True or False: "All Disease Begins In the Gut"?

So often we hear that "all disease begins in the gut". But is that really true?

It partially depends on whether we're talking about the gut as a "root cause", or instead as a "mediator".

A mediator is something that occurs between a cause and an ultimate effect. A mediator is an effect of something else higher up the chain of causality. Then the mediator causes another effect further down the chain of causality.

A true "root cause" is a cause at the top of chain of causality, whereas a mediator is a cause somewhere in the middle of the chain of causality. A "root cause" causes a mediator to occur, and the mediator causes some other effect that we are concerned about.

For example, somebody eats a diet with lots of glyphosate residues, and the glyphosate dysrupts gut, liver, gallbladder, and brain function. Then the dysfunctions in the gut, liver, gallbladder, and brain cause (mediate) the symptoms we pay attention to, such as indigestion, gas and bloating, fatigue, food sensitivites, brain fog, etc.

The root cause of symptoms and dysfunction in the gut (and dysfunctions in other parts of the body due to the issues in the gut), could be eating food with glyphosate residues. And perhaps a deeper root cause is unresolved childhood trauma that predisposes the body to gut dysfunction or creates an addiction to processed food, which is laden with glyphosate residues.

In this example, we could say that the childhood trauma is the ultimate root cause, or we could say that there are several closely related root causes (childhood trauma, addiction to processed foods, and eating foods with glyphosate residues), all of which drive gut dysfunction, which is a mediator of symptoms, other conditions and diseases resulting from the gut dysfunction.

So did all of this begin in the gut? Or did it begin with dietary choices? Or did it begin with childhood trauma?

The "Mother of All Mediators" and the "Hamster Wheel" of Gut Healing Protocols

To have a sensible definition of "root cause", we need to realize that a problem like gut dysfunction is generally not at the top of the chain of causality. Gut dysfunction is not always a root cause in the way I'm defining root cause. But sometimes it is.

Gut dysfunction is not the "mother of all root causes", as "all disease begins in the gut" seems to imply, but it might be the "mother of all mediators".

Since gut dysfunction is such an important mediator of serious downstream effects like heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease, we need to have a very complete understanding of the root causes of gut dysfunction, or we can end up wasting lots of money and time on the "hamster wheel" of gut healing protocols that don't fully resolve the problem.

Obvious and Non-Obvious Root Causes of Gut Dysfunction

In order to get off of the "hamster wheel" of gut healing protocols, we need to identify and address all root causes contributing to gut dysfunction.

Aside from obvious root causes of gut dysfunction like a poor diet and glyphosate residues in food, the list below includes other root causes of gut dysfunction you might not have considered before, or may not be "top of mind" even if you have seen them connected to gut dysfunction:

• Childhood trauma (as well as trauma in adulthood)
• Disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms
• Stress
• Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction
• Injury to the head or neck
• Vagus nerve dysfunction
• Dysautonomia
• EMF exposure, and genetic polymorphisms or toxic load that increase vulnerability to EMF hypersensitivity
• Mold toxins, heavy metals, glyphosate, and other toxins
• Genetic polymorphisms that impair detoxification processes
• Sinus infections (dysbiosis of the nose and sinuses)
• Dental procedures done in a conventional manner (extractions, root canals, implants, caps, crowns, etc)
• Hidden infections (e.g. cavitations in jaw bone or other bones of the body)
• Interference fields (causing depolarization and draining of energy meridians serving the gut organs)
• Dysbiosis in the mouth
• Chronic sinusitis, dysbiosis in the nasal / sinus cavities
• Dysbiosis in the small or large intestine
• Parasites
• Low stomach acid
• A diet of processed foods
• A diet that is mismatched with your bio-individuality
• A diet low in certain nutrients
• Genetic polymorphisms that affect the efficiency of your assimiliation and utilzation of nutrients
• Genetic polymorphisms that affect gut function and microbiome balance
• Liver / gallbladder congestion (which can be caused by any of the above)

This is not a complete list, but you get the idea.

Are You On Your "Umpteenth" Gut Healing Protocol?

Can you imagine how much frustration you would experience if you had some of these root causes, but your practitioner did not help you identify and resolve them while you are doing your "umpteenth" gut healing protocol?

What if all that your health coach or practitioner did was look at the results of a stool test and recommend antimicrobials and/or probiotics without identifying and addressing root causes that might still be at play?

You would go around and around, from gut protocol to gut protocol, perhaps getting some results but then relapsing into symptoms again. In fact, you probably don't have to imagine this scenario at all. You've probably lived it.

"Top-To-Bottom" Gut Restoration

That's why I have developed a "Top-To-Bottom" Gut Restoration model of causation and treatment of gut health issues. Parts of it are embedded in many of the steps of the Bio-Individual Blueprint, including ...

• Accurate Assessment
• Vitality Lifestyle & Bio-Individual Diet
• Neuro-Endocrine & Metabolic Tune-Up
• Perfect Pre-Tox
• Dynamic Detox & Disinfection
• Top-to-Bottom Gut Restoration

If you are ready to get off of the "hamster wheel" of gut healing protocols that do not produce satisfactory results and get rid of those uncomfortable, frustrating, and embarrassing symptoms, check out the Bio-Individual Blueprint Roadmap.