Leaky gut syndrome, aka intestinal permeability. It’s a hot topic in the health community at the moment. It’s affecting people of all ages. More now than ever before.

I have learned a lot about how problems in the digestive tract not only cause intestinal issues, but problems throughout the body. The brain, lungs, skin, etc. can all be negatively affected by what’s happening in your gut.

I wrote this post to share my understanding of leaky gut syndrome, because it is a silent issue that is causing a lot of unknowing people sickness.

In fact, a leaky gut may be involved in all beginnings of autoimmune disease.

The Breakdown:

• Our intestinal wall is made up of epithelial cells (layers of cells lining the intestine wall) that fuse together to create tight junctions. This gives us a sealed intestinal barrier, which holds the very important job of selectively choosing what passes through our intestinal wall and what is rejected. Any foreign invaders are denied, and food, nutrients and water are accepted.

• For different reasons (and research shows there are many) the gut becomes more permeable and less selective with what is allowed inside.
  • Foreign particles- that may include bacteria or other pathogens and undigested food, are now able to pass through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream. Because these particles should not have been allowed through, they are tagged as foreign invaders and the body attacks. With an autoimmune disease, the body continues this state of attack on itself, instead of returning to normal. This leads to chronic inflammation.

In his outline of leaky gut, Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple provides a couple of ways to confirm if you have leaky gut.

Photo Credit: http://glutenfreeworks.com/health/

• Anything from stress, overused antibiotics and NSAIDS, alcohol, and some foods such as gluten are linked with contributing to leaky gut.

Some of you may be thinking that this is just another way for health-conscious people to shame gluten some more! But here’s the science behind it…

Gluten releases a protein called zonulin, which can wear down those tight junctions and loosen up the intestinal wall. And faster than you can say “bagel,” we’ve got a leaky gut on our hands. Undigested food, toxins, bacteria, etc. are all passing through with no problem, and the body (which is so confused during this chaotic mess) attacks it’s own tissue.

How can we fix this problem?

1. 1. Eat a clean diet, free of the foods that can cause inflammation. (If you need help getting started, join my free, 5 Day Diet Clean Up Challenge) or schedule a call to see if you are a good fit to be a nutrition client of mine!
   2. Staying on top of vitamin and mineral deficiencies and supplementing with high-quality products when needed.
   3. When prescribed an antibiotic make sure you have a bacterial issue.
   4. Do not abuse pain medications like Tylenol or NSAIDS (not recommended with IBD)
   5. Drink bone broth often.
   6. Include a collagen supplement into the diet. I use grass-fed collagen from Further Food, or Marine collagen. Use the code “girlinhealing” for a discount! (That’s an affiliate link).
   7. Limit alcohol.

1. Control stress by believing in the power of positivity and gratitude such as affirmations, journaling, as well as doing activities that make you happy every day!
2. Incorporating alternative therapies like acupuncture, massage, breathing techniques, spending time with nature, spending time with loved ones, and doing things you love are all anti-inflammatory activities and can help heal a leaky gut.

Helpful Resources

Here are some sites that I found were the easiest to understand, and helped me write this post!
A Primal Primer: Leaky Gut (Mark ‘s Daily Apple)
Chris Kresser
The Huffington Post (Amy Myers)

Tell me, what do you do (or will you start doing) to heal your gut?