What is GAPS?
Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAP Syndrome or GAPS) is a condition establishing a connection between the functions of the digestive system and the brain. This term was coined by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, MMedSci (neurology), MMedSci (human nutrition) in 2004 after working with hundreds of children and adults with neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as autistic spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD), schizophrenia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, obsessive –compulsive disorder, bi-polar disorder and other neuro-psychological and psychiatric problems.
Gut and Physiology Syndrome includes chronic physical conditions which stem from an unhealthy gut, such as all autoimmune conditions (celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes type one, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune skin problems, Hashimoto disease and other hormonal problems, etc.), asthma, eczema, various allergies, food allergy and intolerance, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple many endocrine disorders (thyroid, adrenal and other), chronic infections, many neurological diseases and all chronic digestive disorders (such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis, colitis, etc).
The collective bacteria that reside along the GI tract is referred to as your gut microbiome. Clinical research continues to reveal how significant the health and function of the gut flora are to every physiological action in the body including metabolism, digestion, nutrient production and absorption, neurotransmitter production and transport, inflammation, detoxification, etc. Through dietary intervention, targeted supplementation, detoxification, and lifestyle changes, the nutritional protocol is designed to restore digestive function, brain function, and overall health.
To learn more about the GAPS Diet, please read Dr Campbell-McBride’s book Gut and Psychology Syndrome available here. To read Dr. Campbell-McBride’s new book Gut and Physiology Syndrome, order it here.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride holds a degree in Medicine and Postgraduate degrees in both Neurology and Human Nutrition. In her clinic in Cambridge she specialized in nutrition for children and adults with behavioral and learning disabilities, and adults with digestive and immune system disorders.
Dr. Campbell-McBride set up The Cambridge Nutrition Clinic in 1998. As a parent of a child diagnosed with learning disabilities, she was acutely aware of the difficulties facing other parents like her, and she has devoted much of her time to helping these families. She realized that nutrition played a critical role in helping children and adults to overcome their disabilities, and has pioneered the use of probiotics in this field.
She believes that the link between learning disabilities, the food and drink that we take, and the condition of our digestive system is absolute, and the results of her work have supported her position on this subject. In her clinic, parents discuss all aspects of their child’s condition, confident in the knowledge that they are not only talking to a professional but to a parent who has lived their experience. Her deep understanding of the challenges they face puts her advice in a class of its own.
**This site should be used as a complement to Dr. Campbell-McBride’s book Gut and Psychology Syndrome and is in no way a substitute for all the information provided within it.**