Could a Gut Infection Be Causing Your Digestive Issues?

Guest Post by Jen Broyles

Digestive issues are all too common in today’s society.

In fact, 10-15% of the U.S. population has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affects 2-3 million people in the US. These chronic symptoms of abdominal pain, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, food sensitivities, and fatigue can be debilitating and extremely frustrating. I get it. I’ve been there, and I’m still recovering.

I spent years seeing numerous doctors and undergoing a plethora of tests only to be told there was nothing seriously wrong. I just had IBS, and I needed to manage my stress, drink more water, and eat more fiber.

Well, as many of you know, it’s just not that simple. In fact, many people with chronic GI issues or autoimmune conditions often have some type of gut infection. Unfortunately, conventional medicine fails to thoroughly test for these types of infections, and instead gives you medications to manage the symptoms.

Gut infections can include parasites, bacterial overgrowth, Candida (yeast overgrowth), and bacterial infections. All of these infections are extremely common and often overlooked. If you’ve been eating a very clean, real food diet such as Paleo, SCD, or GAPS, and you still don’t feel 100% better, then a gut infection is highly likely.

Infections will not go away with diet changes alone. It will require an herbal or pharmaceutical protocol along with a healthy diet to rid your body of an infection.

Posted by UW Sean in podcast, wellness

The Podcast about Poop, Parasites, & Digestive Problems! (#214)

digestive-health-232x300 by Sean Croxton

There’s just something about poop.

I know it’s kinda weird, but I really like talking about it. It’s my idea of a good time.

So you can probably imagine how pumped I was to have Aglaée Jacob, author of Digestive Health with Real Food, on the radio show last week.

We covered a buttload (hehe!) of topics in just under an hour.

Check em out below, and be sure to click the audio player at the end of this post to LISTEN to the show.

4:10 – How a registered dietitian went rogue and embraced real food
5:11 – How to know if you’re digestion is not working properly
6:17 – Lessons from your poop
8:50 – What an IBS diagnosis means
10:25 – Common causes of digestive problems
11:00 – How to identify and deal with food sensitivities
13:58 – Parasitic infections: prevalence, transmission, & testing
15:57 – Low stomach acid and H. Pylori infections
18:47 – Can parasites be transmitted from person-to-person?
19:44 – The scoop on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
22:07 – Can SIBO be detected via stool testing?
24:41 – There is no one-size-fits-all parasite protocol
26:50 – What to do if you have SIBO?
29:12 – The FODMAPs diet, IBS, and SIBO
30:50 – Foods to remove on an elimination diet
32:49 – Super foods that speed up gut healing
36:42 – Does milk kefir heal the gut?
39:15 – How to get the gut back on track after slipping on your diet
40:47 – Apple cider vinegar as a way to boost stomach acid
43:37 – The best supplements for digestive health
50:11 – The most overlooked factors preventing gut healing
51:04 – Email questions!
55:15 – The efficacy of supplementing with L-glutamine for gut healing
56:08 – Info on Aglaée’s upcoming book