Gutlove

Protect that baby biome from 0-3 years old (and then forever😉)

Infants start getting their gut microbiome at the time of delivery (even a little before while in utero!) and ultimately achieve an adult-like state by the age of 3 years old.

It is during this critical window of 0–36 months in neurodevelopment when microbe interaction is most variable and parallels the developing immune system.

During this early fundamental window of 0–3 years – exposures have the most impact on the developing microbiome- mode of delivery, antibiotics, mama AND baby’s diet can all alter the trajectory of microbiome development.

So protect your baby’s biome like a mother until age 3 (and then… keep going!)

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8936143/

All disease starts in the gut- but with Parkinson’s the evidence is piling up that disease can be treated by healing the gut too!

Parkinson’s starts in the gut: Parkinson's disease originates among cells in the gut and travels up the body's neurons to the brain- specially the vagus nerve. If you cut the vagus nerve in animals - it PREVENTS Parkinson’s.

Treat Parkinson’s by healing your gut: After treatment with f***l transplant, Firmicutes increased significantly, while Proteobacteria were significantly reduced. Constipation, gut transient times (NS), and gut motility index (p = 0.0374) were improved in the FMT group. FMT improved subjective motor and non-motor symptoms.

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https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S089662731930488X

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10019775/

Have you heard of tauroursodeoxycholic acid yet? AKA TUDCA.

TUDCA is a well-known bile acid endowed with health-promoting effects.

Clinical trials have shown that TUDCA is effective in diseases ranging from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, primary biliary cholangitis, gallstones, and liver diseases.

TUDCA was also shown to have clinical benefits in obese patients with insulin resistance.

TUDCA alleviates endoplasmic reticulum stress and reduces the hydrophobicity (they don’t mix with water) of the bile acid pool- hydrophobic bile acids are toxic!

Only use with the guidance of a doctor. What a personalized approach to your healing using natural support? Email [email protected] and schedule a consultation with Dr. Ivanina.

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➡️➡️➡️

Protect those baby microbiomes!

Top 3 factors to consider:
✔️ deliver vaginally if safe/possible
✔️ breastfeed + advocate for yourself at work to pump!
✔️ avoid antibiotics especially during the first year of life, if safe

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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40336-4

Think you cant change your genes? Think again.

The microbiome has the ability to turn genes on and off .. and in a new study this could mean weight loss.

Obesity is partially due to changes in gene expression due to environmental epigenetic changes that lead to reprogramming of endocrine and metabolic regulator circuits.

DNA methylation (DNAme) profiles change in response to lifestyle interventions, suggesting that changes in nutrition or exercise CHANGE your microbiome that change gene activity to lead to the results you are looking for, ex. Weight loss.

In this study Akkermansia specifically demonstrated benefit in preventing high fat diet-induced obesity as well as in improving obesity-related insulin resistance + inflammation. Akkermansia muciniphilia, is a mucin-degrading and short chain fatty acid-producing bacterium that has been associated with lower body fat mass and improvements in cardiometabolic health.

Akkermansia has been associated with beneficial changes in gene expression related to adipocyte differentiation and correlated to gene variants associated with body mass index (BMI).

Change your microbiome, change your genes, change your life.

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https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/16/3588

One simple blood test can reveal a TON about your gut health!

Hope you got the gutlove email this morning all about vitaminB12- this SIMPLE test can tell you so much!

Root causes with low vitamin B12:
- Vegan diet (supplementation is a MUST)
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: SIBO/IMO
- Crohn’s
- Celiac
- Tropical sprue
- Parasites
- Autoimmune gastritis, pernicious anemia
- Chronic anti-acid use (PPIs like Nexium.. but also histamine blockers like Pepcid!)
- Metformin
- Alcohol use
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Surgery of the GI tract (ex. weight loss surgeries such as bypass, sleeve)

Email [email protected] today to book your consultation & uncover the root cause of your gut symptoms!

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Eat dirt… for the soil-based organisms (SBO).

Soil-based organisms are bacteria (and other life forms) that live in the soil. There, they do for plants more or less what probiotic foods do for us--break down plant material, produce vitamins, and fight pathogens.

These soil-based organisms make their way into our systems too. Some hitch a ride on our hands or on raw fruits and vegetables that we eat. You also get some soil-based organisms in natto and traditionally pickled vegetables.

And studies show these organisms are AMAZING for our guts and immune system.

In fact, scientific studies conducted on SBOs show positive results in using these beneficial bacteria strains to improve gut and immune related conditions, such as allergies, asthma, digestive upset (including gas, nausea, and indigestion), “irritable bowel syndrome”, autoimmunity, and gut inflammation.

What can you do to improve your SBO exposure?
1. Spend time outside.
2. Touch dirt.
3. Get a pup.
4. Eat organic, raw, and lightly rinsed veggies and fruits.
5. Eat fermented foods. Try natto!
6. Stop sanitizing your hands… and your body! Whether it’s Purel or antibiotics- use these ONLY when necessary!

Now go enjoy some apple picking!!! And make sure to eat the apple right off the tree 🍏

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Tolerating a food may be as easy as just knowing WHEN to eat them!

Waiting for bananas to “ripen”? Don’t! Ripe bananas cause way more gut distress! Why? The fodmap content changes (the amount of fermentable carbohydrates that cause gas bloating and abnormal bowel movements!)

Ripe banana = High (Oligo-fructans)

Firm banana = Low (Oligo-fructans)

Pro-tip: Studies investigating bananas specifically have found that their fructan content increases when they are stored and ripened in cold storage, which is now common practice by supermarket chains to prevent spoilage and guarantee even ripening.

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Do not ignore your gut symptoms.

Also- do not let doctors ignore your gut symptoms.

New study shows gastrointestinal cancers had the fastest-growing incidence rates among all early-onset cancer groups in people

Yes there is a condition where your own body can get you drunk without a sip of alcohol…

It’s called auto brewery syndrome (ABS) and of course it’s comes from a dysfunctional microbiome.

How does this happen?
1. Alteration of the gut microbiome: The disruption of gut homeostasis resulting in overgrowth of fungi, and in rare cases, high alcohol-producing bacteria (e.g., Klebsiella species). Most patients had prior exposure to antibiotics before developing ABS symptoms.

2. Fungal fermentation from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (i.e., brewer’s yeast).

Why?
The most common risk factor is prior antibiotics that disrupt the gut microbiota causing yeast overgrowth. Diabetes, short bowel syndrome, SIBO, and inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease with strictures) can play a role.

Find your root cause.. to find the right path to healing.

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Suffer from bladder issues AND gut issues?

You’re not alone. In fact the bowel-gut-brain axis is a growing field of study to understand why so many people have overlap. As usual- the microbiome plays a pivotal role.

In fact
✔️ chronic pelvic pain
✔️ interstitial cystitis
✔️ chronic UTIs
… all have associations with the gut and microbiome including histamine secretion + mast cells. In fact some patients at the Center for Integrative Gut Health use the same histamine blocking treatments for the gut— AND bladder!

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Ivanina to break the cycle- understand exactly what’s going on in your microbiome and fix it.

Email [email protected] today

There is no health without gut health.

New study shows an alteration in gut microbiome diversity in patients with three different inflammatory conditions (axial spondyloarthritis, acute anterior uveitis and Crohn's disease) suggesting a common pathology.

Your gut microbiome modulates your immune system and when disrupted, can unleash autoimmune disease.

Start your journey of gut health + microbiome optimization with Dr. Ivanina today. Email [email protected] to book a consultation or educational session anywhere in the world.

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https://acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.42658

✨Heal all disease through your microbiome✨

Sounds far fetched? We’re getting closer each day.

Todays update: curing recurrent UTIs through healing your gut microbiome.

New study out shows that people who got a f***l microbiota transplant (FMT) for C diff had a significant reduction in number of UTIs after FMT compared to patients who received antibiotics for C diff treatment.

After FMT, there was also less antibiotic resistance in organisms causing UTI.

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Ivanina at the Center for Integrative Gut Health today and see what you can heal through optimizing your gut health and microbiome.

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***ltransplant

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10096-023-04635-4

✨the PCOS - gut connection✨

Polycystic o***y syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition seen in many patients at the Center for Integrative Gut Health- but WHY do so many women who have PCOS suffer from gut issues?

This is what happens:

⚡️Visceral sensitivity: estrogen contributes to the regulation of visceral hypersensitivity by influencing the level of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and engaging peripheral + central nerve mechanisms. Elevated estrogen enhances re**al sensory sensitivity.

⚡️Gut motility: S*x hormones contribute to the delay of gut motility. Estrogen delays gut motility through regulation of the nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway.

⚡️Immunological activation: S*x hormones are related to immune activation. S*x hormones are directly associated with increased mast cells found in gut biopsies. There is also evidence of an association between estradiol + stimulation of mast cell degranulation.

Heal your gut and help balance your hormones at the Center for Integrative Gut Health. It’s all connected.

Email [email protected] today!

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https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09513590.2023.2239933

Heal your liver by healing your microbiome.

The gut microbiome plays an important role in fatty liver. Transplanting the gut microbiome from humans with fatty liver to mice increased intrahepatic (liver) triglyceride content.

Microbiome therapy improves fatty liver by modulating the gut microbiome composition, which can reduce gut permeability (leaky gut) , systemic inflammation, and action of microbially produced metabolites.

Microbiome manipulation performed at the Center for Integrative Gut Health includes:
✔️probiotics
✔️prebiotics
✔️synbiotics
✔️f***l microbiota transplantation
✔️synthetic microbial products

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At the Center for Integrative Gut Health with Dr. Ivanina, targeted precision supplementation is key.

But often patients come in with PAGES of supplements but yet still with many unanswered symptoms … and the clear answer is— your gut and liver need to detox from all those pills.

Some of the most common “hidden” side effects of over supplementation that we see:

Iron ➡️ constipation, gut irritation, often in the form of nausea and “Iron pill gastritis”

Calcium ➡️ constipation, nausea, vomiting, even palpitations!

Vitamin D ➡️ high calcium (see above!), bone pain and kidney calcium stones.

Vitamin C ➡️ gastritis, indigestion

And there are so many more… have a rash that won’t go away after seeing multiple dermatologists? May be a supplement.

So always reassess and consider a well needed gut + liver detox from a long list of supplements.

The Center for Integrative Gut Health does comprehensive testing and supplement reviews to help you understand what supplements are actually needed!

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Has your doc told you you’re fine… but you don’t feel fine?

Most of the time you just haven’t gotten the right diagnostic testing done. One of the most elusive diagnoses we see at the Center for Integrative Gut Health is microscopic colitis (MC).

Usually it’s a 40 year old woman who is told she has an “anxious stomach.” But after seemingly “normal” colonoscopy- the biopsies reveal microscopic colitis!

FINALLY. An answer.

As featured in todays gutlove email- microscopic colitis is an autoimmune colitis, the lesser known IBD that no one talks about.

But this colitis is a little different in that it is so trigger dependent so understand the risk factors! NSAIDS, SSRIs and statins are most commonly to blame.

Sign up for the gutlove email and don’t miss out on any more juicy gut health deep dives! Go to gutlove.com today (see story)

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Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is..
✔️ disordered motility
✔️ inflammation
✔️ a histamine problem
✔️ metabolic dysfunction
✔️ leaky gut
✔️ food intolerance + sensitivities
✔️ malabsorption
✔️ dysbiosis
… and more.

Get comprehensive SIBO care.

See Dr. Ivanina at the Center for Integrative Gut Health and get meaningful results and SIBO expertise.

Email [email protected] today.

So you’ve made the wise decision to jump off the dairy train… But now you’re faced with a new decision – which plant-based milk should I choose?

One of the most common questions we get at the Center for Integrative Gut Health is -am I missing out on the nutrients in dairy milk?

Turns out dairy milk is high in some nutrients like vitamin D… Because it is ADDED to it! So, if you are looking to get the most nutritious + fortified plant-based milk.. and BETTER than what you were getting in dairy milk, then read the label carefully. Here are some tips:

🥛Vitamin D + calcium:
76% of the oat-based milks, 69% of the soy-based products, and 66% of almond-milk alternatives are fortified with both calcium and vitamin D.

170 of the 233 alt-milk options were fortified with calcium at levels similar to the average 300 milligrams of calcium per 8-ounce glass found in dairy milk. Those products were also fortified with similar levels of vitamin D as dairy.

🥛Omega 3 fatty acids:
Soy milk has a good amount of essential fatty acids, both N-6 (omega-6) and N-3 (omega-3), compared to highly saturated fat in cow milk.

🥛Protein:
Best sources of protein were soy- and pea-based milks and milk blends with protein levels between 6 - 10 grams per 8-ounce serving.

What do we do?
Keep soy, oat and almond milks in the fridge and rotate!

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Source: Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.

Align your gut 💩healing plans + your earth 🌎 saving strategy… eat less meat!

No one is saying you have to go vegan… BUT the highlights some pretty incredible statistics on how decreasing meat intake would support global health.

🌱 If meat eaters who ate more than 3.5 ounces of a meat a day (quarter pound burger) cut their intake to less than 1.7 ounces a day (single McDonald’s meat patty) it would be the equivalent of taking 8 millions cars off the road.

🌱 Vegan diets resulted in 75% less land use, 54% less water use, and 66 % less biodiversity loss.

🌱 In terms of carbon dioxide?
- people who ate more than 3.5 ounces of meat daily accounted for 22.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a day due to, among other variables, the farming of livestock and land used to grow animal feed.
- People who ate less than 1.7 ounces of meat accounted for about half that amount, or about 11.8 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions
- fish eaters accounted for 10.4 pounds of carbon dioxide a day
- vegetarian diets produced 9 pounds of carbon dioxide daily
- Vegan diets had the lowest totals, accounting for 5.4 pounds of carbon dioxide a day.

Being mindful of your gut health TRANSLATES to taking care of your earth as well- less meat, less plastic, it all matters!

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https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-023-00795-w

Go beyond the prescription pad.

Traditional Chinese medicine can shed light on one root cause of IBS-D- excess bile acids. Because just remember- IBS is not a diagnosis- it’s a list of symptoms!

Traditional Chinese Medicine pattern differentiation are effective in relieving symptoms of IBS-D, diarrhea, and abdominal pain/distention.

Specifically “Liver Depression and Spleen Deficiency (LDSD)” is the most general TCM pattern in IBS-D and herbal formulas with liver-soothing and spleen-strengthening properties (e.g., Tong-Xie-Yao-Fang and Xiao-Yao-San) are widely used to treat IBS-D.

But WHY? Because TCM is actually treating the root cause! IBS-D can be triggered by an excess of irritants- such as bile acids (BAs) in the colon.

Bile acid overexcretion is a root cause in ~ 30% of “IBS-D” patients, who exhibit more severe bowel dysfunction, poorer quality of life, and a higher depression score than those with normal BA excretion.

Excessive BA excretion in IBS-D has been thought to be caused by the liver making more bile acids. Clostridia-rich gut microbiota also contribute to gut BA metabolic dysfunction and suppress gut BA feedback control of BA synthesis, leading to diarrhea.

Evidence shows that an increase in the serum C4 level indicates that an excess of liver BA synthesis contributes to the BA overexcretion in the LDSD pattern.

So check your C4 level with Dr. Ivanina at the Center for Integrative Gut Health and get on your way to a more holistic approach to your gut healing.

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Still suffering from gut issues?
Maybe you just haven’t had the right testing done yet.

Dr. Ivanina at the Center for Integrative Gut Health is one of the only gastroenterologists in the country who offers small bowel aspiration for microbiome & mycobiome (your fungal microbiome!) analysis.

SIFO (small intestinal fungal overgrowth) can ONLY be diagnosed via endoscopic aspirate.

🚫There is no blood test.
🚫There is no breath test.
🚫There is no stool test (nope- not even GI map!)

…that can diagnose the presence of fungal overgrowth, most commonly Candida, in your small bowel.

Don’t go through life with undiagnosed bloating, gas, abnormal bowel movements, rashes, fatigue, brain fog… and more. Get answers.

Book a consultation with Dr. Ivanina today by emailing [email protected] or using the calendly link in the stories!

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Hope you signed up for the gutlove email - this week a fascinating look at how time restricted eating (a form of intermittent fasting) during sunshine hours could reprogram your circadian rhythm & achieve metabolic optimization including fatty liver healing.

Here’s a sneak peek:
In our industrialized society full of shift work and overnight hours, late social engagements, boredom eating, stress & emotional eating and insomnia everywhere-- irregular meal patterns and night-time eating have emerged that are DESTROYING our metabolic and gut health.

the KEY is that the earlier you eat and sync up with your circadian rhythm- the better.

using this concept, time-restricted eating of fasting (TRE/TRF) can be extremely beneficial to optimizing metabolism and gut health- it leads to weight loss, decreasing fatty liver and improvement in sugar control and insulin resistance. TRE can actually reprogram circadian outputs across multiple body tissues leading to re-synchronization of behavior and physiology across a 24-hour cycle.

be in sync with your gut, body and nature.

Missed the email? DM ME NOW!

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https://gut.bmj.com/content/72/8/1607

Tonight! Join me & two amazing integrative experts to explore how to optimize gut health this summer- from vacation constipation to travelers diarrhea and what you absolutely MUST pack to support your gut health.

See you there!

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Don’t just start a PPI for gut symptoms like belching- understand what’s going on.

At the Center for Integrative Gut Health we take a deep dive into what gut symptoms are actually trying to tell you. For example belching.

You can divide belching into supragastric belching from the esophagus and gastric belching from the stomach.

In belching due to supragastric belching, the reflux episodes are typically NON acidic, which means you will probably NOT respond to anti-acid meds like proton pump inhibitors.

The most effective treatment for supragastric belching actually is not a medication!

✔️ Diaphragmatic breathing increases vagal tone, inducing relaxation and reducing stress response, and is a treatment option for supragastric belching.

✔️ CBT reduces supragastric belching episodes.

✔️BGBTs (brain-gut behavior therapy) such as relaxation training and gut-directed hypnotherapy can really help!

Don’t mask your symptoms- lean in! Explore them and understand them.
Your gut is trying to tell you something.

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