Leaky Gut Syndrome
When we eat food, it travels from the mouth to the stomach, to the small intestine then the large intestine, and then the waste is excreted through our anus. Along this food, tube is a mucus membrane. When this mucus membrane gets damaged, the tight junctions are torn apart, are you have a situation called Leaky Gut.
The intestinal wall is usually permeable for very small nutrient particles to enter the bloodstream. When a person has a leaky gut, undigested food begins to leak into the bloodstream, causing a whole host of health and even fitness challenges, including a compromised immune system and brain function, and weight gain, as the body sees this undigested food as a foreign invader and tries to attack it. Undigested food puts a huge burden on the immune system as the immune system tries to get rid of it, which can lead to autoimmune conditions.
The mucus membrane also protects the bloodstream from foreign invaders such as pathogens and toxins. When these tight junctions are torn apart, these toxins and pathogens can leak into the bloodstream and also wreak havoc on the body and open the door for autoimmune conditions.
Leaky Gut Causes
There are many reasons why people can experience leaky gut. Some common causes include:
-Imbalanced gut microbiome
-Heavy metals and toxins being dumped into our environment and food
-Eating fake foods and food that is not suited for optimal health
-Eating foods that you are allergic too
-Undigested food particles
-Zinc deficiency
-Oxalates in food
-An overgrowth of candida or other pathogens
-Not getting enough rest
-Living an over-stressed and sympathetic dominant lifestyle
These all create a recipe for a leaky gut which is the root to many people’s health challenges.
Leaky Gut Symptoms
- Brain fog
- Acne or other skin disorders
- Weight gain
- Allergies
- Nutrient deficiency
- Hormonal imbalances
- Mood imbalances
- Thyroid problems
- Poor immune system/autoimmune conditions
- Excessive fatigue
- Headaches
- Digestion problems: diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating
Solution
1. Remove the foods that you are allergic to or have an intolerance to.
This can be discovered through a good IgG Food Sensitivities Test that a TWT Health Practitioner can order for you or just by doing it through a food elimination diet. The first comes with a fee but is quick and very effective. The second is very cost-effective but it takes time and paying close attention to how certain food is affecting your body.
Gluten, dairy, and nightshade foods such as eggplant, white potatoes, and peppers all should be avoided, especially in the initial stages of trying to repair a leaky gut.
2. Eat foods that reduce inflammation:
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are full of beneficial bacteria that is crucial for a healthy gut and optimal digestion. The better our food digests, the less we cause stress on the intestinal lining and the more our body can go to work on healing the intestinal walls.
Bone Broth
Bone broth is full of collagen, glycine, proline, minerals and glutamine which are all key nutrients for healing a leaky gut.
Fatty Foods such as butter and coconut oil
Contrary to what we have been taught, fat is good for our health, saturated fat included. In fact, our brain is about 70% fat.
Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid which has anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties which it is why it is included in many gut healing protocols.
3. Take high-quality gut healing supplements:
L-Glutamine
L-Glutamine is an amino acid that heals the tight junctions of a leaky gut. Take 2-5 grams/day.
Probiotics
Many people have an imbalance in their gut microbiome. They do not have enough good probiotic bacteria so it leaves room for the pathogenic bacteria, yeast, fungus, etc to proliferate. Low healthy probiotic bacteria also lowers that amount of available Zinc which is key for a healthy gut.
Zinc
A deficiency in Zinc can cause leaky gut so supplementing with Zinc can actually tighten the leaky gut.
Fish Oil
Leaky gut starts will leaky cells. Cells have a membrane that is called a phospholipid bilayer. This means that they are made out of fat. We must balance out omega 3’s and 6’s and most people have low omega 3’s, which fish oil is full of. Fish oil can help restore cell membranes so nutrients can freely flow inside and out.
Slippery Elm
Slippery Elm is an herb that coats the intestinal lining of the gut and therefore is soothing for the mucus membrane.
Marshmallow Root
Marshmallow Root reduces inflammation, decreases bacteria and repairs the gut lining.
4. Reduce and/or manage your stress better
It is best to eliminate our stressors as much as possible. To a certain extent we still always have stress and not all stress is bad, it’s just when it becomes too much. When we have a lot of stress that is not being dealt with, it can cause food to be undigested and acidity to rise which creates tears in the intestinal lining.
Adaptogenic herbs such as holy basil, ashwagandha, and eleuthero can help a person’s body to deal with stress better as well as taking moments to pray and deep breathe.
5. Get enough sleep each night
Much of our recovery takes place while we are sleeping. When we do not sleep enough it can raise our cortisol and stress levels. Getting enough sleep at night will help the body to heal itself.
6. Work with a qualified health practitioner to get rid of your gut infections
This is key in completely healing a leaky gut. Gut infections such as an overgrowth parasitic, fungus or candida will keep creating tears in the intestinal lining as long as they are subsiding in the gut.
