non-redundant roles of mast cells in many types of innate or adaptive immune responses, including making important contributions to immediate and chronic IgE-associated allergic disorders and enhancing host resistance to certain venoms and parasites. However, mast cells have been proposed to influence many other biological processes"  Great stuff until inflammation causes the immune system to lose immunological control.  The all too common result is a ramped up immune response, telling the body to start attacking itself.  Because autoimmunity is never a problem with the organ or tissue being attacked, but a problem with the immune system itself; unless you deal with underlying causes, autoimmune diseases usually end up like Lays Potato Chips...  You can't have just one --- they virtually always travel in packs, like wolves (HERE).
  

Because autoimmunity is found much more commonly in women than men (about 3 to 1), a 2005 study asked whether or not mom's developing autoimmunity around the time of her pregnancy could result in AUTISM (ASD --- autism spectrum disorder) in her progeny.  A 2005 issue of JAMA Pediatrics (Maternal Autoimmune Diseases, Asthma and Allergies, and Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders) revealed that "A greater than 2-fold elevated risk of ASD was observed for maternal asthma and allergy diagnoses recorded during the second trimester of pregnancy."  What's the relationship?  Besides the obvious (inflammation), there is an increasing body of research showing that autism itself is actually autoimmune.

Cal State Davis has been leading the pack with this regard, publishing their first major study on the topic back in the August 2007 issue of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Autoantibodies in Autism Spectrum Disorders --- ASD).  Their paper dealt with, "recent studies performed by our group concerning the presence of autoantibodies directed against neural antigens, which are observed in patients with ASD."  This was not new information when it came out in 07, because a 2003 issue of the journal Pediatrics (Increased Prevalence of Familial Autoimmunity in Probands with Pervasive Developmental Disorders) revealed that "Autoimmunity was increased significantly in families with pervasive developmental disorders compared with those of healthy and autoimmune control subjects."  How significantly?  Try 40% on for size.

With the known relationship between VACCINES and both autoimmunity & autism, it would behoove those individuals who are known to be autoimmune of have autoimmunity in their immediate family to think twice about most vaccinations.  This argument becomes even more convincing once you begin to understand the role of VACCINE ADJUVANTS, MERCURY & ALUMINUM.  Because we know for certain that autism is driven by inflammation (which by the way, is not always the result of vaccines --- HERE), it behooves us to understand the link.  Listen to this cherry-picked paragraph from Moises Velasquez-Manoff from an August issue of the New York Times (An Immune Disorder at the Root of Autism)

"Better clues to the causes of the autism phenomenon come from parallel 'epidemics.' The prevalence of inflammatory diseases in general has increased significantly in the past 60 years. As a group, they include asthma, now estimated to affect 1 in 10 children — at least double the prevalence of 1980 — and autoimmune disorders, which afflict 1 in 20.  Both are linked to autism, especially in the mother. One large Danish study, which included nearly 700,000 births over a decade, found that a mother’s rheumatoid arthritis elevated a child’s risk of autism by 80 percent. Her celiac disease increased it 350 percent. Genetic studies tell a similar tale. Gene variants associated with autoimmune disease — genes of the immune system — also increase the risk of autism, especially when they occur in the mother.  In some cases, scientists even see a misguided immune response in action. Mothers of autistic children often have unique antibodies that bind to fetal brain proteins. A few years back, scientists at the MIND Institute, a research center for neurodevelopmental disorders at the University of California, Davis, injected these antibodies into pregnant macaques. (Control animals got antibodies from mothers of typical children.) Animals whose mothers received “autistic” antibodies displayed repetitive behavior. They had trouble socializing with others in the troop. In this model, autism results from an attack on the developing fetus."

Peer-review is replete with more of the same.  If this topic is of interest to you I would strongly suggest you read Dr. Kevin Becker's study from a 2007 edition of Medical Hypothesis called Autism, Asthma, Inflammation, and the Hygiene Hypothesis (his paper is a comparison of the "parallel aspects of autism and inflammatory disorders with an emphasis on asthma.").  I would also suggest you take a gander at the post I published just one short month ago called Autism Linked to Antibiotic / Acetaminophen / Glyphosate Combination (HERE).  We'll get to the antibiotic / Gut Health / althma link momentarily, but first we are going to discuss....

If you've followed my site, you already know that GLUTEN (a protein found in wheat) is heavily linked to autoimmunity (HERE); a relationship which has been known for almost a century (HERE).  Thus, with a great deal of asthma being autoimmune, knowing a bit more about this relationship will prove invaluable as you go about healing the Gut and toning down a raging immune system ---- NOT "BOOSTING" IT.  One of the first things you must understand is that the majority of the symptoms of NON-CELIAC GLUTEN SENSITIVITY are mostly extra-intestinal, meaning they will not manifest as bloating, gas, etc (MOST ARE NEUROLOGICAL, but they can manifest in almost any conceivable manner).  For the record, there were scores of studies on both "Occupational Asthma" and "Baker's Asthma," neither of which we are covering here.

You must realize that when you see the word "allergies" (whether in the title of a journal or in the text of a study), in most instances you can substitute the word "asthma" and still be accurate.  A 2011 study from the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology (Occurrence of Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity in Patients with Allergic Disease) concluded that "A nonceliac gluten-sensitive enteropathy (NCGSE) commonly occurs in allergic patients. Based on the high prevalence of NCGSE in allergy, it is recommended that biopsy should be part of the routine investigation of allergic disease to offer the benefits of treatment with a GFD to the patients"  A biopsy is a ridiculous amount of overkill in this case, even though it is the "gold standard" for diagnosing CELIAC DISEASE.  Simply do an ELIMINATION DIET to rule out gluten as a problem.  Just make sure to click the link so you understand that ALL GRAINS (not to mention about 30 other foods) can act like (they are known as gluten cross-reactors).  Failing to understand this simple fact helps explain why some people claim that going off gluten did nothing for them, even though there is an obvious connection --- not to mention the fact that most of the GLUTEN FREE FOODS they've been eating are high glycemic processed crap anyway.

We are now going to start seeing the bleed-over into the next chapter of this post; Gut Health.  A July 2015 study from the European Respiratory Journal (Coeliac Disease and Asthma Association in Children: The Role of Antibiotic Consumption) came to conclusions that I've been talking about for a long time, and that we will continue to talk about in the next chapter --- that antibiotics are strongly linked to asthma. Now it seems that they are strongly linked to both asthma and Celiac Disease.  "Childhood treated asthma and coeliac disease are significantly associated."  Just realize that NCGS is far more common than Celiac Disease (I would guess an order of magnitude).  The link in the previous paragraph will explain the difference between the two.

Several months later, the journal Pediatric Clinics of North America published another bleed-over "Gut Hygiene" study called Gut Microbiome and the Development of Food Allergy and Allergic Disease in which they concluded,

"The prevalence of food allergy and other allergic diseases continues to rise within the industrialized world... The impact of gut microbiome on human development, nutritional needs, and disease has become evident with advances in our ability to study these complex communities of microorganisms, and there is a growing appreciation for the role of the microbiome in immune regulation. Several studies have examined associations between changes in the commensal microbiota and the development of allergic rhinitis and asthma....  The authors found that children living in farming environments had a significantly decreased frequency of hay fever, asthma and eczema compared to children living in urban areas.  Other studies have shown an association between Caesarean-section delivery and the development of asthma, allergic rhinitis [hay fever], and eczema."

And while this study went on to talk extensively about the relationship of early antibiotics (among other things, they said that 1/3 of laboring women are given antibiotics against Strep) and diet on one's microbiome, it also happens to provide the perfect lead in for our next section. 

I've been writing about GUT HEALTH for a very long time, but the truth is, since at least the late 1800's, natural healers have been saying "heal the gut, heal the body".  Today I am going to show you that this is not just true for almost any health issue you care to plug in to the equation (I could have written today's post using any number of diseases other than asthma, and it would have still looked quite similar), but is doubly true for autoimmune diseases in general, and truer still for asthma. 

The first thing I want to say is that when we talk about Gut Health we are talking about two sides of the same coin --- dysbiosis (abnormal species or ratios of species of bacteria, YEAST, VIRUS, or other organisms) and Leaky Gut, which we talked about earlier.  These are ugly twins --- where you find one, you'll usually find the other.  Considering 80% of your immune system is found in the Gut (HERE), this relationship makes a ton of sense.  The proverbial icing on the cake is that even though the process of degrading Gut Health is almost always caused by ANTIBIOTICS (even though MOST DRUGS have antibiotic properties), the resultant dysbiosis is fed by LIVING THE HIGH CARB LIFESTYLE.  In other words, sugar and highly processed or high glycemic carbs (carbs that break down to BLOOD SUGAR rapidly) are infection's food of choice (HERE).  And what is dysbiosis if it's not a low grade infection?

One thing you need to understand about this phenomenon is that the physiology is universal.  Case in point, a study from Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practices (The Microbiota Regulates Immunity and Immunologic Diseases in Dogs and Cats) showed why DOGS & DIRT are not just important for our microbiomes, but that animal's microbiomes control their health as well.  "The complex commensal microbiota found on body surfaces controls immune responses and the development of allergic and inflammatory diseases. Changes in the microbiota (dysbiosis) as a result of antibiotic use, diet, or other factors thus influence the development of many diseases in the dog and cat. The most important of these include chronic gastrointestinal disease; respiratory allergies, such as asthma; skin diseases, especially atopic dermatitis; and autoimmune diseases." 

Think Leaky Gut is a farce just because YOUR DOCTOR DOESN'T BELIEVE IN IT?  The month before I got married (February of 1996), the Journal of Allergy and Immunology published a study called (gulp) Allergies and Asthma: Do Atopic Disorders Result from Inadequate Immune Homeostasis Arising from Infant Gut Dysbiosis? They answered their own question affirmatively.   "There was no significant difference in intestinal permeability between patients with allergic asthma and those with nonallergic asthma."  In other words, both groups were equally "leaky" ("Our results support the hypothesis that a general defect of the whole mucosal system [epithelial barrier system] is present as a cause or a consequence of bronchial asthma").

In 2005, Chinese researchers published a study called Tight Junctions, Leaky Intestines, and Pediatric Diseases in the journal Acta Paediatrica in which they concluded....  "Tight junctions (TJs) represent the major barrier within the paracellular pathway between intestinal epithelial cells. Disruption of TJs leads to intestinal hyperpermeability (the so-called "leaky gut") and is implicated in the pathogenesis of several acute and chronic pediatric disease entities that are likely to have their origin during infancy. This review provides an overview of evidence for the role of TJ breakdown in diseases such as systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, allergies, asthma, and autism.  A better basic understanding of this structure might lead to prevention or treatment of these diseases using nutritional or other means."  Did you catch that?  Screwed up gut permeability can be successfully addressed with diet.  This is a big deal because there are zero drugs that address this problem.  If you are interested, you can look at a picture of this process in action under my link on "The Leakies".

HOMEOSTASIS describes your body's ability to maintain itself in perfect balance and harmony.  In studying physiology, everything is about maintaining proper homeostasis.  Lose it and you get sick.  The April 2016 issue of Expert Reviews in Clinical Immunology discussed this problem in a study called Allergies and Asthma: Do Atopic Disorders Result from Inadequate Immune Homeostasis arising from Infant Gut Dysbiosis?  Of course it does, with the two biggest factors being crappy diets and early exposure of either mom or baby to antibiotics.  "We propose that the failure to appropriately down-regulate inflammation and produce a toleragenic state results primarily from less robust immune homeostatic processes rather than from a tendency to over-respond to allergenic stimuli."  What is autoimmunity?  It's a state of having a "BOOSTED" IMMUNE SYSTEM.

A 2014 French study from Respiratory Research (Food Allergy Enhances Allergic Asthma in Mice) showed that this problem is not static, but progressive and degenerative.  The fourteen authors from various Universities across France stated, "Atopic march refers to the typical transition from a food allergy in early childhood to allergic asthma in older children and adults"  After artifically inducing allergies to ovalbumin and house dust mites in mice, the authors challenged the mice's systems by exposing them to both.  "OVA-mediated gut allergy was associated with an increase in jejunum permeability [Leaky Small Intestine], and a worsening of mite-induced asthma with stronger airway hyperresponsiveness and pulmonary cell infiltration, notably eosinophils."   There was actually much more than this that I did not include.

Also in 2014, the journal Clinical and Investigative Medicine published High Prevalence of Abnormal Gastrointestinal Permeability in Moderate-Severe Asthma, which related asthma to Leaky Gut as well.  After saying that, "Abnormal gastrointestinal permeability (GIP) has been implicated in a number of diseases, including chronic intestinal inflammatory disorders such as Crohn's as well as non-intestinal immunologic diseases such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis," researchers concluded that a Leaky Gut "could be involved with the development and propagation of asthma...."  Still another study from 2014 (Low Gut Microbiota Diversity in Early Infancy Precedes Asthma at School Age from the June issue of Clinical and Experimental Allergy) concluded that "Low total diversity of the gut microbiota during the first month of life was associated with asthma at 7 years of age."  Why would a baby have low bacterial diversity by one month? I can think of three right off the top of my head; antibiotics, PPI's (heartburn drugs), C-SECTION, or FAILING TO BREASTFEED. 

2015's study (The Microbiome in Asthma) from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology used new technologies to explore the microbiomes of those with asthma as compared to healthy controls.  Although you might guess what's coming, the study talked at length about the intimate relationship between dybiosis and the propensity to develop asthma.  Another study from 2015 from Science Translational Medicine (Early Infancy Microbial and Metabolic Alterations Affect Risk of Childhood Asthma).  "Asthma is the most prevalent pediatric chronic disease and affects more than 300 million people worldwide.  We compared the gut microbiota of subjects enrolled in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study, and show that infants at risk of asthma exhibited transient gut microbial dysbiosis during the first 100 days of life. The relative abundance of the bacterial genera Lachnospira, Veillonella, Faecalibacterium, and Rothia was significantly decreased in children at risk of asthma."  Here is where you get to see the beauty of Fecal Microbiota Transplants (FMT).  When the authors put the missing bacterial species back into these mice, it "ameliorated airway inflammation" in their offspring.  In other words, not only does FMT (microbiome) have the potential to affect the here and now, it has the potential to affect the next generation!

Twenty two researchers from the land down under teamed up for a study published in last June's issue of Nature Communications called Evidence that Asthma is a Developmental Origin Disease Influenced by Maternal Diet and Bacterial Metabolites that concluded "diet acting on the gut microbiota profoundly influences airway responses, and may represent an approach to prevent asthma, including during pregnancy."  That same year, Microbial Diversity in Health and Disease published a study called Dysbiosis of the Gut Microbiota in Disease which stated, "There is growing evidence that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is associated with the pathogenesis of both intestinal and extra-intestinal disorders. Intestinal disorders include inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and coeliac disease, while extra-intestinal disorders include allergy, asthma, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and obesity." 

A study from December was published in the journal Current Opinions in Pediatrics (The Microbiome in Asthma) that stated, "The continuous rise in asthma incidence in industrialized societies cannot be attributed to genetic factors alone and implies that some environmental factors resulting from the modern lifestyle promotes asthma. The 'hygiene hypothesis' states that personal hygiene improvement, declining family size and decreased infection burden result in reduced early-life microbial exposure and promotion of atopic diseases."  In other words, increasing numbers of scientists believe that we are trading acute childhood diseases that everyone used to get, for long-term chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases, including autoimmunity.  The culprits in having a "decreased infection burden"?  That's easy; antibiotics and vaccines, including the utterly ridiculous FLU SHOT.

Follow along as I give you a few highlights from other studies.  Just be aware that there is so much evidence supporting the Gut Health / Asthma link that I could have just as easily written a book.

• "Multiple studies have demonstrated airway microbiota dysbiosis, characterized by Proteobacteria expansion in the lower airways, to be a consistent trait of established adult asthma."  July 2015, Current Opinions in Rheumatology (Influence and Effect of the Human Microbiome in Allergy and Asthma)

 

• "Dysbiosis of the microbial communities colonizing the human intestinal tract has been described for a variety of chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and asthma.  Investigators have shown that the microbial composition of the airway flora is different between healthy lungs and those with chronic lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as cystic fibrosis... Should future studies provide such evidence, the airway microbiota might soon join the intestinal microbiota as a target for therapeutic intervention."  January 2014, Pharmacology & Therapeutics (Microbiota Abnormalities in Inflammatory Airway Diseases...)

 

• "Asthma prevalence has doubled in developed countries during the past 30 years.  After adjustment, prenatal antibiotic use was a risk factor for asthma."  The December 2014 issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (Relationship Between Prenatal Antibiotic Use and Asthma in At-Risk Children)

 

• "Evidence on the association between post-natal exposure to antibiotics and the development of asthma is extensive...  Maternal use of any antibiotics during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of asthma in the offspring. Several maternal specific antibiotics were associated with the risk of asthma, and the strongest association was observed for cephalosporins. Child's use of antibiotics during the first year of life was associated with an increased risk of asthma. Child's use of cephalosporins, sulphonamides and trimethoprim, macrolides and amoxicillin was associated with an increased risk of asthma.  Both prenatal and post-natal exposure to antibiotics was associated with an increased risk of asthma." January 1015, Clinical and Experimental Allergy (Prenatal and Post-Natal Exposure to Antibiotics and Risk of Asthma in Childhood)

 

• "We found increased risk of asthma associated with maternal antibiotic use in a clinical study of a birth cohort with increased risk of asthma and replicated this finding in an unselected national birth cohort, and in a subgroup using antibiotics for nonrespiratory infections. This supports a role for bacterial ecology in pre- or perinatal life for the development of asthma."  The April 2013 of the Journal of Pediatrics (Use of Antibiotics During Pregnancy Increases the Risk of Asthma in Early Childhood)

A scientific article by Megan Scudellari in a 2017 issue of PNAS (Cleaning Up the Hygiene Hypothesis) indicated that the Hygiene Hypothesis as understood by most people is incorrect.  Her belief is that most people interpret the message simply as the population being "too clean".  While this is a part of the HH, it goes beyond that.  Way beyond that.  She went on to mention every single thing I've talked about in this paper as culprits; vaccines, antibiotics, antimicrobial hand sanitizers, cruddy diets, not being exposed to PARASITES and bacteria from an early age, C-sections, etc, etc.  Call it what you want, there is no arguing with the consequences (see YESTERDAY'S POST ON ASTHMA).

Rates of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases are literally exploding in Western nations, and most particularly, the middle and upper class urban portions of those societies.  It's a message that's being echoed by scientists around the world.  Researchers from London's King's College wrote in a 2007 issue of Biologics (Dishing the Dirt on Asthma: What we can Learn from Poor Hygiene), "Many aspects of modern living may contribute to this increase in asthma including, smaller family size, more urban living including a lower exposure to farm livestock, increasing vaccination and a more hygienic lifestyle."  Take a look at what Amy Shah (MD) wrote about this study's statistics in a 2014 article for MindBodyGreen (Why Allergies & Autoimmune Diseases Are Skyrocketing).

"As just a couple examples of the prevalence of these issues, asthma affects nearly 37% of children in the United Kingdom, and type 1 diabetes rates have increased 23% over an eight-year period."

And here's the rub.  Instead of using the peer-review I've just shown you in today's post to formulate better care plans, we have a medical system that continues to live in the past, passing out antibiotics out like candy (KNOWING DARN GOOD AND WELL THEY CAUSE ASTHMA).  Oh; I almost forgot to mention that there are currently OVER 300 NEW VACCINES IN R&D.  It's madness, and proof positive that the gap between medical practice and medical research continues to widen, making the Grand Canyon look like a rut in a gravel driveway.  In other words, calling what's going on a "disconnect" does not come close to explaining how bad things really are.  But hey, it's the nature of modern EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE.  What could our modern medical community be doing to at actually address some of the asthma epidemic's underlying causes?

The first thing that must be understood is that the "healthcare" trajectory we are currently on is not only UNSUSTAINABLE, but is actually causing a significant portion of the problem.  Case in point are the drugs used to treat asthma.  People must wake up to the fact that asthma inhalers are so dangerous that studies have shown they are responsible for a large portion of the asthma-related deaths (HERE --- don't get mad at me, I'm just the messenger).  Furthermore, if there is a commonly used drug with more and worse side effects than CORTICOSTEROIDS, I'm not exactly sure what it is.  If you'll simply read between the lines, the scientific research is replete with solutions.

Case in point a pair of studies by the same team of Harvard researchers from BMJ Thorax (Maternal Diet vs Lack of Exposure to Sunlight as the Cause of the Epidemic of Asthma, Allergies and other Autoimmune Diseases) and the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine (Vitamin D, the Gut Microbiome, and the Hygiene Hypothesis. How Does Asthma Begin?) that were written 8 years apart --- 2007 and 2015.  

"In our view, the fundamental culprit for the asthma epidemic—and for the epidemic of all autoimmune diseases (Th1 and Th2)—is vitamin D deficiency due to a decrease in sun exposure which can probably be remedied only by supplementation of pregnant women. However, in their most recent paper published in this issue of Thorax, Willers and coworkers report the importance of a decline in the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and perhaps oily fish consumption with regard to asthma, and it seems plausible that maternal dietary deficiencies of vitamin E are contributing to the epidemic of autoimmune disease as well"

If you are not sure what TH1 VS TH2 is, just click the link.  The bottom line is that this is nothing more than the same things we've known forever, that healthy foods and the great outdoors will "cure" a lot of problems.  Did the same authors have anything different to say almost a decade later?  Not really.   After rehashing the Hygiene Hypothesis, they talked a bit about Vitamin D.

"Finally, we have written extensively about vitamin D, which we believe is a critical link between the human gut microbiome and the developing fetal lung and immune system. First, vitamin D deficiency is recognized worldwide, and there are data indicating that levels have decreased over time, coincident with the rise in autoimmunity and asthma. Next, vitamin D has effects on the developing lung, and we have shown that vitamin D-related developmental genes are up-regulated in early lung development and that these same genes are linked to asthma. Third, vitamin D has effects on a variety of immune processes and cells that are critical to normal immune functioning. Finally, vitamin D is critical to the function of the gut microbiome. It controls the development of gut-associated lymphoid tissue, trafficking between gut dendritic cells, and gut Tregs and Treg function. Further study of how vitamin D influences the developing immune system is urgently needed."

Let's be real with each other for a moment --- how tough is it to take liquid Vitamin D drops and get in the sunshine more often?  But these aren't the only things you could be doing to "TRAIN YOUR TREGS".

• PARASITE SOUP:  Chinese researchers published a study in November's issue of Frontiers in Microbiology (Parasite-Derived Proteins for the Treatment of Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases) concluding, "Some parasite-derived immune-evasion molecules have been verified to reduce the incidence and harmfulness of atopic diseases in humans by modulating the immune response. More importantly, some parasite-derived products have been shown to inhibit the progression of inflammatory diseases and consequently alleviate their symptoms. Thus, parasites, and especially their products, may have potential applications in the treatment of autoimmune diseases."  This isn't a surprise considering scientists have been "curing" severe cases of INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE by purposefully infecting sufferers with HELMINTHS (worms). 
  

• BACTERIAL SOUP: A 2011 study by Harvard's Scott Weiss was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Bacterial Components Plus Vitamin D: The Ultimate Solution to the Asthma (Autoimmune Disease) Epidemic?). "The gut microbiome is overwhelming in its size and its metabolic and antigenic complexity. There are 1014 bacteria in the gut, or 10 times more microbes in the human colon than there are cells in the human body. These bacteria belong to over 1000 species and have 3.3 million genes, over 150 times more genes than our own genome. Culture alone is inadequate to identify the mostly anaerobic organisms of the gut, and bacterial sequencing must be used, in conjunction with culture, to definitively speciate, and hence identify, all of these organisms. These bacteria interact with the host in a variety of ways."  Weiss goes on to talk at length about probiotics and Vitamin D.  The problem is that as he mentioned, the microbiome is so huge and contains (or at least should contain) hundreds of bacterial species, it's difficult to measure and impossible to reproduce with probiotics.  This is why I've said that for many chronically ill people, FMT IS FAR SUPERIOR TO PROBIOTICS.  BTW, the point with these first two bullets is not that we want you drinking these concoctions, it's to show you how important and powerful the HH is.

• FECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANT:  Speaking of FMT, prior to mentioning the procedure as a viable option for asthmatics, the January 2014 issue of Pharmacology & Therapeutics (Microbiota Abnormalities in Inflammatory Airway Diseases - Potential for Therapy) said this.  "Dysbiosis of the microbial communities colonizing the human intestinal tract has been described for a variety of chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and asthma. In particular, reduction of several so-called probiotic species that are generally considered to be beneficial, as well as an outgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria is often reported.  A twist to this scenario is the recent discovery that the respiratory tract also harbors a microbiota under steady-state conditions. Investigators have shown that the microbial composition of the airway flora is different between healthy lungs and those with chronic lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as cystic fibrosis."  Be aware that I am not suggesting you do an FMT on your own, but am simply providing some cool information --- very cool information.

• BREAST FEEDING:  While most of my readers would consider this a no-brainer, this past January, the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology published a study called Breastfeeding and Autoimmunity: Programing Health from the Beginning, in which they spelled out those things DR. ROBERT MENDELSOHN was telling his patients decades ago in How to Raise A Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor.  While the authors did say that breastfeeding has the potential to flare up a mother who is already autoimmune, they also said that "Being breastfed was associated with a lower incidence of diabetes, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis and asthma, explained by the protection against early infections, anti-inflammatory properties, antigen-specific tolerance induction, and regulation of infant's microbiome."

• REALLY STUDY THE VACCINE ISSUE: I've shown you repeatedly that speaking out about vaccines and their relationship to autoimmunity as a scientist is often a death sentence to one's career (HERE), and at the very least will get you censured.  This means that much of the so called "EVIDENCE" (especially the evidence supporting certain drugs) must be taken with a grain of salt.  And while numerous researchers mentioned VACCINES when discussing the HH, it was extremely rare that there was any real discussion.  It's the true definition of a "sacred cow".  The interesting thing is that our own government has shown that vaccinations have not improved mortality rates.  Think I'm making that up? Take a look at THIS GRAPH that was put out by the CDC as proof.  Bottom line, vaccines are not all they've been touted to be, and because they purposefully cause neuro-inflammation via ADJUVANTS (aluminum is considered the universal adjuvant), many kids never really have a chance --- their brain's are affected from day one and then assaulted on a regular basis throughout their lifetimes.   I already realize that many will write me off as a crackpot because of this bullet point.  In the famous words of Clark Gable's Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind, Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.
  

• EAT REAL FOOD:  There are things that are rocket science and things are simple.  While it may be tough at times to follow through in practice, the idea that you are what you eat is simple.  And even though few doctors discuss it's importance today (HERE), what could be more important to the health of your child than what you feed them day in and day out?  And please don't tell me that all they'll eat is chocolate cake and Cheetos (HERE).  Two studies, the first from the May 2016 issue of Clinical & Translational Immunology (Dietary Metabolites and the Gut Microbiota: An Alternative Approach to Control Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases), and the second from last July's Immunological Reviews (The Nutrition-Gut Microbiome-Physiology Axis and Allergic Diseases) drove home this message.  "The modern 'Western diet' has changed in recent years...  It is now convincingly clear that diet is one of the most influential lifestyle factors contributing to the rise of inflammatory diseases and autoimmunity in both developed and developing countries."  If you feel you must, read the studies.  But honestly, you already have a pretty good idea of what they say.  The diet I recommend for dealing with chronic health issues?  Unless there are specific reasons you need to be on a KETOGENIC DIET, I almost always recommend something along the lines of PALEO or the myriad of differently-named similar.
  

• GET ADJUSTED:  I can't begin to tell you how many KIDS (AND ADULTS) I've successfully been able to help with asthma via adjustments.  What can I say; it's the power of the nervous and immune systems unleashed!  The problem is that many of you reading this want to live your same self-destructive lifestyles, while getting yourself or your kids adjusted in hopes of "curing" the asthma.  Thanks to our increasingly toxic lifestyles, it doesn't work that way nearly as often as it used to (HERE).
  

While there are any number of others (HERE'S MY CLINIC'S GENERAL PROTOCOL for people dealing with chronic conditions), the foundation is fairly simple and straightforward.  With such a huge percentage of the population struggling with asthma, everyone knows someone, individuals or families, who could benefit from this information.  The easiest way to reach them, along with those you love and care about most, is by liking, sharing, or following on FACEBOOK! 

Because it runs so rampant on the Schierling side of my family, today's post pertains to information that's more than just 'information' --- it hits close to home.  Today I am showing you some recent studies on PARKINSON'S as it relates to GUT HEALTH.  Truthfully, however, I could do the same thing with almost any AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE you choose.  Although many of you know that for decades --- many would argue centuries --- natural healers have been solving all manner of health issues via restoring Gut Health, a study from the October 2017 issue of Medical Hypotheses (The Colon Revisited: The Key to Wellness, Health and Disease) proves just how important this concept really is.  Pay attention because even though the following quote is slightly cherry-picked from the study's abstract (most are for the sake of time and space), it will nonetheless rock your world. 

"The hypothesis being advanced in this paper is that there is a new medical paradigm emerging from the biomedical research carried out in this century...  The main idea is that there is a common pathway from wellbeing and health to chronic disease and even to death, which comprises the following steps:

1) unhealthy diet, sedentary life style and permanent exposition to xenobiotics [chemicals] and all kinds of noxious stimuli
2) intestinal dysbiosis
3) alteration of the intestinal mucus layer (especially that of the colon)
4) disruption of the endothelial tight junctions [3,4, and 5 all pertain to leaky gut / increased intestinal permeability]
5) metabolic endotoxemia+bacterial translocation
6) inflammation
7) exacerbation of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and consequent maladaptation and malfunctioning of the colon
8) epigenetic manifestations
9) premature death.

In order to maintain a good health or to improve or even reverse chronic diseases in a person, the main outcome to look for is a homeostatic balance of the intestinal microbiota (eubiosis), most of which is located in the colon. The following facts about intestinal microbiota are nowadays generally accepted: there are about 10 times more bacteria in the gut than human cells in every human being; the microbioma is about 100-150 times bigger that the human genome, and there is a clear link between intestinal microbiota and many of the most common chronic diseases, from obesity and diabetes to depression and Parkinson disease and different kinds of cancer. The main implication of this theory is that we should become a sort of microbiota farmers, that is, we ought to be more conscious of our intestinal microbiota, take care of it and monitor it permanently. Thus, as part of our good life habits (healthy eating, physical exercise), we should probably undergo periodic seasons of fasting and colon cleansing, as it was common in older times."

"Microbiota farmers"!  Let me paint you a picture of what I looked like after reading this.  I was staring at the screen, with my mouth agape in drop-jawed wonder.  Reading a medical study by five mainstream researchers about the consequences of a LOSS OF GUT HOMEOSTASIS was nothing short of amazing!  I felt vindicated.  Mostly because one short month before this study was published, I gave my readers THIS POST (The Gut / Microbiota / Brain Axis: Most Disease States are Different Manifestations of the Same Underlying Dysfunctions), after coming to similar conclusions myself. 

Here's what's so cool about knowing that most disease has a "common cause".  If underlying causes of all disease states really are this similar, then solutions should likewise be similar.  They are, and it is!  That's why this information is so valuable to you whether you have Parkinson's or Dippsy-Doodleitis --- or for that matter, have not (yet) been diagnosed with any disease.  Whatever you are doing medically / pharmaceutically; you are going to follow a SIMILAR PROTOCOL as far as addressing the DIY side of your chronic illnesses is concerned.  Honestly, if we ended this post here, you would have already gotten way more than your money's worth.  But since we're just getting started, strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.

Let me first show you the early stages of autoimmunity --- the two sides of Gut Dysfunction; LEAKY GUT SYNDROME & DYSBIOSIS.  In the first, the "tight junctions" between the cells that make up the Gut's lining (epithelial barrier) become 'loose,' allowing nasty things into the bloodstream that shouldn't be there (PARASITES, partially digested food fragments, bacteria, FUNGUS, etc, etc).  When this happens the Gut is said to be "leaky," which the medical community refers to as 'intestinal barrier hyper-permeability' or something similar.  The second side of the coin refers to an imbalance in the Gut's natural flora (MICROBIOME), which is known as "Dysbiosis".  Be aware that this is a chicken / egg situation, meaning that either one can occur first, leading to the other.  In May of last year a dozen researchers from Chicago's Rush University Medical Center showed this process in action via a study published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease (The Potential Role of Gut-Derived Inflammation in Multiple System Atrophy).

"Recent evidence suggests that Parkinson's disease is associated with intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, abnormal intestinal permeability, and intestinal inflammation.  This proof-of-concept study provides preliminary evidence that like Parkinson's Disease, Multiple System Atrophy subjects display evidence of disrupted intestinal barrier integrity, increased marker of endotoxin-related [lipopolysaccharide] intestinal inflammation, and pro-inflammatory colonic microbiota."

This is where it's at folks, and is true of almost all Autoimmune Diseases, as well as MSA (Multiple System Atrophy).  What is Multiple System Atrophy you ask?   Characterized by the same tremors, slow movements, rigid muscles, and postural instability as Parkinson's Disease, MSA tends to have more ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) symptoms --- in most cases, those of SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE (click the link for some hints on how to tone down SD), although it can be parasympathetic.  Follow along as I take you through a number of studies, none published earlier than 2017, in no particular order.

In April of last year, twenty Russian researchers published a study (Analysis of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Parkinson's Disease) in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, saying that "The human body is now viewed in the context of its symbiotic relationships to microbiota, an ensemble of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi, and archaea colonizing all body biotopes (skin, gastrointestinal tract, airways,  and urogenital system). Growing evidence appears on the potential role of microbiota in the pathogenesis of human diseases,  in particular nervous system disorders.  Microbiota is as an important part of the body. On one hand, its content is partly stipulated by human genotype and regulated by immune mechanism, on the other, it depends on environmental conditions including nutrition and ecological situation in the habitat."  In English, this means that even though you might carry the genes for who-knows-what, it's the "environment" (habitat, diet, exposure to CHEMICALS and POLLUTANTS, rejection, jealousy, hatred, etc, etc) that turn the genes on and causes them to express various disease states).  This is known as EPIGENETICS and is more important than genetics --- far more important.

In May of last year, the journal Parkonsinism and Related Disorders (Gut Microbiota: Implications in Parkinson's Disease) came to a number of interesting conclusions as well.  Listen to these sentences strung together from throughout the study.  "80% of PD patients suffer from constipation. Additionally, PD constipation is associated with α-synuclein accumulation and neuro-degeneration in the enteric nervous system, with increased local inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal permeability.  The prevalence of H. Pylori infection is high among PD patients and causes motor impairments by hindering the absorption of levodopa, a primary drug for PD management. Similarly, SIBO has been associated with PD too. SIBO affects nearly one-quarter of PD patients and was associated with motor impairments."  OXIDATIVE STRESS is super common in autoimmunity along with GUT INFLAMMATION.  The authors went on to talk about treatment methods, having sections on ANTIBIOTICS, PROBIOTICS, and even my favorite; FMT (FECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANTS).  The problem with antibiotics is that they are arguably the biggest cause of dysbiosis to begin with, and as for probiotics, click the link to see why they are not always what they are cracked up to be.  Interestingly, these authors also linked INFECTIONS other than what I mentioned (H. PYLORI) to PD.  

In November of last year, the European Journal of Neurology (More Than Constipation: Bowel Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease and Their Connection to Gut Microbiota) said that, "The majority of Parkinson's disease patients suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms of which constipation is considered the most prominent. Recently, in addition to constipation, a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was also found to be associated with increased PD risk. Gut microbiota alterations have been reported in IBS and recently also in PD.  Symptoms that were IBS-like were significantly more prevalent in PD patients than in controls."  How much more prevalent?  Almost 100% higher in those with PD.  For the record, IBS is itself an Autoimmune Disease that is strongly associated with both SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and FODMAPS (HERE).

Just a few short months ago, in December of 2017, seventeen researchers published this study (Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuroinflammation in a Model of Parkinson's Disease) in Cell, concerning Parkinson's relationship to a neuronal protein known as α-SYNUCLEIN. 

"Synucleinopathies are characterized by aggregation of the protein α-synuclein (αSyn), often resulting in motor dysfunction as exemplified by Parkinson's disease (PD). Using mice that overexpress αSyn, we report herein that gut microbiota are required for motor deficits, microglia activation, and αSyn pathology. Antibiotic treatment ameliorates, while microbial re-colonization promotes, pathophysiology in adult animals, suggesting postnatal signaling between the gut and the brain modulates disease. Indeed, oral administration of specific microbial metabolites  [short chain fatty acids --- SCFA] to germ-free mice promotes neuroinflammation and motor symptoms. Remarkably, colonization of αSyn-overexpressing mice with microbiota from PD patients enhances physical impairments compared to microbiota transplants from healthy human donors. These findings reveal that gut bacteria regulate movement disorders in mice, and suggest that alterations in the human microbiome represent a risk factor for PD."

The English version: Even in mice that were genetically raised to express high levels of α-synuclein; that alone did not cause the neurological symptoms (motor deficits) seen with Parkinson's until dysbiotic bacteria were added to the equation.  This, folks, is epigenetics in action.  Thus, antibiotics rendered at the correct stage of the disease process improved the situation.  Likewise, colonizing or re-colonizing the Gut with FMT-derived dysbiosis caused symptoms.  Furthermore, when certain SCFA's were introduced to germ-free mice, it was enough to cause symptoms (for the record, SCFA's are not all bad. Some, such as butyrate are the primary food sources for "good" bacteria, having both anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties).  What's amazing (but not surprising if you've followed my posts on FMT) is that when feces from people with Parkinson's was put into the hyper-αSyn mice, the mice developed motor deficits "movement disorders".  And as for microglia activation (brain inflammation), you can read about that HERE.  Bottom line, no matter what other factors might be present, if the right bacteria are not there, the chances of developing Parkinson's decrease dramatically.

Speaking of SCFA's, a study from the November issue of Parkinsonism & Related Disorders (Short Chain Fatty Acids and Gut Microbiota Differ Between Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Age-Matched Controls) showed exactly what I was just talking about.  "Patients with Parkinson's disease frequently have gastrointestinal symptoms and exhibit the PD-typical pathohistology in the enteric nervous system (ENS). Both, clinical symptoms and pathohistological changes in the ENS occur at early stages and can precede the motor manifestations of PD." Did you catch that?  Problems in the Gut's nervous system (the ENS) manifest before the tremors, weakness, and altered gait.  The neurological changes were associated with  "Fecal SCFA concentrations that were significantly reduced in PD patients compared to controls."  In other words, these folk's Gut bacteria were not making enough BUTYRATE. "Our study confirms the recently reported association between PD and the abundance of certain gut microbiota and shows a reduction in fecal SCFA concentrations (one main metabolic product of certain gut bacteria). The reduction in SCFA might, theoretically, induce alterations in the ENS and contribute to gastrointestinal dysmotility in PD."

In November of last year, PLoS One gave us an interesting piece of research from Japan (Progression of Parkinson's Disease is Associated with Gut Dysbiosis: Two-Year Follow-Up Study).  Knowing that microbiomes of those with diseases always show less diversity (fewer microbial species), what would you expect to see over the course of patients living two years with Parkinson's?  "Emergence of intestinal α-synuclein... in presymptomatic PD patients implies that the PD pathology starts from the intestine. We and others indeed reported intestinal dysbiosis in PD patients.   In 2 years, total fecal bacterial count, as well as the counts of 6 out of 10 representative intestinal bacterial groups/genera/species, were decreased in all PD patients."  This should make you start wondering what you could possibly do to increase your number of bacterial species (not just the gross numbers of a few bacterial species as happens with probiotic therapy).

October's issue of Neurology (REM Sleep Behavior Disorder is Related to Enteric Neuropathology in Parkinson Disease) showed why many of you with Parkinson's (or those who might be more prone to developing Parkinson's at some future time) have trouble sleeping.  When it comes to "enteric neuropathology" --- pathology of the Gut's nervous system --- "Patients with PD and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have a greater frequency of synuclein pathology in the enteric nervous system, suggesting that RBD is associated with widespread synuclein neuropathology."  If you recall, Parkinson's is intimately related to issues with α-synuclein.  A year ago this month, Frontiers in Neurology published A STUDY on the well-researched and much-written-about relationship between PD and sleep disturbances.

April's issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design (Gut Permeability and Microbiota in Parkinson's Disease: Role of Depression, Tryptophan Catabolites, Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress and Melatonergic Pathways) covered a wide variety of topics, including the "leaky" Gut and Dysbiosis.  "These wider biological changes in PD are compatible with alterations in gut permeability and changes in gut microbiota."  Although this study was essentially a quest for a new drug, there were interesting facts to be gleaned on both SEROTONIN and MELATONIN as related to PD.  A study from April's issue of the European Journal of Neuroscience showed via its title that a leaky barrier system (what I usually refer to as "THE LEAKIES" --- leaky brain, leaky cord, leaky lung, leaky nerve, etc) is not something that only happens in the Gut (In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of Neurogenesis - The Role of the Blood Brain Barrier in an Experimental Model of Parkinson's Disease).  Still another study, this one from last February's copy of Biomacromolecules (Iron Chelation Nanoparticles with Delayed Saturation as an Effective Therapy for Parkinson Disease) showed how the substantia nigra gets gummed up with iron, and how scientists have come up with a potential CHELATING AGENT to remove it (zwitterionic poly 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine), causing a substantial reduction of PD symptoms. 

November's issue of Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports (Microbes Tickling Your Tummy: The Importance of the Gut-Brain Axis in Parkinson’s Disease) concluded that "Evidence suggests an important role of the gut-brain axis in PD pathogenesis. These interactions might be essentially influenced by the gut microbiota.  Besides the well-known motor deficits, PD patients very often suffer from non-motor symptoms including hyposmia [trouble smelling], anxiety, depression, impaired executive function, and most commonly gastrointestinal dysfunction. Some of these symptoms are very often present in pre-clinical stages, and their occurrence in healthy individuals is associated with an increased risk of developing PD.  PD patients exhibit a pro-inflammatory microbiota profile that might cause and increase in gut permeability, allowing leakage of bacterial products and inflammatory mediators from the intestines [into the systemic circulation]".  It's all there folks.  The question is whether or not people have the ability to change their microbiomes?  Stick around because I'll answer that momentarily.

The March 2017 issue of Cerebrum (Gut Feelings on Parkinson’s and Depression) talked about both the HPA-AXIS as well as the Brain-Gut Axis.  "What we’ve learned is that what is commonly referred to as “the brain-gut-microbiota axis” is a bidirectional system that enables gut microbes to communicate with the brain and the brain to communicate back to the gut. It may be hard to believe that the microbes in the gut collectively weigh around three pounds—the approximate weight of the adult human brain—and contain ten times the number of cells in our bodies and over 100 times as many genes as our genome.  Over the past few years, the gut microbiota has been implicated in developmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, mood disorders such as depression, and even addiction disorders. It now seems strange that for so many decades we viewed the gut microbiota as bacteria that did us no harm but were of little benefit. This erroneous view has been radically transformed into the belief that the gut microbiota is, in effect, a virtual organ of immense importance.  It is conceivable that PD occurs because of toxins produced by the gut microbiota or because of a failure to produce key essential neuronal dopamine specific nutrients, which are required by dopamine producing cells. The microbiota that we initially develop is determined by the mode of birth delivery of the infant (vaginally or by caesarean section), diet, and exposure to antibiotics."   This is why much of the underlying pathogenesis of AUTISM is not really so different than that of PD (click the link and scroll titles to see what I mean).  And as for ALZHEIMER'S and DEPRESSION, we see something similar as well.

A Norwegian study from July's issue of Medical Hypotheses (Parkinson’s Disease; The Hibernating Spore Hypothesis) showed something amazing about BLACK MOLD and other forms of dysbiosis.  "In accordance with Broxmeyer’s [2002] hypothesis and supported by the evaluation above, PD may be due to reactivation of spores, either fungal or bacteria, in the brain – perhaps involving some form of mold, or more likely – endospores from an Actinomycete.  At present, this explanatory model is perhaps the most feasible hypothesis regarding a causative agent in PD."  Actinomycetales are a type of bacteria. For those of you on Dr. Eric's board, it seems that "Crazy Karim" has probably been right all along!

Last month's issue of the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (Gut Microbiota Dysfunction as Reliable Non-invasive Early Diagnostic Biomarkers in the Pathophysiology of Parkinson’s Disease: A Critical Review) showed that we might be getting to the point where early diagnosis of PD via metabolic biomarkers (in this case "calprotectin, alpha-1-antitrypsin and zonulin") might actually be possible.  "Early diagnosis should enable immediate treatment and help protect the neuronal functions, slow disease progression, improve patient’s quality of life and ultimately reduce the overall cost of PD treatment."  Great, but truthfully early diagnosis doesn't mean jack if you don't deal with the underlying epigenetic causes!  Just remember, BIG PHARMA isn't interested in a full-blown cure; they are looking for drugs to manage your problem --- drugs you'll have to take for the rest of your life.  All too often it's how EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE rolls.  Need proof?

Firstly, a collaboration from researchers from across the United States showed in the May 2017 issue of Movement Disorders (Parkinson's Disease and Parkinson's Disease Medications have Distinct Signatures of the Gut Microbiome) that, as the title suggests, "PD is accompanied by dysbiosis of gut microbiome. Results coalesce divergent findings of prior studies, reveal altered abundance of several taxa, nominate functional pathways, and demonstrate independent effects of PD medications on the microbiome."  What's interesting is that DR. ART AYERS was talking about this phenomenon with both nutrients and drugs as related to diseases in general years ago.  And secondly, why might it be better to deal with this problem via microbiome intervention than by pharmaceutical intervention?

A study from the November 2017 issue of Scientific Reports answers this question with their study, Levodopa-Induced Abnormal Involuntary Movements Correlate with Altered Permeability of the Blood-Brain-Barrier in the Basal Ganglia.  "Chronic levodopa treatment leads to the appearance of dyskinesia in the majority of Parkinson’s disease patients."  What is levodopa (usually called L-Dopa)?  It's the drug used to replace the dopamine that is not being made because the substantia nigra portion of the brain's basal ganglia is messed up.  What's critical to remember is that these conclusions were not news when the 1994 issue of Clinical Neuropharmacology (Problems With Long-Term Levodopa Therapy for Parkinson's Disease) made this statement a quarter century ago --- about something they had known about for a quarter century. 

"The introduction of levodopa 25 years ago revolutionized the management of Parkinson's disease. However, it soon became apparent that the drug offered only symptomatic relief and did not affect the underlying pathology. Moreover, chronic use of the drug was associated with a range of adverse effects.  After 5 years the majority of these patients suffer fluctuations, dyskinesias [abnormal, uncontrolled or involuntary movements], toxicity, or loss of efficacy.  As the disease progresses, new disabilities appear that are less responsive to levodopa, and its efficacy can appear to diminish, with increased doses often leading to toxicity."

Look, the point of mentioning this last study is not to pick on those of you struggling with Parkinson's who have taken medication.  PD is the definition of being between a rock and a hard place.  However, what I've shown you today, along with what I've shown you in the past, might leave you able to dent Parkinson's armor just enough so that at the very least, you might be able to get by with less medication.  Let me give THOSE OF YOU struggling not only with PD, but with autoimmunity in general, a small example of what I mean.

Once you understand the strong scientific link between PD and both GLUTEN & SUGAR (blood sugar always fuels dysbiosis --- HERE), you'll start to see why some of my recommendations make sense.  In fact, I know people --- lots of people --- who are kicking the living #$^% out of their autoimmune diseases by following some of the ideas found in THIS POST.  Sure, you might require some personalized / customized FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE, but as far as a starting point that won't cost you anything and won't make things worse, I'm not sure you can do better.  Leverage the information in today's post to start creating your own EXIT STRATEGY, and do it today.

Allow me to finish by making a simple, but important point.  Educate the next generation (your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc) who are likely carrying the same genetic makeup you are.  Use your knowledge of epigenetics to help them start making the necessary changes today as well --- because frankly, things get way tougher once you are diagnosed, no matter how early that diagnosis comes.

What does the typical profile of a person who is more likely to become autoimmune look like?  Although I could provide a fairly accurate model off the top of my head, I ran across an interesting study on the subject called The Autoimmune Ecology that was published in the April 2016 issue of Frontiers in Immunology.  The authors, five researchers from the Autoimmune Diseases Research Center of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Rosario in Bogota, Columbia, gave people an idea of whether or not they are more likely to come down with an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE --- something that affects tens of millions --- some people suggest hundreds of millions of Americans.  Bear in mind that these bullets are all interwoven together to the point where it can at times be difficult to see where one ends and others begin.

• GENETICS / EPIGENETICS:  Everyone knows what genetics are, but what are "epigenetics?"   Contrary to what many of us have been taught, most of us carry a cadre of genes that could potentially lead to all sorts of nasty diseases.  Notice I said potentially.  Thankfully, most of us never express those genes.  In other words, EPIGENETICS is the field of study concerning what factors and exposures are going to flip the genetic switch and make a person start expressing certain diseases --- many of which are autoimmune. "Autoimmune disease is characterized by an immune response against self-antigens. Gene involvement in autoimmune diseases is inarguable with hundreds of risk loci identified for and shared between different diseases. Despite the genetic associations for each distinct autoimmune disease, much of the heritability remains unaccounted for. This establishes that the missing heritability probably reflects the fact that genes do not operate alone, but in the context of the environment leading to the gene–environment interplay."  Again, the vast majority of "genetic" disease processes never manifest themselves until the gene is affected by things such as those found in this list.
  

 

• ENVIRONMENTAL AGENTS:  OMG; this could be absolutely anything.   It could be MEDICATIONS.  It could be ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS.  It could be VARIOUS SORTS OF POLLUTION.  It could be OCCULT INFECTIONS.  And as you'll see momentarily, it could be a crappy diet as well.  And this is just for starters.  Honestly, it's almost a Pandora's Box grab-bag sort of thing.  Here is an example given for a single disease.  "Environmental exposure (i.e., ever smoke, coffee consumption, silicone implants, organic solvents, hair dye, and pesticide exposure) influences the risk of developing lupus."  Everyone associates lupus with autoimmune diseases, but the reality is that lupus is just a microcosm of what's out there.  Besides the above, these authors list "occupational hazards, exposure to industrial and household pollutants, water quality, climate, altitude, air pollution, living conditions, lifestyle, behavior, diet, physical activity, cultural practices, use of addictive substances, etc" among "environmental agents".  BTW, the number one indoor pollutant is having a gas cookstove --- something that those of you with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) should be aware of.
  

 

• MICROBIOTA:  Name me a disease --- any disease --- and you can find studies (plural) linking it to your MICROBIOME in some form or fashion.  This is why GUT HEALTH is everything --- the ultimate force that is either driving or squelching INFLAMMATION.  I once heard DR. ART AYERS say something along the lines that the food we eat is not really feeding us, as much as it is feeding our microbial population (there are ten times the number of bacteria as cells in our body), which in turn feeds us with what we need to thrive and survive.  In other words, figure out what good bacteria like to eat and give them what they want.  One thing for sure is that we already know what specific foods screw them up, feeding the DYSBIOSIS that was caused by the ANTIBIOTICS (or NON-ANTIBIOTOIC DRUGS) included in the first bullet.  "It is noteworthy that microbiota is the first barrier against pathogenic microorganisms.  Any change in microbiota could induce dysbiosis and a pathological event."  I challenge you to find me a recent (5 years or newer) study on autoimmunity that does not deal in some form or fashion with biosis (normal flora) and dysbiosis (abnormal flora).
  

 

• DIET:  While these authors did not include diet on their main list (it was mentioned in this study secondarily several times), we know that "environment" includes diet.  We also know that there are about a jillion studies showing that diet affects one's microbiome (see links in previous bullet).  On top of everything else, it's also been shown that diet is a major way to adversely influence your genetics (epigenetics).  It's why most experts are recommending anti-autoimmune diets be along the lines of PALEO / KETOGENIC (remember Dr. Seaman's rule for controlling inflammation --- EAT VEGETATION OR ANIMALS THAT ATE VEGETATION).  "Finally, diet plays a central role in the homeostasis of the microbiota because it defines which microorganisms can survive in the gut due to differences in the preferences of microorganisms for energy sources. Thus, diet composition is extremely important in microbiota maintenance."
  

 

• TOBACCO:  Because this is such a no-brainer, I am not going to spend much time on it.  Smoking is bad news (even third-hand smoke --- HERE).  This study states, "The association with ADs has also been extensively studied and confirmed based on the direct tissue damage and inflammatory response to tobacco."  And while there is abundant information linking smoking to autoimmunity, the studies on its relationship to smokeless tobacco are fewer in number.   However, we now have a pretty good idea that Buerger’s Disease (Thromboangiitis Obliterans) is both autoimmune and highly related to nicotine. A 1999 study from the International Journal of Immunopharmacology (Smokeless Tobacco and Nicotine Bring about Excessive Cytokine Responses of Murine Memory T-Cells) explained how nicotine from dipping tobacco can cause EXCESSIVE CYTOKINE RESPONSE --- something in a similar vein to what is currently happening with "healthy" people who are dying from flu.
  

 

• ALCOHOL & COFFEE:  "Multiple studies have evaluated the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of ADs, especially regarding rheumatoid arthritis and lupus."  As far as coffee is concerned, be aware that there are studies linking coffee to LEAKY GUT and other health issues, but there are also a lot of studies showing that coffee has some health benefits (I've seen studies showing that it's unfortunately, American's greatest source of ANTIOXIDANTS).  Read today's study (free online) if you are a serious coffee drinker, and make up your own mind.  Be aware that along with corn and other non-gluten GRAINS, coffee is arguably the biggest of the GLUTEN CROSS-REACTORS.

 

• SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS:  This one can be a double-edged sword.  On one hand, socioeconomic status can be good because of the HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS.  On the other hand, it can be bad because of the hygiene hypothesis (many people in today's society end up TOO CLEAN, both inside and out).  "According to this theory, social and environmental exposures have a direct impact on immune tolerance and response, supporting the association between socioeconomic status and autoimmune disease development."  Trying to make sense of this section is not my cup of tea.  Again, if you are curious you can read it yourself.
  

 

• GENDER & SEX HORMONES:  Are you female?  Then you have a far greater chance of developing autoimmunity.  In fact, for some diseases such as lupus, you have as much as ten times greater chance.  "Over 75% of patients with autoimmune diseases are estimated to be women, and hormones are important in regulating the onset, severity, and progression of the disease. In fact, autoimmunity is considered the fourth leading cause of disability for women."  And as far as HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), it also happens to be associated with autoimmune diseases.  "A systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the association between exposure to exogenous sex hormones (estrogens) and lupus, showed a significant association between HRT exposure and increased risk of lupus."  By the way, PCOS is now believed to be autoimmune (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome May Be an Autoimmune Disorder from the May 2016 issue of Scientifica).  One thing to mention here is that we can't be totally surprised with the gender dysphoria from a purely physiological point of view.  Why not?  Because not only is sugar feeding autoimmunity in several ways I've just shown you, but it's also HELPING TURN MEN INTO WOMEN, AND WOMEN INTO MEN.
  

 

• VITAMIN D STATUS:  Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is so critical for so many body functions that I barely know where to begin. Allow me to mention the autoimmune diseases that these authors specifically discussed as associated with low levels of the sunshine vitamin.  MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, Type I (autoimmune) Diabetes, CELIAC DISEASE, LUPUS, AUTOIMMUNE THYROID DISEASE (by most estimates about 90%), Rheumatoid Arthritis and INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (yes, most of it, along with IBS, is now known to be autoimmune as well).  The authors said that "Overall, vitamin D confers an immunosuppressive effect."  In an age where most of our common drugs are immunosuppressive (HERE), you would think that it would make sense to want to "BOOST" the immune system.  Click the link to see why this assertion is usually false, which will explain why Vitamin D is critical to help stop autoimmunity --- a runaway immune system intent on attacking self.  Bear in mind that many of you will require far more Vitamin D than is traditionally recommended.
  

 

• EXPOSURE TO ORGANIC SOLVENTS:  While this is another no-brainer (see my earlier links on pollution and endocrine disruptors), listen to what the authors say.  "Solvents are liquids that dissolve a solid, liquid, or gas.... such as benzene or xylene."  Be aware that BENZENE IS AN ULTRA-COMMON XENOESTROGEN.  "Common uses are dry cleaning, paint thinner, nail polish, nail polish removers, glue solvents, spot removers, detergents, perfumes etc. OSs are capable of altering cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and tissue-specific function. Both the amount and duration of OS exposure are essential in pathology causality. Chronic exposure to OSs might lead to deposits in an organ and consequently to immune infiltration similar to what is observed in ADs. The self-proteins that are modified by OSs may become immunogenic, recognized as foreign and, thus, initiate an inflammatory response and tissue injury."  In other words, exposure to these baddies alters your body's cells (proliferation leads to CANCER and apoptosis refers to pre-programmed cellular death).  Once altered, your body no longer recognizes these cells / tissues as self and begins attacking them as though they were foreign invaders.  Once your body has begun the attack, it will never totally stop the attack, although it can be dramatically tempered / dampened.

 

•  VACCINE EXPOSURE PART I:  VACCINE EXPOSURE?   Huh?  This is a rather amazing assertion by a group of mainstream medical doctors and immunologists (I have previously shown you that these sorts of assertions are rarely published by American researchers -- HERE).  The question now becomes how --- how are vaccines associated with autoimmunity?  Although I have discussed this before (HERE), understanding the HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS provides great examples for grasping this phenomenon.  Oh, and before you read the next section, you need to know what ASIA (Autoimmune / Auto-Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants) is. Bottom line, we are polluting ourselves with neuro- and immuno-toxic ALUMINUM, which is as close to a universal VACCINE ADJUVANT as there is.  "Autoimmunity is a concern for many vaccines.  ASIA entails autoimmune conditions appearing after the exposure to an external stimuli of an adjuvant, including vaccines. In spite of some controversy about the diagnosis and classification criteria of this syndrome, we have observed and discussed patients who developed autoimmune conditions after quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccination".  After specifically mentioning the HPV VACCINE, these authors mention the NARCOLEPSY INCIDENT as an example. 

 

• VACCINE EXPOSURE PART II:  After telling us that there are many mechanisms of vaccine-induced autoimmunity, the authors mentioned one that I talked about the other day concerning flu vaccines --- "cytokine production" (the CYTOKINE STORM).  They then discussed some reasons why this fact (vaccines are associated with autoimmunity) isn't discussed more than it is (I mentioned one in the previous bullet).  Lack of studies / cases ("In fact, in most of the clinical trials evaluating vaccines, a systematic screening for ADs is not performed (i.e., testing for autoantibodies and evaluation of familial autoimmunity)"), the diseases often take years to develop, and one of my favorites --- "bias in data interpretation."   I've shown you an almost unlimited amount of pharmaceutical bias (HERE), making it tough to argue that the problem is improving.  "On the other hand, in patients with autoimmune diseases receiving immunosuppressive therapy [see earlier link on immunosuppression], vaccinations are often not offered or provided for a variety of reasons, including the fear of complications or vaccine-related illnesses, a concern for disease flare or reactivation, a perceived lack of effectiveness, or a misunderstanding of current vaccine guidelines. Patients with ADs often show decreased immune responsiveness, which in turn would make them vulnerable to infection given their underlying disease and frequent use of immunosuppressive drugs."  This is why those of you with autoimmune diseases should seriously contemplate whether or not certain vaccines (ESPECIALLY FLU VACCINES) are in your best interest.
  

There you have it folks, straight from the horses mouths.  And if you've followed my site, none of it is a surprise.  The question now becomes, what can be done to reverse autoimmunity, or better yet, prevent it?  As I showed you earlier, in many cases it's very possible to slow it's progression to a crawl (HERE and HERE are two examples).  What's nice is that I've given you (that would be "given" as in completely free of charge) a generic protocol to start helping take your life back (HERE).  Why is this good to know?  Because, as these authors indicated in the first few lines of this post, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES SHARE COMMON / UNIVERSAL TRAITS.   If you have loved ones who desperately need to see this information, get it in front of them with FACEBOOK (like, share, follow, or just PM them with a link).

Rosacea.  It's the cherry-red and often times pimply cheeks / nose / forehead / chin, which, according to the National Rosacea Society, affects over 16 million Americans (although some studies put that estimate at almost double that).  But what is Rosacea?  Despite the fact that there is a great deal of speculation as to what causes it (we'll get to that in a moment), the redness and ACNE is at least partially the result of tiny blood vessels on the surface that have dilated.  And even though my pics are all of men, not surprisingly, women are much more likely to be affected. One hint as to what causes Rosacea is how it is frequently treated --- with antibiotics.  Allow me to explain.

Depending on the individual, Rosacea can be triggered by everything from sunlight, to heat, to cold, to certain foods or drinks (alcohol, for instance, is frequently associated with the big red roasceatic nose otherwise known as rhinophyma), to the mites that cause mange, to ENDOCRINE ISSUES, to ROS (free radicals), etc, etc, etc.  However, there are numerous studies associating VARIOUS KINDS OF DYSBIOSIS with Rosacea, one of the most common being something known as SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), which is itself intimately related to IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome -- recently discovered to be an autoimmune disease).

For instance, back in 2010, the June issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Increased Incidence of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth During Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy) showed that among the several hundred patients studied, "SIBO was detected in 50% of patients using PPIs, 24.5% of patients with IBS, and 6% of healthy control subjects."  I've previously shown you not only how bad PPI'S are for both overall and GUT HEALTH, but I've shown you that because they weaken one of the body's first defenses against microbial invaders (strong stomach acid --- see next link), they are heavily associated with H. PYLORI as well. In fact, listen to the conclusions of a study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology (Extra-Intestinal Manifestations of Helicobacter Pylori: A Concise Review).

"Those of Northern European and Celtic origins appear to be at highest risk of rosacea. It is estimated that the prevalence of rosacea is 1%-10% in fair-skinned populations. Generally, adults over the age of 30 are affected and occurs more often in females.  It is thought that inflammation plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Inflammatory mediators from an altered innate immune response leading to generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as nitric oxide appear to be part of the mechanisms of disease.  Current evidence most supports extraintestinal manifestations with H. pylori in immune thrombo-cytopenic purpura, iron deficiency anemia, urticaria, Parkinson’s, migraines, and rosacea."

Although there are a number of bacteria that pop up as potential culprits, research keeps pointing to H. Pylori as the chief pathogen in developing Rosacea.  A three month old study from Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (Rosacea and Helicobacter Pylori: Links and Risks) essentially confirmed this by concluding, "Microorganisms have been addressed in a variety of studies as pathogenic factors. Mite-related bacteria, staphylococcus epidermidis, chlamydia pneumonia, bacterial toxins, and antimicrobial peptide."  Which brings me to another issue we need to address; what are antimicrobial peptides. 

Antimicrobial peptides are simply proteins that have antibiotic properties (MOST PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS DO AS WELL).  While this can be a good thing in the case of peptides, if these proteins get out of balance in your body, they cause dysbiosis.  A great example is found in a study from a decade old issue of Nature Medicine (Increased Serine Protease Activity and Cathelicidin Promotes Skin Inflammation in Rosacea).  In this study it was noted that, "Acne rosacea is an inflammatory skin disease that affects 3% of the US population over 30 years of age and is characterized by... the release of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides. Here we show that individuals with rosacea express abnormally high levels of cathelicidin in their facial skin and that the proteolytically processed forms of cathelicidin peptides found in rosacea are different from those present in normal individuals."

What studies have repeatedly shown is that individuals with rosacea, SIBO, IBS, and other gut-related problems have something in common as far as treatment is concerned ---- antibiotic therapy frequently resolves their problem.  In fact, I addressed this in my last post on FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplants).  The problem is that while antibiotics might be viable for the short term (as long as you are serious about following up with a Gut Health Restorative Protocol --- HERE); over the long haul, if there are no lifestyle changes made, the ANTIBIOTICS WILL MAKE PEOPLE WORSE!  100% of the time. Why?  Because when you take antibiotics, you destroy the bacteria that live in your Gut (there's no way around it).  This means that you are destroying as much as 80% of your immune system (HERE).  Speaking of immune systems, let's briefly look at a study that got a lot of play in the press last year as far as connecting the dots concerning the Rosacea / immune system relationship.

A group of Danish researchers looked at the link between Rosacea and a number of CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DEGENERATIVE and AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES in over 40,000 patients, almost 2/3 of which were women.  What did they find?  According to results published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (Clustering of Autoimmune Diseases in Patients with Rosacea), "Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin condition that shares genetic risk loci with autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.  Rosacea is associated with type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, in women."  Having Rosacea doubled the chances of these autoimmune diseases (CELIAC, RA, MS, and T1D). 

Besides dealing with underlying INFLAMMATION by addressing Gut Health issues (see earlier links), one interesting Rosacea treatment that I saw come up in the research literature a number of times was LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY.  For instance, September's issue of the International Journal of Women's Dermatology (Laser Treatment of Medical Skin Disease in Women) revealed that, "There are four types of rosacea: erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous, and ocular. Patients may have one or any combination of these types.  In the arsenal of treatment for dermatologists, lasers offer a safe and efficacious way to treat some forms of rosacea."  There were any number of similar studies specifically touting laser treatment of Rosacea.

Bottom line; you need to deal with Rosacea like you would deal with any number of other health-related issues --- including autoimmune and inflammatory issues.  Firstly, remove the triggers that drive the inflammation.  Although there are potentially a slew of them; knowing about the intimate relationship between GRAINS and autoimmunity immediately brings gluten to mind (HERE).  Secondly, address the lesions themselves with a laser (this is an arena where whoever treats you will have to be very careful around the eyes).  While Laser Therapy will not likely solve the long-term underlying causes of the Rosacea, it will likely allow for rapid improvement in its appearance --- a huge morale booster since this disease affects the face.  Thirdly, get with the program as far as Gut Health is concerned (and take a closer look at the relationship between GUT HEALTH AND SKIN).  Also, it's important to be aware that dysbiosis is almost always associated with some form of "THE LEAKIES". 

Pandas are kind of like Polar Bears --- all cute and cuddly when you see them in Hollywood movies or TV commercials.  But when push comes to shove, never forget they're still bears, and not necessarily the adorable creatures they've been made out to be (HERE or HERE).  The same is true of another kind of PANDAS --- this one known as Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Strep.  How common are PANDAS?  According to the PANDAS Network, "PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) occurs when strep triggers a misdirected immune response results in inflammation on a child’s brain. In turn, the child quickly begins to exhibit life-changing symptoms such as OCD, anxiety, tics, personality changes, decline in math and handwriting abilities, sensory sensitivities, restrictive eating, and more.  PANDAS Network estimates that PANDAS/PANS affects as many as 1 in 200 children." The disorder is the result of an over-wound immune system attacking the part of the brain known as the Basal Ganglia instead of confining it's attack to the strep (experts know this because they consistently find auto-antibodies against the BG).

No matter how you slice it, one in two hundred is a lot of children!   Be aware, however, that most doctors are totally unfamiliar with PANDAS, and of those who are, many are deniers and don't believe it really exists.  Take for instance the article from the March 22 issue of UnDark by Katie Rose Quandt (A Rare Disease? Or No Disease at All?).  Although the title alone tells the story, suffice it to say that this issue of PANDAS is similar to the way that LEAKY GUT SYNDROME and NON-CELIAC GLUTEN SENSITIVITY used to be --- full of medical deniers.  That is, until the amount of scientific research became overwhelmingly impossible to ignore.

Two decades ago, a psychiatrist named Susan Swedo, along with a group of a dozen other physicians and researchers, published a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry called Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infections: Clinical Description of the First 50 Cases, in which they discussed case reports of children they had been following, some since the late 1980's.  But according to the pinnacle of truth, Wikipedia, "prospective longitudinal studies have not produced conclusive results."  That is until a few months ago.  This summer, JAMA Psychiatry published a study by a team in Denmark (Association of Streptococcal Throat Infection With Mental Disorders Testing Key Aspects of the PANDAS Hypothesis in a Nationwide Study) that looked at incidence of PANDAS following childhood "sore throats".

In recent years, an increasing body of evidence has pointed toward a critical role of the immune system and infections in the development of mental disorders.  However, the PANDAS hypothesis remains controversial, and most prior studies are small and have methodological shortcomings. We investigated the risk of any mental disorders, with particular focus on OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and tic disorders, in children exposed to streptococcal throat infection in the largest population-based cohort study to date, using the nationwide Danish registers.  The study population consisted of all 1,067,743 individuals born in Denmark between 1996 and 2013, and followed for up to 17 years, corresponding to 7.9 million person-years at risk.  Persons with a positive streptococcal test result had an 18% higher risk of any mental disorder, a 51% higher risk of OCD, and a 35% higher risk of tic disorders...  Full adjustment did not change the associations. The relative risk of OCD and tic disorders was higher than the risk of any mental disorder. Stratified analyses for the remaining diagnostic codes included in the category of any mental disorder showed that after a positive streptococcal test result, the risk was most elevated for disorders of adult personality and behavior and mood disorders.

Why do I bring this all up?  It's certainly not because I think you need to run out and get more ANTIBIOTICS than most of you are already taking, whether for yourself or your children.  Antibiotics destroy GUT HEALTH / MICROBIOME and are themselves heavily linked to AUTOIMMUNITY simply due to the fact that 80% of your immune system lives in the Gut -- HERE).  By the way, this is not simply my opinion, but the opinion of a physician widely considered one of the leading pediatricians in American history, Dr. Robert Mendelsohn (HERE).  The chief reason I want you to understand today's post is to better understand that infections have the ability to mess people up in ways that you've never heard of before --- a topic I've written about numerous times in the past (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, and is likewise true of DYSBIOSIS in general).  This certainly makes sense in light of something intimately related to PANDAS knows as PANS.  In an article for the International OCD Foundation (What is PANS?), the authors let us know that.....

Newer research has shown that Strep is not the only infection that can cause these sudden-onset symptoms. In a condition known as Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS), similar OCD symptoms are observed following an infection, such as mycoplasma, mononucleosis, Lyme disease, and even the H1N1 flu virus.

So the question now becomes, what can be done to reverse, or better yet prevent, PANS or PANDAS?  The first thing is to know what to look for.  Our own government (the NIH) says of PANDAS, "The symptoms are usually dramatic, happen overnight and out of the blue, and can include motor and/or vocal tics, obsessions, and/or compulsions. In addition to these symptoms, children may also become moody or irritable, experience anxiety attacks, or show concerns about separating from parents or loved ones."  As far as medical treatment is concerned, Dr. Swedo and others published official government treatment guidelines in a recent issue of the Journal of Childhood and Adolescent Psychopharmacology (HERE).

My best advice is to avoid infections in the first place.  And if you do get an infection of some sort (it's inevitable), not to allow the immune system to get carried away.  What do I mean by this?  Things that OVER-HYPE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM tend to be the things that cause AUTOIMMUNITY.  You want a properly-functioning immune system, not a "Super-Charged" immune system (HERE).

What tends to ramp up immune systems in the age group of children who end up with this problem (80% come down with it by age 10 and the rest by age 13)?  How about something that our kids are massively exposed to on a regular basis --- ALUMINUM IN THE FORM OF ADJUVANTS (the sole reason it's in every vaccine you or your kids take is to create inflammation / neuro-inflammation so that the vaccines work "better" by making your immune system work "harder").  MERCURY is also a potential culprit.  And as for infections, never forget that the food of choice for most (the very same thing is true of cancer as well --- HERE) just happens to be sugar or high glycemic-index carbs (HERE).  And this doesn't even begin to get into the realm of other forms of toxicity (HERE) or potentially neurologically reactive foods such as GLUTEN.  And unfortunately, our children are NOT ONLY USUALLY TOO CLEAN, but are being saturated in this crap, in most cases from the day they are born.

Although I don't claim to be an expert on PANDAS or PANS, I created a general protocol for helping people return to health that would at least bear looking at.  Nope; I didn't say it was going to be your cure; your panacea; your magic bullet (you will probably not be able to completely avoid medical treatment of some kind with an occult bacterial infection).  However, once you begin to understand the importance of controlling inflammation (thereby toning down the body's autoimmune responses), THIS PROTOCOL will start to make more sense for any number of problems you or your family may be struggling with.  And if you are wondering about PANDAS link to AUTISM, click the link and start reading.

"The fascia is a sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, that separates muscle tissue. Inflammation in the fascia can be an important part of the disease in patients with dermatomyositis."  From the Myositis Association's article from earlier this summer, Dealing with the Constant Hum of Pain.  The article is essentially the transcript of a Q & A with Dr. Wael Jarjour, associate professor and director of the division of rheumatology and immunology at Ohio State University. His research is focused on autoimmunity, and his clinical practice focuses specifically on systemic autoimmune disorders.

I wouldn't even begin to guess on the number of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES that we know about (HERE is a list of some of some of the more well-known of the lot).  The thing that's scary, however, is the virtually endless list of Autoimmune Diseases that don't know about because they do not have names or ways to test for them.  In other words, no one has figured out what the auto-antigen is (the tissue, cell, protein, enzyme, organ, gland, hormone, etc, that the body is attacking).  A major problem with this scenario is that known or unknown, once you have one autoimmune disease you are likely to end up with several, as they tend to travel in packs like wolves.  As I've told you before, this is not the result of faulty tissues or organs (THYROID for instance), but due to a faulty immune system --- an immune system that "decides" to attack self.

What causes the body to start attacking itself?  In other words, what drives autoimmunity?  That's easy; the same thing that drives most health-related problems --- INFLAMMATION.  The problem is that there are about a million things that can drive inflammation.  And here's the kicker.  While said inflammation can certainly cause autoimmunity, it doesn't end there.  Inflammation always leads to SCAR TISSUE or FIBROSIS, and fibrosis always leads not only to degeneration (HERE), but is the very thing that kills the majority of Americans (HERE and HERE).  

Although there are almost an unlimited number of these unnamed autoimmune, there are some named autoimmune diseases that are intimately associated with FASCIA.  The one that comes immediately to mind is one that my sister had called Scleroderma that SHE TOOK CARE OF IT NATURALLY.  Sclero = scar tissue, and Derma = skin.  Some of the biggest names in fascia research (Schleip, Findley, Chaitow, and Huijing) discussed the relationship between fascia and autoimmunity as related to scleroderma in 2012's 550 page behemoth, Fascia, The Tensional Network of the Human Body.

Because slceroderma is characterized by a thickening of the skin, it affects fascia (see how the fascia is related to the skin HERE).  As you can imagine, this not only causes a host of problems, but in some cases can actually attack and thicken organs as well.  In scleroderma, inflammation causes the skin to become "LEAKY," which leads to more inflammation, eventually causing significant dysregulation of FIBROBLASTS.  Scleroderma is also related to MCTD (Mixed Connective Tissue Disease), which has characteristics of it, as well as of lupus, MYOSITIS, and RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (and sometimes Sjögren Syndrome, which causes  dry eyes, dry mouth, CHRONIC FATIGUE and joint pain, as well as problems with organs, blood vessels, and the central nervous system).  Speaking of RA...

The brilliant HELENE LANGEVIN wrote an article for The Rheumatologist (What Role Does Fascia Play in Rheumatic Diseases?) in which she essentially asked why fascia is being ignored in rheumatic diseases even though it, "should fall squarely within the purview of rheumatology."  Instead, she said that the tissue is, "barely mentioned".  She went on to say (I'm cherry-picking)......

"Can pain come from fascia?  fasciae are substantially innervated, and there are sensory receptors within fascia that respond to mechanical and chemical stimuli. Furthermore, the receptive fields of these sensory neurons enlarge in the presence of inflammation, supporting the potential role of fascia as a 'pain generator.'"

Dr. Langevin went on to discuss the pathological "thickening" of fascia that's most commonly seen in the THORACOLUMBAR FASCIA of in people with chronic low back pain.  She then asked whether or not it would be possible that, "inflammation may also be present in fasciae? Could fascia involvement in rheumatoid arthritis contribute to pain and the diffuse 'morning stiffness,' even before overt joint pathology has occurred?"  She cites two studies as proof that this is likely then talks about the importance of STRETCHING (a standard component of MECHANORECEPTIVE REHABILITATION).  And finally, after talking about fascia's relationship to the immune system, she says, "If this is true, body movements (change in position, exercise, stretching) could play an important role in immune surveillance mechanisms and possibly in autoimmunity."  Speaking of autoimmunity as related to fascia, listen to what professor, author, researcher, and physician, Rula A. Hajj-ali of the Cleveland Clinic said in the Merck Manual --- the world's oldest and best-selling medical textbook since 1899.

After talking about connective tissues in terms of LIGAMENTS, TENDONS, and others (not shockingly he left out fascia), he stated, "In autoimmune disorders, inflammation and the immune response may result in connective tissue damage, not only in and around joints but also in other tissues, including vital organs."  Why would this be?  Why would this doctor mention things like heart problems, kidney problems, or lung problems as associated with autoimmune connective tissue issues and joint pain?  Only because virtually all of your body's tissues and organs (not to mention joints) are wrapped in fascia!  This fascia goes by dozens of different names (usually according to where its found), but are all composed of essentially the same 'stuff'.

Although this next study pertains to DUPUYTREN'S CONTRACTURE of the palmar surface of the hand, the sequence of metabolic pathology leading to the thickening and contracture will be similar in all autoimmune issues (numerous studies have characterized DC as an autoimmune disease).  Last July's issue of Current Molecular Biology Reports (Connective Tissue Degeneration: Mechanisms of Palmar Fascia Degeneration) revealed that, "The early phases of the wound healing response are dependent on inflammation and fibrogenesis, recruitment of platelets, immune cell and fibroblast invasion, pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts and fibrin clot formation. If the damaging stimuli are repetitive, this will lead to persistent inflammation; higher levels of interleukins, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and pro-fibrogenic transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) [all in the family of inflammation] and therefore scarring.  Although acute tissue injury is resolved completely, repetitive chronic injury, the addition of other factors such as age or diabetes or chronic inflammation have the potential to interfere with the correct remodeling of tissue and are contributing factors to persistent scarring.  Mast cells [they release histamine, another inflammatory mediator] could also be involved in the inflammatory response leading to the development of fibrosis."  Bottom line, while ACTIVATION OF FIBROBLASTIC ACTIVITY is typically a good thing, when these processes turn pathological, too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing --- potentially a very bad thing.

Here's one that will knock your socks off.  Dr Langevin (an endocrinologist and neurologist) just showed us that fascia is essentially an immune system organ (something I've talked a bit about HERE).  As far as the immune system goes, we already know that something like 70 or 80 percent of it is found in the Gut (HERE).  An article called The IBS/SIBO-Psoas Connection and Why It’s Important for Highly Sensitive People calls this relationship into play.   As you read this, you need to be aware that the vast majority --- some studies say 85% --- of THOSE WITH SIBO HAVE IBS (the former is believed by many to be autoimmune, while the later is known to be autoimmune), and both are intimately related to a host of other autoimmune diseases.  The author simply connected the dots (quotes below are cherry-picked).  Side Note:  You will see how important this relationship really is when you see my next post on the relationship between inflammation and SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE.

"The psoas bridges the belly's enteric brain, central, and autonomic nervous systems. The large nerve ganglion located within the belly core going to the digestive and reproductive organs passes over, embeds into, and through the psoas.  When looking at issues in the gut, including IBS/SIBO, I think the psoas may be a big contributor.  When fascia is unhealthy, largely due to inflammation or injury, it becomes sticky and can form adhesions.  Many sources cause the inflammation that leads to adhesions, the most obvious being direct injury or trauma. Other factors include infection, repetitive movement, poor diet, toxins, poor posture and emotional stress. Because fascia provides the atmosphere through which nerve interactions happen, it responds to stress and tension. Additionally, during an injury, it’s common for fascia to constrict around the injury in order to provide structured protection, tightening the whole fascial system and potentially causing pain and discomfort in an area of the body not associated with the injury.  The enteric nervous system functions without us thinking about it, but requires communication between this system and the CNS through sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers connecting the two. Through these links, the two systems can speak to each other.  Generally, sympathetic stimulation (usually a stress response, indicating activity) inhibits gastrointestinal secretions and causes the digestive tract to constrict or close down. Parasympathetic stimuli (our “rest and digest” system) stimulates digestive activities."

The bottom line is that yes, I believe that fascia can be affected by autoimmunity.  In fact, I believe that it's not terribly uncommon to see it attacked, whether via some of the known entities we discussed at the beginning of the post, or by inflammation induced by the unknown entities I touched on as well.  I get slews of emails from people wondering if I can help them with _________ (insert problem here), many of which are various sorts of PAIN SYNDROMES.  The things I am more likely to be able to help tend to be rather straightforward. For example, Mary gets in a car wreck, develops restriction, CHRONIC NECK PAIN (and probably HEADACHES), and contacts me to see if I think I can help.  Probably so, and the cool thing is that she'll know in a single visit (HERE or HERE).

However, when people contact me with scenarios that look like THIS ONE --- pain all over the place, and a wide array of problems (like some of THESE) --- the odds that I can solve your problem without dramatic FM INTERVENTION shrink dramatically.  The beautiful thing is that you can help yourself (I have provided a generic protocol HERE).

My rule of thumb (which is not always hard and fast) is that when people have known autoimmune diseases and/or pain that is both above and below the waist and on both sides of the body, I start thinking systemic issues such as autoimmunity (SYSTEMIC FASCIAL ADHESIONS among others).  If this is the case, underlying drivers of inflammation must be addressed before TISSUE REMODELING is really going to help.  Once you realize that there are those who believe that problems with fascia are the root of all sickness, disease, and pain, this post starts to make even more sense (HERE).  If you know anyone who needs to see this material, be sure and get it in front of them by emailing them a link of showing us some love on FACEBOOK.

What is Ankylosing Spondylitis?   Ankylosis is essentially a FIBROTIC or bony adhesion, usually related to INFLAMMATION, of the soft tissues that make up a joint, or of the bony joint itself.  Bone spurs, calcium deposits, and thinning joints are examples of degenerative ankylosis that are part of degenerative arthritis (OSTEOARTHRITIS).  With AS, the joints spaces don't so much thin as they calcify.   Speaking of "degenerative," that's exactly what the word Spondylosis means in relationship to the vertebral column (Spondylitis is degeneration / inflammation of the spinal column).  Thus, Ankylosing Spondylitis is an inflammatory degeneration of the bones and soft tissues that make up the spine (it this way it is somewhat similar to RA), leading to degeneration and extreme calcification.  This calcification not only encompasses the spinal discs, but in some cases looks on X-ray like someone poured plaster down the spine, with copious (mega) amounts of calcification, essentially fusing the vertebrae together.

I am talking today about Ankylosing Spondylitis simply because of the story by Margaret Jaworski (Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds Educates People About Ankylosing Spondylitis) in the recent issue of Practical Pain Management.  Not knowing anything about Imagine Dragons (when it comes to music, I'm definitely stuck in a TIME WARP), I realized I had heard at least one of their songs on the radio while in the car with my older kids. 

One of the things that is specific to Ankylosing Spondylitis is that it is linked to several other forms of Systemic Arthritis via the HLA-B27 gene.  The thing I remember from school about this gene is the mnemonic PAIR (Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Reiters Syndrome).  Like virtually all other similar "genetic" diseases, we find that EPIGENETICS actually plays a much bigger role than genetics.  For instance, even though a quarter of the population of northern Scandinavia are said to be carriers of the HLA-B27 gene, less than 2% actually have AS.  This is a big deal because it means that the simple fact of carrying "bad" genes does not necessarily condemn you to the disease.  Follow along as I provide a few suggestions to those dealing with Ankylosing Spondylitis that go beyond merely covering symptoms, but might actually bring about a remission.  Why getting started right away important?  The author states.

"Early diagnosis and treatment are important to help slow disease progression, which may lead to irreversible autofusing of the spine’s vertebral bodies and joints.   Often, the first symptom of AS is sacroiliitis, or inflammation of one or both of the sacroiliac joints. This inflammation can cause diffuse back pain and/or buttock pain that radiates into the thigh. However, those with AS may have other manifestations, including knee pain, dactylitis, plantar fasciitis, heel pain (especially in the morning), Achilles tendon pain, and uveitis."

• GENETIC TESTING: Genetic Testing continues to get both better and cheaper.  Unfortunately, research has shown that the majority of people who have genetic testing done don't really do anything about it (I have the peer review on this but couldn't find my link).  The point is not merely to tell you that yes, you carry a gene that can lead to a certain disease.  It's to get you motivated to act and head as many bad things off at the pass as is humanly possible.  Furthermore, genetic testing can provide lots of information about various metabolic abnormalities.  For instance, if you happen to carry the MTHFR Mutation, you will have trouble converting the B-VITAMIN folic acid to its usable form (folate), trouble with PHASE II DETOX, and trouble converting homocystine into methionine, which is needed to make GLUTATHIONE -- the body's premier antioxidant.  Because we are learning more and more that you are not as condemned by most genetic mutations as we have historically been led to believe, knowing information like this can prove invaluable as far as proper supplementation is concerned (see links).

 

• GUT HEALTH:  The authors of this article show that GUT HEALTH (or more correctly, lack of it) is a probable epigenetic trigger.  "There’s also some indication that a bacterial infection or imbalance in the gut may trigger the autoimmune response of AS in those with a genetic predisposition."  If you want to see what "bacterial triggers" look like, look no farther than our many posts on DYSBIOSIS or ROOT CANALS.   This is why FMT is something I would absolutely recommend Dan or anyone else in his situation take a look at.  Speaking of FMT...

 

• FECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANT:  The new frontier in healthcare is the old frontier --- the Gut.  Natural healers have been talking about healing disease by healing the Gut for just about as long as we have written history.  FMT is critical in this aspect, simply because no matter what your doctor tells you, when it comes to nasty things like AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES (HERE is a list of some of the more common), simply taking probiotics isn't going to get er done (HERE) as far as Git Health is concerned.  Once you realize that Reynolds also has Ulcerative Colitis (he was diagnosed two years prior to AS), this issue becomes that much more glaring.

 

• DIET IS CRITICAL:  The author states, "Dan Reynolds is feeling good.  Right now, Reynolds is in the “healthiest place he’s been in a long time,” he said. He been off medication for over a year and hasn’t had a major flare-up in months.  In the past, he has needed to take a biologic medication to control the inflammation and pain. Since his diagnosis and treatment, he’s gone into remission a couple of times. In fact, he’s now in remission. But AS is unpredictable, he said. “Next year might be a bad year for me. I may have to go back on the biologics.  His diet isn’t particularly restrictive. He eats in moderation. He doesn’t drink alcohol and has “pretty much eliminated sugar,” he says, though he allows himself a cheat day now and then."  Although they are frequently a miracle drug, biologics certainly have their dark side. These drugs (they almost all end in "mab") block INFLAMMATION (IL-6, TNF-α, and others).  Because AS affects the way that antigens interact with T-CELLS, and because these biologics are another in a long line of IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPRESSORS, it might be interesting to learn what can be done to control this problem via diet.  Because sugar is massively inflammatory (HERE), cutting it out is definitely a good starting point. However, when we start talking IBD and AS --- both potentially crippling autoimmune diseases --- diet must go further.  For instance, are you aware of the link between Gluten and Autoimmunity (HERE).  Also, take a look at my numerous posts on PALEO to see why I feel it provides the best chance of diminishing inflammation while providing ample amounts of quality protein needed for repair, along with plenty of healthy SATURATED FATS for the proper function and repair of the nervous system.  Although the article talked quite a bit about the exercise program Reynolds is using, my opinion is that while important, diet is that much more so.

 

• FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE:  The things listed above are just for starters.  What's really cool is that if you look around, you can find a good FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST (maybe one who happens to be a FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGIST as well).  And for those of you who are wanting to go this route but feel you can't afford it since most of these protocols are not covered by insurance, HERE you go.

 

• OTHERS:  The truth is, there are almost an endless number of things that could potentially provide not only relief, but actually aid in the healing / remission process.  If money is no object (Reynold's case), invest in the best LOW LEVEL LASER you can lay your hands on.  I would also suggest that you make yourself aware of potential triggers.  People with Autoimmune Diseases are warned to get their shots (HERE for instance) because their immune systems are so "weak". Believe me when I tell you that vaccinations and MEDICATIONS OF ALMOST EVERY KIND (or HERE) are not strengthening the immune system and are not doing one's Gut any favors. Truthfully, the list of potential aids to healing are almost unlimited; particularly as various forms of ENERGY MEDICINE continue to gain mainstream traction.  As for CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS, I have treated many patients over the years who have Ankylosing Spondylitis.  Most of these folks do quite will if you change your technique a bit and don't try to forcefully "crack" their spine --- particularly if the disease has progressed very much.

This post was not aimed at Dan Reynolds in any way, shape, or form.  The article from PPM simply provided a ready platform to address yet another Autoimmune Disease to my readers.  It's an important topic because we know that a huge segment of the population (between a third and half) has at least one Autoimmune Disease, dramatically increasing their chances of developing others.  Furthermore, the starting point for dealing with most of these is essentially the same.  If you are interested in looking at similar CASE HISTORIES concerning Autoimmunity and CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DEGENERATIVE DISEASES, simply click the link and start reading.

Sometimes I take CASE HISTORIES that people send me and discuss them via a blog post where everyone can see.

Oh dear God, PLEASE help me with my right hip pain. It stated aged 19 and I'm 39. I don't take pain killers for it and never have. It's enough to drive anyone crazy. I don't complain about it but anyone else I know would at least have gone to their GP and would be whining about it non-stop. I just get on with it. I've been to so many physios (and one GP). I even went to a sports medicine physician (who sent me to a physio).

It starred when I got glandular fever.  At the time I had anterior thigh pain and a very very very very tight IT band with it.  I then developed foot drop and urinary incontinence. I was sent to a neurologist and waited over a year for a T-L MRI.  I've never had a hip x-ray, and as I dislike the amount of radiation, no one has scanned me.

I have muscle wasting down my whole medial right leg. At the time and for years I had fasiculation right up to my right eye.  My right toe still catches on the ground.  The pain back then and for ages also went to my knee and the sole of my right foot and right great toe.  My hip is tender always. I have not the same strength in my right-sided glutes as left.

I also had pain from the middle of my back across my right scapula, under my arm in to my elbow and right wrist then.  I also had intense pain where you would describe the gallbladder to be.  I've tried everything (so far have declined steroids or surgery).  I can't externally rotate or abduct.  I can't do yoga. Sitting, standing, walking, running, and high heels hurt.  I can't even sit in the yoga position.  I finally have to admit that I have chronic pain.

Up until that time I played sport for my country, and enjoyed immense immense immense fitness, and intense success in sport. It was easy for me. At club level, the coach used to run me extra / separately and had me training with him. And he was at his peak fitness.  I was ridiculously fast and had ridiculous stamina and flexibility. It feels like my life changed overnight. I remember no injury.

Now I'm lethargic and overweight with a sugar addiction. A shadow of the athlete that I was.  Truth is I am now finally admitting.... this has made me depressed.  Thank you for any help you can give!  Jane.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🌻  


Hello Jane. 

Let's start at the beginning.  Glandular Fever is the Aussie's name for mononucleosis (Mono), which is most often caused by either the Epstein Barr Virus (Herpes Virus 4) or Cytomegalovirus (Herpes Virus 5).  If you spend any amount of time looking at message boards or talking to people in FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE, you'll find that while these two infections are usually self-limiting, they have the potential to do some crazy things and cause some ugly problems --- problems that are not well understood inside the mainstream medical community.

Part of the reason for this is that all herpes virus have the ability to lay dormant for decades, raising their ugly heads when given an opportunity (some sort of IMMUNE SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION).  You can see this with things like cold sores, HPV, SHINGLES, etc.  The other thing about these two virus is that they are both associated with Guillain Barre Syndrome.  According to Wikipedia....

Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system. The initial symptoms are typically changes in sensation or pain along with muscle weakness, beginning in the feet and hands. This often spreads to the arms and upper body with both sides being involved. The symptoms develop over hours to a few weeks.  Some are affected by changes in the function of the autonomic nervous system, which can lead to dangerous abnormalities in heart rate and blood pressure. The cause is unknown. The underlying mechanism involves an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves and damages their myelin insulation. Sometimes this immune dysfunction is triggered by an infection or, less commonly, surgery or vaccination.

Simply do a Google search of "Epstein Barr, Cytomegalovirus, Guillain Barre Syndrome" and look at the freaky amount of freaky information that comes up --- some of it brand new and some of it fifty years old --- much of it from the peer-reviewed literature.  In other words, this connection is not a reach and it's not anything new.  Honestly, GBS is a simple diagnosis to make, so I doubt that you actually had GBS. However, you most assuredly had something along those same lines --- something in the same family (there are many many neurological reactions and autoimmune issues that are unnamed --- can anyone say MUPS?).  This tells us that you are not dealing with just a simple hip issue.

This stuff may affected your left brain / right cerebellum on some level, and undoubtedly attacked your lumbar plexus.  You have radicular symptoms on the right side (foot / toe drop, muscles not firing, sciatic-pain, etc).  Also, your bladder is neurologically controlled (at least partly) by nerves that come from about the L3 level down through the sacrum --- the same area that makes up the SCIATIC NERVE.  If you look at myotomes and muscle innervation charts, you'll see that these are the same levels that innervate the muscles around your hip, quad, and certain other areas of the lower extremity, thus, the reason they wanted an MRI of your (TL area) THORACOLUMBAR SPINE (BTW, you are correct about CT being dangerous).  It's important to be aware that it's very difficult to correlate what's found on the imaging with real-world symptoms (HERE).

So; getting down to fixing (or at least addressing) this beast.  I think your approach has to be three-pronged.  You'll have to address the AUTOIMMUNE ISSUE, you'll have to address the occult (hidden) viral infection (HERE'S a common example of this phenomenon in a different arena), and you'll have to address the neurological issue (undoubtedly you are in SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE).  This is not just a matter of strengthening and stretching; the reason that your PT was unhelpful. 

The very first thing you are going to do is to do an ELIMINATION DIET to figure out if there are foods you are reacting to (Gluten is assumed with autoimmunity --- HERE).  The next thing you'll have to do is get off the sugar (BREAK THE ADDICTION) simply because it, along with PROCESSED AND EVEN WHOLE GRAINS, are the single most inflammatory things we collectively tend to put in our mouths all day long (HERE).  You'll also need to get started on a PALEO DIET because nothing squelches INFLAMMATION better.  And depending on your lifetime history of ANTIBIOTICS and OTHER SIMILAR MEDICATIONS, you may even need to contemplate an FMT.  All of this info can be found HERE.

As far as addressing the virus, there are all sorts of cool things out there that help a lot of people assess and address the occult virus hiding in their body.  For instance, I have a patient (HERE) who has been able to win world championships in off-road triathlon, despite having Lymes Disease (bacterial).  She underwent ozone therapy from an MD in Florida (Ozone Sauna among other things) with great success.   And as far as the neurological aspect; hands down, I would make a trip to see DR. RANDY BECK --- an instructor and author for the CARRICK INSTITUTE.  Don't know him personally, but if he is teaching for Ted Carrick's group, he's sharp.

God Bless and hope this helps.  I want an update in six months Jane.  I also commend you for recognizing that "THE BIG FIVE" is not going to help you with this problem.
Sincerely,
Russ Schierling

****  From her response to this post, I learned that "Jane" is a physician --- 'Dr. Jane'.  Her (edited) response to me can be found near the top of my TESTIMONIAL PAGE.



This next Case-History comes from an OUT OF STATE PATIENT I treated for CHRONIC NECK PAIN, upper back pain, RIB TISSUE PAIN, and pain around her shoulders.  She also has TMJ issues.  "Sally" wrote to me saying....

I worked as a cashier for 3.5 years beginning in Feb. 2014. During this time, I began having shooting pain in my ribs on the right side. Then I could start feeling it in my chest. I was seen by a few Chiros briefly with very little improvement. The areas between the ribs are tender. I was told by an ER Dr it's costochondritis.

Next, My shoulder blades feel like they do not lay correctly, and my left shoulder is so tight. It does not relax when I sleep. I eventually thought this was being caused by repeated motions at work. Eventually I had joint shoulder pain and nerve pain across the collar bone region and down my arms, along with numbed arms and fingers. I looked into Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. A surgeon said I didn't have that. A work comp doctor said I have a fascia problem with some scapular winging, but didn't provide any assistance. I had 12 PT sessions while still working that did not help at all.

Since quitting the cashier job that made me repeat my motions and over-extend my shoulder blades, the nerve pain and numbness have mostly gone away. But the overall pain across my shoulder blades, joints, and ribs remain. And I have bad "flare ups" when I use my arms too much, or experience bouncing motions of exercise like running or jumping jacks. Putting up the Christmas tree at work caused a week of extra pain and discomfort.  My primary MD mentioned fibromyalgia to me, and I ran the other direction.

Along with all this, I've experienced neck/throat spasms on my left side. Currently, I have a knot on the underside of my jaw/neck area that's been there for a couple months. It's causing my jaw and mouth muscles to tighten. My dentist is creating a special mouth guard to help with TMJ, but she said I need PT help to improve posture. I wondered if it was a swollen gland, but the dentist swears it's a knot in the SCM muscle. I fear opening my mouth too wide while yawning, singing, etc.

I'm at a loss. I cannot/have not laid on my sides in over 2.5 years. Instead I lay on my back using a wedge pillow that helps keep low back pain away. Tonight I had shooting chest pain that also shot across my ribs to the left of my breast under my armpit region. I'm scared and need help. Please let me know if this is anything you could help with?

Because in my mind, this was all being driven by some sort of SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY ISSUE, I told her that I doubted I could help, not realizing she had been addressing these systemic issues for quite some time as you'll notice momentarily.  For the record, the costochondritis diagnosis she had received was a commonly-seen cop out from someone who surely knew better, as was the FIBRO.   Sally responded with this email.

Dear Dr. Russ,
That is the opposite of what I thought you would say. I read your website, and I see myself in your patients as well as your extensive information. Chronic pain patient. Slowly losing mobility. Fascia is inflamed and needs work. I thought that is what you treated? This pain has taken over my life.

I replied thusly.  "I might (emphasis on might) be able to help you, very difficult to say.  I'm sure what I do would help you for at least awhile.  The thing is, your problem sounds systemic.  What are you currently doing to deal with systemic inflammation?"  I included THIS LINK with my email   Sally replied... 

I've seen a functional medicine Dr for  the past 6 years.  He has tested me for hypothyroidism, insulin resistance / hypoglycemia, estrogen dominance, and other hormone imbalances including sex hormones and cortisol levels. My insulin resistance and hypoglycemia symptoms are gone. My insulin and glucose levels are in healthy ranges. My thyroid is in range. I dropped 40 lbs through dietary changes. My diet is predominantly organic and grass-fed meats, vegetables, healthy fats, little fruit, some nuts and seeds. I developed food sensitivities overtime, which included grains, dairy, soy, and yeast; all of which I cut out of my diet. I still experience some PMS and PMDD symptoms. I haven't had my cortisol tested in a while, but my energy levels are better than ever and I sleep well. My yeast sensitivity caused 1.5+ years of constipation, which has recently improved. I no longer drink kombucha. I believe it was a big part of the constipation problem. I'm trying to figure out what else to do. I am considering acupuncture. 

Sally ended up coming and getting treated.  She was loaded with SCAR TISSUE all over the place. This factor alone (along with the history of HASHIMOTO'S THYROIDITIS --- itself an autoimmune disease) makes me think that she might also be dealing with one of the myriad of unnamed autoimmune diseases that work against connective tissues FASCIA, LIGAMENTS, TENDONS, etc) and maybe MUSCLES (so many remain unnamed because no one has figured out what the auto-antigen is --- the possibilities are limitless).  The thing you must remember about autoimmunity is that it is never primarily a problem with the thyroid, fascia, or whatever other organ or tissue is being attacked --- it is an immune system problem.  Fail to address overactive immune system (HERE) and before you know it, you'll be fighting half a dozen autoimmune diseases --- like THIS PERSON was before I got involved.

I have a hunch that Sally has PCOS, although she was never tested (her functional doctor had been doing things that would have addressed this anyway).  After talking with her, I suggested that she do an Elimination Diet with NIGHTSHADES since she had not done that yet.  As far as what might have caused some of her FIBROSIS other than hidden inflammation (Inflammation always leads to fibrosis --- HERE), she was in two relatively harsh MVA'S a number of years ago, as well as falling off the top of the monkey bars flat onto her back when she was about ten.

I treated Sally (broke the FASCIAL ADHESIONS and then gave a MANUAL ADJUSTMENT which she had not experienced before).  I then got her started on THE DAKOTA TRACTION DEVICE.  Below is her one-week response to treatment that I received yesterday.

Russ, I would say maybe 50% better? Maybe a little less. I can tell there's a difference involving the fascia/scar tissue, so that's great!  But the pain and tightness I am feeling is strong. My collar bone area is angry. 

That collar bone area is where muscles like the SCM and PLATYSMA attach (BTW, TRIGGER POINTS in the SCM can be tricky), creating a strong propensity for FHP (Forward Head Posture).  Interesting how the kombucha was causing her CONSTIPATION --- undoubtedly the same sort of mechanism that leads to VITAMINS or even PROBIOTICS causing various sorts of DYSBIOSIS.  It's why anymore, my mind almost automatically turns to FMT when known or suspected autoimmunity is involved (Sally couldn't remember whether her ANA test was positive or not). 

I want you to know that I am rooting for you "Sally" and that I thoroughly enjoyed our time together.  Keep me in the loop.  Wishing you the best, Russ  BTW, once Sally got started on a regimen of Pilates, her pain virtually ended.

"The term gluten intolerance may refer to three types of human disorders: autoimmune celiac disease, allergy to wheat and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Gluten is a mixture of proteins present mostly in wheat, but also in barley, rye and oats. It has been suggested that in NCGS gluten-related peptides enter the systemic circulation and cause extraintestinal manifestations such as ataxia, neuropathy and encephalopathy. Moreover, it has been proposed that gluten causes depression, anxiety, autism and schizophrenia in patients with NCGS, and also reported that psychosis might be a manifestation of NCGS. Nowadays, gluten-related disorders have often been recognized as commonly mimicking irritable bowel syndrome because of the similar symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, bowel habit abnormalities (either diarrhea or constipation). Furthermore, the microbiome may also play a role in the pathogenesis of NCGS. Gut microbiota composition and metabolomic profiles may influence the loss of gluten tolerance and subsequent onset of gluten intolerance in genetically-susceptible individuals.  There is currently only one proven effective way of treating celiac disease and NCGS—a gluten free diet."   Cherry-picked (as are all studies quoted in this post) from last month's issue of Nutrients (Properties of Gluten Intolerance: Gluten Structure, Evolution, Pathogenicity and Detoxification Capabilities)

"Approximately 50 million Americans, 20 percent of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75 percent of those affected–some 30 million people–are women."  From the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association

Despite the fact that we've known for decades that wheat is intimately related to autoimmunity and the numerous autoimmune diseases associated with, the medical community largely continues to ignore their own research.  This doesn't even begin to take into account NCGS, which studies show, is not even believed to be a real entity by over half of all treating physicians (HERE).  For instance, the July issue of the medical journal Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz (Non-Allergic Gluten Sensitivity. A Controversial Disease or not yet Sufficiently Explored?) concluded that, "The avoidance of wheat, gluten and other cereal products is a growing phenomenon in industrialized countries. There exists a significant proportion of people reporting at least subjectively significant complaints and quality of life improvements after switching to a wheat- or gluten-free diet. The absence of clear diagnostic autoimmune or allergic criteria in these wheat sensitive patients has resulted in the description of non-celiac gluten sensitivity. It is clinically detectable in only very few individuals and may manifest with either intestinal, extra-intestinal or neurovegetative and psychosomatic symptoms."  It is important to realize that despite our ability to test for it, NCGS is both real and potentially severe as described by the previous sentence.

The evidence linking autoimmunity to Celiac Disease is overwhelming.  The question now becomes, how much autoimmunity can be intimately linked to NCGS?  A study from the September issue of Gastroenterology (High Proportions of People With Nonceliac Wheat Sensitivity Have Autoimmune Disease or Antinuclear Antibodies) went a long way toward answering this question.  "We evaluated the prevalence of autoimmune diseases among patients with nonceliac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), and investigated whether they carry antinuclear antibodies (ANA).  In the retrospective analysis, similar portions of subjects with NCWS (29%) and CD (29%) developed autoimmune diseases (mainly Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 29 cases).....  In the prospective study, 24% of subjects with NCWS, 20% of subjects with CD developed autoimmune diseases. In the retrospective study, serum samples tested positive for ANA in 46% of subjects with NCWS, 24% of subjects with CD....  in the prospective study, serum samples were positive for ANA in 28% of subjects with NCWS, 7.5% of subjects with CD...."

The point here is that NCGS is at least as associated with autoimmunity as Celiac Disease is as measured by the ANA or antinuclear antibody test --- and in some cases more so.  The ANA is an inexpensive blood test that can be added to the panel next time you have blood work done.  Although vague as far as what it tells you (it gives you an idea of whether your body is making antibodies against self, although it does not tell you what specific tissue is being attacked), it at least provides a starting point.  Now; allow me to show you some studies concerning GLUTEN and AUTOIMMUNITY.

• GLUTEN SENSITIVITY IS RELATED TO THE MICROBIOME:  Again, since virtually everything else is related to GUT HEALTH, why not Gluten Sensitivity?  Actually, there are tons of studies on this specific topic, including one from last month's issue of Gastroenterology (Duodenal Bacteria From Patients with Celiac Disease and Healthy Subjects Distinctly Affect Gluten Breakdown and Immunogenicity).  This study revealed that, "Partially degraded gluten peptides from cereals trigger celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune enteropathy occurring in genetically susceptible persons. Susceptibility genes are necessary but not sufficient to induce CD, and additional environmental factors related to unfavorable alterations in the microbiota have been proposed."  Did you catch that?  GENETICS alone won't do it; there has to be other factors at play.  Although there are any number of reasons that more people than ever are reacting to Gluten (HERE), I would have to say that the 'alterations in the microbiota' that we refer to in the medical community as "DYSBIOSIS" are arguably biggest.  "Small intestinal bacteria exhibit distinct gluten metabolic patterns, increasing or reducing gluten peptide immunogenicity. This microbe-gluten-host interaction may modulate autoimmune risk in genetically susceptible persons and may underlie the reported association of dysbiosis and CD." An Italian study from the July issue of the International Journal of Food Microbiology (Salivary and Fecal Microbiota and Metabolome of Celiac Children Under Gluten-Free Diet) revealed something similar.  "Dysbiosis can precede the CD pathogenesis and/or persist when subjects are on GFD.  Salivary microbiota and metabolome differed between healthy and celiac children treated under GFD for at least two years.  Different studies showed bacterial dysbiosis at duodenal and/or fecal level of patients with active untreated CD compared to healthy subjects. The ratio of protective anti-inflammatory bacteria such as Lactobacillus-Bifidobacterium to potentially harmful Bacteroides-Enterobacteriaceae was the lowest in" the treatment group. Even though these and many of the studies we will discuss today specifically pertain to Celiac Disease (CD), it is critical to understand that.......

• GLUTEN CAN BE RELATED TO AUTOIMMUNITY EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF CELIAC DISEASE:  You've seen many studies on this but feel like I need to belabor the point.  When doctors talk to patients, they will often tell them that while certain health-related issues might be linked to Celiac, Celiac is not their problem because they didn't test positive, thus their problem has nothing to do with Gluten.  As I've shown you repeatedly (HERE), this is a dangerous way of thinking.  The difference between Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity is simple to understand.  The only thing that a Celiac diagnosis really means is that your own immune system is making antibodies against the villi / microvilli of the Small Intestine, creating damage that can be seen on biopsy.  Knowing this makes it simple to understand why.......

• GLUTEN IS RELATED TO INFLAMMATION, ANY NUMBER OF THE SYNDROMES IN THE "LEAKY" FAMILY, AND AUTOIMMUNITY WITHIN THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM:  Rather than belabor this point, I'll simply ask you to look at the first link at the top of the post, as well as my post on THE LEAKIES AS RELATED TO GLUTEN. If you are dealing with Chronic Pain or Chronic Illness, it is imperative for you to understand this bullet point.  And since we are talking about Autoimmune Diseases today, the link between Gluten and Autoimmunity is nothing new.  In fact, it was something being discussed by leaders in the field of natural medicine seven decades ago (HERE).  The Swiss journal, Digestive Diseases, published a study in April of 2015 called Celiac Disease and Endocrine Autoimmunity.  In it they concluded that, "Endocrine autoimmunity is prevalent in patients with CD. The genes that predispose to endocrine autoimmune diseases, e.g. type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid diseases, and Addison's disease, are also the major genetic determinants of CD....  Moreover, once autoimmunity is established, a gluten-free diet is not able to induce remission."  Firstly, this last sentence is not true in any way, shape, or form as you will see at the end of this post.  And secondly, as you may have already guessed from this short list, one of the top autoimmune diseases being linked to NCGS is......

• GLUTEN SENSITIVITY & AUTOIMMUNE THYROID:   Although many are unaware, the vast majority of thyroid problems are autoimmune (HERE).  In fact, earlier this year, the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Celiac Autoimmunity in Autoimmune Thyroid Disease is Highly Prevalent with a Questionable Impact) stated, "It has been hypothesized that the exposure to gluten in patients with CD triggers off autoimmunity against other tissues in the body.  CD patients are prone to a number of other autoimmune disorders.  The prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is 10–12% in the general population worldwide.  280 consecutive patients with AITD attending the thyroid out-patient department of a tertiary care hospital were screened for the presence of tissue transglutaminase antibodies.  Conclusions: The prevalence of CD in patients with AITD is much greater than in the general population."  This follows closely with the results seen when the May issue of Liver and Digestive Diseases published a Dutch study called A Large Variety of Clinical Features and Concomitant Disorders in Celiac Disease - A Cohort Study in the Netherlands.  In this study the authors revealed that just over one quarter of those diagnosed with CD had autoimmune diseases (immune mediated diseases or IMD).  The third most common of these, just a few tenths of a percentage point behind the first and second place diseases, was THYROID DISEASE.  What was in first place.......? 

• GLUTEN AND TYPE I DIABETES:  Not to be confused with TYPE II DIABETES, Type I Diabetes is an autoimmune disease manifesting in the body attacking various types of cells and enzymes in the pancreas.  Although the cause of Type I Diabetes is unknown, it is said, like most other autoimmune diseases, to be a combination of genetic and "ENVIRONMENTAL" factors.  What are some of these environmental factors?  The April 2015 issue of the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism revealed that, "The one definite environmental factor is congenital rubella, because of which a subset of children subsequently develop type 1 diabetes. The predisposing factors are viruses, gluten and cow's milk. The protective factors include gut flora, helminths [worms], viral infections, and Vitamin D."  Isn't it interesting that viral infections can be both preventative and predisposing at the same time and that worms can be protective?  Another study, this one from the May 2015 issue of Diabetologia (A Model for the Role of Gut Bacteria in the Development of Autoimmunity for Type 1 Diabetes) sums up the whole mess perfectly.  "Studies suggest a testable model whereby a diet high in fat and gluten and low in resistant starch [HERE] may be the primary driver of gut dysbiosis. This dysbiosis may cause a lack of butyrate production by gut bacteria, which, in turn, leads to the development of a permeable gut followed by autoimmunity."  Everything we have been discussing rolled into one neat package.  Just remember that a HIGH FAT DIET is a wonderful thing as long as it is high in good fats.

• GLUTEN & TYPE I DIABETES PART II:  The September 2015 issue of Nutrients (The Role of Gluten in Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes) showed us that, "Celiac disease and type 1 diabetes are autoimmune conditions in which dietary gluten has been proven or suggested to play a pathogenic role."  How do the authors suggest this problem be addressed?  One way mentioned was, "A gluten free diet should cause no side effects, since gluten has limited nutritional value."   Getting off and staying off gluten is important because, "Digested gluten interacts with epithelial cells in the small intestine and triggers the disruption of tight junctions. The consequent increased intestinal permeability leads to...... a high rate of comorbidity between these two autoimmune diseases and their rapidly increasing prevalence in the last few decades.... relating intestinal dysbiosis to various diseases, among which CD is included. It has been shown that the dysbiosis characterizing active CD patients is partially reversible and linked to the presence of gluten in the diet."  A year ago next month, the Canadian Journal of Diabetes (Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes in Adults: Is This a High-Risk Group for Screening?) reiterated these findings by concluding that, "The association between celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune condition involving intestinal inflammation related to gluten ingestion, and type 1 diabetes has long been recognized. CD prevalence rates 4 to 6 times greater in adults with type 1 diabetes than in the general population. Much of the existing literature focuses on important implications related to the impact of a gluten-free diet on short-term outcomes in metabolic control and quality of life. Canadian Diabetes Association guidelines recommend targeted CD screening in patients with type 1 diabetes who have classic symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, unexplained weight loss or labile metabolic control; however, a significant proportion (40% to 60%) of patients may have mild or absent symptoms. Recent evidence suggests that adult patients with both conditions are at higher risk for diabetes microvascular comorbidities, increased mortality and impaired bone health if the CD is untreated."  The icing on the cake is that you don't have to sit back, totally helpless, letting the disease dictate your life.  July's issue of Springer Plus (Potential Beneficial Effects of a Gluten-Free Diet in Newly Diagnosed Children with Type 1 Diabetes) showed how a, "Gluten-free diet is feasible in highly motivated families and is associated with a significantly better outcome as assessed by HbA1c and IDAA1c."  BTW, one of the more common issues I noticed being tied to both CD and Type I Diabetes is......

• GLUTEN & OSTEOPOROSIS:  After looking at over 200 studies on the subject, authors from the University of Connecticut published their meta-analysis (Bones of Contention: Bone Mineral Density Recovery in Celiac Disease—A Systematic Review) in the May 2015 issue of Nutrients.  "Metabolic bone disease is a frequent co-morbidity in newly diagnosed adults with celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of dietary gluten. Approximately 75% of newly diagnosed patients with celiac disease have low bone mineral density. And when matched by age and gender to a non-affected population, celiac patients have a 40% greater risk for bone fracture   Gluten-free diet adherence resulted in partial recovery of bone density by one year in all studies, and full recovery by the fifth year. No treatment differences were observed between the gluten-free diet alone and diet plus bisphosphonates in one study."   As for bisphospsphonates, we shouldn't be surprised (HERE).  This month's issue of Joint, Bone, and Spine (Osteoarticular Manifestations of Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Hypersensitivity) says simply that, "Celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune enteropathy based disorder that is triggered by the ingestion of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. The global prevalence of 1% to 2% represents only the tip of the iceberg.  The diagnosis is difficult and often delayed because the clinical variability is very large, ranging from digestive clinical presentation "classic" to "atypical" symptoms, often extra-intestinal, that are sometimes attributed to a concomitant disease or a complication. Among them, there are frequent musculoskeletal manifestations such as osteoporosis and osteomalacia.  Non-celiac gluten intolerance is a new entity defined by symptomatology similar to that of celiac disease induced by the ingestion of gluten and disappearing after crowding-out [GFD], among patients without specific antibodies and without intestinal lesion of celiac disease."  OSTEOPOROSIS affects bones, and so does......

• GLUTEN & ARTHRITIS:  There is an overwhelming amount of information concerning the relationship of wheat to various forms of arthritis.  One of last year's issues of Acta Chirugiae Orthopedicae et Traumatologiae Cechoslovaca (Bone and Joint Involvement in Celiac Disease) said that, "Celiac disease (gluten-sensitive enteropathy) is currently regarded as a multisystem autoimmune disorder; its clinical signs and symptoms do not involve merely the gastrointestinal tract but are associated with several other medical specialties, including orthopaedics and traumatology. In orthopaedic and trauma patients, celiac disease should be suspected in the following diagnoses: osteomalacia, premenopausal osteoporosis, post-menopausal osteoporosis more severe than expected and refractory to medication, osteoporosis in men under 55 years of age, recurrent bone fractures in the limbs, large joint arthralgia or arthritis of unclear aetiology, erosive spondyloarthropathy particularly in patients with the history of chronic diarrhoea, anaemia or associated autoimmune disorders (type 1 diabetes mellitus or autoimmune thyreopathy), and in women with secondary amenorrhea or early menopause. The orthopaedist or trauma surgeon should be aware of suspected celiac disease in patients who do not respond adequately to the standard treatment of pain related to the musculoskeletal system, in patients with recurrent fractures of the limb bones and in young patients with suspected secondary osteoporosis."  I don't care how you slice it, that was a heck of a list!

• GLUTEN & ARTHRITIS PART II:  Completed at Mexico's Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología and published in January's issue of Spain's Rheumatologia Clinica, this study (Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity and Rheumatic Diseases) looked specifically at NCGS as it pertains to arthritic problems.  The authors stated, "Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is an emerging entity with symptoms similar to celiac disease, but without specific diagnostic tests.  Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is an emerging entity characterized by gluten-related intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms in patients with negative CD tests who, thus, are not considered to be celiac patients.  With regard to the symptoms, CD and NCGS are indistinguishable.  NCGS is estimated to affect around 5% of the population.   However, the dichotomous working approach of considering CD and NCGS as different entities does not depict the complexity of a disease that is probably the expression of a biological continuum. There are many examples of patients who, following strict criteria, cannot be considered celiacs, but whose profile overlaps substantially with CD.  The idea that has guided the clinical development dealt with in this article is that NCGS occurs frequently and is the cause of a number of rheumatic complaints.  It seems reasonable to think that, like CD, NCGS is also associated with autoimmunity."  After discussing various health issues known to be associated with NCGS (FIBROMYALGIA, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS, CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, CHRONIC SACROILLIAC PROBLEMS, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, along with a slew of other Autoimmune Diseases), the authors specifically mentioned that, "The use of anti-inflammatory agents, proton pump inhibitors and psychotropic drugs was also minimized because of their secondary effects on the small intestine and on the central nervous system."  What they are referring to here, folks, are THE BIG FIVE (opiods were also mentioned), ACID REFLUX DRUGS, and ANTIDEPRESSANTS.

• GLUTEN & ARTHRITIS PART III:  Last February's issue of Gastroenterology Research (Coeliac Disease With Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Unusual Association) revealed the association between Gut Health (Leaky Gut & Microbiome) and autoimmunity in general.  "Coeliac disease has a significant association with many autoimmune disorders. It shares many common genetic and immunological features with other autoimmune diseases. Gluten, a gut-derived antigen, is the driver of the autoimmunity seen in coeliac disease. The altered intestinal permeability found in coeliac patients, coupled with a genetic predisposition and altered immunological response, may result in a systemic immune response that is directed against sites other than the gut. Gut-derived antigens may have a role in the pathogenesis of other autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis."  Bottom line, if you have chronic joint or back pain and have not done a GLUTEN-FREE ELIMINATION DIET (the correct way, by eliminating CROSS-REACTORS and NIGHTSHADES) and are still suffering, I can't really offer you any help since you are skipping the first and most important of the factors in solving your gluten-related problems.  Speaking of gluten-related problems, you need to realize how many of these gluten-related autoimmune issues are neurological, including.......

• GLUTEN AND CEREBELLAR ATAXIA:  We've known for years that the huge majority of gluten-related symptoms are extra-intestinal (people don't have belly aches, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, etc), with most of these tending to be neurological (HERE).  One of the most well-documented of these is a potential mimic of PARKINSON'S DISEASE known as Cerebellar Ataxia.  Cerebellar Ataxia presents clinically as an inability to coordinate balance, gait, and extremity and eye movements.  Pay attention as the authors of Guidelines for Treatment of Immune-Mediated Cerebellar Ataxias (from the November 2015 issue of Cerebellar Ataxias) reveals one of the body's prime targets for autoimmune reactions.  "Accumulating evidence suggests that the cerebellum is one of the main CNS targets of autoimmunity, as demonstrated by the high prevalence of cerebellar degeneration amongst neurological syndromes."  I would argue that at least half of the ataxic syndromes mentioned (Gluten Ataxia and Hashimoto's Encephalopathy) will likely respond to a GFD.  In March of 2015, seventeen scientific / medical experts got together to create a consensus paper, which was published in the journal Cerebellum.  The authors concluded that, "In patients with immune-mediated cerebellar ataxias, a part of the deficit appears to remain reversible because they are sometimes treatable."   Reversible is cool!  How are they treated?  "In the case of gluten ataxia, strict adherence to a gluten-free diet."   As bad as Cerebellar Ataxia is, there are neruological syndromes that are much worse.  One of these is......
  

• GLUTEN & AMYTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS:  Known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, ALS attacks the part of your nervous system that sends the messages telling your body what to do and how to move.  The result is stiffness, weakness, twitching, atrophy, and eventually a total inability move, speak, swallow, or even breathe.  Needless to say, the disease is 100% fatal, usually within a few years, although some like Stephen Hawking, have lived with it for well over half a century.  This is another of the cases where Epigentics trump Genetics as less than one in ten cases is passed on through genes.  The single biggest risk factor for ALS?  Head injuries, which are themselves strongly associated with autoimmunity (HERE).  In the SUMMER OF 2015, JAMA Neurology published a study called Transglutaminase 6 Antibodies in the Serum of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.  The authors stated that, "Many patients with gluten ataxia produce antibodies toward the newly identified neuronal transglutaminase 6 (TG6). Two case reports described patients initially diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and ultimately with celiac disease who improved with a strict gluten-free diet"  In this study, physicians and researchers at Israel's Tel Aviv University compared looked at 150 consecutive ALS patients, testing them for the TG6 antibodies.  The authors concluded that, "The data from this study indicate that, in certain cases, ALS might be associated with autoimmunity and gluten sensitivity."
  

"The road to health is paved with good intestines!"  - Sherry A. Rogers

"Gut bacteria are required for the development of immune T cells in the lining of the intestines.  Mice grown without gut flora do not have functional immune systems.  In humans, extensive antibiotic treatment produces defective immune systems that are either overly aggressive, i.e. autoimmune, or susceptible to infection and cancer."  - Art Ayers

"All disease begins in the gut."  - Hippocrates

"If you are taking antibiotics, you are screwing up your health in ways that you cannot even begin to fathom."  - Russell Schierling

YESTERDAY I talked about getting the "Big Idea" when it comes to health.  The truth is, when it comes to natural healing and natural healers, there are lots of "Big Ideas" (notice the plural).  What I mean by this is that everyone seems to have at least a slightly different idea of what this Big Idea might be.  One person might say that it is all about CONTROLLING BLOOD SUGAR.  Another might say that the entirety of your health hinges on eating a totally organic diet coupled with a daily swim in a spring-fed river right at the crack of dawn.  Still another might tell you that the answer to health lies in regular massage and acupuncture treatments.  The point is, while it is not so difficult to get people to buy into the fact that there is a "Big Idea", what that that Big Idea really is, remains a bone of contention within the profession.  There is, however, one thing that most natural healers can agree on --- that both health and sickness begins in the Gut.

Although I have spent a lot of time on this site talking about GUT HEALTH, I would not consider myself an expert in any sense of the word, I like to study the work of those who are.  DR. ART AYERS of "Cooling Inflammation" is one such person.  If you click on the previous link, you will see that Dr. Ayers believes that what you eat --- vegetable or animal --- is not nearly as important as the bacteria found in your Gut.  Listen to what Ayers says in a six month old post.  "A damaged gut flora lacks necessary species of bacteria.  Antibiotics, for example, can permanently delete dozens of particular bacterial species of gut flora that can only be replaced by reintroducing the missing bacteria by eating those bacteria again.  The missing bacteria may be needed to digest particular foods and the result is food intolerances, commonly mistaken for food allergies.  Antibiotic use frequently leads to autoimmune diseases, that are caused by deficient regulatory T cells of the immune system that develop in the lining of the intestines in response to particular gut bacteria.  The natural source of gut bacteria is eating the bacteria clinging to raw or fermented vegetables."   In other words, if you are taking ANTIBIOTICS, you are screwing up your health in ways that you cannot even begin to fathom.

It always amazes me, the answers I get, when I ask a simple question; How many Antibiotics have you taken?  Some people will admit to you that they have taken a lot.  Most will say something along the lines of, "I really don't take many Antibiotics".  However, when pressed, these same people will admit that they grew up taking lots of Antibiotics, or as you continue the line of questioning, you find out that their definition of 'not a lot of Antibiotics' means they are "only" taking 2-3 rounds a year.  They feel they are not taking a lot of Antibiotics because compared to most of the people they know, they aren't.  Anyway, finding Dr. Ayers' site has been a revelation as well as providing a wealth of great information. 

Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel and doing my own post on the topic, I would invite you to read his three posts on what he considers to be the overarching THEORY OF HEALTH as related to things like Antibiotics, DYSBIOSIS, AUTOIMMUNITY, Gut Health, and the PALEO DIET --- his "Big Idea" if you will.   I will warn you that it can be a bit technical at times, but if you are a person who is struggling with Chronic Disease of any kind (HERE is a list of some of the most common Chronic Inflammatory Degenerative Diseases, and HERE is a list of Autoimmune Diseases), I would strongly suggest you take a look at his work. 

"Seizures are symptoms. Children on the autism spectrum and those who live with one or more autoimmune disorders commonly have seizures.  Up to 40% of those with autism may also have epilepsy.  In all disorders, there is always some degree of inflammation—both systemically and in the brain."  The March 13, 2013 issue of the Body Ecology website.  You can look at this article's bibliography to see which peer-reviewed studies were being discussed with this quote.

"New research draws a connection between gluten-induced leaky brain damage and seizure disorders (epilepsy).  We know that gluten sensitivity can cause seizure disorders.   Additionally, we know that gluten sensitivity can contribute to blood brain barrier permeability (leaky brain). Now add to this the fact that a leaky brain will contribute to seizures and epilepsy. Thus the circle is complete.  When added together these elements create a viscous unending cycle of perpetual food-induced damage.   If you ask the doctor what the cause of the disease is, the most common reply is – “The cause is unknown (unknown etiology), but most likely genetic.”"   From an article on the Gluten Free Society's website (Leaky Brain, Seizures, Epilepsy, & Gluten Sensitivity).  This article was tackling several studies from 2009 and 2010.  By the way, LEAKY BRAIN SYNDROME is a close relative of LEAKY GUT SYNDROME.

If you have an autoimmune disease (not sure, CLICK HERE), brand new research from the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology is suggesting that your chances of developing Epilepsy are almost 400% greater than those who do not.  Now; I want you to try something else on for size.  Google Gluten Epilepsy and see what happens.  Nearly 100,000 hits. 

For starters, a 2006 study on the link between GLUTEN (Celiac Disease) and Epilepsy was published in the November 2006 issue of Neurologist.  Listen to the what the authors had to say, "There is a well-documented relationship between epilepsy and celiac disease, including a syndrome characterized by epilepsy, occipital calcifications, and celiac disease.  This case emphasizes the need to include celiac disease in the differential diagnosis when investigating the etiology of epilepsy......"  All you need to be aware of with this study is that here is Celiac Disease is a Gluten-induced AUTOIMMUNE attack against the Small Intestine.  Most cases of Gluten Sensitivity are NEUROLOGICAL IN NATURE and do not necessarily cause the GI symptoms so commonly associated with Gluten.

Harvard Medical School's Dr. Kenneth Mandl (a pediatrician) recently looked at insurance claims of 2.5 million Americans.  He found that if you have Epilepsy, you were much more likely to have Autoimmune Diseases such as PSORIASIS, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, NEUROPATHY, or any number of others.   Listen to what Dr. Mandl's team writes in JAMA Neurology.  "Epilepsy is a debilitating condition, often with neither a known etiology nor an effective treatment. Autoimmune mechanisms have been increasingly identified.  Epilepsy and autoimmune disease frequently co-occur; patients with either condition should undergo surveillance for the other. The potential role of autoimmunity must be given due consideration in epilepsy so that we are not overlooking a treatable cause."  Oh, for those of you who have children, they are even more affected by this phenomenon than are adults ---- 520% instead of 400%.   But then again, none of this is brand new information.

• "The aim of this review is to present current knowledge of the role of immunity in relation to seizures, with a particular emphasis on clinical data available in childhood. More specifically, various autoantibodies involved in autoimmune encephalitis and epilepsy and general pathophysiological hypotheses on the role of immunity in seizure genesis are discussed, specific epilepsy syndromes in which autoimmune components have been studied are summarized..."  From the September 2017 issue of Pediatrics (The Immune System in Pediatric Seizures and Epilepsies)

• "Autoimmune encephalitides ("autoimmune epilepsies") may account for epilepsies of so far unknown cause. More than a dozen autoantibodies have been found with this constellation...   In the first decade of this century, IgG autoantibodies against proteins on the surfaces of neurons were identified as markers and pathogens in autoimmune encephalitides that in approximately 80% of cases are accompanied by repetitive focal seizures..."  From the June 2017 issue of Epilepsy Currents (Autoimmune Epilepsy: Encephalitis With Autoantibodies for Epileptologists)

• "The increasing incidence of new-onset seizures with age is well known. Often, the etiology cannot be clarified.  Our findings suggest that autoimmunity should be considered an important etiology in patients with late-onset seizures. Testing for neural antibodies and brain MRI may be worthwhile in this patient group."  From the September 2017 issue of Epilepsia (Prevalence and Outcome of Late-Onset Seizures Due to Autoimmune Etiology)

• "LGI1-antibodies are closely associated with a limbic encephalitis which is characterized by confusion, disorientation and seizures, frequently with medial temporal lobe inflammation on imaging [LGI1 is a cancer-suppressing protein]. The seizures include typical medial temporal lobe events and more distinctive semiologies including bradycardia, piloerection, and faciobrachial dystonic seizures (FBDS). These multiple seizure descriptions appear in several separate reports."  From the August 2017 issue of Seizure (LGI1-Antibody Encephalitis is Characterized by Frequent, Multifocal Clinical and Subclinical Seizures)

• "The range of neurologic dysfunction in gastrointestinal diseases is broad and spans the spectrum from peripheral to central processes. Peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, myelopathy, cerebrovascular events, epilepsy, encephalopathy, and cerebellar dysfunction have all been described. Neurologists should be aware of the possibility that an underlying gastrointestinal disease process may be present in and responsible for the neurologic dysfunction that has prompted referral of an individual for evaluation."  From the June 2107 issue of Continuum (Gastroenterology and Neurology)

• "In its classic presentation, Hashimoto's encephalopathy is a neuropsychiatric syndrome with cognitive impairment, hallucinations, myoclonus, tremor or ataxia, associated with elevated anti-thyroid antibodies. In some cases, not all the associated features are presented... The patient was diagnosed with an autoimmune encephalopathy with elevated serum and CSF anti-thyroid antibodies. None of the antiepileptic drugs were successful.... We suggest that Hashimoto's encephalopathy should be suspected in otherwise healthy patients with unexplained new-onset focal recurrent auditory seizures which do not respond to antiepileptic drugs. The presence of anti-thyroid antibodies in the CSF supports this diagnosis."  From the March 2017 issue of Epileptic Disorders (Auditory Seizures in Autoimmune Epilepsy: A Case with Anti-Thyroid Antibodies)  I only bring this up because HASHIMOTO'S DISEASE --- an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid --- affects tens of millions of Americans.
  

• "Seizures are a frequent manifestation of autoimmune encephalitis.  Although seizures are frequent in all types of autoimmune encephalitis, the risk for chronic epilepsy is dependent on the antigen."  From the June 2017 issue of Current Opinions in Neurology (Seizures and Risk of Epilepsy in Autoimmune and other Inflammatory Encephalitis)

• "Epilepsy is recognized globally as one of the most common neurological diseases, characterized by seizures and cognitive impairment. With unknown causes, lots of epilepsy patients have a poor response to antiepileptic drugs and thus have to live a life with low quality. Accumulating evidences support the role of autoimmune-mediated factors in patients with antiepileptic-resistant seizures, which eventually help to crystallize the concept of autoimmune epilepsy. In this comprehensive article, we present an overview of some most common autoimmune antibodies believed to be potentially pathogenic for autoimmune epilepsies...."  From the April 2017 issue of Frontiers in Neurology (Advances in Autoimmune Epilepsy Associated with Antibodies....)

• "Autoimmune neurological diseases are an important group of pathologies in neuropaediatrics. The central nervous system was considered to be an immunologically privileged organ, as it protects itself from the surroundings by means of the blood-brain barrier. In recent years, however, reports have been published of a growing number of disorders produced by antibodies that react against neuronal or glial proteins and give rise to a wide variety of clinical conditions (epilepsy, encephalopathy, movement disorders, etc.). There are a number of clinical conditions that are highly suggestive of an autoimmune pathology in which we do not find any specific antibodies."  From the May 2017 issue of Revista de Neurologia (Autoimmune Pathology in Neuropaediatrics)

Although there were dozens of studies on this topic (maybe hundreds), the last three studies above brought up a point that you need to be aware of whether or not you have autoimmune epilepsy --- the idea that while scientists have figured out many of the auto-antigens in various autoimmune diseases (the tissues, cells, proteins, organs, glands, enzymes, hormones, etc) that your body decides it's going to make antibodies against and start attacking, they have not figured them out all of them.  Why not? 

Think for a moment about how many different specific proteins there are in the human body --- millions upon millions, with each one requiring it's own special test. Furthermore (and probably more importantly), just because they figure out what specific protein your body is attacking doesn't mean that there is a good medical solution (i.e. drug) for dealing with it.  All you have to do is look at my posts on AUTOIMMUNITY to see that.  Not surprisingly, the "go to" drugs of choice are IMMUNE-SUPPRESSANTS (drugs that try and slow down a run-away immune system --- America's number one form of medical therapy).

Last year, a group of researchers at Bio-Medica University in Rome published a study called Neural Autoantibodies and Immunotherapy-Responsive Epilepsy.  The researchers stated that, "Autoantibodies specific for neural antigens have been described in association with several encephalopathies which have seizures as a prominent feature."  They then concluded that, "A significant percentage of patients with AED-resistant epilepsy harbor neural-specific auto-antibodies".  Of course, all of these studies are either OVERTLY or COVERTLY funded by pharmaceutical companies who have the goal of finding (or creating) the right Immuno-suppressive drug, so that the Immune System can be weakened to the point of not working.  Although the Mayo Clinic (one of the big players in researching the Autoimmune / Epilepsy connection) was calling Autoimmunity a "rare" cause of Epilepsy back in 2010, the Italians showed that almost 20% of those with Epilepsy had neural auto-antigens present.  Speaking of Mayo Clinic; it seems they may be singing a different tune these days.

Last year, researchers at Mayo gave epileptics a combination of prednisone (a CORTICOSTEROID, which suppresses the Immune System) and Immunoglobulins.  After this combination stopped the seizures in 10 out of 29 of the participants, and slowed them down in 8 others, they essentially concluded that if you are one of those people whose epilepsy is not responding to drug therapy, you had better suspect that it is Autoimmune.  Here is part of the opening paragraph of Mayo Clinic's Autoimmune Neurology page