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How To Calm A Cytokine Storm And Get Rid Of Chronic Inflammation

Ever heard of a cytokine storm? It’s sort of a mysterious blanket term for periods of high inflammation that those with chronic illness sometimes experience. Below, Danielle breaks down the cytokine storm, explaining inflammatory cytokines and how they affect the body.

Inflammatory Cytokines: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Manage Them | The Family That Heals Together

What are cytokines and how do they work?

A cytokine storm involves cytokines: tiny protein molecules that signal the cells around them. Examples of cytokines include:

  • Interleukins
  • Leukocytes
  • Lymphokines
  • Chemokines
  • Interferons
  • Tumor necrosis factors

Many cells in the body produce cytokines, even other cytokines!

Similar to cytokines, hormones signal other cells. However, hormones regulate overall body and organ functions, whereas cytokines are the messengers of the immune system.

Cytokine messengers are released from one cell and then received on receptors of nearby cells, creating a domino effect of help or harm.

Scientists discovered the first cytokines in 1957 and called them interferons because of their ability to “interfere” with viral replication. Since then, a number of cytokines have been found. For example:

  • Lymphokin- released from immune cells, lymphokines turn “on” or “off” other parts of the immune system. Essentially, sending smoke signals to other immune cells to mount an attack against an invader.
  • Interleukins- produced by leukocytes, interleukins regulate your immune response. In labs tests, interleukins matter. Low levels have been found in those with autoimmune disease and low immune illness.
  • Leukocytes- floating around in the blood and battling foreign invaders, leukocytes include macrophages, monocytes, lymphocytes, granulocytes. When your doctor suspects an infection, be on the lookout for high leukocyte numbers.

But, don’t get bogged down in all the “cytes.”

Cytokines are simply regulators that manage your body’s response to anything that shouldn’t be there: trauma, immune issues, inflammation, and infection.

Anti-inflammatory vs. inflammatory cytokines

Just like everything in the body, cytokines can be good or bad, anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory.

What’s more, all cytokines have the potential to express signals for health or disease, even if they traditionally belong in one camp.

This is because cytokines have the ability to stop or start inflammation, managing things like pain, fever, tissue repair and break down, and blood cell production.

And for better or worse, cells will keep replicating the messengers as they roam about.

What do pro-inflammatory cytokines do?

Interleukins (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (it just sounds awful – TNF) are pro-inflammatory cytokines, meaning they signal your body to continue allowing and creating inflammation.

These cytokines cause fever, inflammation, tissue deconstruction, and even death.

You can trace many pathological pain diseases to overactive pro-inflammatory cytokines.

What is a cytokine storm?

Just like any storm, a cytokine storm builds if left unchecked. More pro-inflammatory cytokines lead to even more inflammation, causing a domino effect, or the perfect storm… of pain.

Cytokine overproduction may keep your body in a constant state of inflammation which leads to even more inflammation.

Cytokines have a large role to play in an overactive immune response. Overactive immune reactions to infectious and noninfectious diseases can cause high fever, swelling, nausea, and fatigue. These are called cytokine storm symptoms, or CSS.

Macrophages from the initial inflammation activate a cytokine storm. Things like inflammatory foods, a negative outlook, emotional abuse, or lack of sleep will all feed the cytokine storm and keep the body inflamed.

Let’s talk about what cytokines have to do with chronic and acute health conditions, pain, inflammation, trauma, and mental health.

Overactive inflammatory cytokines play a role in chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, lupus, MS, and more.

Cytokines trigger disease to persist by releasing signals in the nervous system and a cytokine storm perpetuates inflammation. This can even happen in your brain, where depression and anxiety may be the result of active inflammatory cytokines.

If the body experiences an intense bout of harm but has reserves to heal itself, the cytokine reaction will only last for a short period of time. The body will have what it needs to heal and not allow cytokines to get out of control, causing constant inflammation.

However, if the body feels low on reserves and experiences intense pain – or experiences it for a long period of time – the body’s energy reserves cannot fight the inflammation cascade. 

This explains why cytokine storms are seen in chronic illness and pain sufferers, and not often in those without inflammation.

Again, the domino effect of the cytokine’s synergistic communication spreads more inflammation.

How To Calm A Cytokine Storm And Get Rid Of Chronic Inflammation | The Family That Heals Together

How to quiet a cytokine reaction

If you find yourself in a cytokine storm, adjusting your diet and lifestyle may be enough to calm the symptoms. However, if you have severe CSS, you may be a candidate for CSS treatments which block the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

But it’s important to address the root cause before treating with cytokine blockers, as they could make the condition worse.

For example, in the case of sepsis, cytokine blockers may support the spread of infection. But on the flip side, cytokine blockers also effectively manage IBS and rheumatoid arthritis. Cytokine blockers might also help with chemotherapy side effects, as many use anti-histamines (a type of cytokine blocker) to combat side effects.

There are also natural cytokine blocking supplements like this one that may help.

The biggest concern when using cytokine blockers is that they will interfere with the immune system’s ability to fight the foreign invader. For that reason, you may want to consider treating chronic pain with lifestyle changes, rather than conventional CSS treatments.

Lifestyle changes to calm a cytokine storm

Anti-inflammatory foods help calm a cytokine storm. This includes foods like wild blueberries, turmeric, green tea, celery, beets, and green leafy vegetables. Other foods slow the inflammatory messengers, such as organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats, and bone broth.

If you have an advanced cytokine storm, inflammation, or autoimmune disease, you may want to go beyond single foods and transform your whole diet. Consider the GAPS diet or an autoimmune paleo (AIP), keto, or paleo diet.

Fortunately, with lifestyle changes, even the worst cytokine storm can be quelled.

Your lifestyle plays a huge role in cytokine expression. These steps can help tame the storm:

  • Exercise regularly. Exercising at least two to three days per week can calm pro-inflammatory cytokines and greatly lessen pain. This includes walking, pilates, weight lifting, or whatever you enjoy.
  • Cut out inflammatory foods. Such as gluten, dairy, conventional meats, nightshades, oxalates, and legumes. If you experience serious pain, consider the GAPS diet to lower inflammation.
  • Be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of filtered water daily. In the middle of a detox? Drink more!
  • Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. (Read about how to improve your sleep here.)
  • Stimulate your vagus nerve and laugh, meditate, pray, or sing daily!
  • Get rid of negative thoughts. Instead, focus on positive affirmations or Bible verses daily.

Have you experienced a cytokine storm? How did you handle it?

The Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet

It’s time to start thinking about yummy kid foods that are lunchbox-friendly, and this animal cracker recipe fits the bill! Find the recipe below.

Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

When I shared on my personal Facebook page that I was having fun in the kitchen with this animal cracker recipe today, a friend commented “You’re so creative!” I do mention frequently here that I like to get creative in the kitchen, so guilty as charged I guess… but there’s so much more behind my motivation.

When you’re a parent of a kiddo who has to eat a special diet (but let’s be honest, all kids should be eating whole, real foods, regardless of their health or behavioral status!), it can become a sore subject between parent and child.

Kids can begin to feel like they are being deprived and can become resentful that they can’t eat the fun foods their friends eat at school, church, and sports or other activities. From the beginning of our paleo journey, I’ve made it a priority to remake all of my kids’ favorite foods and treats with healthy ingredients they can have.

In the same breath, I’ve made it a priority to teach them about nutrition, explain to them why our family eats the way we do, and make sure the majority of their diet is meats and veggies. (See: Is The Paleo Diet Healthy for Kids? for more information.)

But back to the fun foods. I’ve found that when I provide something that my kids feel is special, they don’t complain about not getting to eat whatever food-dye laced, gluten-filled, hydrogenated pseudo-food is being served up to their unsuspecting peers.

A while back, I started thinking about how fun it would be to recreate an animal cracker recipe with GAPS and paleo-friendly ingredients my kids could have.

I set to work searching for the perfect little cookie cutters and was a little nervous when all I could find was a set on ebay for less than $3 that would be coming from China. But, for less than three bucks, I was willing to risk them never arriving if that was the case. (I’ve since found some on Amazon that I’m not sure how I missed before, and I’ll share those with you below.)

Thankfully, they arrived, and surprisingly quickly. And they worked perfectly! Just look at these little cutie patooties!

Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

One of my little guys mentioned that there was no camel, which I thought odd because they’ve never had “real” animal crackers! Which means that whether these taste just like the real deal or not, my boys think they’re the bees’ knees.

(Because these are GAPS diet-friendly, they contain no starches and are lower in carbs. This means they are a bit softer and more chewy than typical crunchy, starchy animal crackers. But still delightful!)

Yeah, you could turn this animal cracker recipe into any ol’ cutout cookie, but what would be the fun in that? Because of the adorable little shapes, these cookies are just… special. 

Which means, when we pack them for snack at church or in a lunch box for our homeschool coop, I won’t get any flack because my kid can’t have whatever packaged food the kid next to him pulls out.

He has animal crackers. That mom made specially for him. And he can make the lion growl or make trumpeting sounds for the elephant and it’s ok to play with his food.

Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together
Sorry not sorry, Mister Zebra. Just another example of why animal crackers are so much fun!

My easy animal cracker recipe: the deets

So here’s the thing. These crackers are super duper simple. I based them off of my cheesy crackers recipe in my holiday cookbook Nourishing Holiday, but instead of cheese, I added a little honey and a smidge of vanilla and spices to create a lightly sweetened cookie-cracker.

But- they can be a bit tedious too. I’m not gonna lie, those adorable little cookie cutters were a pain in the behind. You have to wiggle them just right, and the thinner spots like elephant trunks and giraffe necks are prone to breaking. Thankfully, the dough is forgiving and it’s easy to smoosh parts back together.

If you want to keep them uber easy, I would suggest getting regular cookie cutters, which are bigger and don’t have little details for the dough to get stuck in.

But, if you love the authentic look of real animal crackers, these cookies cutters are your best bet.

The trick to tricky cookie cutters

Because the dough for this animal cracker recipe uses alternative ingredients, it’s a bit sticky, which means it sticks to the cookie cutters. I figured out if I pushed the plunger in and out as I wiggled the cookie cutter up off of the dough, it broke away pretty seamlessly.

You can also dip the cutters into a bit of starch before each use.

Mostly, it just takes a little finesse to get the dough from counter to cookie sheet. Let’s break down the steps.

Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

First, you need to roll out the dough between two layers of parchment paper, to about 1/4″ thickness. Carefully use the cookie cutters to cut your shapes, using the tips above.

Transfer the shapes to a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. I like to use a thin fish spatula to do the transfer.

Once baked, allow the animal crackers to cool before transferring them to an air-tight container. Or eagerly waiting hands.

Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

See the full animal cracker recipe below!

Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together
Print Recipe

Animal Cracker Recipe for GAPS and Paleo Diets

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time38 minutes
Servings: 3 dozen
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups finely ground almond flour
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • dash salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350*.
  • Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.
  • Add wet ingredients and mix using a hand mixer. Dough may become a bit crumbly.
  • Roll dough into a ball and place on a large piece of parchment paper, laid on a flat surface. Add another large piece of parchment on top.
  • Roll out dough using a rolling pin, to about 1/4" thickness.
  • Use animal-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes. If using plunge-style cutters, gently wiggle and push plunger in and out as you pull away from the dough.
  • Gently transfer shapes to a lined baking sheet, spacing cookies about an inch apart. A thin fish spatula can help with the transfer.
  • Bake for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden on the edges. Allow to cool before serving or storing in an air-tight container.

Animal Cracker Recipe for Paleo & GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

The Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo

Although I have a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe here already, I’ve been wanting to recreate one that is GAPS Diet-friendly, meaning no starches, honey-sweetened, and using a chocolate chip recipe without sugar. I am more than thrilled to report that after several attempts, I finally nailed it! You’ll find my GAPS Diet Chocolate Chip Cookies below.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

Ah, chocolate chip cookies, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

I have remade chocolate chip cookies every which way for every type of healing diet I’ve done. I’ve replaced the eggs and butter to make them vegan; I’ve made them gluten free (these are truly the absolute best if you want to really indulge and don’t mind some real deal sugar); and, of course, I’ve made my paleo version, which, if I say so myself, are the best paleo chocolate chip cookies I’ve tried to date.

Of course… since our family has been primarily on the GAPS diet for the last couple months, I knew at some point my cravings would get the best of me. I HAD to to make a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe we could have on GAPS.

I’m happy to say that after several attempts, I came up with the perfect GAPS chocolate chip cookie recipe! (Not that the fam didn’t appreciate all the recipe testing, but I’m so glad I kept tweaking until I got them just right!)

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

Why you’re going to love my healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe

I was a little apprehensive about using almond flour for my chocolate chip cookies, although it was the obvious choice for the GAPS Diet, as it’s high in fat and protein and low in starchy carbohydrates.

Early in my paleo baking days, it seemed that the popular almond flour chocolate chip cookie recipes needed to be pressed down while baking, or you wouldn’t get the nice, flattened classic cookie. (And I’m just not a huge fan of cake-y cookies that don’t go flat.)

It turned out that almond flour worked perfectly, and with just the right combination of ingredients and technique, you won’t have to flatten these bad boys out. They spread perfectly as they bake.

In addition, if you’re sure to get a very finely-ground almond flour, the texture isn’t too different from the classic cookies you’re used to that use wheat flour, especially if you take the extra time to sift it.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

It had truly been a while since I’d treated my boys to a good chocolate chip cookie. They celebrated through every iteration of these GAPS-style ones, but we all agreed, this final version was the best of all. I made them up early this week while the boys played outside (after the 109º weather had subsided).

Something about summer and sunshine gets my creativity flowing and I want to bake, which makes no sense when it’s over a hundred degrees outside. I also enjoy throwing down a nice, cool, refreshing popsicle now and again. But for some reason, summer and chocolate chip cookies go together in my mind.

Summer so far has been a combination of hiding from the heat and watching (too much) Netflix, now-banned video game playing, running in circles around our property, using questionable judgement while riding the four wheeler, and chasing and catching various critters.

This week’s unlucky captive pet is a sweet, little bunny who has somehow survived in this home with four boys for something like four days now.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

My oldest plopped her down while I was photographing these cookies and I couldn’t resist capturing her absolute cuteness.

Bright yellow flowers, (healthy) chocolate chip cookies, and baby bunnies. Yes, this feels like summer. As summer should be.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

Gosh, I hope she lives because she is just the sweetest, cutest thing. She eats every little piece of kale, grass, and strawberry my boys put in front of her little nose, and we’re giving her water with colostrum, so I’m feeling like she has a good shot.

But you came here for my healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe. Ahem. I’ll get on with it.

Listen, it’s chewy. It’s just a little doughy in the middle; just a little crispy on the outside. Sweetened only with honey for optimal digestion and absorption. Higher in protein and fats and lower in carbs (if you wanted to make them keto, I think you could sub some stevia glycerite and make some small adjustments, but I haven’t personally tried it).

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

Basically, these cookies are dangerously good. Even Mr. Incredible, who wouldn’t flinch at eating a conventional, junk-filled chocolate chip cookie, said they were killer. I believe his words were “I ate like ten of them.”

I hid a baggie of them away and then accidentally ate all but one myself. Oops. The Mister was thrilled when I whispered that I had saved him one and where he could find it.

A note on the chocolate chips

I knew that in order to make a truly GAPS-friendly chocolate chip cookie, I would have to make the chocolate chips homemade. So I did! And it was so easy and only took a handful of ingredients. Honestly, I had them made in about half an hour.

You can find my easy chocolate chip recipe here, but if you’re not into homemade (or patience), you can always grab a bar of Pure 7 chocolate or a Honey Mama’s bar, both of which are sweetened with honey.

However, making them yourself will save you money and, I think they taste better in these cookies.

You can get your hands on your own batch of dangerously good, but not-so-sinful chocolate chip cookies using the recipe below. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Print Recipe

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Servings: 2 dozen
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fine almond flour sifted for best results
  • heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup honey I like a thicker but not quite solid raw honey.
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup butter at room temperature but not too soft
  • 1/4 cup palm shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening on high with a hand mixer, creaming together until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
  • Add honey and beat once more until combined.
  • Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined. Batter may become a bit clumpy looking. This is fine.
  • Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt and beat with hand mixer until combined.
  • Stir in chocolate chips and pecan pieces by hand, then place bowl in refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough for about an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350*.
  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or use silicone baking mats.
  • Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto lined baking sheet, two inches apart.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes, until cookies are slightly browned on the edges.
  • For best results, allow cookies to cool completely before moving them, as these cookies are delicate.

Notes

*If you don't want to make chocolate chips, but still want to keep these cookies GAPS-friendly, you can use either a Pure 7 Chocolate Bar or Honey Mama's chocolate bar (I find them in the refrigerated section at the health food store), cut into chunks. I've tested both and both work well in this recipe.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | GAPS Diet + Paleo | The Family That Heals Together
Just be sure to share!

 

Easy to Prepare Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet

If you’re craving chocolate chip cookies, but not sure how to avoid the sugar in store-bought chocolate chips, look no further! This chocolate chip recipe is fast, easy, and sweetened with raw honey!

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

Even on the most restrictive of diets, you can find a way to “treatyoself;” at least where there’s a will, there’s a way… and I always have the will to create goodies. I’ve always wanted to create homemade chocolate chips, especially on the GAPS diet, so I can make a variety of treats that use chocolate chips chocolate chip cookies.

Because what is life if you can’t even create some version of classic chocolate chip cookies, regardless of whatever eating plan you may be on?

Enter my homemade chocolate chip recipe

It turns out creating a chocolate chip recipe was super simple, and required only a handful of ingredients. And now that I can make homemade chocolate chips, chocolate chip cookies are back on the menu, even on the GAPS diet!

Not only does this chocolate chip recipe work well for chocolate chip cookies, but I love throwing a handful into nut butter fat bombs, into a bowl of strawberries, or directly into my mouth. 😉

Although I kept is simple and just poured the melted chocolate into a puddle on a baking sheet, you can easily get molds to get more uniform chocolate chips if that’s important to you. However you choose to make them, they are so easy and take just a few minutes! Observe:

First, you’re going to gently melt your raw cacao butter over low heat. Then you’ll add honey, cocoa powder, and a little vanilla. You’ll want to use a stick blender to get a good emulsion because the honey tends to sink to the bottom. Alternatively, I think you could just keep whisking the mixture until it’s cooled.

*Note: if you’d like to make this chocolate chip recipe keto-friendly, you can sub 8-12 drops of stevia glyceriate in place of the honey.

Once the mixture is fully emulsified, you’ll simply pour it onto a baking sheet in a puddle. Pop it in the freezer and let it get hard. It will likely come out looking like this:

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

That’s perfectly fine because you’re going to cut it up into small chunks anyway:

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

If it’s important to you to have actual chocolate “chips,” this is a really cool chocolate chip mold, or you can use a silicone trivet like this to get evenly-shaped chips. Find the recipe below for exact measurements and detailed instructions.

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together
Homemade chocolate chips in a jiffy, and with just a few healthy ingredients!

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together
Print Recipe

Homemade Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet

Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 1 cup chocolate chips
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup raw cacao butter It will come in hard, broken chunks. Fill a 1/2 cup scoop with the hard chunks before melting.
  • 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder
  • 1-2 Tbsp raw honey to taste (less for more of a semi-sweet chocolate chip recipe) *see notes for keto sweetener option
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Heat cacao butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Remove from heat when there are just a few small, solid pieces left and whisk until all melted and smooth.
  • Add remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.
  • Use a stick blender to finish combining ingredients and ensure they're well-emulsified.
  • Pour into molds or onto a flat sheet and place in freezer for 15-20 minutes, until firm.
  • If you're pouring onto a sheet, slice into chocolate chunks once firm, like this:

Notes

*If you'd like to make these chocolate chips keto-friendly, sub stevia glycerite like this for the honey. The melted chocolate will spread more, so put it in a smaller container to freeze to avoid having too thin chocolate chips. Use 8-12 drops and taste as you go.
I store these in an air-tight bowl in the refrigerator, just to be safe, though I think they'd hold up at room temperature fine.
Be sure to use these chocolate chips in my GAPS-friendly chocolate chip cookies found here!

Know someone who would love this chocolate chip recipe? Sharing is caring!
Use one of our sharing links below.

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

How to Treat H Pylori Naturally at Home

We have lots of home remedies around here. If you’re battling an H pylori infection, you may be looking for a natural remedy. You can learn how treat H pylori at home, naturally, without resorting to antibiotics. Find the remedy below.

How to Treat H Pylori Naturally at Home | The Family That Heals Together

PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW SUPPLEMENT REGIMEN. THE CONTENT BELOW IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

It’s usually pretty easy to whip out some herbal remedy, natural supplement, or random concoction when dealing with sinus infections, stomach bugs and headaches.

However, I’ve you’ve battled serious, persisten stomach symptoms, you may find yourself scratching your head.

If the typical stomach flu remedies don’t seem to be working, you could be dealing with an H pylori infection. Thankfully, we can show you how to treat H pylori at home with a simple treatment that, for many, proves to be immediately effective at stopping symptoms.

You may even be able to avoid antibiotic treatment, the usual conventional H pylori treatment.

What is H pylori?

H pylori stands for Helicobacter pylori and is a type of spiral-shaped bacteria that affects the digestive tract. It’s common to contract H pylori during childhood and to not develop symptoms until much later, or ever at all, though it’s estimated to affect around 60% of the world’s adults.

H pylori may be responsible for the majority of ulcers.

H pylori can be diagnosed with a variety of tests, including a breath test and a stool test, though if you have symptoms, using the simple and inexpensive remedy found below is worth trying before resorting to expensive tests.

What are the first symptoms of H pylori?

The symptoms of an H pylori infection are a number of common digestive complaints:

  • bloating
  • excessive burping
  • heartburn
  • nausea
  • change in appetite
  • unexplained weight loss

One hallmark symptom of H pylori is burning in the stomach when it is empty. A more serious or prolonged H pylori infection may lead to diarrhea or constipation, fatigue and low energy, bad breath, and even mental illness like depression or anxiety.

How long can you live with H pylori?

H pylori may last for years without causing symptoms, though the longer one lives with the infection, the more damage it may do to the gut lining. Learning how to treat H pylori naturally will help to ease symptoms and prevent long-term health problems resulting from an acute infection.

Is H pylori infection curable?

H pylori, like many modern infections,  has adapted to its environment, and thrives within the gut. Rather than aiming to completely eradicate the bacteria, one should take the approach of creating a stomach environment that is hospitable to good, healthy bacteria so that the H pylori cannot thrive, and instead gets crowded out.

What kills H pylori naturally?

While the conventional treatment for H pylori is a combination of antibiotics (which doesn’t have a perfect success rate, as the bacteria can become antibiotic resistant, leading to worsening symptoms and recurring infections), learning how to treat H pylori naturally may lead to long-lasting results that won’t have unwanted side effects.

There is a protocol that can clear up an H pylori infection and stop symptoms quickly so that you can go back to enjoying life free of constant stomach discomfort:

A combination of raw manuka honey and black seed oil. Yep, a simple, inexpensive treatment may improve your symptoms overnight!

Here’s the protocol:

1 tsp per day raw New Zealand manuka honey
1 tsp per day black seed oil

That’s it. Treatment should last for a minimum of two weeks, until symptoms have cleared. Stomach discomfort may return if a dose is missed.

Manuka honey deets

All manuka honeys are not created equally. There are a few things you want to look for, including potency. Potency is rated by UMF- unique manuka factor.

The UMF will reveal how potent the antibacterial properties of a manuka honey are, which is determined by the amount of hydrogen peroxide, methylglyoxal, and dihydoxyacetone found in the honey. It’s important to choose a honey that is at least UMF 10.

The manuka our family uses and reserves for more serious conditions (like recovering from a tonsillectomy or acute infections like H pylori) uses a cute play on the UMF label by dubbing their honey UFF 1000- Ultimate FREZZOR Factor.

Frezzor boasts UFF 1000 because they not only have developed a very potent honey with antibacterial properties, they have added a few additional ingredients to increase efficacy, including herbal extracts and minerals for better absorption.

It’s also important to look for a manuka honey that is third party tested for glyphosate and other pesticide/GMO residues, which Frezzor is. You can buy Frezzor Pure New Zealand Manuka Honey here. Keep in mind that a small jar lasts a very, very long time, as it’s to be used as a potent medicine rather than food.

Black seed oil FYI

Black seed oil can be beneficial for a variety of illnesses. It’s made from the seeds of the black cumin plant (Nigella sativa). It is especially beneficial for treating H pylori because it’s been shown to be effective against drug-resistant bacteria.

In addition, black seed oil may be beneficial for liver health, treatment of cancer, and even diabetes.

There are lots of options out there, but look for a pure black seed oil. Choosing a pure liquid makes it easier to take larger daily amounts vs trying to take a tsp worth of capsules. You can get a good, affordable one here.

How to treat H pylori: other considerations

In addition the above treatment, one should keep in mind the health of their gut to make it a more hospitable environment for good microbes. Diet and other supplementation to support gut health and digestion are important.

What can I eat with H pylori?

A GAPS-style diet can be helpful for those suffering from an H pylori infection. Due to the high content of meat stock and broth and probiotic foods, the GAPS diet (particularly the intro portion of the diet) helps to heal the gut quickly, making it difficult for infections like H pylori and parasites to live.

This book and this book can help as you prepare to tackle the GAPS intro diet (and if you suffer from H pylori, you should strongly consider it!).

As a general rule, if you are suffering from symptoms of H pylori, avoid:

  • sugar
  • gluten
  • dairy that has not been cultured
  • starchy foods (including most store bought gluten free breads and foods)

Daily, incorporate these foods into your diet:

  • fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi
  • kefir, if dairy is tolerated, or look for one made with an alternative milk like coconut
  • meat stock (not to be confused with bone broth- read the difference here)
  • nourishing fats like ghee, tallow, and coconut oil (which is also antibacterial)

Other supplements to consider

In addition to learning how to treat H pylori with honey and black seed oil and changing your diet, you may want to incorporate some supplements that support digestive health.

Probiotics- we like these because they are gentle, allergen-free, and effective. Plus, one tiny bottle lasts for months and months for multiple people! Probiotics help to repopulate your gut with good microbes so that undesirable ones die out.

Digestive enzymes- if an H Pylori infection is impairing your digestion, especially if you’re experiencing indigestion and heartburn, you may need to try digestive enzymes. Those with ulcers should not take enzymes with HCL. These enzymes will help to break down sugars, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.

Have you suffered from symptoms of H pylori? Now that you’ve learned how to treat H pylori at home, please share using one of our links for others who may have symptoms.