The R’s of Gut Healing: A Path to Recovery for MEBO Sufferers

It’s always good to hear from past participants of our studies, especially those who have been able to heal. We are happy that Jonathan is doing well now and grateful for his contributions to research.

"I followed a method called The Four R’s of the Gut, if you have heard about it, and I wanted to ask if it’s a good idea to help people in the group using the way I was cured, since you have more experience in this. Because I strongly believe taking the GI Map Stool test gave me clarity on what needed to be done"

The Four R’s Approach to gut health—Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, and Regenerate—has been widely recognized as a functional medicine framework for restoring digestive balance. It was recently expanded into the Five R’s, adding Rebalance to address lifestyle factors. 

Many in our community who successfully overcame MEBO, TMAU, PATM and related gut dysbiosis issues unknowingly followed this approach. As we’ve explored in previous research, gut health is intimately connected to metabolic function, detoxification, and body odor.

Understanding the R’s

1. Remove – Eliminating harmful bacteria, yeast overgrowth, parasites, and inflammatory foods that contribute to gut dysbiosis. Testing, like the GI Map Stool Test, can provide clarity on specific pathogens or imbalances.
2. Replace – Restoring digestive efficiency with digestive enzymes, stomach acid (HCl), and bile salts to support nutrient breakdown and absorption.
3. Reinoculate – Rebuilding the gut microbiome with beneficial probiotics and prebiotics to ensure a balanced microbial environment.
4. Regenerate – Healing the gut lining with nutrients like L-glutamine, zinc, omega-3s, and collagen to repair intestinal permeability (leaky gut).
5. Rebalance - restoring the mind-body connection and lifestyle habits that influence digestive health

Emerging research suggests that gut dysbiosis and impaired detoxification play a role in conditions like MEBO, PATM and TMAU. Since the gut is a major site of toxin processing and elimination, any imbalance in microbial composition or gut barrier function may contribute to metabolic odors.

By restoring gut health, many have reported a significant reduction in symptoms—sometimes without even realizing they were following the Four R’s protocol.

Read the full article here: Olfactics and Olfactory Theranostics: From 4R to 5R: The Evolution of Functional Medicine in Gut Health

If you’ve successfully used this method or have questions about how to implement it, share your experience in the comments! Let’s continue learning from each other’s journeys toward recovery.

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