Aches and pains

The health of our gut microbes has a knock-on effect on our general health. An abnormal profile of gut microbes, called gut dysbiosis, is linked to chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation can trigger DNA to function abnormally. It can also prevent organs from functioning optimally. It will also prevent soft tissues from healing as they should. 

For the gut microbes to remain healthy, they need a healthy environment. Anything that harms the gut microbes will harm our health. Anything that promotes a good microbial profile will promote good health. Environmental toxins harm our gut microbes.

The toxin categories most at fault are as follows:

• Moulds
• Plastics
• Pesticides
• Heavy Metals

In the lecture, I present several case studies of typical ‘patients’ who have chronic aches and pains. The typical scenario is of a patient who has joint aches and pains for more than three months. This may be due to an injury that has failed to recover, or it may be that the patient has previously been diagnosed with osteoarthritis (wear and tear) of the joint. It may also be someone that has joint pain that seems to move from joint to joint. It could also be someone that has already been investigated by a Rheumatologist to rule out an autoimmune condition.

Along with the joint aches and pains as described above, the patient may have other, what I call, ‘gut-related’ symptoms. These gut-related symptoms may originate in the gut, for example, constipation, diarrhoea, acid indigestion, food intolerance, bloating and gas. The ‘gut-related’ symptoms may present as symptoms seemingly unrelated to the gut but due to the low-grade inflammation created by the gut dysbiosis.

Accompanying symptoms of low grade inflammation

For example, the symptoms may come from low-grade inflammation in the lungs and the patient may have symptoms of asthma or a chronic cough. Chronic low-grade inflammation in the skin may give symptoms of eczema or dry skin. Rosacea is a condition of redness around the cheeks. I often see this as an indirect sign of gut dysbiosis. I know when the gut is healing because the rosacea gets better.

Dermatologists often treat rosacea with antibiotics. The reason this is likely to work is that it ‘sterilises’ the gut of microbes. Although this works for the skin in the short term, it may not be the best thing for the gut microbes. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and being overweight are also signs of chronic low-grade inflammation. Mood disturbance, poor sleep and concentration/memory are also signs of low-grade inflammation. Hence, my patients can present with a joint problem but also typically present with other signposts to tell me that they have chronic low-grade inflammation. 

Blood and urine tests

Blood and urine tests can measure toxins. It is not uncommon for patients to have a combination of toxins in their system. These can sometimes be related to their working practices or related to exposure to toxins where they live or where they used to live. Toxins can build up very slowly in the body over many decades. As they do this they gradually have a detrimental effect on the gut microbes. They can also become stuck to our DNA (called DNA adducts). Our lymphocytes (a type of white cell), may also become hypersensitive to the toxin. Each time the toxin gets taken in by the body either through food, water, air or skin, the lymphocytes ‘over-react’ and create inflammation in the body. 

Oxalates

Oxalates are a normal by-product of our bodily metabolism. Everyone produces oxalates. However, some people produce more oxalates than others. When oxalate levels are high, they can combine with circulating calcium and get deposited in the soft tissues of the body. One common presentation of calcium oxalate deposition is of kidney stones. If a patient tells me that they have experienced kidney stones, I am prompted to think that they may have high oxalate levels.

Oxalates can also be deposited in joints causing a condition that is very similar to gout, called pseudogout. The joints can become hot and inflamed. Oxalates are produced in abundance by abnormal (pathogenic) yeasts such as Candida albicans. They are also produced by moulds. If the toxin levels for mould toxins (also called mycotoxins) are raised, I am prompted to think that oxalate levels may also be raised and may contribute to joint aches and pains.

Foods that contain oxalates such as beetroot, kale, chocolate and nuts, are viewed as healthy foods. However, in people with high oxalate levels, these foods will contribute to the already raised oxalate levels. This is particularly the case when gut dysbiosis is present. Under normal circumstances when the gut is healthy, ‘good’ gut microbes feed on oxalates, using it as fuel.

However, when there is a dysbiotic profile of microbes, ‘bad’ gut microbes produce a lot of oxalates. The oxalates produced by the ‘bad’ microbes contribute to the circulating pool of oxalates, some of which will be deposited in soft tissues. 

In my presentation, I show how changing the diet to avoid ‘culprit’ toxic foods and taking supplements helped to get rid of not just the joint pains but also the other inflammation-related symptoms. 

Conclusion

Anything that harms our gut microbes will have a knock-on effect with our gut microbes. The health of our gut microbes determines the level of inflammation in our body. Environmental toxins can damage our gut microbes, causing inflammation which results in joint aches and pains. Removing ‘culprit’ toxic foods will help to restore normality to the gut microbes and in turn, reduce inflammation and symptoms of the disease.