Recently I wrote about Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, one of the most common autoimmune diseases out there. During this research I came across a book by pharmacist Isabella Wentz called “Hashimoto’s Protocol.” I was so fascinated by what I found during my research that I decided to buy the book and give this protocol a try to address my own symptoms. What a find! I highly recommend this easy-to-digest book. While her focus is not entirely on the gut as the main culprit of autoimmune conditions and other diseases, it is certainly a key feature. It’s definitely interesting how often this topic comes up when we look at everything from fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis to heart disease and cancer.
So what it is autoimmunity? Autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells and tissues. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an “autoimmune disease”.
Defined Parameters Leading to Autoimmunity
One of the more surprising things I found in the book was her reference to a pioneering physician in the fields of Celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Here is what she says: “Developing autoimmunity involves a perfect storm of events that have to line up just right. Dr. Alessio Fasan, director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital, found that autoimmunity develops when three factors are present:
- Specific genes that make a person susceptible to developing autoimmune disease.
- Specific triggers that turn on the genetic expression.
- Intestinal permeability (known commonly as leaky gut) that interrupts the immune system’s ability to regulate itself.
Okay….this is really specific, don’t you think? As it turns out, you can have any two of the three factors present and still not develop an autoimmune condition. You absolutely must have all three. This is the most definitive work I’ve found regarding causes. There are many theories, but these are carefully defined and proven conditions.
Can You Avoid or Reverse Autoimmunity?
Well, there’s some good news and bad news to work with here. The bad news is that you can’t do a darn thing about the genes you’re born with. The good news, however, is that you do have some control over the triggers that turn on genetic expression. And the best news is that you have absolute control over the third factor regarding intestinal permeability.
As Wentz explains in her book about Hashimoto’s, even if you don’t have symptoms of a thyroid condition or autoimmunity, your chances are definitely increased if you have family members who deal with it. So, there is the genetic component. But that doesn’t mean they will be triggered. Which brings us to factor number two. Researchers used to think that your genetic makeup was your destiny. However, the amazing Human Genome Project taught them that they were wrong. The most fascinating work I have ever read or explored on this topic is by renowned cellular biologist Bruce Lipton, PhD. If you’ve never heard of him, check out his book “The Biology of Belief” or his documentary by the same name.
His point? What you think matters. Although, environmental, nutritional, and lifestyle factors do play a role, your emotions literally regulate genetic expression. That means that you do have some control over your genes. You cannot control trauma and events or people that enter your life who cause intense stress. But you can determine how you will respond to them.
And lastly, we actually do have control over our gut, which means the third factor of a leaky gut can be mitigated. So, if you catch at least numbers two and three ahead of time, you can certainly avoid an autoimmune condition. You can likely avoid related conditions like fibromyalgia that are not yet classified as autoimmune, but very similar nevertheless. And, it’s entirely possible to reverse these conditions. I did not say cure them, just reverse. Better still, put them into “remission.”
Specific Ways to Address It
If your thoughts and emotions can have a direct impact on your genetic expression and you wish to change that expression, then you have to address your thinking and emotional responses. This is no small feat. Changing how you think and feel involves somewhat of a paradigm shift. But you can start by finding ways to remove stress triggers from your life. For some people, this is just not possible. For example, a single mother with fibromyalgia who is trying to work full time under difficult conditions cannot do a lot about her circumstances. So, the next step would be to change the way she deals with the stress.
You’ve all heard the standard recommendations such as yoga, exercise, and so on. But even that can be difficult to figure out how to incorporate into your life. In that case, just start by sitting for 10 minutes with your eyes closed. You have no goal or intention while sitting. Just…sit. No music, distractions, nothing. Thoughts will come into your mind. You can basically just acknowledge them by saying, “That’s nice” and then let it go. Just try this for one week and notice how you begin to calm. You’ll figure out what you want to do further to de-stress from there.
Regarding the gut issues, you would be absolutely shocked to learn about all of the symptoms that come from a digestive system that is out of whack. Just because you don’t have acid reflux or IBS doesn’t mean you don’t have a leaky gut. You can learn more about it here, but I also highly recommend Wentz’s book mentioned at the outset. Whether you have a thyroid issue or not, following her protocol will do wonders for anyone’s health, simply by virtue of the track she sets you on and the order in which the protocols take place. Most people notice a radical difference within two weeks. Furthermore, there is a book I’ve mentioned before and am eager to read called “The Mind-Gut Connection.” And a related documentary I just learned about called “The Gut: Our Second Brain.”
Autoimmunity can destroy lives. But there’s definitely some ways to work around it. Have you tried any of these methods?
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