If you read any health blogs or visit a natural health practitioner, the chances are that you’ve heard of ‘leaky gut syndrome.’
This diagnosis is becoming very common amongst practitioners as we discover more and more about our digestive system, how it works and relates to other various conditions.
Some may say that the term is being a tad over-used. But I think the reality is, most of us have or will have leaky gut at some point in our lives. It’s kind of inevitable with the lifestyle we all lead today.
The key is to identify when you do have it, what the underlying cause is, and how to address it.
What is leaky gut?
Imagine your gut lining is like a net with very small holes in it. These holes are there so very small particles (like nutrients) can pass through our stomach lining into our bloodstream. Certain lifestyle and dietary factors can damage our stomach lining increasing the size of these holes in our net.
When we have these large holes in our stomach lining (i.e. leaky gut), all of the foods, toxins and pathogens which enter our stomach, now filter out into our blood stream. This activates an inflammatory response in the body, leading to a range of symptoms and conditions listed below.
Symptoms of leaky gut:
– Malabsorption causing nutritional deficiencies like vitamin B12 and iron.
– Food intolerances or Increasing food reactions
– Digestive problems like bloating, pain, candida, reflux and IBS (constipation or diarrhoea)
– Poor immunity
– Auto-immune conditions like Hashimoto’s Disease
The point to understand here is that everyone’s body is unique and responds differently to leaky gut. Some people might simply experience bloating, and for others it may result in full blown food intolerances.
What causes leaky gut?
A stressful lifestyle:
– emotional stress
– excessive alcohol
– cigarettes
– toxins
– medications
A poor diet:
– excessive sugars
– gluten
– refined and processed foods
And/or poor liver or gallbladder function can contribute too.
Leaky gut affects the whole body
As Hippocrates stated “All disease begins in the gut.”
We digest and absorb the nutrients from our foods in our gut, and not to mention it is home to our microbiome who we’re understanding more and more control so many aspects of our health, from our immune system to our brain development and mood.
So leaky gut really can have a systemic impact on your health.
Healing leaky gut
The good news is leaky gut is something which is completely reversible and through diet, lifestyle and supplementation, you can heal your gut, relieve symptoms and restore your health. Digestion is something which natural health practitioners like Nutritionists can really help with as our diet and nutrition is key.
If you think you might have leaky gut, here are my top 3 leaky gut healing tips:
1. Eat more vegetables!
The beneficial bacteria in our gut help heal the gut lining naturally, so help them thrive by consuming 7-9 handfuls of fresh vegetables daily for lots of fibre and antioxidants.
2. Consume a cup of bone broth daily
Make your own with my recipe – Healing Bone Broth
3. Introduce probiotics
Replenishing your gut with friendly bacteria, is key to helping heal your health. Chat to your health practitioner about an appropriate probiotic for your health.
Contact me directly for more information or book an appointment online here
