Did you know Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have similar root causes? These represent the two most challenging digestive health conditions. They are characterized by abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and gas/bloating. They are similar in that they are both autoimmune disorders, which occur when your own immune system begins to attack a certain part of your body. In the case of Crohn’s disease, it attacks the small intestine; for ulcerative colitis – the large intestine.
The root cause for almost all autoimmune disorders is increased intestinal hyper permeability, better known as “leaky gut” syndrome. In essence, the lining of the gut becomes porous which allows toxins and undigested food particles to escape the gut. The immune system then attacks these toxins and undigested food particles as if they were a foreign invader. Wherever they go in the body the immune system will attack. Unfortunately, other areas of the body will also get attacked when the immune system is doing this.
The key is to figure out what caused the “leaky gut” in the first place and then fix it. When the gut is fixed the immune system attack settles down and healing can begin. Functional medicine helps people find the root cause of their health conditions. We do this through a detailed case history and specific lab tests that are typically not performed in a traditional medical setting. It is root cause medicine and not just taking pills to suppress symptoms. Be sure to check out our next newsletter will focus more specifically on how we find the root cause.