Intelligence of Nature: Repairing Tight Junctions and Restoring the Microbiome
Intelligence of Nature
ION* Gut Support is much more than your average probiotic. ION* is a liquid, gut-brain health supplement that goes beyond traditional measures by helping to support tight junction integrity, and diversify your microbiome. Moreover, this product has been designed to be completely natural. It is soil derived, U.S. sourced, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, latex-free, preservative-free, non-GMO and certified glyphosate-free. Humic extract from ancient soil plays a key role as the active ingredient, naturally rich in a variety of trace minerals and amino acids.
Dr. Zach Bush is the founder and creator of ION* Gut Support. He and a team of scientists have conducted much research into the specific molecular structure of their gut-brain supplement. It isn't bacteria, but rather a family of molecules MADE by bacteria. The unique, balanced formula includes a family of carbon molecules with oxygen-binding sites that are produced by bacteria when they digest nutrients. Extraction of humic for ION* Gut Support comes from ancient, fossilized soil, sometimes referred to as Leonardite.
Understanding the Microbiome
A microbiome is the ecological community of microbes - bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses - that live on and inside of our bodies. Humans depend on a vast army of microbes to stay alive. When in homeostasis, our microbiome is successfully protecting us against germs, breaking down food for energy and producing vitamins. More specifically, the gut microbiome is called the gut ora or gut microbiota. The gut ora is integral in the digestion process. Absorption and synthesizing of nutrients is made possible through the cooperation of these organisms.
Microbiotal Interference
Science has demonstrated the enormous impact that humans have had on the health of the planet’s soil and food systems. There are many toxins and anti-nutrients in foods found on the market today. Consumption of food toxins, herbicides, and pesticides can lead to intestinal permeability that alters the environment of the gut microbiota. There are also pollutants in the air and water which negatively impact the inner lining of key organs. Pursuit of a holistically healthy lifestyle, including a thoughtful diet and exercise routine, can help to increase your body’s resistance to toxins. As shown below, ION* Gut Support strengthens tight junction integrity, which is at the foundation of our overall health.
Tight Junctions
If you’re like me, you might find yourself asking, “What exactly are tight junctions?” They are the proteins that connect epithelial cells (a type of cell that lines the surfaces of your body: found in skin, blood vessels, urinary tract, and organs). Tight junctions also create an intestinal lining that acts as a regulator for everything that we digest. These connections create a network of proteins that decides whether to let in different nutrients, toxins, and microbes, ultimately affecting the microbiota’s environment. At a very fundamental level, tight junctions are essential to the human ability to maintain homeostasis and optimal health. Tight junctions are protected when our intestinal bacteria are balanced and thriving.
Gut-Brain Connection
Recent science has brought to life evidence that our gut is truly the "second brain”. The gut is made up of two thin layers consisting of more than 100 million different nerve cells. These layers line our gastrointestinal tract, stretching all the way from our sinuses to our rectum, and serving as a vast communication network throughout the body. The majority of neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, are made in our gut lining. Comparatively, very little of these chemicals are actually being produced in the brain. In reality, the production of these chemical messengers is much more dependent on the right bacteria, fungi, and even parasites and viruses (collectively known as the microbiome), being present in our gut.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate is a synthetic chemical that is a major ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide: Roundup®. Debuted in 1974, the product would eventually spread throughout the agricultural industry and later into widespread residential use. Farmers adopted glyphosate for control of broad-leaf weeds and grasses, but application had to be measured so as not to damage crops. By 2007, glyphosate use was common, and Roundup® was the most widely used herbicide in United States agriculture. It was also the second most used herbicide in home and garden, government and industry, and commercial applications.
Today, more than four billion pounds of glyphosate are used around the globe. Being water-soluble, glyphosate is able to travel in the micro ecosystem during all phases of the water cycle. This results in the contamination of fossil aquifers, ground water run-off, streams, rivers, oceans, as well as air humidity and rainfall.
Glyphosate’s Harmful Effects
As demonstrated in peer reviewed articles, toxins like glyphosate and gluten can degrade tight junctions in the epithelial layer of the gut lining. The mass use of glyphosate has led to a steady loss of biodiversity in our bacterial ecosystem. Glyphosate breaks down tight junctions of the gut, reducing their ability to act as a barrier for toxins. The lining of the stomach and kidney can be damaged by food toxins, herbicides, and pesticides as toxins enter into the bloodstream. Once they find their way into the bloodstream, toxins attack immune health and create inflammation.
ION* Gut Support has been shown to promote the strengthening of this gut barrier. By supporting tight junction integrity at the gut lining, ION* Gut Support protects the immune and neurological systems and regulates the delivery of water and nutrients to the body. This in turn helps with inflammatory response, enhancing mental clarity, promoting immune function, supporting digestion, and alleviating gluten sensitivity.
ION* for Pets
ION* Gut Support For Pets is uniquely formulated to balance the individual microbiome of your canine and feline friends. Dogs and cats benefit from the support of tight junction integrity and creation of more friendly gut terrain. Silicon supports structure in the body from the cellular level to the muscular-skeletal level. ION* encourages cell-to-cell communication, promotes immune function, and gives the gut a terrain where the microbiome can thrive. It is an essential element for healthy connective tissues, especially in the bone and cartilage of animals.
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Dr. Jim Bentz offers ION* products at our clinic in Anacortes, WA! Contact us today or visit us in the clinic to start optimizing your gut-brain health.
Information for this article was obtained from the Intelligence of Nature website, including studies completed by John J. Gildea, David A. Roberts, and Zachary Bush.