In Terms Of Taking Digestive Enzymes Heres What I Recommend
- Take 1-2 with each meal. I do this just before my meal.
- If you are still having digestion issues, consider upping the dose to 2-3. You most likely will be fine with 1-2.
- During the early stages of leaky gut recovery make sure you take them before any meal or snack, even a simple protein shake for example. The idea is to really give the digestive system a helping hand at every turn.
Most importantly, look for a digestive enzyme supplement that contains the best enzymes for supporting digestion of all food groups. Heres the list:
Since there are 100s of different digestive enzymes on the market I often get asked, which one is worth taking.
Well, as you might have read in my article on digestive enzymes it is really important to choose a digestive enzyme complex that ticks 3 boxes.
Healing H Pylori Or Prevent Ulcers
Coffee is highly acidic and that acidity can also damage an inflamed stomach. Bacterial infections of the stomach can cause inflammation of the lining.
H. pylori is a bacterial infection of the stomach lining that causes the protective lining to wear away. In this case the acid in coffee can aggravate or cause ulcers.
How Does Leaky Gut Occur
The walls of our intestines are built to allow water and nutrients to pass through to our bloodstream. However, at the same time, bacteria and toxins enter the bloodstream, where they can be harmful. It is also worth noting that even though people usually talk about guts or intestines in general terms when discussing leaky gut syndrome, the loosening of our guts lining largely happens in the small intestine.
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Heres A List Of Popular Grains And Legumes To Temporarily Cut:
- Rice , oats, corn
- Beans, lentils, peas, peanuts
Make sure you avoid all the derivative products too, eg soy sauce , eg hummus etc.
Then in 30-90 days time you can consider adding them back in and seeing how you respond. My advice would be to add these back one at a time so you can see how you react to each specific type of grain or legume.
Remedies That Can Help
- Take a Prebiotic and a Probiotic Supplement. Prebiotics are food for your good gut-friendly bacteria. Products such as Molkosan are whey fermented with the bacteria Lactobacillus that helps convert sugars to lactic acid, a prebiotic.Probiotics are the good bacteria that live inside your gut. You may consume yogurt and fermented foods on a regular basis as they are loaded with healthy probiotics.
- Take Supplements that heal the gut. Digestive enzymes, L-glutamine and A.Vogel’s VeganOmega3 are really good for digestive health. Omega-3 Essential fatty acids are known to bring inflammation down and lubricate the intestines.
- Drink Tea. Ginger tea is really good for digestion and has got amazing anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea can also help in digestive disorders. Another reason green tea improves digestive health is because the catechins present in green tea tend to improve the production of the digestive enzyme known as pepsin. Therefore, the digestive system works better and absorbs nutrition from the food you eat.
References:
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The Leaky Epithelial Barrier In Intestinal Diseases
Evidence suggests that intestinal epithelial barrier function is regulated by physiological stimuli. Using isolated segments of hamster small intestine, it was shown that that Na+ – coupled nutrient transport triggers contraction of perijunctional actomyosin, thereby increasing intestinal tight junction permeability and enhancing absorption of nutrients . The role of Na+glucose transport in the regulation of epithelial tight junction permeability was further confirmed using Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells transfected with the intestinal Na+-glucose cotransporter, wherein the activation of the co-transporter increased and inactivation decreased the permeability of the epithelial cells . Further research showed that the phosphporylation of myosin light-chain catalyzed by myosin light-chain kinase was necessary for Na+-glucose co-transport-induced tight junction permeability regulation since pharmacological inhibition of MLCK prevented both MLC phosphorylation and regulation of tight junction barrier function in cultured intestinal epithelial cells .
So As You Can See Alcohol Has A Very Complex Relationship With The Gut
It is definitely NOT a friend to those of you with leaky gut. But once you heal your leaky gut its kind of like an acquaintance from work
you can invite them to some of your get togethers, but definitely not all of them. Moderation is the name of this game!
Happy drinking to you and your glorious gut!
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Does Alcohol Contribute To Leaky Gut
Well, lets kick things off by first realizing that, YES, alcohol does contribute to leaky gut1.
Now I know this is not the ideal answer you or I want to hear. But the good news is Im not about to go full Prohibition Era on you and say you need to give it up for good.
In fact, even I myself do NOT abstain from alcohol on any permanent basis.
You see, I think some of the most enjoyable times are those spent with friends and family. From sharing a nice meal together in the city to long afternoon cookouts in the backyard, these are the times I love.
And during these times we often like to share a bottle of wine or try some new beers together, and its always fun. Stories flow, laughs are had and it makes for great memories. I dont want to say goodbye to that.
But if you are currently suffering from a leaky gut , I have some bad news for you
unfortunately for you, an unhealthy gut is NO place for alcohol, and so temporarily saying goodbye might be the best idea. Let me explain
And Heres How I Recommend You Tackle This Diet
- For starters, grab my free leaky gut recovery guide to see my top 7 recipes. During my times of poor gut health Ive simply rotated amongst these 7 meal ideas. Theyre easy to cook, taste amazing and require very few ingredients.
- Fish and meats are your new BFF. This is where the majority of the flavor in the leaky gut diet comes from. Take the advice below in idea #14 seriously, and try to buy high quality meat and fish as much as possible.
- Focus on green and colorful vegetables. Obviously some of you will suffer from leaky gut syndrome so badly that even many vegetables out there will irritate your gut to no end. In which case simply eat what your body responds best to.
- Some* starch is okayin vegetable form that is. Depending on how you react try to eat some starchy vegetables like sweet potato, yam, yucca etc. I find the mouthfeel and way they fill me up to be most satisfying. And they really round of dishes made with the 2 food groups above. *Keep an eye on max serving size recommendations in the image above.
- Everything else. Nuts, eggs, many nightshades , low sugar fruit etc can all have their place in your leaky gut diet too, but theyre not for everyone. And as I explain below in idea #22, some of you may really need to limit serving size significantly and test these to see if they make sense for you.
No matter how good your diet is though, I highly recommend you take 1-2 digestive enzyme capsules before each meal per point #7 above.
IDEA #8
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How To Sleep 8 Hours A Night
- Firstly, you need to cut things from your life. This is the only way you can make time to get the sleep you need. I cut weekday social dinners out completely, cut my TV down to 20 minutes a day max, reduced my exercise sessions to tight 20 minute blocks , capped my reading time at 1 hour a day. There were a few other things too, but these big cuts were enough to boost my time available for sleep from 6-7 hours to 8-9 hours a day.
- Get to sleep on time and stay asleep. Thats the only way to get a good quality 8-9 hours. To do this follow my sleep protocol. Simply turn off all electronics around 9pm . Limit liquids. Pop 200-400 mg magnesium citrate34. Eat a handful of fat, eg some walnuts. Meditate for 10-20 minutes using Headspace app. Read a relaxing book, especially fiction, until you fall asleep. This should get you to sleep and keep you there nicely. Of course you might want to add in sleep mask and ear plugs for noise.
- Sleep is also built on what you do during the day. So each day I recommend you get some light exercise in, enjoy some sunlight or Vitamin D supplement35 and dont drink too much caffeine36 .
- Finally you want to make sure you are sleeping fairly similar times each night, so you dont disrupt your circadian rhythm too much. I try to keep a very tight 10:30pm to 7am schedule.
IDEA #9
Alcohol Metabolism And The Gut
Once consumed, alcohol is absorbed mainly in the upper intestinal tract by diffusion and then enters the liver via the portal vein. Therefore, the effect of alcohol on the distal small intestine and colon should largely come from its circulatory levels. That said, the luminal concentration of alcohol in the latter parts of the small intestine, close to the colon, reaches up to 200 mg/100 ml within an hour of drinking 2 to 2 1/2 standard alcoholic drinks .
Therefore, both the small and large intestine can be affected by alcohol and its metabolites as the result of its oxidative and nonoxidative metabolism. Metabolism of alcohol in the GI tract can then lead to disruption of tissue homeostasis toward a chronic state of intestinal inflammation . As will be discussed in this review, mounting evidence shows that alcohol induces intestinal inflammation through various pathways, including changes in intestinal microbiota composition and function , increased permeability of the intestinal mucosa , and disruptions of the immune system of the intestinal mucosa .
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Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth In Patients With Ald
There are different diagnostic tests to detect IBO in patients. Aside from D-Xylose test where D-xylose is ingested and then measured in the urine and blood , there are other breath tests used in the diagnosis of IBO. Hydrogen breath tests are based on the fact that the only source for hydrogen gas in human intestine is bacterial metabolism of carbohydrates . For these tests, carbohydrates are ingested and the intestinal bacteria metabolize carbohydrates into hydrogen that will be detected in the breath. The most frequently used substrates for diagnosis of IBO are glucose and lactulose . Tests with labeled carbon take advantage of the bacteria’s ability to deconjugate bile acids. For example in the glycocholic acid breath test, 14C glycocholic acid is administered and the 14CO2 is then measured . However, the gold standard to prove small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth is culturing of jejunal aspirates of bacteria to demonstrate at least 105 colony forming units/ml .
Several hypotheses have been raised to explain the pathogenesis of bacterial overgrowth: impaired bile flow, intestinal dysmotility, less acidic gastric pH, and altered intestinal innate immune response.
Impaired bile flow
Intestinal dysmotility
Altered gastric pH
Altered intestinal innate immune response
Thus, quantitative changes in the intestinal microflora predispose to BT and can be strongly considered a contributing factor to the progression of ALD.
Diseases Of The Nervous System
Increased gut permeability has been reported in the following diseases:
- Alzheimers disease
- Parkinsons disease
At this point, it is not possible to tease apart the cause and the effect in these studies. Gastrointestinal disbalance may precede nervous system disorders and may have a role in the early development of these diseases. On the other hand, increased intestinal permeability could also be only one of the symptoms of these diseases.
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New Study Suggests Connection Between The Gut Flora And Addiction To Alcohol
A new study suggests that bacteria in the gut may play a role in alcohol addiction and the risk of relapse after rehab.
“Our results provides strong evidence that alcohol addiction is not only in the brain, but that it in some cases can be associated with an imbalance in the intestinal flora, said Professor Fredrik Bäckhed from the University of Gothenburg during a guest lecture at Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at Copenhagen University.
Some alcoholics have fewer intestinal bacteria
In the study, which was recently published in the journal PNAS, Bäckhed and his colleagues from Belgium and Sweden have analysed the intestinal bacteria composition of 60 alcoholics.The 60 alcoholics in the study had an equal use of alcohol.
After the test participants had spent 19 days in rehab it became apparent to the scientists that there was a big difference in how well the participants recovered: their well-being and risk of relapse was connected to their gut flora.
26 out of the 60 alcoholics suffered from leaky gut syndrome and generally had a low amount of intestinal bacteria — specially their levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, were detected as unusually low. The leaky gut syndrome is linked to inflammation of the gut and diseases like Crohn disease.
Combined Effect Of Alcohol And Burn Injury On Intestinal Bacterial Growth And Barrier Function
showed that the combined insult significantly increases bacterial growth in the small intestine on day two after injury. The ethanol alone group exhibited an increase in intestinal permeability on day one and not on day two . No change in other parameters was noted in the ethanol alone group. In contrast, as compared to sham, rats receiving burn injury alone did not exhibit a significant difference in intestinal permeability and intestinal T cell function on day one after injury. However, on day two, the burn alone group exhibited a tendency of an increase in bacterial growth , intestinal permeability and number of bacteria in the mesenteric lymph nodes, and a decrease in intestinal T cell functions. Nonetheless, the changes in these above parameters were more severe in the group of rats that has undergone a combined insult of alcohol and burn injury . These results suggest that acute alcohol intoxication potentiated the effect of burn injury on all of the parameters listed above including intestinal bacterial growth and permeability.
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Finally Compare Yourself Against The 10 Symptoms Of Leaky Gut
Given that testing can be somewhat inconclusive, a quick way to work out the probability of leaky gut is to speak to your doctor about your symptoms.
And then of course, contrast them against the most common symptoms of leaky gut:
Our Guts Role In Our Overall Health
Our guts main role is as a barrier to let things in that should get in, and to keep things out that should stay out. Think of absorption of nutrients as things we want to let in and elimination of waste as things we want to pass right through and out.
This seemingly simple role is super-complex! And it can malfunction in so many places.
For one thing, our guts can “leak.” Yes, like a long tube with holes in it, it can allow things to get into our bloodstream/bodies that can wreak havoc . You name it, whatever you put into your mouth can be absorbed by your gut and get into your bloodstream, even if it’s not supposed to. And when your gut wall gets irritated, it can “leak.” When this happens, theres widespread inflammation, which is the culprit for many diseases that don’t seem linked to the gut but have a sneaky connection there.
FUN FACT: About 70% of our immune system lives in and around our gut.
Indeed, one can argue, that our gut is a major component to our immunity and overall health. And any issues there, can cause a tide of problems to proliferate in the body.
A healthy gut is not a leaky gut. It maintains the integrity of its barrier and shuttles things through to be eliminated.
Maintaining a healthy gut barrier is the first pillar of gut health.
So, keeping your gut microbes happy is the second pillar of gut health!
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Is There A Test For Leaky Gut
While diagnosis is incredibly difficult as mentioned, there is one specific test that some physicians will use in order to test intestinal permeability. The test is called the mannitol and lactulose test. Both of these are water-soluble molecules that the body cannot use. Mannitol is easily absorbed by people with healthy intestinal linings, whereas lactulose is a larger molecule, and thus is only slightly absorbed. A person is instructed to drink a solution containing both of these molecules, and then their urine is collected for six hours. The amount present in the urine reflects how much was absorbed by the body a healthy test will display high levels of mannitol, and low levels of lactulose. If high levels of both are found, it indicates increased intestinal permeability. If low levels of both are found, it indicates general poor absorption of all nutrients .
It is important to note that this test is an indicator of small intestine permeability, and cannot definitively diagnose leaky gut with full certainty. Most physicians steer clear of this test, as they do not believe it is very reliable. Additionally, since increased intestinal permeability is a symptom of many other diseases, it should not be used to necessarily diagnose leaky gut syndrome, as this could prevent a patient from receiving treatment for a more serious condition they may have. Seeking the advice of a gastroenterologist is recommended, as they specialize in digestive health and the GI tract.