The Hidden Causes of Autoimmune Disease (Dr. Arland Hill) — How to Reverse It: RWP6

The Hidden Causes of Autoimmune Disease (Dr. Arland Hill) — How to Reverse It: RWP6.  Dr. Arland Hill is a Functional Medicine Clinician and Author of “Platform Food, Function, Freedom.com.”  Dr. Hill has an in depth conversation with Dr. Ben Weitz about Autoimmune Diseases.

Dr. Arland Hill explains the primary reasons why there has been an increase in the rate of autoimmune diseases in the United States. The mass food production has significantly altered what is now classified as food as compared to that prior to the 1940’s. The combination of drastic changes in our diet and increased toxin exposure in a post-industrialized society has contributed to the rise in autoimmune disease.

An important variant is the effect of stress.  Stress breaks down the body’s systems, which can create dysregulation in the immune system. This opens the door for leaky gut syndrome and can manifest in autoimmune issues. Environmental and food toxins coupled with increased stress levels can be the perfect breeding ground for autoimmune diseases to develop. However it is important to note that each of these individual factors can cause autoimmune disease to manifest on their own.

Western medical doctors treat diseases by providing medications that suppress the immune system such as corticosteroids, chemotherapy agents and newer injectables.  TNF alpha blocking agents like Humira and Remicade block the immune system, which is needed to maintain homeostasis, fight off and prevent the disease processes from beginning.  These drugs have very serious side effects that include depressing the immune system and worsening the effects of infections and cancer.

The Functional Medicine approach treats autoimmune diseases by looking at the underlying factors that lead to the immune system being deregulated. These factors can include disease processes such as leaky gut, food sensitivities, toxins, mold, heavy metals, nutritional deficiencies, infections, etc.  Functional Medicine looks at the best strategies for correcting this by identifying the cause and catalyst of those agents.

Once you identify the cause and remove the factors that negatively affect the G.I. and immune system, a strategy to intervene can be formed. A nutritional strategy to repair and restore the gut is recommended. By reestablishing the mucosa tolerance and re-balancing the bacterial landscape, gut health is rebuilt and the immune system can function and respond unimpaired.

The podcast will cover these topics in more depth and detail. You will learn more about how toxins behave. For example, how BPA and heavy metals found in plastics insert itself in the metabolic pathway and disrupt it by misplacing nutrients. You will also learn how to test for autoimmune disease and learn the role infections play in increasing our risk. More importantly, you will learn how to improve your health and nutritional deficiencies.

---

 

Dr. Arland Hill can be reached at Dr.ArlandHill.com  

Dr. Ben Weitz is also available for nutrition consultation by calling his office at 310-395-3111.