As is typical of normal pathologic disorders there are signs and symptoms to indicate a problem. The signs and symptoms commonly seen are fever, redness, swelling, induration or lymphadenopathy. Unfortunately, with intestinal dysbiosis there are none of these classic symptoms.  As a clinician I have to look beyond these disease associated characteristics to ferret out the patient’s individualized response to an intestinal microbe imbalance or dysbiosis. The confounding situation for a practitioner is that a particular microbe imbalance in one patient may present with dermatitis while in a different patient same microbe may present as neuropathy or inflammatory arthritis. Often we find that patient’s with an autoimmune or inflammatory disorder is having a pathogenic inflammatory response to a non-pathogenic microbe.

At this point you may ask how does dysbiosis occur.  Good question.  Dysbiosis can occur due to any one, combination of , or all of the following. Let me first add that this is the short list: The Standard American Diet (SAD), antibiotics, over the counter medication such as anti-inflammatory’s (NSAIDS), illicit drugs or excessive ingestion of alcohol.

Let’s single out one factor common to 95% of the population that leads to dysbiosis; The Standard American Diet. SAD is heavily acidic and therefore damaging to the internal environment of the intestine. Short term acidity would not be a problem but it is the habitual indulging in SAD that leads to the following scenario within the intestine. After, let’s say five years of SAD (from ages five to ten to start), it will have altered the Ph to acidic, which will lead to an over growth of unhealthy microbes. Remember unhealthy microbes thrive in a high acid environment. The high acid environment is the first domino in what will now be a long chain of unfortunate events likely leading to pathology. This is within the first decade of your life.

Last month’s newsletter I used an analogy of the brick, mortar and sealant for a basic structural model of the cellular intestinal wall. Let’s elaborate what happens with chronic acidity at the cellular level of the intestine. The brick sealant, being the mucosa, is where healthy bacteria and unhealthy microbes live. In the presence of chronic acidity the gel/mucosa will break down or may actually thicken in the presence of certain microbes, due to both the high acidity and the overgrowth of unhealthy microbes.  Unhealthy microbes will further displace the healthy bacteria by competing for binding sites on the cell wall and by doing so perpetuate an even higher acidic state. At this point it’s the dog chasing its tail. High acid leads to increased microbes, leads to higher acid, leads to more microbes. You get the picture?   Multiply that by another 40 or 50 years of life!!

Beneath the mucosa are the brick and mortar or cells and cell junctions respectively.  The cell junctions called gap junctions are sensitive to Ph imbalance. The gap junctions will, overtime become loose or weak, providing an open door from the inside of the intestine to the inside of your body.  I mentioned last month, the cell lining of the intestine provides protection from pathogens very much the same way our skin does. If the skin is compromised by a cut or laceration, bacteria can enter and infection can occur. The same way the opening of the gap junctions of the intestinal wall allows for bacteria and in worse cases, macromolecules, to cross the intestine into the body cavity. A common term for the lost integrity of gap junctions is “Leaky Gut Syndrome”.

The next domino is the ignition of inflammation throughout the body.  Recall “the function” of the intestine is to absorb the broken down food that you ate. If you have, like most of the population, indulged in a life time of SAD your intestine have been absorbing a very high amount of acidity from inside the intestine and transporting it to the rest of the cells in your body through the blood stream and other metabolic transport pathways.

Here’s where it really gets fun!! But I am out of time and space.  Tune in next time for the next issue of my series on intestinal health.

Till then put down the burger and have a salad.

If you missed last month’s posting you can go to my web page at www.drmichaelaustin.com for this and other information.

The information contained in this blog does not constitute medical advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for medical advice.  It is intended to disseminate useful information about alternative medicine and general health. It is offered to provide useful information on various health topics as a public service.  This blog was created to assist the consumer in making health choices in the selection of alternative medicine only in the State of Arizona.  Your health rights and the ultimate resolution of your health issues will vary depending upon many health factors.  BEFORE you attempt to implement the information contained in this blog, you should consult with your primary care physician or with other primary health care providers familiar with the issues specific to your health concerns.

Intestinal Anatomy

In order to understand how intestinal health impacts your overall health it is important to first understand the intestines structure and function. Below is a cross section drawing of both the small and large intestine.

While the text is probably too small for you to read, you  just need to see the finger like projections on the inner surface of the intestine called Villi. The function of villi is to increase the surface area in a relatively small diameter. What can’t be seen here are the microscopic villi that make up the surface area of the villi, microscopic fingers on the surface of the visible finger.

Collectively the villi and micro villi extend the surface area if the intestine from a few square feet to about 2500 – 2700 square feet, or roughly equivalent to the area of a tennis court. That’s pretty big and an amazing use of functional design by nature to maximize the absorptive surface area.

To describe the cellular lining of the micro villi let me use and an analogy. If I line up a bunch of bricks as if I were constructing a walkway and I then put mortar between the bricks to hold them together then coated the bricks with a protective yet permeable layer this would be a good simple visual for us to work with. So the bricks are the intestinal cells of the micro villi, the mortar equals the “gap junctions” holding the cells together. Finally the permeable yet protective coating equals the mucosa or mucous/ jelly like layer. At a very basic level this is the structure of the intestinal lining.

Intestinal Function

The basic function of the intestine is to absorb nutrients from the food and water we ingest and excrete the waste products from our body. As well as provide a first line of defense from pathogens the was our skin does. Easy enough right?

Now you might be asking what does any of that have to do with my health beyond absorbing and excreting? The answer is everything.

The intestinal cell lining, like your skin, keeps bacteria, viruses and other pathogens from entering your body and making you sick. If you get a cut or large wound in the skin you are open to infection. The same thing happens if the intestinal integrity is compromised; you become susceptible to infection and worse because an opening in the intestine leads directly into your abdominal cavity.

In the next issue – We’ll continue our discussion on intestine and its impact on your overall health and well-being.

Here is a teaser:

Which has more neurons, your brain or your intestine?

The information contained in this blog does not constitute medical advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for medical advice.  It is intended to disseminate useful information about alternative medicine and general health. It is offered to provide useful information on various health topics as a public service.  This blog was created to assist the consumer in making health choices in the selection of alternative medicine only in the State of Arizona.  Your health rights and the ultimate resolution of your health issues will vary depending upon many health factors.  BEFORE you attempt to implement the information contained in this blog, you should consult with your primary care physician or with other primary health care providers familiar with the issues specific to your health concerns.

Answer; Your intestine.

A study, published in Diabetologia, of 11 participants has shown the DM 2 is reversible. Not only did the participants reverse their diabetes but previously non-functioning beta cells in their pancreas switched on. You’re asking; Wow, what drug did they take?  They didn’t. They did it by cleaning up their diet.  I know shocker. The patients were given a low calorie diet of Optifast, a Nestle product, low starch vegetables, water and exercise.

Full study available here;  http://www.diabetologia-journal.org/Lim.pdf

A bigger surprise to me is that they needed a study to show this was possible. My office mate Dr. Bevacqua, has been doing this for several ears.  I am reasonably certain that there are other Doctors out there with the same results. In fact there is a documentary about it.  Released in 2009, Simply Raw – Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days, was shot in our back yard in Patagonia. In this documentary 6 people saw drastic changes in their diabetes as well. They went cold turkey in to a raw food diet; the emotional turmoil that the participants went through in the first week was the most revealing piece for me.

Link   http://www.documentarywire.com/simply-raw-reversing-diabetes-in-30-days

For the bigger picture on how diet affects your health I’d recommend The China Study published in 2006. Details how 80 to 90 percent of the disease we experience in the U.S. is diet related.  The results of this study are highlighted in the documentary Forks Over Knives and it happens to be playing at The Loft.

The information contained in this blog does not constitute medical advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for medical advice.  It is intended to disseminate useful information about alternative medicine and general health. It is offered to provide useful information on various health topics as a public service.  This blog was created to assist the consumer in making health choices in the selection of alternative medicine only in the State of Arizona.  Your health rights and the ultimate resolution of your health issues will vary depending upon many health factors.  BEFORE you attempt to implement the information contained in this blog, you should consult with your primary care physician or with other primary health care providers familiar with the issues specific to your health concerns.

Disclaimer: Dr. Austin has no financial interest in any of the above films or health centers.

http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/2879

I can’t believe the level of deception or PR spin.  First, there is no such thing as “radiational material”, it’s called CONTAMINATION.    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read my first blog posting Japanese Earthquake and Radioactive Contamination.
The official report for the U.S., “there is no risk of radiation increase.” Radiation is not the problem, contamination is.

Iodine 131, a radioactive particle aka contamination, it has a half life of about 10 days. Half life is defined as; The time required for half the nuclei (contamination) in a sample of a specific isotopic species to undergo radioactive decay.  in other words, if you have a pound of Iodine 131, in ten days half a pound will still be able to cause cell damage in the body.  Iodine 131, strontium 90, cesium 137, and plutonium 238 are just a few of the contaminated particles that can be released from a reactor; there are over 400 in total.  Here is a comparison to put this into perspective, Iodine 131′s half life is 10 days. The half life of cesium is about 30 years. You can Google these particles and see for yourself.
I spoke about prophylactic Iodine supplementation in my first post, this will help protect the thyroid, but it is not a guarantee protection against developing cancer due to exposure to all of the other radioactive particles I mentioned.
The way to protect yourself is by limiting the TIME you are exposed. Put some DISTANCE between you and the contaminated material and/or put a barrier, SHIELDING, between you and the contaminated material.

DO NOT be confused by the talking heads on TV when they talk about radiation and explain very matter of factly you are always exposed to some level of radiation, this is true.  But it does not address the problem of contaminated particles floating on the winds across the Pacific ending up in your lungs from the air, in your gut from the food or water you ingest.

Am I an expert, no, but I have more experience than the average Joe. In brief:
Naval training in nuclear, biological warfare decontamination (part of my first “A” school)
My first duty station was on a nuclear powered surface ship, USS Long Beach CGN-9, 2 years.
After Naval Deep Sea Diver School, I was assigned to first the USS Hunley then the USS Holland (both were sub-tenders). I worked in and under US Submarines for 2.5 years. Yeah there nukes too.
Post Navy, A.A.S. degree in Non-destructive Testing. While working toward this degree I worked part time with a field testing company x-raying welded pipe and cast iron. The “cameras” used to take these radiographs housed either radioactive iridium or cobalt. Of the two, cobalt was the stronger isotope; it can punch 5 inches of solid steel without blinking.
Upon graduating I worked for GE Corporate Research and Development for three years, in the field of Non-Destructive Testing. During that time I received a U.S. patent as co-inventor in the field of x-ray microscopy.
I went into health care in the early 90′s and was trained in taking and interpreting medical radiographs.

Forget Fox News and do yourselves a favor, Google how you can best protect you and your family I am tired of typing 

The information contained in this blog does not constitute medical advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for medical advice.  It is intended to disseminate useful information about alternative medicine and general health. It is offered to provide useful information on various health topics as a public service.  This blog was created to assist the consumer in making health choices in the selection of alternative medicine only in the State of Arizona.  Your health rights and the ultimate resolution of your health issues will vary depending upon many health factors.  BEFORE you attempt to implement the information contained in this blog, you should consult with your primary care physician or with other primary health care providers familiar with the issues specific to your health concerns.

Media Contacts:
Caitlin Lukacs: (703) 812-0218 | clukacs@acatoday.org
Melissa Lee: (703) 812-0259 | mlee@acatoday.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 02, 2011

Legislation to Expand Patient Access to Chiropractic Care Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) today announced that their work with key congressional supporters has resulted in two important pieces of pro-chiropractic legislation being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. These bills, if enacted into law, would increase patient access to vital health care—which includes chiropractic care—and benefit chiropractic physicians and students.

One of the legislative initiatives, the Access to Frontline Health Care Act (H.R. 531), would establish a new program that would help chiropractic physicians and other select health care providers repay their student loans if, in exchange, the providers establish and maintain practices in medically underserved areas. The legislation, introduced Feb. 8 in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) would designate certain types of health care providers as “frontline” providers. ACA and ACC worked closely with the sponsor of the bill to ensure that chiropractic physicians are specified in the bill as qualifying for this status.

I wanted to add comment here.  I think this is a great initiative by Rep. Braley but it falls short.  Placing ONE Chiropractor in a large VA Health Care Center is a disservice. The staff doctor will be overwhelmed and patients will be waiting for months.  If you are a Vet or DC, I would encourage you to contact these legislators and inform them of the understaffing issue inherent in the bill.

Follow the link below for the rest of the article. 
“Many regions of our nation, particularly the rural parts of America, simply do not have sufficient numbers of qualified health care professionals to meet the needs of the local population,” said ACA President Rick McMichael, DC. “This legislation would provide vital health care to underserved patients across the country, and it would also help newly graduated chiropractic physicians establish practices and repay their student loans.”

The second piece of legislation, the Chiropractic Membership in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Act of 2011 (H.R. 664), introduced by Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) on Feb. 11, would also benefit the public and the profession by requiring the inclusion of chiropractic physicians in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps.

The Commissioned Corps is an elite team of more than 6,000 well-trained, highly qualified public health professionals dedicated to delivering the nation’s public health promotion and disease prevention programs and advancing public health science. Officers in the Corps provide health care services in a variety of locations and venues, including care to members of the U.S. Coast Guard and at community health centers.

“Both of these pieces of legislation are critical to the integration of chiropractic care in every federal health care program,” said Frank J. Nicchi, DC, president of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges. “Chiropractic students and alumni will benefit immensely from the opportunity to provide care to citizens in medically underserved areas and to participate in the Commissioned Corps. We applaud Reps. Braley and Green for their leadership and support for the inclusion of chiropractic care in these important national health care initiatives.”

The introduction of both pieces of legislation fairly early in the First Session of the current 112th Congress was intentional by ACA, ACC and the bill’s supporters. “Early introduction allows for the time necessary to build critical momentum for these pro-chiropractic initiatives,” said John Falardeau, ACA’s vice president of government relations. “Having that momentum increases the likelihood of these bills successfully advancing through the legislative process.”

To view the full text of HR 531, click here.

To see the full text of HR 664, click here.

ACA and ACC request that chiropractic physicians contact their congressional representatives and urge them to cosponsor both of these bills.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of patient care and ethics, and supports research that contributes to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients. Visit www.acatoday.org.

The Association of Chiropractic Colleges represents accredited chiropractic colleges in North America and seeks to advance chiropractic education, research and service.

The information contained in this blog does not constitute medical advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for medical advice.  It is intended to disseminate useful information about alternative medicine and general health. It is offered to provide useful information on various health topics as a public service.  This blog was created to assist the consumer in making health choices in the selection of alternative medicine only in the State of Arizona.  Your health rights and the ultimate resolution of your health issues will vary depending upon many health factors.  BEFORE you attempt to implement the information contained in this blog, you should consult with your primary care physician or with other primary health care providers familiar with the issues specific to your health concerns.