Author: bwoeller

Integrative medicine is a comprehensive approach to health care that looks for the underlying root cause of illness, and then provides a wide variety of therapeutic options including medicines, diet and nutritional supplementation.

The digestive system (aka. gut) plays a central role in human physiology is the key area of nutrient absorption and toxin elimination. The gut is the physical window to the body uniquely designed to allow the “good stuff to get into the bloodstream, and keep the bad stuff out.” Unfortunately, this does not always happen and people’s health can be greatly compromised by toxic food or a toxic gut (from pathogenic bacteria, yeast and parasites) that leads to inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body. This oxidative stress and inflammation triggers stress responses through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis eventually leading to adrenal dysfunction.

A food example of this problem is gluten intolerance which generates inflammatory processes in the digestive system manifesting as bloating, gas, and stool problems (constipation and/or diarrhea), but also systemic issues such as fatigue, headaches and joint aches and pains. In severe cases, a form of gluten intolerance called Celiac Disease has been linked to cerebellar atrophy (leading to neurological problems of balance and spatial perception) and Schizophrenia.

In addition to the immune reactions linked to gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease, a protein fraction of gluten called gliadin has also been associated with causing psychological changes in individuals with autism and some mental health disorders. The gluten peptide called gliadorphin has been linked to brain chemical changes affecting attention, speech and behavior.

Pathogens in the digestive system too can directly lead to health problems. Parasites such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba histolytica are serious infections that can be debilitating causing problems such as digestive pain, weight loss (or inability to gain weight), fatigue, poor sleep, food intolerances and joint pain. In some cases these infections can lead to neurological problems as well and even death if the infection is serious enough.

Helicobacter pylori is another pathogen of the digestive system that not only damages digestive function, but can lead to chronic symptoms of food intolerance, gut pain and inflammation. All of these pathogens can exist for years and go undetected or unrecognized with respects to a person’s health problems.

Candida overgrowth (candidiasis) is a common problem with individuals suffering from digestive disorders and fatigue. However, what is less commonly appreciated is candida’s ability to alter cognitive and neurological function. Candidiasis is known to influence behavior problems in certain children and susceptible adults leading to self-stimulatory activities, sensory issues (sound and touch sensitivity) and other odd behaviors.

The digestive system is also the focal point of immunity that influences the rest of immune function throughout the body. This immune system called Mucosal Immunity is the first line of defense against pathogens entering the body through the digestive system and is uniquely set-up to neutralize these pathogens and influence immune shifts throughout the body to keep things functioning appropriately. A breakdown in mucosal immune function leads to pathogen over-growth and increased antigen absorption from the gut which can trigger systemic inflammation and oxidative stress – all of which is a trigger for autoimmune reactivity and chronic ill-health.

Appreciating the interrelationship between digestive, immune and adrenal function is critical with respects to understanding and implementing assessment tools and therapy based on the tenets of integrative medicine.

Biomedicine is similar to functional medicine (which primarily focuses on the integration of digestive, immune and hormone balance) in that it seeks to understand the root cause of illness. However, in the classic definition of functional medicine which appreciates the interrelationship between the digestive, immune and adrenal systems which then impacts oxidative stress and detoxification, biomedical medicine integrates additional information such as hereditary factors, environmental toxicity, special biochemical imbalances such as methylation defects and metabolic enzyme problems and neurochemistry issues. Biomedicine is well suited towards helping the autism-spectrum community, but is applicable to any patient population and merges incredibly well with the basics of functional medicine. In essence, functional and biomedicine medicine go hand-in-hand to deepen a practitioner’s knowledge of multisystem problems and ways to intervene on the patient’s behalf.

An example of an integrative medicine approach is the use of a diagnostic tool called the Organic Acids Test which is available to assess various metabolic disorders that can be negatively influencing a person’s health. For example, a chemical called 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropionic acid (HPHPA) produced from clostridia bacteria can lead to psychiatric problems such as Schizophrenia, depression or even autism. This is not a marker identified from adrenal, digestive stool and immune testing and so is often missed with many practitioners performing standard functional medicine diagnostics.

Many medical doctors are familiar with Organic Acids Testing, but only in the context of serious childhood metabolic disorders. They do not appreciate the subtleties between different Organic Acid Tests and which ones measure more biomedical markers important for a broader range of patients.

The Organic Acids Test is just one example of integrative medicines expanded ability to identify different problems leading to chronic health issues. Through the use of Organic Acids Testing a practitioner can often implement integrative health treatments that support the body naturally and improve overall health.

Functional medicine is an approach to health care looking to determine the underlying root cause of illness. This is the understanding that all body systems are integrated, but paramount to this is the functional relationship of the digestive, hormone and immune systems. The digestive system is the key area of nutrient absorption and toxin elimination. The gut is the physical window to the body uniquely designed to allow the “good stuff to get into the bloodstream, and keep the bad stuff out.” Unfortunately, this does not always happen and people’s health can be greatly compromised by toxic food or a toxic gut that leads to inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body. An example of this is gluten intolerance which generates inflammatory processes in the digestive system manifesting as bloating, gas, and stool problems (constipation and/or diarrhea), but also more systemic issues such as fatigue, headaches and joint aches and pains. In severe cases, a form or gluten intolerance called Celiac Disease has been linked to cerebellar atrophy (leading to neurological problems of balance and spatial perception) and Schizophrenia. A protein fraction of gluten called gliadin has also been associated with causing psychological changes in individuals with autism as well. The gluten peptide called gliadomorphin has been linked to brain chemical changes affecting attention, speech and behavior.

The digestive system is also the focal point of immunity that influences the rest of immune function throughout the body. This immune system called Mucosal Immunity is the first line of defense against pathogens entering the body through the digestive system and is uniquely set-up to neutralize these pathogens and influence immune shifts throughout the body to keep things functioning appropriately. A breakdown in mucosal immune function leads to pathogen over-growth and increased antigen absorption from the gut which can trigger systemic inflammation and oxidative stress – all of which is a trigger for autoimmune reactivity and chronic ill-health. Gluten intolerance is just one example of a food source that can lead to mucosal immune system dysfunction and increase immune and inflammatory problems in the body. Many times chronic infections such as bacteria, candida and parasites can also contribute to these problems as well.

All of these factors (and more) then influence the hormone system, most importantly adrenal function. The adrenals are the focal point with respects to influence throughout the body as they influence everything from digestive, immune, metabolic, detoxification, and particular biochemistry with respects to protein production, cellular assimilation, and neurological function. The interrelationship between digestive, immune and adrenal function is critical with respects to understanding and implementing assessment tools and therapy based on the tenets of functional medicine.