Auto-Immune
“All disease begins in the gut.” – Hippocrates
More than 60 million Americans suffer from at least one autoimmune disease. This is more than those suffering from heart disease and cancer combined, and the prevalence of autoimmune disease is increasing.
There are more than 120 confirmed autoimmune diseases, and many more are suspected of having autoimmune origins. Steven Gundry, MD, says that he believes all major chronic diseases are, in fact, the same disease—”leaky gut”—and what we refer to as a disease is merely the manifestation of the symptoms caused by a leaky gut.
A big problem is that autoimmune disease can be challenging to diagnose because it often presents as a collection of vague complaints such as fatigue, brain fog, muscle or joint aches, etc. Nearly 50% are thought to be hypochondriacs initially, a stat many patients have shared with me when visiting my Las Vegas medical clinic.
Most of us don’t realize that 90% of the cells that make up our body are “bugs,” most of which live in our gut. (Dr. Gundry refers to them as our “gut buddies.”) They not only process sugars, proteins, and fats but also activate important compounds in our food like polyphenols.
Our gut buddies also control large parts of our hormonal, nervous, and immune systems.
Today, most researchers and doctors believe that there are 12 Hallmarks of Aging that determine our health and longevity. In my recent book, Live Beyond 100 (2nd edition), I have separated these into 4 Primary and 8 Secondary Hallmarks of Aging (see diagram).
A more recent study in Nature on February 8th, 2024, provides a very interesting hypothesis. This study, titled “A break in mitochondrial endosymbiosis” as a basis for inflammatory diseases, was published by Prof. Michael Murphy from the University of Cambridge. The abstract says it all:
“Mitochondria retain bacterial traits due to their endosymbiotic origin, but host cells do not recognize them as foreign because the organelles are sequestered. However, the regulated release of mitochondrial factors into the cytosol can trigger cell death, innate immunity, and inflammation. This selective breakdown in the 2-billion-year-old endosymbiotic relationship enables mitochondria to act as intracellular signaling hubs.
Mitochondrial signals include proteins, nucleic acids, phospholipids, metabolites, and reactive oxygen species, which have many modes of release from mitochondria, and of decoding the cytosol and nucleus. Because these mitochondrial signals probably contribute to the homeostatic role of inflammation, dysregulation of these processes may lead to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. A potential reason for the increased incidence of these diseases may be changes in mitochondrial function and signaling in response to such recent phenomena as obesity, dietary changes, and other environmental factors. Focusing on the mixed heritage of mitochondria therefore leads to predictions for future insights, research paths, and therapeutic opportunities.
Thus, whereas mitochondria can be considered “the enemy within” the cell, evolution has used this strained relationship in intriguing ways, with increasing evidence pointing to the recent failure of endosymbiosis being critical for the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases.
This paper clearly demonstrates how the Microbiome and Inflammation (Immune System) are linked by the Mitochondria. And that this originates from Nutrient Sensing – Our Las Vegas based Auto-Immune medical profesionals believe these 4 Hallmarks are the primary cause of most of our chronic diseases of civilization that need to be prevented by reimagining what we humans should eat and drink.
Inflammation
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Mitochondrial Dysfunction
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Microbiome Dysfunction
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Nutrient Sensing
The theory of endosymbiosis provides us with a huge insight into the evolution of eukaryotic life; without this unlikely random event, we as a species would not have evolved to consider it. That the Krebs cycle is repurposed for inflammation, or that mitochondrial nucleic acids might be key triggers for immunity via induction of cytokines, gives us a whole new perspective on what mitochondria are doing in our cells. Might these new insights provide an explanation for the increased incidence in inflammatory and autoimmune disease? And might these diseases be explained in part by a fracture in this 2-billion-year relationship? This insight could well give rise to new therapies to treat a rapidly growing and troubling group of diseases.
Future studies should help clarify these issues and allow us to target these most intriguing of organelles for therapeutic gain.
Although type 1 Diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease, there is growing evidence to suggest that type II Diabetes (now affecting 60% of the American population) has a low-grade subclinical autoimmune phenomenon as described in Frontiers in Endocrinology by Paula de Candia in 2019. The hypothesis presented by T.S. Wilkin shows evidence for insulin resistance as the basis for type I as well as type II diabetes, as Wilkin writes:
Although some 50 years have passed since type 1 diabetes was first defined, its cause remains unknown. The autoimmunity paradigm of immune dysregulation has not offered an explanation for its rising incidence, nor means of preventing it, and there is arguably good reason to consider alternatives. The accelerator hypothesis is a singular, unifying concept that argues that type I and type II diabetes are the same disorder of insulin resistance, set against different genetic backgrounds. The hypothesis does not deny the role of autoimmunity, only its primacy in the process. It distinguishes type I and type II diabetes only by tempo, the faster tempo reflecting the more susceptible genotype and (inevitably) earlier presentation. Insulin resistance is closely related to the rise in overweight and obesity, a trend that the hypothesis deems central to the rising incidence of all diabetes in the developed and developing world. Rather than overlap between the two types of diabetes, the accelerator hypothesis envisages overlay—each a subset of the general population differing from each other only by genotype. Indeed, it views type I and type II diabetes as a continuum, where the infinitely variable interaction between insulin resistance and genetic response determines the age at which β-cell loss becomes critical. Adult diabetes is not viewed as an entity, but rather as diabetes presenting in adulthood. Childhood diabetes, similarly, is diabetes presenting in childhood. The increasing incidence of both is primarily the result of lifestyle change and the rise in body weight that has resulted.
Prof. Michael Murphy’s insight also supports this view! This is why the critical part of the Autoimmune Program is focused on reversing “insulin resistance”.
Autoimmune disease is caused then by:
- Genetic susceptibility
- Diet (Nutrient Sensing)
- Leaky gut (Microbiome)
- Mitochondrial Dysfunction
- Inflammation
REVERSE AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASE
What Is A Leaky-Gut – THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASE.
During early development and into adulthood, the gut bacteria shape the tissues, cells, and molecular profile of our gastrointestinal and whole-body immune system. The immune system also works to maintain the microbiome.
When the microbiome is disturbed, bacteria signal the immune system to attack, and the immune system works to suppress the bacteria that are overgrowing and causing instability. This causes collateral damage – AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASE.
Diversity of bacteria is a hallmark of a healthy microbiome and increases its stability. Research shows that people who are obese have lower gut diversity than lean people. It has taken our gut microbiome millions of years to evolve in order to cooperate in this way.
There are several deadly disruptions to our gut:
- Excess sugars
- Excess grains
- Excess seed oils
- Gluten
- Roundup (glyphosate)
- Artificial sweeteners
- Lectins
- Micronutrient deficiencies
- Microplastics
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics
- Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDs)
- Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)
- Constant Blue Light
- Endocrine Disruptors
- Stress
- Alcohol
- GMO foods
- LPS
Widespread “inflammation” that is seen in most chronic diseases is a consequence of a leaky-gut (molecular mimicry).
ALL DISEASE STARTS IN THE GUT, THE AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASE PROGRAM AT ETERNITY REMOVES THESE DEADLY GUT DISRUPTORS TO RESTORE HEALTH AND VITALITY.
Diagnosing Auto-Immune Disease
The prevalence of autoimmune diseases has significantly increased over the last few decades, affecting more than 70% of the population.
Specifically, studies show a notable increase in antinuclear antibodies (ANA), the most common biomarker of autoimmunity, over the past 25 years in the United States.
The key to managing these diseases lies in early detection and treatment, which can significantly halt disease progression and improve quality of life.
Traditionally, detecting autoimmune disorders has relied on identifying autoantibodies such as antinuclear antibodies (ANA) with an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) on HEp-2 cells as the gold standard of testing.
The sensitivity and specificity of such tests can vary, and results may be influenced by subjective interpretations and the presence of autoantibodies in non-diseased states, leading to potential false positives.
Additional biomarkers known as ENAs or extractable nuclear antigens are also used to assess autoimmunity. However, this biomarker is typically used as a second screening test, only after patients test positive for ANAs.
The presence of each anti-ENA antibody can either confirm or exclude a diagnosis. However, in most cases, ENA tests will not be ordered when a person tests negative for ANAs by immunoassay.
Despite the testing norm, a multiplex test panel, which tests for both ANAs and ENAs simultaneously, can potentially reduce false negatives and diagnostic time. A multiplex panel may be ordered at any nearby blood testing facility in Las Vegas or most cities in the world – the key is understanding what to test for.
Connective Tissue Disorders (CTDs)
Most CTDs feature abnormal immune system activity with autoimmune-induced inflammation, where the body attacks its own connective tissues.
Our panel uses a comprehensive list of markers to assess for autoimmune activity, including both ANAs and anti-ENA antibodies.
Note: Eternity Medicine Las Vegas based medical clinic also tests for leaky gut.
All Disease Starts In the Gut
Today, modern research recognizes that not only is the microbiome responsible for all disease (healthspan), but it’s also the root cause of aging (lifespan).
In the C. Elegans model of aging, we clearly see that as the intestinal wall breaks down, so does the worm.
All the chronic diseases are the same disease—“leaky gut”—what we refer to as a disease is just the manifestation of the symptoms caused by leaky gut primarily from grains, fructose, and toxic seed oils, along with other lifestyle and environmental factors.
Molecular Mimicry and Autoimmunity
In brief, a dysfunctional gut wall allows invaders such as lectins, LPSs, undigested “normal” food particles, and bad bugs to sneak through the gut barrier and into your bloodstream, where they do not belong. The TLRs on your immune cells as mentioned recognize the invaders as foreign and respond by sending a signal to the rest of your immune system, telling it to stay on high alert and launch an attack. The result is inflammation, that old “root cause” of disease.
As a reminder, short-term inflammation isn’t a bad thing. Inflammation is part of the immune response for a reason: it’s a result of the flood of white blood cells swooping into the site of an infection or damage to help you heal. There are certainly times when you need that. The problem is that when you have a leaky gut and your body is constantly responding to invaders, your body becomes chronically inflamed. This sets the stage for disease.
Another important part of this puzzle is the fact that many of the proteins that slip through your gut wall and latch onto your body bear a striking resemblance to your own tissue. My colleague, Professor Loren Cordain at Colorado State University, first coined the phrase “molecular mimicry” to describe this phenomenon. When the immune system is called over and over to fight off a foreign protein, it becomes hyperactivated and starts attacking anything that remotely resembles that protein—namely, human tissues. It is literally a case of mistaken identity.
By decimating our gut buddies, we have disrupted the vital communication systems in our body. This same mechanism is behind every major disease. It’s just a matter of where in the body the immune system wrongly attacks.
Lectins are sugar-seeking proteins. They attach to sugar molecules made of sialic acid in the gut lining. This is why you have the mucus layer, to trap and protect you from invaders such as lectins before they can bind to your gut wall and pop it open.
Well, guess what? Your gut lining isn’t the only surface in your body that’s lined with sugar molecules. You also have them along your blood vessels, your joints, the junctions between your nerves, the coating over your nerves, your eyeballs, and even, as I’ll discuss later, in the blood-brain barrier that protects your brain. These coatings are collectively known as the glycocalyx.
- Leaky Gut = Leaky Heart
- Leaky Gut = Leaky Brain
- Leaky Gut = Leaky Metabolism
- Leaky Gut = Leaky Joints
- Leaky Gut = Leaky Bones
- Leaky Gut = Leaky Nerves
- Leaky Gut = Leaky Hormones
- Leaky Gut = Leaky Wounds
- Leaky Gut / ED Connection
- Leaky Gut / Cancer Connection
- Leaky Gut = Autoimmune Disease
- Leaky Gut = Shorter Lifespan
Eternity Medicine's Special Diagnostic Tests
1. Wheat Zoomer (Vibrant Labs)
- anti-zonulin IgG
- anti-actin IgG
- anti-LPS antibody
2. Microbiome Testing
3. Mitochondrial Testing
4. Inflammation Panel
Summary of How to Optimize Your Gut Microbes:
- Wheat Zoomer (Vibrant Labs)
- Eat plenty of fermented food
- Avoid all antibiotics as much as possible
- Avoid all artificial sweeteners (including stevia)
- Take a probiotic—example Glucose Control by Pendulum
- Get your hands dirty in the garden
- Avoid chlorinated/fluoridated water
- Avoid all processed foods
- Wash your dishes by hand—not the dishwasher
- Opening your windows helps change the microbiome at home
- Avoid agricultural chemicals like glyphosate (RoundUp)
- Avoid antimicrobial soaps
- Avoid the Seven Deadly Gut Disruptors mentioned earlier
- Get good sleep
- Manage your stress
- Try a Keto diet and Intermittent Fasting
- Use L-glutamine, zinc, curcumin, magnesium, Vit D3/K2
- Use only top-rated organic brands of yogurt
- Beware foods containing lectins
- Opt for vaginal rather than C-section delivery
- Add plenty of polyphenols to your diet
- Add short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
- Add ketone salts
Monitor
Review Food Log
A. Subjective - Symptoms Reviewed Each Week.
B. Repeat Select Labs quarterly
C. Diagnostics
- CGM
- Keto-Mojo
- Body Fat %
- Waist / Height Ratio
- HOMA IR Score
- CNS-VS
RESOURCES
- The Paleo Approach (Reverse Auto-Immune Disease) -Sarah Ballantyne, PhD.
- Gut Check -Steven Gundry, M.D.
- The Plant Paradox -Steven Gundry, M.D.
- Live Beyond 100 (2nd Edition) -Graham Simpson M.D.