Saturday, March 16, 2024

How To Fix Leaky Gut

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Debunking The Myth Of Leaky Gut Syndrome

How To Fix Leaky Gut

A proposed gastrointestinal disorder dubbed leaky gut syndrome is currently the topic of numerous debates throughout the medical and natural health communities. Some alternative medicine practitioners claim that leaky gut syndrome is a prevalent problem responsible for ill health in many people. However, most physicians maintain that there is not enough research to prove that it is a legitimate issue. In this article, we will answer some questions you may have about leaky gut syndrome and reveal some of the dangers of diagnosing and treating a condition for which there is no medical evidence.

Speak To Your Doctor About Nsaids Excessive Antibiotics Antacids And Any Other Unnecessary Drugs

From Advil to the pill to corticosteroids, there are so many drugs that can potentially contribute to leaky gut and/or gut flora imbalances58. Obviously, not all of these are entirely optional.

For example, when I had asthma attacks as a young child I couldnt simply say My hyperpermeable intestines and I are not interested in your corticosteroids Doc.

Obviously you should speak with your doctor about what is and isnt necessary for you. And Ill talk below about how to find a doctor that gets leaky gut better than most.

If Bored Only Eat Super Tasty Gut

Most people fall off the leaky gut diet and into a donut/pizza/bread-filled abyss, because they find the flavors bland.

And hey, Im not suggesting for a minute that chicken and broccoli tastes as good as a pepperoni pizza, but

if you stick to paleo-esque meals with big flavors, youll find it easy to stick to a clean diet.

For example, when Im craving pasta, especially a nice bowl of rigatoni with rich lamb shank ragu, I simply cook my pasta sauce as normal, but then instead of using spaghetti with it, I will shred 2 courgettes into thin strips and then pan fry them till they have some color.

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What Causes Leaky Gut

The exact cause of leaky gut is a mystery.

However, increased intestinal permeability is well known and occurs alongside several chronic diseases, including celiac disease and type 1 diabetes .

Zonulin is a protein that regulates tight junctions. Research has shown that higher levels of this protein may loosen tight junctions and increase intestinal permeability (

Furthermore, low levels of healthy gut bacteria may have the same effect. This is called gut dysbiosis .

Summary

The exact cause of leaky gut remains a mystery, but certain proteins like zonulin and markers of inflammation provide some clues. Other potential causes include long-term NSAID use and an imbalance of gut bacteria known as gut dysbiosis.

As leaky gut syndrome isnt an official medical diagnosis, there is no recommended treatment.

Yet, you can do plenty of things to improve your general digestive health.

One is to eat a diet rich in foods that aid the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. An unhealthy collection of gut bacteria has been linked to poor health outcomes, including chronic inflammation, cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes .

The following foods are great options for improving your digestive health:

Summary

A diet that promotes digestive health should focus on fibrous vegetables, fruits, fermented vegetables, cultured dairy products, healthy fats, and lean, unprocessed meats.

Why We Created The Bebalanced Leaky Gut Program

5 Step Formula to Heal Leaky Gut Naturally

When developing a protocol for leaky gut, we wanted to offer a program that provided a comprehensive approach to gut health, ensuring our clients success long-term.

At BeBalanced, we know that whether you suffer from symptoms of a hormone imbalance or symptoms of leaky gut, our programs will help you address all contributing factors and root causes, through a holistic approach.

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Identify The Foods You Should Avoid:

While you take the time to consume the right kind of food, it is equally important to avoid eating certain foods to improve your gut health. Some foods come with higher possibilities of causing inflammation in the body. Such foods can also negatively affect healthy bacteria while promoting the growth of unhealthy gut bacteria responsible for many chronic health conditions. In order to ensure that this does not happen, it is vital to avoid consuming excess junk food, foods containing artificial sweeteners, refined oils, sugary beverages, processed food, and alcohol. All these foods can harm healthy gut bacteria and compromise the guts protective lining. It is also vital to stay away from wheat-based products like wheat flour, cereals, pasta, and bread, which can also trigger symptoms of an unhealthy gut. Also avoid eating foods such as oats, triticale, seitan, bulgur, rye, and barley frequently. Eating a lot of grain foods that contain gluten is very problematic as well.

In addition to that, it is best also to stay away from processed foods, processed meat, baked foods, and snacks. Processed meat foods include hot dogs, bacon, deli meats, and cold cuts. Baked goods include pizza, pastries, pies, cookies, muffins, and cakes. Snack foods to stay away from consist of the following pretzels, popcorn, muesli bars, and crackers. Sauces like salad dressings, teriyaki, soy, and hoisin sauce ideally have to be avoided as well.

Putting A Stop To Leaky Gut

  • By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men’s Health Watch

Leaky gut gets blamed for everything from everyday stomach issues to pain to anxiety, yet it is one of the most mysterious ailments to diagnose and treat.

Part of the reason for this medical mystery is because the gut is such a vast and complex system. Science continues to find new ways that the gut can influence everything from heart health to keeping our brains young, says Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. There is much we know about leaky gut in terms of how it affects peoples health, but there is still so much that is unknown.

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Leaky Gut Diet Foods To Avoid

What foods should you avoid if you have leaky gut syndrome? Its essential to avoid or greatly limit allergens and inflammatory foods when following a leaky gut diet.

Foods/ingredients to avoid include:

  • Unsprouted grains, especially those containing gluten note that sprouting and fermenting grains reduces phytates and lectins, making these foods easier to digest
  • Processed foods made with added sugar
  • GMOs foods
  • Refined oils
  • Processed foods made with synthetic food additives
  • Conventional dairy products
  • Heavy alcohol use

Try A Green Powder Drink Daily

How to Fix Leaky Gut Syndrome

If we were hanging back in the 1990s, I would suggest that you hold your nose and drink your green shake as fast as you can. Because historically thats been the only way to stomach this fairly putrid, but amazingly healthy concoction.

Thankfully though, green powders have gotten a lot more palatable thanks to smarter ingredient combinations and of course, better and better natural sweeteners like stevia.

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Underlying Causes Of Leaky Gut

Leaky gut is thought to be more of a side effect of other digestive issues, rather than a specific disease.

A number of diet and lifestyle factors contribute to leaky gut. Understanding what these are can help you take steps to avoid them.

Here are some of the possible underlying causes of leaky gut that need to be addressed to resolve it.

What Is The Leaky Gut Syndrome

The leaky gut syndrome is a rapidly growing condition that people from the world over are experiencing of late. Although problems begin with your digestive system if you have the leaky gut syndrome, it affects other aspects of your health as well.

Your gut is lined by a wall, which is similar to a net with small holes in them. These small holes act as filters and enable the passage of certain substances only. It acts as a shield to keep out the bigger, harmful substances from entering your body.

When someone has a leaky gut, it means that the gut lining is damaged and cannot optimally function as a barrier any longer. The smaller holes become larger and allow harmful substances like gluten, bad bacteria, and undigested food particles to enter your system and cause considerable damage to health.

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When Should I See A Doctor

Improving your diet may help you feel better, but a leaky gut sometimes can have other causes, like infection or disease.

In some cases, food sensitivities may be causing your symptoms. If you suspect you may have a food sensitivity, Dr. La Vella recommends working with a doctor to determine your sensitivity.

It is very safe for anyone to adopt a whole foods diet and youll likely start feeling better within a few weeks, says Dr. La Vella. If you have ongoing symptoms and are still concerned after making these changes, talk to your doctor. There may be an underlying cause that needs to be treated.

Get medical and nutritional support on your weight loss journey. Attend a free seminar to learn how Samaritan Weight Management Institute can help you feel your best.

Learn more about probiotics and improving gut health.

  • Cells that form the lining of the intestines are called enterocytes. Permeability occurs when the junctions between these cells loosen and microorganisms and toxins can leak through.

Have The Right Combinations Of Medicines:

How to Repair Your Leaky Gut

In addition to your healthy diet, you should have the right combination of medication and supplements. Various anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and supplements like probiotics, calcium, vitamin D, and iron may help with leaky gut. It would help if you also had a healthy combination of zinc, l-glutamine, collagen peptides, and probiotics. Zinc is an important element in the metabolism processes, and it is known mainly for its ability to boost and support the immune system. It plays a role in modifying the tight junctions of the linings in the intestine and helping to limit gut permeability.

L-glutamine is an essential amino acid, which also helps repair the intestinal lining in the digestive tract. It can be taken orally as a supplement in small doses to help intestinal permeability, especially after a strenuous exercise. Collagen peptides are available in almost every tissue in the body in the form of protein. They also play an important role in the health of the gut, as they can prevent further breakdown of the intestinal lining. Collagen peptides also have anti-inflammatory properties needed in the gut. We have already mentioned the importance of probiotics. They are well-known for their therapeutic use when it comes to the treatment and management of gastrointestinal issues. Probiotics help improve the guts microbiome, which can positively affect the entire digestive system.

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Gut Microbiota And Leaky Gut Syndrome

The intestines are also home to a wide range of bacteria called gut microbiota. These bacteria aid digestion, protect the intestinal wall and support normal immune function. LGS may involve imbalances in gut microbiota.

According to a 2016 article, imbalances in the gut microbiota can trigger the bodys immune response. This results in gut inflammation and increased intestinal permeability . IP describes how easily substances can leak out of the intestines and into the bloodstream.

Experts still do not know exactly why autism develops. However, scientists have suggested that various genetic, biological, and environmental factors may play a role.

Recently, scientists have begun investigating a possible link between gut microbiota, IP, and autism.

Diagnostic Tests For Leaky Gut Syndrome

If you have been experiencing any of the signs and symptoms listed above, then that is a good indicator that your gut health is not optimal. However, poor gut health does not automatically produce increased intestinal permeability.

The cells that make up the gut lining regenerate every two to three days. So, while treatment can be started to support the gut lining without confirming increased intestinal permeability, there are tests available to evaluate the degree of intestinal permeability. These tests include the Lactulose/Mannitol Test and the Antigenic Permeability Screen.

While these diagnostic tests do not offer a 100 percent accuracy in confirming Leaky Gut Syndrome, they can serve as invaluable measures of gut permeability, active immune response, and current level of inflammation.

Usually offered by independent laboratories, intestinal permeability tests are no more invasive or involved than the need to fast for a short period or drinking a sugar solution followed by a simple blood test. For more information or to schedule an appointment, consult an integrative healthcare provider.

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Other Tips For Gut Health

In addition to following the eating plan described above, its beneficial to avoid exposure to potential toxins found in to tap water, alcohol, cigarettes, pesticides, NSAID pain-killer medications and antibiotics, all of which can stress the gut. However, always consult with your physician if he or she has prescribed these for you.

Another tip is to consider following an elimination diet at first. Some foods seem to be in a gray area when it comes to worsening or promoting digestive health. For example, some people do better with certain protein foods than others do.

You may be wondering, are eggs bad for leaky gut? What about beans and legumes?

You may choose to eliminate eggs and legumes at first and then to try reintroducing them after several weeks. This can help you uncover whether they are problematic for you or not.

In place of eggs and legumes, try meat, poultry, fish and collagen protein or bone broth protein powder instead.

Reducing intake of FODMAP foods is also recommended as part of an elimination diet, since FODMAP carbohydrates can worsen digestive issues like bloating and gas.

How To Sleep 8 Hours A Night

Leaky Gut: How to Heal
  • 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

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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.

In Terms Of Practically Implementing This Idea

well, it should not be too hard to do if you simply stick to the leaky gut diet above. And thats because everything in the leaky gut diet I recommend is whole food based.

The real struggle comes down to avoiding eating out too much. From grabbing lunch at your local food court to ordering Uber Eats, these time saving ideas have to be canned for now. After all, the food industry is driven by processed and preservative-packed foods.

IDEA #30

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Can You Completely Heal A Leaky Gut

While its impossible to say whether or not you can completely heal leaky gut, you can certainly make it better.

Everyones guts are leaky to some extent: our small intestine is supposed to let out certain particles into the rest of the body. Its only a problem when it starts to let out the wrong types.

You need your gut to remember what to let out and what to keep in. The good news is, theres a lot of evidence that you can help it do that.

The Most Effective Ways To Help A Client With Leaky Gut Syndrome

What is a Leaky Gut?

Everyone and their mother seem to be talking about “Leaky Gut Syndrome” lately. As a wellness professional, you may even have clients coming to you with symptoms asking, “Do you think it might be leaky gut!?”.

Leaky Gut Syndrome refers to an increase in intestinal permeability or intestinal hyperpermeability in extreme cases.

A healthy gut lining allows only specific components of food to pass through into the bloodstream. This is how nutrients enter the bloodstream and promote health.

However, poor diet, stress, and some medications can damage the gut lining over time. The result is a more permeable gut lining, which allows larger particles to enter the bloodstream while failing to properly absorb key nutrients.

Undigested food particles, gut bacteria, proteins, and toxic waste shouldnt be able to enter the bloodstream. But when the gut lining becomes compromised they do, causing negative consequences.

While Leaky Gut was once thought to affect only those with serious medical conditions such as Celiac Disease, we now know that even slight increases in intestinal permeability can cause chronic health issues.

Common signs and symptoms of Leaky Gut include autoimmune disease, food sensitivities, digestive issues, inflammatory skin conditions, compromised immunity, joint pain, brain fog and low energy.

Today I’ll be discussing the most effective ways to help a client with leaky gut syndrome including

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