I want to write to you today about The Dangers of LPS/Endotoxemia in Your Bloodstream

Did you know that almost every chronic disease or condition can be linked to metabolic endotoxemia? If you’re like most people, you’ve never heard of endotoxemia, let alone the mountains of research pointing towards it as a major cause of disease. Lipopolysaccharide is a gram -negative bacteria that lives inside the gut of every human.  But when LPS leaks from your gut  into your blood stream (where it does not belong), it triggers a strong inflammatory response throughout the entire body. When it stays inside the gut, it causes very little harm.  But when a person has pathogenic intestinal permeability (a.k.a. “leaky gut”)—as most people do these days— LPS becomes harmful when it leaks from the gut into your bloodstream. In the blood ,where it does not belong, LPS triggers a strong inflammatory response in the immune system, potentially leading to serious complications like sepsis and septic shock if reaching high levels. Essentially, the body overreacts to LPS in the blood stream, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage. One of the MDs I know says that LPS stands for “little pieces of sh-t” because it is so bad for the body when it seeps into the bloodstream!

The key point I want to make: As a  normal  function in bacteria, LPS acts as a structural component of the bacterial cell wall, protecting the bacteria from harmful substances.  It is meant to remain inside of the intestines of every human.  When LPS spills into the bloodstream through a compromised gut lining (“leaky gut”),  immune cells like macrophages recognize it as a foreign invader and trigger a cascade of inflammatory responses throughout  the body. LPS goes everywhere in the body once it spills into your bloodstream.

What are 3 of the biggest potential health risks from LPS when it seeps through your leaky gut into your bloodstream?

1.Sepsis: High levels of LPS in the blood can lead to systemic inflammation, causing a life-threatening condition called sepsis.
2.Chronic inflammation: Low levels of LPS over time can contribute to chronic inflammatory conditions that include all autoimmune diseases, raised cholesterol, shut down of your vagus nerve, disordered eating, and countless metabolic & hormonal disorders.
3.Gut & skin issues: Increased LPS leakage is linked to digestive problems, inflammation in the gut, and skin disorders. 

What is the one test in the world that can show us if your LPS is leaking into your blood stream, that can show us if you have pathogenic intestinal permeability (aka “leaky gut”)?  The Vibrant Laboratories Wheat Zoomer & Intestinal Permeability blood test panel. 

Here are some shorthand research facts and common symptoms associated with leakage of LPS from the gut into your bloodstream:

• LPS is a  chief cause of chronic, systemic inflammation
• Causes neuroinflammation
• Found on the outer shell of gram-negative bacteria in EVERY human body
• Should always and forever remain inside the intestines
• With the advent of pathogenic intestinal permeability (aka “leaky gut”) the LPS leaks into the blood stream from the intestine and becomes a potent endotoxin causing a variety of diseases.
• Induces Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
• Initiates a cytokine response and systemic inflammation
• Activates histamine and mast cells
• Contributes to arthritis
• Triggers autoimmunity in hundreds of forms
• Causes gum inflammation 
• Worsens Alzheimer’s Disease (May increase the deposition of Amyloid plaque). Autopsies show LPS in the brains of dementia patients.
• Causes damage to the blood-brain barrier
• Is associated with liver inflammation and dysfunction
• Can lead to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• Is associated with Cardiovascular Disease
• Plays a role in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome & affects ovaries and menses
• Worsens Atherosclerosis and the Vascular System
• Impairs Kidney and Adrenal Function
• Contributes to Weight Gain
• Associated with Eczema, Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis and various forms of acne
• Impairs Sleep
• Causes Anxiety
• Causes Depression
• Causes Bone Resorption
• May be associated with social impairment and autism
• Negatively impacts vision
• Associated with Brain Fog
• Worsens Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Plays a Role in Stroke 
• May cause Parkinson’s Disease
• Plays a Role in ALS
• Worsens chronic immune activation in HIV-infected patients
• Impairs reproduction
• Reduces Mitochondria
• Reduced Antioxidant Status
• Worsens Pain
• Affects hormone balance, LPS/leaky gut should be addressed before attempting to balance hormones
• May play a key role in the development of colorectal and other cancers
• Why don’t our conventional MDs talk about LPS?  As my gluten and autoimmune mentor Dr. Tom O’Bryan writes, “…the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that LPS reduces blood flow into any tissue, causing between 175,000 and 200,000 deaths annually.  The CDC notes that perhaps a half-million people are affected annually by this mechanism, yet no one talks about it.  That’s because there is no profit in addressing LPS: There’s no drug to fix it.”   (The Autoimmune Fix by Tom O’Bryan: Chapter 2.)

Fortunately, healing and sealing pathogenic intestinal permeability is becoming one of my areas expertise!  In the field of Functional Medicine, pathogenic intestinal permeability has evolved into  a huge topic of quality research and application. LPS/endotoxemia is at the foundation of every chronic disease. Getting rid of LPS in the bloodstream requires a pleotropic (multipronged) approach.   The first step is to do the Vibrant Wheat Zoomer & Intestinal Permeability blood test.  I can guide you through the testing and the healing steps that follow.

Your Options for Testing:

1.DBS*: incudes 1 hour Zoom or phone review with me after I have reviewed your results with Vibrant Labs.  Full PDF of results sent to you via email. Fee: $800

2.Phlebotomy**: with 1 hour Zoom or phone appointment with me after I have reviewed your clinical results with Vibrant Labs.  Full PDF of results sent to you via email. Fee: $800 + phlebotomy fee in your state (you pay phlebotomy directly at the time of blood draw).

3.Either DBS or phlebotomy blood draw, a 1 hour Zoom or phone review with me,  PLUS a written protocol I create just for you to show you how to heal and seal your leaky gut PLUS a second follow up appointment. Fee: $1,200

*DBS= dried blood spot.  Order includes a kit shipped to you from the lab.  The kit shows you how to collect your sample by providing a dried blood spot. Medical shipping via FedEx to and from Vibrant Labs is included in the kit.

**Phlebotomy= anywhere in the USA I can order a medical phlebotomist to come to your home for a blood draw.  Each state charges differently, so after you place your order with me, I will find out the fee in your state for phlebotomy and let you know.  A full blood draw is easy, requiring only fasting overnight. (For example, right now in Los Angeles the AMA-approved phlebotomy service costs $65.)

EMAIL ME @ abvanhalsema@gmail.com  AND WE CAN GET STARTED! I’d be glad to send you a sample copy of this phenomenal blood test.

No one can be well with a leaky gut. No one can be well with LPS running around in the blood stream, potentially affecting every organ and system in the body. Consider getting your LPS levels checked out on your pathway to wellness!