Zithromax vs Minocycline.....LGS.

[Guest guest]

Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS) is a major cause of disease and dysfunction in

modern society, and in my practice accounts for at least 50% of chronic

complaints, as confirmed by laboratory tests. In discussing LGS, I want to first

describe the situation in terms of western physiology, and at the end of the

article I will discuss aspects of LGS that are unique to Traditional Chinese

Medicine.

In LGS, the epithelium on the villi of the small intestine becomes inflamed

and irritated, which allows metabolic and microbial toxins of the small

intestines to flood into the blood stream. This event compromises the liver, the

lymphatic system, and the immune response including the endocrine system. It is

often the primary cause of the following common conditions: asthma, food

allergies, chronic sinusitis, eczema, urticaria, migraine, irritable bowel,

fungal disorders, fibromyalgia, and inflammatory joint disorders including

rheumatoid arthritis. It also contributes to PMS, uterine fibroid, and breast

fibroid. Leaky Gut Syndrome is often the real basis for chronic fatigue syndrome

and pediatric immune deficiencies.

Leaky Gut Syndrome is reaching epidemic proportions within the population.

As a disease entity, it has not been discussed in classical or modern TCM

literature. In fact, taking a strictly classical Chinese medicine approach to

LGS is often ineffective or only partially effective, because the disease is not

addressed in all of its complexity.

TCM has never addressed the issue because it is a modern phenomenon.

Historically, the only way bowel toxins entered the blood stream was through

trauma, for example by sword or spear. This quickly led to septicemia that might

be treatable, or more probably, ended in death. Outside of trauma, the body

maintained a wonderfully effective selective barrier in the small intestine, one

that allowed nutrients to enter, but kept out metabolic wastes and microbial

toxins rampant in the intestines.

What modern event allowed such a break-down? Primarily it has been

antibiotics, secondarily non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The

first antibiotic, penicillin, did not enter mainstream health care until 1939.

Since the 50s and 60s, antibiotic use has been frantically prescribed for every

infection and inflammation, particularly pediatric ear infection, bronchitis,

and sore throat. It is sadly ironic that most of these infections are viral in

nature, and not only are the antibiotics damaging, but they are ultimately

unnecessary. Antibiotics should be considered a hospitalization level medicine,

when bacteria have entered the blood, bone, or organ.

NSAIDs are commonly taken for various pains, and include ibuprofen

(Motrin, Advil). They are quite damaging to the small intestine mucosa lining.

Antibiotics destroy beneficial bacteria.

Antibiotics create their damage in two ways. The first is by destroying

beneficial bacteria. The small intestine and large intestine host over five

hundred different kinds of beneficial bacteria. These bacteria perform hundreds

of functions required for healthy metabolism and immune response. Through enzyme

secretions, bacteria transform metabolic and microbial wastes before they are

discharged by the body. These wastes include cellular debris, hormones, chemical

wastes, bile, pus accumulations, viral toxins, bacterial toxins, etc.

For example, the body creates bile not only as a lubricant to flush wastes

out of the liver, but also, by its cold and bitter nature, to detoxify many of

the poisons accumulating in the liver. Bile however is extremely caustic to

large intestine epithelium. When bile enters the small intestine via the common

bile duct, beneficial bacteria break the bile salts down into a less caustic

compound, making it non-dangerous by the time it reaches the large intestine.

When you take antibiotics you destroy these bacteria and the bile salts freely

enter and damage the large intestine. I believe this contributes significantly

to the high incidence of colon cancer plaguing today's society.

Beneficial bacteria also break down hormone secretions that are discharged

from the liver to the small intestine. If you lack the bacteria to break down

estrogen and the intestinal permeability has been altered, the patient is now

reabsorbing estrogens in their original state. The body will deposit these in

estrogen sensitive areas such as the breast, uterus, or ovaries, contributing,

if not causing, fibroids and tumors. The same scenario is responsible for

premenstrual syndrome as well.

Antibiotics Promote the Growth of Fungus.

The second way antibiotics damage the intestines is by fostering the growth

of Candida Albicans and other pathogenic fungi and yeast. This event, more than

any other, precipitates Leaky Gut Syndrome. In a healthy situation the small

intestine epithelium maintains tight cell junctions, which contributes to the

physical barrier involved in intestinal absorption. In addition to the physical

barrier, there is an important chemical barrier within the mucus that contains

immune agents which neutralize any toxin that comes in contact.

Candida exudes an aldehyde secretion which causes small intestine

epithelial cells to shrink. This allows intestinal toxins to infiltrate through

the epithelium and into the blood. The secondary barrier - immune agents in the

epithelial mucus -remain the sole agent for neutralization. Eventually, the

immune system becomes exhausted rising to this challenge.

Many people have an erroneous belief that the Candida itself enters the

blood stream, allowing it to be deposited elsewhere, such as the brain. Unless

the immune response is completely depleted, as in AIDS, Candida is quickly

destroyed in the blood. The real damage done by Candida is to the intestinal

epithelial barrier, allowing the absorption of serious toxic agents and

chemicals, which then enter the blood and affect numerous organs, including the

brain