Your gut function is the body’s foundation for good health and feeling well. All your body’s organs and systems, including hormonal, immune, and brain, rely on a digestive system that functions well. A well working digestive system reduces inflammation and improves the elimination of toxins. Without it, disease and discomfort result.
Poor gut health can cause so many health problems including but not limited to digestive complaints such as: painful gas, reflux, stomach pain and cramping, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal pain can be triggered and worsened.
Poor gut health contributes to fatigue, hormone imbalance and PMS, acne, poor skin quality, mental sluggishness, and some autoimmune disorders. Imbalances in the microbiome have even been linked to obesity and mood disorders!
Most patients are suffering from some digestive complaints.
Constipation
Loose Stools/Diarrhea
Gas
Bloating
Heartburn
GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)
Abdominal Pain/Stomach Acnes
The first step in improving your digestive health is assessment. We can talk to you about diet and lifestyle issues such as stress and poor sleep, but that’s only part of the picture. Finding the exact cause of your symptoms is essential for your recovery and feeling good again. At San Jose Integrative Medicine, we listen to and examine our patients, and use advanced testing to identify cause.
Food Sensitivities
Low Acid Production
Low Enzyme Production
Poor Diet
SIBO – Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth
Yeast Overgrowth
Parasite Infection
Poor Immune Function
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Celiac Disease
Gallbladder Disease and Gallstones
Hernia
Poor Elimination
Nutritional Deficiency
Microbiome Imbalance
Our office only works with trusted and proven labs. We use specialty labs like Genova Diagnostics, Doctor’s Data, and DiagnosTechs for gastrointestinal and microbiome testing. For food intolerances, we use Meridian Valley Lab, Alletess, and US Biotek.
By working with many labs, we are able to pick the right tests for your particular concern.
Comprehensive stool testing gives a complete picture of your digestive health. The stool panels we offer provide detailed information including; pathogens (parasites, yeast, bacteria), digestive function (ability to properly digest food), inflammation/immune function, gut microbiome, and intestinal permeability.
Often evaluation and stool testing alone can point to SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) but when further testing is required, we can test specifically for SIBO. SIBO is a common cause of belching/flatulence/bloating and is sometimes the cause of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). It can cause constipation, diarrhea, or both!
Organic acids are identified in urine. One of the most important uses of the organic acids test is as an indicator of gut health and dysbiosis (imbalanced microbiome or overgrowth of yeast and bacteria). Byproducts from the intestine can then enter the blood and alter the metabolism of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. These alterations can affect mood and contribute to anxiety and depression.
Food allergy/intolerance testing identifies foods that may be causing inflammation systemically and in your digestive tract. Food intolerances can worsen some digestive complaints.
Customized testing for a variety of diets
IgG testing from 100 to 400 different foods. Most commonly utilized. Conditions that have been associated with IgG food sensitivities include but are not limited to: IBS, IBD, eczema, migraine, autism, anxiety, depression, and obesity.
IgE testing for food allergies/hives/swelling
IgA testing for leaky gut and gastrointestinal inflammation
Improve Digestion And/Or AbsorptionImproper digestion and/or absorption will not only cause gastrointestinal symptoms, but can also cause nutritional deficiencies like insufficient B12 or iron. These deficiencies can cause significant health issues and disease.
The most common causes for poor absorption include: low stomach acid, insufficient digestive enzymes, and a sluggish release of bile from the gallbladder. Other causes can include leaky gut and inflammation of the intestinal tract.
Inflammation along the gastrointestinal tract can cause local and systemic pain and a weakened immune system.
The microbiome living within us is crucial to our lives. The microbiome is made up of beneficial and commensal bacteria which serve us in ways we are still discovering. A healthy microbiome helps us digest our food, regulates our immune system, protects against other bacteria that cause disease, and produces vitamins!
Autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia are associated with dysfunction in the microbiome along with obesity and cardiovascular disease. It is no wonder that many startups are studying the microbiome. It may well hold the key to curing many diseases.
The gut is supposed to be sealed off from the rest of the body. When this barrier is compromised, “leaky gut” ensues. This allows for micro-sized food particles, bacteria and yeast to enter the bloodstream. Because these things are not supposed to be in the bloodstream, the immune system can be overstimulated, resulting in inflammation and autoimmune responses.
This can be parasites like worms but also pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, and yeast. These are organisms that do not belong in our gut and need to be aggressively treated to eradicate. Pathogens will disrupt a healthy microbiome and lead to a chronic gastrointestinal inflammation.
Individualized treatments are key to healing your gut. There is not one protocol that suits every individual.
Once we find the root cause of your digestive complaints, we can focus on healing the digestive tract and restoring proper function.
Through targeted dietary changes and the addition of herbs and supplements, your gut and digestive symptoms can be healed and resolved. It’s going to take more than a couple of supplements to fix your gut and it will take concerted effort on your part to make dietary changes and follow a detailed plan of herbal and nutraceutical supplements. Oftentimes, the treatment plan will be in stages, changing the supplements used in every stage. The goal is to heal your gut so you can be supplement free and enjoy a diverse diet.
If you’d like to discuss your symptoms and testing options, give us a call at 408-357-3422 or request a complimentary phone consultation.