Presented by: Produced by: Leaky Gut Syndrome: Unraveling the Cause of Chronic Disease & Harnessing the Power to Heal Douglas A Wyatt, J.D., Director Sovereign Health Initiative Foundation Sponsored by:
Presented by:
Produced by:
Leaky Gut Syndrome: Unraveling the Cause of Chronic Disease & Harnessing the Power to Heal Douglas A Wyatt, J.D.,Director Sovereign Health Initiative Foundation
Sponsored by:
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LEAKY GUT SYNDROME: UNRAVELING THE CAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE & HARNESSING THE POWER TO HEAL
Leaky gut syndrome, also referred to as leaky gut or intestinal permeability,
is arguably the most prolific killer in the United States. Leaky gut syndrome
is a condition that affects you and everyone you know, and it can take
decades off your life and cause untold misery. However, you probably
know it by another name, or names. It is called food allergies, arthritis,
asthma, autism, cancer, Crohn’s disease, dementia, depression, diabetes,
fibromyalgia, IBS, inflammatory heart disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis,
schizophrenia, scleroderma, ulcerative colitis, or any of the hundreds of
autoimmune diseases identified to date. More than two millennia ago,
Hippocrates said that “All disease begins in the gut.” If he was around today,
he’d need to revise that famous quote to, “All disease begins in a leaky gut.”
The chronic and systemic inflammation resulting from a leaky gut is now
believed to be responsible for nearly every type of allergy, autoimmune
disease, and chronic health condition. The growing problem of leaky gut
syndrome (LGS) has triggered a health crisis, the likes of which we may be
wholly unprepared to deal with. Many physicians now agree that nearly
everyone will die of an autoimmune condition. Moreover, there will be
untold physical and mental pain, disability, and suffering along the way.
Shorter lifespans and unfulfilled human potential doesn’t have to be our
fate, but we need to take action early and consistently to heal and protect
the gut.
Hippocrates said that “All disease begins in the gut.” If he was around today, he’d need to revise that famous quote to, “All disease begins in a leaky gut.”
Leaky Gut Syndrome: Unraveling the Cause of Chronic Disease & Harnessing the Power to HealDouglas A Wyatt, J.D.,
Director Sovereign Health Initiative Foundation
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LEAKY GUT SYNDROME: UNRAVELING THE CAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE & HARNESSING THE POWER TO HEAL
Statistics show that the incidence of LGS-related conditions is
exploding. For example, one in five adults has arthritis; one in
twelve adults has asthma; one in sixty-eight children has autism;
one in ten adults has type 2 diabetes; one in three-hundred
children has type 1 diabetes; and one in eight adults over sixty-
five has Alzheimer’s. Diseases that were once considered rare, are
now becoming increasingly prevalent, and many people have
more than one. As of 2012, nearly half of all American adults
(117 million) had one or more of ten different chronic health
conditions, and one of every four adults had two or more chronic
health conditions.1
As of 2012, nearly half of all American adults (117 million) had one or more of ten different chronic health conditions, and one of every four adults had two or more chronic health conditions.1
Leaky gut is perfectly normal in newborns. In fact, they have a
leaky gut for approximately the first seventy-two hours of life, and
it’s the foundation for health. This time frame allows for mothers’
colostrum to provide the immunoglobulins and antibodies which
initiate the immune system by passing freely from the gut into
the bloodstream. Subsequently, the epithelial growth factors in
colostrum seal up the natural holes and the continued supply
of growth factors in breast milk keep the holes from reopening.
Preventing intestinal permeability in infants is important so that
the milk proteins in breastmilk will not enter the bloodstream and
trigger an immune response. Additionally, mothers’ colostrum
and breastmilk contains a plethora of immune and growth factors
which assist in the healthy development and growth of the infant,
including beneficial bacteria which seed the gastrointestinal tract.
Intestinal permeability has a critical purpose in the first seventy-
two hours, but not beyond. During childhood or in adulthood, the
holes in the gut can re-open and cause intestinal permeability.
Essentially, without a consistent supply of immune and growth
factors in the diet, everyone will develop LGS. Currently, the most
critical and commonly utilized test for LGS is food sensitivity
testing. The reason being that food sensitivity or food allergy
are a symptom of LGS. When undigested food particles cross
the intestinal barrier and enter the bloodstream, the immune
system recognizes them as foreign and initiates an immune
response and creates antibodies against them. The antibodies
are initially effective against allergens, but over time, may begin
attacking healthy tissue within the body, which eventually leads
to autoimmunity.
Everyone has leaky gut. And I can prove it. My experience with
the more than 187,000 food sensitivity tests performed by Rocky
Mountain Analytical in the early 2000’s showed that only two
tests did not indicate LGS. Obviously, 187,000 positive food allergy
tests don’t lie. The data made it clear that for anyone experiencing
any type of food allergy, autoimmune disease, or chronic health
condition, there’s no need to perform food sensitivity testing.
Moreover, recommending food avoidance or elimination diets
may provide some symptom relief for patients, but it doesn’t do
anything to heal a leaky gut.
Since immune health is directly related to gut health,
understanding what causes intestinal permeability and how LGS
contributes to disease is critical to identifying a viable solution for
the millions of affected people. Ongoing intestinal permeability
is akin to sewer pipes that are chronically leaking their contents
into the body. The leaks may be few and far between at first,
but over time, become more prolific. As the immune system’s
inflammatory response to the sewage becomes chronic, there is
disruption in the normally beneficial immune response to foreign
material. Otherwise healthy cells, tissues, and organs are attacked
as the immune system malfunctions, and disease(s) develops. At
some point, the damage is so great that a patient’s symptoms
necessitate a doctor’s visit and/or a diagnosable condition can be
elicited.
Once practitioners understand that everyone has leaky gut
syndrome and that LGS is the cause of disease, the next question
to ask is what’s causing such disruption in the G.I. tract to bring
about intestinal permeability. Infection by gut-based pathogens is
the number one cause of G.I. disruption. The offending microbes
include Candida albicans, Rotavirus, Cryptosporidium, C. difficile,
E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella, and although relatively few
people in the United States die from these pathogens, they can
cause a persistent, low-grade gut infection that eats away at
the gut lining. The misuse of antibiotics in both humans and in
animal husbandry has been a significant factor in changing the
balance of gut bacteria towards an unhealthy composition. The
emergence of superbugs was an unintended consequence, and it
remains to be seen whether it may be our undoing.
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LEAKY GUT SYNDROME: UNRAVELING THE CAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE & HARNESSING THE POWER TO HEAL
The number two cause of G.I. disruption is what we eat, often
man-made antagonists, that causes damage to the gut bacteria
and the gut lining itself. These include glyphosate and other
herbicide or pesticide-contaminated foods, GMOs, oral antibiotics,
antibiotics in foods, over-the-counter and prescription pain
medications, corticosteroids, refined carbohydrates and simple
sugars, alcohol, soda, caffeine, and other gut irritants. Many
of these are a consequence of our modern lifestyle and thus,
unavoidable to some degree.
Even if one treats his body like a temple -- lives a healthy lifestyle,
avoids the man-made antagonists as much as possible, and mom
breastfed him for at least two years, the holes in the gut can
still reopen. It is the lack of a consistent supply of immune and
growth factors in the diet that allows LGS to rear its ugly head.
From the earliest of times until the early part of the last century,
most people had a cow, goat, yak, or other ruminant animal that
provided the family with raw, fresh milk every day. The colostrum
and milk were the mainstay of the human diet, and the immune
and growth factors were plentiful. As people left the family farm
and moved to cities, diet composition changed greatly. The mass
production and widely available pasteurized, homogenized milk
and other dairy products guaranteed the disappearance of the
critical immune and growth factors. And with this disappearance
came the emergence of allergies, autoimmune diseases, and
other chronic health conditions.
The question then, is how do we get these critical immune and
growth factors back into the diet? The answers is really quite
simple, yet only recently rediscovered. And as everything that was
once old is now new again, bovine colostrum is the missing link
to optimal health. Ayurvedic doctors have used bovine colostrum
for thousands of years in India. Prior to the discovery of penicillin
and antibacterial sulfonamides, mainstream medical doctors
in the United States and around the globe utilized colostrum
as a natural antibiotic.2 In 1950, Dr. Albert Sabin used the
immunoglobulins in bovine colostrum to make his first oral polio
vaccine.3 In the words of my mentor, Dr. Robert Heinerman, Ph.D.,
“Colostrum is the most powerful healing substance in the world.
If it were not for colostrum, the human race wouldn’t even exist.”
Yet, the advent of antibiotics made Western doctors lose interest
in colostrum. My journey to rediscover colostrum was the result
of my wife’s health crisis and my mission to save her life. Personal
experience convinced me that raw fresh bovine colostrum dried
into a powder improved my wife’s gut and immune health, but
years of study and research were necessary to bring this “healing
miracle” to consumers in the United States and around the world.
“Colostrum is the most powerful healing substance in the world. If it were not for colostrum, the human race wouldn’t even exist.”
- Dr. Robert Heinerman, Ph.D.
Early research in piglets demonstrated that bovine colostrum
prevented G.I. damage caused by excess stomach acids and
healed existing damage.4 The colostrum-fed piglets had a twenty
percent increase in the surface area of the small intestine as
measured by villus height. Human clinical trials showed that
bovine colostrum was a novel and inexpensive approach for the
prevention and treatment of the injurious effects of NSAIDs on
the gut, with a possible role in the treatment of other ulcerative
bowel conditions.5 Subsequent studies showed a reduction in
the acute increase in intestinal permeability caused by NSAIDs.6
Although not widely utilized prior to the 2000’s, there was an
increasing interest in the possibility that whole colostrum or some
of its isolated components would be advantageous in treating
a wide range of intestinal conditions, including inflammatory
bowel disease and chemotherapy induced mucositis, in addition
to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug–induced gut injury.7
Later, it was discovered that intestinal permeability could be
caused by heavy exercise, and colostrum was shown to be
effective in preventing heat stroke and enhancing athletic
performance.8
With the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and
deadly viral pathogens, interest in bovine colostrum began to
gain traction in the early 2000’s. Antibodies to at least nineteen
specific pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium
parvum, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella species, Staphylococcus
species, and rotavirus, were identified in the colostrum of pasture-
fed cows.9 Anti-viral research showed colostrum supplementation,
both in healthy subjects and high-risk cardiovascular patients, was
at least three times more effective than vaccination to prevent
flu and is very cost-effective.10 Follow-up studies showed that
patients receiving either colostrum plus probiotics or colostrum
plus probiotics plus vaccination fared better than those receiving
vaccination alone or no treatment at all.11 They experienced fewer
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LEAKY GUT SYNDROME: UNRAVELING THE CAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE & HARNESSING THE POWER TO HEAL
incidences of flu and fewer flu days. Those receiving a vaccination
had twice as many episodes of flu than those receiving the
colostrum and probiotic supplement. Research in HIV/AIDS
suggested that proline-rich polypeptides in colostrum could
help enable a patient’s immune system to recover sufficiently to
fight HIV on its own. The apparent mechanism was stimulating
the production of new helper T-cells.12 Rotavirus infections are
common in HIV/AIDS patients in developing countries; colostrum
has shown to be effective in eliminating the virus, thereby
eliminating the massive diarrhea that may otherwise cause
dehydration and death.13, 14, 15, 16
Human clinical trials showed that bovine colostrum was a novel and inexpensive approach for the prevention and treatment of the injurious effects of NSAIDs on the gut, with a possible role in the treatment of other ulcerative bowel conditions.5
With bovine colostrum recently rediscovered and with access
to raw fresh colostrum extremely limited, practitioners and their
patients need to know how this vital liquid can be made into
a more widely-available supplement. They also must know if
supplements are as efficacious as raw fresh colostrum. Colostrum
can be dried into a powder, but that doesn’t necessarily mean
that it will exert a healing benefit. Two of the most critical
processing techniques for colostrum supplements are low heat
drying and an applied phospholipid coating (liposomal delivery).
If high heat is used, the growth factors are destroyed and only
a limited quantity of immunoglobulins remain intact. If the
colostrum particles are not coated with phospholipids, the harsh
stomach acids destroy the immune and growth factors. So, in
order to ensure a biologically active supplement, the finished
product must contain high levels of the active components which
are capable of reaching their target cells. Liposomal delivery also
allows verifiable results with lower dosages.
Over the past two decades, I have perfected the process of
liposomal delivery and developed a proprietary system for
protecting the delicate immune and growth factors. Thorough
examination of mammalian colostrum revealed that it is
surrounded by liposomes. An infant’s digestive tract is certainly
less harsh than that of an adult, so we knew that a liposomal
delivery system would be critical to the healing benefits of
colostrum supplements for more mature digestive tracts. With
the assistance of world renown colostrum researchers and
biochemists, I created Colostrum-LD™. It has been clinically
proven to heal and prevent leaky gut syndrome, and every
batch is tested and independently verified to contain the twenty
most important bioactive components before distribution to
consumers. Colostrum-LD™ is also SGS and GMP certified, Halal
and Kosher certified, and is produced in the only USDA- licensed
processing plant in the United States specifically designed to
process colostrum.
In conclusion, the Sovereign Health Initiative Foundation
advocates returning to life’s basics and taking control over
one’s health. It is critical that infants begin breastfeeding within
one hour of birth and breastfeed exclusively for the first two
years of life. Such action by new mothers is probably the best
health decision they will ever make for their children. Beyond
infancy, and especially in formula-fed infants, supplementing
with Colostrum-LD™ is recommended. Avoiding the man-made
antagonists that contribute to leaky gut syndrome is vital as well.
Committing oneself to a healthy lifestyle and supplementing
with bovine colostrum is arguably the best and perhaps only
means of surviving in a harsh environment that presently favors
quantity of life over quality of life. We may be living longer but not
necessarily better. Hippocrates also said, “Let food be thy medicine
and medicine be thy food.” Could he have been referring to
colostrum?
P.S. If you are wondering, as I suspect you may be, whose two
negative allergy tests belonged to… that would be my wife’s
and mine. We harnessed the power of colostrum to heal, and so
can you, your family, and every one of your patients. For more
information, visit ColostrumTherapy.com or MySovHealth.org.
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LEAKY GUT SYNDROME: UNRAVELING THE CAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE & HARNESSING THE POWER TO HEAL
Endnotes
1. Ward BW, Schiller JS, Goodman RA. Multiple Chronic Conditions
Among US Adults: A 2012 Update. Preventing Chronic Disease
2014;11:130389.
2. Rona Z. Clinical Applications: Bovine Colostrum As Immune
System Modulator. American Journal of Natural Medicine 1998
March;5(2):19-23.
3. Sabin AB. Antipoliomyelitic substance in milk of human beings
and certain cows. A.M.A. American Journal of Diseases of
Children 1950 Nov;80(5):866-7
4. Borissenko M. Malaysia Colostrum Piglet Clinical Trial. Unpublished
Research October 1998.
5. Playford RJ, Floyd DN, Macdonald CE, Calnan DP, Adenekan RO,
Johnson W, Goodlad RA, Marchbank T. Bovine colostrum is a
health food supplement which prevents NSAID induced gut
damage. Gut 1999;44:653-658.
6. Playford RJ, MacDonald CE, Calnan DP, Floyd DN, Podas T,
Johnson W, Wicks AC, Bashir O, Marchbank T. Co-administration
of the health food supplement, bovine colostrum, reduces the
acute non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced increase
in intestinal permeability. Clinical Science (London) 2001
Jun;100(6):627-33.
7. Playford RJ, Macdonald CE, Johnson W. Colostrum and
milk-derived peptide growth factors for the treatment of
gastrointestinal disorders. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
2000;72:5-14.
8. Marchbank T, Davison G, Oakes JR, Ghatei MA, Patterson M, Moyer
MP, Playford RJ. The nutriceutical bovine colostrum truncates the
increase in gut permeability caused by heavy exercise in athletes.
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2011;300:G477–G484.
9. McConnell MA, Buchan G, Borissenko MV, Brooks HJL. A
comparison of IgG and IgG1 activity in an early milk concentrate
from non-immunised cows and a milk from hyperimmunised
animals. Food Research International 2001;34(2–3):255–261..
10. Cesarone MR, Belcaro G, Di Renzo A, Dugall M, Cacchio M, Ruffini
I, Pellegrini L, Del Boccio G, Fano F, Ledda A, Bottari A, Ricci A,
Stuard S, Vinciguerra G. Prevention of influenza episodes with
colostrum compared with vaccination in healthy and high-
risk cardiovascular subjects: the epidemiologic study in San
Valentino. Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis 2007
Apr;13(2):130-6.
11. Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Cornelli U, Pellegini L, Ledda A, Grossi
MG, Dugall M, Ruffini I, Fano F, Ricci A, Stuard S, Luzzi R, Grossi
MG, Hosoi M. Prevention of flu episodes with colostrum and
Bifivir compared with vaccination: an epidemiological, registry
study. Panminerva Medica 2010 Dec;52(4):269-75.
12. Keech A, Nwabuko U, Chikezie C, Wogu GUE. Peptide
immunotherapy: a new direction in HIV/AIDS treatment..
Unpublished Research. February 2008.
13. Rump JA, Arndt R, Arnold A, Bendick C, Dichtelmuller H, Franke
M, Helm EB, Jager H, Kampmann B, Kolb P, Kreuz W, Lissner
R, Meigek W, Ostendorf P, Peter HH, Plettenberg, Schedel I,
Stellbrink HW, Stephan W. Treatment of diarrhoea in human
immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with immunoglobulins
from bovine colostrum. Clinical Investigator 1992;70:588-594.
14. Floren CH, SONNY Chinenye S, Elfstrand L, Hahman C, Ihse
I. ColoPlus, a new product based on bovine colostrum,
alleviates HIV-associated diarrhea. Scandinavian Journal of
Gastroenterology 2006; 41:682-686.
15. Elfstrand L, Florén CH. Management of chronic diarrhea in HIV-
infected patients: current treatment options, challenges and
future directions. HIV/AIDS (Auckland, N.Z.) 2010;2:219-24.
16. Kaducu FO, Okia SA, Upenytho G, Elfstrand L, Florén CH.
Effect of bovine colostrum-based food supplement in the
treatment of HIV-associated diarrhea in Northern Uganda: a
randomized controlled trial. Indian Journal of Gastroenterology
2011;30(6):270–276..