Areas of Interest

My areas of interest are gut health, autoimmunityfertility and supporting those that need to follow gluten free diets.  Gut health can be an underlying issue with all autoimmune conditions, not just Crohn’s, IBD and Coeliac Disease.  If a person’t gut lining has become hyper-permeable, where the gut is allowing semi or undigested proteins through, or the byproducts of bacteria, these things will be deemed foreign and antigenic by the immune system, which can be a trigger for autoimmunity in those genetically susceptible.

Of course the gut lining is meant to be permeable, how else would we absorb the nutrients and energy from food! but it should behave more like a fine cheese cloth, only allowing the smallest, fully digested nutrients through, not so much like a colander, allowing larger undigested proteins and bacterial/viral products through, which will trigger an immune reaction.  So to improve the integrity of the gut lining, anyone with an autoimmune condition can benefit from adopting a gluten free diet, because the gliadin proteins in gluten have been robustly shown in research to make the gut lining more ‘leaky’.  There are other issues that can impact the integrity of the intestines, and completion of the health & nutrition questionnaire can help identify these.

Autoimmunity can occasionally affect both testicular and ovarian tissue.  So when a couple seek help after a diagnosis of ‘unexplained infertility’, with perhaps assisted conception being discussed, we will also support their journey by looking at diet, lifestyle issues, and perhaps investigate the possibility of autoimmunity.

Do get in contact, the support and assistance of a registered Nutritional Therapist with Functional Medicine training can make the difference in many chronic lifestyle related health conditions.

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