Health
Experts reveal 5-step approach to a healthier gut and stronger immunity
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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.
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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.
Some medical experts recommend using the “5R approach” to help restore the gut’s biodome. (iStock)
The gut-health connection
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.
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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.”
To rebalance, a doctor recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night and using stress management tools such as yoga, meditation and walks. (iStock)
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.
What are the 5Rs?
The 5R approach relies on the following essential steps to restore a healthy gut balance.
Remove
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.
“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,” an expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Replace
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.
Reinoculate
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.”
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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.
Repair
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.
Reinoculation involves introducing good bacteria to the gut through prebiotics and probiotics. (iStock)
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.
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Rebalance
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.”
Hands, pills and bottle in closeup for person with drugs, routine and schedule for health in home. Elderly patient, container and pharma product for supplements, wellness or benefits in retirement (iStock)
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.
Guidance is key
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.
It is important to perform the approach under the guidance of a trained practitioner, experts advised. (iStock)
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.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
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Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
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“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
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The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
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“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
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Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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