The 5R Protocol That’s Helping People Reverse Disease Naturally

Mark Hyman

Jun 2, 2025

Episode description

Many chronic health conditions—such as IBS, asthma, and autoimmune disorders—can be traced back to imbalances in the gut. Disruptions to the microbiome caused by antibiotics, poor diet, food sensitivities, and environmental exposures can lead to inflammation, malabsorption, and increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Addressing gut health through a structured Functional Medicine approach called the 5R’s of gut repair—removing harmful triggers, replacing missing digestive factors, reinoculating with beneficial bacteria, repairing the gut lining, and rebalancing lifestyle factors—can restore balance and improve systemic health.

In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Elizabeth Boham and Raja Dhir, the Functional Medicine approach to healing the gut and why the gut is at the center of imbalances in the body, including many health conditions.

Dr. Elizabeth Boham is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Albany Medical School, and she is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and the Medical Director of The UltraWellness Center. Dr. Boham lectures on a variety of topics, including Women’s Health and Breast Cancer Prevention, insulin resistance, heart health, weight control and allergies. She is on the faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Raja Dhir is the co-founder and co-CEO of Seed Health, a microbiome science company developing innovative probiotics and living medicines to advance human and planetary health. He specializes in translating cutting-edge microbial research into impactful products and leads Seed Health’s academic collaborations with institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Caltech, and the NIH. Raja co-chairs Seed’s Scientific Board alongside Dr. Jacques Ravel, guiding research across microbiology, immunology, genetics, and ecology. He also directs LUCA Biologics, a company focused on the vaginal microbiome and women's health, and oversees SeedLabs, which drives environmental initiatives. Through this work, Raja plays a key role in accelerating microbiome-based solutions from discovery to market.

This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers.

Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN10 to save 10%.

Full-length episodes can be found here:

What Is Leaky Gut And How Can You Treat It?How to Select a Probiotic and the Future of the Microbiome How To Do The 10-Day Detox

Episode description

This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers.

Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN10 to save 10%.

Full-length episodes can be found here:

What Is Leaky Gut And How Can You Treat It?How to Select a Probiotic and the Future of the Microbiome How To Do The 10-Day Detox

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Beware acid blockers: they can trigger IBS and nutrient deficiencies

Acid-blocking drugs, often prescribed for decades, can cause irritable bowel syndrome, bacterial overgrowth, and nutrient deficiencies.

#IBS

#PPI

Question probiotic labels for accuracy and effectiveness

The number one gastroenterologist-recommended probiotic is 96% yogurt starter culture, despite listing nine different strains on the label.

#probiotics

#testing

Test for leaky gut with SYX2 blood test

A specific blood test called SYX2 can measure antibodies to determine if you have a leaky gut, or increased intestinal permeability.

#blood-test

#leaky-gut

Nourish Akkermansia with pomegranates and cruciferous vegetables

The beneficial gut bacteria Akkermansia, which protects the gut lining, can be fed with ellagic acid from pomegranates and sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables.

#microbiome

#nutrition

Boost Akkermansia levels with pomegranates, cranberries, and green tea for effective cancer therapy

Low levels of the gut bacteria Akkermansia can cause cancer immunotherapies to fail, but can be increased by eating pomegranates, cranberries, and green tea.

#cancer

#microbiome

Avoid high-glycemic fruits during detox for optimal results

During a 10-day detox, you should avoid even healthy, high-glycemic fruits like grapes, bananas, and pineapple to completely shut down your body's blood sugar response.