Diet and gut health play a key role in helping to clear high-risk HPV virus. As a women’s health expert and HPV specialist, I’ve helped thousands of women around the world address abnormal pap smears and get HPV to negative, once and for all. I’ve seen first-hand that helping women to optimize their gut microbiome and to heal leaky gut is a sure path to helping them clear HPV and prevent cervical cancer. 

The gut-vagina connection isn’t well known, and it’s definitely not something you’re likely to hear about from your doctor’s office, even though more research studies are coming out every year documenting what’s called the gut-vagina axis. 

There’s communication both ways – not only does the microbiome in the gut influence the microbiome in the vagina, but also the microbiome in the vagina influences the gut. And, the microbiome in both locations communicates with our immune system, so our whole body gets signals from these microbes. 

This influences inflammation levels in both the gut and vagina, as well as susceptibility to infections, like high-risk HPV and others.

Most women are told by their doctors either that HPV will go away on its own (but then in some cases it doesn’t), or that it’s never going to go away. In both scenarios, women are left with needing to meet with their gynecologist every six months, essentially waiting for things to get worse. 

These are the options women face right now in the United States and other countries around the world. I know because I talk to thousands of women every year who tell me this is what they’re experiencing in the standard medical approach to HPV and abnormal pap smears.

Yet, by understanding the gut-vagina connection, we can help women optimize their gut and vaginal microbiome, and drop inflammation. With this information, we can reduce rates of HPV-related cancers like cervical, vaginal, vulvar, and other cancers.

Gut Health: Understanding Your Microbiome 

We used to think our bodies were sterile. We used to think the uterus was sterile. Then we figured out it’s not sterile – there’s a whole ecosystem. It’s referred to in research as an ecosystem, which is a nice way to think about it. 

An ecosystem isn’t just a single bacteria – there are millions of different kinds of bacteria in the vagina and trillions in the gut, with over 50% overlap between them. We can tell they’re moving back and forth between the gut and vagina because when we trace it down to the DNA of those microbes.

At first, we thought the only way we got exposed to bacteria was through vaginal births, but now we know that’s not the case. We’re getting exposed to bacteria throughout life. We know which bacteria make up a healthier ecosystem, and it’s different in the gut than in the vagina, but there are similarities. 

By the way, there’s also an ecosystem of microbes in the uterus and ovaries – it’s turning out every part of our body has its own microbiome. We have to let go of that concept of being sterile and instead embrace that we can work together in a symbiotic relationship with microbes that protect us. 

They actually help our immune system, help our nervous system, help us make nutrients and neurotransmitters. We depend on them – in fact, there are more microbial cells than human cells in our body.

When you start to realize this, you begin to shift priorities and ask: What do I need to eat not just to feed myself, but to feed my microbiome in a healthy way? What do I need to avoid eating? What toxins should I stay away from? We want to treat our microbiome like our best partner in life because they really are. The research is making this clearer every day.

Signs of Microbiome Disruption

Simply testing positive for high-risk HPV is a sign that your microbiome could be imbalanced, at least in the vagina, but quite likely in the gut as well. There are many other disrupting factors too. For example, both the gut and vaginal microbiome is disrupted by stress exposure. 

Most all of us have some stress exposure, so we need to constantly work to protect ourselves from it and help ourselves recover. That’s why I wrote the book “Master Your Stress, Reset Your Health” – the more you can master stress and recover from it while you’re exposed, the better you can prevent imbalances from happening.

Foods can disrupt the microbiome too, particularly gluten, which has extensive research showing it disrupts gut bacteria whether you have a sensitivity or not. Pesticides in non-organic food also harm our microbiome. 

Medications, especially antibiotics, can severely impact bacterial balance. We’re often overusing antibiotics, taking them when we don’t have bacterial infections or for longer than necessary. 

Antacids and acid-blocking medications affect the microbiome too, as do many other medications. Even having infections like food poisoning, COVID, or any other kind of infection can cause imbalance in the gut microbiome.

How do you know your gut microbiome is disrupted? Often you’ll get symptoms, especially if it’s moderate to severe disruption or what is called dysbiosis – an imbalance of bacteria. This could mean an overgrowth of inflammatory bacteria or a decrease in healthy bacteria.

Symptoms might include reflux, burping, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or cramping. You might be diagnosed with an autoimmune or inflammatory bowel condition. 

Some people don’t realize they have an imbalanced microbiome until we test for it. It might show up as skin rashes, anxiety, depression, migraines, sleep issues, or hormone problems affecting blood sugar, insulin, or ovarian function. PCOS and endometriosis are both connected to microbiome imbalances.

For vaginal microbiome disruption, you might notice discharge or frequent infections, or you might just test positive for HPV with no other symptoms. Sexual intercourse can disrupt the vaginal microbiome because you’re getting exposed to another person’s microbiome. Contraception, spermicides, douching, and chemical lubricants can all impact your vaginal bacterial balance too.

The Role of Leaky Gut

When gut bacteria are out of balance (and remember, the microbiome includes not just bacteria but other microbes as well), they can damage intestinal cells and raise inflammation. The body tries to protect you from this imbalance, so the immune system starts making inflammatory mediators or messengers. This leads to leaky gut, where the intestinal cells aren’t as healthy as they should be.

Normally, intestinal cells should digest your food and then absorb nutrients – that’s how we get our nutrition. But when we’re under stress, exposed to gluten, pesticides, medications, or have an imbalanced microbiome, these cells become unhealthy. 

This causes increased permeability, where food isn’t digested well and leaks through between cells as undigested particles. Your immune system then tries to protect you from the food you’re eating, even healthy foods like bananas and almonds. This creates food sensitivities, which are different from food allergies.

Food sensitivities involve different antibodies (IgA and IgG) and create delayed responses over days to weeks. They’re subtle – not sending you to the emergency room, but causing inflammation throughout your body, including the vagina. When there’s inflammation in the vagina, that increases susceptibility to high-risk HPV and other infections. 

This is exactly why in my “Say Goodbye to HPV Program” and when I work with women one-on-one, the first thing we do is identify leaky gut and food sensitivities.

Testing Options Available

Standard labs covered by insurance don’t usually test for these issues, but specialty labs offer comprehensive testing. These private companies often have their own scientists and research departments developing tests that can help people. While they may not be covered by insurance, they provide valuable information about your health status.

For gut health, several specialty labs now offer stool testing for the microbiome. Some are available directly to consumers, but I recommend doing a clinical microbiome DNA analysis. This PCR DNA analysis can show us if there are any pathogenic bacteria causing trouble, or if there’s an overgrowth of good or opportunistic bacteria. We can also see how well you’re digesting food and measure inflammation levels.

Similarly, there’s DNA analysis available for the vagina through different specialty labs. You can do a swab at home and send it in to see exactly what’s living in your vagina. It’s much more specific and sensitive than tests done at the gynecologist’s office. 

We can actually see if you have enough of the healthy Lactobacillus that should be living in the vagina. Studies show that when women have low amounts of these Lactobacillus species and the pH of the vagina goes up, there’s a much higher rate of high-risk HPV and cervical cancer.

Steps to Heal Your Microbiome

The healing process starts with identifying and removing inflammatory foods. The most common are dairy, gluten, and sugar. You could start today by decreasing these in your diet. 

Consider getting a food sensitivity panel – but not just any panel, as they’re not all created equal. I’ve been researching food sensitivity panels for over 20 years, and it’s important to use a highly specific test that will give you accurate information. You can find the one I recommend here: IgG & IgA Food Sensitivity Home Testing.

For protein sources, you might start with a healthy protein shake. In my product line, we have both pea protein and bone broth protein shakes that are hypoallergenic and non-inflammatory. You can make a protein shake without sugar that tastes good and gets you nutrients right away in the morning. Then you can use my leaky gut support program to start healing the intestinal lining.

If there’s an imbalance in the microbiome, we might need to do specialty testing and then follow my protocol using antimicrobial herbs and specific products that help drop inflammation, support intestinal cells, and support healthy bacteria. 

Many people ask me if they need a fecal transplant or need to start over completely. While I understand the temptation to go to extremes, I’ve helped many patients with severe cases heal their microbiome through a measured, strategic approach.

The Importance of Proper Digestion

It’s not just about eating fermented foods or taking probiotics – that’s a common misconception. People think they need to support their microbiome by eating lots of yogurt and fermented foods or taking huge amounts of probiotics, but that doesn’t always solve the problem. If you have an imbalanced system, adding more bacteria might just aggravate the situation.

I’m always very careful about recommending fermented foods or prebiotics right away. Yes, fiber is important, and healthy fruits and vegetables are important, but we don’t want to overfeed the bacteria. 

Most times when we’re under stress, we’re not digesting our food well and end up overfeeding our bacteria with undigested food. You’ll know you’re overfeeding bacteria if you get bloating, gas, or burping.

Start by taking deep breaths before meals. When you take deep breaths, you’re telling your nervous system to create calmness and start digesting food. Put your hands on your belly, take a couple of breaths, and say, “OK digestion, I need you to digest my food so that I get the nutrients and to feed my bacteria, but I don’t want to overfeed them.” These mindfulness activities can make a huge difference.

Then focus on eating the right amount of low-inflammatory foods. This could be animal protein in small quantities – chicken, turkey, salmon, even beef. Include vegetables and fruits, maybe up to half a cup each, getting those colorful options with antioxidants and nutrients. 

Chew well to digest your food and enjoy it, helping your body realize it has a connection with that food. This way you get the nutrients without the inflammation from sugar, gluten, and dairy.

Getting Professional Support to Clear HPV

This healing journey requires stepping outside the standard medical system. That’s why I’ve set up my practice to help people wherever they are in the world, through phone and video consultations, both one-on-one and in group programs. 

I believe you should have access to this information because I know you can heal yourself. I know you can heal your leaky gut and microbiome, and you can fend off HPV when you have the right information and support.

I welcome you to visit my website at clearhpvnow.com where you can find more resources and support, as well as the programs I’ve mentioned to help guide you on this path. 

You’re entering onto a path of learning how to give your body what it has needed all along but you just didn’t realize what it needed. It’s not about throwing everything at it at once – we have to go through a step-by-step process which I can guide you through.

If you’re a practitioner listening and would like to understand exactly how I guide people to heal the gut-vaginal axis, reach out to me. I’m training practitioners in this protocol to help women fend off high-risk HPV and prevent cervical cancer as well as other types of cancer. Together, we can help more people benefit from this information and create better health outcomes for everyone.

If you are ready and would like to start taking the first steps towards clearing HPV, I encourage you to sign up for my Say Goodbye to HPV Program. You can access it from anywhere in the world because it is online videos, with handouts, recipes, resources, as well as live sessions and a private app, where I teach you to implement my protocol in 12 weeks.

You’ll also get access to order specialty testing I recommend to help us understand what your body needs in order to heal, as well as vaginal suppositories. I’d love to teach you how to heal and protect yourself from HPV. 

If you are looking for supplements to start your journey to get HPV to negative, I have a specially designed HPV Support Bundle.

You can also go to clearhpvnow.com. There, you’ll find lots of resources and stories from women I’ve worked with. You can see that this approach really works, and it can work for you too. Or you can set up a one-on-one appointment with me.

Thanks so much for joining me here today. Please make sure to comment if you have questions or any thoughts, and also to subscribe and put on your notifications so you don’t miss my next video. I look forward to connecting with all of you very soon.

Remember, you are worth it. Your health is worth it. And you have the power to make positive changes in your life that can have a profound impact on your health and well-being. Don’t let fear or misinformation hold you back.

I’m here to help you!

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