Full Transcript Introduction to Gut Health 0:00 We have many more microbial cells in our body than human cells. 0:05 The way in which we interact with those microbes is really important to our physiology. 0:10 Everything does seem to begin in the gut. 0:13 It's very important that we do everything we can to have optimal gut health. 0:18 Welcome to Health Breakthroughs with Dr. 0:20 Stengler. 0:20 I'm Dr Mark Stegler and each episode we cut through the noise to bring you practical, science-backed insights for more energy, 0:28 better health and a life that feels like yours again. 0:31 Hey everybody, so excited to have Dr Michael Murray with us, my good friend. 0:38 And if you've been in natural medicine, integrative medicine for any period of time, you know who he is. 0:42 If you're new to natural medicines, he's really referred to by many as the voice of natural medicine. 0:48 Here's a guy who looks at the evidence, but more than that he portrays, he distributes evidence to both doctors and the layperson, 0:57 the public. 0:58 in a way that's very understandable, which is very, very important, because if you have someone as smart as he is, and he's looking at the evidence in 1:06 natural medicine, but you can't understand what it means and how to use it, what good is it? 1:09 So, Dr. 1:10 Moore, I've always appreciated that about you. 1:12 You've collected over 65,000 scientific studies. 1:16 That's probably a record in our field. 1:17 I know you're looking studies pretty much on a daily basis. 1:21 And like I said, you train doctors you trained the public how to best use natural medicine and your website, Dr. 1:26 Murray that's spelled out D O C T O R Murray M U R R A Y.com Dr Murray.
Dr. Murrayu2019s Background and Natural Medicine 1:32 You have a free newsletter and I get that and you always have updates and the breakthroughs in natural medicines. 1:37 So I appreciate that. 1:39 And you've written many books, I think you got, oh I don't know, haven't kept track, over 40 books. 1:44 You're well known for the textbook of natural medicine for practitioners. 1:47 I have that in my library here. 1:48 And then for public, the encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. 1:52 So this is really good stuff. 1:53 Thanks so much for coming on the program today. 1:55 Oh, it's my pleasure, Mark. 1:58 You know, I think the other day, if I was going to get into a debate, maybe with some doctors who are skeptics of natural medicine, 2:04 and let's say it was like a team debate. 2:06 I'm like, who would I choose? 2:07 In about two seconds, my brain said, Dr. 2:09 Murray. 2:11 Well, likewise, for you and your work as well. 2:15 So in this section, we want to talk about nutrients that heal the gut. 2:19 Now, before we get in to that, you have written extensively about the complexities, the dynamics of the digestive system, 2:27 how that affects whole body health. 2:29 Am I just sharing your views on that? 2:30 And then we'll talk about the nutrients that are so important for gut healing. 2:34 Well, Hippocrates said it well. 2:36 He said, all health begins in the gut. 2:39 So nowadays, there's a greater appreciation. 2:43 We're learning more and more of the intricacies in gut health. 2:47 we have the microbiome to take into consideration as well as the terrain and As a naturopath, I always look at the terrain. 3:00 In the case of the gut, we're looking at interface, the lining of gut and how it interacts with the microbes. 3:10 We have many more microbial cells in our body than human cells. 3:17 They play a huge role in the health. 3:20 The way in which we interact with those microbes is really important to our physiology, the way our body works. 3:26 It's very important for our immune system, and it's important in the gut-brain connection. 3:34 Yes, everything does seem to begin in our gut, so it is very much important that we do everything we can to have optimal gut health. 3:43 Hey everybody, I want to take just a quick moment and invite you to my website drstengler.com.
Why Gut Health Affects the Whole Body 3:48 Here we have the supplements that we've been using with our patients for many, many years. 3:52 High quality and high potency supplements, very pure. 3:56 So, if you're looking for high quality supplements where you can notice a difference, both in how you feel and on your lab tests, 4:02 go to our website at dr.stegler dot com. 4:05 Absolutely, that is so true. 4:07 And so we recognize as holistic doctors, you can't have whole body health unless the gut's in good shape. 4:13 I remember many decades ago, it was kind of pooh-poohed, this relationship, at least by conventional doctors. 4:20 You know, treating a guy can help say joint problems, skin problems brain problems. 4:24 Now you look at the medical literature, tons and tons of studies of mainstream literature showing this axis. 4:30 between the gut and basically all the organ systems of the body. 4:33 This is something you had written about a long time ago, but the evidence has accumulated even more so. 4:40 Absolutely, it's undeniable. 4:43 It's really a fascinating frontier. 4:48 We're learning more and more every day, and this knowledge has yet to be fully put into use. 4:58 And I think nature paths have become the closest to basically employing good measures to improve gut health. 5:09 It's a very complex situation because everything affects gut help. 5:15 The way that we think, the way we feel, what we eat, how we supplement, our level of exercise, hormones we have floating around in our body, 5:24 environmental factors, microplastics, pesticides, all sorts of different compounds can disrupt gut health. 5:35 It's a fun field, naturopathic medicine. 5:41 It's been fun to learn how the gut influences our health, our mood, and our ability to function in this world. 5:51 And lastly along those lines, now we're getting the nutrients that are so important for healing the And it kind of ties into why we need these nutrients 5:58 and that's the idea of leaky gut syndrome. 6:01 You know, I wrote a book recently and I went through all the mainstream literature on leakey gut. 6:06 And you know it's in the major literature in mainstream journals, Journal of Endocrinology, all these mainstream journalists talking about leakie gut Syndrome. 6:15 Interestingly, I had a patient just the other day who was at her primary care doctor's offices and said how, based on her symptoms, 6:23 some tests we did. 6:23 I said she had leaky gut syndrome. 6:26 And he said, oh, such a thing doesn't exist. 6:28 Maybe talk about that if you would. 6:32 Well, yeah, debt integrity is very important to We're a very simple being in some ways.
Leaky Gut and Intestinal Barrier Integrity 6:41 We have a tube inside of us and the health of the gastrointestinal tract is largely determined by the integrity of that protective layer. 6:55 So when that protected layer is disrupted, we start absorbing compounds that the body is not designed to absorb. 7:02 When you have increased gut permeability, popularly known as leaky gut, you start absorbing compounds that create a lot of inflammation that can overwhelm 7:14 the immune system, can lead to all sorts of liver issues and As a result, it can dramatically impact our health, and so it is a real thing. 7:26 It can be measured through diagnostic processes. 7:31 As you said, there's a significant amount in medical literature these days on the role that increased gut permeability plays in health. 7:41 Absolutely. 7:42 And so with the small intestine, the gut health, you know, we kind of have this paradox because that's where, basically the gatekeeper of the body is to 7:49 allow things into the bloodstream and get to our cells. 7:52 So that is important. 7:53 We want the good things coming in, nutrients and so forth. 7:56 The bad things not coming, if leaky gut syndrome, malabsorption, things that shouldn't, immune response. 8:02 damage to the digestive tract. 8:04 There's many factors, like you said, which affect that leaky gut. 8:07 But talk to us about nutrients. 8:09 So someone out there, let's say they have leky gut, they get all the symptoms of it. 8:13 What would you say are the key nutrients or supplements, if you will, that people should focus on to help heal up the lining of the gut? 8:21 I know you've written about this in your books and materials. 8:25 Well, Basically, our overall health is determined by the health of each individual cell in our body and the cells that line our gastrointestinal tract, 8:36 they're constantly turning over. 8:38 The lining is turned over every one to four days. 8:43 a deficiency of any nutrient can lead to an inability to make a new intestinal cell. 8:49 So a lot of times leaky gut is simply a result of a micronutrient deficiency, a vitamin and mineral deficiency. 8:58 Yes, it's popular to look at individual nutrients, some of the key ones, zinc, vitamin A, folic acid, these are all really critical nutrients. 9:09 But in general, all the essential nutrients are necessary for that intestinal cell to function in its role as a barrier. 9:18 So if you are deficient in any single nutrient, it could lead to leaky gut. 9:24 This goes a long way in supporting the use of a multiple vitamin and mineral formula, kind of your foundation upon which to build a nutritional supplement 9:34 of strategy for intestinal health. 9:37 Some of the key nutrients, zinc is probably the number one key nutrient for the health of that intestina lining. 9:46 And I would put vitamin A up there. 9:49 along with it. 9:51 These days, most people are not getting vitamin A in their dietary supplement, multiple vitamin and mineral formula, they're getting beta carotene. 10:02 And people still need that preformed vitamin a, I think. 10:07 So I that's kind of a missing element for a lot of people.
Key Nutrients for Healing the Gut Lining 10:11 Vitamin A was given that name for A being anti-infective. 10:18 It was known as the anti infective vitamin and it's really critical to that health of that mucous membrane, that intestinal lining. 10:29 I just would recommend that people take 5,000 IUs per day. 10:35 That's a safe amount of vitamin A, and it's going to provide the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin in that pretty formed form. 10:46 And that's gonna produce some really good health benefits for a lot of people, particularly the kids. 10:52 Yes, and like you said, you can get higher quality multivitamins and minerals, which have the vitamin A in them, so you're getting that guaranteed amount. 11:00 What amount would you recommend for zinc for the average person? 11:04 I like a higher amount than the RDAs. 11:07 I'd like an amount between 20 and 30 milligrams per day. 11:13 That's a good, safe amount, as I said. 11:16 If you are deficient in zinc, It's really, I think, the key nutrient for that intestinal lining. 11:25 There's some specialty supplements that I'd think are really important as well, led by N-acetylcysteine. 11:32 N acetyylcystine is a form of the amino acid cysteines. 11:37 It has great effects in boosting glutathione levels, so it can act as an antioxidant in the gut. 11:43 But it's also critical for the manufacturer of The mucin lining is very rich in sulfur molecules, mainly cysteine, and so you're providing a good nutrient 11:57 boost for that protective layer. 12:00 I like n-acetylcysteines and there's some good data, I'm sure you wrote about it in your book, on n acetyylcystine and supporting intestinal integrity 12:11 and helping with leaky gut. 12:13 Excellent. 12:14 And what about a lot of people recommend the amino acid L-glutamine. 12:18 What are your thoughts now? 12:18 Do you like it as a supplement? 12:20 People trying to treat leaky gut? 12:21 You want people to just get in the diet? 12:22 What do you normally recommend? 12:24 I like whey protein for athletes and there are certain indications for L-glutamine. 12:33 It's great for patients that are going chemotherapy. 12:37 Chemotherapy and radiation has a ravaging effect on the body and it really disrupts that intestinal barrier and L glutamine has been shown to be very helpful 12:51 and protecting against that side effect of chemotherapy. 12:56 So, I like it specifically for that. 12:58 I think that's the real key use for L-glutamine. 13:03 Otherwise, if you're eating a pretty high protein diet, you can get a good amount of L glutamine in your diet. 13:11 You've done everything you were told to do and something still feels off. 13:15 Health Breakthroughs with Dr. 13:16 Stengler, we go beyond symptom management to explore integrative, science-backed approaches to the issues that medicine too often overlooks. 13:24 Chronic fatigue, brain fog, gut dysfunction, inflammation, hormone imbalance, and healthy aging. 13:29 If you're ready for real answers and practical tools to support your health naturally, follow Health breakthroughs of Dr Stegler on Doctor Talks or wherever 13:38 you listen to podcasts. 13:40 And we're getting near the end of our time, so I don't want to, you know, get into too much depth, but you're also an expert on prebiotics, 13:47 probiotics, postbiotic.
Digestive Secretions, Microbiome, and Flavonoids 13:49 What's your recommendation in terms of those supplements? 13:52 Obviously, like people getting these things in their diet, fermented foods, low sugar yogurt products. 13:57 It seems to me the supplements, it's a little tricky because a lot of the probiotic out there, they're using strains which don' have human studies. 14:04 Now there are very good probiotcs available, But tell us your thoughts on how that. 14:10 I mentioned the intestinal terrain and I focus on improving that intestino terrain. 14:16 So my key approach to helping people with digestive issues is make sure they have the right digestive secretions. 14:25 Many people are low in hydrochloric acid, and if they're low on hydro-chloric acid that is an important barrier to infectious organisms and it leads to 14:36 various nutrient deficiencies as well. 14:38 So I like hydro chlorec acid supplementation when indicated. 14:43 I can go to my website and do a search. 14:46 I have a protocol for testing. 14:49 It's just a trial of taking, it identifies who has HCL deficiency and then there's a trail process to know what your right dosage is. 15:01 Generally, if someone has digestive bloating and irritation, almost immediately when they eat. 15:08 That's usually a sign of low HCl. 15:11 If the gas and bloating comes 30 minutes or more, that's a usually sign a low pancreatic enzyme activity. 15:20 So then I'll use pancreatic enzymes in those patients. 15:24 But I think making sure that they have sufficient digestive secretions is really important for gastrointestinal health and that plays a huge role in the 15:37 composition of the microbiome and I don't generally take probiotics myself. 15:45 I look at our intestinal flora a lot like a person's lawn. 15:51 If you have a really healthy lawn or garden, you don't need to keep throwing seeds on it. 15:58 What you need is you keep feeding it and watering it, and the way we feed our microbiome We hear a lot about prebiotics, 16:07 but the most important class of compounds I think for microbiome health are the flavonoids. 16:15 I love flavanoids, I've written about them extensively. 16:19 These are plant pigments, they're responsible not only for many of the colors in flowers and fruits and vegetables, but they're also responsible for many 16:29 of the medicinal effects that we get from various medicinal herbs. 16:32 So I like a high flavonoid diet. 16:36 Again, I've got a lot of information on how to measure your intake of flavanoids and try to hit a certain target. 16:45 If we look at all the healthy diets around the globe, it's pretty clear that those that have a varied amount of flavonoids are associated with the greatest 16:55 degree of health. 16:55 So yes, before we go to any extensive probiotics, let's make sure we're giving our microbiota, the microorganisms in our gut the foods that they need to flourish. 17:14 And I think flavanoids I probiotic compounds that we have out there. 17:21 Yeah, I think you're exactly right. 17:24 That's a higher level of prescribing as I call it, you know, starting with and making sure the digestion from the beginning is working well, 17:32 because obviously that affects your absorption, the health of your small intestine. 17:35 Then the microbiome, like you said, getting those flavonoid-rich diets, which feed the good bacteria. 17:40 So that's a higher level of prescribing. 17:43 That makes a lot of sense. 17:45 Dr. 17:45 Murray, thank you so much for your time. 17:47 Everyone can get more information at drmurray.com. 17:50 We'll have another segment with him as well on anti-aging. 17:53 Very good. 17:54 Thanks, Mark. 17:56 Thanks for listening to Health Breakthroughs with Dr. 17:59 Stengler. 17:59 If today's episode resonated with you, please follow the show, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review. 18:06 It helps more people find us. 18:08 For more resources and wellness support, visit DrStenglar.com.
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