This Ingredient in Your Multivitamin Could Be Damaging Your Gut

In this episode of the Unconventional Medicine Podcast, Dr. Kate Davis discusses the critical relationship between gut health and the supplements we consume. She highlights the potential negative effects of certain ingredients found in many multivitamins and supplements. Dr. Davis emphasizes the importance of understanding what is in our supplements, as many can contribute to gut issues and overall health problems. She also provides insights on how to choose quality supplements and the broader implications of gut health on various bodily systems, including mental health and immune function.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Holistic Health and Gut Issues

02:48 The Impact of Supplements on Gut Health

06:06 Understanding One Particular Ingredient and Its Effects

08:51 The Dangers of This Ingredient and Gut Dysbiosis

12:06 Finding Quality Supplements and Brands to Trust

14:54 The Importance of Gut Health for Overall Well-being

Dr. Kate Davis D.C.

Website: https://drkatedavis.com/home 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkatedavis/

Want to work with me?  DM me the number ‘100’ on Instagram (@drkatedavis) and I’ll give you $100 off an initial consult + labs package

• or click the link here: https://tinyurl.com/100offlabs

Fullscript (for better quality supplements): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/kdavis1762192492 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKateDavis 

Email: kate@drkatedavis.com 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Unconventional Medicine Podcast, where we talk about all things holistic health, how to heal naturally, how to find the actual root cause of whatever your symptoms are, you know, from all different categories of medicine and healing. I'm your host, Dr. Kate Davis. I'm a licensed chiropractor, a functional medicine practitioner, and I focus primarily on gut health and gut issues, you know, chronic gut issues like constipation, IBS, loose stool, bloating, food sensitivities, all that stuff. And so I primarily talk a lot about gut health on here. Um, and coming up soon in the future, I'm gonna be having a bunch of really cool guests on here to just talk about all different aspects of medicine and health. So I'm really excited to bring that to you guys soon. So definitely keep a keep an eye out for that. But today we're gonna be talking about gut health in relation to one specific ingredient that I want to really talk to you guys about that's found in a lot of supplements. You know, a lot of people they think that, oh, if I go on all these supplements like multivitamins or or B vitamins or whatever, you know, nutrient supplement you guys are taking. Uh, a lot of times what I find with people is that some of the supplements that they're on are actually creating some of the gut issues that they're dealing with. So when it comes to chemistry, you guys, form matters. So uh with certain nutrients, uh, you know, like B vitamins or iron, the type of B vitamin or iron that you guys get really, really matters. So that's number one. And then number two, there are a lot of these, these additives that they put, these synthetic gums and caking agents and things that they put in your multivitamins or in whatever, you know, supplement that you're on that can actually create pretty significant gut issues. And so I just wanted to talk about one specific one today that really, really is getting a lot more attention and research in its potential impact for inflammation in the gut, damaging that mucosal barrier, potentially leading to leaky gut, allowing other infections to overgrow, you know, killing off a lot of the good bacteria in your gut. So for those of you who are unfamiliar with gut health, you've got, you know, billions of bacteria living in your gut that help with so many different, you know, things in your body. They help regulate hormones, they help activate your immune system, they help keep opportunistic infections like candida and SIBO and other bacterial overgrowth from happening in your gut. And so if we constantly, especially every day, if you're taking a multivitamin that has this specific ingredient in it, you could be completely messing up that whole ecosystem of bacteria in your gut that's designed to help with digestion, hormones, immune system, mental health, you know, all those producing nutrients, absorbing nutrients, all those different functions in your body. And so we really want to be mindful of this stuff, you guys, because a lot of people think that, oh, it's a supplement, it must be good for me. But that's definitely not the case. And I'm gonna have another episode coming out soon talking about where to find good quality supplements, how to know if you're taking a good one, where to never buy your supplements from, because that is so incredibly important. You guys, the supplement industry, the wellness industry is less regulated than the pharmaceutical industry. So, yes, a lot of times you probably find really good quality stuff. It's probably helping you. But there are a lot of cases that I've seen with people that I've worked with where they're on the wrong form of vitamins, or they're getting them from Amazon, or they're, you know, buying them from not the most reputable sources. And a lot of times there are counterfeit fake supplements out there that can really, really wreak havoc on your health. So oftentimes with people I've seen is really just cutting out the supplements that they're on, they already start to notice a huge difference in their gut health. And then obviously we're still going after, you know, toxins and infections and downregulating the nervous system and you know, teaching good habits like good lifestyle changes to maintain those good results and get the gut health back on track. But a lot of times it really is just removing stuff that you probably shouldn't be taking in the first place. So um, you guys are probably wondering what the heck you're talking about. Tell us the dang ingredient already. So, what I want to talk to you guys about today is this ingredient called carboxymethyl cellulose. So you might see it as like CMC or sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, or this one I've I've never seen on a supplement label before, but another form that it can be called is cross-carmellose sodium. Um, but basically what this is used for, you guys, is it is a binder. So essentially what it does is it takes powdered vitamins and it actually holds them together into a solid tablet so it doesn't just break apart in the in the bottle that it's stored in. Um, it's also used as a thickener. So in liquid multivitamins or syrups, it prevents settling and maintains a smooth texture. And it's also used as a dis disintegrant, which means that it helps tablets break down properly in your digestive tract so that you get the benefits of the product that you're taking. Now, I know a lot of people, and this is a big problem with FDA that a lot of people are really talking about right now, but there's this idea of what's called grass, which literally means generally recognized as safe by the FDA. Now, the problem with this is that the FDA is not doing this testing for grass. Sometimes they are, but typically there's so many different supplement companies out there, they don't have the time or the resources to actually test all of these. So, what they do is most of the time they allow the company creating the product to do its own safety testing. But you and I both know that when there's money involved, do you really think they're going to be completely honest about the safety testing? Or are they actually going to even be doing rigorous safety testing? The answer is probably not. Not, they're not doing that, you guys. So just one thing to consider. But for the longest time, this stuff's been used in so many different products, especially multivitamins. Some of the common ones that you guys are using contain this ingredient, and it does have some, you know, suspected issues with gut health. So I really want to talk about those today. But yeah, carboxymethyl cellulose is used primarily to just keep capsules together, help them disintegrate once they hit, you know, the intestines and actually distribute what they're, you know, they're binding together throughout your body. So research has actually shown more recently, because this is a synthetic emulsifier, you guys, too. So anything synthetic means it's created in a lab, not found in nature. Anytime you put stuff like that in your gut, it's probably gonna have some sort of effect on your health because it's not naturally found in nature, your body doesn't know what to do with it, and it can create some immune reactions as well. So there is some research coming out recently showing that it does negatively impact the gut microbiome. So that economy that we just talked about of all those bacteria in your gut that help with so many different functions in your body. So, in terms of the microbiome, so that gut ecosystem in your in your intestines, the I'm gonna call it CMC for the rest of the episode because saying carboxymethyl cellulose takes a really long time. So I'm gonna say CMC for this ingredient we're talking about. But CMC consumption reduces overall microbial diversity and shifts the abundance of specific beneficial bacteria. Now, the reason why this is bad, you guys, is because we have this whole ecosystem in our gut. There are certain strains of bacteria that are designed to prevent infections, to prevent other species of bacteria that can be more harmful from overgrowing, that prevent candida and other fungus and other yeast from overgrowing, because yes, we do have candida naturally in our gut that helps with digestion, but when it becomes opportunistic, when we mess with that microbiome in our gut, now it can overgrow and we can end up with yeast infections, fungal overgrowth, all that bad stuff. So it really alters the microbiome, which can affect so many other systems too, which we're gonna talk about towards the end of this episode. And then metabolite depletion. So it depletes the CMC, this ingredient in a lot of multivitamins, depletes the production of beneficial byproducts like short chain fatty acids. So short chain fatty acids are incredibly important for your gut barrier. Remember, we talked about leaky gut in, I believe it was episode two or three. Really, really important that we have these short chain fatty acids because they help strengthen that intestinal barrier, they reduce inflammation, and they act as a primary energy source for the cells in your colon. So, really, really important that we have enough of these so we don't end up with breakdown of that barrier that can eventually lead to leaky gut that causes food sensitivities and potentially autoimmune issues and all that stuff that I talked about in that previous episode. And then mucus layer degradation. So inside of your intestines, there's this mucus layer that protects and sits on top of all the cells in your intestines. And this ingredient, CMC, can actually cause that mucus layer to thin, which can allow bacteria to encroach closer to your intestinal cells. Eventually, it can lead to leaky gut and other issues later on down the road. And then increased inflammation. So CMC has been shown to promote a pro-inflammatory state in the gut, which is associated with a lot of conditions like colitis, IBS, metabolic syndrome, like diabetes, things like that. So, really, really important, you guys, that yes, in small doses, you know, generally considered safe. But if you're taking a multivitamin every day for 20 years and it's got this ingredient in it, it's probably going to do some bad stuff to your gut. And so this is why we really have to look at not only what can we add to our body to help heal the gut lining, but what can we remove that might be causing that issue in the first place? Um, and then there's another article that actually showed CMC as well as other dietary emulsifiers have been associated with gut dysbiosis, which means again, a lot of that good bacteria is getting wiped out. You're getting an imbalance of certain good and bad bacteria, which can promote other infections to grow, like parasites, fungus, all sorts of bad stuff. And this dysbiotic activity has been presently linked to an interaction of, again, CMC with the intestinal mucus, which causes that layer to thin out. And this in turn leads to bacterial encroachment in that epithelial cell layer. So basically the cells that make up your intestines. And this leads to an increase of a specific type of bacteria called LPS-producing bacteria, which results in the development of chronic inflammation and associated diseases that are caused by this chronic inflammation in the gut. So really, really bad stuff. You guys definitely want to, you know, be mindful of this particular ingredient in your gut. And there are a lot of common, you guys, if you're buying your supplements from Costco, from even Whole Foods isn't always the best, from sprouts, from, you know, all these big chain stores because it's cheaper, you're probably messing yourself up, especially GNC or you know, one of those like bigger companies that really just has garbage quality products, you're probably gonna be ingesting this ingredient. And even the 365 brand by Whole Foods has CMC in most of their formulations. Um, because again, it keeps the capsules together, allows them to break down easily, keeps liquids nice and smooth so you they don't settle and have issues with mixing. And so it's found in a lot of really common nutrients supplements. So, really, really important, guys, that you find good quality stuff. So, even some of the healthier brands, if you look at a lot of those healthy brands, they've actually been bought out by big food corporations, which is kind of scary because over time you'll start to see them slowly change the ingredients to where you still think it's healthy, but in reality, it's been kind of taken over by a corporation that, you know, promotes profit over health. And they're eventually gonna say, okay, what can we replace these ingredients with that's gonna be cheaper for us and increase our bottom line of more profit for our shareholders? And unfortunately, that's how a lot of you know business is done nowadays. It's really sad. Not a lot of integrity in those companies, but this is just kind of what we have to deal with. So, really important to like educate yourself on this stuff, to know what to look for when you're buying supplements, to say, okay, if I see gums or CMC or you know, anything else that I talk about on this podcast, I want to avoid those brands like the plague. So, really, really important that you guys just, you know, be mindful about this and go check your cabinet of supplements and see if this ingredient is in any of them. And if it is, go throw them out and go for better brands. Like two of my favorite ones are Thorn and Pure Encapsulations. I believe Pure Encapsulations got bought out by a big corporation pretty recently, unfortunately. So I don't know how long that one's gonna stay pretty clean, but just keep an eye on that. You guys always look to see if if you've been buying the same supplement for 10 years, keep looking at the ingredient label because you never know if they're gonna change things up to make more profit, unfortunately. So always be mindful of what's in your supplements. Just because you're taking something that's good for you doesn't mean it's actually good for you. It could be really damaging your gut health. And the reason why this is so important, you guys, is because your gut health doesn't just have to do with your gut. Your gut health promotes so many different other systems in your body. You know, when a lot of people say like all disease begins in the gut, like obviously it's, you know, a bit of an exaggeration, but there are a lot of diseases that start in the gut. And the reason for that is because this bacteria that lives in our gut, this ecosystem that we have, helps prevent infections from overgrowing. 80% of your immune system lives in the gut. So if you wipe out that good bacteria, your immune system is gonna tank and you're gonna be more susceptible to parasitic infections or fungal infections or viral infections or other bacterial infections overgrowing in that gut lining. And then also autoimmune disease starts in the gut. You know, if you break down that gut lining over, you know, it usually takes years or decades to do that. It's not overnight. Um, what's gonna happen is that gut lining is gonna break down, and now you're getting toxins and waste products and infections that can slip into your bloodstream, go systemic, and start affecting other organ systems in your body, like your brain, you end up with brain fog or your lymphatic system, you end up with puffiness and inflammation in your feet or your face or your hands. So many different systems in your body, your gut also helps regulate hormones. So if you have hormone issues, look at your gut health. You know, there's a specific group of bacteria in the gut called the estrobilome that regulates estrogen and progesterone and testosterone in your body. Um, now obviously there's a lot of other organ systems involved in hormone regulation, but the gut is a big, big one. And then mental health, huge. I cannot tell you how many people who, once we start healing their gut, their anxiety goes away, their panic attacks go away, their depression goes away because your gut bacteria produce and store serotonin and dopamine primarily in the gut. I believe it's 95% of serotonin, 70% of dopamine stored in the gut, not the brain. So a lot of this mental health crisis that we're seeing, especially in America, a lot of it has to do with your gut health and the food you're putting in your body and the supplements you're putting in your body. What's the quality of those? Like that could be part of the issue. And then stress, and you know, there's obviously lots of other things going on there. And obviously, mental health is a more complex topic, but I'm just giving you, you know, examples of how your gut affects multiple different systems in your body. So this is why it's so important. It's not just, oh, can I poop every day and can I not have bloating? Your gut affects everything: brain health, gut brain connection, hormone health, mental health, immune system, so many different systems in your body that if you don't take care of it now, you're gonna end up with issues later on. So go in your cabinet, look for this little ingredient in there, you know, see if it's in any of your supplements. And if it is, chuck them, go get a different product. And there is a good one in stores that I believe does a good job of not including CMC in their products. It's called Now. It's that purple and orange label. So usually if someone's like, hey, I don't want to wait for shipping, go to, you know, Whole Foods or Sprouts, look for that brand. I believe they don't have CMC. At least last time I checked, they did not. But the best place to buy supplements, you guys, is gonna be through FullScript. Fullscript basically has all these good quality supplements shipped directly to you from their warehouse. Because if you don't know this, if you go on those big online stores and you order supplements, they're usually storing those supplements in giant warehouses that are not temperature controlled, not air conditioned. So if you're getting supplements shipped to you from Arizona from a giant warehouse that has no air conditioning, those products are already dead by the time they get to you. It's already destroyed because most of these products you have to store in a cool, dry environment. And so if you don't know where they're being held before they get to you, it's gonna just destroy all the good nutrients and all the good benefits in there for you. So always order from a place like Full Script. I know there's other online stores. I really love FullScript. I think they're amazing. If you don't have a full script account and you want access to one, just look at the link in the show notes. And you can definitely, you know, just create an account through there. And they give you a discount on all those products. So you actually, it's actually cheaper if you order through Full Script versus if you order directly from, you know, those companies like Thorn or Pearencapsulations. So, anyways, just want to chat with you guys about that ingredient because a lot of people don't know that it actually, you know, your supplements can actually be damaging your gut. A lot of people just think, oh, it's good for me. I need to take all these. And in reality, it's probably creating some, you know, chronic low-level inflammation over years that can eventually turn into more serious issues. So if you're someone listening to this and you're like, man, I have so many issues, I've got bloating, constipation, IBS, whatever the case is, and you're wanting to work with someone to really help shortcut the process and figure out, you know, what is the root cause and you know, potentially reverse it and get you back to normal, then go ahead and just click on the link in the show notes. Anyone listening to my podcast who wants to work with me, I'll give you guys $100 off an initial consult plus labs package. So you'll basically get the initial consult for free. But if you're someone who's really struggling and you don't really know where to start in terms of getting your gut health back on track, go ahead and click that link, book those appointments, and we'll get some testing done and jump on an initial consult, go through your whole health history. I'll walk you through my process and how I help people heal, and then we'll figure out what's going on and you know get you on a really specific care plan to heal up that gut and get your health back on track. So thank you so much for listening. If you guys enjoyed this episode, please do me a huge favor. Whatever platform you're listening on, if you could leave me a five-star review, um I would really, really appreciate that. Helps uh the podcast grow so I can bring on some amazing guests in the future to give you guys, you know, the best information in terms of all different sorts of natural health, whether it's lymphatic drainage or neurology, how to improve brain function or pre and postpartum exercises to make for a healthy birth process and a healthy recovery. So I got some really cool guests coming on this summer. It's gonna be great. I'm excited to bring them to you guys so you can learn more about different aspects of health, not just gut health. And that's kind of the whole goal of this show. So, to just bring so many different natural healing tools to you guys so that you know that in every stage of your life, whatever you're going through, there's gonna be an episode for you that's really gonna help get your health back on track. So thanks for listening, and I will see you on the next one.