A Chiropractor in West Palm Beach can help you with many ailments by way of adjustments. However, the food you consume on a daily basis has a very large impact on your body and the thousands of underlying processes that go on inside it every day. Nutrition is certainly a significant factor in your health. So some of your lifestyle choices outside of the doctor’s office can influence the effectiveness of  treatment. When you eat well, your immune system fights off illness better, you elevate your brain function, you lose weight and your energy soars. By incorporating certain foods into your diet, you can contribute to faster healing and continued wellness. 

 

In this post we will look at the “Leaky Gut Syndrome”.

 

What is the “Leaky Gut” Syndrome?

 

“Leaky gut syndrome” is said to have symptoms including bloating, gas, cramps, food sensitivities, and aches and pains.  Moreover, the “leaky gut” theory may explain the mechanism of many autoimmune diseases.  In autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) (e.g. Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)), molecular mimicry (molecular similarity) and a “leaky gut” may activate an autoimmune response in the body. 

 

Hence, Molecular mimicry or “molecular similarity” is an important concept in immunology. What happens is “external antigens” that resemble some “self-antigens” will lead to an immune response which will cause tissue damage to your body. And this is called autoimmunity. An antigen is a toxin or other foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body.  Specifically and especially the production of antibodies.

 

What are some external antigens?

 

External antigens would be certain undigested food particles mimicking the self-antigen such as collagen (human protein), and eliciting an autoimmune response. For instance, bovine serum albumin (BSA) found in cow’s milk may be considered by the body as an antigen, and given that it is similar in sequence to human collagen, may cause an autoimmune reaction. Next is glycine protein found in grains and legumes, which has a similar protein sequence to connective tissue.

 

Other possible foods considered by your body as an antigen are: wheat germ agglutinin found in wheat, phytohaemagglutinin found in kidney beans and peanut lection found in peanuts. Moreover, you may be more genetically susceptible to this autoimmune reaction.

 

In summary, autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system produces autoantibodies against self-antigens, causing assault on body tissue. And an association of autoimmune diseases and leaky gut is wherein the leakage of pathogens (germs) into the body system results in autoimmunity.

 

In detail: Leaky Gut and Anatomy of  the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract 

 

First, the outer single layer of epithelium (thin tissue forming the outer layer of body’s surface and lining GI tract and other hollow structures in your body) in the intestinal wall acts as a barrier.  It separates your body from the external environment. Furthermore, the gut harbors trillions of microbial inhabitants (“healthy” bacteria).  This plays a vital role in digestion and influences the immune system.

 

Second, while allowing nutrient and fluid absorption for digestion of food, the outer layer barrier prevents the passing of unwanted microbes or antigens into your gut. The barrier stops invasion of microorganisms and other harmful molecules through its “paracellular” (between cells) space.

 

Third, nevertheless, the permeability (measure of the ease of passage of fluids and specific molecules through the epithelium) of the GI tract can change.  This change in permeability of the GI tract’s epithelial lining creates an easy passage for harmful bacteria and their products into the bloodstream.  When this occurs, it is referred to as the “leaky gut” syndrome. Therefore, an immune response is evoked. As such, maintenance of the healthy gut goes a long way in preventing autoimmune diseases.

 

Causes of “Leaky Gut”

 

The causes of leaky gut include prolonged exposure to environmental toxins/contaminant, alcoholism, an unhealthy diet and extended mental stress.

Overuse of drugs (e.g.  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-NSAIDS, birth control pills, steroids, chemotherapy) damage the epithelial borders, permitting microbes/ food particles that are not wholly digested, and contaminants to enter the bloodstream. Likewise, your sensitivity/allergies to certain foods and the environment could lead to the development of leaky gut syndrome.

 

Suggestions on a diet to help maintain a healthy gut may be the following: 

 

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy diet.  It is a diet high in fish consumption so is high in omega-3 fatty acid.  Moreover, this diet is focused on whole foods instead of processed foods.

 

DASH- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet

The dash diet is designed to reduce high blood pressure.  It has been shown to reduce inflammation, probably because it reduces blood pressure and promotes weight loss. This diet focuses on whole foods and limits protein, sweets, and processed foods. In contrast to the Mediterranean diet, it does include a bit more dairy, and it doesn’t specifically encourage fish or extra-virgin olive oil.

 

Elimination Diet

An elimination diet may help you go a step further by identifying foods that trigger “leaky gut” in your body. For example, if you’ve cut out processed foods but still experience symptoms of “leaky gut” you should try this diet. During an elimination diet, you stop eating one or more potential problem foods for several weeks. You keep a food journal to document what you eat and how it affects you.  As you slowly reintroduce those foods into your diet, you keep track of the outcome. Finally, your healthcare provider can identify patterns that indicate cause and effect.

 

Supplements to support a healthy, intact and functioning gastrointestinal lining includes:

 

–Glutamine (amino acid)- acts as a fuel source for intestinal cell maintenance and repair

 

–Vitamins C and E, lipoic acid, zinc, and ginkgo biloba– acts as antioxidants, protecting the GI mucosal lining from free-radical (Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage the cells in the body) damage.

 

–DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice)- may increase cell wall integrity of mucosal cells in the GI tract.

 

–NAG (N-acetyl glucosamine)- helps to heal extracellular tissue

 

–Probiotics– to counteract harmful bacteria

 

–Hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes– assistance of supplemental HCL and digestive enzymes to help food particle digestion

 

Call Meiri Chiropractic today on…“Leaky Gut”: A West Palm Beach Chiropractor Can Help.

 

According to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ (Nabco’s) Practice Analysis of Chiropractic 2015 “Chiropractic is based on the premise that the body is able to achieve and maintain health through its own natural recuperative powers, provided it has a properly functioning nervous system and receives the necessary health maintenance components. These components include adequate nutrition, water, rest exercise and clean air”.

 

Your chiropractor in West Palm Beach will adjust your spine to improve the relationship between the spine and nervous system. This affects the function of all the organs and systems in your body including your gastrointestinal system.  Learning and implementing a lifestyle for good health and self enhancement prevents future suffering.  In this regard, we may give take home exercises, recommend ergonomic changes and nutritional changes.  Call 561-253-8984 to find out more about “Leaky Gut”: A West Palm Beach Chiropractor Can Help or to schedule an appointment.

 

 

A Chiropractor in West Palm Beach can help you with many ailments by way of adjustments. However, the food you consume on a daily basis has a very large impact on your body and the thousands of underlying processes that go on inside it every day. Nutrition is certainly a significant factor in your health. So some of your lifestyle choices outside of the doctor’s office can influence the effectiveness of treatment. When you eat well, your immune system fights off illness better, you elevate your brain function, you lose weight and your energy soars. By incorporating certain foods into your diet, you can contribute to faster healing and continued wellness. 

In this post we will look at the importance of essential fatty acids and the anti-inflammatory diet. 

 

 

What are Essential Fatty Acids?

Fatty Acids that are necessary for health and those that can not be made by the body are called essential fatty aicds (EFAs).  So Essential fatty acids must be supplied through the diet.  Improving skin and hair, reducing blood pressure, prevention of arthritis, lowering cholesterol/ triglyceride levels and reducing the risk of formation of blood clots all require essential fatty acids.  Additionally, essential fatty acids are important for your nervous system and a deficiency can lead to impaired brain function. 

 

Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids

 

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are the 2 basic essential fatty acids which are categorized based on their chemical structures. Fresh deep water fish, fish oil and certain vegetable oils (canola oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil) are rich in omega-3.  Omega-6 EFAs are found primarily in raw nuts, seeds and legumes, and unsaturated vegetable oils (borage oil, grapeseed oil, primrose oil, sesame oil, soybean oil).

 

Importance of a balanced ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 in your diet

 

Here is the basic inflammatory cascade. First, Linoleic acid, is a polyunsaturated EFA mostly found in plant oils. It accounts for approximately 90 percent of your dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids.  And Linoleic acid from Omega-6 fatty acids is converted to arachidonic acid in your body.  Our bodies produce this nutrient, and its excess may lead to inflammatory diseases and disorders.

Second, through several steps, arachidonic acid converts into prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2).  Prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) is a principal mediator (substance that transmits information between two cells, tissues, or organs) of inflammation in diseases. Prostaglandins are hormone-like compounds that are produced in your body to act as chemical messengers and regulators of various body processes. The body releases prostaglandins-E2 (PGE2), as an inflammatory response to disease and injury.  But in excess, chronic diseases and cancers are in part maintained or supported by this “proinflammatory” cascade. Examples of chronic disease seen in the chiropractic office are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. 

Therefore, eating omega-6 foods can be beneficial to your health for a number of reasons, but consumed in excess can be problematic. And it’s easy to consume too much linoleic acid because these foods/oils are typically used to make processed foods. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in high amounts in most seeds (and their oils) as well as in grains and their manufactured varieties (e.g., flours, pasta, cereal,chips, desserts). Moreover, meats, dairy fats, and shellfish are also converted to arachidonic acid which is converted to PGE2.

Third, this is where the balanced ratio is crucial. For instance, one study indicates that women with high Omega-6 fatty acid intake and a low Omega-3 fatty acid intake were more prone to develop breast cancer.

 

What Ratio is the Best?

A ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids should be close to 1: 1 in your diet to maintain an anti-inflammatory state. Unfortunately, ratios in the modern american diet can be as high as 10-30: 1.

The anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids are found in green vegetables, most fish, wild game, and grass-fed meat.  Consuming eggs and beef that have a higher Omega-3 content is a possible solution.  Omega-3 fatty acids may also be supplemented in the form of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/ docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)fish oil or from flaxseed oil.

 

A diet consisting of less grain and seed and more vegetables, fruits and fish is recommended. A proper balance of omega-6 to Omega-3 would be maintained with diets such as the following:  

 

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy diet.  It is a diet high in fish consumption so is high in omega-3 fatty acid.  Moreover, this diet is focused on whole foods instead of processed foods.

 

DASH- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet

The dash diet is designed to reduce high blood pressure.  It has been shown to reduce inflammation, probably because it reduces blood pressure and promotes weight loss. This diet focuses on whole foods and limits protein, sweets, and processed foods. In contrast to the mediterranean diet, it does include a bit more dairy, and it doesn’t specifically encourage fish or extra-virgin olive oil.

 

Elimination Diet

An elimination diet may help you go a step further by identifying foods that trigger inflammation in your body. For example, if you’ve cut out processed foods but still experience symptoms of inflammation, you should try this diet. During an elimination diet, you stop eating one or more potential problem foods for several weeks. You keep a food journal to document what you eat and how it affects you.  As you slowly reintroduce those foods into your diet, you keep track of the outcome. Finally, your healthcare provider can identify patterns that indicate cause and effect.

 

Call Meiri Chiropractic today on…Working Hand to Hand with Chiropractic Care: Essential Fatty Acids and the Anti-inflammatory Diet

According to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ (Nabco’s) Practice Analysis of Chiropractic 2015 “Chiropractic is based on the premise that the body is able to achieve and maintain health through its own natural recuperative powers, provided it has a properly functioning nervous system and receives the necessary health maintenance components. These components include adequate nutrition, water, rest exercise and clean air”.

Your chiropractor in West Palm Beach will adjust your spine to improve the relationship between the spine and nervous system. This affects the function of all the organs and systems in your body.  Learning and implementing a lifestyle for good health and self enhancement prevents future suffering.  In this regard, we may give take home exercises, recommend ergonomic changes and nutritional changes.  Call 561-253-8984 to find out more about Working Hand to Hand with Chiropractic Care: Essential Fatty Acids and the Anti-inflammatory Diet or to schedule an appointment.

 

 

 

What Causes Nocturnal Enuresis?

 

Nocturnal enuresis is a complex problem which involves several mechanisms.  Certain physical, mechanical, nutritional, as well as psychosocial (e.g. stress) problems can all cause forms of nocturnal enuresis.  Furthermore, nocturnal enuresis can be inherited.

 

Food allergies may play a role in detrusor muscle instability (functioning problems) leading to nocturnal enuresis. The walls of the bladder are mainly formed by the detrusor muscle.  This muscle allows the bladder to contract to excrete urine or relax to hold urine. Dairy products, carbonated drinks (e.g. cola), chocolate, and citrus may be the culprit.

 

Normal micturition (action of urinating) maturation occurs paralleling changes in bladder capacity and neural development (nervous system development). In the first 2 years, a child has little control over urination, yet senses when the bladder is full. By age 3, a child should have some development of daytime control. Next, by ages 4 and 5, the child should be able to control urination in mid-stream with starting and stopping at will. A delay in this normal maturation and a small bladder capacity (less than 50% of normal in 85% of enuretic children) seem to be a major factor.  

 

Abnormal diurnal rhythm (varying with time of day) of antidiuretic hormone (ADI-I) secretion.  Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) helps regulate the amount of water in your body. And if there is a decrease or absence during sleep, excessive amounts of unconcentrated urine accumulate. Interestingly, this maybe the cause for enuresis in older children, since one study found the bladder capacity of these children to be normal.

 

 

Chiropractic Care for Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis) in Children and Teens

 

Chiropractic treatment and management of nocturnal enuresis deals with treating and correcting chiropractic subluxations or misalignments in the spine.  With correction, there is an improvement in mobility and overall function throughout the body.  Many chiropractors have shown through case studies that treating not only the lower lumbar spine and sacral spines (low back and tail- bone), but also the lower thoracic (midback) and upper cervical (neck) spines are very beneficial in management of nocturnal enuresis.

 

Research today focuses on the combination of chiropractic as well as psychosocial and nutritional/natural therapies.  In conclusion, a combination of therapies is very beneficial.  Chiropractic helps with the musculoskeletal/nervous system dysfunctions that accompany those with enuresis. Additionally, the psychosocial and nutritional therapies go one step further in addressing other problems. For instance, this maybe the child’s home-life or their diet and intake of fluids.

 

Contact Meiri Chiropractic in West Palm Beach Today

 

Dr. Natalie Meiri has treated babies and children utilizing chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue techniques, cranial sacral therapy, and homeopathy. She has helped children and teens with nocturnal enuresis, infantile colic, ear infections, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, scoliosis, sports injuries and various growing problems.  Contact her at 561-253-8984 for further information on Chiropractic Care for Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis) in Children and Teens or to make an appointment.