The gut is the gateway to health. If your gut is healthy,
chances are that you’re in good health. However, there’s a condition called
leaky gut that can lead to a host of health problems.
What is leaky gut?
The gut is naturally permeable to very small molecules in order
to absorb these vital nutrients. In fact, regulating intestinal permeability is
one of the basic functions of the cells that line the intestinal wall. In
sensitive people, gluten can cause the gut cells to release zonulin, a protein
that can break apart tight junctions in the intestinal lining. Other factors —
such as infections, toxins, stress and age — can also cause these tight
junctions to break apart. Once these tight junctions get broken apart, you have
a leaky gut.
When your gut is leaky, things like toxins, microbes, undigested
food particles, and more can escape from your intestines and travel throughout
your body via your bloodstream. Your immune system marks these “foreign
invaders” as pathogens and attacks them. The immune response to these invaders
can appear in the form of any of the nine signs you have a leaky gut, which are
listed below.
What causes leaky gut?
The main culprits are foods, infections, and toxins. Gluten is
the number one cause of leaky gut. Other inflammatory foods like dairy or toxic
foods, such sugar and excessive alcohol, are suspected as well. The most
common infectious causes are candida overgrowth, intestinal parasites,
and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Toxins come in the form of
medications, including NSAIDS like Motrin and Advil, steroids, antibiotics, and
acid-reducing drugs. They can also present in the form of environmental toxins
like mercury, pesticides and BPA from plastics. Stress and age also
contribute to a leaky gut. If you suffer from any of the following conditions,
it’s likely that you have a leaky gut.
9 signs you have leaky gut?
- Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Seasonal allergies or asthma
- Hormonal imbalances such as PMS or PCOS
- Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, psoriasis, or celiac disease
- Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
- Mood and mind issues such as depression, anxiety, ADD or ADHD
- Skin issues such as acne, rosacea, or eczema
- Diagnosis of candida overgrowth
- Food allergies or food intolerances
How do you heal leaky gut?
In my practice,
I have all of my patients follow The Myers Way comprehensive elimination diet,
which removes the toxic and inflammatory foods for a certain period of time. In
addition, I have them follow a 4R program to
heal their gut. The 4R program is as follows.
- Remove the bad — The goal is to get rid of things that negatively affect the environment of the GI tract, such as inflammatory and toxic foods, and intestinal infections.
- Replace with good — Add back the essential ingredients for proper digestion and absorption, such as digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid and bile acids.
- Restore the balance — It’s critical to restore beneficial bacteria to reestablish a healthy balance of good bacteria.
- Repair the damage — It’s essential to provide the nutrients necessary to help the gut repair itself. One of my favorite supplements is L-glutamine, an amino acid that helps to rejuvenate the lining of the gut wall. If you still have symptoms after following the above recommendations, I would recommend finding a Functional Medicine physician in your area to work with you and to order a comprehensive stool test.
This
article
is by Amy Myers, MD, a renowned leader in Functional Medicine.
