Anyone who suffers from seasonal allergies knows how depressing it is to experience trouble breathing for weeks at a time. But did you also know that science is uncovering a close relationship between those same seasonal allergies and suicide?

A major study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health examined the relationship between allergies and a history of both “suicide ideation”, i.e., thinking about suicide — all the way up to creating a detailed plan,
and actual suicide attempts.¹

In addition, surveys of almost 10,000 research subjects showed a “positive and significant correlation” between allergies and suicide.

Many people might find a relationship between allergies and suicide to be surprising, but I don’t. And that’s because there’s a strong relationship between your gut and your brain. Many of the neurotransmitters that affect your mood aren’t manufactured only in your brain. They’re also made in your gut — and that means that your gut health and your emotional health can be closely related.

A healthy intestinal system maintains a “barrier” that keeps the by-products of your digestion where they belong. A robust population of “probiotics,” the “good” bacteria assists in the proper digestion of
your food, helps control the levels and the activity of potentially harmful bacteria, and keeps resident colonies of “yeast” in check.

Our good bacteria are also needed to direct the production of barrier proteins that keep the intestinal linings from allowing the passage of undigested proteins and other substances into the bloodstream.

When your population of probiotics decreases, pathogenic bacteria no longer just pass through the intestines — but can take up residence there. At the same time, yeast colonies can begin to overpopulate the gut, with their byproducts damaging the intestinal tissue.

Left unchecked, the combination of byproducts from the bad guys and under-activity from the good guys can become so extensive that it can lead to a condition known as “leaky gut.”

What does this mean? Proteins and protein fragments, some of which are “psychoactive,” can cross over the (broken) barrier into your bloodstream. (Nutrients are the only substances that are supposed to be absorbed from your gut into your bloodstream to feed your cells.) And what’s in your bloodstream can then also cross over the blood-brain barrier and affect the function of your brain.

My personal belief is that the dramatic rise in the incidence of allergies in both children and adults, and the general decline in our gut health, are directly related. Allergies are “born” in your gut, and as the study above
indicates, they are nothing to mess around with.

One of the biggest factors in declining gut health is the pattern of drug use in the United States. The other is a general lack of dietary sources of “probiotics.” The combination of the two can leave you vulnerable to serious consequences.

We are now several generations along into the heavy –and many believe indiscriminate — use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria, and they don’t know the difference between “good bacteria” and “bad bacteria.” So when you take an antibiotic, you are killing off your probiotics along with whatever was causing the infection you were trying to treat.

This seriously compromises your intestines’ ability to do their job. Good flora are responsible for keeping other microorganisms under control and maintaining a healthy balance between the “good bacteria” and potentially problematic populations of yeast.

But it’s not just antibiotics that can impact intestinal integrity. Anti-inflammatory NSAIDs taken to reduce the pain of osteoarthritis, acid blocking drugs for indigestion, oral contraceptives, and chemotherapeutics can all damage or disrupt healthy bacterial flora.

Any shift away from a healthy balance in your intestines will only increase in severity over time — unless you intervene. There are excellent supplements you can take on a daily basis to support your intestinal flora. The importance of these is just coming onto the radar for most clinicians.

What is the take away message? Your gut health is not only vitally important to your overall immunity and the prevention of allergies, it is important for emotional stability and mental well being. In my clinic, we see allergies as an indication that we have some work to do. The first thing we do is take steps to reduce yeast and replace gut flora. If you have a history of seasonal allergies and/or food allergies, I would seek out a practitioner that can help you work on rebuilding a healthier intestine.

To work preventatively, we can all benefit by following a two-part strategy. First, try to limit your use of drugs that have a negative impact on intestinal health, and consider trying some natural products that may cause less disruption to your healthy metabolism. For instance, natural products like MSM and boswellia may be an effective alternative to NSAIDS, or at least help you greatly reduce your reliance on them.

And second, take positive measures to keep your intestinal flora balanced and healthy. Any time you need a course of antibiotics, you should always take probiotics afterwards to replace your good bacteria. I recommend “probiotics” as part of a regular program of supplementation.

Reference

1. American Psychiatric Association 161st Annual Meeting: Abstract NR2-030. Presented May 5, 2008.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with
more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]