Everything You Should Know About Leaky Guts
If you are constantly feeling bloated, constipated, and exhausted, chances are you might be experiencing leaky gut symptoms. In this article, we provide information about what causes leaky gut, why it is important to fix it, and ways to start healing your gut.
What Is a Leaky Gut?
A leaky gut typically occurs when diet or environmental factors overload the digestive system causing increased intestinal permeability and damage. These factors cause the stomach and other intestines to not function as they normally would, which limits the ability to process food. When your stomach cannot function normally, undigested foods, bacteria, and other parasites might “leak” out of damaged intestines and affect the healthy tissue beneath it, resulting in an overstimulated immune system. Consequently, a leaky gut forms as a reaction to the overstimulation.
What Are the Signs of a Leaky Gut?
Leaky gut symptoms show up differently for each person. Common signs of a leaky gut are identical to typical autoimmune disease symptoms, including:
● Constipation / Diarrhea
● Joint Pain
● Skin Problems
Why Is It Important to Treat a Leaky Gut?
Over 70 percent of your immune system exists in the gut, which shows that gut health is essential for your overall health. It is known that changes in intestinal bacteria and inflammation play a role in gastrointestinal conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Research also shows that a leaky gut could potentially induce or exacerbate other autoimmune diseases (type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and lupus), fibromyalgia, arthritis, asthma, mental illness and more. Thus, you should treat a leaky gut to ensure that it does not permeate to other areas of your health.
How Can You Fix a Leaky Gut?
To fix a leaky gut, you need to restore the lining in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. A leaky gut irritates the GI tract which ultimately causes inflammation and further damages the lining of your intestines. Once you restore the lining, then you can start to expect your leaky gut symptoms to slowly disappear. Lifestyle and diet modifications are some of the most effective ways to fix a leaky gut, but supplements like probiotics can help facilitate the process. Before treating for a leaky gut, consider visiting a specialist to determine whether or not you have any food related disorders, such as celiac disease.
What Are the Best Probiotics for a Leaky Gut?
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, commonly referred to as “good bacteria”. The best probiotics for a leaky gut contain a high number of colony forming units (CFU’s) and bacterial species in one product. Naturally, your gut contains Lactobacillus bacteria in your small intestine and Bifidobacterium in your large intestine, so it is common to see a combination of these two species in probiotic supplements.
When you develop a leaky gut, the amount of good bacteria in your gut decreases, which allows bad bacteria to flourish. Supplementing with probiotics helps restore your gut by replenishing those bacteria which, in turn, helps increase the number of immune cells in your GI tract. There are several all-natural leaky gut supplements that contain bovine colostrum, lactobacillus, or bifidobacterium that we recommend.
Are There Foods You Should Avoid to Prevent a Leaky Gut?
Initially, your practitioner might suggest that you remove all inflammatory foods from your diet. Other recommendations might include increasing dietary fiber, limiting alcohol consumption, and decreasing your stress level. Diet and lifestyle changes can often have a huge impact on improving leaky gut symptoms. For the best results, Harvard Medical School recommends avoiding foods that are:
● High in fat
● High in sugar
How Can Stanley Specialty Pharmacy Help Treat a Leaky Gut?
For a customized treatment plan on how to help heal a leaky gut, visit us at Stanley Specialty Pharmacy. We are happy to help! Schedule an appointment with us today.