All disease begins in the gut.
Hippocrates
I was listening to a Dr. Josh Axe podcast today about Leaky Gut. Leaky Gut, if you aren't aware, is where the permeability of the small intestine goes from allowing only minerals, vitamins, and amino acids into the bloodstream (normal function), to becoming damaged, due to inflammation, and allowing other particles that should not be in the bloodstream, like gluten protiens, dairy proteins, other food particles, and toxins.
Well, when these other protiens, particles, and toxins get into the bloodstream, they attach themselves anywhere in the body, even the brain. These foreign substances can wreak havoc, causing issues, like eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, mood swings, to more serious issues like cancer, Alzheimers, autism, and Chrone's. Then, the body also creates antibodies to combat these foreign substances, and ends up attacking itself, resulting in autoimmune diseases, like MS.
Symptoms of a leaky gut include gas, bloating, food allergies, stomach aches, diahhrea, brain fog, etc. The small intestine can be torn, or inflamed, when we take antibiotics, which kill the bad bacteria as well as the good, which act as the army protecting the gut. Also, eating a lot of sugar, processed carbs, meats from animals who ate antibiotics, toxins and metals, etc., basically the western diet.
Think of your intestine as a small net with tiny holes that allow small minerals and amino acids as per normal. Then that net gets torn, allowing bigger particles and toxins through.
Anyway, I say all this because what I heard today caught my attention. There are emotions that release cortisol and adrenaline which also contribute to a leaky gut, causing inflammation of the intestine. Those emotions include worry, grief, and fear. How many of us have those feelings? Aside from food consumption and environmental toxins, the way we feel can also tear our intestinal lining. Interesting? My immediate thought was, where the Savior says "fear not".
Now I understand a bit better as to why He said that.
Dr. Axe, also discusses how we can beat those feelings of worry, grief, and fear. He says faith, hope, and love can conquer those feelings and help our gut lining!! Faith, hope, and love?? Haven't we heard that somewhere before too?
It's very interesting indeed that there's a correlation between our physical bodies, i.e., what we eat and how we feel, and our spiritual well being. Makes me understand a bit more as to why Heavenly Father has given us laws and commandments, especially the Word of Wisdom and love your neighbor. It's not just about one aspect of who we are, but every aspect of who we are. How we feel emotionally can affect how we feel physically, and that all affects us spiritually.
Interesting!