Leaky gut syndrome is an issue for many people and you may not even know you have it. It’s also referred to as increased intestinal permeability. This affects one of our major organs, the small intestine.
An important role of the small intestine is to absorb vitamins and minerals and allow these to pass through the walls of the intestine into the bloodstream. A healthy wall is considered a tight junction or net, which only allows very small particles to pass through.
In the case of leaky gut syndrome, the net has gotten damaged and now allows proteins (think gluten), toxins, bad bacteria and undigested larger food particles to pass through into your bloodstream.
These particles ultimately cause systemic inflammation and what’s considered an autoimmune reaction and then typically the body will start recognizing certain foods as toxic and will cause your body to have an immune reaction when you eat these foods. Left unchecked, this then leads to an autoimmune disease.
Some earlier reactions or symptoms of leaky gut syndrome are things like food allergies, skin issues like eczema and acne, and other digestive issues like IBS, bloating, and gas.
The problem with most people having leaky gut, is that they start to realize that some of the foods they are eating are causing issues, so the simple solution, would seem to be, elimination. This is also what most physicians will tell you as well.
Unfortunately, that’s only half the problem. The real solution is to allow the body to heal and in order to do that, lifestyle changes must occur and the elimination of processed foods.
My favorite foods to healing the gut and body are:
- Bone Broth (homemade of course or from a trusted source) provides important amino acids and minerals like proline, glycine and potassium that can help heal the gut lining and improve our mineral deficiency levels, which most of us are.
- Fermented veggies are an important building block to helping heal the gut lining as well. They are full of probiotics that help balance the PH in the stomach and the small intestines. Foods like kvass, sauerkraut, and kimchi
- Fermented dairy or raw cultured dairy like kefir and yogurt, are rich in probiotics and help rid the gut of bad bacteria like candida.
- Healthy fats in moderation are another essential building block. Coconut oil, avocado, egg yolks, ghee and salmon are super easy on the gut and aid in healing.
- Steamed veggies, particularly non-starchy are easy to digest and are another aid in healing the gut.
- Fruit in moderation, 1-2 servings a day and earlier in the day are an important part of the healing process too.
You might be wondering what the biggest culprits, food wise that typically cause leaky gut and candida overgrowth. They are:
- Gluten is the sticky protein found in most grains products and is difficult to digest UNLESS it’s been brought through the sourdough or sprouting process. When you are going through the leaky gut healing protocol, you will want to eliminate gluten and wheat products.
- Cows dairy has a protein called A1 casein that can cause a similar reaction like that from gluten and should be avoided UNLESS in a fermented form, as mentioned above. Studies have shown A1 casein may be twenty-six times more inflammatory than gluten.
- Unsprouted grains and soy when left unsprouted and unfermented contain phytic acid which causes irritation of the intestines and causes leaky gut.
- Sugar is a big culprit as it feeds yeast and bad bacteria that can damage the intestinal wall, causing leaky gut. If you need to have some sweetness, raw local honey is the best, but only at about 1 tablespoon a day. Everything in moderation.
- GMO or genetically modified organisms contain pesticides and herbicides that are shown to damage the gut lining. Studies have found that GMO foods destroy probiotics in your gut and cause inflammation in your organs.
As you can see there is much cause for changes in our lifestyles and our modern diets. Once you have a grasp on the culprits and can work on eliminating processed and GMO foods, start adding in healing and properly prepared foods, you’ll be well on your way to feeling better, looking better and instead of eliminating troublesome foods, you can become tolerant of them.
The ultimate goal is HEALING, not elimination.
What has been your experience with digestive disorders and what’s worked for you? Leave your comments below and let’s journey together.
To your health,