Experts reveal 5-step approach to a healthier gut and stronger immunity

Fox News

17-07-2025

A healthier gut could start with one letter.
Some medical experts recommend using the "5R approach" to help restore the gut's biodome, which may improve mood, reduce inflammation and alleviate some chronic health conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and autoimmune disease.
First coined by the Institute for Functional Medicine in Washington, the plan focuses on five components of gut healing to help restore overall digestive health.
These include removing toxins and harmful triggers, replacing depleted digestive enzymes, reinoculating "good" bacteria in the gut, repairing the gut lining and rebalancing lifestyle.
Dr. Sydne Ford-Norton, a board-certified family medicine physician and co-founder of Spark Performance and Wellness in Atlanta, Georgia, said the 5R approach has helped her patients boost their energy levels, reduce bloating and improved bowel movements within a month.
Poor diet, certain medications, environmental exposures and food sensitivities can all disrupt the gut microbiome, physicians told Fox News Digital.
This can lead to symptoms like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel and joint pain.
The condition can also cause the cell lining in the gut to "leak" poorly digested food particles and inflammatory cells into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation and autoimmune reactions.
"The GI tract is the biggest immune organ of the body," Dr. Joel Evans, chief of medical affairs at the Institute for Functional Medicine, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"When you have problems with your gut, not only do you not feel good, but you end up with problems with your immune system, which can lead to autoimmune disease."
Jesús M. Luévano, M.D., an Atlanta gastroenterologist and spokesperson for the American Gastroenterological Association, confirmed the role that gut balance plays in overall health.
"What we eat affects how we feel, from the microscopic level where it promotes cellular health, to the balance of our gut microbiome with our own homeostasis," he told Fox News Digital.
"Providing our gut and our microbiome with the right forms of energy and avoiding pro-inflammatory agents — such as fried and fatty foods, alcohol, tobacco and ultraprocessed foods — is a key component for good gut health."
"The GI tract is the biggest immune organ of the body."
Dr. Alan Weiss, medical director of Annapolis Integrative Medicine in Maryland, agreed there is "no question" when it comes to gut's influence on overall health.
"Your GI tract has about 80% of your body's immune tissue in it, and your gut produces about 85% of the body's neurotransmitters," Weiss told Fox News Digital.
The 5R approach relies on the following essential steps to restore a healthy gut balance.
Removing stressors, foods and toxins considered to be inflammatory triggers is the first step, according to Ford-Norton.
These typically include gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods. Testing can be performed to detect any food sensitivities or allergies.
This component involves replacing depleted digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals.
"A lot of people are not producing the enzymes that are needed to properly break down food and get the nutrients we need," Ford-Norton said.
Reinoculation involves introducing good bacteria to the gut through prebiotics and probiotics.
"If you go back in time, people knew that fermented foods were important," Ford-Norton noted. "As we've gotten more busy in society and moved away from eating a more natural diet, we stopped eating those foods and replaced them with processed foods."
The expert encourages people to get their prebiotics through food rather than a separate supplement.
Fiber-rich foods, as well as fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, are rich sources ofese nutrients, she advised.
Repairing the gut lining is essential to improving nutrient absorption and reducing inflammation.
"Inflammation is the underlying imbalance that leads to most of the complex chronic diseases in the population, and then it affects our emotional well-being through the gut-brain connection," Evans said.
In most cases, Ford-Norton noted, the gut experiences some degree of harm — perhaps from medications, such as antibiotics, or chronic stress.
She typically prescribes omega-3 fatty acids, the amino acid L-glutamine, zinc supplements, and anti-inflammatory herbs such as aloe vera to repair the gut lining.
"It's all about rebalancing your emotions, your nervous system and your digestive system."
Eating foods rich in omega-3s, including chia seeds, hemp seeds and walnuts, can also be helpful.
It's important to check with a physician before taking supplements to avoid any interactions with underlying conditions, Ford-Norton added.
Rebalancing is "the key component that a lot of people miss," according to Ford-Norton.
"A lot of people want to just take supplements, [and] feel better without their sleep."
To rebalance, the doctor recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night and using stress management tools such as yoga, meditation and walks.
"It's all about rebalancing your emotions, your nervous system and your digestive system — it's all playing together," she said.
When implementing 5R, Ford-Norton said it is important not to skip any portion.
"I've seen so many people who do the elimination diet, but they don't do the Replace or Reinoculate component, so they have an incomplete treatment," she told Fox News Digital.
Evans and Ford-Norton agreed that while the 5R approach is not a guaranteed cure for health conditions, they have seen improvements in many patients' symptoms — and in some cases, reversal of chronic diseases.
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It is important to perform the approach under the guidance of a trained practitioner, they advised.
Weiss noted that while the 5R approach is a good resource, it is also vital to see a doctor to rule out infections or other diseases that could contribute to a person's symptoms.