Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction Diet
Bio-Kult Probiotic
AVAILABLE NOW!!!
Dairy
Stools
FAQs
Resources
The first GAPS cookbook.
Over 140 GAPS friendly recipes.
GAPS Cookbook
HELP!
Contact Us
At the last WAPF conference I met dozens of wonderful people, who were telling
Testimonials me how the GAPS Programme changed their lives and lives of their families.
These people gave me an idea: WE NEED TO PUBLISH ALL THESE STORIES
AS A BOOK! There are millions of people and families out there in desperate
Physicians
situations, who believe the mainstream establishment that there is nothing they
can do to help themselves. Your stories - stories written by real people, will show
Wholesale those families that there is a way out and there is hope!
THANK YOU!
**********
This site supports digestive healing following the GAPS (Gut and Psychology
Syndrome) diet created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
Our goal is to spread Dr. Campbell-McBride's message and introduce you to
the natural path of digestive healing.
The Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet has its foundation on the Specific
Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) created by Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas to heal digestive
disorders. SCD gained great popularity after a mother, Elaine Gottschall, healed her
own child and became an advocate for SCD. Elaine Gottschall is also the author of
the popular book Breaking the Vicious Cycle. Intestinal Health Through Diet.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride has taken SCD and evolved it further to create a full
protocol for healing digestive disorders and subsequent issues.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
She believes that the link between learning disabilities, the food and drink that we
take, and the condition of our digestive system is absolute, and the results of her
work have supported her position on this subject. In her clinic, parents discuss all
aspects of their child's condition, confident in the knowledge that they are not only
talking to a professional but to a parent who has lived their experience. Her deep
understanding of the challenges they face puts her advice in a class of its own.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and
copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in
accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
Published by:
International Nutrition, Inc.
11615 Crossroads Circle, Suite D
Middle River, MD 21220
(800) 899-3413
ask@gapsdiet.com
www.gapsdiet.com
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Dairy
THE NUTRITIONAL PROGRAM
Stools
1. Diet
2. Supplementation
FAQs
3. Detoxification and Life-style Changes
GAPS Cookbook The recommended diet for GAPS patients is largely based on the
Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). The main difference pertains to dairy
Support
products.
For all of these reasons, GAPS children and adults should not consume
dairy products until their digestive system is well enough to handle
them. The diet's only exception to this is milk fat (ghee or clarified
butter) because it contains virtually no milk proteins or lactose and is
generally well tolerated.
Please refer to "The Diet" section for a list of recommended foods.
2. Supplementation
In addition to digestive issues many other
health problems have been shown to
respond to treatment with probiotics:
C. Vitamin A
D. Digestive Enzymes
Pancreatic Enzymes
The first and most important thing is to remove the main source of
toxicity, which means cleaning up and healing the gut.
Since this alone will not rid the body of years worth of toxic build up in
the system, juicing is recommended. Juicing provides very concentrated
fruit and vegetable nutrients to the body in an easily absorbed form.
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
The Introduction Diet will not be found in the book Gut and
Bio-Kult Probiotic Psychology Syndrome. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride has
provided this information free of charge to all families interested in
Dairy starting the GAPS diet. It is essential to have the book Gut and
Psychology Syndrome to implement the GAPS diet effectively.
Stools
Physicians Constipation
In cases of stubborn constipation, introduce freshly pressed juices
Wholesale earlier in the diet, from stage 2: start from carrot juice first thing in
the morning and take your cod liver oil at the same time. The juice
Gaps Guide Blog will stimulate bile production as many cases of persistent
constipation are due to poor bile production. When there is not
enough bile, the fats in the food do not digest well; instead they
react with salts and form soap in the gut, causing constipation.
Removing dairy may also help.
*Note: Those who start with the Introduction Diet will introduce
dairy earlier than those who go right into the full GAPS diet.
Always do a sensitivity test prior to introducing dairy.
INTRODUCTION DIET
EVERY MORNING
Start the day with a cup of still mineral or filtered water. Give your
patient the probiotic. Make sure that the water is warm or room
temperature, not cold, as cold will aggravate his or her condition.
Only foods listed are allowed: your patient must not have anything
else. On the First Stage the most drastic symptoms of abdominal
pain, diarrhea and constipation will quickly subside. If, when you
introduce a new food, your patient gets back diarrhea, pain or any
other digestive symptoms then he/she is not ready for that food to
be introduced. Wait for a week and try again.
SENSITIVITY TEST
Take a drop of the food in question (if the food is solid, mash and
mix with a bit of water) and place it on the inside of the wrist of the
patient. Do it at bedtime. Let the drop dry on the skin, then let
your patient go to sleep. In the morning check the spot: if there is
an angry red reaction, then avoid that food for a few weeks, and
then try again. If there is no reaction, then go ahead and introduce
it gradually starting from a small amount.
STAGE 1
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
STAGE 4
STAGE 5
STAGE 6
After the Introduction Diet is completed and when your patient has
more or less normal stools move into the Full GAPS Diet.
A Typical Menu:
BREAKFAST CHOICES
Any of the home baked goods: muffins, fruit cake and bread.
LUNCH CHOICES
DINNER CHOICES
There are many recipes found in the book. You can also take old
recipes and give them your own GAPS diet update.
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
For many GAPS patients, the diet should be followed for two years
Bio-Kult Probiotic at least. The book Gut & Psychology Syndrome will provide recipes
and more explanation about the diet.
Dairy
The best foods are eggs (if tolerated), fresh meats (not preserved),
Stools fish, shellfish, fresh vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, garlic and
olive oil. Apart from eating vegetables cooked, it is important to
FAQs
have some raw vegetables with meals, as they contain vital enzymes
to assist digestion of the meats. Fruit should be eaten on their own,
not with meals, as they have a very different digestion pattern and
Pregnancy and Baby
can make the work harder for the stomach. Fruit should be given as
a snack between meals.
Resources
It is very important to have plenty of natural fats in every meal from
GAPS Cookbook meats, butter, ghee, coconut (if tolerated) and cold pressed olive oil.
Animal fats on meats are particularly valuable. Fermented foods
Support (sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir) are also a very important part of this
diet in addition to homemade meat or fish stock. It is recommended
to take a cup of warm meat or fish stock with every meal as a drink
Contact Us
as well as soups and stews made with the meat or fish stock. The
stock, kefir and fermented vegetables will over time restore the
Testimonials stomach acid production, which will improve digestion.
RECOMMENDED FOODS
FOODS TO AVOID
Acesulphame
Acidophilus milk
Agar-agar
Agave syrup - main carbohydrate is a complex form of fructose
Algae - can aggravate an already disturbed immune
system
Aloe Vera - please go to "FAQs" for additional information on when
it can be introduced
Amaranth - is a grain substitute, contains starches
Apple juice - usually has sugar added during
processing
Arrowroot - is a mucilaginous herb and loaded with
starch
Aspartame
Astragalus - contains polysaccharides
Baked beans
Baker's yeast - contains saccharamyces cerevisae
Baking powder and raising agents of all kind - baking soda can be used
for specific medical issues, please view the "FAQs" section
Balsamic vinegar - most found in stores have added
sugar
Barley
Bean flour and sprouts
Bee pollen - irritating to a damaged gut
Beer
Bhindi or okra
Bicarbonate of soda
Bitter Gourd
Black-eye beans
Bologna
Bouillon cubes or granules
Brandy
Buckwheat
Bulgur
Burdock root - contains FOS and mucilage
Butter beans
Buttermilk
Canellini beans
Canned vegetables and fruit
Carob
Carrageenan - is seaweed and high in
polysaccharides
Cellulose gum
Cereals, including all breakfast cereals
Cheeses, processed and cheese spreads
Chestnuts and chestnut flour
Chevre cheese
Chewing gum - contain sugars or sugar substitutes
Chick peas
Chickory root - contains high amounts of FOS
Chocolate
Cocoa powder - please see "FAQs" for more information
Coffee, instant and coffee substitutes
Cooking oils
Cordials
Corn
Cornstarch
Corn syrup
Cottage cheese
Cottonseed
Cous-cous
Cream - contains lactose
Cream of Tartar
Cream cheese
Dextrose - in commercial products it is not the pure
form
Drinks, soft
Faba beans
Feta cheese
Fish, preserved, smoked, salted, breaded and canned
with sauces
Flour, made out of grains
FOS (fructooligosaccharides)
Fructose - extracted from corn and has a mixture of
other trisaccharides
Fruit, canned or preserved
Garbanzo beans
Gjetost cheese
Grains, all
Gruyere cheese
Ham
Hot dogs
Ice-cream, commercial
Jams
Jellies
Jerusalem artichoke
Ketchup, commercially available
Lactose
Liqueurs
Margarines and butter replacements
Meats, processed, preserved, smoked and salted
Millet
Milk from any animal, soy, rice, canned coconut milk
Milk, dried
Molasses
Mozzarella cheese
Mungbeans
Neufchatel cheese
Nutra-sweet (aspartame)
Nuts, salted, roasted and coated
Oats
Okra - mucilaginous food
Parsnips
Pasta, of any kind
Pectin
Postum
Potato white
Potato sweet
Primost cheese
Quinoa - 60% starch
Rice
Ricotta cheese
Rye
Saccharin
Sago
Sausages, commercially available
Semolina
Sherry
Soda soft drinks
Sour cream, commercial
Soy
Spelt
Starch
Sugar or sucrose of any kind
Tapioca - starch
Tea, instant
Triticale
Turkey loaf
Vegetables, canned or preserved
Wheat
Wheat germ
Whey, powder or liquid
Yams
Yogurt, commercial
While this diet is very close to the SCD, there are a few changes. One
important difference is that the GAPS diet removes casein in addition to
lactose in the beginning stages of the diet.
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Dairy
Essential Beginning Supplies
Stools
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-
FAQs
McBride
Therapeutic strength probiotic (Bio-kult is recommended)
Pregnancy and Baby
Organic meats and vegetables including meat bones for
stock
Resources Safer household and personal care products
Cooking supplies for making meat stocks and fermented
GAPS Cookbook vegetables
Support (If finances are an issue, finish the products you have and
replace them with more natural products. There are also some
Contact Us very inexpensive natural solutions you can find for household
cleaners using vinegar, baking soda, and lemon. Search online
Testimonials for some fast and easy recipes that are just as effective and cost
only pennies.)
Physicians
Helpful (Non-essential) Beginning Supplies
Wholesale
Food processor
Gaps Guide Blog Juicer
Grinder (for making nut flours and nut butters)
Freezer containers
WHERE TO BEGIN
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Stools
View the Bio-Kult Brochure here.
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
INTRODUCING DAIRY
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
FAQs
Resources
GAPS Cookbook
Support
Contact Us
Testimonials
Physicians
Wholesale
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Stools
MOST RECENTLY ADDED FAQS (May 2011)
FAQs
New Article by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
Pregnancy and Baby "One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison!"
Resources
How do we best make the transition from enemas (used every night for
months) to unassisted daily relief?
GAPS Cookbook
I recommend leaving it without an enema for 2-4 days: your bowel
Support should start producing stools. In the meantime start your day with a
freshly pressed juice of oranges or grapefruit. Eat cooked beetroot
Contact Us regularly. Avoid sweet vegetables, such as winter squashes for a few
weeks. Take HCl&Pepsin 1-2 capsules at the beginning of your
meals. Try to take supplements of spirulina, blue-green algae,
Testimonials
chlorella or dunaliella; many patients find them very useful in
resolving constipation. Please, see other questions on constipation,
Physicians
which will help you with dietary changes. If there is no stool after
four days of waiting, do an enema with 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of
Wholesale soda + 1 teaspoon of sea salt per litre of water: do just 1 litre to
empty the lower parts of the bowel without getting higher. It will
Gaps Guide Blog take time for your bowel to start functioning normally again after
long-term enemas, so be patient and give yourself plenty of time for
opening your bowel. It helps to distract your mind from opening our
bowel while on the toilet, so read a book or occupy your mind with
something else. Leave it to your bowel to do the job, it knows what it
is doing and your mind can actually interfere with the process.
Are shirataki noodles (from konjac root) ok on GAPS and if so, what
stage would they be allowed on?
I have no experience with shirataki. They contain complex
carbohydrates, so I would not try them until your digestive
symptoms are gone. When you tried them once and there are no
reactions, then perhaps you can introduce them.
I understand that GAPS patients have a lot of food
sensitivities/allergies and some of them are identified during the Intro
diet and eventually resolved as the gut lining heals. What about the
patients that have so called environmental allergies, i.e. reactions to
pollen, dust mites, etc? Should they expect their issues to be resolved
only after their gut completely heals?
GAPS Nutritional Protocol re-balances immunity, so its major arms
(Th1 and Th2) get back into balance. It is an imbalance between
these parts of the immune system that lead to allergies. I see allergies
to dust mites, pollen, animals and other environmental influences
disappear in my patients all the time. But if a patient goes back to
eating junk food and sugar, these allergies can come back.
What do you suggest for people who have high amounts of klebsiella
and clostridium bacteria in their body? Cut out all foods containing
FOS?
These microbes are best fought with probiotics. Usually the diet and
good quality therapeutic probiotics take them under control. If after
six months on the GAPS programme they still cause trouble, then a
course of appropriate antibiotic can be administered. Make sure to
continue with the GAPS diet and high doses of probiotics through
the antibiotic treatment and afterwards.
What do you recommend for bacterial vaginosis that came back after
an antibiotic cream given to me by my obstetrician / gynaecologist?
You need to restore your normal vaginal flora. To do that insert 1-2
capsules of a good quality probiotic into your vagina at bedtime for
a few nights; and apply homemade kefir all over your groin area
daily after a shower or a bath.
I have read that people are healing on a zero carb diet (meat, fat,
eggs). Some even claim they saw no healing on GAPS but are healing
on a zero carb diet. What is your thought on this type of diet,
particularly how it relates to gut flora?
I do prescribe a no-plant diet for some patients, where they do the
Introduction diet without any vegetables or fruit at all for a few
weeks. It helps children with hyperactivity and diarrhoea, and
people with severe digestive problems with diarrhoea and blood
sugar problems. Everybody is different and it is important to fine
tune the GAPS diet for your individual situation.
In addition to juicing, elderberry and plants (all mentioned in the
book), are there other detoxing methods recommended for GAPS
patients? If one wanted to undergo an intense detox, is there a
recommended procedure? Do you recommend using detox protocols in
addition to juicing to remove problem heavy metals?
I do not recommend any other detox procedures for the first two
years of the programme, as the GAPS Nutritional Protocol will
restore your own detoxification system in the body, so it starts
functioning again and removing toxins naturally. However, in some
cases the toxic load can be too high and still producing symptoms
after two years; in these cases I recommend natural chelating
substances such as HumetR and HMD™ (Heavy Metal Detox).
Seaweed and probiotics are also strong chelators of toxins.
Many people find fasting very helpful. Fasting is best done in a
dedicated clinic under supervision, and people who do best with it
are those who are fairly well nourished (not underweight). There are
many other powerful detox protocols available around the world
and it is best to do them in dedicated clinics. I know quite a few
people who have attempted various protocols with different results,
ranging from none to spectacular. The outcome depends very much
on your own detoxification system in the body working well, and
that is what GAPS programme can do for you – it will restore your
detox system.
Do you recommend the removal of silver fillings if there is a high level
of mercury or other heavy metals?
Absolutely! However, it is very important to work with a holistic
dentist, as conventional dentists are not trained in safe removal of
amalgam fillings. Metals in the mouth create electric currents and
different fillings acquire a positive or a negative charge. These
electric charges need to be measured and fillings need to be removed
in a certain order, starting from the largest negatively charged one.
After the first one is removed, the currents in the mouth need to be
measured again, as the charges will change. Please, read an excellent
book by Dr. Hal A Huggins It’s all in your head; it will explain to you
all the important considerations in safe removal of amalgam fillings.
What is your opinion on using Dr Brownstein’s iodine protocol to
detox fluoride, chlorine and bromides?
I have no experience with this protocol and cannot comment.
I recommend iodine paint as a form of testing and supplementing
iodine in the initial stages of the GAPS Programme (please see other
questions under THYROID). Later on, when seaweed is introduced it
will supply iodine in a natural form. In order to use iodine properly
the body needs many other nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, K, B
group and other. The GAPS diet will remove nutritional deficiencies
naturally through food, so iodine can be used by the body efficiently.
At the same time under GAPS Nutritional Protocol the
detoxification system in the body starts working again, so toxins
such as fluoride, chlorine and bromides can be removed naturally
and safely by your own body (without you having to figure out all
the immense chemical complexities of how to do it).
After doing the diet for a year and seeing a lot of healing, just before
my last menstrual cycle I got very severe fatigue, brain fog, radiating
pain, stiff neck and headache. I never had these symptoms before and I
am at a loss as to what could have caused it. Any suggestions on
managing this new symptom?
It is possible that you got a viral infection. Try to take L-lysine 3-4
grams per day as a supplement and remove citrus fruit, nuts and
greens from the diet for a while; try to go back to rich soups and
stews with sour cream and kefir. Another thing to do is to find a
good homeopath and see if that can help.
Does the GAPS diet heal fructose malabsorption, or would the GAPS
diet need to be modified?
This condition is part of GAP Syndrome as well as lactose
intolerance and most-sugars-intolerance. Why? Because in people
with abnormal gut flora enterocytes (the cells which line the gut) are
damaged and unable to fulfil their main function: digestion of
sugars. The fructose malabsorption became prominent since high-
fructose corn syrup came on the market: this is a processed
sweetener which is extremely harmful to health. But as it is cheep to
produce and very profitable for the manufacturers many processed
foods and drinks are sweetened with it nowadays. GAPS diet
removes double sugars and there is no need to modify it. If you have
been specifically diagnosed with fructose malabsorption, you may
want to avoid fruit and honey initially. As you go through the GAPS
Introduction Diet, your enterocytes will start recovering and you will
be able to re-introduce honey and fruit.
I know that you warn against taking calcium as it can cause the
depletion of other minerals in the body as it chelates. What can
someone do to make sure they get enough calcium when they cannot
tolerate any of the calcium rich foods like leafy greens, nuts or
fermented dairy?
Please look at other questions under SUPPLEMENTS. There is no
need to worry about calcium, it is present in most foods and meat
can be a very good source of calcium in a good balance with
magnesium. Bone broth and vegetables will add more.
My son’s fingernails have quit growing since we started GAPS over a
year ago. I cannot remember the last time I cut them. Is this cause for
concern?
No! I would not worry about it as long as your son is generally
healthy and doing well. It is possible that his body is using nutrients
for more important functions at the moment rather than building
nails. As he gets well nourished and the body has plenty of nutrients
to spare, his nails should start growing again.
Are homeopathic meds allowed on GAPS?
Homeopathy combines with GAPS very well and I recommend it.
Homeopathic remedies can help you to get through die-off easier
and to overcome many stubborn problems.
Is plain carbonated water (seltzer) allowed on GAPS?
Yes!
What is the typical time frame for giving HCl&Pepsin? I have given it
to my two young sons and it seemed to help, but it would be difficult
for my youngest to express whether or not it is causing stomach
distress. What would be the minimum amount of time I should try
using it with them? How will I know when it is OK to stop?
Long-term consumption of HCl&Pepsin can cause stomach
irritation. Generally for children I recommend to use cabbage as a
stomach acidity stimulator: give them cabbage juice, fresh cabbage
salad or a small helping of sauerkraut 5-10 minutes before the meal,
and their stomachs will be ready and full of acid. If this measure is
not enough, then use a little of HCl&Pepsin with large meals only.
What is there difference between algae and seaweed that seaweeds are
allowed and algae are not?
Actually seaweed is a form of algae, strictly speaking. This is a good
point which slipped my attention, thank you for pointing it out. As
nutritional supplements algae are commercially cultivated and can
be sold under names of spirulina, algae, chlorella and dunaliella.
Both seaweed and algae can be introduced when the Introduction
Diet has been completed and there are no more digestive problems.
Keep in mind that supplements of algae can cause diarrhoea and can
be very helpful in resolving constipation.
Chicken bones that have been simmered for 24 hours are very soft and
can be eaten, and it’s easier to eat them than to try to get the marrow
out of them. Is there any harm to a GAPS patient to eating the bones
as well as the marrow if they have been cooked for the 24 hours?
Yes, you can eat soft bones, they will do you a lot of good.
I still don’t understand if the GAPS diet and SCD actually heal celiac,
Crohn’s disease and gluten intolerance or whether they just manage it.
For example, would a person with celiac, who successfully did the
GAPS diet for 2 years, then be able to eat gluten? Or would they be
less sensitive to gluten of they had it in limited quantities? Or would
they need to continue to not eat gluten but have overcome the
symptoms of celiac?
GAPS diet may cure celiac disease and other inflammatory bowel
condition, not only manage them. Of course, everybody is different
and would take different time to heal. When your digestive
symptoms are gone completely and have not been present for six
months at least try to make some homemade sourdough pancakes:
mix white wheat flour with your homemade kefir or whey to a thick
pancake-batter consistency and ferment in a warm place for 2-3
days; then add a few eggs, salt and some melted animal fat to the
mixture and make thin pancakes (crepes). Eat one or two of these
pancakes and then observe your digestive system for 4-5 days: if
nothing has happened then you are ready to have sourdough. To
make sourdough bread mix white wheat flour with salt and your
homemade kefir or whey; kneed the mixture well until it does not
stick to your hands anymore; press the dough into a loaf tin, apply
some fat to the top (so the dough does not dry on the top), and put
into a warm place for 2-3 days for fermenting (it will rise naturally
in that time); bake at 200C (390F) for 20-35 minutes (test if ready
with a dry knife). Initially only have homemade sourdough bread or
pancakes (for a few months). When those are well tolerated, you can
try to eat a small piece of commercial sourdough bread.
My two year old son passes nearly all vegetables, well cooked, blended
or otherwise undigested in his stools. Does this mean that we should be
avoiding vegetables altogether for now? Is this due to a lack of
microbes and something that will improve in time? It seems to me like
it would not be healthy to exclude all vegetables form his diet.
If the stool is normal then don’t worry about it, he will start
digesting vegetables in time. If he has a propensity for diarrhoea
then it may be a good idea to remove all vegetables and just follow
the Introduction Diet without any plant foods at all for a while.
When stools became consistently normal, you can start introducing
vegetables.
Could you please discuss migraines; what causes them? Can they be
prevented? Is there anything that can be done to stop the pain? Is there
a difference between ones that happen randomly and ones that happen
with menstruation or ovulation?
Migraines are vascular headaches which usually happen in one side
of the head. First a spasm happens in the wall of a meningeal artery;
the spasm does not last long (a few minutes) and is followed by a
paralysis of the wall of the artery, which can last for days. The
paralysis leads to swelling and inflammation of tissues around the
artery wall, causing a headache. What cause the spasm in the first
place? Many factors can do that and we do not have all the pieces of
the puzzle yet. In GAPS patients it is toxicity from the gut that plays
a major role. One mechanism is overproduction of histamine in the
gut (which is produced by pathogenic microbes), which drop the
blood pressure too low and initiate the spasm. Around menstruation
and ovulation a rapid change in hormones in the body can initiate a
migraine. In the second half of the menstrual cycle our immunity is
suppressed by progesterone, so any overgrowth of pathogens in the
gut and elsewhere in the body gets more active, producing more
toxins than usual and initiating the migraine. GAPS Nutritional
Protocol over time will help to reduce amounts of toxicity in the
body, re-balance hormones and as a result help with migraines. As
an emergency procedure many people find coffee enemas very
helpful.
Coffee enemas are one of the best ways of cleansing your liver and
speeding up detoxification process in your body. It gives a good pain
relief as well.
To prepare the coffee bring to boil 1 litre of water, add 3 table
spoons of organic ground coffee, boil for 2 min, then reduce the heat
to a minimum, cover with a tight lid and simmer for another 10-15
min. Cool down and strain.
Before doing the coffee enema, it is a good idea to have a good
cleansing enema with warm water (dissolve ½ a teaspoon of sea salt
in the water and ½ a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda). To clear your
bowel completely let some water into your bowel (about one litre),
empty. Then let more water into the bowel and empty again. Do it 2-
4 times until the water starts coming out looking fairly clean to
indicate that your bowel is empty. After your bowel is empty, slowly
get the coffee into your rectum. Remove the tube and lie down on
your right side or any other comfortable position. Try to keep
yourself comfortable and warm. It is desirable to keep the coffee
inside for 15 min before emptying your bowel. Initially you might
not be able to hold it for that long. Don’t worry about it. With time
and experience you will be able to do it. To hold the coffee longer, I
recommend keeping the pipe in your rectum for a while (after the
coffee has gone in) to allow gases to escape: accumulating gas
stretches the bowel and causes an urge to empty too quickly.
Coffee enemas help in majority of migraine headaches, but not in all
cases. Sometimes painkillers have to be taken as well. But clearing
the bowel helps long term, as it reduces the amount of toxicity
coming into the body.
In an earlier question you said that if a person is stuck in the intro
stage, then perhaps a natural anti-parasitic/anti-bacterial remedy may
be helpful. Could you give a suggestion about how a person could
begin doing this? Are any of these remedies safe for young children?
There are many anti-parasitic natural supplements on the market
which can help: garlic extract, olive leaf extract, oregano oil and
grapefruit seed extract. The first supplement, which I find useful, is
garlic extract. Always start from a small dose and gradually
increasing it. The dose can be increased to quite large amounts:
some adults take 5-10 grams every day, for a child 500mg – 1 gram
with food is usually enough. Once garlic is well tolerated, olive leaf
extract can be added, starting from a small dose and gradually
increasing to 1-2 grams twice a day for adults; for children 500mg
twice a day is usually enough. Once garlic and olive leaf extracts are
well tolerated, oregano oil can be added, starting from a small dose
(1-5 drops) per day and gradually increasing to 30-40 drops for
adults and 5-10 drops for children. The last supplement to add is
grapefruit seed extract, starting from 1-2 drops a day and gradually
increasing to a dose that is tolerated: adults manage to get up to 10
drops 2-3 times per day, for children 4-5 drops may be enough.
There are many brands of these supplements on the market, try to
find good quality.
Some herbal preparations include MSM (Methyl Sulphonyl
Methane), which is a good source of sulphur, essential for
detoxification and controlling parasites in the body. If the herbal
preparation does not include MSM, you may want to add it to the
mix. Start from a low dose and gradually increase to the level of 1-2
grams per day for children and 4-5 grams per day for adults.
******************************************************
ADRENALS
What recommendations are there for GAPS patients for boosting their
adrenals?
Adrenals love fat and cholesterol. So, as far as the diet is concerned,
eat lots of animal fats with every meal and cholesterol-rich foods,
such as egg yolks, sour cream, butter and fatty fish. Another
essential for the adrenals is sleep! Sleep is really not optional, so
organise your life in such a way that you can have a nap every
afternoon and a good long sleep at night. Another essential is to
lower your stress, which is easier done than you may think. Stress is
not the event itself; it is your attitude to this event. Research shows,
that people react to stress very differently depending on their
attitude to life. The one, who generally has a negative personality
and tends to worry a lot, has all the stress hormones and destructive
chemicals racing around their bodies. But the person, who has a
philosophical and positive attitude to life, will have much less stress
chemicals in their blood and will cope much better. It is the first
type of people that “burn” their adrenals out. There are excellent
books on this subject: you can start from Dale Carnegie’s book
“How to stop worrying and start living”, for example.
AUTOIMMUNE
I have heard rumours that a book for autoimmune conditions will be
coming out. Will the recommendations differ greatly from those in the
GAPS book? What should I do now while I am waiting for the new
book?
Yes, I am working on the new book, called GUT AND PHYSIOLOGY
SYNDROME, which will cover autoimmunity amongst other
conditions. You do not have to wait for that book, as the treatment
for those conditions will essentially be the same: the existing GAPS
Nutritional Protocol.
Would the GAPS diet do anything to help heal someone with
Parkinson’s disease?
I have no experience in treating Parkinson’s disease with GAPS
Nutritional Protocol. However, there are many indications to show
that Parkinson’s disease is autoimmune in its origin. GAPS
Nutritional Protocol heals the gut and re-balances immunity; so it
should lay the foundation for recovery. I would try it.
BACTERIA
I have been reading conflicting information regarding bacteria and
where they reside. Some sources say the small intestine should be
sterile and have not bacteria in it and that both lactobacillus and
bifidobacterium live in the large intestine only. Other sources indicate
that bifidobacteria live in the large intestine while lactobacillus reside
only in the small intestine. What is your thoughts on this?
The whole digestive system is populated, from your mouth to the
end; there are no sterile areas in the digestive tract. Bifidobacteria
are strict anaerobes; the best conditions for them exist in the large
bowel, that is why they are very numerous there. Lactobacilli can
use oxygen and also can live in anaerobic conditions, so they are
present everywhere, including the small intestine.
Why does it take so long to change the bacterial profile in the gut?
It can be quick to get ill, while healing always takes time. It can take
a long time to normalise gut flora in a person with gut dysbiosis
because the gut is occupied by thousands of pathogenic species of
microbes. They dig themselves in very well in the gut lining, and to
drive them out is not easy: the probiotic microbes have quite a fight
on their hands. Another problem is that, whether we use fermented
foods or commercial probiotic supplements, the numbers of active
microbes we introduce are very small. There is no way at the
moment (which means we don’t know any way) to flood the gut with
probiotics safely, because we don’t know enough about them. Recent
scientific data shows that there are hundreds of thousands of various
species of microbes in a healthy gut! With our current knowledge we
can only introduce a few at a time – those that we know, such as
lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and few others. There are a few doctors in
the worlds who are trying to copy Nature: they use a procedure
called faecal transplant: a stool from a healthy donor is mixed with
water and introduced into the gut of the patient (through the tube
into the stomach, or into the bowel as an enema). In many patients
this fixes the problem, though it does not work for everybody.
Faecal transplant introduces the whole immensely complex flora of a
healthy gut, without us knowing what species of microbes are there
and what other factors we are introducing. I am sure that many of
you watched films about animals, where a baby elephant would
consume mother’s stool with relish. For us, humans, this looks
repulsive and unacceptable, but obviously these animals know
something we don’t. Faecal transplant does what these baby
elephants do, and maybe this will be the way in the future to restore
the gut flora quickly.
How does GAPS diet deal with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
(SIBO)? Because fermented foods and probiotic can actually feed
SIBO, what is your recommendation on how to address this situation?
Majority of GAPS people have this problem. Just follow the GAPS
programme, it will feed the gut and re-balance immunity and the
nervous system in the gut wall. The body knows how to heal itself,
just give it the tools.
BIOFILMS
How do we know if the pathogens in our gut have created biofilms? If
there are biofilms, do we need to do or take anything to remove those
biofilms in addition to the GAPS protocol and diet or will it get rid of
those biofilms?
Most (if not all) microbes form biofilms. Biofilm is simply a
community of microbes which grow together or a surface and are
imbedded in various substances they produce (proteins,
carbohydrates, etc). Biofilms are not necessarily something bad that
should be “got rid off”, as beneficial flora in the gut forms them too.
We don’t know enough about this subject yet to start taking action,
particularly destructive action. Just work on improving your gut
flora; as the beneficial microbes win, they will deal with the
pathogens in their own way, including removing their biofilms.
CALCIUM & MAGNESIUM
Will my child get enough calcium on the GAPS diet? Do we need to
supplement calcium?
CONSTIPATION, DIARRHEA, STOOL ISSUES
If constipation persists for several months, does it mean you are doing
something wrong? Is there anything you recommend in addition to
enemas and juicing to help this?
Try to replace high-protein dairy with high-fat dairy. In my
experience adding high-protein dairy: whey, yoghurt and kefir, does
miracles for those who are prone to diarrhoea. Constipation,
however, is a different matter. If your patient is prone to chronic
constipation introduce high-fat dairy: ghee, butter and sour cream,
but not high-protein dairy, such as yoghurt, whey, kefir and cheese:
high protein dairy can aggravate constipation. High fat content of
sour cream will lubricate the gut wall and soften the stool.
How is it that flax seeds can be used for constipation? Won’t they
damage the gut lining like other fibrous foods?
I do not recommend taking flax seeds, particularly in the initial
stages of the programme. When soaked overnight, flax seeds absorb
a lot of water and turn into a jelly. It is thought that this water-
absorbing quality of flax seeds helps with constipation. However, it
does not help everybody, and yes, flax seeds are very fibrous and
have other anti-nutrients.
After 2 years on GAPS I still have undigested vegetables in my stool
and they take about 3 days to go through my digestive tract. I keep
reading that any undigested food feeds pathogens and fungi. Is this
true and if so, should I just cook the veggies in my broth and then
strain them out? I assume after cooking the veggies for 35-40 minutes
all the nutrients are in the broth anyhow?
It is normal to see some undigested vegetables in your stool,
particularly if they were eaten raw and not chewed very well. It is
also quite normal for them to take three days to get through your
digestive tract. They do not feed microbes any more than any other
food would do. Raw vegetables are important to eat, as they provide
active enzymes and other nutrients, which are destroyed by cooking.
Providing that you have no diarrhoea, you do not have to cook all
your vegetables. Indeed, when you boil vegetables, a lot of nutrients
from them finish up in the water. That is why it is best to eat boiled
vegetables as a soup with the broth you cooked them in, so no
nutrients are wasted.
I have recently begun juicing – just green veggies. I have severe
candida overgrowth. My question has to do with the colour of my
stools. They are very green. Does that mean I am not digesting them
well and should I stop? Or do I push through and it will eventually
resolve itself?
Yes, it should resolve itself in time. It is the same as when people
start drinking lots of carrot juice, their skin turns yellow. Try to
whisk some raw eggs and raw sour cream into your juices: this will
turn them into delicious smoothies, which will balance your blood
sugar and boost your immunity. It will also assist the absorption of
chlorophyll from your green juices, so it does not escape in your
stool.
If a food causes a minor upset, such as gas, phlegm, slight change in
stool, etc., will healing be prevented if this food is continued to be
consumed?
These reactions tell you that your digestive system is not ready for
that food to be introduced. Remove it for a couple of weeks, then try
again as a part of your meal; not on its own, and not on an empty
stomach. Please read Food Allergy to learn more.
Since starting the diet my son’s stools have consistently floated. Is this
cause for concern?
Not at all. Whether the stool floats or sinks depends on its density,
which in turn depends on the mixture of foods eaten.
If GAPS patients see undigested food in their stool, should the
undigested food be avoided?
Cocoa is SCD illegal. However, I find that many people can start
having it occasionally on the Full GAPS Diet, once the digestive
symptoms are gone. Find pure organic cocoa powder. Mixing the
powder with some honey and sour cream makes a delicious dessert,
and you can add it to your homemade ice cream or cakes. After
trying it for the first time, observe your patient for any reactions.
Cocoa is very rich in magnesium and some essential amino acids
and, unless your digestive system is not ready for it, there is no need
to avoid it.
I have seen a lot of controversy regarding flax and chia seeds and their
mucilaginous properties. Are either of these seeds GAPS-legal, and if
not why? What about flax oil? It is mentioned in the GAPS book that it
should not be taken alone. How/when should it be taken?
Flax and chia seeds and oils are allowed on the Full GAPS diet. As a
whole seed they are very fibrous and should not be consumed until
diarrhoea has cleared completely. People who are prone to
constipation find it useful to take a teaspoonful of these seeds every
morning, after the seeds have been soaking in water over night (they
become jelly-like). The oils from these seeds must be cold pressed
without application of chemicals or high pressure. The oil of flax is
too high in omega-3 fatty acids - that is why I do not recommend
supplementing it on its own. It is better to take it in a mixture with
other cold pressed oils, such as evening primrose oil or starflower
oil. Chia oil is new on the market; it appears to have a more balance
fatty acid composition, so it may be OK to take it on its own.
However, it is a good idea to alternate oils in your diet, not sticking
to one particular oil for long periods of time, as all of these oils have
their own pluses and minuses. Also, it needs to be remembered that
the bulk of fats in the GAPS diet comes from animal foods; these oils
are just a supplement, taken in a complex with animal fats, olive oil
and coconut oil.
Is there any specific ratio of meat to vegetables that GAPS patients
should adhere to?
Yes!
Can you tell me if nettle tea is allowed on the GAPS diet? I see that
nettle is not on SCD, but I don’t know about the tea. Nettle tea is so
full of nutrients and minerals; it would be a shame to give it up
nutrient-wise.
Yes, nettle tea is allowed. Nettles are very nutritious. I have a recipe
of nettle soup in my book, and I recommend using fresh nettle leaves
in juicing. Do not use nettles in pregnancy because it can initiate
contractions. For this reason nettle infusion has been traditionally
used in the third stage of childbirth, when the baby is out, but
placenta is still in and needs some encouragement to come out.
Is mead in small amounts GAPS allowed?
Yes, as long as it is made with honey and not with sugar (as sugar is
often not completely removed by fermentation).
Are the following allowed: ginseng, kava, valerian root, Irish moss tea,
plant fibre in supplements?
Yes, herbs are generally allowed as a tea or an extract. When the
diarrhoea has cleared, you can start consuming them raw and dried,
as by then your gut should be able to handle fibre (herbs are usually
fibrous).
Is soured milk GAPS legal? Tequila?
Only homemade fermented milk products are allowed. Tequila is a
distilled product like vodka, and if nothing else has been added, it
should be OK occasionally and in small amounts.
Are the following GAPS foods legal: adzuki beans, coconut aminos,
hemp seeds?
Adzuki beans are not allowed, as more than 60% of them are
complex carbohydrates. Coconut aminos is a supplement; from what
I can see on the manufacturer’s information it should be OK. Hemp
seed is very fibrous and low in useful nutrition, apart from the oil.
So, if you want to try hemp seeds I would only try them when all
digestive symptoms are completely gone.
Is liquorice root tea GAPS legal?
CYSTITIS
Please comment on interstitial cystitis and how GAPS can help?
Please read the article Food Allergy, it will explain this issue to you
in detail.
DETOXING, DIE-OFF, & OTHER SYMPTOMS
What are "die-off" symptoms?
In your book you mention that GAPS people often have an overgrowth
of sulphate-reducing bacteria. If I suspect this to be the case in my
child, should I avoid feeding him foods that contain high amount of
sulphur?
No, do not remove sulphur-containing foods! Sulphur is essential to
re-build you child’s gut, immunity and liver function. GAPS people
are already deficient in sulphur; they cannot get enough of it. As the
gut flora starts changing the beneficial microbes will take care of the
pathogens and normalise your child’s sulphur metabolism.
Even the smallest amount of any probiotic food or supplement causes
me severe bloating, fatigue and pain. How do I do the diet if I can’t
take probiotics? Are there any conditions where probiotic are not
recommended?
People suffering from ME, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia
and some other debilitating conditions often have difficulties
introducing probiotics. The reason for that is the die-off effect: it is
so severe in this group of patients that they find it very difficult to
cope with. Just start from a tiny amount and go up very slowly. I
have patients who start from 1/18 th of a capsule of the Bio-Kult (or
as much powder as would fit on the end of a sharp knife), and it
takes them months to get up to one capsule per day. The same with
fermented foods, start from a tiny amount per 5-7 days; as your
body gets used to that amount, start taking it a bit more frequently.
When you can take that tiny amount every day, start increasing the
dose. Proceed in this very slow manner. It is important for you to
introduce probiotics in the form of food or supplement. You just
have to go slowly.
GAS/FLATULENCE
As far as I understand, gas is a sign of fungi presence in the gut.
Should one go back to the second stage of Intro and stay on it until
there is absolutely no gas? Does one have to eliminate gas completely
in order to heal his gut or will it just heal over the course of time?
Yes, gas is produced largely by fungi in the gut. Some amount of gas
is normal, but not too much. You do not have to go back to the Intro
diet, but just remove foods for a while which may be feeding fungi:
fruit, nuts and baking.
HAIR
Why do some GAPS patients experience tooth discoloration and hair
loss?
Tooth discoloration and hair loss are very rare in GAPS patients,
and usually happen in very toxic people, particularly people with
metal toxicity. Hair and teeth are those places where the body often
stores toxins in. Many things happen in the body, as the GAPS
program is initiated. We don't know what happens exactly, but it is
possible that the hair, full of toxins, get dropped by the body to
allow new "clean" hair to grow. With teeth: I have seen autistic
children who had their permanent teeth growing with black spots
imbedded in them. One particular boy displayed noticeable
improvements in his autism in the weeks following the removal of
the black spot by the dentist. It is possible that his body had stored
mercury from vaccinations or some other toxins in the growing
tooth. We don't know what happens exactly, but it is likely that the
detoxification initiated by the GAPS Nutritional Protocol starts
shifting the toxins around, which may be the cause of tooth
discoloration in the initial stages. In the long run, however, your
child is likely to grow beautiful whit teeth, as I have seen in so many
GAPS children.
Can the GAPS diet help with alopecia?
Alopecia can be caused by many things: nutritional deficiencies,
allergy, hormonal imbalance, toxicity, auto immunity, diabetes,
vascular abnormalities, etc. No matter what the cause, following
GAPS will help to balance your hormones, remove nutritional
deficiencies and toxicity, re-balance immunity and improve
circulation. So, give it a try.
HEADACHES
Chronic headaches - is this a sign of GAPS?
INSOMNIA
Is insomnia a common die-off response? Do you have any
recommendations for overcoming insomnia?
Many toxins coming from the activity of unhealthy gut flora disrupt
our neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals
which brain cells use to communicate with each other, such as
serotonine, adrenalin, dopamine, melatonin, endorphins, etc. – there
are about a hundred neurotransmitters discovered so far. Die-off
releases more toxins than usual and, if a person has a problem with
neurotransmitter disruption already, then it will get worse. One of
the functions of neurotransmitters is regulation of sleep. Serotonine,
GABA and melatonin are the three neurotransmitters connected
with sleep and relaxation in particular, and it is a good idea to boost
their production with supplements, if insomnia is a problem. To
boost serotonine production we need an amino acid 5HTP (5-
hydroxytryptophan), for GABA we need taurine and glutamine.
These amino acids need co-factors to be converted into
neurotransmitters: niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotic, zinc,
magnesium, vitamin B1, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid. There
are supplements on the market, which contain all these ingredients
with about 100mg of 5HTP, 500mg of glutamine and 500mg of
taurine. Always start with a low dose and build gradually; the
optimal dose is very individual. In many people just boosting
production of serotonine and GABA is enough to remedy insomnia.
If it is not enough, then try to add melatonin. Melatonin is produced
in the brain at night, however in order to produce it in the dark we
need a good dose of light during the day. Spending some time in
bright sunlight every day will boost your melatonin production (no
sunglasses, as the light needs to reach the brain through the eyes).
Supplements of melatonin are available ready made; start from a
low dose at bedtime (1-3 mg) and, if it is not making any difference,
slowly increase the dose.
INTRODUCTION DIET
Once the Introduction Diet is completed, is there a scenario where one
should go back on the GAPS Intro Diet?
Yes, there is, and not just one. People get tummy bugs, travel
diarrhea and other infections, which can damage the gut. People
have to take antibiotics or other drugs for various reasons, which
can throw you back quite a bit. Stressful situations in the family or
work can weaken the whole system and bring symptoms back.
Going back through the Introduction Diet helps to eliminate those
problems quickly and without any complications.
How long should you expect to be on the Introduction Diet? Is it
harmful to be on it for too long? What should individuals do who find
themselves stuck on a particular stage for an extended period of time?
KETOSIS
Ketosis and GAPS. Is it induced via GAPS Introduction diet? Is it a
danger in doing GAPS Intro? Is it one and the same as die-off? How
to prevent it?
There is a popular myth that sugar is the main source of energy in
the body; this myth has been created by commercial companies
selling sugary foods and drinks, and by funded by them “research”.
Mainstream nutritional institutions are funded by food industry, so
they are the main propagators of this myth. Here is the truth: vast
majority of all cells in the body use fats as a source of energy: your
heart, your muscles, your inner organs, etc. Whenever fat is used as
a source of energy ketone bodies are created. There is no need to
fear ketosis, as we all have it now and then almost every day (it is
very different from diabetic ketosis, induced by non-functioning
pancreas). It is possible that during the Introduction diet there will
be periods of ketosis, but don’t worry about it as normally you
would not feel it at all. Eating vegetables will prevent ketosis. Ketosis
is not the same as die-off.
LIVER & GALLBLADDER
What liver support would you recommend for GAPS patients? Many
patients report struggling with congested / toxic livers adding to
digestive problems such as constipation and fat digestion.
Please look at the question on gallstones. GAPS people usually have
lots of gallstones blocking the bile ducts. Without good flow of the
bile we cannot digest fats. Three measures over time will remove the
stones and restore normal bile flow. Juicing is one, particularly
apple, celery and green juices. Adding some herbs to your juices will
support the liver: fresh dandelion leaves, roots and flowers, burdock
leaves and a little ginger root. Coffee enemas are the number two:
this procedure makes the liver cleanse itself and flush the toxins out
through the bile, removing the stones at the same time. Third - good
amounts of fat in every meal: the fat stimulates the bile flow and
removes the bile stones on a daily basis. If initially you are unable to
digest fat, start from a small amount with every meal and gradually
increase: use both animal fats and cold pressed oils. In the initial
stages supplementing Ox Bile with every meal will help you to digest
fats (you should be able to find supplements of ox bile with some
additional digestive enzymes from most multi-supplement
companies). There are herbal supplements for liver support on the
market containing milk thistle, dandelion, phyllanthus, liquorice,
burdock and other herbs. It is important to complete the
Introduction Diet first before trying these supplements; it is also
very important to find a supplier of good quality organic herbs to
make sure that the herbs have not been grown in areas
contaminated with lead or other industrial pollution.
What effect does caustic bile have on inflammation in the gut? How
does one manage a situation whereby one cannot tolerate any die-off
or foods or supplements that have an impact on detox pathways
(sulphur, amines, salicylates, glutamate, etc), when their liver is
jammed and thus struggle to do any gut healing? Conversely if the
liver and gallbladder are supported, such that bile flow is improved,
how can one avoid or reduce the abrasive nature on the gut of toxic
bile?
Please, view FAQs on liver support, these will explain to you why
your liver may not be functioning well, and what to do in this
situation. If the person is eating enough fats with meals, the bile will
be handled properly by the gut, even if toxins are present in the bile.
LYME DISEASE
Many people are coming to the GAPS diet with or after having been
treated for Lyme disease. What are your recommendations for these
individuals?
I recommend that you follow the Introduction Diet. If you find it too
difficult, then implement the Full GAPS Diet first; you may be able
to do the Intro diet later. The standard treatment for Lyme disease
is antibiotics, lots of them. So, the gut flora in these people is
damaged and needs restoring.
NAUSEA & VOMITTING
What is your advice for those of us who suffer from nausea after
eating moderate amounts of fat with meals? What causes this and what
are the immediate and long-term remedies?
Please, read the sections on gallstones and liver. When you are
unable to release bile for fat digestion, you may feel nauseous and
find it difficult to digest fats. Take ox bile with your meals for a
while and introduce fats gradually. Eating fermented vegetables with
your meals, particularly at the beginning of your meals will also
help.
NUTRITION
Will the GAPS diet provide all the necessary minerals needed, even for
those with proven or suspected mineral deficiencies?
PARASITES & WORMS
Is the GAPS diet beneficial to someone who has the Blastocystis
parasite? The parasites like carbohydrates, so it seems that this is an
ideal diet to get rid of them. However, I hear that the blastocystis eat
and live on probiotics, so the fermented vegetables and probiotic
supplements could make the parasites thrive? What are your
recommendations for getting rid of blastocystis?
Blastocystis hominis is a protozoan, which we can get from food and
drink, other people or animals. In majority of people it causes no
problems, but in people with weakened immunity and abnormal gut
flora, it can cause diarrhoea, bloating, nausea, abdominal pain and
anal itching. Many other symptoms have been attributed to this
parasite as well. Mainstream treatment involves various antibiotics,
often combinations of them; but unfortunately there is no unified
effective treatment to eradicate it. I have stated my opinion on
parasites in other questions or worms and parasites: we all have
parasites in our digestive systems. They are a part of our gut flora,
so there is no need to fear them or to attack them without good
cause. Work on your gut flora using GAPS Programme, get it in
balance and all the micro-creatures there will control each other. If
you got an acute infestation with this parasite, then a short antibiotic
treatment may be helpful. In chronic cases antibiotics are usually of
no help; they will only damage your gut flora further.
You recommend Ovex for worms. Here in the USA it is available as
Vermox by Rx only. Can we use herbal preparations for worms? What
about tapeworms?
I recommend Mebendazole, 100mg (available in Europe as Ovex or
Pripsen) as an easy and quick option for common worms, like
hookworms, pinworms and some round worms. Take 2 tablets per
day (chew one in the morning and one in the evening) for 3 days,
repeat this course after 10-14 days to kill remaining eggs. Worms
generally are nearly impossible to eradicate, they almost always
come back. Herbal preparations work while you take them, but as
soon as you stop, these kinds of worms usually re-surface, as they do
after Ovex as well. The advantage of Ovex is that it works in 1-3
days, where herbal treatment takes months. Ovex does not address
tapeworms. Those are more difficult to remove and for those I
would recommend a medication to start with, then followed by
herbals. Generally speaking, we all have worms. The important
question is: are they affecting your health? If yes, then it is a good
idea to fight them. But if they do not bring any symptoms, then there
is no need to attack them, as they are a part your inner eco-system
and may fulfil some useful roles, such as regulating immunity and
preventing autoimmune disease. The typical symptoms of common
worms getting out of control are crampy pain in the middle of your
abdomen, particularly after food in the mornings, difficulty putting
weight on, persistent anaemia (usually hookworms) and bouts of
irritating dry cough (the larvae travel up the breathing passages into
the throat to be swallowed again).
Many GAPS patients are struggling to fight various forms of
parasites. What foods should be avoided to help starve the parasites,
such as a roundworm?
For pet owners, while there are many benefits, should there be any
concerns about picking up parasites? Should any precautions be made
when living with pets?
Pets are wonderful: they provide an unconditional love for the whole
family, and they provide stimulation for the immune system. The
important thing is to have healthy pets, and in order to do that they
must be fed properly. Dogs and cats have not been designed to eat
grains or soy. Commercial pet foods are largely made out of grains
and soy; that is why, thanks to the commercial foods, our dogs and
cats get arthritis, autoimmune disease and cancer. On top of that
they get skin problems, such as dermatitis and eczema, shedding
allergy-causing dandruff. Feed your pets the way Nature has
designed them to eat, and you will never need to worry about your
pet’s health. Cats do best on raw meat with fat on it, raw milk, raw
fish and raw liver. An occasional leftover of cooked meat and fish
will do them no harm. Dogs do very well if you mix raw minced meat
(with good amounts of fat) with some finely chopped raw carrot and
live yoghurt. Raw eggs, raw milk and raw fish should also be a
regular part of their diet. Cod liver oil and fish oil are very good for
dogs, particularly in winter. Occasional cooked vegetables and meat,
left over from your dinner, will also do your dog no harm. You will
find that feeding your dog and cat that way will cost you less, than
buying commercial pet food, and you will save a fortune on vet’s
fees. Worm your dog or cat once every 6-8 months, and don’t worry
about parasites: we all have them and no less than our dogs or cats.
PREGNANCY & NURSING
Any special recommendations for pregnant women?
For pregnancy, the diet is very important. The birth canal also needs to
be prepared for birth by populating it with beneficial bacteria. To do
that, apply live yogurt or kefir on your genital area after you bathe,
particularly in the last trimester. Also apply kefir or yogurt on your
breasts and armpits. Every 2-3 weeks, insert 1-2 capsules of Bio-Kult in
the vagina at bedtime, particularly if there are any unpleasant symptoms
in that area.
The introduction diet is not recommended for pregnant and
breastfeeding mothers. For those women starting the diet at this stage,
should fermented dairy be avoided? Should these women follow the
long dairy introduction?
If you have been eating good quality dairy products before your
pregnancy, when starting the diet you do not have to go through the
Dairy Introduction Structure (p.121 in the new edition of the GAPS
book), just continue consuming fermented dairy products. If you
were not eating dairy products before, then it is a good idea to follow
the Dairy Introduction Structure, but introduce ghee and butter
straight away, as they will provide you and your baby with very
valuable nutrients. When ghee and butter are well tolerated,
gradually introduce homemade sour cream. After the sour cream
you can try to introduce full-fat cheese. It is the dairy fats you need
the most during pregnancy, so go for the high-fat dairy foods.
Should juicing be done by pregnant and nursing women?
Yes! To avoid any reactions, start slowly from small amounts of
juice per day and gradually increase. It is a good idea to balance
your juice with fat and protein by making GAPS milkshake: make a
juice from a mixture of fruit and vegetables, then whisk 1-2 raw
eggs into it and a generous dollop of homemade sour cream.
Do you recommend any special supplements during pregnancy? What
about a multivitamin?
During pregnancy the most important supplement is good food,
particularly natural animal fats, meats, fermented dairy, eggs and
liver. These foods will provide fat-soluble vitamins, all B vitamins,
lots of folic acid and all other essential nutrients. Add good quality
vegetables and fruit, a bit of seaweed, and you will have everything
you need. Eating liver daily is particularly important in pregnancy;
for example, it is still traditional in France and Belgium to give
pregnant women liver pâté on a daily basis. It is best to eat
fermented foods daily, but if you cannot eat them for whatever
reason, take a commercial probiotic. If you are not eating enough
high-fat animal foods, take good quality cod liver oil. Spend at least
3 hours per day in the fresh air in the sun. Sunbathe, if possible; the
sun will provide you with plenty of vitamin D and many other
benefits. We are all bombarded by marketing of various
supplements; women produced healthy babies for millennia without
any supplements, just by eating well, sleeping well and spending
most of their days outdoors.
I understand the dangers of doing Intro while nursing. Do you have
any advice on what to do if eating the full GAPS diet (nuts, dairy, eggs,
coconut oil, etc) causes reactions in the Mother? Do these not get
passed on in the breast milk as well, and cause reactions in the baby, if
the baby is also intolerant to them?
Yes, this is a serious concern. That is why it is best to do the
programme before conception. But of course life is not planned and
predictable, and some women have to start the diet while pregnant
or nursing. Just do your best to keep your gut working well by
eating homemade soups and stews made with meat stock every day.
Make sure to eat plenty of animal fats. Avoid raw nuts, soak them
overnight in salty water and use them in baking – this way they are
easier to digest. If you are reacting badly to certain foods, then avoid
them. Limiting fibre in your diet, which means limiting raw plant
foods, will reduce food intolerances and reactions. You can have all
the benefits of raw fruit and vegetables making juices from them.
Eat your vegetables well-cooked as a soup or stew. Concentrate
largely on eating animal foods (meat, fat, eggs, organ meats, fish,
high-fat dairy), as they are easy to digest, and they provide
concentrated amounts of nutrition for you and your baby. If you are
eating dairy, concentrate on having high-fat products, such as butter
and ghee, sour cream and natural creamy cheese.
RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME
Can Restless Leg Syndrome be helped with GAPS?
Yes! This unpleasant condition is due to lack or abnormal
metabolism of magnesium in the body; often both are involved. Just
supplementing magnesium may not help, as the toxins in the body
interfere in its functions. Nevertheless, try to supplement magnesium
and continue with the GAPS programme, which over time will
remove toxins from your body and improve magnesium functions.
Another thing to consider is dentistry: though your legs seem to be
far away from your teeth, the restless leg syndrome is often caused
by metals in your mouth (in dental fillings, bridges and crowns).
Nickel, gold, silver, titanium and of course amalgam can create a
condition, called oral galvanism. Simply put, oral galvanism is like
having an active electric battery in your mouth, with currents
between different teeth. The electricity in your mouth is picked up
by your nervous system, causing very unpleasant symptoms far
removed from the teeth, such as in your legs, arms and elsewhere. A
good environmental dentist will be able to measure electric currents
in your mouth.
SCD (SPECIFIC CARBOHYDRATE DIET)
SCD vs GAPS?
SUPPLEMENTS & VITAMINS
Can Bio-Kult be given to infants?
Probiotics are safe at any age. New born children get their first dose
as they emerge through the vaginal canal and further inoculations
from sticking dirty fingers into their mouth. The dose needed for an
infant is basically enough to get through the stomach - 1 or 2
capsules daily is probably enough in most cases. You can't overdose
- you just won't get any extra benefit from giving more than is
needed and it will cost more! [Please consult your healthcare
practitioner before giving any supplements to infants.]
Who should take Betaine HCl with Pepsin?
Not everyone should take Betaine HCl right from the beginning,
particularly children. In many GAPS people, stomach lining can be
too sensitive to tolerate it. Usually for children it is not
recommended at the beginning at all; later on if there is excessive
burping after food, which will indicate low stomach acid, it may be
introduced. In adults, it is recommended for people with excessive
burping. You may want to introduce the Betaine after the meal, (not
at the beginning as it usually indicates on the label) to avoid burning
the stomach. When a good amount of healing has taken place, the
person can start taking it at the beginning of the meal.
Is castor oil recommended?
Yes, some species of yeast are allowed, providing that the person is
not allergic to it, as some people with yeast overgrowth can be.
Kefir contains yeast species (which are recommended for the
majority of patients) and in many patients S. boulardii
is recommended as a supplement, which is also yeast.
If an individual seems to be sensitive to one of the recommended
supplements, how should you proceed? Many people report having
difficulties with cod liver oil.
There are several reasons for why a supplement may disagree with
you (providing that the supplement is of good quality and works at
all). It may cause a detox / healing reaction, which in the long run
may be better for you, but at the moment is too severe. In the case of
probiotics it may be a die-off reaction. Or it may be just unsuitable
for your health condition or constitution. Strictly speaking
supplements are not 100% essential; it is the GAPS diet that will do
the work for you. So, if a supplement is causing a serious reaction,
just stop it and give all your attention to the diet for a few months.
Then, when your digestion is considerably better and you feel that a
particular supplement may be of help now, try it again, starting
from a tiny dose. Cod liver oil, other fish oils and evening primrose
oil may be problematic for people with seizures, tics, Tourette and
other involuntary movements. We don’t know why: whether some
healing restructuring of the brain gets initiated by these oils or some
other mechanism is at work, but the seizures can get worse; so, it is
a good idea to avoid these oils in people with involuntary
movements. With probiotics: control the die-off by starting from a
very small dose and increasing the dose very gradually. If no
amount of probiotic can be tolerated, then work on fermented foods
first as part of the diet. It is a good idea with all supplements to start
from a small dose and build the dose up gradually, observing your
body. We are all different, we all have unique physiology; a
supplement that worked for your friend is not necessarily going to
work for you the same way.
Is Bentonite Clay GAPS legal and is it recommended?
TEETH
Tooth discoloration and hair loss are very rare in GAPS patients,
and usually happen in very toxic people, particularly people with
metal toxicity. Hair and teeth are those places where the body often
stores toxins in. Many things happen in the body, as the GAPS
program is initiated. We don't know what happens exactly, but it is
possible that the hair, full of toxins, get dropped by the body to
allow new "clean" hair to grow. With teeth: I have seen autistic
children who had their permanent teeth growing with black spots
imbedded in them. One particular boy displayed noticeable
improvements in his autism in the weeks following the removal of
the black spot by the dentist. It is possible that his body had stored
mercury from vaccinations or some other toxins in the growing
tooth. We don't know what happens exactly, but it is likely that the
detoxification initiated by the GAPS Nutritional Protocol starts
shifting the toxins around, which may be the cause of tooth
discoloration in the initial stages. In the long run, however, your
child is likely to grow beautiful whit teeth, as I have seen in so many
GAPS children.
Does over-consumption of nuts and seeds cause tooth decay?
The GAPS diet does not equate to eating nuts only, it is a varied
balanced diet. I have not seen any tooth decay with GAPS diet, just
the opposite. I have children in my clinic, who had terrible problems
with milk teeth, but once on GAPS Nutritional Programme they
grow beautiful healthy permanent teeth. I remember one child, who
had 11 filling put into his milk teeth at the age of four, as his tooth
decay was terrible. He went on GAPS Programme at the age of five
and now, at the age of 12, he has the most beautiful smile with white,
perfectly shaped, healthy teeth.
VERTIGO
Is vertigo common in GAPS patients? Will it improve on the GAPS
programme?
Yes! Vertigo happens in many GAPS people because of toxicity in
the brain altering the sensory perception. Another problem for these
people is overproduction of histamine (many pathogenic species of
microbes in the gut produce histamine). Excessive release of
histamine drops the blood pressure down and causes vertigo,
dizziness and fainting episodes. GAPS programme will change the
gut flora, reduce histamine production and reduce the toxins
reaching the brain.
WARTS
After over a year of being gone, my warts have come back on the
GAPS diet. How do you suggest handling these?
In my experience it is due to the general pH shift in the body: when
we get too alkaline, warts and other viral infections thrive; when we
get too acid, yeast thrives. To shift your pH try to avoid fruit,
particularly citrus, nuts and chocolate for a while and see if that
makes a difference. When warts appear, use a standard topical
salicylic acid preparation (it is sold in pharmacies under different
brands around the world). 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide also
works well of fresh warts (apply a drop and let it dry; keep applying
twice a day until the wart is gone). Old protruding warts are best
tied-off: use a strong cotton or silk thread, make a loop and tie it
tightly on the neck of the wart; the thread will stop the blood supply
to the wart, so it will dry and fall off in a few days (to speed the
process up you can apply 35% hydrogen peroxide to this wart as
well).
WATER
How much water should be consumed? Should anything be added to
the water?
WEIGHT
I seem to be gaining weight specifically in my hips, thighs and even my
calves. It seems like it may be fluid retention, especially in my calves.
What could be causing this? Is there anything I should do? If it is not
fluid, why would I be gaining so much fat in these certain areas?
It is natural for women to lay fat on their thighs and hips. In our
modern world it became fashionable for women to look like little
boys: with narrow hips and small bottoms. This is not normal. So, it
is possible that your body is re-structuring itself into feminine shape
you are meant to have. Swollen calves are a different matter: this is
likely to be water retention, which is usually due to toxicity in the
body. Try to do a few coffee enemas to clear your liver, and start
juicing. Make sure to add plenty of greens to your juices: dandelion,
dill, stingy nettles, coriander, parsley, ship sorrel and sage (add these
greens to a nice sweet tasting juice from a mixture of carrots, apples,
pineapples, a little celery and beetroot; then add 2 raw eggs and
some sour cream, whisk and enjoy). Apart from helping you to
detoxify, the juices will boost your minerals to assist the kidneys in
water removal.
After reading your book about dietary fat, cooking fats, and toxins
stored in body fats, I now am wondering what your understanding of
belly fat on individuals is?
Fat is the preferred source of energy for most of the cells and organs
in the human body. Body fat is stored energy. There are two main
depots of energy in the body: under skin fat and visceral fat (belly
fat).
Under skin fat is an endocrine organ producing certain hormones
essential for human physiology, such as leptin, resistin and cytokine
TNF alpha. Women normally have more under skin fat than men, as
female hormones lay the foundation for feminine fat storage on hips,
breasts, buttocks and thighs, giving women their beautiful shape.
Male hormones favour storage of under skin fat on the upper body,
giving men their masculine shape. Regular consumption of sugar,
flour and other processed carbohydrates alters hormonal balance in
the body: that is why nowadays we see many women with male-type
bodies and many men with feminine looking bodies.
Belly fat is largely a storage space for quick energy: this energy is
stored inside the abdomen around inner organs: intestines, bowel,
stomach, liver, kidneys, etc. Normal amounts of visceral fat are
essential to support and insulate our inner organs. Processed
carbohydrates in the body are quickly converted into fat. Some of
this fat is stored under skin, which has a limited storage capacity.
But if the carbohydrates keep coming, excessive fat is largely stored
in the abdomen. Alcohol is a form of energy, which is quickly
converted into fat and stored almost exclusively in the abdomen,
giving the person a “pregnant” look. Fat attracts water: almost a
quarter of belly fat tissue can be stored water. Men (and women)
who drink too much alcohol regularly without consuming too much
carbohydrates have large, hard-to-touch bellies with very little
under skin fat – a “pregnant” belly; a belly full of fat and water.
Men and women who indulge in both (too much alcohol and
processed carbohydrates) will have large hard bellies and too much
fat stored under skin as well.
The obesity epidemic is caused by processed carbohydrates which
came to dominate our modern diets. Natural animal fats (butter and
fats in eggs, meat and fish) balance our hormones and go into our
bodily structure. Unfortunately, our modern diet is very low in these
nourishing fats. Eating lots of carbohydrates while depriving your
body of essential-to-life animal fats lead to obesity, diabetes, heart
disease, cancer, auto immunity and most other modern plagues.
Am I going to lose weight on the GAPS diet? I am already underweight
and find it very difficult to gain weight.
Regular consumption of grains and processed carbohydrates causes
water retention in the body. As you stop consuming these foods, you
will loose that excess water and hence loose some weight, which
usually happens in the first few weeks. Without the water retention
you will get to your real weight and size, which will show you the
real extend of your malnutrition. As you follow the GAPS nutritional
protocol your digestive system will start absorbing foods properly
and nourishing you; you will start building dense bones, healthy
muscles and other tissues and organs and gaining weight as a result.
You may remain fairly slim for the rest of your life (as it may be
your constitution), but you will become strong, vibrant and full of
energy.
I have been steadily losing weight for many months and I feel like I do
not look healthy. What suggestions do you have for patients losing too
much weight?
Please view the answer above to "Am I going to loose weight on the
GAPS diet? I am already underweight and find it very difficult to
gain weight. "
WOMEN ISSUES & HORMONES
Is PMS a sign of digestive issues? Can the GAPS diet help with
common infertility issues such as endometriosis and PCOS? Some
women report irregularities and loss of menstruation during die-off. Is
this cause for any concern?
Digestive system is always involved in PMS, PCOS, endometriosis
and other hormonal abnormalities: toxins produced by unhealthy
gut flora interfere in the delicate balance of hormones in the body -
some hormones become low or insufficient, other hormones become
excessive. When the die-off is initiated, more toxins are released into
the bloodstream, so your typical hormonal symptoms these toxins
cause, become more acute. Indeed the menstruations may become
irregular and PMS may get worse. Die-off is temporary, so these
symptoms will pass. Just keep them under control by gradual
introduction of probiotics, fermented foods and food items, which
you may be sensitive to. I do not specialise in infertility or other
female reproductive problems, but I have many patients, who
started the GAPS Programme, and their first symptoms to go were
symptoms of PMS. More chronic conditions such as endometriosis
and PCOS take longer to remedy, but GAPS Programme works well
for many women with these conditions as well. In order to make
steroid hormones (and all sex hormones are steroids) we need plenty
of cholesterol and animal fats. So, for all these conditions it is
essential to have high-fat and high-cholesterol diet, where main
sources of fat are animal products: meats, eggs, fish, butter and
cream. Women, who are trying to conceive, should consume 2 cups
of homemade sour cream per day, as well as 4 fresh eggs and plenty
of fatty meats and fish. As the gut flora becomes more normal and
the gut wall heals, the toxins will disappear, and your hormonal
system will come back to normal balance.
Is it realistic for me to think that GAPS could help my body naturally
increase its progesterone level?
Yes, GAPS programme will re-balance your hormones to normal
production. Progesterone has to be balance by other hormones, and
only your body knows how to do that and in what proportions. Try
not to interfere in this process by taking any hormonal preparations:
drugs or natural.
Can your spouse pass bad bacteria to you? Should any precautions be
taken? My husband will not follow the diet and I know he has gut
issues and I am trying to heal my own issues.
We all pass microbes to each other on contact. But, if we live in fear
of that, then our lives will be very difficult. Mother Nature gave us
immune systems in order to deal with microbes. As long as we keep
our immunity strong there is no need to worry about who we are in
contact with. I would not want you to banish your husband out of
the house in order for you to heal. Just work on boosting your
immunity and his: maybe he will agree to take probiotics and cod
liver oil capsules? If both of you increase animal fat consumption
with your meals, then your immunity will be stronger and more able
to deal with invaders.
MISCELLANEOUS/OTHER
Is there any validity to metabolic typing?
There is no doubt that we are all different genetically. Some of us
come from northern stock, where for millennia meat and fish were
the staples. Some come from southern stock, where more fruit and
grains were consumed. Some come from areas where dairy have
been a staple for thousands of years, some have no tolerance of dairy
and their predecessors never consumed milk. No matter what diet
you are trying to follow, you have to find your own personal comfort
zone in terms of ratio of different foods. The important point is to
eat foods freshly prepared at home, as none of us on this planet has
evolved to eat modern processed foods.
In the Metabolic Typing you have to identify, what type you belong
to: “protein type”, “carbo type” or a “mixed type”. What doesn’t
seem to have been taken into account is the fact that apart from
genetics our state of health is important to take into consideration.
Many people in this world are addicted to sugar and other processed
carbohydrates and have many health problems due to that. Their
personality reflects their poor health and sugar addiction, so they
may mistakenly identify themselves as “the carbo type” in Metabolic
Typing. Regardless of what type you decided you belong to, you have
to start from a low carbohydrate diet and then slowly proceed from
that introducing carbohydrates. If you are addicted to sugar and
have candida overgrowth, in this initial stage you will suffer from
die-off and hypoglycaemia, which will make you feel very unwell. So
many people with these problems just decide that they are the
“carbo type” and revert back to their high carbohydrate diet with
all the processed foods and sugar. Get yourself well first with the
GAPS type diet, then your healthy instincts will come back and you
will be able to find your comfort zone.
Can broth / soups worsen digestion by diluting gastric juices during
meals? If liquids worsen bloating during meals what would you
advise?
Meat stock with some sauerkraut juice added (or freshly pressed
cabbage juice) stimulate stomach acid production and generally are
a good digestive. Drinking it 10-15 minutes before your meal, rather
than with the meal, will help you to produce stomach acid and
prepare for the coming meal.
Do you recommend kinesiology for testing the suitability of
supplements?
Energy testing, such as kinesiology, relies heavily on the skill of the
practitioner and may not be 100% accurate. The reaction your body
may produce on testing can reflect the die-off or detox. So, testing
may confuse you. To succeed in the programme you need
commitment and determination, so anything that plants doubt in
your mind may not be too helpful.
Which method of eating is least stressful to the body, small meals
regularly or three or less square meals?
Small regular meals are better for people with blood sugar
problems, such as GAPS people. If you include plenty of animal fat
into every meal, then your blood sugar level will by steady through
the day. If you work and cannot eat all the time, then snack on raw
butter mixed with a little of raw honey to taste (take a jar with you
to work or have it in the car). You can also snack on coconut oil and
fresh nuts (when your gut is ready for nuts). For healthy people
without blood sugar problems, it is a good idea to get hungry before
their main meals, so snacking is not recommended for them.
I’ve heard from a recent talk you did that we should have a minimum
of 40% of our diet as fat. Is this 40% calories, or volume?
This was probably said in a particular context. It is simply wrong to
try and calculate composition of your meals, or calculate when you
should eat and how much. These things need to be done instinctively,
from the signals your body’s biology gives you, as your body has
infinitely more wisdom about what it needs, than our mind and
intelligence will ever calculate. Nobody in this world can tell how
much protein your body needs at any particular moment of your life,
or how much fat, or how much magnesium, or calcium, or zinc, or
how much sleep, or how much sunshine! Only your body knows that,
so listen to your body. Your bodily requirements change all the time,
depending on what you are doing, what the weather is like and what
state of health you are in. If it is cold and damp, and you feel run
down, your body will need lots of fat and protein, so eat a hot rich
meal (a stew or a roast). If the weather is hot and you feel hot and
dry, a stew is the last thing you may want to eat; you may want a
salad with some light meat or fish. Food needs to be enjoyable and
appropriate for your body’s requirements at every meal; and the
way your body tells you what it needs is by creating desires. Every
time ask yourself: what do I really fancy to eat now? And your body
will come up with an answer immediately, including how fatty this
food should be.
You talk about the path that GAPS children often follow leading to
drug use. Do you have any advice for a GAPS-child-now-adult trying
to heal from extensive drug use?
The basis for addictive behaviour is blood sugar abnormalities. It is
the swinging blood sugar levels that create lack of neurotransmitters
in the brain (dopamine in particular) and desire to boost them with
an addictive substance or behaviour. It is imperative for these people
to keep their blood sugar at a normal level all the time. The way to
do it is by consuming fat at frequent regular intervals! The best fats
are raw butter, coconut oil or any animal fat. They need to be
consumed every 20-30 minutes throughout the day. In the initial
stages, when sugar cravings are strong, here is what I recommend:
mix raw butter with some raw honey to taste (not much, just enough
to please your taste buds), put this mixture into a glass jar and carry
it with you everywhere. Eat 2-3 tablespoons every 20-30 minutes,
even more often if the sugar cravings are bad. Raw honey in the
butter will help to restore low blood sugar instantly, improve the
taste of butter and add enzymes which help to digest the fat. In
parallel carry another jar with you with coconut oil and eat that as
well at regular intervals. With meals and snacks eat plenty of animal
fats. Follow the GAPS diet strictly; it will restore your normal
production of neurotransmitters naturally, and remove addictive
behaviour for good.
Since going on the GAPS diet I have an acid taste in the back of my
throat. What do you recommend to help with this?
Have fermented vegetables with your meals and fresh vegetables too
(salads made with juicy vegetables, such as lettuce, tomato,
cucumber, onion and greens). They will add enzymes and help your
stomach to handle food. The reason for this acid taste is likely to be
reflux, as your stomach may not be producing enough acid and
enzymes at this stage.
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Resources
Congratulations on the new addition to your family. Start your new
baby off right by getting his/her digestive system off to a good
start.
GAPS Cookbook
Contact Us
Testimonials
Physicians
Wholesale
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Bio-Kult Probiotic
Pregnancy and Baby
Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
Resources
GAPS Cookbook
More Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride
Support
Contact Us
GAPS in Medical Knowledge Wise Traditions Winter 2007 (for more
on Wise Traditions visit www.westonaprice.org)
Testimonials
Physicians
My Son by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
Wholesale
Gaps Guide Blog
Autism & Probiotics by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
Video 1 of 6
Video 2 of 6
Video 3 of 6
Video 4 of 6
Video 5 of 6
Video 6 of 6
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Getting Started
AVAILABLE NOW!
Bio-Kult Probiotic
Dairy
Stools
FAQs
Resources
Wholesale
**Now containing a chapter on fermented vegetables with
Gaps Guide Blog
information, directions, and 9 new recipes.**
Yogurt Cheese
Deviled Eggs
Lima Bean Hummus
Cream of Delicatta Squash Soup
Cowboy Stew
Turkey Pecan Waldorf Salad
Cauliflower "Potato" Salad
Peanut Butter Pancakes
Banana Caramel Sticky Buns
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Chinese Lemon Chicken with Broccoli
Scallops with Shiitake Mushrooms in Ginger Sauce
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Squash "Pudding"
Hazelnut Pizza Crust
Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits
Key Lime Pie
Strawberry Shortcakes
Mixed Melon Sorbet
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Getting Started
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
Website: www.gaps.me
Bio-Kult Probiotic
Blog: www.doctor-natasha.com
FAQs
YAHOO SUPPORT GROUP
Pregnancy and Baby
Subscribe to GAPSdiet
Resources
enter email address
GAPS Cookbook
Support
Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com
Contact Us
Testimonials A support group for those following the GAPS diet. Members
ask questions and support other families through all stages of the
Physicians GAPS diet. This group is for informational purposes only and is
not designed to be a substitute for medical advice. This is a
support group for families and does not contain medical
Wholesale
professionals.
Gaps Guide Blog
www.GapsGuide.com
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
ask@gapsdiet.com
Pregnancy and Baby
First Name:
Resources
Last Name:
GAPS Cookbook
Address Street 1:
City:
Contact Us
Zip Code: (5 digits)
Testimonials
State: AL
AL
Phone:
Wholesale
Email:
Gaps Guide Blog
Submit Reset
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Stools
I just wanted to tell all the families who have come to this crossroad of GAPS to
take the plunge! As a mother of 2 children on the spectrum, I have been where
FAQs you are. I have been desperate, alone, and overwhelmed. I have cried a lifetime
of tears and every moment of despair is worth the joy I feel now.
Pregnancy and Baby
Three months ago I didn’t know what I was going to do with my son. He was
regressing and angry. I knew I had to get my little boy back! I would rock him to
Resources sleep in tears whispering," come back to me my sweet Trent." I promised myself
that if I ever had the answer that I would do it no matter how hard! GAPS is
GAPS Cookbook giving me my son back! That is worth fighting for!
Trent is now categorizing cubes, cones, spheres, and cylinders! Every time I
Support think about it, I cry! He can choose a sight word and turn it into a sentence!
The point is, reach for the stars! My sweet Trent is coming back to me!
Contact Us
My oldest son is on his way. His healing needs a little more time. His only
issue is focus, other than that he is quite a character! He used to have to be
Testimonials on medication for anxiety. GAPS has taken anxiety away! He really is doing
phenomenal!
Physicians
You owe it to yourself and your children to strive for better! When the going
gets tough, you have your new friends here to lean on!
Wholesale
Reaching for the stars,
Gaps Guide Blog Cathy Carr
* * * * * * * * * *
On Day One, my son had a normal stool for the first time in six weeks
and, for the first time in his life, he slept through the night. On Day
Three, he spoke his first sentence. That week, he potty trained himself.
Early June, I transitioned him to the full GAPS program. We have seen
leaps even beyond those achieved by SCD alone. Temporary setbacks
notwithstanding, my boy has become a fully healthy child. It boggles my
mind, every single day, that something so simple (so to speak) could
have brought such tremendous changes.
While GAPS’ benefits are definitely worth the effort involved, there is a
learning curve. I stumbled about a lot at the beginning. The most
important pieces for me have been information and support. The online
communities provide these in abundance.
Baden
BC, Canada
* * * * * * * * * *
Originally posted on yahoo Group GAPShelp:
Kevin lacked oxygen at birth, so in the first year of life, I already saw that he
was not developing like my other kids (he is our 5th). His motor skills lagged
and he cried a lot, didn't sleep so well, etc. At two, his behavior was just not
right. He never responded right to correction, would throw things in anger or
frustration, cried all the time, esp when waking up, basically never happy. He
didn't walk until two and then he would fall down constantly. He also began to
always be starving. When he was really hungry, his face would get distorted and
frozen in a strange way. I now think he was having seizures of sorts. We did not
vaccinate at all and we figured out that if we fed him lots of protein type foods
like meats, he would relax his body and face and be able to go play for a bit
until it happened all over again in a short time.
I do think that b/c we didn't vaccinate and figured out to keep feeding him this
way, we were able to "coast along" like this for years. He had learning
disabilities, lacked social skills and continued to have autistic traits like sensory
issues, hiding under blankets, reacting to sounds, not liking people around, rigid
in routines, and spinning and going on his head along with head banging. Long
story shorter, we did get a diagnosis of Aspergers at one point. WE took him to
doc after doc, specialist after specialist to no avail. He also strangely was
NEVER once sick (we later learned that his immune sys was not working a bit)
At 9 yo, he got pneumonia, followed by asthma and allergies. His eating had
escalated to the point of feeding him every 20 - 30 minutes or he would have
gigantic meltdowns. We eventually could not even have people over.
He was given an inhaler for the asthma and suddenly, without us making the
connection, he began to not respond when called, became extremely
hyperactive and began to run away at all hours of the day and night requiring
police to find him and being very dangerous (we once lost him in the middle of
downtown Chicago).
He would also try to jump out of moving vehicles, out of windows and required
constant restraining. The seizures got bad, he would fall down the stairs and
lose consciousness several times per day. They tried psych drugs and he almost
died twice from his reaction to them (I am now grateful that we couldn't go that
route). We became so desperate that we brought him home from hospital and
got deadbolts to keep him from running, did all our own restraining and called
alternative docs to help us. We began kefir and diet from nutritionist (basically a
BED/GAPS version), took him off inhaler. His allergies were totally out of control,
he could barely open his eyes from swelling, and his chin was deformed and
swollen, his belly too, his whole body. He would only eat junk food and fast foods
and it was incredibly difficult to transition him to the diet. The DAN (Defeat
Autism Now) protocols we followed, made him worse in lots of ways b/c the
chelation made him extremely violent, the B12 shots kept him awake for nights
on end without any sleep, the antifungals and all those other interventions were
nightmarish for him.
Eventually, I resolved to use only foods and do this without any kind of docs. So
for this past year, I researched and researched and was determined to bring him
back from this state. We have done a combo of GAPS and BED very
successfully along with lots of fermented foods and drinks. The allergies and
asthma are 100% gone, the seizures we have had only one in 65 days and very
mild (compared to 5-10 per day). He sings every morning and has cried once in
the last 2.5 months (he used to cry for 1-3 hours at a time each day) and he
can go outside again without running away. He is in martial arts, acting
appropriately at church, having eye contact, no autistic traits of late and learning
academics after two years of not being able to open a book. He reads before
bed at an 8th grade level. It is a total absolute miracle to which I give God all
the credit (there has been endless prayer at our house). I know He led us to this
diet and this recovery. I am still fearful of regression (it's so hard to believe it's
for real, you know) and I also fully realize that it will be possibly two more years
before he is fully detoxed. The rashes he has had have been monumental and
scary and he would have terrible seizures when the detox and die off was going
too quickly. I think we still have a lot to learn and a lot of work to do but there
seems to be a light at the end of our tunnel. I think this is a very powerful diet
and detox protocol and it really does work. I feel that there is much hope and
healing and we are giving our kids an opportunity at a life and future.
Sorry to be so long but I want to encourage others and I thank you all for the
wonderful support.
Millie
* * * * * * * * * *
Dear Gapsdiet.com,
I have been following the GAPS diet for 5 months now with my son. I recently
had to go back and start over following the Introduction Diet as you have
outlined on this site. I was unaware there was an introduction diet but I am very
happy to have found it. The introduction diet has made all the difference for my
son in determining the foods he is unable to handle. Since starting the diet over,
we have seen a huge transformation in his behavior and BMs. We have felt
captive in our house for the last 3 years as a result of Tim's behavior and
constant watery stools. Last Saturday we actually had a day out. It was
wonderful. We still have a long way to go but we are very hopeful as we have
seen more improvement in 5 months than we had previously ever seen on
anything else we have tried.
Sincerely,
Mary
San Diego, Ca
* * * * * * * * * *
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
FAQs
Dr. Thomas Cowan
661 Chenery St
Pregnancy and Baby
San Francisco, CA
Resources 415-334-1010
(Recommended by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride)
GAPS Cookbook
Wholesale
Dr. Alkmini Anastasiadou
Gaps Guide Blog
1556 3rd Ave Ste 210
New York, NY 10128
212-717-8800
alkminian@yahoo.com
Rosann Volmert, DO
Osteopathic Family Physician
3527 Ocean View Blvd
Montrose, CA 91208
626-796-3413
www.DrVolmert.com
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Bio-Kult Probiotic
To all customers, we offer a 10% discount on all Bio-Kult
purchases of 10 or more.
Dairy
Resources
GAPS Cookbook
Support
Contact Us
Testimonials
Physicians
Wholesale
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
Home Page
Introduction Diet
Bio-Kult Probiotic
AVAILABLE NOW!!!
Dairy
Stools
FAQs
Resources
The first GAPS cookbook.
Over 140 GAPS friendly recipes.
GAPS Cookbook
HELP!
Contact Us
At the last WAPF conference I met dozens of wonderful people, who were telling
Testimonials me how the GAPS Programme changed their lives and lives of their families.
These people gave me an idea: WE NEED TO PUBLISH ALL THESE STORIES
AS A BOOK! There are millions of people and families out there in desperate
Physicians
situations, who believe the mainstream establishment that there is nothing they
can do to help themselves. Your stories - stories written by real people, will show
Wholesale those families that there is a way out and there is hope!
THANK YOU!
**********
This site supports digestive healing following the GAPS (Gut and Psychology
Syndrome) diet created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
Our goal is to spread Dr. Campbell-McBride's message and introduce you to
the natural path of digestive healing.
The Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet has its foundation on the Specific
Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) created by Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas to heal digestive
disorders. SCD gained great popularity after a mother, Elaine Gottschall, healed her
own child and became an advocate for SCD. Elaine Gottschall is also the author of
the popular book Breaking the Vicious Cycle. Intestinal Health Through Diet.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride has taken SCD and evolved it further to create a full
protocol for healing digestive disorders and subsequent issues.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
She believes that the link between learning disabilities, the food and drink that we
take, and the condition of our digestive system is absolute, and the results of her
work have supported her position on this subject. In her clinic, parents discuss all
aspects of their child's condition, confident in the knowledge that they are not only
talking to a professional but to a parent who has lived their experience. Her deep
understanding of the challenges they face puts her advice in a class of its own.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and
copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in
accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
Published by:
International Nutrition, Inc.
11615 Crossroads Circle, Suite D
Middle River, MD 21220
(800) 899-3413
ask@gapsdiet.com
www.gapsdiet.com
*The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
buy domain
GAPSdiet.com
1. Diet
2. Supplementation
3. Detoxification and Life-style Changes
1. Diet
The recommended diet for GAPS patients is largely based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). The main
difference pertains to dairy products.
SCD permits lactose-free dairy products. Lactose is a milk sugar. GAPS and people with digestive problems
are unable to digest it and must avoid it.
Fermented dairy products such as yogurt are largely lactose free as a result of the fermentation process where by
the fermenting bacteria consume lactose. Apart from lactose, milk contains casein which will absorb through
the damaged gut lining and act as a toxin in the body.
Another problem with dairy is how it relates to food allergies and intolerances. A milk allergy is one of the
most common allergies. Even in breast-fed babies where the mother consumes dairy products the child may
develop colic due to sensitivity to dairy antigens being passed through the mother's milk.
For all of these reasons, GAPS children and adults should not consume dairy products until their digestive
system is well enough to handle them. The diet's only exception to this is milk fat (ghee or clarified butter)
because it contains virtually no milk proteins or lactose and is generally well tolerated.
2. Supplementation
In addition to digestive issues many other health problems have been shown to respond to treatment with
probiotics:
While many conditions may benefit from the use of probiotics, the above list has had scientific papers
published on the benefit of probiotics with the specific condition.
a. A good probiotic should have as many different species of beneficial bacteria as possible.
b. A mixture of strains from different groups of probiotic bacteria is more beneficial than just one
group.
c. A good probiotic should have a concentrated amount of bacteria: at least 8 billion of bacterial cells
per gram.
d. The manufacturer of the probiotic should test every batch for strength and bacterial composition and
should be prepared to publish the results.
(Bio-kult is the recommended probiotic and Dr. Campbell-McBride is one of the inventors)
GAPS children and adults should have a group of essential oils supplemented:
a. A good seed/nut oil blend in the ratio of 2:1 of omega-3:omega-6 fatty acids.
c. Fish oil with higher ratio of EPA to DHA, as more EPA seems to be beneficial for GAPS patients.
There are no toxic levels for these oils.
C. Vitamin A
As listed previously, vitamin A is recommended in the form of Cod Liver Oil (CLO). Vitamin A
deficiency can cause digestive problems.
Leaky gut and malabsorption are the typical results of vitamin A deficiency. Unfortunately, due to
digestive problems, GAPS children and adults usually cannot absorb or use many forms of vitamin A,
commonly found in supplements.
A natural form of vitamin A found in CLO appears to be the best form for these patients.
D. Digestive Enzymes
People with abnormal gut flora almost without exception have low stomach acid production. Toxins
produced from bacteria such as Candida and Clostridia have a strong ability to reduce secretion of
stomach acid.
Stomach acid is the first barrier for huge numbers of microbes arriving with every bite of food or drink
we consume. If the stomach is not acid enough, these bad microbes may have a chance of colonizing in
the stomach itself.
Dr. Campbell-McBride recommends that GAPS patients supplement with stomach acid. The most
physiological preparation available is Betaine HCl with Pepsin.
Pancreatic Enzymes
These are the enzymes people generally think of when hearing the words "digestive enzymes". These
enzymes are usually combinations of proteases, peptidases, lipases, amylase, lactase and cellulase.
In a healthy digestive tract, these enzymes are naturally produced by the pancreas. If normal stomach
acidity can be returned, these enzymes should work efficiently.
Dr. Campbell-McBride recommends supplementation with stomach acid. If you feel benefit from the
use of these supplements, make sure they do not contain fillers or binders which may interfere with the
healing process in the gut.
E. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Dr. Campbell-McBride does not generally recommend any vitamin or mineral supplementation at the
beginning of the program.
Some patients may require targeted supplementation but this is a matter for a qualified practitioner to
decide.
a. Choose supplements without any ingredients which may aggravate the gut condition.
The first and most important thing is to remove the main source of toxicity, which means cleaning up and
healing the gut.
Since this alone will not rid the body of years worth of toxic build up in the system, juicing is recommended.
Juicing provides very concentrated fruit and vegetable nutrients to the body in an easily absorbed form.
Black Elderberry is also beneficial and has strong immune-stimulating properties and it is one of the most
powerful anti-vital remedies known to man.
An important part of the treatment is reduction of the general toxic load. Keep your house chemical free and
avoid bringing anything into the home which will let off chemicals such as new carpet, furniture, and paints.
Also remember that your skin absorbs just about everything it comes in contact with so be very cautious with
the products you put on your skin.
Household plants are great at reducing the toxic air in our houses. They consume the toxic gases and replace
them with oxygen and other beneficial substances.
This is a brief summary of important points addressed in Gut and Psychology Syndrome. It is very important to
read the sections devoted to these areas in the book for a clear understanding of each.
Discover the
health benefits
Science and nature in balance
of a multi-strain
Matts Lane 11615 Crossroads Circle, Suite D
If you are interested in the world of probiotics and wish Stoke Sub Hamdon MIddle River, MD 21220, USA
Somerset
to learn more, please make use of the Bio-Kult website. TA14 6QE Telephone/Fax:
800-899-3413
It contains everything you need to know, from technical
probiotic
Telephone:
+44 (0) 8707 665108 Website: www.nutrivene.com
information to research data, references and an online
E-Mail:
Q&A forum. technical@bio-kult.com
info@bio-kult.com
Website:
www.bio-kult.com
Bio-Kult is completely safe, has no contraindications and carries no risk of overdose. Science and nature in balance
What is Bio-Kult? Which gut conditions can Bio-Kult help?*
Bio-Kult is a unique probiotic Dysbiosis Traveller’s Stomach (travel or environmental irritants. Episodes of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative
Dysbiosis is a condition in which sickness) eczema can be triggered by allergic Colitis (UC), long-term conditions
14
made up of 14 different strains. the normal bacteria in the gut are Any food or water from an infected reactions to foods, particularly milk whose main symptoms are diarrhoea,
disturbed and the levels of the source can cause traveller’s products, animals, dust, cosmetics, pain and blood in the stool. There is
It is designed to help our essential bacteria are reduced. stomach. Symptoms are mainly and viruses; also by environmental currently no cure. Drugs are used to
digestive and immune systems, Evidence shows that dysbiosis diarrhoea, but can include stomach factors, such as stress. It has been reduce the inflammation. In severe
is the underlying cause of many cramps and nausea, often lasting suggested that some people develop cases, the damaged intestine is
both of which are important in illnesses, not just those associated for 10 days after the traveller atopic diseases, such as allergic removed. It has only recently become
with the intestine. returns home. The most common rhinitis, asthma and atopic eczema, clear that these diseases centre on
keeping us at the peak of health. cause is contaminated food or due to alterations in their intestinal the immune cells and tissues in the
Diarrhoea water. The use of probiotics as a microflora. intestine that react incorrectly to
Evidence suggests that Diarrhoea causes an imbalance in preventative for diarrhoea during normal gut microflora.
the gut microflora, increased gut travel has been studied. Evidence Leaky Gut Syndrome
Bio-Kult’s broad spectrum of beneficial bacteria can permeability and inflammation of suggests that diarrhoea occurs Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, Autism
less often when Lactobacilli refers to the gut lining, which allows
reduce the symptoms and inflammation associated the intestine. If probiotic bacteria
and Bifidobacterium (species of
For reasons not yet understood,
are able to colonise the gut, then bacteria and some undigested nutrients autistic children develop deficient gut
with digestive disorders and other conditions. it has been suggested they can bacteria contained in Bio-Kult) are to enter the bloodstream instead of flora. Lacking properly established
be used to help treat or prevent used as preventatives and also for being digested and absorbed. Here, “good” gut bacteria, essential for
diarrhoea. There are many studies treatment. they cause the the immune system food digestion and absorption,
Bio-Kult is suitable to react. The immune system cells
concluding that probiotics are autistic children can develop multiple
for vegetarians, is completely safe, has no effective for the treatment and Candida (Candidiasis) have an inflammatory reaction that nutritional deficiencies that drastically
prevention of different types of The yeast Candida albicans leads to autoantibody production and affect their development. In parallel,
contraindications and carries no risk of overdose. diarrhoea. naturally lives on or in most autoimmune disease development. pathogenic and opportunistic microbes
humans as a harmless organism, Probiotics have been shown to improve can develop, grow and become
Bio-Kult was formulated by an expert team of doctors, Antibiotic Associated Diarrhoea but it can become a major fungal intestinal permeability and reduce active, producing toxins that enter the
(AAD) pathogen. A study showed that inflammation in Leaky Gut Syndrome bloodstream. Developing brains are
nutritionists and scientists dedicated to advancing the After a course of antibiotics, the normal gut flora has a natural patients. particularly sensitive to these “toxins”
the reduced levels of beneficial resistance to Candida albicans and nutritional deficiencies. As a result
research and use of probiotic health supplements. but this may be reduced when Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) there is no normal development of
bacteria in the gut cause an
imbalance in the microflora and antibiotics are taken, leading The three most usual symptoms language, comprehension, behaviour
can allow pathogenic (disease- to recurring yeast infections in of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) etc. Over time, an efficient probiotic
causing) species to increase. The women. These can be localised, are: lower abdomen pain, diarrhoea will re-establish the normal gut flora by
gastrointestinal microflora are e.g. in the mouth or vagina, or constipation and abdominal clearing out the “bad” microbes and
less able to resist colonisation by and can spread to almost any bloating. In IBS the intestine does not old putrefaction. The healing process
these unfriendly species, leading organ system. Candidiasis can work properly. Patients may in fact then starts.
to clinical symptoms like be associated with a number have one or more of the following
diarrhoea. Probiotics of conditions: chronic fatigue gastrointestinal complaints: leaky
replace the syndrome, arthritis, Irritable Bowel gut, dysbiosis, Candida overgrowth,
beneficial Syndrome (IBS) and allergies. parasitic infections, allergies and food
bacteria killed Probiotic microbes suppress the intolerances. Probiotics, as well as
by the growth of Candida in both the increasing the numbers of beneficial
antibiotics gastrointestinal tract and vagina. bacteria in the intestine, may also
and may They also stop Candida adhering to reduce the amount of gas produced
prevent the mucous membrane. and help reduce the symptoms of IBS.
pathogens
from Atopic Dermatitis Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
taking Eczema, suffered by 10-20% of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a
hold. world’s population, makes the skin term that embraces several conditions Bio-Kult capsules can be pulled
apart and the contents sprinkled
red, itchy and flaky. This happens in which the intestine is persistently on to food, mixed in a drink or
when the skin responds to physical inflamed. Its two main forms are swallowed whole.
Probiotic Microorganisms
The healthy body naturally hosts trillions of beneficial bacteria. Amongst Supplement Facts
other things, they help to support and maintain a strong immune Serving Size: 2 Capsules
system and a healthy digestive system.* Today’s lifestyle of stress Servings per container: 60
and poor nutrition can challenge these essential functions.*
Amount per serving
Why Bio-Kult®?
The complete formula in Bio-Kult® helps balance and Strains of Bio-Kult® Probiotic Blend 54 mg**
maintain these natural systems with the beneficial friendly bacteria
Lactobacillus spp. (L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus,
organisms necessary to keep you at your best. It is of L. acidophilus, L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus,
fundamental importance that we have an adequate level L. casei, L. helveticus, L. salivarius), Bacillus
of these probiotic bacteria in our bodies at all times. With subtilis, Bifidobacterium spp. (B. bifidum,
fourteen strains of beneficial bacteria at a concentration B. breve, B. infantis, B. longum), Lactococcus
of 10 billion CFU per gram, Bio-Kult® is one of the most lactis ssp lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus
powerful probiotic supplements available.
**Daily value not established
Recommended Daily Intake Other ingredients: Maltodextrin, vegetable capsule
One to two capsules twice daily with food. (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, water), magnesium stearate.
Children under 12 - half dose. Or as directed by your Allergen statement: Contains soy and milk ingredients in
health practitioner or doctor. trace amounts. The levels of milk ingredients should not
Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. affect those who are lactose intolerant.
Keep out of reach of children.
Probiotic supplements should not be used as a substitute Distributed by: International Nutrition Inc. 11615 Crossroads Circle,
for a healthy lifestyle or a varied, balanced diet. Suite D, Middle River, MD 21220, USA.
C Each capsule provides 2x109 (2billion) CFU. Made in the United Kingdom by: Probiotics International Limited.
Store in a cool dry place. No need to refrigerate.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Y
CM
MY
CY
Probiotic Microorganisms
The healthy body naturally hosts trillions of beneficial bacteria. Amongst Supplement Facts
CMY other things, they help to support and maintain a strong immune Serving Size: 2 Capsules
system and a healthy digestive system.* Today’s lifestyle of stress
and poor nutrition can challenge these essential functions.* Servings per container: 30
K
Why Bio-Kult®? Amount per serving
The complete formula in Bio-Kult® helps balance and Strains of Bio-Kult® Probiotic Blend 54 mg**
maintain these natural systems with the beneficial friendly bacteria
Lactobacillus spp. (L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus,
organisms necessary to keep you at your best. It is of L. acidophilus, L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus,
fundamental importance that we have an adequate level L. casei, L. helveticus, L. salivarius), Bacillus
of these probiotic bacteria in our bodies at all times. With subtilis, Bifidobacterium spp. (B. bifidum,
fourteen strains of beneficial bacteria at a concentration B. breve, B. infantis, B. longum), Lactococcus
of 10 billion CFU per gram, Bio-Kult® is one of the most lactis ssp lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus
powerful probiotic supplements available.
**Daily value not established
Recommended Daily Intake Other ingredients: Maltodextrin, vegetable capsule
One to two capsules twice daily with food. (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, water), magnesium stearate.
Children under 12 - half dose. Or as directed by your Allergen statement: Contains soy and milk ingredients in
health practitioner or doctor. trace amounts. The levels of milk ingredients should not
Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. affect those who are lactose intolerant.
Keep out of reach of children.
Probiotic supplements should not be used as a substitute Distributed by: International Nutrition Inc. 11615 Crossroads Circle,
for a healthy lifestyle or a varied, balanced diet. Suite D, Middle River, MD 21220, USA.
Each capsule provides 2x109 (2billion) CFU. Made in the United Kingdom by: Probiotics International Limited.
Store in a cool dry place. No need to refrigerate.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Food Allergy
By Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride
Published in: Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, First Quarter, 2009, Vol 24, 1,
pp.31-41
Food allergies have become very common, and the trend is up. 1 Most
medical practitioners find that we have to face this problem more and more
on a daily basis. A recent public survey in the UK has shown that almost
half the population report that they have an “allergy” to some food or foods.
2
However, the official figures for a “true allergy to food” are around 1% of
the population in most developed countries. 1 The reason for this confusion
is that majority of food reactions/allergies/intolerances do not produce a
typical allergy test profile (raised IgE or IgG with positive prick test and/or
positive RAST test). There have been different attempts to classify this
group: as type B food allergy, metabolic food intolerance or simply food
intolerance, rather than a “true” allergy. 3 In this group a person may react to
many different foods or combinations of foods. Quite often the person is not
sure what food produces the reaction, because the reaction may be
immediate or delayed (a day, a few days or even a week later). As these
delayed reactions overlap with each other, the patients can never be sure
what exactly they are reacting to on any given day. 1,3 On top of that there is
a masking phenomenon, when reactions to a regularly consumed food run
into each other (the new reaction begins when the previous has not finished
yet), so the connection with that food and symptoms, it triggers, is not
apparent. 4 Food allergy or intolerance can produce any symptom under the
sun: from migraines, fatigue, PMS, painful joints, itchy skin to depression,
hyperactivity, hallucinations, obsessions and other psychiatric and
neurological manifestations. However, the most immediate and common
symptoms in the vast majority of patients are digestive problems: pain,
diarrhoea or constipation, urgency, bloating, indigestion, etc. 3,5,6
Naturally, many people try to identify, which foods they react to. As a result
many forms of testing have appeared on the market: from blood tests to
electronic skin tests. Many experienced practitioners get disillusioned with
most of these tests, as they produce too many false-positives and false-
negatives. 6 On top of that they lead to a simple conclusion, that if you
remove the “positive” foods out of the diet, it will solve the problem. In
some cases, indeed elimination of a trigger food helps. However, in majority
the help in not permanent: the patients find, that as they eliminate some
foods, they start reacting to other foods, to which they did not seem to react
before. The whole process leads to a situation where the person finishes up
with virtually nothing left to eat, and every new test finds reactions to new
foods. Majority of experienced practitioners come to the same conclusion:
the simplistic idea of “just don’t eat foods, you are allergic to!” does not
address the root of the problem. 3,6 We need to look deeper, at what causes
these food intolerances. In order to understand it, I would like to share a case
history of one of my patients.
Stephanie S, 35 years old asked for my help in “sorting out her food
allergies”. A very pale malnourished looking lady, (weight 45 kg with height
160cm) with low energy levels, chronic cystitis, abdominal pains, bloating
and chronic constipation. She was consistently diagnosed anaemic all her
life.
Family background: she was born naturally from a mother with digestive
problems and migraines, her sister suffered from severe eczema and her
brother from GI problems. She did not have information on her father’s
health.
She was not breast fed as a baby and at the age of 3 months got her first
urinary infection with the first course of antibiotics. Since then the urinary
infections became a regular part of her life, usually treated by antibiotics;
now she is suffering from chronic interstitial cystitis. Through the childhood
she was very thin, always found it difficult to put any weight on, but
otherwise she considered her health to be “OK” - she completed school and
played sports. At 14 years of age her menstruations stopped, having started a
year before. She was put on a contraceptive pill, which seemed to regulate
her menstruations. Around 16 she was put on a long course of antibiotics for
acne, after which developed lactose intolerance, severe constipation and
bloating. Was advised to stop dairy at 18, which helped with constipation for
a while, but other symptoms remained. She developed progressively low
levels of energy, abdominal cramps, dizzy spells, very low body weight and
very dry skin. Following numerous medical consultations and food allergy
testing she started removing different foods out of her diet, but was never
sure if it made much difference: some symptoms seemed to improve, others
did not and new symptoms appeared. She became sensitive to loud sounds
and local pollution, her shampoo and make up and some domestic cleaning
chemicals. Her cystitis became chronic and was pronounced psychosomatic
by her doctor. Her diet at the time of the consultation was very limited: she
seemed to tolerate (but was not entirely sure) breakfast cereals, sheep’s
yoghurt, soy milk, some varieties of cheese, a few vegetables and rarely fish.
Following several food allergy tests she has removed all meats, eggs, nuts,
all fruit, whole grains and many vegetables.
This example is very common and demonstrates clearly that just removing
“offending” foods out of the diet does not solve the problem. We have to
look deeper and find the course of the patient’s malady. In order to do that
we have to examine Stephanie’s health history.
Infancy
Stephanie was born from a mother with digestive problems and was not
breast fed. What does that tell us? We know that unborn babies have sterile
gut. 7 At the time of birth the baby swallows mouthfuls of microbes, which
live in the mother’s birth canal. 8 These microbes take about 20 days to
establish themselves in the baby’s virgin digestive system and become the
baby’s gut flora. 7,8 Where does the vaginal flora come from? The medical
science shows that the flora in the vagina largely comes from the gut. What
lives in the woman’s bowel will live in her vagina. 9,10 Stephanie’s mother
suffered from digestive problems, which indicates that she had abnormal gut
flora, which she passed to her daughter at birth.
Baby Stephanie was not breast fed. Breast milk, particularly colostrum in the
first days after birth, is vital for appropriate population of the baby’s
digestive system with healthy microbial flora. 9,10,11 We know that bottle fed
babies develop completely different gut flora to the breast fed babies. 11 That
flora later on predisposes bottle-fed babies to asthma, eczema, different
other allergies and other health problems. 12 But the most important
abnormalities develop in the digestive system of course, as that is where
these microbes make their home. Having acquired abnormal gut flora from
her mother at birth, Stephanie had it compromised further by bottle feeding.
Chronic cystitis
Apart from the gut, in the first few weeks of life other mucous membranes
and baby’s skin get populated by their own flora, playing a crucial role in
protecting those surfaces from pathogens and toxins. 13 As baby Stephanie
acquired abnormal flora in her gut, her groin and vagina got abnormal flora
too (as it normally comes from the gut). 10 At the same time the urethra and
the urinary bladder would get similar to vagina flora: in a normal situation it
should be predominated by Lactobacteria, largely L. crispatus and L.
jensenii. 14 This flora produces hydrogen peroxide, reducing the Ph in the
area, which does not allow pathogens to adhere. 15 Unprotected urethra and
bladder fall pray to any pathogenic microbes, causing urinary tract
infections. The most common pathogens, which cause UTIs, are E.coli,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus saprophyticus,coming from
the bowel and the groin. 15 Urine is one of the venues of toxin elimination
from the body. 16 In gut dysbiosis large amounts of various toxins are
produced by pathogens in the gut and absorb into the bloodstream through
the damaged gut wall. 16,17 Many of these toxins leave the body in urine:
accumulating in the bladder, this toxic urine comes into contact with the
bladder lining. The beneficial bacteria in the bladder and urethra maintain a
GAG layer of the bladder: a protective mucous barrier, largely made from
sulphated glucosaminoglycans, produced by the cells of the bladder lining.
17
As the GAG layer gets damaged, toxic substances in urine get through to
the bladder wall causing inflammation and leading to chronic cystitis. 18 And
that is what happened to Stephanie: at the age of 3 months she got her first
urinary infection. As her gut flora, vaginal flora and the flora of urethra and
the bladder were not corrected, she suffered from urinary infections all her
life and eventually developed chronic cystitis.
After many short courses of antibiotics Stephanie had to take a long course
for acne at the age of 16. That is when she got pronounced digestive
problems: constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and lactose intolerance,
indicating that her gut flora got seriously compromised.
From the age of 14 Stephanie has been taking contraceptive pills for many
years. Contraceptives have a serious damaging effect on the composition of
gut flora,leading to allergy and other problems, related to gut dysbiosis . 22,23
Stephanie also found that she became lactose intolerant after the long course
of antibiotics prescribed for her acne. And indeed Lactose is one of those
substances, which most of us would not be able to digest without well
functioning gut flora. 25 The explanation offered by science so far is that
after early childhood majority of us lack an enzyme called Lactase to digest
Lactose. 26 If we are not meant to digest Lactose, then why do some people
seem to manage it perfectly well? The answer is that these people have the
right bacteria in their gut. One of the major Lactose digesting bacteria in the
human gut is E.coli. 10 It comes as a surprise to many people that
physiological strains of E.coli are essential inhabitants of a healthy digestive
tract. They appear in the gut of a healthy baby in the first days after birth in
huge numbers: 107 - 109 CFU/g and stay in these same numbers throughout
life, providing that they do not get destroyed by antibiotics and other
environmental influences. 9,19 Apart from digesting Lactose, physiological
strains of E.coli produce vitamin K and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, produce
antibiotic-like substances, called colicins, and control other members of their
own family which can cause disease. In fact having your gut populated by
the physiological strains of E.coli is the best way to protect yourself from
pathogenic species of E.coli. 21 Unfortunately, this group of beneficial
bacteria are very vulnerable to broad spectrum antibiotics, particularly
aminoglycosides (Gentamycin, Kanamycin) and macrolides (Erythromycin,
etc.). 9,10
Apart from E.coli, other beneficial bacteria in the healthy gut flora
(Bifidobacteria, Lactobacteria, beneficial yeastsand other) will not only
ensure appropriate absorption of nutrients from food but also actively
synthesise various nutrients: vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, thiamin
(vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine
(vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), various amino acids and other
active substances. 9,10,25 In the process of evolution Nature made sure that
when the food supply is sparse, we humans don't die from vitamin and
amino acids deficiencies. Nature provided us with our own factory for
making these substances - our healthy gut flora. And when this gut flora is
damaged despite adequate nutrition we develop vitamin deficiencies. Every
tested child or adult with gut dysbiosis shows deficiencies in those very
vitamins, which their gut flora is supposed to produce. 25 Restoring the
beneficial bacteria in their gut is the best way to deal with those deficiencies,
particularly vitamin B deficiencies. 10,19,21
I have been using SCD for many years in my clinic and have to say that it is
the diet for food allergies. As I work largely with children with learning
disabilities, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc, I have grouped
these patients under the name Gut And Psychology Syndrome or GAPS. 40 I
had to adopt some aspects of SCD for these patients and they have named
their diet – the GAPS diet. Over the years I have developed a GAPS
Introduction Diet for the more severe end of the spectrum
(www.gapsdiet.com). I find that the Introduction Diet is particularly
effective in food allergies, as it allows the gut wall heal quicker. The
Introduction Diet is structured in stages. Unless there is a dangerous
(anaphylactic type) allergy to a particular food, I recommend my patients to
ignore the results of their food intolerance testing and follow the stages one
by one. The Introduction Diet in its first stages serves the gut lining in three
ways:
1. It removes fibre. With damaged gut wall fibre irritates the gut lining and
provides food for the pathogenic microbes in the gut. This means: no nuts,
no beans, no fruit and no raw vegetables. Only well-cooked vegetables
(soups and stews) are allowed with particularly fibrous parts of the vegetable
removed. No starch is allowed on the GAPS diet, which means no grains and
no starchy vegetables.
2. It provides nourishment for the gut lining: amino acids, minerals, gelatine,
glucosamines, collagens, fat soluble vitamins, etc. These substances come
from homemade meat and fish stocks, gelatinous parts of meats well-cooked
in water, organ meats, egg yolks and plenty of natural animal fats on meats.
On the first two stages of the Introduction Diet most severe digestive
symptoms, such as diarrhoea and abdominal pain disappear quite quickly. At
that point the patient can move through the next stages, when other foods are
gradually introduced. As the gut wall starts healing, the patients find that
they can gradually introduce foods, which they could not tolerate before.
When the Introduction GAPS Diet is completed, the patient moves to the
Full GAPS Diet. I recommend adhering to the Full Diet for 2 year on
average in order to restore normal gut flora and GI function. Depending on
the severity of the condition, different people take different time to recover.
Children usually recover quicker than adults.
Stephanie had to follow the Introduction Diet for 7 months before she started
putting weight on and feeling stronger. By the time she moved to the Full
GAPS Diet she had normal stools, no bloating and no cystitis symptoms; her
energy levels were much improved, though she still looked slightly pale. In
about a year from the start of the treatment she disappeared for 18 months,
then emailed me with an update: she was doing well, her energy level was
good, she had no symptoms of cystitis and her GI function was good. She
put weight on: though she was still quite slim, but within the normal range.
In the last two months she started eating some foods not allowed on the diet
and found that she can tolerate them on an occasional basis, including pasta,
chocolate and some goods from the local bakery.
Stephanie took a particular therapeutic probiotic. She took one capsule per
day (2 billion live cells) for a week, then increased to 2 capsules per day. On
this dose her skin became itchy, she got loose stool and her cystitis
symptoms got slightly worse. She understood it to be a “die-off”, so stayed
on this dose for as long as it took for these symptoms to subside – 2,5 weeks.
Then she increased her dose to 3 capsules a day. This increase produced
another “die-off reaction”, so she had to stay on the 3 capsules per day for a
month before she could move on. In this manner she gradually got up to 8
capsules a day – her therapeutic dose. I recommended her to stay on this
dose for 6 months. In this period of time all her main symptoms subsided
and some started going. After 6 months, she decided to stay on the
therapeutic dose for longer, as she felt well on it. After another 4 months on
8 capsules per day, she felt strong enough to start reducing the dose. She
gradually reduced it to 4 capsules a day – her maintenance dose. After about
2 years on this dose she found that she could discontinue the probiotic (as it
is expensive) and only take it occasionally, when she was under particular
stress.
References
2. http://www.foodintoleranceuk.com/allergy_vs_intolerance.htm
5. Haynes AJ. The effect of food intolerances and allergy on mood and behaviour. In:
Nutrition and mental health: a handbook. 2008. Pavillion Publishing (Brighton).
6. Haynes AJ. The food intolerance bible. 2005. London: Harper Collins.
7. Dai D, Walker WA. Protective nutrients and bacterial colonization in the immature
human gut. Adv Pediatr 1999;46:353-82.
8. Gr”onlund MM, Lehtonen OP, Eerola E, Kero P. Fecal microflora in healthy infants
born by different methods of delivery: permanent changes in intestinal flora after
cesarean delivery. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 1999 Jan, 28(1):19-25.
12. Lucas A, Brooke OG, Morley R et al. Early diet of preterm infants and development
of allergic or atopic disease: randomised prospective study. Brit Med J 1990;300:837-
40.
14. Tori Hudson. Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. Second edition. 2007.
McGRaw-Hill Professional, pp.67-69.
16. Shaw W. Metabolic disease testing: the history of organic acid testing. In: Biological
Treatments for Autism and PDD. 2002:25-28. ISBN 0-9661238-0-6.
17. L Gillespie. You Don’t Have to Live with Cystitis. 1996. Avon Books, pp.62-63.
18. JR Dalton, EJ Bergquist. Urinary Tract Infections. 1987. Taylor & Francis, pp.88-95.
19. Vorobiev AA, Pak SG et al. Dysbacteriosis in children. A textbook for doctors and
medical students (Russian), M, “KMK Lt”, 1998, ISBN 5-87317-049-5.
20. Cummings JH, Macfarlane GT (1997). Colonic Microflora: Nutrition and Health.
Nutrition. 1997;vol.13, No.5, 476-478.
21. Finegold SM, Sutter VL, Mathisen GE (1983). Normal indigenous intestinal flora in
"Human intestinal flora in health and disease". (Hentges DJ, ed), pp3-31. Academic
press, London, UK.
22. Falliers C. Oral contraceptives and allergy. Lancet 1974; part 2: 515.
23. Grant E. The contraceptive pill: its relation to allergy and illness. Nutrition and
Health 1983;2: 33-40.
24. Seeley, Stephens, Tate. Anatomy and Physiology. 1992. Second edition. Mosby Year
Book.
25. Kalidas Shetty, Gopinadhan Paliyath, Anthony Pometto, Robert E. Levin. Human gut
microflora in health and disease. In: Food Biotechnology, 2nd Edition, 2006, CRC
Press, pp 1133-1200.
26. Anthony H, Birtwistle S, Eaton K, Maberly J. Environmental Medicine in Clinical
Practice. BSAENM Publications 1997: 142.
27. Garrow JS, James WPT, Ralph A. Human nutrition and dietetics. 2000. 10th edition.
Churchill Livingstone: 249-267.
30. Gibson GR, Roberfroid MB (1999). Colonic Microbiota, Nutrition and Health.
Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dodrecht.
32. Gibson GR, Roberfroid MB (1999). Colonic Microbiota, Nutrition and Health.
Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dodrecht.
33. Kikuchi, E., Y. Miyamoto, S. Narushima, and K. Itoh. 2002. Design of species-
specific primers to identify 13 species of Clostridium harbored in human intestinal
tracts. Microbiol. Immunol. 46:353-358.
35. Di Prisco MC et al. Possible relationship between allergic disease and infection by
Giardia Lamblii. Ann Allergy 1993;70:210-3.
38. Gardner MLG (1994). Absorption of intact proteins and peptides. In: Physiology of
the Gastrointestinal Tract, 3rd edn. Chapter 53, pp 1795-1820. NY:Raven Press.
39. Gottschall E. Breaking the vicious cycle. Intestinal health through diet. 1996. The
Kirkton Press.
40. Campbell-McBride N. Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Natural treatment for autism,
dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD, depression and schizophrenia. 2004. Medinform
Publishing.
41. Kirjavainen PV, Apostolon E, Salminen SS, Isolauri E. New aspects of probiotics – a
novel approach in the management of food allergy. 1999(Revew), Allergy 54(9):909-
15.
42. Furrie E. Probiotics and allergy. Proc Nutr Soc. 2005 Nov;64(4):465-9.
44. Cabana MD, Shane AL, Chao C, et al. Probiotics in primary care pediatrics. Clinical
Pediatrics. 2006;45(5):405–410.
45. Drisko JA, Giles CK, Bischoff BJ. Probiotics in health maintenance and disease
prevention. Altern Med Rev. 2003 May;8(2):143-55.
46. Doron S, Gorbach SL. Probiotics: their role in the treatment and prevention of
disease. Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy. 2006;4(2):261–275.
probiotics:
healing the mind
The idea that disease starts in the gut is not new, but a Cambridge practitioner has taken it a
stage farther by showing how the restoration of gut flora plays a crucial part in the treatment
of children with learning and behavioural disorders. CAM editor Simon Martin talks to
Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, of the Cambridge Nutrition Clinic.
r Natasha Campbell-McBride knows about
D
to university and trained as a nutritionist. We have compromised gut flora.“
children’s health from personal changed his diet and after trying various nutritional As a result, she says, we also have an epidemic
experience. Her son was diagnosed supplements we have found the ones that work. An of poor health in children. “We hardly have any
autistic when he was three. At three and a autistic child needs a very special nutritional healthy children nowadays. One survey showed that
half, he started a programme of treatment. Now management, a major part of it being – putting his only 10% of school children did not have a
10, he attends a mainstream school. gut flora right! Gut flora is a living organism very diagnosed condition. If you look at a typical school,
“I remember that traumatic moment of the sensitive to the diet, antibiotics, steroids and stress. you hardly see any healthy children. Some are
diagnosis ‘Autism’, being announced to us by our “Diet on its own is a very powerful tool in obese, some look malnourished, a lot of them are
doctor followed by a statement 'There is nothing helping an autistic child. But it cannot solve all the very pale, a lot of them have eczema, a lot of them
that can be done', says Natasha. “Well, being a problems without nutritional supplements. In order have asthma. About 30% of them are on inhalers.
doctor myself, I have to say ‘Your doctor is wrong! to rebalance the gut flora it is essential to use a The situation is very sad.“
There is a lot that can be done’.“ strong multi-strain probiotic. Recent international studies have suggested a
Natasha and her partner Peter were founding “He showed an excellent response to relatively strong causal relationship between
members of PEACH (Parents for the Early intervention probiotics. From about two to three months after increased risk of childhood asthma and exposure to
of Autism in Children). PEACH is a parent-led group starting it we saw dramatic improvements in our antibiotics during childhood, especially during the
helping parents of children with autism Intensive son – his eye contact became normal and stable, first year of life.
Behavioural Intervention Programmes. Also known as the self-stimulation had almost disappeared, he Prof Julian Crane of Otago University has
ABA, this approach is based on highly personalised, generally became more aware and with us. commented: “Our paper, together with a study
one-to-one coaching that teaches children language, Everybody comments on how healthy he looks. He published …in Thorax (Farooqi IS, et al. Thorax
play, academic, intellectual, self-help and social used to be on a milk-free diet. We introduced some 1998;53:927-32), raises the possibility that broad-
skills. An ABA programme can sometimes achieve milk products back into his diet and found that he spectrum antibiotics, particularly in the first year of
miracles, but Natasha’s research and experience has tolerates it now without any symptoms.“ life, may be associated with an increased risk of
shown her that it is still not enough. As a result of their experience, Peter heads up atopy and asthma. For reasons that have been
“Looking back now, nobody could predict that a Cambridge Bioceuticals, a UK company founded by pointed out in both papers, these results cannot be
little boy without any language, constantly self a team of doctors, nutritionists and scientists taken as definitive, but rather as hypothesis-raising.
stimulating, eating very little apart from milk from a dedicated to advancing the research and use of “On the other hand, the results are plausible.
baby bottle could undergo such a transformation. probiotics. And he has become one of many Broad-spectrum antibiotics came into clinical usage
On the whole what happened to him can only be children able to be helped by a combination of in the 1960s, and their increased use coincides
described as a miracle. However, his achievements treatments with one thing in common – the use of with the time trends for the increasing prevalence
are not due solely to the ABA programme“, says powerful, multi-strain therapeutic probiotics. of asthma. There is a plausible mechanism, namely
Natasha. “More than 400 children have gone through my that broad-spectrum antibiotics may alter and
“A huge part of his transformation was in his clinic“, says Natasha. “Hyperactive children, reduce bowel flora and thus switch off the
nutritional management. Being trained as a medical children with dyslexia and asthma and eczema and immunological signals that these gut bacteria send
doctor I knew that conventional medicine has ADHD and other disabilities, and what I see is that to the developing immune system.“ (1) Crane has
nothing to offer children like my son. So I went back what we have in our society is an epidemic of also showed, with a study of 450 children at six
cover story: PROBIOTICS
Steiner schools in New Zealand, that even with person has a fairly solid gut flora, then it usually environment stimuli in a normal, natural way,
parents opposed to the routine use of antibiotics, a recovers. But if antibiotics are repeated quite often, people start reacting in an allergic type of way.
staggering 75% of the children had used and particularly when people are prescribed long “The gut flora’s really a huge, huge agent. On
antibiotics, 36% in the first year of life! courses – such as when people with acne are put on average everyone carries two kilograms of bacteria
Autism is also exploding. “In this country one tetracycline for 2 years or so – they invariably finish in their gut. There are more cells there than there
child in 250 is diagnosed as autistic, when 10 years up with digestive disorders like IBS, because their are in an entire human body. We can’t live without
ago we had one child in 10,000“, says Natasha. gut flora gets wiped up. When the beneficial this mass of bacteria and it’s a highly organised
This is nothing to do with improvements or changes bacteria are not there, then all sorts of pathogens microbial world, dominated by beneficial bacteria.
in diagnosis, she says. “The medical establishment and opportunists get a chance to grow to occupy the “What I am seeing now are generations of
and the government are trying to present it that gut and to populate it. They start digesting food in people in this country with compromised gut flora –
way. But what that would mean is that 10 years their own way, breaking it down into inappropriate because I don’t just examine the child, I get a full
ago doctors were so bad at diagnosing our children substances. And they also damage the gut lining, medical history of the parents and the grandparents.
that they were missing one child in 250. But autism making the gut leaky and allowing this maldigested “A grandmother, for example, perhaps has
is not a disability that goes away as the child food to get absorbed. The immune system reacts to arthritis, which is another sign of toxicity in the body.
grows up. If they had missed one child in 250 10 this maldigested food as foreign substances and When opportunists and pathogenic bacteria occupy
years ago, then we would still only have one in 250 hence you get allergies.“ the gut, they produce a lot of toxic substances. These
teenagers with autism now, which we don’t. Now maybe it’s just the fashion, but everybody toxic substances seep through into the bloodstream
Everybody who knows and works with autism is you meet these days says they have some sort of and settle in different tissues of the body causing an
convinced that there is an epidemic going on.“ allergy. It’s either hayfever or permanently runny auto-immune attack on those tissues as the immune
Although various causative factors have been nose or skin rashes or food intolerances. system tries to clean the body up. So someone with
promoted, Natasha is convinced that disturbed gut Practitioners may distinguish between true allergies arthritis usually has some abnormalities with the gut
flora is at the root of it. She has a well-worked out and “mere“ intolerances or sensitivities, but the flora; they are being poisoned by their own gut. There
chain of events that even explains how a public doesn’t. To them, there’s not doubt is a certain level of toxicity in the body, which has
compromised flora – and all that goes with it – has whatsoever that there’s an epidemic of allergies too. particular design to settle in the joints. So the
been passed on through the generations. Unless it “Allergies usually happen when the immune grandmother will have arthritis, or rheumatoid
is corrected, future generations are doomed to an system gets out of balance“, says Natasha. “The arthritis, or allergies or digestive disorders.
ever-increasing level of ill-health, with potentially major balancing agent of the immune system in the “A baby is born with a sterile gut and as the
no one safe from a cycle of infections, allergies, body is the gut with its gut flora. The flora can baby goes throughout the birth canal at birth, it
arthritis, digestive disorders, atopy and, for some, literally be described as the right hand of our swallows its first batches of bacteria. So a major
hyperactivity, ADHD and autism. I asked her to immune system. But when the beneficial gut flora part of the gut flora which would populate the
explain this devastating theory; she started with is not there, the two major arms of immunity, TH1 virgin gut of the baby, comes from the mother. So
the basics. immunity and TH2, get out of balance. [*types of this grandmother gives her compromised gut flora
“We really started prescribing antibiotics for helper cells: current wisdom is that TH2 cells to her daughter. So now the daughter will be prone
everything and anything in the ‘70s and ‘80s“, she stimulate production of IgE, the master of allergic to PMS perhaps, to migraines, to digestive
says. “That’s when we started to get generations of reactions, while Tl cells inhibit]. disorders – that’s what I see in mothers of autistic
people with compromised gut flora. Antibiotics wipe The end result of abnormal gut flora is a children. Between 95-100% of mothers of children
out the beneficial bacteria as well as the pathogenic weakening of the TH1 arm; the TH2 gets over- with autism, hyperactivity, asthma, eczema and
bacteria. Remember, our beneficial bacteria are very active, and that’s the arm of the immunity that’s other problems, also have conditions that are
vulnerable to antibiotics and get wiped out very responsible for allergic type reactions, atopic type related to abnormal gut flora. I hardly ever see
quickly. If the course of antibiotics is short and the reactions. So instead of reacting to the healthy mothers.
Dr. N. Campbell-McBride MD
In clinical practice these conditions more often than not overlap with each other.
A patient with autism often is hyperactive and dyspraxic. There is about 50%
overlap between dyslexia and dyspraxia and 25-50% overlap between
hyperactivity and dyslexia and dyspraxia. Children with these conditions are often
diagnosed as being depressed and as they grow up they are more prone to drug
abuse or alcoholism than their typically developing peers. A young person
diagnosed with schizophrenia would often suffer from dyslexia, dyspraxia or/and
ADHD/ADD in childhood. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are often described
as two sides of one coin. We have created different diagnostic boxes to fit our
patients in, but a modern patient does not fit into any one of them neatly. The
modern patient in most cases fits into a rather lumpy picture of overlapping
neurological and psychiatric conditions. This picture leads us to the fact that
these conditions are related to each other by similar underlying causes. Let us
discuss what these causes may be.
Before examining the patient it is very important to look at the health history of
the parents. Whenever the parents are mentioned people immediately think
about genetics. However, apart from genetics there is something very important
the parents, mother in particular, pass to their child: their unique gut micro-flora.
Not many people know that an adult on average carries 2 kg of bacteria in the
gut. There are more cells in that microbial mass than there are cells in an entire
human body. It is a highly organised micro-world, where certain species of
bacteria have to predominate to keep us healthy physically and mentally. Their
role in our health is so monumental, that we simply cannot afford to ignore them.
We will talk in detail about the child’s gut flora later. Now let us come back to the
source of the child’s gut flora – the parents.
1
A typical modern mother was probably not breast fed when she was a baby,
because she was born in 60s or 70s when breast-feeding went out of fashion.
Why is it important? Because it is well known now that bottle fed babies develop
completely different gut flora to the breast fed babies. This compromised gut flora
in a bottle fed baby later on predisposes her to many health problems. Having
acquired compromised gut flora from the start, a typical modern mum had quite a
few courses of antibiotics in her childhood and youth for various infections. It is a
well known fact that antibiotics have a serious damaging effect on gut flora,
because they wipe out the beneficial strains of bacteria in the gut. At the age of
16 and sometimes even earlier the modern mum was put on a contraceptive pill,
which she took for quite a few years before starting a family. Contraceptive pills
have a devastating effect on the beneficial (good) bacteria in the gut. One of the
major functions of the good bacteria in the gut flora is controlling about 500
different known to science species of pathogenic (bad) and opportunistic
microbes. When the beneficial bacteria get destroyed the opportunists get a
special opportunity to grow into large colonies and occupy large areas of the
digestive tract. A modern diet of processed and fast foods provides perfect
nourishment for these pathogens and that is a typical diet a modern mum had as
a child and a young adult. As a result of all these factors a modern mum has
seriously compromised gut flora by the time she is ready to have children. And
indeed clinical signs of gut dysbiosis (abnormal gut flora) are present in almost
100% of mothers of children with neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Why are we talking about mother’s gut flora? Because her baby is born with a
sterile gut. In the first 20 or so days of life the baby’s virgin gut surface gets
populated by a mixture of microbes. This is the child’s gut flora, which will have a
tremendous effect on this child’s health for the rest of his/her life. Where does
this gut flora come from? Mainly from the mother.
So, whatever microbial flora the mother has she would pass to her new-born
child.
Gut flora is something we do not think much about. And yet the number of
functions the gut flora fulfils is so vital for us that if some day our digestive tract
got sterilised we probably would not survive.
The first and very important function is appropriate digestion and absorption of
food. If a child does not acquire normal balanced gut flora, then the child will not
digest and absorb foods properly, developing multiple nutritional deficiencies.
And that is what we commonly see in children and adults with learning
disabilities, psychiatric problems and allergies. Many of these patients are
malnourished. Even in the cases where the child may grow well, testing reveals
some typical nutritional deficiencies in many important minerals, vitamins,
essential fats, many amino-acids and other nutrients. The most common
deficiencies, recorded in these children, are in magnesium, zinc, selenium,
copper, calcium, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus, iron, potassium, vanadium,
boron, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, A, D, folic acid, pantothenic acid, omega-
2
3, 6, 9 fatty acids, taurine, alpha-ketoglutaric acid, glutathione and many other
amino-acids. This usual list of nutritional deficiencies, commonly seen in these
children, includes some most important nutrients for normal development of the
child’s brain, immune system and the rest of the body.
Apart from normal digestion and absorption of food healthy gut flora actively
synthesises various nutrients: vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, thiamine
(vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6),
ciancobalamine (vitamin B12), various amino-acids and proteins. Indeed, when
tested people with gut dysbiosis always present with deficiencies of these
nutrients. Clinical experience shows that restoring the beneficial bacteria in their
gut is the best way to deal with these deficiencies.
The majority of children and adults with neurological and psychiatric conditions
look pale and pasty. When tested they show various stages of anaemia, which is
not surprising. To have healthy blood we require many different nutrients:
vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, K, A, D, etc), minerals (Fe, Ca, Mg, Zn, Co, Se,
boron, etc.), essential amino acids and fats. These patients not only can't absorb
these nutrients from food, but their own production of many of them in the body is
damaged. On top of that people with damaged gut flora often have particular
groups of pathogenic bacteria growing in their gut, which are iron-loving bacteria
(Actinomyces spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains of E.Coli,
Corynebacterium spp. and many others). They consume whatever iron the
person gets from the diet, leaving that person deficient in iron. Unfortunately,
supplementing iron only makes these bacteria grow stronger and does not
remedy anaemia. To treat anaemia the person requires all the nutrients we have
mentioned many of which healthy gut flora supplies.
Apart from taking a vital part in nourishing the body, beneficial bacteria in the gut
act as the housekeepers for the digestive tract. They coat the entire surface of
the gut protecting it from invaders and toxins by providing a natural barrier and
producing a lot of anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal substances. At the
same time they provide the gut lining with nourishment. It is estimated that 60 –
70% of energy, the gut lining derives, is from the activity of bacteria, which live on
it. So, it is no surprise that when the gut flora is abnormal the digestive tract itself
can not be healthy. Indeed most patients with learning disabilities, psychiatric
disorders and allergies present with digestive problems. In many cases these
problems are severe enough for the patients or their parents to talk about them
first. In some cases they may not be severe, but when asked direct questions the
parents describe that their child never had normal stool, that their child suffered
from colic as a baby and that tummy pains and flatulence are a common part of
the picture. In those cases where these children have been examined by gastro-
enterologists, inflammatory process in the gut was found along with faecal
compaction and an over-spill syndrome.
3
Schizophrenic patients were always known to have serious digestive problems.
Dr. Curtis Dohan, MD has devoted many years to researching digestive
abnormalities in schizophrenia. He found a lot of similarities between coeliac
disease and the state of the digestive tract in schizophrenics. Indeed, long before
these patients develop psychotic symptoms they usually suffer from digestive
problems and all other typical symptoms of gut dysbiosis pretty much from the
start of their lives. Children and adults with ADHD/ADD, OCD, depression,
bipolar disorder and other neuro-psychological problems are very often reported
to suffer from digestive abnormalities.
Well functioning gut flora is the right hand of our immune system. The beneficial
bacteria in the gut ensure appropriate production of different immune cells,
immunoglobulins and other parts of the immunity. But most importantly they keep
the immune system in the right balance. What typically happens in a person with
gut dysbiosis is that two major arms of their immune system Th1 and Th2 get out
of balance with underactive Th1 and overactive Th2. As a result the immune
system starts reacting to most environmental stimuli in an allergic or atopic kind
of way.
A baby is born with an immature immune system. Establishment of healthy
balanced gut flora in the first few days of life plays a crucial role in appropriate
maturation of the immune system. If the baby does not acquire appropriate gut
flora then the baby is left immune compromised. The result is lots of infections
followed by lots of courses of antibiotics, which damage the child’s gut flora and
immune system even further. The most common infections in the first two years
of life in the children with neurological, psychological and atopic disorders are ear
infections, chest infections, sore throat and impetigo. At the same time in the first
two years of life the child receives a lot of vaccinations. A child with compromised
immune system does not react to vaccinations in a predicted way. In many cases
vaccines deepen the damage to the immune system and provide a source of
chronic persistent viral infections and autoimmune problems in these children.
There has been a considerable amount of research published into the state of
the immune system in children with learning disabilities and psychiatric problems.
The research shows deep abnormalities in all major cell groups and
immunoglobulins in these children. The most common autoantibodies found are
to myelin basic protein (MBP) and neuron-axon filament protein (NAFP). These
antibodies attack the child’s brain and the rest of the nervous system.
So, the modern child who we are talking about, did not get normal gut flora from
the start and then got it damaged even further by repeated courses of antibiotics
and vaccinations. As a result these children commonly suffer from digestive
problems, allergies, asthma and eczema. But apart from that in children and
adults who then go on to develop neurological and psychiatric problems
something even more terrible happens. Without control of the beneficial bacteria
different opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi have a good
4
chance to occupy large territories in the digestive tract and grow large colonies.
Two particular groups which are most commonly found on testing are yeasts
(including Candida species) and Clostridia family. These pathogenic microbes
start digesting food in their own way producing large amounts of various toxic
substances, which get absorbed into the blood stream, carried to the brain and
cross the blood – brain barrier. The number and mixture of toxins can be very
individual, causing different neurological and psychological symptoms. Due to the
absence or greatly reduced numbers of beneficial bacteria in the gut flora, the
person’s digestive system instead of being a source of nourishment becomes a
major source of toxicity in the body.
There are many toxins, which we have not studied very well yet. But some toxins
have received a considerable amount of research. Let us have a look at them.
Acetaldehyde & Alcohol. What have these substances got to do with our
patients?
• Liver damage with reduced ability to detoxify drugs, pollutants and other
toxins.
• Pancreas degeneration with reduced ability to produce pancreatic enzymes,
which would impair digestion.
• Reduced ability of the stomach wall to produce stomach acid.
• Damage to immune system.
• Brain damage with lack of self-control, impaired co-ordination, impaired
speech development, aggression, mental retardation, loss of memory and
stupor.
• Peripheral nerve damage with altered senses and muscle weakness.
• Direct muscle tissue damage with altered ability to contract and relax and
muscle weakness.
• Nutritional deficiencies from damaging effect on digestion and absorption of
most vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Deficiencies in B and A vitamins
are particularly common.
• Alcohol has an ability to enhance toxicity of most common drugs, pollutants
and other toxins.
• Alteration of metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in the body.
5
• Inability of the liver to dispose of old neurotransmitters, hormones and other
by-products of normal metabolism. As a result these substances accumulate
in the body, causing behavioural abnormalities and many other problems.
Clostridia Neurotoxins.
There are about 100 different Clostridia species known so far. They are present
in the stools of people with autism, schizophrenia, psychosis, severe depression,
muscle paralysis and muscle tonus abnormalities and some other neurological
and psychiatric conditions. Many Clostridia species are normal inhabitants of the
human gut. For example Clostridium tetani is routinely found in the gut of healthy
humans and animals. Everybody knows that tetanus is a deadly disease, due to
an extremely powerful neurotoxin Clostridium tetani produces. Clostridium tetani,
which lives in the gut, is normally controlled by the beneficial bacteria and does
us no harm, because its toxin cannot get through the healthy gut wall.
Unfortunately, patients who we are talking about, do not have a healthy gut wall.
In gut dysbiosis this powerful neurotoxin may well get absorbed through the
damaged gut lining and then cross the blood-brain barrier affecting the patient’s
mental functioning. Many other species of Clostridia (perfringens, novyi,
septicum, histolyticum, sordelli, aerofoetidum, tertium, sporogenes, etc) produce
toxins similar to tetanus toxin as well as many other toxins. Dr. William Shaw at
Great Plains Laboratories describes in detail a number of autistic children, who
showed serious improvements in their development and biochemical tests while
on anti-Clostridia medication. Unfortunately, as soon as the medication was
stopped the children slipped back into autism, because these children do not
have healthy gut flora to control Clostridia and not to allow their toxins through
the gut lining into the bloodstream. In many cases Clostridia were not identified in
the stools of these children, because Clostridia are strict anaerobes and are very
difficult to study. We need to come up with some better ways of testing for these
potent pathogens.
Yeasts and Clostridia have been given a special opportunity by the era of
antibiotics. Broad-spectrum antibiotics do not touch them while killing the
beneficial bacteria in the gut, which are supposed to control the yeasts and
Clostridia. So, after every course of antibiotics these two pathogenic groups get
out of control and overgrow. The children that we are talking about usually are
6
exposed to numerous courses of antibiotics pretty much from the beginning of
their lives.
Opiates are drugs, like opium, morphine and heroin, which are commonly used
by drug addicts. What have they got to do with our patients?
Gluten is a protein present in grains, mainly wheat, rye, oats, barley. Casein is a
milk protein, present in cow, goat, sheep, human and all other animal milk and
milk products. In gut dysbiosis these proteins do not have a chance to be
digested properly before they get absorbed in the form of substances with similar
chemical structure to opiates, like morphine and heroin. There has been quite a
substantial amount of research done in this area by Dohan, Reichelt, Shattock,
Cade and others, where gluten and casein peptides, called gluteomorphin and
casomorphin, were detected in the urine of schizophrenic patients, autistic and
ADHD children. Incidentally, these substances were also found in patients with
depression and rheumatoid arthritis. These opiates from wheat and milk get
through the blood-brain barrier and block certain areas of the brain, just like
morphine or heroin would do, causing various neurological and psychological
symptoms.
We have mentioned a few toxins found in these patients. There are many other
toxins, which are being studied. The mixture of toxicity in each child or adult can
be quite individual and different. But what they all have in common is gut
dysbiosis. The toxicity, which is produced by the abnormal microbial mass in
these patients, establishes a link between the gut and the brain. That is why I
grouped these disorders under one name: the Gut and Psychology Syndrome
(GAP Syndrome or GAPS). The GAPS children and adults can present with
symptoms of autism, ADHD, ADD, OCD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, schizophrenia,
depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, allergies, asthma and eczema in
any possible combination. These are the patients who fall in the gap in our
medical knowledge. Any child or adult with a learning disability, neurological or
psychological problems and allergies should be thoroughly examined for gut
dysbiosis. Re-establishing normal gut flora and treating the digestive system of
the person has to be the number one treatment for these disorders, before
considering any other treatments with drugs or otherwise.
7
To learn more about Gut and Psychology Syndrome, how it develops and how
to treat it please look at the book by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
“Gut and Psychology Syndrome”. Natural treatment for autism,
ADHD/ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression and schizophrenia.
References.
4. Bolte ER, (1998). Autism and Clostridium tetani. Medical Hypothesis 51(2):
133-144.
6. Dohan CF. Cereals and schizophrenia: data and hypothesis. Acta Psychiat
Scand 1966; 42: 125-152.
10. Furlano RI, Anthony A, Day R et al. Colonic CD8 and gamma delta T-cell
infiltration with epithelial damage in children with autism. J Pediatr 2001;138:
366-72.
11. Ferrari P et al. Immune status in infantile autism: Correlation between the
immune status, autistic symptoms and levels of serotonin. Encephale 14:339-
344, 1988.
12. Holford P. Optimum nutrition for the mind. 2003. ISBN 0 -7499 -2213 -3.
8
13. Horrobin DF, Glen AM, Vaddadi K. 1994. The membrane hypothesis of
schizophrenia. Schiz Res 18, 195-207.
19. Lewis SJ, Freedman AR (1998). Review article: the use of biotherapeutic
agents in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal disease.
(Review)(144 refs). Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 12(9):807-
22, 1998 Sep.
20. Lykova EA, Bondarenko VM, Sidorenko SV, Grishina ME, Murashova AD,
Minaev VI, Rytikov FM, Korsunski AA (1999). Combined antibacterial and
probiotic therapy of Helicobacter - associated disease in children
(Russian).Zhurnal Microbiologii, Epidemiologii I Immunobiologii. 1999 Mar-
Apr;(2):76-81.
23. Mycroft et al. JIF-like sequences in milk and wheat proteins. NEJM 1982; 307:
895.
9
26. Reichelt K et al. Gluten, milk proteins and autism: dietary intervention effects
on behaviour and peptide secretions. Journal of Applied Nutrition. 42:1-11,
1990.
28. Rimland B. New hope for safe and effective treatments for autism. Autism
Research Review International 8:3, 1994.
35. Singh & Kay. Wheat gluten as a pathogenic factor in schizophrenia. Science
1975: 191: 401-402.
36. Sioudrou et al. Opioid peptides derived from food proteins. The exorphins. J
Biol Chem. 1979; 254:2446-2449.
37. Shaw W. Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD. 2002. ISBN 0-9661238-
0-6
38. Tabolin VA, Belmer SV, Gasilina TV, Muhina UG, Korneva TI. Rational
therapy of intestinal dysbacteriosis in children. - M.:Medicina, 1998, 22p..
10
39. Vorobiev AA, Pak SG et al. (1998). Dysbacteriosis in children. A textbook for
doctors and medical students.(Russian). M.: “KMK Lt.”, 1998. 64p. ISBN 5-
87317-049-5.
40. Ward NI. Assessment of clinical factors in relation to child hyperactivity. J Nutr
Environ Med, Vol 7, 1997, p.333-342.
41. Ward NI. Hyperactivity and a previous history of antibiotic usage. Nutrition
Practitioner, Vol 3(3), 2001, p.12.
42. Waring (2001). Sulphate, sulphation and gut permeability: are cytokines
involved? In: The Biology of Autism – Unravelled. Conference proceedings
11th May 2001, Institute of Electrical Engineers, London.
45. Wakefield AJ and Montgomery SM. Autism, viral infection and measles,
mumps, rubella vaccination. Israeli Medical Association Journal 1999;1:183-
187.
46. Walker-Smith JA. Autism, inflammatory bowel disease and MMR vaccine.
Lancet 1998; 351: 1356-57.
48. Warren PP at al. Reduced natural killer cell activity in autism. J Am Acad
Child Phychol 26: 333-335, 1987.
49. Waizman A et al. Abnormal immune response to brain tissue antigen in the
syndrome of autism. Am J Psychiatry 139:1462-1465, 1982.
51. Yonk LJ et al. D4+ per T cell depression in autism. Immunol Lett 35: 341-346,
1990.
11
Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAP Syndrome or GAPS)
Dr. N. Campbell-McBride, MD
Not many people would choose to become parents of an autistic child. Yet it is
unmistakable epidemic of autism going on across the globe. If this can possibly
be of any comfort for a parent, then I would say that you are certainly not alone!
Most parents of autistic children can clearly recall that traumatic moment of the
statement "There is nothing that can be done.” Well, being a doctor myself, I
have to say that your doctor is wrong, there is a lot that can be done! I would
(normal) peers. My own son was diagnosed severely autistic at the age of three.
Now at the age of 12 he has fully recovered and is leading a normal life. In my
adults. My personal and professional involvement with autism has been my best
Treating autism is not an easy task. It takes years of continuous effort and
commitment. But, being a parent myself, I can tell you that it is one of the most
1
Natural Treatment for Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Depression and
Schizophrenia” I would like to share with you what I strongly believe to be the
Before examining the patient it is very important to look at the health history of
the parents. Whenever the parents are mentioned people immediately think
about genetics. However, apart from genetics there is something very important
the parents, mother in particular, pass to their child: their unique gut micro-flora.
Not many people know that an adult on average carries 2 kg of bacteria in the
gut. There are more cells in that microbial mass than there are cells in an entire
role in our health is so monumental, that we simply can not afford to ignore them.
We will talk in detail about the child’s gut flora later. Now let us come back to the
After studying hundreds of cases of autism in children and adults, a typical health
A typical modern mother was probably not breast fed when she was a baby,
because she was born in 60s or 70s when breast-feeding went out of fashion.
Why is it important? Because it is well known now that bottle fed babies develop
completely different gut flora to the breast fed babies. This compromised gut flora
2
in a bottle fed baby later on predisposes her to many health problems. Having
acquired compromised gut flora from the start, a typical modern mum had quite a
few courses of antibiotics in her childhood and youth for various infections. It is a
well known fact that antibiotics have a serious damaging effect on gut flora,
because they wipe out the beneficial strains of bacteria in the gut. At the age of
16 and sometimes even earlier the modern mum was put on a contraceptive pill,
which she took for quite a few years before starting a family. Contraceptive pills
have a devastating effect on the beneficial (good) bacteria in the gut. One of the
major functions of the good bacteria in the gut flora is controlling about 500
microbes. When the beneficial bacteria get destroyed the opportunists get a
special opportunity to grow into large colonies and occupy large areas of the
digestive tract. A modern diet of processed and fast foods provides perfect
nourishment for these pathogens and that is a typical diet a modern mum had as
a child and a young adult. As a result of all these factors a modern mum has
seriously compromised gut flora by the time she is ready to have children. And
indeed clinical signs of gut dysbiosis (abnormal gut flora) are present in almost
100% of mothers of children with autism and other neurological and psychiatric
conditions.
But why are we talking about mother’s gut flora? Because her baby is born with a
sterile gut. In the first 20 or so days of life the baby’s virgin gut surface gets
populated by a mixture of microbes. This is the child’s gut flora, which will have a
3
tremendous effect on this child’s health for the rest of his/her life. Where does
So, whatever microbial flora the mother has she would pass to her new-born
child.
Gut flora is something we do not think much about. And yet the number of
functions the gut flora fulfils is so vital for us that if some day our digestive tract
The first and very important function is appropriate digestion and absorption of
food. If a child does not acquire normal balanced gut flora, then the child will not
Apart from taking a vital part in nourishing the body, beneficial bacteria in the gut
act as the housekeepers for the digestive tract. They coat the entire surface of
the gut protecting it from invaders and toxins by providing a natural barrier and
same time they provide the gut lining with nourishment. So, it is no surprise that
when the gut flora is abnormal the digestive tract itself can not be healthy. Indeed
most patients with autistic spectrum disorders present with digestive problems. In
many cases these problems are severe enough for the parents to talk about
them first. In some cases they may not be severe, but when asked direct
questions the parents describe that their child never had normal stool, that their
4
child suffered from colic as a baby and that tummy pains and flatulence are a
common part of the picture. In those cases where these children have been
along with faecal compaction and an over-spill syndrome. The most recent
research was performed at the Royal Free Hospital in London by Dr. Andrew
Wakefield and his team. They found an inflammatory condition in the bowel of
Well functioning gut flora is the right hand of our immune system. A baby is born
the first few days of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of the
immune system. If the baby does not acquire appropriate gut flora then the baby
courses of antibiotics, which damage the child’s gut flora and immune system
even further. At the same time in the first two years of life the child receives a lot
the immune system and provide a source of chronic persistent viral infections
So, the autistic child who we are talking about, did not get normal gut flora from
the start and then got it damaged even further by repeated courses of antibiotics
5
problems, allergies, asthma and eczema. But apart from that in autistic children
and adults something even more terrible happens. Without control of the
fungi have a good chance to occupy large territories in the digestive tract and
grow large colonies. These pathogenic microbes start digesting food in their own
way producing large amounts of various toxic substances, which get absorbed
into the blood stream, carried to the brain and cross the blood – brain barrier.
Due to the absence or greatly reduced numbers of beneficial bacteria in the gut
detail at what particular toxins have been found in autistic children and adults and
how they make these children and adults autistic. The toxicity, which is produced
by the abnormal microbial mass in the digestive tract of the child, establishes a
link between the gut and the brain. That is why I named this condition: the Gut
fall in the gap – the gap in our medical knowledge. As a result they do not receive
an appropriate treatment.
The book on GAP Syndrome explains how and why autism develops and how to
treat it using a sound nutritional protocol. The treatment is completely natural and
6
can be implemented at home. It is a self-help book with a comprehensive recipe
MmedSci (neurology)
Cambridge, England
To learn more about Gut and Psychology Syndrome, how it develops and how to
treat it with a sound nutritional protocol please look at the book by Dr.
7
My Son
By Natasha Campbell-McBride, M.D.
It is always painful for a mother to recall those years of desperation and hard work
with an autistic child. It is particularly painful to realize all the things you were doing
wrong. If only we knew then what we know now! If only we had done this and that,
when he was smaller, he may have developed very differently.
However, I do not regret for a moment the mind-blowing educational journey my son
took me through. When he was born, I was an M.D. trained in neurology with seven
years' working experience. But as they say, doctors make the worst patients. When it
comes to your own child, you are just as prone to denial and blindness as any other
parent. Apart from that, as all the parents of autistic children discover, doctors know
very little about autism. They are taught how to diagnose it, but when it comes to
treatment, official medicine has nothing to offer. On the contrary, it is hell bent on
convincing you that there is nothing you can do and that any other opinion is
quackery. So, being a doctor has given me no advantage at all.
Our son was diagnosed autistic at the age of three. After the initial shock and grieving
my husband and I started to learn as much as we could about autism. In those days
there wasn't as much information available on the subject as there is now, but at least
there was something offering our son hope. I remember that somebody gave us a
phone number for Dr. Rimland in California. We had a long conversation with him
and as a result our son was on an ABA program by the age of 3 1/2. At the same time
he started taking DMG. This conversation with Dr. Rimland was like a ray of
sunshine in our lives. Here was a person who knew so much about autism and who
was prepared to share his knowledge with us and help us. Here was a parent who did
not accept the official position on autism and who had devoted his life to changing
that position. I am sure that there are thousands of families around the world forever
grateful to this man. I want to add my family to that list.
From the very beginning the ABA program was performing absolute miracles with
our boy. I will never forget our first workshop with our excellent ABA consultant,
who had flown to us from the U.S. At the end of an exhausting two days of training,
she said that in three months' time she expected our son to speak in small sentences.
All of us, including our five therapists, thought that she was dreaming, because our
boy had no speech and his understanding of language was very questionable. But to
our huge surprise, she was right! We have meticulously recorded that period in our
son's life on video. In three months' time we were able to have quite a sensible
conversation with him.
As our son was moving through his ABA program I devoted my time to learning as
much as possible about biology, biochemistry, and nutrition in autism. It was clear to
me that our son's extreme fussiness with food—and as a result, very poor diet—had a
lot to do with his autism. I went back to university and took a master of sciences
degree in human nutrition. I devoted particular attention to studying the digestive
system's pathology and how to treat it by natural means. The reason for my interest
was the fact that our son's digestive system almost never functioned normally.
Beginning the day we introduced solids into his diet, he went through a period of
severe constipation, which eventually turned into constant diarrhea. Again, consulting
with official medicine was a complete disappointment. Apart from symptomatic drugs
with lots of side effects, it could offer our boy nothing to help with his digestive
problems, constant fungal nappy rash or tremendous feeding difficulties. At the same
time it was clear to me that his immune system was in disarray due to his poor
nutrition. Like many autistic children he went through ear infections, chest infections,
impetigo, and fungal thrush. And of course, all my medical colleagues offered were
antibiotics and more antibiotics.
Based on my newly acquired knowledge I changed his diet dramatically. Our ABA
consultant helped us work out a system of introducing foods into our son's diet.
Without that system it would have been impossible to change his diet, as he was so
finicky with food. Having examined diets that have been successful for children with
severe digestive problems, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and chronic
malnutrition, I realized that just introducing a gluten- and casein-free (GFCF) diet
would not be enough for my son. So I have worked on a far more natural and focused
approach, which also excludes gluten and casein. The result was amazing, as if
somebody had lifted a toxic fog off his brain. He was much calmer, much more able
to learn. His eye contact improved on its own and a lot of self-stimulation
disappeared.
At the same time we introduced a strong therapeutic probiotic. There was no doubt
that his gut flora was abnormal. From early on I have tried to give him various
probiotics, available on the market, with no particular results, until I found a formula
that worked. It was powerful enough to heal his digestive system to such an extent
that we could cheat on the diet on an occasional basis without any problems. At the
same time it gave his immune system such a boost that I don't remember now when
he last had a cold. Now he looks a picture of health with rosy cheeks and bright eyes
and he is full of energy. Since then I have developed my own probiotic formula,
which works very well for autistic children and people with digestive and immune
disorders.
It is impossible to overestimate the role of the family in the struggle against autism. I
have seen quite a few very sad situations, where one parent is trying to help a child
without the support of the other parent. Treating an autistic child is a huge
undertaking and united families usually succeed much better. I would like to say that
what we have achieved with our son, my husband and I have achieved together.
Without my husband's constant support, intellect, and organizational skills I would not
have been able to do half of what I have done in these years. Our son is very lucky to
have an excellent dad, of whom he is very fond.
A great part of the successful treatment of autism is the fact that parents of autistic
children all talk to each other. This is where we get our strength and inspiration to
carry on. Our success became an inspiration for many other families, who were
calling me and who were willing to try what we did. That is how my clinic for autistic
children started. Having seen hundreds of families from many different countries, I
never cease to admire their determination and strength in trying to help their children.
I have learned a lot from them and their experiences.
A few months ago at the end of a consultation, one of the parents looked at me and
asked in a stern voice, “Why haven't you written a book yet?!” That was followed by
a number of other parents telling me that I must write a book on autism. I am working
on it now. I feel that it is my duty to share the knowledge and clinical experience that
I have accumulated over the years thanks to my son and the many families of autistic
children I have met. I hope, too, that my experience will help others to avoid the
mistakes that we have made. We all eventually learn by our mistakes, but time is
precious for our children. The earlier we start helping them in the right way, the better
chance they get to recover from autism. I believe that every autistic child has a
chance, given appropriate help.
In my previous story I mentioned that I was writing a book. Well, the book has been
out for a year now and is very successful; a third print was done a month ago. It is
called “Gut And Psychology Syndrome. Natural treatment for autism, ADHD, ADD,
dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression and schizophrenia” (www.MedInform.co.uk). The
book describes in detail how these conditions develop and how to treat them using a
solid nutritional protocol. It has a large recipe section to help people start on the diet,
as well as chapters on how to deal naturally with ear infections, constipation, toxicity,
fussy feeding habits, and other issues.
My son was very proud to contribute to my book—he has written a beautiful poem,
which is published at the beginning of the book. We still have not told him about what
happened to him in his younger years; we decided to wait until he is older. There are
no traces of autism in him now and he is leading a normal life. He is doing well at
school and started playing rugby on his school team. His digestive system works like
a clock now, though we still adhere to the diet, which I have described in detail in my
book. The good news is that my son can have anything now on an occasional basis
without it causing problems. However, the whole family is on this diet as it is very
healthy and can prevent many health problems (such as weight gain, heart disease,
cancer, diabetes, autoimmune problems, osteoporosis, and allergies) in all members of
the family. When we go on holiday we eat what is available, but when we come back
home we go back to our diet because it is good for us. Both our children have a
considerable knowledge of nutrition now and we often hear them lecturing their
friends on what is good for them to eat and what is not.
I hope that our story can be an inspiration for parents of autistic children. Never give
up on your child, and your child will reward you!
http://www.autism.com/treatable/recovered/campbellmcbride.htm
Talking about autism it is impossible to avoid the issue of the MMR vaccine and
vaccination in general. I my practice I see some parents of autistic children who
would link their child's disorder with MMR vaccine where many can not make this
connection. Following research by Dr. Wakefield there has been a lot of publicity on
this subject. The government has put a lot of effort and money into convincing the
public that MMR vaccine is safe. While the MMR vaccine was in the lime light, other
vaccines got questioned as well, due to the fact that many of them contain Thimerosal,
a Mercury compound. Others are new and have not been tested long enough, yet
apparently the number of unreported complications from these vaccines is much
higher than anybody would expect. On top of all this we have to remember that
vaccines are commercial products made with profit in mind. Is it true that the 3
million pounds which the government recently spent on MMR promotion were paid
for by the companies who have a commercial interest in this vaccine?
I do not believe that things are so simple. Here we have to look at autism as a whole
picture and vaccination as a whole.
Let us have a look at what is happening to children in our modern society. If you look
around, how many healthy children would you see? Childhood asthma, eczema,
diabetes, allergies, hay fever, digestive disorders, ADHD and autistic spectrum
disorders have all gained epidemic proportions! The majority of siblings of autistic
children have eczema, asthma or another one of those disorders. And though all these
health problems appear to be different, they have one thing in common. A very big
thing - a compromised immune system with suppressed Th1 and overactive Th2 parts
of the immunity. These two opposing arms of the immune system normally should be
in balance. But in these children they are out of balance reducing the body's ability to
fight infections and predisposing the child to allergies and autoimmune reactions. A
compromised immune system is not going to react to environmental insults in the
normal way! Vaccination is a huge insult for the immune system. The manufacturers
of vaccines produce them for children with normal immune systems which will react
to these vaccines in a normal way. And perhaps 50 or even less years ago the majority
of children had normal immune systems, so vaccination was producing the expected
results of protection against infections without any harm for the body. However, in
our modern society with our modern way of life we are rapidly moving to a situation
where a growing proportion of children do not have a normal immune system and will
not produce an expected reaction to the vaccine. In some of these children
vaccination, putting an enormous strain on an already compromised immune system,
becomes that "last straw which breaks the camel's back" and brings on the beginning
of autism, asthma, eczema, diabetes, etc.. In other children, whose immune system is
compromised to a lesser degree, vaccination will not start the disorder, but it will
deepen the damage and move the child closer to it.
But what makes the immune system compromised? What is it in our modern life
styles that does this damage?
There are a number of factors which play their part in damaging the delicate balance
of the immune system, but some major factors deserve particular attention:
1. Gut Dysbiosis.
5. Food additives.
1. Gut Dysbiosis.
Not everybody is aware that our bodies are a home to huge numbers of bacteria,
viruses, fungi and other microbes. In a healthy body this micro-world is properly
balanced and fulfils a whole host of beneficial functions, without which we would not
be healthy. The largest population of microbes, called gut flora, live in our digestive
systems. The gut wall with its microbial flora has been described as "the right hand"
of the immune system. If the bacterial layer is damaged or worse than that, abnormal,
then your immune system is trying to function with its right hand chopped off.
• The epithelial surface of the colon is inhabited by huge numbers of bacteria, and
can be truly described as a "cradle" of the immune system, both systemic and
mucosal. The beneficial bacteria in the colon, engage lymphoid tissue of the gut
wall and take part in the production of huge numbers of immunoglobulins. For
example, in the cell wall of Bifidobacteria, one of the major inhabitant groups of a
healthy gut flora, there is a substance called Muramil Dipeptide, which activates
synthesis of B and T-Lymphocytes. As a result, a healthy gut wall is literally
infiltrated, jam packed with B and T Lymphocytes, ready to protect the body from
any invader. Your digestive system is a major gate into the body and needs good
guarding.
• The beneficial flora of the gut has got a pronounced anti-viral activity. They take
part in the synthesis of such anti-viral substances as interferon, lizocym and
surfactins, which dissolve the membranes of lipid envelope viruses. The food and
drink which we consume are full of disease causing viruses, but the healthy gut
flora would not allow them to take hold in your body.
• Immunoglobulin A is a substance which is secreted by the gut wall into the gut
lumen in response to new food arriving from the stomach. It is the immune
system's way of dealing with the unwelcome invaders coming with food and
drink. Fairly soon after being excreted the Immunoglobulin A naturally degrades.
The beneficial bacteria in the gut slow down this degradation, allowing the
Immunoglobulin A more time to do its work.
As a result of all this activity your healthy gut flora keeps the two major arms of the
immune system, the Th1 and Th2 immunity, in proper balance. The condition, when
the gut flora is not healthy, is called - Gut Dysbiosis. In this condition the beneficial
bacteria in the gut are damaged or eradicated. As a result the gut wall gets taken over
by a large number of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria, viruses, fungi and
parasites, all producing very toxic substances. The digestion and absorption of food
becomes abnormal, the gut wall becomes damaged and "leaky". But most importantly,
as we are concentrating on the immune system here, the person with gut Dysbiosis
becomes immune-compromised.
A number of factors in our modern life styles can damage the delicate balance of the
gut flora. Antibiotics and steroids are major contributors, consumption of processed
foods, a toxic environment, prolonged stress, etc.
Here we are talking about vaccination, so we need to look at babies' and children's gut
flora. Babies get their gut flora from the mother. So, if the mother does not have
healthy bodily flora, then the baby will not have it either. Widespread use of the
contraceptive pill (steroids) in young girls damages the gut flora. When it is combined
with regular consumption of processed sugary foods and antibiotics, then the damage
gets deeper. The majority of mothers of immune-compromised children with eczema,
asthma, learning disabilities, etc. show symptoms of Gut Dysbiosis, such as digestive
problems, allergies, skin problems, PMS, migraines, thrush, or simply chronic lack of
energy. After the baby is born the breast milk promotes the process of populating the
gut wall with appropriate bacteria. Formula milk does not fulfil this function. So,
breast again is the best. However, in cases when the mother has a considerable Gut
Dysbiosis with an overgrowth of abnormal bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites in her
gut, she will be excreting their toxins in her milk. A lot of these toxins have an opioid
structure and act on the brain as real opioids would do. In these cases the mothers
report that their baby would fall asleep on the breast after a couple of mouthfuls of
this opioid rich milk. In other cases the baby refuses the breast or develops an allergic
reaction. The recent research shows that the toxins, produced by abnormal gut flora,
play a major role in development of autism.
The population of the gut wall with normal gut flora plays a major part in the
appropriate development of the baby's immature immune system. If the gut flora is
not normal then we can not expect a normal immune system. The breast milk provides
a ready immune protection for the baby. So, while exclusively breast fed our babies
can do quite well without properly developing gut flora, but when the breast feeding
stops, it takes a few months for pathological symptoms to start appearing. This is
exactly when the vaccination, and I mean any vaccination, may prove to be too much
of an attack on an already compromised immune system.
2. Antibiotics and steroids, including contraceptive pills, and many other drugs apart
from damaging the gut flora have a direct immune suppressing effect. Their wide
spread use in mothers before and during pregnancy have a damaging effect on the
immune system of the future baby. Antibiotics, taken by the mother during breast
feeding, will pass to the baby through the milk and add to the damage of it's gut flora
and developing immune system.
So, my conclusion is that while MMR and other vaccines may not be the cause of
autism, in immune compromised children they can do a lot of harm and in some
children may well provide the trigger which starts the disorder.
Vaccination, which saved the lives of millions of children world-wide in the last
century, is becoming dangerous thanks to changes in our lifestyles. The number of
immune compromised children in developed countries is enormous and growing
every day. It is time for the medical profession to review its attitude to vaccination.
The cry "Vaccinate everybody!" has to change. Here is what I propose: a
comprehensive immunological test has to be done with every baby before a decision
about vaccination would be made. There are a number of very good tests already in
existence to assess the state of one's immune system. These tests have to be put into
an appropriate pre-vaccination panel for all babies and results of these tests have to be
an essential part in the process for deciding which of the following steps to take:
Those 3 million pounds which the government spent on promoting MMR might have
been just enough to develop such a test panel, and in my opinion, a much more
worthwhile investment in the future health of our nation.
Probiotic News
The following article is written by Dr Andrew Barnes
For seven years, a researcher into new vaccine development and the
immunology of Bacillus subtilis spores (at Guy's Hospital, King's College
London). Currently a freelance scientific consultant.
B. subtilis needs to breathe air that contains oxygen (an obligate aerobe). B. subtilis is of course
very small, so does not require lungs, but it requires oxygen just as much, and for much the
same reasons, as humans do. The gut, however, contains very little oxygen, testified to by the
methane generated in the hind gut (flatulence). The low oxygen levels make the gut a very bad
environment for B. subtilis to grow. If the environment is not good for growth, B. subtilis
'sporulates' (changes into its 'spore' form, which is dormant and very hardy). Spores can remain
dormant for many years and then germinate when the conditions are favourable. Because of the
low oxygen (anaerobic) environment of the bowel, the majority of spores do not germinate and
pass straight out again - at about the same rate as small polystyrene balls, if eaten, might be
expected to do. It is therefore not at all obvious why someone who has killed the bacteria in their
gut through the misuse of antibiotics would benefit from eating B. subtilis
Issue 3
Despite this, spores are taken throughout the world, (from south-east Asia to Mediterranean
Europe) to achieve that very purpose. Can a million people all be wrong? (they were about the
world being flat but not about aspirin in willow bark). Alternatively, if people by their millions are
taking B. subtilis, should not the effects of their doing so, be scientifically established? Since
spores do not stay in the gut long, they are far more straightforward to study than many other
probiotic bacteria that do colonise the gut (such as Lactobacillus & Bifidobacter strains).
Furthermore, if spores help to repopulate the gut, they achieve it without interfering with the
levels of gut bacteria directly.
The only obvious mechanism by which they might achieve this is through the immune system.
You might expect a non-pathogenic bacterium, such as B. subtilis, to be treated like food and get
completely ignored by the immune system. This, as it turns out, is precisely what does 'not'
happen. Recent scientific research has clearly established that spores are extremely good at
stimulating the immune system, especially the innate immune system.
The innate immune system forms the oldest part of the general immune system. The cells within
it are found in all animals that have a backbone (vertebrates) and the receptors they employ go
all the way back to fruit flies.
However, far from being antiquated and useless, the innate cells are critical for telling the
immune system how to respond in any given circumstance. Innate cells have been combating
infections since before mankind and have become extremely effective at recognising the tell-
tale structures found on pathogens. Because these structures are fundamental to how bacteria
are made, all bacteria contain them, not just the pathogens. Furthermore, the body needs the
stimulation provided by these structures to develop, coordinate and maintain a healthy immune
system.
Stimulation provided by recognised bacterial structures, tells the body which parts are
potentially exposed to attack and require special immunological protection. The gut lining acts
as a barrier to bacterial invasion. However, this barrier would soon be breached, if it weren't for
antibodies made by the immune system. Antibodies bind to bacteria and viruses to prevent them
from being able to infect cells. Pathogens can provide the stimulation to make antibodies, along
with the other aspects of host immunity, but will do so too late to prevent the infection from
occurring. However, if 'friendly' bacteria, such as B. subtilis provide the stimulation, the same
benefits are achieved, but without disease. Once stimulated, the immune system prevents
bacteria and viruses from crossing the gut lining and regulates bacterial levels within the gut.
The immune system achieves this to a large extent by making antibodies that selectively bind
and inhibit pathogenic bacteria, but not the 'friendly' ones. Science has therefore explained why
regularly eating B. subtilis helps regulate the repopulation of the gut with bacteria, despite the
fact that the spores may neither persist or even germinate.
Innate stimulation such as the type provided by B. subtilis has been proven to be critical for the
development and maintenance of gut immunity and through it a healthy balance of gut flora. Gut
bacteria stimulate gut immunity, which in turn regulates the bacteria present. However, if this
balance becomes skewed, due to e.g. a bad diet, excessive alcohol intake, stress etc., the
consequences can result in many conditions including constipation, flatulence, indigestion,
susceptibility to infection, etc By supplementing a diet with bacteria, such as B. subtilis, many of
these problems can be potentially reduced or circumvented entirely due to the gut being better
able to regulate itself.
However, the science goes much further than this, and suggests spores could be used in a much
broader context. Disease caused by Clostridium difficile has become a bigger problem than the
infamous MRSA in hospitals today. C. difficile disease is caused by the use of broad spectrum
antibiotics, killing the gut flora and suppressing gut immunity. Probiotics have been shown to be
effective at treating the disease after antibiotics have been lowered or stopped. However,
because spores are resistant to antibiotics and have no requirement for germination, B. subtilis
could potentially be used during treatment and without taking the patient off the antibiotics.
Likewise, B. subtilis could also potentially be used to prevent illness due to external changes in
bacteria. When travelling abroad, diarrhoea is commonly caused by drinking normal tap water
(Delhi belly). This is because bacteria abroad, exhibit regional differences from those a person is
used to. Natural antibodies differ from those made in response to an infection or a vaccine. They
are preprogrammed into your genes because they bind to a wide range of pathogens that have
been experienced in our ancestral past. Since B. subtilis spores stimulate the production of
natural antibodies, they could prove highly effective at minimizing the impact of being populated
by foreign strains of bacteria, either due to travel abroad or due to sudden outbreak.
Footnote:
B. subtilis has recently been evaluated and listed by the European Food Safety Authority as
QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety). In addition B. subtilis is rated as GRAS (Generally
Regarded as Safe) by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) of the United States.
Bio-Kult is the leading practitioner probiotic in the UK for Intervention, with over six years
clinical use.
Probiotic News
The following article is written by Dr John A Jones, MA (Cantab.), MB, BS who
has been a GP in Cambridgeshire for 20 years.
John has worked with probiotics for many years, is a founder of Cambridge
Bioceuticals Ltd and a key member of the team that invented and developed the
Advanced Probiotics Bio-Kult and Duo-Kult.
While many will not make it through, a proportion do, and it is these survivors which multiply to form
the gut flora. Normally, there are over 400 different strains of organisms inhabiting our intestinal tract
and co-habiting happily with us. In fact, as we have evolved, we have lost the ability to produce
various compounds and now rely on our gut flora to produce them for us. Without this symbiotic
relationship our health suffers and we are unable to be nutritionally complete.
During life, the composition of the gut flora changes considerably, as many of the organisms are not
naturally resident and have to be continually replaced. These replacements come from bacteria on
and in the food we eat. There is concern that, as we have increasingly cleaned and sterilised our
food and environment, we have reduced the variety and numbers of organisms we ingest.
Nowadays we also eat less of the types of food that contain bacteria – fermented foods such as
yoghurt, sauerkraut and kefir (a fermented milk product containing various lactobacilli & other micro-
organisms). A common yoghurt producer, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, was first identified in Bulgaria – a
country where the population have both a long lifespan and high consumption of yoghurt and kefir.
Whilst our food has less and less of the normal environmental organisms, it is somewhat paradoxical
that the organisms most likely to be in our food now are 'spoilage' organisms such as Escherichia
Coli and Clostridium difficile which are often pathogenic.
These naturally occurring organisms are not enteric coated or otherwise protected and yet still
manage to survive passage through the acidic conditions of the stomach to the alkaline environment
of the intestine.
How do they do this? There are a number of important factors involved:- PTO
Issue 4
Issue 4
Cambridge Bioceuticals Ltd Probiotics - Dispelling The Acid Myth
1. Stomach pH
While the acidity (pH) of the stomach can be quite harsh at times – dropping to a pH of about 2 – at
other times, such as at mealtimes it can rise to a pH of around 6. This may not sound a major
change, but the pH scale is a logarithmic scale. Each 1 pH change means an increase in acidity of
10 times – so a pH of 2 is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 3, and 10,000 times more acidic than a
pH of 6! A pH of 7 is 'neutral' and pH's between 7 and 14 are alkaline.
This is an important fact in respect to probiotics. Whilst even the hardiest of probiotics may only
survive for a short time at pH 2 they have a much longer survival time at pH 5 or 6. Taking a
probiotic with food is therefore the natural way, and will also give it the best chance of survival.
2. Transit Time
When you eat, food is masticated in the mouth and mixed with alkaline saliva. This food bolus then
passes into the stomach, where it mixes with the stomach juices and is churned around by the
stomach muscle, much like in a washing machine. This liquid part of the mixture is called chyme,
and 50% of this leaves the stomach 30 minutes after eating.
As probiotics are mixed uniformly with the chyme it also follows that within 30 minutes 50% of the
probiotics will have passed out of the stomach, thus limiting the duration of acid exposure.
3. Probiotic Strength
Bacterial survival is a numbers game. Even in the harshest environment, if you start with enough
organisms, some will survive. It therefore follows that with probiotics, having a high strength will
10
improve survival. For example a formulation of ten billion per gram (1 x 10 ) will have one hundred
times more organisms than one of one hundred million (1 x 108). Conversely a probiotic strength of
forty billion per gram (4 x 1010) is only four time stronger than one of ten billion (1 x 1010) per gram.
It is generally accepted, that at the point of consumption, a probiotic should have a concentration of
at least 1 x 106 organisms per gram and that a minimum of 1 x 108 should be consumed daily for
beneficial effects to be realised.
If you take a daily dose of two capsules, each containing two billion organisms, with meals and the
organisms have only a 20% survival rate after 30 minutes at pH 6 then you will have eight hundred
8
million survivors (8 x 10 ) passing through from the stomach into the intestine.
Most probiotics have a much better survival rate at pH 6 – usually more than 70%, which would
mean that over 28 x 108 survive. Enteric coatings may increase this number even more but, as you
can see, are not really necessary – historically the probiotics in nature that we have ingested with
our food have never been enteric coated.
Cambridge Bioceuticals Ltd are the manufacturers of Bio-Kult; the leading practitioner
probiotic in the UK for Intervention, with over six years clinical use.
Probiotic News
The following article is written by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride who has a Degree in
Medicine and Postgraduate Degrees in Neurology and Human Nutrition.
In her clinic Natasha specialises in Nutrition for Children and Adults with Behavioural
and Learning Disabilities, and Adults with Digestive and Immune System Disorders.
Natasha is a founder of Cambridge Bioceuticals Ltd and a key member of the team
that invented and developed the Advanced Probiotics Bio-Kult and Duo-Kult.
Natasha is the author of the book, Gut & Psychology Syndrome
To complicate matters even further, the medical profession is not sure what causes this common
condition or how to treat it. The treatment offered is purely symptomatic:- drugs which relax the
bowel muscles, painkillers, antidepressants etc.
Until recently, the most common theory was that IBS was psychosomatic. Patients were often told
that their misery was probably caused by stress and were advised to go on holiday, relax or try
hypnosis.
The first place to suffer is, of course, the gut itself. In IBS the gut wall is populated by an abnormal
mixture of microbes, which bring all the typical IBS symptoms of diarrhoea, constipation, urgency,
bloating, flatulence, etc. The digestion and absorption of food suffer, so the person develops multiple
nutritional deficiencies. Issue 5
Issue 5
Cambridge Bioceuticals Ltd Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The gut wall, damaged by pathogenic microbes, becomes porous and 'leaky', allowing partially
digested foods and toxins to pass through. This can lead to food allergies / intolerances, fatigue,
aching joints / muscles, headaches, mood swings and many other unpleasant symptoms.
The gut wall in an IBS patient is sore and sensitive, that is why following the right diet is very
important. In my clinical experience the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is the most appropriate
diet for an IBS sufferer. However, in order to help an IBS patient it is vital to introduce probiotic
bacteria into their digestive system; both the right kind of bacterial species and in large enough
numbers to drive the pathogens out and to heal the gut.
Bio-Kult has been designed as a therapeutic probiotic to accomplish just that. Any therapeutic
strength probiotic produces a so-called ‘die-off reaction’ - as the pathogens in the gut die they
release toxins, which may bring an initial worsening of the symptoms. To control this reaction it is
important to introduce Bio-Kult slowly, starting from a small dose. The dose can then gradually be
increased to a therapeutic level of 8-10 capsules of Bio-Kult a day for an adult. Once on this dose,
the patient needs to take it for 6 months or so, depending on the individual symptoms. When the
symptoms have gone, the dose can be gradually reduced to a maintenance level, which is
individual – generally 4 - 6 capsules a day.
Treating IBS patients can be very rewarding - following the right nutritional protocol with the right
probiotic, these patients can improve quite quickly and dramatically.
As one of my patients put it: “I never ever want to be without Bio-Kult! Now I can have my meals
without running to the toilet between mouthfuls of food! I can now live my life without thinking, is
there a toilet in the vicinity!”
Selected references:
1. Balsari, A., Ceccarelli,A., Dubini, F., Fesce,E. & Poli,G. (1992). The faecal microbial population in the
irritable bowel syndrome. Microbiologica 5, 185 - 194.
2. Brigidi P at al. Effects of probiotic administration upon the composition and enzymatic activity of
human fecal microbiota in patients with irritable bowel syndrome or functional diarrhea. Research in
Microbiol. 2001 Oct; 152(8): 735-41 Journal Code: R6F.
3. King, T.S., Elia, M., Hunter, J.O. (1998). Abnormal colonic fermentation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Lancet. 352: 1187 - 1189, 1998 Oct.10.
4. Niedzielin D at al. A controlled, double-blind, randomized study on the efficacy of Lactobacillus
plantarum 299V in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Eur J Gastoenterol Hepatol, 2001 Oct;
13(10): 1143-7 Journal Code: B9X.
5. Nobaek S at al. Alteration of intestinal microflora is associated with reduction in abdominal bloating and
pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol 2000 May; 95(5): 1231-8
Cambridge Bioceuticals Ltd are the manufacturers of Bio-Kult; the leading practitioner
probiotic in the UK for Intervention, with over six years clinical use.
The only way to get arachiconic acid (AA) is to eat animal fat. And since AA makes up 12% dry weight of
the brain, you can see why it’s vital for Lyme patients to get plenty of it. “Arachidonic acid is a
polyunsaturated fatty acid that is present in the phospholipids of membranes of the body’s cells, and is
abundant in the brain.” (1)
Since AA is an EFA required by humans, we must make sure our diets have plenty of good organic fats in
them. If we don’t eat these fats then our bodies will draw the AA from our brains for use. Most of us can’t
afford for that to happen.
It’s recommended by Dr Natasha that one eat plenty of chicken fat, duck fat, pork fat and beef fat in their
daily diets. She emphasizes the importance of eating the dark meat and suggests with great enthusiasm eating
duck 1x week. It’s also recommended that you collect your fats and keep them in the frig for future use when
cooking. Make sure that when you have your daily stock that it includes the fat.
As always, it’s important to know the source of your food. The animals that are grassfed will have a better
ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3′s are important for your brain also, but AA comes strictly
from Omega 6 and can only be obtained through eating animal fats.
“This graph shows that grain-fed beef has a much higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids than wild
game or grass-fed beef. A high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids has been linked with an increased risk
of cancer, cardiovascular disease, allergies, depression, obesity, and auto-immune disorders. (Simopoulos and
Robinson, The Omega Diet, published by HarperCollins in 1999.) A ratio of four or lower is considered ideal.
The ratio in grain-fed beef is more than 14 to 1. In grassfed beef, it is approximately two to one.”(2)
Even the skin on animals that are grass-fed and have the proper Omega 6 to Omega 3 don’t burn when
cooking like grain-fed animals. It’s a beautiful golden skin that is full of AA!
If your worrying about cholesterol-don’t. The lie about cholesterol has been proven to be just that by Sally
Fallon. In fact I’ll post soon and show you the numbers on my cholesterol after switching from grain-fed
animals to grass-fed. It’s pretty cool stuff.
For a farmer near you check out Local Harvest and Eat Wild.
(1) Wikipedia
October 19, 2008 Posted by peacefulacres | Diet | AA, arachidonic adic, beef fat, brain weight, brains,
chicken fat, dark meat, dr natasha campbell-mcbride, duck, eat wild, EFA, essential fatty acids, local harvest,
omega 3 fatty acids, omega 6 fatty acids, pork fat, sally fallon | Leave a Comment
I can’t impress upon you how important detoxing is when healing from Lyme Disease & co-infections. Most
experts agree that our symptoms are a manifestation of the biotoxins and neurotoxins in our bodies. It only
goes to reason that if you can get these toxins out on a regular basis then your symptoms will decrease. When
your symptoms decrease you will have less stress and your body will heal faster. Whether you are using the
Rife Machine, natural ABX, synthetic ABX or herbs, you must detoxify.
My chosen methods of detoxing are; coffee enemas, hydrotherapy, infrared sauna and diet. Of course there
are others, but these are my favorites.
I know that the topic of coffee enemas is a bit private. OK, a lot private, but sometimes these things must be
talked about. For further understanding of coffee enemas you can study the work of Dr Max Gerson. Coffee
enemas were in the Merck Medical Manual until 1970. They were removed as a form of treatment, due to the
lack of space not due to a lack of effective treatment. Dr Max Gerson found them vital for cancer patients to
heal. He used them regularly for his migraine head aches and in our family we can attest to there
effectiveness for this malady. Order some brochures or other printed material and research it. You will be
glad you did.
Hydrotherapy is the use of water in detoxing. It was from Dr Richard Schulze, an herbalist that I learned to do
this. It really takes guts, but it is very effective. Stand in the shower and use as hot, hot, hot as you can stand
without burning your skin, for 30 seconds, then switch to cold, cold, cold for 30 seconds. Do this 7-8 times
and it will wake you up. Hydrotherapy shocks the body. It forces the blood in and out. Focus on areas that are
painful or if you think it needs attention. Dr Schulze’s patients have sworn by hydrotherapy to reduce or
eliminate cysts or tumors. I did them for one complete year and have resumed them since realizing that
Bartonella is quite active in my body. (I do not agree with Dr Richard Schulze on his adoption of the
vegetarian diet. Dr Weston A Price proved other wise and it is that diet that I adhere to.) As Dr Schulze
so accurately says, “this won’t kill you, but the disease you have will!!!”
The other area of detoxing is diet. Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride suggests that the body detoxes from 2-10
AM. She recommends not eating breakfast until at least 10 AM, allowing the body to properly detox. Dr
Campbell-McBride allows juices first thing in the morning. Not canned juices. Fresh carrot, green veggies and
juicy fruits. My favorite is, carrot, celery, chard or kale, beet root, and an apple. You can use which ever
veggies are your favorite, but consider the biggest bang for your buck. Another great detox food is Beet
Kvass; a blood tonic made from Beet Root. Beets are a wonderful detox food for the liver. Always consider
nutrient dense foods even for your juices.
During my most toxic days, I used the Infrared Sauna every day for 20 min’s at 125*F. During the winter
months I usually ramp it up to 135*F, but it takes some time to get use to. It increases your heart rate and
takes a little while afterwards of resting to get your heart rate back down to what’s normal for you. So, don’t
rush these things. Make sure you take plenty of time to rest. Your skin is your largest organ. Not only does it
absorb toxins but it is an excellent way to detox the body. If you dry brush your skin before entering the
sauna, you will stimulate your lymphs and slough off dead skin cells.
And of course drinking lots of clean filtered water is one of the very best ways to detoxify your body. It will
replace the fluids lost during saunas and enemas and it will flush out toxins. It’s recommend that a person
consume at least 64 oz of water a day.
Here is a wonderful explanation of detoxing for cancer. Even though Lyme is not Cancer, the elements of
detoxing remain the same; the need to eliminate biotoxins & with Lyme neurotoxins from the blood.
INTRODUCTION TO DETOXIFICATION
“Cancer cells produce a large number of toxins that inhibit the immune response, damage tissues and
cause weight loss and other complications. Thus, a spreading cancer becomes more and more difficult
to control because of an increased toxin load. There are safe, and effective ways of reducing the toxin
load on the body.
Detoxification is an important aspect of cancer protocols, and any kind of detoxification of the body,
and is often a neglected part of optimizing treatment and clinical results. We live in a toxic world with
air and water pollution, food and medication additives derived from petroleum and coal tars and other
carcinogenic (cancer producing) sources. Drinking water sources when tested may show elevated levels
of TCE, PCB, chloramines, dioxin and other carcinogenic substances. Even our supplemental vitamins,
nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical drugs are often synthesized from sources such as genetically
engineered corn, sugar or soy. These sources of raw materials are often cheaper than less allergenic
sources and corn allergies constitute one of the most common food allergens in the US. Traces of
allergens may cause down regulation of our immune system or a sidetracking of our bodies immune
system with a consequential less than optimum immune system to fight cancer and opportunistic
diseases and organisms. Cosmetics, food with hydrogenated vegetable oils, pesticides, flea collars,
decaffeinated coffee and a host of other daily-encountered substances are carcinogenic!
By detoxification of the body, we can optimize the well being of our healthy cells including our immune
system. Everyone has some levels of mutated cells produced daily, however our immune system keeps
these abnormal cells in check. Cancer cells and cancer-associated viruses are more likely to mutate and
adapt to toxic environments than healthy cells. Indeed, cancer is induced in laboratory animals by
giving the animals toxic substances which cause cancer by mutating normal cells to survive the toxin.
Toxins in our body can accumulate in the subcutaneous fat layer under our skin and in the liver. The
liver is the largest immune organ in our body and is a source of Kupffer’s cells. These cells filter and
destroy foreign bacteria, fungus, viruses, mycoplasma and cancerous cells. Since the liver is our body’s
j di l dl i i i i h li f i
major waste disposal system and largest immune organ, it is important to enhance liver function,
reduce excessive stress and detoxify this major organ.
By detoxification of the body, we enhance our clinical approach to cancer and other illnesses. It is also
important to restore nutrients necessary for optimum utilization of healthy cells and immune system.
Many traditional approaches to treatment of a serious disease can cause depletion of these essential
nutrients. By utilizing detoxification and restoration of necessary levels of nutrients, clinical
approaches are integrated and optimized for enhanced healing and well-being. Detoxification is
accomplished through various supplements as well as via far-infrared saunas.”
My doc has been very pleased even with the portable saunas.
Resting in my opinion is one of the most cherished gifts you can give yourself. Learn to say, “no” and “I need
help”. You will become stronger and those around you will learn compassion.
1. Your body odor will stop or if you’re really dumping toxins, it will increase. (stop using regular
deo/antiperspirants from the drug store). Not only are they toxic, but they clog your glands and you can’t
detox. Remember your skin is one of your major detox organs. Sweat glands were made to sweat!!! I haven’t
used deo/antiperspirants for over 15 yrs. I use a crystal stone sold in any health food store. Most days I
remember it, but there are many that I don’t. I no longer have BO, since I practice regular detoxing.
2. You will feel better. Sometimes you feel worse, before you feel better. Sometimes upon dumping the colon
and releasing lots of toxins you have a head ache. Pay attention to where the head ache is. You will learn a
detox h.a. from another h.a. Mine are in my frontal lobe as opposed to an over all head ache. It is vital to be
constantly replacing and replenishing the colon with good quality flora especially if you’re using coffee
enemas. My favorite is Friendly Flora from
Dr Rons.
3. You may experience things like, sinus drainage, fatigue, energy, intensified itching, or an intensity of
symptoms prior to a relief.
Every one of us is different and will have different experiences from detoxing. But one thing is universal, we
must all detox.
Most of Dr Natasha Campbell-McBrides work is done with Autistic Children. What I have found is that the
same principles apply to those of us healing from Lyme Disease and co-infections. In this video clip she
discusses some of the detoxing results. I recommend you watch all these videos that she and Donna Gates
present for parents of Autistics. The info on the gut flora is vital to healing.
Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAP syndrome or GAPS)™.
In clinical practice these conditions more often than not overlap with each other. A child
with autism often is hyperactive and dyspraxic. There is about 50% overlap between
dyslexia and dyspraxia and 25-50% overlap between hyperactivity and dyslexia and
dyspraxia. Children with these conditions are often diagnosed as being depressed and as
they grow up they are more prone to drug abuse or alcoholism than their typically
developing peers. A young person diagnosed with schizophrenia would often suffer from
dyslexia, dyspraxia or/and ADHD/ADD in childhood. OCD children are often
hyperactive with autistic tendencies and indeed they often receive those two diagnoses
before being re-diagnosed as bi-polar. Schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder are often
described as two sides of one coin. We have created different diagnostic boxes to fit our
children in. But a modern child does not fit into any one of them neatly. The modern
child in most cases fits into a rather lumpy picture of overlapping neurological and
psychiatric conditions. This picture leads us to the fact that these conditions are related to
each other by similar underlying causes. Let us discuss what these causes may be.
Before examining the child it is very important to look at the health history of the parents.
Whenever the parents are mentioned people immediately think about genetics. However,
apart of genetics there is something very important the parents, mother in particular, pass
to their child: their unique gut micro-flora. Not many people know that an adult on
average carries 2 kg of bacteria in the gut. There are more cells in that microbial mass
than there are cells in an entire human body. It is a highly organised micro-world, where
certain species of bacteria have to predominate to keep us healthy physically and
mentally. Their role in our health is so monumental, that we simply can not afford to
ignore them. We will talk in detail about the child’s gut flora later. Now let us come back
to the source of the child’s gut flora – the parents.
A baby is born with a sterile gut. In the first 20 or so days of life the baby’s virgin gut
surface gets populated by a mixture of microbes. This is the child’s gut flora, which will
have a tremendous effect on this child’s health for the rest of his/her life. Where does this
gut flora come from? Mainly from the mother.
So, whatever microbial flora the mother has she would pass to her new-born child.
Gut flora is something we do not think much about. And yet the number of functions the
gut flora fulfils is so vital for us that if some day our digestive tract got sterilised we
probably would not survive.
The first and very important function is appropriate digestion and absorption of food. If a
child does not acquire normal balanced gut flora, then the child will not digest and absorb
foods properly, developing multiple nutritional deficiencies. And that is what we
commonly see in children with learning disabilities, psychiatric problems and allergies.
Many of these children are malnourished. Even in the cases where the child may grow
well, testing reveals some typical nutritional deficiencies in many important minerals,
vitamins, essential fats, many amino-acids and other nutrients. The most common
deficiencies, recorded in these children, are in magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper,
calcium, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus, iron, potassium, vanadium, boron, vitamins
B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, A, D, folic acid, pantothenic acid, omega-3, 6, 9 fatty acids,
taurine, alpha-ketoglutaric acid, glutathione and many other amino-acids. This usual list
of nutritional deficiencies, commonly seen in these children, includes some most
important nutrients for normal development of the child’s brain, immune system and the
rest of the body.
Apart of normal digestion and absorption of food healthy gut flora actively synthesises
various nutrients: vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, thiamine (vitamin B1),
riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), ciancobalamine
(vitamin B12), various amino-acids and proteins. Indeed, when tested people with gut
dysbiosis always present with deficiencies of these nutrients. Clinical experience shows
that restoring the beneficial bacteria in their gut is the best way to deal with these
deficiencies.
The majority of children with neurological and psychiatric conditions look pale and
pasty. When tested they show various stages of anaemia, which is not surprising. To have
a healthy blood we require many different nutrients: vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, K,
A, D, etc), minerals (Fe, Ca, Mg, Zn, Co, Se, boron, etc.), essential amino-acids and fats.
These children not only can't absorb these nutrients from food, but their own production
of many of them in the body is damaged. On top of that people with damaged gut flora
often have particular groups of pathogenic bacteria growing in their gut, which are iron-
loving bacteria (Actinomyces spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains of E.Coli,
Corynebacterium spp. and many others). They consume whatever iron the person gets
from the diet, leaving that person deficient in iron. Unfortunately, supplementing iron
only makes these bacteria grow stronger and does not remedy anaemia. To treat anaemia
the person requires all the nutrients we have mentioned, many of which healthy gut flora
supplies.
Apart of taking a direct part in nourishing the body, beneficial bacteria in the gut act as
the housekeepers for the digestive tract. They coat the entire surface of the gut protecting
it from invaders and toxins by providing a natural barrier and producing a lot of anti-
bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal substances. At the same time they provide the gut
lining with nourishment. It is estimated that 60 – 70% of energy, the gut lining derives, is
from the activity of bacteria, which live on it. So, it is no surprise that when the gut flora
is abnormal the digestive tract itself can not be healthy. Indeed most children with
learning disabilities, psychiatric disorders and allergies present with digestive problems.
In many cases these problems are severe enough for the parents to talk about them first.
In some cases they may not be very severe, but when asked direct questions the parents
describe that their child never had normal stool, that their child suffered from colic as a
baby and that tummy pains and flatulence are a common part of the picture. In those
cases where these children have been examined by gastro-enterologists inflammatory
process in the gut was found along with faecal compaction and an over-spill syndrome.
The most recent research was performed at the Royal Free Hospital in London by Dr.
Andrew Wakefield and his team. They found an inflammatory condition in the bowel of
autistic children, which they have named Autistic Enterocolitis. Schizophrenic patients
were always known to have serious digestive problems. Dr. Curtis Dohan, MD has
devoted many years to researching digestive abnormalities in schizophrenia. He found a
lot of similarities between coeliac disease and the state of the digestive tract in
schizophrenics. Indeed, in my clinical practice long before these patients develop
psychotic symptoms they suffer from digestive problems and all other typical symptoms
of gut dysbiosis pretty much from the start of their lives. Children and young adults with
ADHD/ADD, OCD, depression and other neuro-psychological problems are very often
reported to suffer from digestive abnormalities though there have not been formal studies
published yet.
Well functioning gut flora is the right hand of our immune system. The beneficial
bacteria in the gut ensure appropriate production of different immune cells,
immunoglobulins and other parts of the immunity. But most importantly they keep the
immune system in the right balance. What typically happens in a person with gut
dysbiosis is that two major arms of their immune system Th1 and Th2 get out of balance
with underactive Th1 and overactive Th2. As a result the immune system starts reacting
to most environmental stimuli in an allergic or atopic kind of way.
A baby is born with an immature immune system. Establishment of healthy balanced gut
flora in the first few days of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of the
immune system. If the baby does not acquire appropriate gut flora then the baby is left
immune compromised. The result is lots of infections followed by lots of courses of
antibiotics, which damage the child’s gut flora and immune system even further. The
most common infections in the first two years of life in the children with neurological,
psychological and atopic disorders are ear infections, chest infections, sore throats and
impetigo. At the same time in the first two years of life the child receives a lot of
vaccinations. A child with compromised immune system does not react to vaccinations in
a predicted way. In most cases vaccines deepen the damage to the immune system and
provide a source of chronic persistent viral infections and autoimmune problems in these
children. There has been a considerable amount of research published into the state of the
immune system in children with learning disabilities and psychiatric problems. The
research shows deep abnormalities in all major cell groups and immunoglobulins in these
children. The most common autoantibodies found are to myelin basic protein (MBP) and
neuron-axon filament protein (NSFP). These antibodies attack the child’s brain and the
rest of the nervous system.
So, the modern child, who we are talking about, did not get normal gut flora from the
start and then got it damaged even further by repeated courses of antibiotics and
vaccinations. As a result these children commonly suffer from digestive problems,
allergies, asthma and eczema. But apart of that in children who then go on to develop
neurological and psychiatric problems something even more terrible happens. Without
control of the beneficial bacteria different opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria, viruses
and fungi have a good chance to occupy large territories in the digestive tract of the child
and grow large colonies. Two particular groups which are most commonly found on
testing are yeasts (including Candida species) and Clostridia family. These pathogenic
microbes start digesting food in their own way producing large amounts of various toxic
substances, which get absorbed into the blood stream, carried to the brain and cross the
blood – brain barrier. The number and mixture of toxins can be very individual, causing
different neurological and psychological symptoms. Due to the absence or greatly
reduced numbers of beneficial bacteria in the gut flora, the child’s digestive system
instead of being a source of nourishment becomes a major source of toxicity in the body.
There are many toxins, which we have not studied very well yet. But some toxins have
received a considerable amount of research. Let us have a look at them.
Acetaldehyde & Alcohol. What have these substances got to do with children?
The most common pathogenic microbes shown to overgrow in the digestive systems of
children with neuro psychological conditions and allergies are yeasts, particularly
Candida species. Yeasts ferment dietary carbohydrates with production of alcohol and its
by-product acetaldehyde. Let us see what does a constant exposure to alcohol and
acetaldehyde do to the body.
• Liver damage with reduced ability to detoxify drugs, pollutants and other toxins.
• Pancreas degeneration with reduced ability to produce pancreatic enzymes, which
would impair digestion.
• Reduced ability of the stomach wall to produce stomach acid.
• Damage to immune system.
• Brain damage with lack of self-control, impaired co-ordination, impaired speech
development, aggression, mental retardation, loss of memory and stupor.
• Peripheral nerve damage with altered senses and muscle weakness.
• Direct muscle tissue damage with altered ability to contract and relax and muscle
weakness.
• Nutritional deficiencies from damaging effect on digestion and absorption of most
vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Deficiencies in B and A vitamins are particularly
common.
• Alcohol has an ability to enhance toxicity of most common drugs, pollutants and
other toxins.
• Alteration of metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in the body.
• Inability of the liver to dispose of old neurotransmitters, hormones and other by-
products of normal metabolism. As a result these substances accumulate in the body,
causing behavioural abnormalities and many other problems.
Clostridia Neurotoxins.
There are about 100 different Clostridia species known so far. They are present in the
stools of people with autism, schizophrenia, psychosis, severe depression, muscle
paralysis and muscle tonus abnormalities and some other neurological and psychiatric
conditions. Many Clostridia species are normal inhabitants of a human gut. For example
Clostridium tetani is routinely found in the gut of healthy humans and animals.
Everybody knows that tetanus is a deadly disease, due to an extremely powerful
neurotoxin Clostridium tetani produces. Clostridium tetani, which lives in the gut, is
normally controlled by the beneficial bacteria and does us no harm, because its toxin can
not get through the healthy gut wall. Unfortunately, children, which we are talking about,
do not have a healthy gut wall. In gut dysbiosis this powerful neurotoxin may well get
absorbed through the damaged gut lining and then cross the blood-brain barrier affecting
child’s mental development. Many other species of Clostridia (perfringens, novyi,
septicum, histolyticum, sordelli, aerofoetidum, tertium, sporogenes, etc) produce toxins
similar to tetanus toxin as well as many other toxins. Dr. William Shaw at Great Plains
Laboratories describes in detail number of autistic children, who showed serious
improvements in their development and biochemical tests while on anti-Clostridia
medication. Unfortunately, as soon as the medication was stopped the children slipped
back into autism, because these children do not have healthy gut flora to control
Clostridia and not to allow their toxins through the gut lining into the bloodstream. In
many cases Clostridia were not identified in the stools of these children, because
Clostridia are strict anaerobes and are very difficult to study. We need to come up with
some better ways of testing for these potent pathogens.
.
Yeasts and Clostridia have been given a special opportunity by the era of antibiotics.
Broad-spectrum antibiotics do not touch them while killing the beneficial bacteria in the
gut, which are supposed to control the yeasts and Clostridia. So, after every course of
antibiotics these two pathogenic groups get out of control and overgrow. The children
that we are talking about usually are exposed to numerous courses of antibiotics pretty
much from the beginning of their lives.
Opiates are drugs, like opium, morphine and heroin, which are commonly used by drug
addicts. What have they got to do with children?
Gluten is a protein present in grains, mainly wheat, rye, oats, barley. Casein is a milk
protein, present in cow, goat, sheep, human and all other milk and milk products. In the
bodies of children and adults with autism and schizophrenia these proteins do not get
digested properly due to the fact that their digestive systems are full of abnormal
microbial flora and hence unhealthy. As a result of misdigestion gluten and casein turn
into substances with similar chemical structure of opiates, like morphine and heroin.
There has been quite a substantial amount of research done in this area by Dohan,
Reichelt, Shattock, Cade and others, where gluten and casein peptides, called
gluteomorphin and casomorphin, were detected in the urine of schizophrenic patients
and autistic children. Incidentally, these substances were also found in patients with
depression and rheumatoid arthritis. These opiates from wheat and milk get through the
blood-brain barrier and block certain areas of the brain, just like morphine or heroin
would do, causing various neurological and psychological symptoms. Based on this
research the gluten and casein free diet (GFCF diet) has been developed, which helps a
lot of children and adults with autism and schizophrenia.
These are two frightening toxic substances with opiate structure, which have been found
in autistic children by a biochemist Alan Friedman, Ph.D. Dermorphin and deltorphin
were first identified on the skin of a poison dart frog in South America. Native people
used to dip their darts into the mucous on these frogs in order to paralyse their enemy,
because deltorphin and dermorphin are extremely potent neurotoxins. Dr. Friedman
believes that it is not the frog that produces these neurotoxins, but a fungus, which grows
on the skin of this frog. It is possible that this fungus grows in the gut of autistic children,
supplying their bodies with dermorphin and deltorphin.
Organic Acid Testing available now in many laboratories around the world identify
various metabolites of microbial activity in the gut, which get absorbed and finish up in
the child’s urine. Many of these metabolites are highly poisonous substances.
The mixture of toxicity in each child can be quite individual and different. But what they
all have in common is gut dysbiosis. The toxicity, which is produced by the abnormal
microbial mass in these children, establishes a link between the gut and the brain. That is
why it will be logical to group these disorders under one name: the Gut and Psychology
Syndrome (GAP Syndrome)™. The GAP children can present with symptoms of
autism, ADHD, ADD, OCD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, schizophrenia, depression, sleep
disorders, allergies, asthma and eczema in any possible combination. These are the
children who fall in the gap in our medical knowledge. Any child with a learning
disability, neurological or psychological problems and allergies should be thoroughly
examined for gut dysbiosis. Re-establishing normal gut flora and treating the digestive
system of the child has to be the number one treatment for these disorders, before
considering any other treatments with drugs or otherwise.
References.
3. Baruk H. 1978. Psychoses of digestive origins. In: Hemmings and Hemmings (eds),
Biological Basis of Schizophrenia. Lancaster MTP Press.
4. Bolte ER, (1998). Autism and Clostridium tetani. Medical Hypothesis 51(2): 133-
144.
6. Dohan CF. Cereals and schizophrenia: data and hypothesis. Acta Psychiat Scand
1966; 42: 125-152.
10. Furlano RI, Anthony A, Day R et al. Colonic CD8 and gamma delta T-cell infiltration
with epithelial damage in children with autism. J Pediatr 2001;138: 366-72.
11. Ferrari P et al. Immune status in infantile autism: Correlation between the immune
status, autistic symptoms and levels of serotonin. Encephale 14:339-344, 1988.
12. Holford P. Optimum nutrition for the mind. 2003. ISBN 0 -7499 -2213 -3.
13. Horrobin DF, Glen AM, Vaddadi K. 1994. The membrane hypothesis of
schizophrenia. Schiz Res 18, 195-207.
16. Kontstanareas M and Homatidis S, (1987). Ear infections in autistic and normal
children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17: 585.
19. Lewis SJ, Freedman AR (1998). Review article: the use of biotherapeutic agents in
the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal disease. (Review)(144 refs).
Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 12(9):807-22, 1998 Sep.
20. Lykova EA, Bondarenko VM, Sidorenko SV, Grishina ME, Murashova AD, Minaev
VI, Rytikov FM, Korsunski AA (1999). Combined antibacterial and probiotic therapy
of Helicobacter - associated disease in children (Russian).Zhurnal Microbiologii,
Epidemiologii I Immunobiologii. 1999 Mar-Apr;(2):76-81.
21. Macfarlane GT, Cummings JH (1999). Probiotics and prebiotics: can regulating the
activities of intestinal bacteria benefit health? (Review) (48 refs).BMJ. 1999
April;318:999-1003.
22. McCandless J. Children with starving brains. 2003. ISBN 1-883647-10-X.
23. Mycroft et al. JIF-like sequences in milk and wheat proteins. NEJM 1982; 307: 895.
26. Reichelt K et al. Gluten, milk proteins and autism: dietary intervention effects on
behaviour and peptide secretions. Journal of Applied Nutrition. 42:1-11, 1990.
28. Rimland B. New hope for safe and effective treatments for autism. Autism Research
Review International 8:3, 1994.
32. Singh V at al. Changes in soluble interleukin-2, interleukin-2 rector, T8 antigen, and
interleukin-I in the serum of autistic children. Clin. Immunol. Immunopath. 61:448-
455, 1991.
34. Singh V et al. Serological association of measles virus and human herpesvirus-6 with
brain autoantibodies in autism. Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology.
1998:89; 105-108.
35. Singh & Kay. Wheat gluten as a pathogenic factor in schizophrenia. Science 1975:
191: 401-402.
36. Sioudrou et al. Opioid peptides derived from food proteins. The exorphins. J Biol
Chem. 1979; 254:2446-2449.
37. Shaw W. Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD. 2002. ISBN 0-9661238-0-6
38. Tabolin VA, Belmer SV, Gasilina TV, Muhina UG, Korneva TI. Rational therapy
of intestinal disbacteriosis in children. - M.:Medicina, 1998, 22p..
39. Vorobiev AA, Pak SG et al. (1998). Disbacteriosis in children. A textbook for doctors
and medical students.(Russian). M.: “KMK Lt.”, 1998. 64p. ISBN 5-87317-049-5.
40. Ward NI. Assessment of clinical factors in relation to child hyperactivity. J Nutr
Environ Med, Vol 7, 1997, p.333-342.
41. Ward NI. Hyperactivity and a previous history of antibiotic usage. Nutrition
Practitioner, Vol 3(3), 2001, p.12.
42. Waring (2001). Sulphate, sulphation and gut permeability: are cytokines involved? In:
The Biology of Autism – Unravelled. Conference preceedings 11th May 2001,
Institute of Electircal Engineeris, London.
44. Wakefield AJ, Murch SH, Anthony A, et al. Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-
specific colitis and pervasive developmental disorder in children. Lancet 1998;
351:637-41.
45. Wakefield AJ and Montgomery SM. Autism, viral infection and measles, mumps,
rubella vaccination. Israeli Medical Association Journal 1999;1:183-187.
46. Walker-Smith JA. Autism, inflammatory bowel disease and MMR vaccine. Lancet
1998; 351: 1356-57.
47. Warren R et al. Immune abnormalities in patients with autism. J. Autism Develop
Dis. 16, 189-197, 1986.
48. Warren PP at al. Reduced natural killer cell activity in autism. J Am Acad Child
Phychol 26: 333-335, 1987.
49. Waizman A et al. Abnormal immune response to brain tissue antigen in the syndrome
of autism. Am J Psychiatry 139:1462-1465, 1982.
51. Yonk LJ et al. D4+ per T cell depression in autism. Immunol Lett 35: 341-346, 1990.
Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAP Syndrome or GAPS)
Dr. N. Campbell-McBride, MD
Not many people would choose to become parents of an autistic child. Yet it is
unmistakable epidemic of autism going on across the globe. If this can possibly
be of any comfort for a parent, then I would say that you are certainly not alone!
Most parents of autistic children can clearly recall that traumatic moment of the
statement "There is nothing that can be done.” Well, being a doctor myself, I
have to say that your doctor is wrong, there is a lot that can be done! I would
(normal) peers. My own son was diagnosed severely autistic at the age of three.
Now at the age of 12 he has fully recovered and is leading a normal life. In my
adults. My personal and professional involvement with autism has been my best
Treating autism is not an easy task. It takes years of continuous effort and
commitment. But, being a parent myself, I can tell you that it is one of the most
1
Natural Treatment for Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Depression and
Schizophrenia” I would like to share with you what I strongly believe to be the
Before examining the patient it is very important to look at the health history of
the parents. Whenever the parents are mentioned people immediately think
about genetics. However, apart from genetics there is something very important
the parents, mother in particular, pass to their child: their unique gut micro-flora.
Not many people know that an adult on average carries 2 kg of bacteria in the
gut. There are more cells in that microbial mass than there are cells in an entire
role in our health is so monumental, that we simply can not afford to ignore them.
We will talk in detail about the child’s gut flora later. Now let us come back to the
After studying hundreds of cases of autism in children and adults, a typical health
A typical modern mother was probably not breast fed when she was a baby,
because she was born in 60s or 70s when breast-feeding went out of fashion.
Why is it important? Because it is well known now that bottle fed babies develop
completely different gut flora to the breast fed babies. This compromised gut flora
2
in a bottle fed baby later on predisposes her to many health problems. Having
acquired compromised gut flora from the start, a typical modern mum had quite a
few courses of antibiotics in her childhood and youth for various infections. It is a
well known fact that antibiotics have a serious damaging effect on gut flora,
because they wipe out the beneficial strains of bacteria in the gut. At the age of
16 and sometimes even earlier the modern mum was put on a contraceptive pill,
which she took for quite a few years before starting a family. Contraceptive pills
have a devastating effect on the beneficial (good) bacteria in the gut. One of the
major functions of the good bacteria in the gut flora is controlling about 500
microbes. When the beneficial bacteria get destroyed the opportunists get a
special opportunity to grow into large colonies and occupy large areas of the
digestive tract. A modern diet of processed and fast foods provides perfect
nourishment for these pathogens and that is a typical diet a modern mum had as
a child and a young adult. As a result of all these factors a modern mum has
seriously compromised gut flora by the time she is ready to have children. And
indeed clinical signs of gut dysbiosis (abnormal gut flora) are present in almost
100% of mothers of children with autism and other neurological and psychiatric
conditions.
But why are we talking about mother’s gut flora? Because her baby is born with a
sterile gut. In the first 20 or so days of life the baby’s virgin gut surface gets
populated by a mixture of microbes. This is the child’s gut flora, which will have a
3
tremendous effect on this child’s health for the rest of his/her life. Where does
So, whatever microbial flora the mother has she would pass to her new-born
child.
Gut flora is something we do not think much about. And yet the number of
functions the gut flora fulfils is so vital for us that if some day our digestive tract
The first and very important function is appropriate digestion and absorption of
food. If a child does not acquire normal balanced gut flora, then the child will not
Apart from taking a vital part in nourishing the body, beneficial bacteria in the gut
act as the housekeepers for the digestive tract. They coat the entire surface of
the gut protecting it from invaders and toxins by providing a natural barrier and
same time they provide the gut lining with nourishment. So, it is no surprise that
when the gut flora is abnormal the digestive tract itself can not be healthy. Indeed
most patients with autistic spectrum disorders present with digestive problems. In
many cases these problems are severe enough for the parents to talk about
them first. In some cases they may not be severe, but when asked direct
questions the parents describe that their child never had normal stool, that their
4
child suffered from colic as a baby and that tummy pains and flatulence are a
common part of the picture. In those cases where these children have been
along with faecal compaction and an over-spill syndrome. The most recent
research was performed at the Royal Free Hospital in London by Dr. Andrew
Wakefield and his team. They found an inflammatory condition in the bowel of
Well functioning gut flora is the right hand of our immune system. A baby is born
the first few days of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of the
immune system. If the baby does not acquire appropriate gut flora then the baby
courses of antibiotics, which damage the child’s gut flora and immune system
even further. At the same time in the first two years of life the child receives a lot
the immune system and provide a source of chronic persistent viral infections
So, the autistic child who we are talking about, did not get normal gut flora from
the start and then got it damaged even further by repeated courses of antibiotics
5
problems, allergies, asthma and eczema. But apart from that in autistic children
and adults something even more terrible happens. Without control of the
fungi have a good chance to occupy large territories in the digestive tract and
grow large colonies. These pathogenic microbes start digesting food in their own
way producing large amounts of various toxic substances, which get absorbed
into the blood stream, carried to the brain and cross the blood – brain barrier.
Due to the absence or greatly reduced numbers of beneficial bacteria in the gut
detail at what particular toxins have been found in autistic children and adults and
how they make these children and adults autistic. The toxicity, which is produced
by the abnormal microbial mass in the digestive tract of the child, establishes a
link between the gut and the brain. That is why I named this condition: the Gut
fall in the gap – the gap in our medical knowledge. As a result they do not receive
an appropriate treatment.
The book on GAP Syndrome explains how and why autism develops and how to
treat it using a sound nutritional protocol. The treatment is completely natural and
6
can be implemented at home. It is a self-help book with a comprehensive recipe
MmedSci (neurology)
Cambridge, England
To learn more about Gut and Psychology Syndrome, how it develops and how to
treat it with a sound nutritional protocol please look at the book by Dr.
7
Gut and Psychology Syndrome*
N. Campbell-McBride, M.D.
In his seminal book, Good Calories, Bad lems in children and adults are becoming
Calories, Gary Taubes quotes Hilde Bruch more and more common.
who wrote: "The literature on obesity is not In clinical practice these conditions
only voluminous, it is alsofallofcoriflicting overlap with each other. A patient wdth
and confasing reports and opinions. One autism often is hyperactive and dyspraxic.
might well add to this the words ofArtemus There is about 50% overlap between dys-
Ward: "The researches ofso many eminent lexia and dyspraxia and 25-50% overlap
scientific men have thrown so much darknessbetween ADHD/ADD and dyslexia and
on the subject that if they continue these dyspraxia. Children with these conditions
researches we shall soon know nothing. " are often diagnosed as being depressed,
Determining the causes ofthe hundreds and as they grow up they are more prone
ofpsychiatric disorders and their treatment to drug abuse or alcoholism than their
has almost reached that state oftotal dark- typically developing peers. A young per-
ness. Dr. Campbell-McBride, in her bookson diagnosed with schizophrenia often
Gut and Psychology Syndrome, blows away suffered from dyslexia, dyspraxia or/and
some ofthefog and shows us where to look. ADHD/ADD in childhood. When we
After I read it, I wrote to the author: "Had start examining the patients with these
I read your excellent book forty years ago I so-called mental conditions, we find that
would have thought you were nuts. Thirty they are also physically ill. Digestive prob-
years ago I would have seen some merit and lems, allergies, eczema, asthma, various
in the last years what I have learned has food intolerances and immune system
confirmed whatyou have written. It is a veryabnormalities are universally present
good book. Isn't it a shame that psychiatric amongst them. We have created different
illnesses arefueled by foods and the way we diagnostic boxes for these patients, but
deal with them. Ironically, psychiatry may a modern patient does not fit into any
never accept this idea, as it has become the one of them neatly. The modern patient
unpaid servant of the drug industry. Many in most cases fits into a rather lumpy
thanks for sending it to me. " picture of overlapping neurological and
To learn more, please read the book by psychiatric conditions.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, Gut and Why are all these conditions related?
PsychologySyndrome:NaturalTreatmentfor What underlying problem are we missing?
Autism, ADHD/ADD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, To answer all these questions we have
Depression, Schizophrenia. to look at one factor, which unites all these
patients in a clinical setting. This factor
-Ahram Hoffer, MD, PhD is the state of their digestive system. I
have yet to meet a child or an adult with
We live in the world of unfolding autism, ADHD/ADD, dyspraxia, dyslexia,
epidemics. Autistic Spectrum Disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depres-
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder sion or obsessive-compulsive disorder
(ADHD/ADD), schizophrenia, dyslexia, who does not have digestive abnormali-
dyspraxia, depression, obsessive -compul- ties. In many cases they are severe enough
sive disorder, bipolar disorder and other for the patients or their parents to start
neuro-psychological and psychiatric prob- talking about them first. In some cases
the parents may not mention their child's
*GAP Syndrome or GAPS™' digestive system, yet when asked direct
90
Gut and Psychology Syndrome
questions, would describe a plethora of of his/her life. Where does this gut flora
gut problems. So, what have digestive ab- come from? Mainly from the mother at
normalities got to do with these so-called the time of birth. Whatever microbiai
mental problems? According to recent flora the mother has, she passes to her
research and clinical experience - a lot! newborn child. Fathers with abnormal
In fact it appears that the patient's diges- gut flora contribute to the bodily flora of
tive system holds the key to the patient's the mother and through her to the gut
mental state. flora of the child.
What is a typical scenario we see in
clinical practice? Before examining the The Role and Importance ofthe Gut Flora
patient it is very important to look at the Gut flora is something we do not
health history of the parents. Whenever think much about. And yet the number
the parents are mentioned people im- of functions the gut flora fulfils is so vi-
mediately think about genetics. However, tal for us that if some day our digestive
apart from genetics there is something tracts were sterilised we probably would
very important the parents, mother in not survive.
particular, pass to their child: their unique The first and very important function
gut micro-flora. Not many people know is appropriate digestion and absorption of
that an adult on average carries 2 kg of food. If a child does not acquire normal
bacteria in the gut. There are more cells in balanced gutflora,then the child will not
that microbiai mass than there are cells in digest and absorb foods properly, develop-
an entire human body. It is a highly orga- ing multiple nutritional deficiencies. And
nized micro-world, where certain species that is what we commonly see in children
of bacteria have to predominate to keep and adults with learning disabilities, psy-
us healthy physically and mentally. Their chiatric problems and allergies. Many of
role in our health is so monumental, that these patients are malnourished. Even in
we simply cannot afford to ignore them. the cases where the child may grow well,
We will talk in detail about the child's testing reveals some typical nutritional
gut flora later. Now let us come back to deficiencies in many important minerals,
the source of the child's gut flora - the vitamins, essential fats, many amino acids
parents. and other nutrients.
After studying hundreds of cases of Apart from normal digestion and ab-
neurological and psychiatric conditions sorption of food, healthy gutfloraactively
in children and adults, a typical health synthesizes various nutrients: vitamin
picture of these children's mums has K, pantothenic acid, folie acid, thiamine
emerged: due to various modern factors a (vitamin Bi), riboflavin (vitamin B2),
modern mum has seriously compromised niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin
gut flora by the time she is ready to have Be), cyancobalamin (vitamin B12), various
children. Indeed, clinical signs of gut dys- amino-acids and proteins. Indeed, when
biosis (abnormal gut flora) are present in tested, people with gut dysbiosis present
almost 100% of mothers of children with with deficiencies of these nutrients. Clini-
neurological and psychiatric conditions. cal experience shows that restoring the
A baby is born with a sterile gut. In beneficial bacteria in their gut is the best
the first 20 or so days of life the baby's way to deal with these deficiencies.
virgin gut surface is populated by a Apart from taking a vital part in
mixture of microbes. This is the child's nourishing the body, beneficial bacteria
gut flora, which will have a tremendous in the gut act as the housekeepers for
effect on this child's health for the rest the digestive tract. They coat the entire
91
Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Vol. 23, No. 2, 2008
surface of the gut protecting it from in- immunity in the right balance. Damage
vaders and toxins by providing a natural inflicted upon the gutfloratypically leads
barrier and producing anti-bacterial, to an imbalance between major parts of
anti-viral and anti-fungal substances. At immunity, resulting in allergies, asthma
the same time they provide the gut lining and eczema - symptoms, which children
with nourishment. Beneficial bacteria and adults with neurological and psychi-
normally control various opportunistic atric conditions commonly suffer from.
and pathogenic microbes in the gut. There has been a considerable amount
Lack of beneficial bacteria would allow of research published into the state ofthe
disease-causing microbes to grow and immune system in patients with learning
occupy large parts of the digestive sys- disabilities and psychiatric problems. The
tem causing damage and inflammation research shows deep abnormalities in all
in the gut wall. So, it is no surprise when major cell groups and immunoglobulins.
the gut flora is abnormal, the digestive The most common autoantibodies found
tract itself cannot be healthy. Indeed are to myelin basic protein (MBP) and
most patients with learning disabilities, neuron-axon filament protein (NAFP).
psychiatric disorders and allergies present These antibodies specifically attack the
with digestive problems: constipation and person's brain and the rest ofthe nervous
diarrhoea, infantile colic and abdominal system.
pain, bloating and flatulence, reflux and To summarize: A child born from
indigestion. Examination by gastroenter- parents with abnormal gut flora did not
ologists commonly reveals inflammatory acquire normal gut flora from the start.
process in the gut and many of these pa- Thefloramay have been damaged further
tients are diagnosed with coeliac disease. by repeated courses of antibiotics and
Housing a mass of pathogenic microbes vaccinations. As a result, these children
the gut cannot be healthy. Indeed, long commonly suffer from digestive problems,
before these patients develop so-called allergies, asthma and eczema. However, in
mental symptoms they usually suffer from children and adults who go on to develop
digestive problems and all other typical neurological and psychiatric problems,
sjmiptoms of gut dysbiosis pretty much something even worse happens. Without
from the start of their lives. control ofthe beneficial bacteria, different
opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria, vi-
The Role and Importance ofthe ruses and fungi have a good chance to oc-
Immune System cupy large territories in the digestive tract
A baby is born with an immature and grow large colonies. Two particular
immune system. Establishment of healthy groups, which are most commonly found
balanced gut flora in the first few days on testing, are yeasts (including Candida
of life plays a crucial role in appropriate species) and the Clostridia family. These
maturation of the immune system. If the pathogenic microbes start digesting food
baby acquires compromised gut flora in their own way producing large amounts
from the mother then the baby is left im- of various toxic substances, which are
mune compromised. The result is lots of absorbed into the blood stream, carried
infections followed by lots of courses of to the brain and cross the blood-brain
antibiotics, which damage the child's gut barrier. The number and mixture of toxins
flora and immune system even further. can be very individual, causing different
The beneficial bacteria in the gut en- neurological and psychiatric symptoms.
sure appropriate production of different Due to the absence or greatly reduced
immune cells, immunoglobulins, keeping numbers of beneficial bacteria in the
92
Gut and Psychology Syndrome
93
Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Vol. 23, No. 2, 2008
energy. Allergy, 1999; 54(9): 909-15. 34. Singh V et al: Serological association of measles
19. Lewis SJ, Freedman AR: Review article: the virus and human herpesvirus-6 with brain
use of biotherapeutic agents in the prevention autoantibodies in autism. Clin Immunol Im-
and treatment of gastrointestinal disease. (Re- munopathol, 1998:89; 105-108.
view)(144 refs). Alimentar Pharmacol Thera- 35. Singh, Kay: Wheat gluten as a pathogenic factor
peut, 1998; 12(9): 807-22. in schizophrenia. Science, 1975:191:401-402.
20. Lykova EA, Bondarenko VM, Sidorenko SV, 36. Sioudrou et al: Opioid peptides derived from
et al: Combined antibacterial and probiotic food proteins. The exorphins./B/o/ Chem, 1979;
therapy of Helicobacter-associated disease 254:2446-2449.
in children (Russian). Zhurnal Microbiologii, 37. Shaw W: Biological Treatmentsfor Autism and
Epidemiologii I Immunobiologii. 1999; Mar- PDD. 2002. ISBN 0-9661238-0-6
Apr;(2): 76-81. 38. Tabolin VA, Belmer SV, Gasilina TV, Muhina
21. Macfarlane GT, CummingsJH: Probiotics and UG, Korneva TI: Rational therapy of intestinal
prebiotics: can regulating the activities of intes- dysbacteriosis in children. Medicina, 1998,22.
tinal bacteria benefit health? BMJ, 1999; April; 39. Vorobiev AA, Pak SG et al: Dysbacteriosis in
318:999-1003. Children. A Textbook for Doctors and Medical
22. McCandless J: Children with Starving Brains. Students. M: "KMK Lt.", 1998.64. ISBN 5-87317-
2003. ISBN 1-883647-10-X. 049-5.
23. Mycroft et al: JIF-like sequences in milk and 40. Ward NI: Assessment of clinical factors in rela-
wheat proteins. NEJM, 1982; 307:895. tion to child hyperactivity.J Nutr EnvironMed,
24. Pápalos D, Pápalos J: The Bipolar Child. Broad- 1997; 7: 333-342.
way Books, 2000. 41. Ward NI: Hyperactivity and a previous history
25. Plioplys AV at al: Lymphocyte function in au- of antibiotic usage. NutrPract, 2001; 3(3): 12.
tism and Rett syndrome. Neuropsychobiology, 42. Waring: Sulphate, sulphation and gut perme-
1994; 7:12-16. ability: are cytokines involved? In: The Biology
26. Reichelt K et al: Gluten, milk proteins and au- of Autism - Unravelled Conference proceedings
tism: dietary intervention effects on behaviour 11th May 2001,/«si fleet £«g-i>i, London.
and peptide secretions. / Appl Nutr, 1990; 42: 43. Wakefield AJ, Anthony A et al: Enterocolitis in
1-11. children with developmental disorders. AIA J,
27. Reichelt K, et al: Biologically active peptide-con- Autumn 2001.
taining fractions in schizophrenia and child- 44. Wakefield AJ, Murch SH, Anthony A, et al. Ileal-
hood autism. Adv Biochem Psychopharmacol, lymphoid-nodular hjrperplasia, non-specific
1981; 28: 627-47. colitis and pervasive developmental disorder
28. Rimland B. New hope for safe and effective in children. Lancet, 1998; 351:637-41.
treatments for autism. Autism Research Review 45. Wakefield AJ and Montgomery SM. Autism,
International, 1994; 8:3. viral infection and measles, mumps, rubella
29. Samonis G et al: Prospective evaluation ofthe vaccination. Israeli Med Assoc J, 1999;1:183-
impact of broad-spectrum antibiotics on the 187.
yeast flora of the human gut. EurJ Clin Micro- 46. Walker-Smith JA. Autism, inflammatory bowel
biol Infect Dis, 1994; 13: 665-7. disease and MMR vaccine. Lancet, 1998; 351:
30. Schoenthaler SJ et al. The effect of randomised 1356-57.
vitamin-mineral supplementation on violent 47. Warren R et al. Immune abnormalities in pa-
and non-violent antisocial behaviour among tients with autism. J Autism Develop Dis, 1986;
incarceratedjuveniles.JAfufÊwvMed, i997, 7: 16:189-197.
343-352. 48. Warren PP at al. Reduced natural killer cell
31. Singh V: Neuro-immunopathogenesis in au- activity in autism. / Am Acad Child Phychoi,
tism. New Foundations Biol 2001; Berczi I & 1987; 26:333-335.
Gorczynski RM (eds) Elsevier Science B.V. pp 49. Waizman A et al. Abnormal immune response
447-458. to brain tissue antigen in the syndrome of au-
32. Singh V at al. Changes in soluble interleuldn-2, tism. AmJ Psychiatry 139:1462-1465,1982.
interleukin-2 rector, T8 antigen, and interleu- 50. Wilson K, Moore L, Patel M, Permoad P. Sup-
kin-I in the serum of autistic children. Clin pression of potential pathogens by a defined
Immunol Immunopath, 1991; 61:448-455. colonie microflora. Microbiai Ecol Health Dis,
33. Singh V et al: Immunodiagnosis and immuno- 1988; 1: 237-43.
therapy in autistic children. Ann NY Acad Sei, 51. Yonk LJ et al: D4+ per T cell depression in
540:602-604,1988. autism. Immunol Lett, 1990; 35:341-346.
94
Introduction Diet
Most GAPS patients should follow the Introduction Diet before going into the Full GAPS Diet. Depending
on the severity of your patient’s condition he or she can move through this program as fast or as slow as
his/her condition will permit: for example you may move through the First Stage in one or two days and
then spend longer on the Second Stage.
Following the Introduction Diet fully is essential for people with serious digestive symptoms: diarrhea,
abdominal pain, bloating, some cases of constipation, etc. This diet will reduce the symptoms quickly
and initiate the healing process in the digestive system. Even for healthy people, if you or your child gets
a ‘tummy bug’ or any other form of diarrhea, following the Introduction Diet for a few days will clear the
symptoms quickly and permanently usually without needing any medication.
In cases of stubborn constipation, introduce freshly pressed juices earlier in the diet, from stage 2: start
from carrot juice first thing in the morning and take your cod liver oil at the same time. The juice will
stimulate bile production as many cases of persistent constipation are due to poor bile production.
When there is not enough bile, the fats in the food do not digest well; instead they react with salts and
form soap in the gut, causing constipation. Removing dairy may also help.
People with food allergies and intolerances should go through the Introduction Diet in order to heal and
seal their gut lining. The reason for allergies and food intolerances is so-called “leaky gut” when the gut
lining is damaged by abnormal micro flora. Foods do not get the chance to be digested properly before
they get absorbed through this damaged wall and cause the immune system to react to them. Many
people try to identify, which foods they react to. However, with damaged gut wall they are likely to
absorb most of their foods partially digested, which may cause an immediate reaction or a delayed
reaction (a day, a few days or even a couple of weeks later). As these reactions overlap with each other,
you can never be sure what exactly you are reacting to on any given day. Testing for food allergies is
notoriously unreliable: if one had enough resources to test twice a day for two weeks, they would find
that they are “allergic” to everything they eat. As long as the gut wall is damaged and stays damaged,
you can be juggling your diet forever removing different foods and never get anywhere. From my clinical
experience it is best to concentrate on healing the gut wall with the Introduction Diet. Once the gut wall
is healed, the foods will be digested properly before being absorbed, which will remove most food
intolerances and allergies.
Those without serious digestive problems and food intolerances can move through the Introduction Diet
quite quickly. However, please do not be tempted to skip the Introduction Diet and go straight into the
Full GAPS Diet, because the Introduction Diet will give your patient the best chance to optimize the
healing process in the gut and the rest of the body. I see cases where skipping the Introduction Diet
leads to long-term lingering problems, difficult to deal with.
If you have decided to go straight into the Full GAPS Diet, keep in mind that about 85% of everything
your patient eats daily should be made out of meats, fish, eggs, fermented dairy and vegetables (some
well-cooked, some fermented and some raw). Baking and fruit should be kept out of the diet for a few
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
weeks, and then be limited to snacks between meals and should not replace the main meals.
Homemade meat stock, soups, stews and natural fats are not optional – they should be your patient’s
staples.
Start the day with a cup of still mineral or filtered water. Give your patient the probiotic. Make sure that
the water is warm or room temperature, not cold, as cold will aggravate his or her condition. Only foods
listed are allowed: you patient must not have anything else. On the First Stage the most drastic
symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation will quickly subside. If, when you introduce a
new food, your patient gets diarrhea back, pain or any other digestive symptoms then he/she is not
ready for that food to be introduced. Wait for a week and try again.
If you suspect a real allergy (which can be dangerous) to any particular food, before introducing it do the
Sensitivity Test. Take a drop of the food in question (if the food is solid, mash and mix with a bit of
water) and place it on the inside of the wrist of the patient. Do it at bedtime. Let the drop dry on the
skin, then let your patient go to sleep. In the morning check the spot: if there is an angry red reaction,
then avoid that food for a few weeks, and then try again. If there is no reaction, then go ahead and
introduce it gradually starting from a small amount.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
First stage:
• Homemade meat or fish stock. Meat and fish stocks provide building blocks for the rapidly growing
cells of the gut lining and they have a soothing effect on any areas of inflammation in the gut. That is
why they aid digestion and have been known for centuries as healing folk remedies for the digestive
tract. Do not use commercially available soup stock granules or bouillon cubes, they are highly
processed and are full of detrimental ingredients. Chicken stock is particularly gentle on the stomach
and is very good to start from. To make good meat stock you need joints, bones, a piece of meat on the
bone, a whole chicken, giblets from chicken, goose or duck, whole pigeons, pheasants or other
inexpensive meats. It is essential to use bones and joints, as they provide the healing substances, not so
much the muscle meats. Ask the butcher to cut in half the large tubular bones, so you can get the bone
marrow out of them after cooking. Put the bones, joints and meats into a large pan and fill it up with
water, add natural unprocessed salt to your taste at the beginning of cooking and about a teaspoon of
black peppercorns, roughly crushed. Bring to boil, cover and simmer on a low heat for 2,5 - 3 hours. You
can make fish stock the same way using a whole fish or fish fins, bones and heads. After cooking take the
bones and meats out and sieve the stock to remove small bones and pepper corns. Strip off all the soft
tissues from the bones as best as you can to later add to soups or encourage your patient to eat all the
soft tissues on the bones. Extract the bone marrow out of large tubular bones while they are still warm:
to do that bang the bone on a thick wooden chopping board. The gelatinous soft tissues around the
bones and the bone marrow provide some of the best healing remedies for the gut lining and the
immune system; your patient needs to consume them with every meal. Take off all the soft tissues from
fish bones and heads and reserve for adding to soups later. The meat or fish stock will keep well in the
fridge for at least 7 days or it can be frozen. Keep giving your patient warm meat stock as a drink all day
with his meals and between meals. Do not use microwaves for warming up the stock, use conventional
stove (microwaves destroy food). It is very important for your patient to consume all the fat in the stock
and off the bones as these fats are essential for the healing process. Add some probiotic food into every
cup of stock (the details about introducing probiotic foods follow).
• Homemade soup with your homemade meat or fish stock. Please look for some recipe ideas in the
recipe section. Here we will go through some details, specific for the Introduction Diet. Bring some of
the meat stock to boil, add chopped or sliced vegetables: onions, carrots, broccoli, leeks, cauliflower,
zucchinis, marrow, squash, pumpkin, etc. and simmer for 25-35 minutes. You can choose any
combination of available vegetables avoiding very fibrous ones, such as all varieties of cabbage and
celery. All particularly fibrous parts of vegetables need to be removed, such as skin and seeds on
pumpkins, marrows and squashes, stock of broccoli and cauliflower and any other parts that look too
fibrous. Cook the vegetables well, so they are really soft. When vegetables are well cooked, add 1-2
tablespoons of chopped garlic, bring to boil and turn the heat off. Give your patient this soup with the
bone marrow and meats and other soft tissues, which you cut off the bones. You can blend the soup
using a soup blender or serve it as it is. Add some probiotic food into every bowl of soup (the detail
about introducing probiotic foods follow). Your patient should eat these soups with boiled meat and
other soft tissues off the bones as often as he/she wants to all day.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
• Probiotic foods are essential to introduce right from the beginning. These can be dairy - based or
vegetable - based. To avoid any reactions introduce probiotic foods gradually, starting from 1-2
teaspoons a day for 2-5 days, then 3-4 teaspoons a day for 2-5 days and so on until you can add a few
teaspoons of the probiotic food into every cup of meat stock and every bowl of soup. Start adding juice
from your homemade sauerkraut, fermented vegetables or vegetable medley (please look in the recipe
section) into cups of meat stock (do not add the vegetables themselves yet, as they are too fibrous).
These juices will help to restore normal stomach acid production. Make sure that the food is not too hot
when adding the probiotic foods, as the heat would destroy the beneficial probiotic bacteria. In my
experience a large percentage of GAPS people can tolerate well-fermented homemade whey and
yoghurt right from the beginning. However, some cannot. So, before introducing dairy, do the sensitivity
test. If there is no reaction on the sensitivity test, then try to introduce some whey from dripping your
homemade yoghurt (dripping will remove many dairy proteins): start from 1 teaspoon of whey added to
the soup or meat stock. After 3-5 days on 1 teaspoon of whey per day, increase to 2 teaspoons a day
and so on, until your patient is having ½ a cup of whey per day with meals. At this stage try to add 1
teaspoon per day of homemade yoghurt (without dripping), gradually increasing the daily amount. After
yoghurt introduce homemade kefir. Kefir is far more aggressive than yoghurt and usually creates a more
pronounced “die-off reaction”. That is why I recommend introducing yoghurt first before starting on
kefir. If your patient had no reaction to yoghurt, then you may be able to introduce kefir almost from
the beginning. For those who clearly react to dairy, please look at p.95 in my book.
• Ginger tea, mint or chamomile tea with a little honey between meals. Most people know how to make
mint or chamomile tea. To make ginger tea, grate some fresh ginger root (about a teaspoonful) into your
teapot and pour some boiling water over it, cover and leave for 3 - 5 min. Pour through a small sieve.
In extreme cases of profuse watery diarrhea exclude vegetables. Let your patient drink warm meat stock
with probiotic foods (preferably whey or yoghurt), eat well-cooked gelatinous meats (which you made
the stock with) and consider adding raw egg yolks gradually. Do not introduce vegetables until the
diarrhea starts settling down. When the gut wall is severely inflamed, no amount of fiber can be
tolerated. That is why you do not rush to introduce vegetables (even very well-cooked).
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
Second stage:
• Keep giving your patient the soups with bone marrow, boiled meats or fish and other soft tissues off
the bones (particularly gelatinous and fatty parts). He or she should keep drinking the meat stock and
ginger tea. Keep adding some probiotic food into every cup of meat stock and every bowl of soup: juices
from sauerkraut, juices from fermented vegetables or vegetable medley, and/or homemade
whey/yoghurt.
• Add raw organic egg yolks. It is best to have egg yolks raw added to every bowl of soup and every cup
of meat stock. Start from 1 egg yolk a day and gradually increase until your patient has an egg yolk with
every bowl of soup. When egg yolks are well tolerated add soft-boiled eggs to the soups (the whites
cooked and the yolks still runny). If you have any concerns about egg allergy, do the sensitivity test first.
There is no need to limit number of egg yolks per day, as they absorb quickly almost without needing
any digestion and will provide your patient with wonderful and most needed nutrition. Get your eggs
from the source you trust: fresh, free range and organic.
• Add stews and casseroles made with meats and vegetables. Avoid spices at this stage, just make the
stew with salt and fresh herbs (look for a recipe of Italian Casserole in the recipe section). The fat
content of these meals must be quite high: the more fresh animal fats your patient consumes, the
quicker he or she will recover. Add some probiotic food into every serving.
• Increase the daily amount of homemade yoghurt or kefir, if introduced. Increase the amount of juice
from sauerkraut, fermented vegetables or vegetable medley.
• Introduce fermented fish, starting from one piece a day and gradually increasing. Look for the recipes
in the recipe section.
• Introduce homemade ghee, starting from 1 teaspoon a day and gradually increasing.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
Third stage:
• Carry on with the previous foods.
• Add ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting from 1-3 teaspoons and gradually increasing the
amount.
• Add pancakes, starting from one pancake a day and gradually increasing the amount. Make these
pancakes with three ingredients: 1) organic nut butter (almond, walnut, peanut, etc); 2) eggs; 3) a piece
of fresh winter squash, marrow or zucchini (peeled, de-seeded and well blended in a food processor).
Gently fry small thin pancakes using ghee, goose fat or duck fat, make sure not to burn them.
• Egg gently fried or scrambled with plenty of ghee, goose fat or duck fat. Serve it with avocado (if well
tolerated) and cooked vegetables. Cooked onion is particularly good for the digestive system and the
immune system: melt 3 tablespoons of duck fat or ghee in the pan, add sliced large white onion, cover
and cook for 20-30 minutes on low heat until soft, sweet and translucent.
• Introduce the sauerkraut and your fermented vegetables (your patient has been drinking the juices
from them for a while now). Start from a small amount, gradually increasing to 1-2 tablespoons of
sauerkraut or fermented vegetables per every meal.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
Fourth stage:
• Carry on with the previous foods.
• Gradually add meats cooked by roasting and grilling (but not barbecued or fried yet). Avoid bits, which
are burned or too brown. Let your patient eat the meat with cooked vegetables and sauerkraut (or
other fermented vegetables).
• Start adding cold pressed olive oil to the meals, starting from a few drops per meal and gradually
increasing the amount to 1-2 tablespoons per meal.
• Introduce freshly pressed juices, starting from a few spoonfuls of carrot juice. Make sure that the juice
is clear, filter it well. Let your patient drink it slowly or diluted with warm water or mixed with some
homemade yoghurt. If well tolerated gradually increase to a full cup a day. When a full cup of carrot
juice is well tolerated try to add to it juice from celery, lettuce and fresh mint leaves. Your patient should
drink the juice on an empty stomach, so first thing in the morning and middle of afternoon are good
times.
• Try to bake bread with ground almonds or any other nuts and seeds ground into flour. The recipe
(please look in the recipe section) requires only four ingredients: 1) nut flour; 2) eggs; 3) piece of fresh
winter squash, marrow or zucchini (peeled, de-seeded and finely sliced); 4) some natural fat (ghee,
butter, goose or duck fat) and some salt to taste. Your patient should start from a small piece of bread
per day and gradually increase the amount.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
Fifth stage:
• If all the previous foods are well tolerated try to add cooked apple as an apple pure: peel and core ripe
cooking apples and stew them with a bit of water until soft. When cooked add some ghee to it and mash
with a potato masher. If ghee has not been introduced yet add duck or goose fat. Start from a few
spoonfuls a day. Watch for any reaction. If there is none gradually increase the amount.
• Add raw vegetables starting from softer parts of lettuce and peeled cucumber. Watch your patient’s
stool. Again start from a small amount and gradually increase if well tolerated. After those two
vegetables are well tolerated gradually add other raw vegetables: carrot, tomato, onion, cabbage, etc.
• If the juice made from carrot, celery, lettuce and mint is well tolerated, start adding fruit to it: apple,
pineapple and mango. Avoid citrus fruit at this stage.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
Sixth stage:
• If all the introduced foods are well tolerated try some peeled raw apple. Gradually introduce raw fruit
and more honey.
• Gradually introduce baking cakes and other sweet things allowed on the diet. Use dried fruit as a
sweetener in the baking.
As I mentioned before, your patient may be able to move through the Introduction Diet faster or slower
depending on the stool changes: let the diarrhea start clearing before moving to the next stage. You may
have to introduce some foods later than in this program depending on his/her sensitivities. Make sure
that you carry on with the soups and meat stock after your patient completed the Introduction Diet at
least once a day.
After the Introduction Diet is completed and when your patient has more or less normal stools move
into the Full GAPS Diet.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
The Full GAPS Diet
Your patient needs to carry on completely avoiding starches and sugar for two years at least. It means
avoiding all grains, sugar, potatoes, parsnips, yams, sweet potato and anything made out of them. The
flour in your cooking and baking can be replaced with ground almonds (or any other nuts or sunflower
or pumpkin seeds ground into flour). In about 1 - 1.5 years you may be able to introduce new potatoes,
fermented buckwheat, millet and quinoa, starting from very small amounts and observing any reaction.
Wheat, sugar, processed foods and all additives will have to be out of the diet for much longer.
Slowly increase the amounts of fermented foods. You can ferment vegetables, fruit, milk and fish (please
look in the recipe section). I would also recommend reading a wonderful book by Sally Fallon
“Nourishing Traditions”, it will provide you with a lot of good recipes. Eating fermented foods with every
meal will help your patient to digest the meal without using supplements of digestive enzymes. Make
sure to introduce all new fermented foods into the diet very gradually starting from 1-2 teaspoons a day.
The best foods for the GAPS person are eggs, meats and fish (bought fresh or frozen, not smoked or
canned, and cooked at home), shellfish, fresh vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, garlic and olive oil. As
well as eating the vegetables cooked it is important to have them raw in the form of salads and sticks. In
this form they will provide your patient with valuable enzymes and detoxifying substances, which will
help in digesting meats. Raw fruit should be eaten on their own, not with meals, as they have a very
different digestion pattern and can make the work harder for the stomach. At that stage let your patient
to have fruit as a snack between meals. Remember, that about 85% of everything your patient eats on a
daily basis should be savory - made out of meats, fish, eggs, vegetables and natural fats. Sweet baking
and fruit should be snacks between meals in limited amounts.
It is very important for a GAPS person to have plenty of natural fats in every meal from meats, butter,
ghee, coconut and cold pressed olive oil. The fat content of the meal will regulate the blood sugar level
and control cravings for carbohydrates.
If your patient gets a tummy bug or any other form of diarrhea go back to the low fiber diet for a few
days: remove all nuts, raw vegetables and raw fruit out of the diet; go back to meats cooked in water
and meat stock, fish, eggs, fermented dairy and cooked vegetables (skinned, de-seeded and well cooked
with meats as soups and stews) until diarrhea completely clears. After the stools stay normal for a week
introduce raw vegetables slowly, one at a time and starting from small amounts. When vegetables are
introduced, try to introduce nuts, seeds and fruit gradually.
It is important for your GAPS patient to balance the meals so that his or her body pH stays normal. All
protein foods, such as meats, fish, eggs and cheese leave an acid ash in the body, which may aggravate
his or her condition. Vegetables are alkalizing, so you need to combine meats, fish and eggs with good
amount of vegetables cooked and/or raw. Raw fruit, vegetables and greens have particularly strong
alkalizing ability. Apple cider vinegar is very alkalizing, it is good to have it every day: just add one
teaspoon of cider vinegar into every glass of water your patient drinks. Hot water with cider vinegar will
makes an excellent warming and alkalizing drink. Fermented foods are also alkalizing.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
It is very important to avoid processed foods (any packet or tinned foods). They are stripped from most
nutrients that were present in the fresh ingredients used for making these foods. They are a hard work
for the digestive system and they damage the healthy gut flora balance. On top of that they usually
contain a lot of artificial chemicals, detrimental to health, like preservatives, colorants, E-numbers, etc.
Try to buy foods in the form that nature made them, as fresh as possible.
Do not use a microwave oven, as it destroys food. Cook and warm up food using conventional oven and
stove.
Foods to avoid:
• All alcoholic beverages. An adult can have good quality wine with meals occasionally but not beer or
spirits.
• Tinned and processed foods, always read the ingredients label, beware of sugar, lactose, maltose,
starch, corn flour, preservatives, flavorings, colors, yeast. It is best not to buy processed foods at all.
• Grains: rice, corn, rye, oats, wheat and anything made of wheat flour (breads, pasta, biscuits, cakes
and anything from the bakery, anything with bread crumbs or batter), buckwheat, quinoa, millet,
couscous, spelt, semolina, tapioca, etc. After about 1 – 1.5 years you may be able to slowly re-introduce
buckwheat, millet and quinoa (fermented to start with), but not wheat, rye or rice.
• Breakfast cereals are highly processed products with virtually no nutritional value, they are full of
sugar, salt, trans-fatty acids and other harmful substances. They should be out of the diet forever.
• Starchy vegetables and anything made out of them: potato, parsnips, yams, Jerusalem artichoke and
sweet potato. In about 1 - 1.5 years you may be able to introduce new potatoes.
• Milk should be out at this stage. However, the GAPS person can have soured milk products, such as
natural hard cheese, live natural yoghurt and kefir, crème fresh or soured cream, butter and ghee. There
are many substances in milk, which could cause trouble, such as milk sugar lactose, casein, immune
complexes, etc. Soured milk products do not contain lactose and are pre-digested by the fermenting
microbes, which makes fermented milk products very easy to digest for us. I would recommend using
only organic milk products and introduce them one at a time, starting from small amounts. If you were
not able to introduce any dairy in the Introduction Diet, and then please look at page 95 in the GAPS
book, it will explain how to introduce dairy safely. If you have introduced homemade yoghurt, kefir and
ghee as a part of the Introduction Diet, then gradually introduce fermented cream and butter. When
that is well tolerated try natural mature cheeses. You may want to try goats or sheep’s milk products
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
first as they are often better tolerated by the GAPS people, than cows. In about 1,5 -2,5 years and when
all fermented dairy products are introduced, your patient may be able to drink raw unpasteurized
organic milk. Introduce it gradually starting from 1-2 teaspoons a day. A GAPS person must never have
pasteurized milk!
• Fruit juices apart from freshly pressed. Unfortunately fruit juices (not freshly pressed by you) are a
source of processed sugars and can contain a lot of fungi and moulds in them, which your GAPS patient
might react to.
• Beans and pulses are generally hard to digest. The two varieties that your patient can have are white
(navy) beans also called haricot beans, fermented and cooked at home, and fresh green beans.
Commercially available baked beans have almost 40% sugar and should be avoided. You can make your
own baked beans at home (please, look in the recipe section).
• Coffee is a strong irritant for the digestive tract, try to avoid it. Strong tea is not advisable either.
Natural herbal teas (no flavorings added) and ginger tea are fine. Ginger tea is a well-known folk remedy
for digestive problems.
• Soft drinks are not allowed at all, they are full of sugar and various chemicals, which are very damaging
for GAPS people.
• Soya and anything made out of it. It interferes with thyroid function in the body and negatively affects
hormonal balance, as it contains estrogen – like compounds. It is important to avoid all synthetic
estrogens, such as from soya, contraceptive pill, many other drugs, domestic cleaning chemicals, laundry
detergents, toiletries, etc.
Recommended foods:
• Buy fresh or frozen meats, fish and shellfish. Make sure that they are not smoked, salted or preserved
in any other way. Your patient needs to have gelatinous meats every single day (meats around bones
and joints, skin and brown meats on the poultry). It is important for him or her to have all the fats on the
meat, eating lean muscle meats will not be good for GAPS.
• Liver and other organ meats should be eaten on a regular basis. They can be cooked any way you like.
It is very nourishing and is the best remedy for many nutritional deficiencies.
• Eggs - the yolk is best eaten raw, the white should be slightly cooked, like for example in soft boiled or
fried eggs. Make sure that you find good quality eggs, free-range organic eggs are the best. Your patient
should have minimum 2-3 eggs a day as they are particularly good for restoring neurological functions.
• Fresh vegetables – all types of vegetables are recommended, apart from starchy vegetables, like
potatoes, parsnips, sweet potato, Jerusalem artichokes and yams. You can cook vegetables by steaming
them, stewing, roasting, grilling or stir-frying. It is particularly good to eat them as a homemade soup or
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
stew with plenty of garlic, added at the end of cooking. Your patient should have plenty of cooked
vegetables with every meal, as they are better digested than raw vegetables and are more nourishing. It
is also important to have fermented and raw vegetables with every meal in a form of salads with olive
oil and fresh lemon juice or as a snack. Raw and fermented vegetables will help in digesting proteins and
detoxifying. However if your patient gets diarrhea then cook all vegetables until diarrhea clears.
• Fresh fruit. It is important that the fruit should be ripe. After completing the Introduction Diet
introduce local seasonal ripe fruit gradually. At that stage start your patient’s day from a bit of fruit and
offer some fruit between meals. He or she should not have fruit if there is diarrhea. When the diarrhea
has cleared he or she can start from having cooked fruit (peeled, de-seeded and well cooked with a good
dollop of butter, ghee or coconut oil) and then raw, introduced slowly.
• Avocado is a wonderfully nutritious fruit. Make sure it is ripe and serve it with meats, fish, shellfish and
salads.
• Butter is better than any so-called healthy substitutes. You can cook with it or add it into ready dishes.
Butter should be bought organic and unsalted, because non-organic butter contains a lot of pesticides
and antibiotics, which the cows consume. Cold pressed virgin olive oil is very good for your patient, use
it in salads and ready dishes liberally. It is not a good idea to cook with olive oil because it changes its
chemical structure when heated. Frying is best done with animal fats: pork dripping, lard, lamb fat,
goose fat, duck fat, ghee and butter. Coconut oil and palm oil are two plant oils, very good to use for
cooking. These fats do not alter their structure during cooking. They can even be re-used. Collect your
own fats after roasting meats. Avoid all common vegetable cooking oils, margarines and other
processed fats: they are very harmful to health.
• Nuts and seeds are a wonderful source of very good nutrients. Nuts should be bought just shelled –
not salted, roasted, coated or processed in any other way. This way they are an excellent source of
essential fatty acids and many nutrients. However, nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors, which may
make them difficult to digest for some people. If you feel that it is a problem for your patient, as soon as
you bought nuts to remove the enzyme inhibitors try to do the following: soak the nuts in salty water
over night (1 tablespoon of sea salt per liter of water), in the morning drain them, rinse the salt off and
dry in your oven -24 hours (keep checking them as different nuts take
different time to dry). Your patient can also eat nuts and seeds straight after soaking without drying
them. Once they are dried keep them in an airtight container or well-sealed plastic bag. They become
nice and crunchy and make an excellent snack food together with dried fruit. You can grind nuts and
seeds (sunflower and pumpkin) into flour consistency to make bread, pancakes and even cakes at home.
My book will provide you with recipes. Ground almonds or almond flour is available in health food
shops.
• If your child would like to have a milk-like drink, nut/seed milk can replace all other milk while you are
gradually introducing dairy. You can use almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pine nuts to make
milk. Blanched almonds make the best milk. You can add a teaspoon of flax seeds to make the milk
thicker. Soak a cup of almonds in water for 12 - 24 hours, drain. Blend in a food processor with water:
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
for 1 cup of nuts/seeds add 1-2 cups of water. A good juicer will crash the nuts/seeds well, making a
paste, which you would blend with water. Mix well and strain through cheesecloth or a fine strainer and
you have got milk. You can add some soaked dates or raisins, when blending, they will make the milk
sweet. If you find that the milk is too rich, just add more water. You can add some of freshly pressed
apple juice or carrot juice into it to make a very tasty and nourishing drink for your child. You can “milk”
the same cup of almonds a few times. Just keep the paste covered with water in the refrigerator.
• You can also make coconut milk. Bring to boil (but do not boil) 1 cup of unsweetened shredded dried
coconut and 1 cup of water. Cool down and blend well in your food processor. Strain through
cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
• It is better to replace the table salt in your patient’s diet with unprocessed salt. The salt, which is sold
in shops, has been processed to remove all natural minerals apart from the NaCl. The human body
needs all those minerals, that is why we must consume natural unprocessed salt. You can get very good
quality sea salt called Celtic Salt or a Himalayan Crystal Salt.
• Garlic is very important to eat every day. It will help to normalize your patient’s gut flora and stimulate
the immune system. It is important to have it raw with meats or cooked as a part of the meal. Work on
using a whole head of garlic every day (not just a few cloves).
• Unprocessed honey is the only sweetener allowed (in baking it is better to use dried fruit as a
sweetener). Locally produced honey is usually the most reliable.
www.GutAndPsychologySyndrome.com
by lydia on November 19, 2010
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
This was the first session I attended at the Wise Traditions Conference. I took notes, but I am a slow writer
and typer, so thankfully a reader sent me an email with her fabulous notes. She graciously agreed to let me
use them in this post. So a huge thanks to Jenifer Andersen for her thorough notes.
◦Babies are born with a very immature immune system; the first few weeks are critical to establishing gut
flora and therefore a healthy immune system. The most common result of of failure to develop a healthy gut
flora and immune system in an infant is recurring ear infections, which starts a cycle of antibiotics and
ongoing gut flora damage.
◦Vaccinations are designed for healthy, well-nourished children. Most children in the western world are not fit
to be immunized because they are not healthy and properly-nourished.
Liver
◦The liver, when overwhelmed by a damaged gut, can change from being an effective filter into being a
source of ongoing toxins released into the blood.
◦The liver forms bile stones that harden and the center of the stone is infection. The bile stones that harden
and can’t be passed will further compromise liver function, which will cause more stones to form. This is a
self-perpetuating problem, and it frequently causes problems with digesting fats.
◦Freshly-pressed celery and apple juice can help dissolve/soften bile stones in the liver.
Lungs
◦Lungs are a major factor in removing toxins from the bloodstream
◦Wheezing (bronchospasm) is a biological action to close off damaged bronchi and allow them time to quickly
repair (20-30 minutes usually). Asthma is when multiple sections of the lungs do this at the same time.
Supportive therapy for asthma is keeping still, warm, calm and hydrated, thereby allowing the body to heal
properly.
◦Asthma medications override the body’s self-healing functions, leading to major long-term lung damage. This
has taken a benign, mild condition and turned it into a life-threatening problem.
◦When asthma treatment doesn’t allow the lungs to heal themselves and detoxify the body, the toxins have to
end up elsewhere in the body.
Blood-Brain Barrier
◦The blood-brain barrier is similar to the gut wall in that it is supposed to be very tight. Zonulin is one of the
components that maintains this tightness.
◦When toxins damage the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, toxins, microbes & antibodies pass through into
areas where they do not belong, causing neurological symptoms. These symptoms may be physical (epilepsy,
etc.) or psychological/behavioral (bipolar, schizophrenia, substanceabuse, etc.)
Epilepsy in children
◦Standard treatment of epilepsy is to not really look for a cause (just classify it as “idiopathic”), but rather to
just treat it by medicating to suppress symptoms.
◦If there is no biological reason for epilepsy, it is a gut problem that should be able to be healed.
Eating Disorders
◦Vegetarian diets are becoming a major source of eating disorders in the western world. Children go
vegetarian because they are told it’s “healthy” or “planet-saving” or “kind to animals”.
Parents generally don’t object because it’s so common, but the child ends up with nutritional deficiencies
(especially B12 and fat-soluble vitamins). Additionally, the diet becomes heavy in starches and sugars…
eventually toxicity gets past the blood-brain barrier and alters perception and thinking.
◦Current treatment focuses only on “gaining weight and eating”. Treatment should focus on detoxification,
healing and sealing the gut and the blood-brain barrier, and correcting nutritional deficiencies. A few weeks
on the GAPS Introduction Diet will usually allow enough detoxification to allow self-perception to become
accurate.
Foods to Avoid
◦It takes TWO YEARS on the GAPS diet to allow full healing of the gut-related
◦Starch molecules are large and difficult to digest. The final steps of starch digestion are accomplished by the
enzymes of the enterocytes, which are not active in a sick gut. The starch that is not properly digested is food
for pathogenic flora.
◦Sugar consumption pulls magnesium from bones, teeth, etc., and leads to magnesium deficiency. In children
a main symptom of magnesium deficiency is hyperactivity; in adults a main symptom is hypertension. Blood
vessels need magnesium in order to be able to relax, calcium to contract.
◦Sugars are carried into capillaries and block them, forming amyloids and causing arthritis.
◦All beans contain starch; they can be added to later diet if soaked and properly prepared.
Recommended Foods
◦Foods that are homemade, easy to digest, and nutritious.
◦Animals designed to eat plant food only have several pH-neutral stomachs (rumins) full of bacteria that
digest plants for them People and carnivorous animals have one acidic stomach that can digest the plant
digest plants for them. People and carnivorous animals have one acidic stomach that can digest the plant-
eaters.
◦Healthy bowel flora will convert starches into short-chain fatty acids for absorption as fat. Few people in the
western world have enough healthy gut flora to do this. This is why starches should be avoided.
◦Liver is one of the most nutritionally powerful food and should be a regular part of the diet.
◦Vegetables should be cooked well in the initial stages.
◦Fruit should be only eaten if it was ripened naturally; chemically-ripened fruit is not healthy.
◦In fermented dairy the probiotics have digested some of the proteins as well as the lactose.
◦Bees won’t eat honey that has been heated above 113º F – it is damaged. This is why honey should be
cold-extracted.
Fermented Foods
◦Not only pre-digested (and therefore easy for digestion), but also teeming with probiotics
◦Probiotics help attack pathogenic organisms that can cause problems, therefore they have to be ramped up to
prevent die-off reactions
◦Sauerkraut and kimchi must be fermented long enough for a complete fermentation process, otherwise it will
cause gas and digestive problems (because the fermentation must finish in the digestive tract). When the
fermentation process is complete, the lactic acid stops the process; completely fermented sauerkraut will keep
for a year safely
Natural Fats
◦Fats and cholesterol are necessary building blocks of life – our cells can not develop/reproduce without fats,
and cholesterol is critical to healing in the body. Cholesterol is also a basic building block for hormone
production, is necessary food for brain and nerve cells, and is critical to vitamin D production.
◦Dietary animal fat stimulates glucagon production, which causes bodily fat to be burned for energy.
◦The majority of fat in human breast milk is saturated fat, with a smaller portion of monounsaturated fat.. The
physiology of adults is not substantially different from that of an infant; we still need a lot of fat.
Failure to Thrive
◦Result of fussy eating habits
◦Conventional medical care is even more damaging to this
Supplementation
◦Good probiotics are a critical part of the process, as are probiotic foods
◦Multivitamins, mineral, amino-acid supplements are not necessary for everyone
◦Children may not need HCl or pepsin; only if excess burping is an issue. Cabbage juice or whey or kefir may
work well in place of these (just a little before a meal).
◦Reflux can be caused by yeast overgrowth damaging the ability of the esophageal sphincter to close; the
yeast overgrowth is a symptom of the stomach not be acidic enough.
◦Pancreatic enzyme production is directly dependent on adequate stomach acidity. When the stomach acidity
is enough to properly digest the food, the pancreas will produce enzymes accordingly.
Detoxification
◦GAPS patients are toxic, so detoxification is necessary. Cleaning up the gut is the major focus because the
gut is the major source of toxins in the body.
◦The most therapeutic juices are not palatable, but they can be mixed 50/50 with carrot or apple juice to
improve the flavor. The fresh juice can also be made into a smoothie with a bit of kefir and an egg yolk.
◦If doing detoxification baths, rotate the add-ins… sea salt one time, cider vinegar the next, seaweed powder
the next…
◦Skin absorbs everything put on it in seconds, so eliminate toxins from personal care products.Putting
something on the skin bypasses the liver’s detoxification.
Natural Chelation
◦Chelation chemicals not only remove heavy metal toxins, they also remove critical minerals (especially zinc).
As a result, the long-term effects of chemical chelation are very damaging.
◦Probiotics are a potent chelator of heavy metals, as are fermented foods.
Constipation
◦Constipation is worse than diarrhea because toxins are staying in the bowel too long. Yeast(candida) is a
major player in developing constipation.
◦Constipation should be defined as no stool for one day; enemas are sometimes quite helpful, especially if a
small amount of baking soda.
small amount of baking soda.
◦Castor oil can be massaged into the skin of the abdomen (over the stomach) to be absorbed through the skin
and help loosen the stool.
◦Magnesium oxide (milk of magnesia) is a rather violent solution.
◦If you are constipated, there are not enough animal fats in your diet.