Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson reveals shocking battle with years-long health issue
But behind the tough-guy acting and countless WWE appearances, the 53-year-old star was privately dealing with a gut health issue that stumped doctors and disrupted his daily life for years.
In a conversation on The Mark Hyman Show, Johnson recently revealed that he had been suffering in silence from an ongoing digestive problem with no clear diagnosis.
'I feel great - and that's the odd thing - but I just can't crack it,' he told host Dr. Mark Hyman about how he felt prior to connecting with him.
Despite feeling physically strong, something in The Rock's system just wasn't working right.
But the turning point came in late 2023 during a conversation with his longtime business partner and former agent, Ari Emanuel, who encouraged Johnson consider trying functional medicine.
Functional medicine is a field focused on addressing root causes rather than just symptoms.
Emanuel connected him with Dr. Hyman - a leader in the field - who took a deeper look into Johnson's health with a virtual consult.
'I had no idea what functional medicine was,' Johnson admitted.
But after hearing Hyman's approach - going beyond surface-level symptoms to tackle the root of the issue - he was all in.
What followed was a mix of tests, including blood panels and stool analysis, to find what traditional medicine had missed.
They uncovered something surprising: Johnson's gut was still recovering from multiple rounds of antibiotics, which had wiped out a key bacteria called Akkermansia.
This bacteria plays a major role in maintaining the lining of the intestines and keeping inflammation in check.
Without it, Johnson had developed symptoms of what's commonly referred to as 'leaky gut.'
'I was just getting ready to launch into what would become a nine-month workload for me - nonstop work,' Johnson said.
The workload was his packed 2024 schedule that consisted of WWE matches, promoting Moana 2 and Red One, and shooting his upcoming biopic The Smashing Machine.
Part of the workload included regular WWE matches, promoting movies, and shooting his biopic
'And I was thinking, "Holy s**t, how am I going to get through this with my gut issues?"'
With Dr. Hyman's help, Johnson began a targeted treatment plan at the start of 2024.
The approach included personalized probiotics, plant-based compounds like cranberry and green tea, and a custom gut-healing shake filled with more than 10 different ingredients.
Slowly but surely, his digestive health began to improve.
'We basically rehabbed your gut,' Dr. Hyman said during the podcast.
'And now you're thriving.'
Johnson hasn't returned to the ring since WrestleMania 40, but he's stayed busy - and notably healthier - behind the scenes.
And while he was the catalyst behind John Cena's major WWE storyline shift earlier this year, it's clear that the real transformation was happening off-camera.
He told Dr. Hyman that he shared his story to remind others that healing sometimes means looking beyond the obvious and digging deep, even when you're The Rock.
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