Gut Health Protocol by John G. Herron

This book is by far the most informative and all-encompassing resource I have found. It is far too complex for me to provide a detailed review, but I will tell you what you can find inside if you purchase it and a little about how I have used the book.  John Herron does an excellent job of introducing the various diets currently in the news, differentiating between them and tying them to specific gut health issues. You may start the book thinking you have one problem but discover several secondary conditions that could also be related to your gut health.  Here are some concepts that I learned about in this book that you don’t hear much about anywhere else.

Biofilm and Biofilm Disrupting Enzymes and Quorum Sensing

The lining of our gut has a slimy coating (also made up of microorganisms) and bacteria can hide out under the slime. The harmful bacteria that hide underneath the biofilm protect themselves. John Herron talks about the things that can disrupt that biofilm and make the harmful bacteria vulnerable enough for us to get rid of them. And he also introduces the concept that these bacteria can communicate with one another and intentionally hide-quorum sensing. This is very important with Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO) and Small Intestine Fungus Overgrowth (SIFO).

Digestive Enzymes

You will hear about digestive enzymes elsewhere but this book covers the topic thoroughly by discussing the pH of the stomach and intestines and the normal digestion process

Parasites

Never in a million years did I consider that I might have parasites. I always assumed something like that would turn up in some standardized test. Implementing the most basic recommendation (diatomaceous earth) had an immediate change in my BM consistency. Who knows if this means I had a parasite or if it just helped to flush out some of the bad stuff, but in either case, it had an impact, is very affordable, and I will do it periodically to make sure I’m killing any of the bad stuff that can be killed with diatomaceous earth.

Soil Based Organisms

This concept has not surfaced in any of my other research, but it makes sense. Soil-based probiotics are not in our food anymore because our worlds are so sterile. I grew up on a farm and grow some vegetables and herbs in my yard, so I should be above average in this area. I have not added a SBO but I would consider it if I’d spent most of my life avoiding germs.

Kill Phase

There is an elimination phase in most of these diets and they almost all warn that you’ll feel poorly during this phase. John Herron takes this concept further by recommending supplements that actively disrupt the biofilm, expose the harmful bacteria, and other supplements he recommends KILL them. He lists 10-15 options and as you read them, you may find that some sound more appropriate for your situation, which is why you need to get this book!

Gut Maintenance

John Herron does the best job of explaining the benefit of fiber and the appropriate (resistant) starch in maintaining our gut health. There is extensive coverage of the importance of butyrate in our gut. We can’t eat butyrate; it is a byproduct of a healthy gut microbiome digesting the appropriate foods.

SIFO, Histamine Intolerance (HIT) and Helicobacter Pylori

There is a whole chapter on the fungal overgrowth called SIFO, one on HIT and another on the effects of H. Pylori. SIFO is like SIBO in that they both are overgrowths in the small intestine, but SIFO is a fungus rather than bacteria and the author discusses the symptoms and treatment. Histamine Intolerance is part of what all the elimination diets are addressing, but they do not explain the science behind it like John Herron does. The author explains how H. Pylori gets into our systems, how to tell if it has taken over your stomach and how to address it. I have not seen these subjects covered anywhere in this detail. All of them point to additional resources but this book gives a great introduction to these concepts, so you can do an initial screening to determine if these might be part of your problem.

There are also chapters discussing problems with the ileocecal valve, fructose malabsorption, GERD, acid reflux, heartburn, gastritis, IBS and more.

I highly recommend this book as a resource. The author posts occasional articles on his website and sells quite a few custom supplements that are mentioned in the book, but he doesn’t push his personal supplements too aggressively. I did not purchase his custom-made supplements, but I did purchase many that he’s recommended. You can see which ones I chose to use in my elimination protocol implemented in the spring of 2018. I found this to be the turning point for my health. Some of the supplements will remain in my daily supplement regimen. I continuously reevaluate what supplements I’m taking. Good luck with your protocol!