GAPS - Gut and Psychological and/or Physiological Syndrome from Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride

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Mardy Ross
Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole
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I felt it was warranted to put a topic about GAPS(TM) at Lumigrate. I think coming up with GAPS as an acronym was one of the cleverest things ever, since the premise has to do with the healthy intestines being like a coffee filter and when damaged by various things, becomes like a sieve -- with gaps.  My original teacher about this would put hands together like you were doing 'where's the church and the steeple' and show that as tight in the finger notches, and then pull hands apart a bit to show the gaps / leaks. 

But you'll see, below, that she called it gaps because these people fall in the gaps of the mainstream systems (of medicine and interrelated education, and so on).  Even more brilliant, and I'd not known that before about her reasoning on calling it GAPS.

Anyone looking for information about "autism" and diet will rapidly find out about GAPS, and it's creator.  But how many people looking for information about the other symptoms and conditions identified, below, will have found it?  Hence I'm wanting to create a topic at Lumigrate to help them find it -- I have to do my part in the efforts on the Internet (as well as directly with people in the live, non virtual world). 

My experience in years past was that aggressive learners that called themselves "autism moms", using Facebook and other online resources, would not know about SIBO initially and bring that into a group where I had the pleasure of interacting, learning, and teaching what I knew with them for the better part of a season. It seemed to me that since GAPS was so well known, I ventured to cover the SIBO aspect, and realize that was almost two years ago now!  So it was simply time to come back around and cover GAPS with a topic at Lumigrate. 

Their perspective was when studying GAPS they simply were not made aware of SIBO, small intestine bacterial overgrowth, and now there's also SIFO, small intestine fungal overgrowth. I see here they're giving a nod and a link to the GAPS website and work of Dr. Natasha at the SIBO Center website. 

https://sibocenter.com/2016/03/gut-psychology-syndrome-gaps-...

There are a lot of resources at YouTube, over many years, of Dr. Campbell-McBride's wonderful presentations -- one that I've watched so far was at the UK's Westin A Price Foundation's conference, and another was an interview inside what appeared to be a home or hotel, and I was enjoying very much reviewing several of them.  

I'd recommend these:  Food is the Best Medicine at the PasturePromise channel at YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cONYR7vAD-A

Wise Traditions London 2010 - Natasha Campbell McBride (WT is WAPFoundation), BentBuddha channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_0NvcJZwa8

AND from sv3ige's channel, Want to Go Vegan / Vegetarian? Watch This First - Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride 2017  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPW3rbqWNu4

^ I included that specifically because several years ago I helped parents of a pre tweenager see that her outbursts were happening just after eating food ... and rather than consulting further with me after absorbing that, they went home and turned to Netflix and not to YouTube or Vimeo and got to watching a pro-vegan film.  Which in my opinion was not correct for the child according to what I understood about people who were ill and having problems such as hers.  And just this weekend what prompted me to cover the base about GAPS at Lumigrate was someone who'd worked with me relative to their post teen child had thankfully come upon GAPS and sent me a link and I know we covered it years ago when I provided links and ideas but without having something on Lumigrate IF people want to use Lumigrate as a resource in stead of contacting me for going further, then it's here.  Free, accessible and I truly hope, HELPFUL. 

 

I see that her website about her name is similar to her GAPS website, and that it's branded with the name Doctor Natasha, so that's what I'll call her from here on.  Here's the link: http://www.doctor-natasha.com/

From the About Tab: 

Who is Dr Natasha?

Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride is a medical doctor with two postgraduate degrees: Master of Medical Sciences in Neurology and Master of Medical Sciences in Human Nutrition.

She graduated as a medical doctor in Russia. After practising for five years as a Neurologist and three years as a Neurosurgeon she started a family and moved to the UK, where she got her second postgraduate degree in Human Nutrition. She practices in the UK as a nutritionist and not as a medical doctor.

She is well known for developing a concept of GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome), which she described in her book Gut And Psychology Syndrome - Natural Treatment for Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Depression and Schizophrenia, now in its second edition. Thousands of people around the world follow the highly successful GAPS Nutritional Protocol to help themselves and their families. You can learn about GAPS on www.gaps.me

In her clinic Dr Campbell-McBride works as a nutritional consultant with many patients with heart disease, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke and other complications of atherosclerosis. She has become acutely aware of the existing confusion about nutrition and these conditions, which spurred an intensive study into this subject. The result of this study was her book Put Your Heart In Your Mouth! - What Really Is Heart Disease And What We Can Do To Prevent And Even Reverse It.

Dr Campbell-McBride is a keynote speaker at many professional conferences and seminars around the world. She frequently gives talks to health practitioners, patient groups and associations. She is also a Member of The Society of Authors, The British Society for Ecological Medicine, and is a Director on the Advisory Board of The Weston A Price Foundation. She has contributed to many books on nutrition and is a regular contributing health editor to a number of magazines and newsletters.

I'm aware of the brain difficulties of so many Lumigrate YOUsers, so I'm going to provide the information from the tab about what GAPS is in the usual way I edit by making shorter paragraphs and information more readable for unwell brains.   However, I strongly encourage a journey to the website for MORE, she says in her presentation how far she is booked out and how critical it is to get help ASPA, particularly with children, and so she's made it possible to DIY with what's free at the website.  Or by buying the books (which I always highly recommend books be purchased and studied, highlighted, noted and dog eared / used .... they're a very important tool).   

GAPS - what is it? Learn about the condition which is behind many mental and physical problems, which our children and adults suffer from, such as autism, hyperactivity and attention deficit, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders and more.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAP Syndrome or GAPS) is a condition, which establishes a connection between the functions of the digestive system and the brain. This term was created by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, MMedSci (neurology), MMedSci (human nutrition) in 2004 after working with hundreds of children and adults with neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as autistic spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD), schizophrenia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, obsessive –compulsive disorder, bi-polar disorder and other neuro-psychological and psychiatric problems.

To learn about Gut and Psychology Syndrome, how it develops and how to treat it effectively with a sound nutritional protocol please read Dr Campbell-McBride’s book "Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Natural treatment for autism, ADHD/ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression and schizophrenia

To gain an initial understanding on GAPS, please read the following article by Dr Campbell-McBride. 

 

Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAP Syndrome or GAPS)


By Dr. N. Campbell-McBride

We live in the world of unfolding epidemics. Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD), schizophrenia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, obsessive –compulsive disorder, bi-polar disorder and other neuro-psychological and psychiatric problems in children and young adults are becoming more and more common.

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 substance abuse or alcoholism than their typically developing peers. A young adult diagnosed with schizophrenia would often suffer from dyslexia, dyspraxia or/and ADHD/ADD in childhood.

Schizophrenia and bi-polar 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.

When we examine these patients in a clinical setting, we find that apart from so-called mental problems, they are also physically very ill. Digestive disorders, malnourishment, allergies, asthma, eczema, chronic cystitis, thrush and fussy eating habits are a consistent part of the picture.

What is a typical scenario we see in clinical practice?

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 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 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.

After studying hundreds of cases or neurological and psychiatric conditions in children, a typical health picture of these children’s mums has emerged.

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 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 the 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 sciene 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. The most common health problems in mothers are digestive abnormalities, allergies, auto-immunity, PMS, chronic fatigue, headaches and skin problems.

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 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 patients, 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 includes some most important nutrients for normal development and function 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 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 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 patients not only cannot 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 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 cannot be healthy. Indeed most children and adults with learning disabilities, psychiatric disorders and allergies present with digestive problems. In many cases these problems are so severe, that the patients (or their parents) 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, bloating and flatulence are a common part of the picture.

Adult sufferers describe the same kind of symptoms. In those cases where these children and adults have been examined by gastro-enterologists inflammatory process in the gut was found along with faecal compaction and an over-spill syndrome.

Dr. Andrew Wakefield and his team at the Royal Free Hospital in London in the late 90s 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.

What other symptoms of gut dysbiosis do we know?

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 and adults with learning disabilities and psychiatric problems.

The research shows deep abnormalities in all major cell groups and immunoglobulins in these patients. The most common autoantibodies found are to myelin basic protein (MBP) and neuron-axon filament protein (NSFP). These antibodies attack the person’s brain and the rest of the nervous system.

So, the modern patient (child or adult), 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 and adults commonly suffer from digestive problems, allergies, asthma and eczema. But apart from that in people 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 patient 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 psychiatric 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.

So, what kind of toxins are we talking about? 

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
The most common pathogenic microbes shown to overgrow in the digestive systems of children and adults with neuro-psychiatric conditions 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.

Acetaldehyde is considered to be the most toxic of alcohol by-products. It is the chemical, which gives us the feeling of hangover. Anybody who experienced a hangover would tell you how dreadful he or she felt. Children, who acquire abnormal gut flora with a lot of yeast from the start, may never know any other feeling. Acetaldehyde has a large variety of toxic influences on the body.

One of the most devastating influences of this chemical is its ability to alter the structure of proteins. Acetaldehyde – altered proteins are thought to be responsible for many autoimmune reactions. Children and adults with neuro-psychiatric problems are commonly found to have antibodies against their own tissues.

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 cannot get through the healthy gut wall. Unfortunately, patients, which we are talking about, do not have a healthy gut wall.

In gut dysbiosis this powerful neurotoxin can get through the damaged gut lining and then cross the blood-brain barrier affecting the person’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 patients that we are talking about usually are exposed to numerous courses of antibiotics pretty much from the beginning of their lives.

Gluteomorphins & Casomorphins or opiates from gluten and casein.
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 gluteomorphins and casomorphins, 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 psychiatric symptoms. Based on this research the gluten and casein free diet (GFCF diet) has been developed.

Dermorphin & Deltorphin
These are two frightening toxic substances with opiate structure, which have been found in autistic children by a biochemist Alan Friedman, PhD. 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 patient’s urine. Many of these metabolites are highly poisonous substances.

Low Serum Sulphate is a common picture in these patients, which is an indirect indication of toxicity in the body, because sulphates are essential for many detoxification processes and normal metabolism of brain neurotransmitters. In many cases the person may be getting plenty of sulphates through the diet, but they all get consumed by the detox pathways struggling with the river of toxicity, which is constantly coming from the person’s gut.

At the same time another large group of bacteria, which commonly overgrow in the gut dysbiosis situation are sulphate-reducing bacteria, which make sulphur unavailable for the body to use. These bacteria metabolise sulphate coming from food into sulphites, many of which are toxic like hydrogen sulphide for example, which is the gas with rotten egg smell. Some parents of autistic, hyperactive and other children tell me that their child’s stool has this characteristic smell.

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 people, establishes a link between the gut and the brain.

That is why I have grouped these disorders together and gave them a name: the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAP Syndrome). The GAPS children and adults 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 patients who fall in the gap in our medical knowledge.

Any child or adult with a learning disability, neurological or psychiatric problems should be thoroughly examined for gut dysbiosis. Re-establishing normal gut flora and treating the digestive system of the patient has to be the number one treatment for these disorders, before considering any other treatments with drugs or otherwise.

Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAP Syndrome or GAPS) establishes the connection between the state of the patient’s gut and the functioning of the brain. This connection has been known by medics for a very long time. The father of modern psychiatry French psychiatrist Phillipe Pinel (1745–1828), after working with mental patients for many years, concluded in 1807: “The primary seat of insanity generally is in the region of the stomach and intestines.” Long before him Hippocrates (460-370 BC), the father of modern medicine has said: “All diseases begin in the gut!” The more we learn with our modern scientific tools, the more we realise just how right they were!

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http://www.gaps.me/gaps-what-is-it.php

 

On the second video I watched yesterday, I was making mental notes -- "at 40 minutes, 47 minutes, 55 minutes" there were things I would want to cue people X Y and Z to tune in there, as what she says at those points would be "hitting the nail on the head" for what they are focused on for their loved ones or selves (pets being included as loved ones). I just love it when that happens -- I am looking at a resource and it's so directly applicable to where people were struggling in their lives.  I have the tendency to give them the links and suggest they watch, but know that rarely happens, they'd rather look over something visually as it's faster. 

So, below, I'm going to provide things to look over in more detail -- I'm hoping I'll find already transcribed resources.  Otherwise I'll do a listing of the highlights of the talks and note the time so people can cut to the chase and perhaps from there, figure out how to make more time for watching the entire talk or several talks (or buy and read the books).   

I'd previously included information about GAPS on the thread about bone broth.  Originally focusing on psychology, Doctor Natasha, the creator of the GAPS way of looking at health / problems went on to looking at physiology syndrome and the gut, too .... with presentations on YouTube plus resources at the GAPS website on a specific tab. Ultimately we are trained to separate the mind and the body but we are one. 

And I loved that she would talk about how each person is connected to everything on Earth, too, and everything on Earth is interconnected as well.  Holistic is the new way of looking at things, in my opinion.  The water and wastewater industries have a saying 'there is one water'.  The long drawn out battle in the US with mercury in the dental industry was finally resolving when the people involved realized they needed to get to the world-wide concerned about mercury in the water and environment to get the issue stopped in the dental offices and practices.  (I covered that at Lumigrate long ago.) 

I was thinking about how applicable this is to dogs and cats, this summer we've been getting so much happening with the amazing dog O'Rio Grande, who I've written about on Lumigrate for the past two years as they get extra value added when having Mardy PopIns do caretaking of dog and property -- owners went off to what is turning into a permanently rooted new life on the Front Range of Colorado. He started immediately getting purified water not tap, and some things I'd purchase to enhance diet but for the first 10 months he was consuming the same brand of kibble. 

Then that changed, and changed again, and finally by month 22 of our time together we collaborated for me to bring the costs down with my efforts, and the owner to pay the costs of a REALLY GOOD diet.  That began in April and by July and August we were getting real results.  Better out than in, sometimes things appear worse before they get better, Rome wasn't built in a day -- all kinds of saying come to mind.  But he is truly inspirational and I wanted to include a bit about pets at this point.  Parasitic 'interlopers' are a big part of this, and it's so beneficial to think about animals such as pets and livestock and what we know about them and parasites and treatment, and diet.  Now back to people-focused MD Doctor Natasha and GAPS.  Psychological and Physiological.

The GAPS website is --  www.gaps.me/gut-and-physiology-syndrome.php


Now, I'll add in this post from Becky Plotner's website, and suggest you go to the source at the link provided and see it there..... and other information at her website.  Here's the link

http://www.nourishingplot.com/2014/07/17/histamine-issues-wh...


hivesDie off and histamine issues are encountered by most people while on GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. However when you progress in a certain rhythm, according to Dr. Natasha’s protocol, histamines are not an issue.

A histamine or die-off response, is your body talking to you, telling you what is happening in the gut. It’s a good sign. The more severe the gut damage the more sensitive to certain fermented foods you will be – this does not mean you should avoid fermented foods, this means you need to start with gentle probiotic foods slowly, increasing and advancing as healing takes place. This also means probiotic foods are  the very thing that your body needs to heal in order to rebuild the good flora in the intestinal tract.

{This post may contain affiliate links which pay for this site}.

Histamines can accumulate in your body and then have a resulting explosive reaction often times through a raised red rash that resembles a burn. Histamine responses can be flushing of the face and body, nausea, burning in the mouth, headache, feeling faint, blurred vision, abdominal cramps, gas, diarrhea, wheezing, respiratory issues, cold-like symptoms, flu-like symptoms, swelling or inflammation, hives, eczema or other similar responses.

commons.wikimedia.org

commons.wikimedia.org

When dealing with GAPS the intestinal tract is loaded with pathogenic bacteria which is killed off by probiotic foods and capsules. When too many pathogens are killed off the patient experiences what is called die-off. Die-off symptoms are a raised red rash that resembles a burn, flushing of the face and body, nausea, burning in the mouth, headache, feeling faint, blurred vision, abdominal cramps, gas, diarrhea, wheezing, respiratory issues, cold-like symptoms, flu-like symptoms, swelling or inflammation, hives, eczema, acne, red ant type looking bites, exhaustion, irritation, anger and short temper. Notice the similarity in symptoms. This is because the two are related.

Often times people who experience histamine issues remove probiotic healing foods to avoid the histamine reaction. According to Dr. Natasha’s protocol when histamine issues are evident it is vital to go back a step and begin healing with more gentle probiotic foods like unpasteurized whey and kraut juice and give the intestinal tract time to heal. Build the flora up and slowly progress into the fermented probiotic foods that caused the die-off or histmine issues, including sauerkraut eventually but adding it in slowly.

Those with the worst gut damage sometimes start with one drop every three days, pushing through histamine and die-off symptoms, building up from there progressively.

Dr. Judy Safrir, MD says, “FODMAPS and Histamine Intolerance are not primary conditions, but rather secondary manifestations which have resulted from gut inflammation and damage via dysbiosis.

Dr. Natasha recommends introducing fermented foods and probiotics slowly to avoid these uncomfortable die off symptoms. It is best to add probiotics until you feel die-off, then step back a small amount on the dosage and maintain that level for at least a week before you increase your dosage. Increasing in small amounts is vital if you experience die-off or histamine responses.

Eating properly made meat stock will seal the gut allowing the properly supported body to rebuild mast cell and amino acids. This is what GAPS does in the early stages. Once you are sealed histamine issues are often confused with die off from too much probiotic. 

DSC04303Click here to read more about fermented probiotic foods vs over-the-counter probiotics for purchase like this affiliate link, or this one. Most probiotics purchased in the store are filled with ingredients not conducive to gut healing but instead feed bad bacteria in the gut making the matter worse. The above linked probiotics are GAPS approved and recommended.

The only way to know how much probiotic your body should take is to try some and see how your body responds. If you have great gut damage, a reflection of pathogens taking over the gut, Dr. Natasha recommends starting with a very small dose of probiotics which for some is a drop of kraut juice each day. This would be true for anyone with an autoimmune disease, a growing number of food allergies, depression, bipolar disorder, autism and other issues reflective of gut dysbiosis.

en.wikipedia.org

en.wikipedia.org

People who have mild gut damage can tolerate larger doses of fermented foods. It is more beneficial to take smaller amounts of probiotic foods like kraut juice or whey throughout the day than it is to take one large dose and encounter histamine issues or die-off. Kraut juice and whey are both good introductory probiotic foods for damaged guts, especially those that experience these symptoms.

There are two different locations for GAPS FAQs, click here or here to see them in depth.

On page 29 of GAPS FAQs Dr. Natasha clearly answers the histamine issue:

*Is the GAPS Diet appropriate for someone with histamine intolerance?

Yes! I believe that people with this condition have an overgrowth of particular species of microbes in the gut which produce histamine and block the enzyme (diamine oxidase), which is supposed to process histamine. DSC04239GAPS Program will allow you to change your gut flora and remove this condition permanently. In the initial stages avoid all the culprit foods: all alcohol, black tea, canned and smoked foods, leftovers (you should eat everything as fresh as possible), beans and lentils, fermented vegetables, mature cheeses, cocoa, nuts, etc. All fresh foods prepared at home, including freshly fermented yoghurt and kefir will be fine for you. It will be best if you follow the GAPS Introduction Diet.

On page 14 of GAPS FAQs she goes into a deeper explanation.

*Your book has a single chapter on sauerkraut saying it is ready in 5-7 days, but other research has shown that in the first 2-3 weeks histamines are released which can cause major reactions which are not a problem at the end of a longer 6 weeks fermentation process. Does fermenting vegetables longer decrease the histamine levels in the food?

In the majority of my patients following the recipe in my book works. For people who are particularly sensitive to histamines it may make sense to ferment their vegetables longer.

On page 19 of FAQs:

*How long will it take to heal histamine intolerance and how long will it take before fermented veggies can be introduced? Are there any specific supplements you suggest to help with this intolerance?

It is very individual how long it takes to heal. Keep testing if you are getting more tolerant by trying to eat tomato, eggplant or spinach before trying to eat fermented vegetables. I believe that it is the abnormal flora that produces excessive amounts of histamine and also impairs enzymes which break the histamine down in the body.

commons.wikimedia.org

commons.wikimedia.org

Patricia Allen, Certified Nutritional Therapist and Certified GAPSPractitioner in Atlanta says, “The pathogenic microbes continually produce toxins from their life cycle. They flood the brain with toxins and can cause people to feel drunk. They produce a group of substances called amines and produce too much histamines.”

Allen goes on to say, “Some amines produced by pathogenic microbes from amino acids like choline, lecithin, methylamine, lysine, arginine, ornithine, and tyrosine have been shown to cause intellectual regression, behavior and emotional issues, and withdrawal symptoms.”

 

*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, GAPS who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia through food she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. This is not a news article published by a paper trying to make money. This blog is put out by a mom who sees first hand the effects of nourishing food vs food-ish items. No company pays her for writing these blogs, she considers this a form of missionary work. It is her desire to scream it from the rooftops so that others don’t suffer from the damaging effect of today’s “food”.

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.


And once again for this being on Lumigrate: 

“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.

Live and learn.  Learn and live better! ~~ Mardy

 

__________________

Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!

This forum is provided to allow members of Lumigrate to share information and ideas. Any recommendations made by forum members regarding medical treatments, medications, or procedures are not endorsed by Lumigrate or practitioners who serve as Lumigrate's medical experts.

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