A Logical Starting Place: Reducing Endotoxin
A 2016 article by New Scientist titled "Bacteria lurking in your blood could be culprit in countless diseases" focuses on endotoxin and the systemic inflammatory effect that it has which contributes to weight gain, Alzheimer's, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, autoimmune disease and more.
What the heck is endotoxin? Also called lipopolysaccharide, it is a cytotoxic and neurotoxic compound that pathogenic gram-negative bacteria release in the intestines. Because of the heavy poisoning of the U.S. food supply with polyunsaturated fats such as canola, safflower and corn oil, nearly everyone has it. I believe that it is one of the biggest factors in why almost everybody is sick with a chronic illness.
PUFA (polyunsaturated fats/omega-3s/vegetable oils) make the intestinal wall more permeable so that this toxin can more easily enter the blood and create systemic (full body) chronic low-grade inflammation. Stress increases inflammation which then increases intestinal permeability. Often overlooked sources of stress are: intermittent fasting, ketogenic diets, and over-exercising, especially aerobically.
Its main mechanism of harm is currently thought to be its formation of abnormally folded proteins.
We have a clotting substance called fibrinogen that is constantly circulating throughout our bloodstream in the chance that we will knick ourselves and create a wound. LPS (lipopolysaccharide/endotoxin) will actually alter the fibrinogen and create abnormal clotting behavior. This has potentially life-threatening implications when it occurs in the brain or heart, leading to strokes or heart attacks.
The story gets worse when we see how it reacts with excess iron. We know that when we combine oxygen and iron we get rust; physiologically this is called oxidative stress. We know that PUFAs increases the rate of iron oxidation dramatically through the formation of the age pigment lipofuscin. But LPS ALONE increases the rate of iron oxidation by up to TWENTY-THREE times. Only God knows what that number jumps to when PUFA stored in the tissue is in the equation. LPS also makes the body hold onto excess iron so that it can't dispose of it through the endoplasmic reticulum system (iron recycling program).
One easy way to think about endotoxin is that it makes everything worse!
My strategy for reducing endotoxin are two-fold:
1) Take one Just Thrive spore-based probiotic every night after dinner. Listen to my interview with Kiran Krishnan, the microbiologist behind their incredible product. In one month, this combination of four "influencer" strains has been shown to reduce endotoxin by 42% in just one month! Click here and use the discount code BLACKBURN to save 10% on your order! I also highly recommend their high dose vitamin K2 formula.
2) Eat one raw organic medium-large carrot 3-5 days a week. It is not for nutrition. The carrot is unique in that it is very resistant to infection by fungus and bacteria. It contains compounds which prevent bacterial growth. It also prevents the reabsorption of estrogen through the intestinal wall, which is another big perpetuator of chronic inflammation.
3) Take a systemic enzyme blend with a phlatate-free* enteric coated capsule. I created a supplement called Dissolv-It-All which is a powerful blend of Nattokinase, Serrapeptase, and co-factors which help them to work better. I take three capsules on an empty stomach three times a day. This is a real "cleanse". Those two proteolytic enzymes very effectively and very quickly break down excess scar tissue throughout the entire body. Reducing excessive fibrin gives the endotoxin less to work with. Click here to order and use the discount code ENDOTOXIN15 to save 15%.
There is a lot more to say about the subject but I will leave it for a future blog post. I think of spore-based probiotics as a very safe alternative to antibiotics. They balance the entire microbiome and help to restore a stable mood, energy levels and hormones. It is one of the easiest steps that you can talk on the road to recovery.
Cheers,
Matt Blackburn