What is Leaky Gut?
Leaky gut begins with irritation an inflammation in the lining of the gut from ingested items like medications, alcohol, wheat gluten, other food triggers, food sensitivities, harmful bacteria overgrowth, environmental factors and stress.
The gut is naturally permeable to very small molecules to absorb vital nutrients. Think of it as a strainer only letting small intended particles through. Regulating intestinal permeability is one of the core functions of the cells that line the intestinal wall is to keep unwanted items and toxins out of the body. Think of the road from your mouth to the toilet as a tunnel. Anything that enters the body travels through this tunnel, is broken down, filtered through and analyzed by the digestive organs to ensure no unwanted substances or harmful toxins are absorbed and make it into the bloodstream.
When the intestinal lining becomes weakened and inflamed or certain proteins released break apart this lining, the gut begins to leak things like toxins, microbes, and undigested food particles.
These items escape from your intestines and travel throughout the body via the bloodstream. The immune system sees these foreign invaders as pathogens and attacks them.
The immune response to these invaders can appear in the form of any of the signs that you have leaky gut which is listed below. Leaky Gut can lead to many different health problems, from digestive issues to depression. A person with Leaky Gut Syndrome is not only negatively affected by the toxins that breach the gut barrier, but are usually suffering from malabsorption of vital nutrients and minerals needed for overall good health.
Here is a picture of inflamed intestines with Leaky Gut Syndrome.
Symptoms of Leaky Gut vary between individuals. Often depending upon someone’s genetic predisposition factors and organs of vulnerability. Leaky Gut Syndrome usually begins with digestive issues like bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, cramping or other gut discomfort. It can then escalate to immunity issues as the toxins seep into the bloodstream and attack the body. Ailments such as chronic fatigue, chronic inflammation, mood disorders, and weight gain can be a product of a leaky gut. As well as diseases like immune system disorders, thyroid diseases, joint pain, liver, spleen, gallbladder and issues with other organs.
Healing leaky gut can be done by implementing healing foods, following an anti-inflammatory diet, identify food triggers (ex. Gluten, nightshades, dairy), balance your gut pH levels, nourish and strengthen the gut lining with key nutrients, treat the specific organs that aid digestion (ex. liver, spleen, gallbladder), re-balance microbes, increase good bacteria and replenish probiotics in the body.
One of the best homemade recipe for helping the body heal leaky gut is bone broth. Full of amino acids that are the building blocks of the tissue lining of the gut, nutrients, and collagen. Follow this link for our simple yet powerful Bone Broth Recipe.
