Can Collagen Heal Leaky Gut

Avoid Eating Any Foods That Are Processed Or Filled With Preservatives Or Flavoring

I think we all know that saying goodbye to foods high in refined flours and sugars, low in nutrients and filled with chemicals, will help our gut health improve.

But I also understand that saying adios to these and hello to a diet focused on real whole foods is not a cheap exercise. But to be honest, it all comes down to what value you put on your health.

How To Get Your Kraut In

• You can ferment your own vegetables. But this is going to take some work. Ive tried to make the simplest possible recipe for you, which you can see in the graphic just below.
• Alternatively you can buy it ready made. The key is to avoid the canned stuff in the supermarket dry aisles, as it is pasteurized and thus devoid of live probiotics. To buy the good stuff youll need to hit your local health store and look for glass jars sitting in fridges. Youll know youve found high quality products when you see the price tag! But trust me, its worth it. One large jar should easily last a week for 1 person, ie 3-6 servings.

Do Not Take Flavored Collagen Protein

Unfortunately most flavored collagen protein powders are loaded with artificial sweeteners, flavors and/or sugar. All of which can irritate gut health45.

And so instead of making things better, they can actually make them worse!

The best idea is to stick to an unflavored collagen protein powder and then add your favorite gut-friendly flavors .

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Whats The Deal With Gluten

The integrity of the gut lining is maintained by tight junctions between the epithelial cells, called desmosomes. When the gut becomes more permeable , these junctions loosen up, which allows larger molecules to pass through, like undigested food, foreign particles, microbes, etc.

One of the most powerful triggers that opens up these tight junctions is the ingestion of gluten, even in those who dont have celiac disease. So gluten and gliadin not only run down the villi in the small intestine with repeated exposure, which can lead to malabsorption, nutrient deficiencies, and indigestion, but they also trigger the opening of these tight junctions, allowing foreign particles to pass through and creating a continuing inflammatory response in the body. As time goes on and the gut lining is continually exposed to gluten and gliadin, and other substances are allowed to pass through the intestinal lining, the more food sensitivities one will develop. Even if someone did not previously have sensitivities to those undigested foods, once they pass through the gut wall and enter the bloodstream, the body makes antibodies to them. Just like with gliadin exposure, the next time you eat that food, the body already has antibodies against it, which triggers the immune system and mounts an inflammatory response.

Take A Probiotic Supplement Daily

Unless youre going around eating sauerkraut all day like some crazed German Popeye, your gut will be crying out for probiotics, aka good bacteria.

In fact, long term youll find probiotics are the #1 thing to get more of in order to help maintain good gut health46,47.

The reason probiotics work so well is something I dive deep into in my article on probiotics and leaky gut syndrome.

But one of the most interesting roles it can play is its ability to fight leaky gut by enhancing the production of tight junction proteins as mentioned in Frontiers In Immunologys 2017 research paper on leaky gut.

In addition, the good bacteria can help to fight off bad bacteria and yeast overgrowth, so that your gut flora can start regaining a healthy balance48.

And best of all, continued use of probiotics can help ensure the ratio of good to bad bacteria stays in the healthy range, which means bad bacteria and excessive yeast may not return and cause leaky gut again. A bonus benefit is that a healthy gut flora will also aid digestion49.

When all 3 benefits are taken together you can see why probiotics are at the heart of any leaky gut recovery protocol.

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Collagen Helps Hydrate The Digestive Tract

The gut needs water to help move things along, which is one good reason why drinking water throughout the day is so important .

Healthy collagen is considered a hydrophilic molecule, mainly because of its unique relationship with sugar molecules in a process called collagen glycation . The collagen-sugar matrix is attracted to water as well as acidic substances.

When foods with collagen in it or collagen in supplement form are ingested, water begins to surround it, and this water can pass through the GI tract easier. This whole process helps with the breakdown of carbohydrates and other proteins and, thus, leads to better nutrient absorption and better health.

Helps To Balance Bacteria In Digestive Tract

One of the main advantages of taking probiotic supplements is that it helps restore gut bacteria’s balance. This is especially beneficial in preventing harmful bacteria from staying in your gut and causing inflammation. Probiotics can also be used to target bad bacteria in other areas of your body by significantly improving your immune-response defense.

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Channel Your Inner Dalai Lama And Cut Work Stress Out Of Your Life

For the majority of us, our main source of stress is work.

And as we know, chronic stress is one of the top 5 causes of leaky gut, because it has a crippling effect on digestion and in general makes it very hard for your body to fight off the bad bacteria and yeast overgrowth causing leaky gut.

Not to mention the inflammation that flares up because of leaky gut.

Eat More Healthy Fats

N-butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, helps feed the cells that line the gut and help them heal. Your gut bacteria can produce more n-butyrate if you feed them soluble fibers in fruits and vegetables. You also can get n-butyrate in the form of Ghee, which is clarified butter. Another source of healthy fat is coconut oil, which contains medium-chain fatty acids that are good for the gut!

Recommended Reading: Align Probiotic Dose

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

Unbeatable Supplements You Can Take Today That Will Help Heal Your Leaky Gut Forever In 2019

Leaky Gut is an uncomfortable problem that can cause extreme discomfort, stomach upset, and a host of associated and often severe health problems.

It happens when the delicate lining of your intestines becomes too porous, allowing toxins and bacteria to enter your bloodstream and flood your system.

The key to curing a leaky gut lies in restoring a healthy intestinal lining, which seals your gut and keeps those harmful toxins out. However, it can be difficult to know the best way to treat this uncomfortable problem, especially when prescription medication often makes things worse.

In this post, we’re going to show you how to heal leaky gut syndrome fast. Here you’ll find 17 great all-natural supplements for leaky gut syndrome symptoms that will cure and repair your gut wall, without the need for prescription meds.

Number 1

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Does Collagen Help Heal The Gut

People struggling with leaky gut, which is a complex health issue, realize its impact on their daily lives. Lately, the focus is on tackling the leaky gut by enhancing the diet and immunity. The role of Collagen, which potentially averts leaky gut symptoms is increasingly stressed. Collagen supplements for leaky gut are an excellent option in the field of wellness, gut health, and fitness. Lets review what eaky gut is and how collagen is useful in preventing it.

Does Collagen Improve Microbiome Health

Its a protein, so it isnt a prebiotic or a probiotic, but it does help your gut more effectively support the environment that a healthy and thriving microbiome needs..

At this point youre probably wonderinghow can I get more collagen? Lets find out what the deal is with supplements, and which nutrients you should optimize for more collagen production.

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How Is Leaky Gut Diagnosed

Leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability, is common. Its hard to know exactly how many people have it because few doctors test for it. Parsley Health doctors usually diagnose leaky gut through a combination of specific specialty testing such as comprehensive stool cultures and detailed assessment of your symptoms and medical history. If you are diagnosed with intestinal permeability, the good news is, there are ways to heal a leaky gut.

Abstain From All Alcohol For 30 Days And Say Goodbye To Beer Forever

Your gut is not a huge fan of alcohol. And that shouldnt be a surprise given alcohol itself is the natural result of yeast overgrowth and sugar37!

I go through a detailed explanation here in my article on alcohol and leaky gut syndrome, where I explain how alcohol messes with your digestion , reduces your ability to control inflammation39 , and it makes the openings in your gut lining larger .

Oh yeah, and alcohol is fantastic at depleting your levels of mucosal-supporting zinc too42!

These effects are magnified if you drink alcohol on an empty stomach, which is so often the case when people go for after work or pre-dinner drinks.

So heres my guide to alcohol and leaky gut

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Eat Prebiotic Foods To Fuel The Good Bacteria In Your Gut

Prebiotics are types of fiber that are indigestible , but digestible by the bacteria in our colon/large intestine. They just love to break it down and ferment it. In other words, prebiotics are the fuel they need to grow strong98.

And when our good bacteria is strong they can help us digest food better, support mood, improve immune system function, fend off bad bacteria, and of course, help with bowel movements and intestinal wall strength.

Since prebiotics feed the probiotics/good bacteria in our digestive system, we can think of them as actually being equal to probiotics in terms of importance. In fact, theyre a team!

But before you go crazy eating all types of prebiotic-rich foods, it is important to know that during the very early stages of fixing your gut health, you should be careful to avoid prebiotics that are high in FODMAPs, which I explain in my FODMAPs & leaky gut article.

Vitamin C : Repair Your Intestinallining With Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential to repairing your intestinal lining, because without it, your body cannot produce collagen. Collagen is an important protein that your cells require in order to knit together, and in the case of a leaky gut, is the answer to restoring robust pathways in your intestinal tract.

If you have sensitive teeth, you may want to take Vitamin C in pill form, as the powder may expose your delicate tooth enamel to erosion. However, if you want to vary your dosage, powdered form is by far the superior option as it will allow you to be much more precise.You can use a high accuracy digital weighing scale to ensure you’re getting a precise dosage.

Once daily, at mealtimes, always with food containing healthy fat. If you’re opting for the powdered form of Vitamin C, you can easily mix it into a drink. A milk or protein based beverage would be the ideal choice, as it contains the essential fat this vitamin requires for maximum absorbency.

Always take Vitamin C with food, preferably with some form of protein or fat to speed absorbency. You could also consider a supplement that combines calcium with Vitamin C as some studies have shown that calcium helps increase Vitamin C absorbency.

Number 4

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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.

How To Fix Leaky Gut

Leaky gut leads to inflammation that can cause a range of issues from gastric problems, acne, and dandruff to, at its most extreme, autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis.

Instead of treating leaky gut symptoms, you need to get to the root of autoimmune disease, and it starts by healing leaky gut. To restore the health of your intestinal wall, I recommend following functional medicines 4R Approach.

I walk you through this entire approach in-depth in my Leaky Gut Breakthrough® Program, which includes a 30-day meal plan with recipes and shopping lists to make following it easy and stress-free. You can also find all four of the gut-repairing supplements listed above in my Leaky Gut Breakthrough® Kit.

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How To Get More Collagen In Your Diet

Collagen is a complex protein, which means its made up of building blocks called amino acids. To help your body make more naturally, you can consume foods that are rich in these amino acid building blocks.

Good dietary sources include:

• Pork, salmon, or chicken skins
• Non-muscle meats like tendon, tripe, oxtail and knuckle
• Egg yolk

But unless you eat these foods regularly, youre probably not getting enough in your dietwhich means youre missing out on a lot of those health benefits.

Thats where collagen supplements come in handy, but which one is best?

Foods To Avoid To Heal Leaky Gut

These are the foods to avoid to heal leaky gut:

• Wheat-based productsbread, pasta, cereals, wheat flour, couscous, etc.
• Grains that contain glutenbarley, rye, bulgur, seitan, triticale, and oats.
• Processed meatscold cuts, deli meats, bacon, hot dogs, etc.
• fast foods, potato chips, sugary cereals, candy bars, cakes, cookies, etc.
• Dairymilk, cheese, and ice cream.
• Refined oilscanola, sunflower, soybean, and safflower oils.
• Artificial sweetenersaspartame, sucralose, etc.
• Beveragesalcohol, carbonated beverages, sports drinks, and other sugary drinks.

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If You Like White Wine Add Ice Cubes Or Water Or Seltzer

This spritzer idea might seem sacrilegious to my French readers, but hey, it is an easy way for us to keep our total wine consumption limited, whilst still being able to enjoy a few glasses on a Saturday night.

The ideal amount of dilution would be 50%. So it is half wine, half non-sugar mixer .

Probably the #1 thing to look out for when choosing a white wine, is dry v sweet. The former contains much less sugar. That means sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio are your new BFFs.

I personally tend to limit my white wine consumption to the summer months, and so generally only drink red wine, which leads us to the next point