LISTEN TO THE PODCAST – Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, I interviewed Dr. Vincent Pedre, a board-certified internist and functional medicine expert who has spent more than two decades helping people heal chronic gut conditions like IBS – often after they’ve been told “nothing is wrong.”
Dr. Pedre shares his personal journey into functional medicine, which began long before the term was mainstream, and how nervous system regulation, gut healing, toxin exposure, and stress physiology all intersect in ways conventional medicine often overlooks. We also dive into why IBS can be an early warning sign for autoimmune disease, why diet alone isn’t always enough to heal the gut, and how people can still enjoy coffee – without sabotaging their digestion.
If you’ve been gluten-free, dairy-free, “doing all the right things,” yet still struggling with bloating, reflux, brain fog, or food reactions, this conversation will help you understand what might be missing, and what to do next.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why IBS is often the first warning sign of deeper immune dysfunction. Dr. Pedre explains how years of gut inflammation can dysregulate the immune system, increase intestinal permeability, and eventually contribute to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s – long before labs reveal antibodies.
- How stress and nervous system dysregulation quietly sabotage digestion – even when you feel “fine.” Chronic stress suppresses vagal tone, lowers stomach acid and enzyme production, and slows gut motility. Your body always tells the truth.
- The hidden gut disruptors most people never test for. Mold exposure, parasites, yeast overgrowth, microplastics, and environmental toxins can damage the gut lining and microbiome, even without classic digestive symptoms.
- Why elimination diets don’t always lead to true healing. Removing foods can reduce symptoms, but true healing often requires repairing the gut barrier, addressing toxin load, supporting mitochondria, and calming the nervous system.
- The truth about coffee, gut health, and thyroid symptoms. Coffee itself isn’t the enemy – poor-quality beans, mold contamination, pesticides, over-roasting, and plastic exposure are. Dr. Pedre shares information on coffee that is cleaner and gentler on the gut.
- How targeted therapies can dramatically speed gut healing. Dr. Pedre shares how phospholipids, peptides, sauna therapy, and mitochondrial testing are helping patients tolerate foods again – often in months instead of years.
I’ve got a new book coming out!
Thyroid patients often have gut issues that are labeled under a catch-all diagnosis of IBS. Through my thyroid healing journey, I’ve learned so much about healing the gut that I decided to write a book about it! My new book, IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is a comprehensive guide that reveals how irritable bowel syndrome is often a catch-all diagnosis that overlooks treatable root causes. It offers a step-by-step approach to help readers understand what’s really driving gut symptoms, and how to create a personalized plan to restore gut health and overall wellness. The book is available for preorder here and will be released on March 17, 2026!
Guest Resources / Connect with Dr. Vincent Pedre
- Visit Dr. Pedre’s Website and explore products at Happy Gut Life
- Try Happy Gut Coffee (use code DR.IZABELLAWENTZ for 10% off)
- Follow Dr. Pedre on Instagram
- The GutSMART Protocol: Revitalize Your Health, Boost Your Energy, and Lose Weight in Just 14 Days with Your Personalized Gut-Healing Plan by Dr. Vincent Pedre
- Happy Gut: The Cleansing Program to Help You Lose Weight, Gain Energy, and Eliminate Pain by Dr. Vincent Pedre
Supplements We Discussed
- Phosphatidylcholine (BodyBio PC) – Supports gut barrier integrity, bile flow, detoxification, and brain health. (Note: It is soy-derived.)
- Gut-healing peptides (BPC-157, KPV) – Used to accelerate intestinal repair under practitioner guidance.
- Probiotics – Used strategically to restore microbiome balance after gut damage. Consider Rootcology ProB 50.
Other Tools and Resources
- Infrared sauna therapy – Helps mobilize fat-soluble toxins like microplastics. Consider Sunlighten Saunas and save up to $1,400 on your Sunlighten purchase with this link.
- Mitochondrial function testing (Mescreen) – Evaluates cellular energy production and oxidative stress.
- Functional stool testing – Identifies infections, dysbiosis, and gut inflammation.
- Vagus nerve activation practices – Breathwork, meditation, yoga, and time in nature.
Books and Articles About Gut Health
- IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Dr. Izabella Wentz. This comprehensive guide offers a step-by-step approach to help you understand what’s really driving gut symptoms, and how to create a personalized plan to restore gut health for overall wellness. The book is available for preorder now and will be released on March 17, 2026!
- Intestinal Permeability, Autoimmunity, and the Hashimoto’s Connection
- Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Hashimoto’s
- The Fundamental Gut Health Protocol
- 6 Root Causes Behind Leaky Gut and Autoimmunity
- Common Hashimoto’s Patterns Seen in the GI-MAP Test
- The Best Probiotics for Hashimoto’s
- Mold: A Potential Trigger of Hashimoto’s
- Benefits of the Infrared Sauna That Can Reduce Symptoms of Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism
- Controversy: Is Coffee Bad For Your Thyroid?
Get the Full Episode Transcript
Let’s Connect!
- Follow me on Instagram: @izabellawentzpharmd
- Get my FREE weekly thyroid & gut health newsletter: Sign up here
- Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or rate it on Spotify!
Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 🙂
About Our Host
Dr. Izabella Wentz
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a compassionate, innovative, solution-focused integrative pharmacist dedicated to finding the root causes of chronic health conditions. Her passion stems from her own diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009, following a decade of debilitating symptoms.
Dr. Izabella Wentz has written several best-selling books, including the New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, the protocol-based #1 New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, the Wall Street Journal bestseller Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology: Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health, and Adrenal Transformation Protocol. Her latest book, IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, will be released on March 17, 2026, and is available for pre-order here.
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About Our Guest
As a board-certified internist and functional medicine expert, Dr. Pedre’s mission is simple yet profound: to transform health. With over two decades of experience in Western and Eastern medical traditions, he offers more than healthcare; he provides a personalized pathway to wellness. With over 20 years of experience as an MD, he has treated over 10,000 patients. He is also a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner trained in breathwork and yoga techniques. His journey in medicine has been both personal and professional, and he has developed a patient-centered, holistic approach that transcends traditional symptom treatment. It’s about going deep, understanding and nurturing patients as a whole person in body, mind, and spirit.
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