Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (45 page)

Calprotectin binds both zinc and protein, so when levels are high, both can become depleted in your body. Since zinc is needed for healing of inflammation and calming the immune system, being deficient in zinc gives you a double whammy. Lactoferrin levels can be falsely elevated if you are using whey protein powders or taking lactoferrin, such as in colostrums or transfer factor.

Eosinophilic protein X is another marker of GI inflammation. It can be measured in urine or stool. It helps to determine whether there are either parasites or allergies associated with your health issues. It is commonly elevated when you have parasites, allergies, asthma, or eczema. It can also be used to monitor how effective treatment is. It is neurotoxic itself, so high levels increase inflammation.

Secretory IgA can be used to look at how well your immune system is responding. Production of adequate IgA depends on a glycoprotein called a J-chain. This J-chain is needed for the formation of IgA and IgM antibodies. You can test for IgA in stool, saliva, and blood. Low sIgA levels indicate someone who has been stressed out or sick for a long time. They are low in people who have dysbiosis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, chronic stress, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, other autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and type I diabetes. They are sometimes low in infants, in the elderly, in people with inflammatory conditions and infections, or when people have malabsorption, malnutrition, or eating disorders. Steroid medications also lower sIgA levels. Low levels open us up to chronic infections in the lungs, gut, and genitourinary tracts. If low IgA levels persist, a chronic level of inflammation can occur. These antibodies are part of the adaptive immune system.

When sIgA levels are high, it typically indicates a leaky gut, food sensitivities, or infection. It could also indicate malnutrition, malabsorption, lack of hydrochloric acid production in the stomach, allergies, liver problems, parasites, or autoimmune conditions.

Lifestyle and nutritional factors can influence sIgA levels. For example, in people with IgA nephropathy, a kidney disease, 64 percent had decreases in sIgA-containing immune complexes on a gluten-free diet. A balanced lifestyle, which encompasses our ability to nurture ourselves, environmental considerations, exercise, good food choices, and moderate stress levels can normalize low sIgA levels. Choline, essential fatty acids, glutathione, glycine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, quercetin, vitamin C, and zinc are all required to maintain healthy sIgA levels. Detoxification programs and repair of intestinal mucosa help normalize sIgA. Saccharomyces boulardii, a nontoxic yeast probiotic supplement, has been shown to raise sIgA levels. A recent study showed that visualization and relaxation
techniques significantly increase sIgA levels. Colostrum, transfer factor, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), medium-chain triglycerides, Bifidobacteria longum, Lactobacillus casei, EpiCor (beneficial yeast extract), astragalus, and Korean ginseng can all increase sIgA as well.

The following can enhance sIgA production:

Rest and relaxation:
I often recommend that my clients rest for two hours during daylight every day. Typically within a few weeks they are beginning to feel amazingly better. Radical, I know, but effective. Rest also increases IgG and IgM antibodies.

Saccharomyces boulardii:
This is my favorite supplement for increasing sIgA. Typical dosage is 250 mg three times daily.

Vitamin A:
A typical dosage is 5,000 IU daily. Taking high levels of retinol can be toxic, so if you increase the dosage be sure to work with a health professional and have your serum retinol (vitamin A) levels monitored.

Bovine colostrum:
A typical dosage is 500 to 2,000 mg daily.

Transfer factor:
Dosage is 12.5 to 75 mg.

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT oil):
A typical dosage is up to 2 tablespoons daily. You can also eat coconut or drink coconut milk or fresh coconut juice.

In nearly all cases, probiotics and prebiotics help to dial down the inflammation and promote healing in IBD. They increase our T-regulatory response and IL-10, which also reduces inflammation. They also inhibit inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-alpha and NF-kappaB. Probiotics help the membranes from becoming leaky, lessen muscle inflammation, and increase the production of mucin. (See
Chapter 6
for more on prebiotics and probiotics.)

An elimination diet can reduce inflammation and pain faster than anything else. See
Chapter 15
.

Polyphenols are chemicals found in plant foods that have anti-inflammatory and blood vessel protective properties. They are what give the rainbow of colors to our
beans, spices, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. They are among the reasons we need to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible, and among the best reasons to focus on whole foods in general and to season your food with herbs and spices. Eating just 10 cherries a day lowers inflammation. So, eat cherries, berries, and other high-polyphenol foods several times a day. Food with highest polyphenols include:

Berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries

Fruits of all types: grapes (highest in red or purple), cherries, peaches, kiwis, apples, pears, plums

Wine