Research published in the June issue of the journal Hepatology has found patients with an advanced form of fatty liver are more likely to have increased intestinal permeability and bacterial overgrowth in their small intestine. The severity of these intestinal conditions correlates with the severity of fatty liver.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases in the world. It affects one in five to one in three people in western nations. It occurs when excessive fat accumulates within the liver, and can lead to inflammation, scarring and even eventual cirrhosis of the liver.
Poor diet is the main cause of fatty liver disease; it occurs in people who are overweight (particularly on their abdomen), diabetics and people who eat a lot of sugar.
Risk factors for developing fatty liver disease include:
* Obesity
* High carbohydrate diet (sugar, breakfast cereals and foods made of flour)
* Diabetes and Syndrome X (insulin resistance)
* High alcohol intake
* Side effect of some medication
* Autoimmune liver disease
In the early stages of fatty liver, excess fat accumulation is the only change that occurs. However, if left to progress, the liver may develop a type of hepatitis, which causes inflammation inside the liver. This inflammation greatly increases the risk of permanent liver damage. Research has shown that people with “leaky gut syndrome” and high levels of harmful bacteria in their small intestine are far more prone to developing a dangerous form of fatty liver disease.
Leaky gut syndrome occurs when the mucous lining of the intestines becomes irritated and inflamed, making it more porous than it should be. This allows undigested food molecules, bacteria (and their toxins), fungi and other toxins to gain entry into your bloodstream. All blood from the intestines travels to the liver first. If the bowel is toxic, this means a great deal of toxic waste is delivered to the liver each day.
Researchers believe that it is the toxins secreted by gram-negative bacteria in the small intestine (called lipopolysaccharides) that cause most harm to the liver. These toxins stimulate immune cells within the liver, which causes wear and tear, inflammation and tissue damage in the liver.
More about leaky gut syndrome
So how do you know if you have leaky gut syndrome or an overgrowth of bad bacteria? The following symptoms are good indicators:
* Food allergies
* Eczema
* Abdominal bloating after eating
* Indigestion, heartburn or reflux
* Constipation or diarrhea
* Flatulence or burping
These symptoms are extremely common, however they should not be ignored. The health of your gut has an enormous impact on your whole body. The concept that increased intestinal permeability and bad bugs in the gut can contribute to disease was first proposed in 1890 by Llewellyn Jones, who published “Theory of auto-intoxication from gut bacteria”. That statement is very true; we do poison ourselves if we have the wrong gut bacteria inside us.
Intestinal Parasite Cleanse capsules contain powerful herbs that are effective at destroying harmful gut bacteria. This product should be followed by a good probiotic (beneficial bacteria) and a liver tonic like Livatone Plus.
Our book called The Ultimate Detox contains strategies to repair leaky gut syndrome, as well as improve liver health. If you have a fatty liver please be aware that it is reversible in the early stages. Follow our guidelines for liver health on our website, but also be aware of improving your intestinal health.
Reference
Luca Miele, Venanzio Valenza, et al. Increased intestinal permeability and tight junction alterations in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology 2009;49:1877-1887
Read more!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Dr Cabot’s Case Histories
Many of my patients come to see me asking for help with their immune system because they suffer with some chronic problem or an underlying fragility that makes them prone to recurrent inflammation or infections. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs may have helped them to some degree, or in some cases have made them worse, and they realise that they need to turn to nutritional medicine to strengthen their immune system.
Let’s look at some fascinating patients whose cases illustrate what can go wrong when the immune system malfunctions and the wrong treatments are used.
Joanne aged 37, mother of two children and a professional woman working in the health industry.
Joanne came to see me for an unusual auto-immune disease known as Leukocytoclastic vasculitis – wow that’s a mouthful! What does it mean?
From now on let’s abbreviate this disease to (LCV). In Joanne’s case this disease came on within a week of having her 18th annual influenza vaccine and manifested as fever, extreme fatigue, body aches and pains, headache, abdominal pain and a rash consisting of smallish purple spots on her lower abdomen and limbs. The cause of all these symptoms was acute inflammation attacking the tiny arteries that supplied her brain, abdominal organs and limbs. The purple spots were bruises caused by the rupture of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in her skin. To suppress the inflammation the doctor gave her a steroid tablet known as prednisolone and after a few weeks the symptoms went away. When Joanne asked the specialists if this disease had been brought on by the influenza vaccine, she got a blank stare and indeed every doctor she asked this question, gave her a blank stare and a non committal “I doubt it”; notwithstanding Joanne will never have another influenza vaccination and neither would I!
Unfortunately for Joanne the LCV kept recurring every few months over the next 4 years, and she gradually deteriorated and developed a tremor in her right hand, memory problems, a stutter and chronic fatigue. She had to sell her business and give up work and spent a lot of the day sleeping in between looking after her children.
Joanne came to see me with great hope and I believed I could help her slowly restore her health and at least prevent progression of the disease. We would aim for less frequent and less severe recurrences of the vasculitis and look for any other causes of vasculitis.
Joanne had extreme inflammation occurring in the small arteries all over her body and I devised a program to reduce this inflammation; let’s take a look at my plan:
Liquid fish oil – one tablespoon three times daily, just before meals. These larger doses of fish oil were essential to provide anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids to her blood vessels. The fish oil would also thin the blood enabling a better peripheral circulation and less tendency to form blood clots in the tiny arteries.
Antioxidant supplements of:
Vitamin C 1000mg three times daily to reduce free radical damage to the vessel walls
Vitamin E 1000 I. U. to protect the lining of her arteries
Selenium 200mcg daily and zinc 30mg daily to reduce free radical damage inflicted on the arteries and to calm her immune system down.
Raw juices made with pineapple, cabbage, carrot, orange, lime, lemon, capsicum and chives. The juices would concentrate the antioxidants from these vegetables and fruits and if she drank 400mls everyday the inflammation in her blood vessels would be much easier to control.
Causes of LCV
Leukocytoclastic vasculitis can be caused by many medications (such as antibiotics etc.), auto-antigens or infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses. Immune complexes lodge in the vessel wall, attracting polymorphonuclear leukocytes (white blood cells) that in turn release tissue-degrading substances leading to an acute inflammatory process.
Patient Presentation
Painful and lumpy bruises (known as petechiae or purpura). These bruises or spots normally arise in crops, with common localizations being the legs, lower abdomen and forearms. Necrosis (destruction) of skin tissue can produce spots and/or bruises with black or brown centres. This disorder may affect the skin only, but sometimes can affect the tiny blood vessels that supply the nerves, the kidneys, joints and the heart.
Investigations in those with LCV
The most important thing is to identify the causing agent, be it a drug or a microorganism or viral antigen (such as a vaccination). A good history is important, as is a thorough physical examination, chest X-ray, ESR and biochemical tests of organ function, especially the kidneys. Skin biopsy of the lesions reveals inflammation of the small blood vessels, termed leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV), which is most prominent in postcapillary venules. Tests for hepatitis virus, antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor and cryoglobulins might be indicated.
Read more!
Let’s look at some fascinating patients whose cases illustrate what can go wrong when the immune system malfunctions and the wrong treatments are used.
Joanne aged 37, mother of two children and a professional woman working in the health industry.
Joanne came to see me for an unusual auto-immune disease known as Leukocytoclastic vasculitis – wow that’s a mouthful! What does it mean?
From now on let’s abbreviate this disease to (LCV). In Joanne’s case this disease came on within a week of having her 18th annual influenza vaccine and manifested as fever, extreme fatigue, body aches and pains, headache, abdominal pain and a rash consisting of smallish purple spots on her lower abdomen and limbs. The cause of all these symptoms was acute inflammation attacking the tiny arteries that supplied her brain, abdominal organs and limbs. The purple spots were bruises caused by the rupture of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in her skin. To suppress the inflammation the doctor gave her a steroid tablet known as prednisolone and after a few weeks the symptoms went away. When Joanne asked the specialists if this disease had been brought on by the influenza vaccine, she got a blank stare and indeed every doctor she asked this question, gave her a blank stare and a non committal “I doubt it”; notwithstanding Joanne will never have another influenza vaccination and neither would I!
Unfortunately for Joanne the LCV kept recurring every few months over the next 4 years, and she gradually deteriorated and developed a tremor in her right hand, memory problems, a stutter and chronic fatigue. She had to sell her business and give up work and spent a lot of the day sleeping in between looking after her children.
Joanne came to see me with great hope and I believed I could help her slowly restore her health and at least prevent progression of the disease. We would aim for less frequent and less severe recurrences of the vasculitis and look for any other causes of vasculitis.
Joanne had extreme inflammation occurring in the small arteries all over her body and I devised a program to reduce this inflammation; let’s take a look at my plan:
Liquid fish oil – one tablespoon three times daily, just before meals. These larger doses of fish oil were essential to provide anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids to her blood vessels. The fish oil would also thin the blood enabling a better peripheral circulation and less tendency to form blood clots in the tiny arteries.
Antioxidant supplements of:
Vitamin C 1000mg three times daily to reduce free radical damage to the vessel walls
Vitamin E 1000 I. U. to protect the lining of her arteries
Selenium 200mcg daily and zinc 30mg daily to reduce free radical damage inflicted on the arteries and to calm her immune system down.
Raw juices made with pineapple, cabbage, carrot, orange, lime, lemon, capsicum and chives. The juices would concentrate the antioxidants from these vegetables and fruits and if she drank 400mls everyday the inflammation in her blood vessels would be much easier to control.
Causes of LCV
Leukocytoclastic vasculitis can be caused by many medications (such as antibiotics etc.), auto-antigens or infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses. Immune complexes lodge in the vessel wall, attracting polymorphonuclear leukocytes (white blood cells) that in turn release tissue-degrading substances leading to an acute inflammatory process.
Patient Presentation
Painful and lumpy bruises (known as petechiae or purpura). These bruises or spots normally arise in crops, with common localizations being the legs, lower abdomen and forearms. Necrosis (destruction) of skin tissue can produce spots and/or bruises with black or brown centres. This disorder may affect the skin only, but sometimes can affect the tiny blood vessels that supply the nerves, the kidneys, joints and the heart.
Investigations in those with LCV
The most important thing is to identify the causing agent, be it a drug or a microorganism or viral antigen (such as a vaccination). A good history is important, as is a thorough physical examination, chest X-ray, ESR and biochemical tests of organ function, especially the kidneys. Skin biopsy of the lesions reveals inflammation of the small blood vessels, termed leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV), which is most prominent in postcapillary venules. Tests for hepatitis virus, antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor and cryoglobulins might be indicated.
Read more!
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