"Leaky Gut Syndrome" Is your Digestive System making you sick?
"All Disease begins in the Gut"
2000 years ago Hippocrates already knew
what science is just beginning to discover.
DO YOU SUFFER FROM:
Abdominal Pain
Recurrent Thrush and/or Bladder Infections
Poor Memory
Constipation Diarrhea
Gas
Bloating
Mood Swings
Nervousness
Depression
Anxiety
Lowered Immunity
Food Intolerances
Fatigue
If you can answer "yes" to 3 or more of the above mentioned symptoms,
chances are pretty high that your leaky gut is making you sick!
NOW, LET US HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT LEAKY GUT SYNDROME,
ALSO CALLED
"INTESTINAL HYPER-PERMEABILITY"
IS:
Leaky gut syndrome means that the intestinal lining has became more porous,
with more gaps developing that are larger in size and the screening out process is no longer functioning properly. The results is that larger,undigested food molecules and other substances such as yeast,toxins and all other forms of waste that your body normally doesn’t allow through,
flow freely into your bloodstream.
The intestinal lining is the first mechanism of defense for the immune system. The outer layers of intestinal cells are connected by structures called tight junctions. At the tips of these cells are the microvilli, which absorb properly digested nutrients and transport them through the epithelial cell and into the bloodstream.
During the normal digestion process these tight junctions stay closed forcing all molecules to effectively be screened and only pass into the blood stream through the mucosa cells. In Leaky Gut Syndrome these tight junctions can become “open” or permeable, allowing un-screened molecules to flow directly into the bloodstream.
Initially, your Liver is called into action to work harder and try to screen out all the particles that your intestinal lining was supposed to be taking care of. The liver has little chance keeping up with the constant flow of waste into your blood.
Toxins, undigested food molecules, yeast, and other pathogens start to accumulate in your body.
Now, your immune system starts to fight the intruders and get them out of the body ASAP. The body cannot keep up with the task at hand and the majority of these foreign bodies absorb into tissues throughout the body, causing them to become inflamed.
Inflammation is also an immune response and causes even more stress on your system. Now that your body is focused on fighting the large war, the little battles are starting to be ignored, like filtering out the blood, calming inflamed areas of the body, fighting bacteria, regulating the gut, etc. This process can lead to your body fighting itself and an array of autoimmune diseases occur.
Next, your body will begin to produce antibodies, designed to fight against these foreign objects (which can be things such as the Casein protein from the milk you’re drinking, or other proteins in nuts, grains, or eggs). Even chemicals normally found in foods can now trigger immune responses when they enter the body.
The foods that you are eating are not the root of the problem!
The leaky gut letting the food molecules into your bloodstream is the problem!
WHAT CAUSES LEAKY GUT:
Chronic Stress
Intestinal Infections & Imbalances
C-Section Birth & Formula-fed only
Lack of Zinc
Environmental Contaminants
Excess Alcohol
Poor Diet
Antibiotics, Oral Contraceptive Pill and other Medications
IF LEFT UNTREATED LEAKY GUT CAN LEAD TO:
Autoimmune Diseases
Chronic Joint/Muscle Pain
Headaches/Migraines
Diabetes
Asthma
Arthritis & Osteoporosis
Multiple Sclerosis
Allergies & Food Intolerances
Mood Disorders
Skin Issues
and many more issues
WHAT CAN YOU DO, TO PREVENT LEAKY GUT SYNDROME
FROM RUNNING YOUR LIFE?
To bring back your gut’s normal/healthy permeability, I use the well-working
four-step method, based on scientific research:
REMOVE:
Elimination of grains, dairy, soy, sugar, yeast, coffee and alcohol from the diet for at least 14 days, depending on severity this step can it take more time.
In addition to this, other causing factors need to be addressed.
REPLACE:
Introduction of healing foods, rich in fibre, antioxidants and with anti-inflammatory actions. Such as bone-broths and fermented foods
REPAIR:
To restore the gut lining, a variety of natural supplements are available.
As a naturopath I am more than happy to discuss the best suited,
individual treatment possible for you.
REBALANCE:
The use of specific probiotics is most important
as they help regulate healthy gut flora and immune system function.
SUPPLEMENTS I FREQUENTLY USE IN LEAKY GUT SYNDROME:
Vitamin D (often low in leaky gut)
Zinc (supports the healing process)
Fish oils (for the anti-inflammatory action)
Glutamine (heals the gut lining)
Slippery Elm (repairs and soothes the gut lining)
Digestive enzymes (anti-inflammatory and aids digestion)
Golden Seal (heals and soothes the gut lining and acts anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal)
Licorice (soothes and heals the gut lining)
Turmeric (heals the gut lining)
Colostrum (heals the gut and supports immune system function)
As you might be aware by now, Leaky Gut Syndrome is a multi-layered disorder and can be quite overwhelming to deal with.
Therefore it needs a qualified and well-trained health professional like myself to find the right individually tailored treatment plan that suits you and helps you to address all aspects of Leaky Gut Syndrome.
I am looking forward to being part of your journey towards recovery and wellbeing.
Regards, Nicole
