10 Signs You Have a Leaky Gut—and How to Heal It
What is leaky gut?
Leaky gut, or "intestinal permeability," is a condition in which the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, causing undigested food particles, toxic waste products and bacteria to "leak" through the intestines and flood the blood stream. The foreign substances entering the blood can cause an autoimmune response in the body including inflammatory and allergic reactions such as migraines, irritable bowel, eczema, chronic fatigue, food allergies, rheumatoid arthritis and more.
With leaky gut, damaged cells in your intestines don't produce the enzymes needed for proper digestion. As a result, your body cannot absorb essential nutrients, which can lead to hormone imbalances and a weakened immune system.
10 signs you have a leaky gut:
Chronic diarrhea, constipation, gas or bloating
Nutritional deficiencies
Poor immune system
Headaches, brain fog, memory loss
Excessive fatigue
Skin rashes and problems such as acne, eczema or rosacea
Cravings for sugar or carbs
Arthritis or joint pain
Depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD
Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, celiac disease or Crohn's
How to heal a leaky gut
The key to healing a leaky gut is changing your diet and eliminating the foods that your body treats as toxic. Commonly eliminated foods are gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
In addition to eliminating certain foods, consider adding in healthy fats such as fish, coconut and olive oils; avocados and flax; probiotics to restore the healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract; and L-glutamine, an amino acid that rejuvenates the lining of the intestinal wall.
It may take 30-90 days to heal the gut. Then you may slowly reintroduce any omitted foods back via a rotation diet protocol. Some may find it beneficial to abstain from some the foods, such as gluten, etc. But it's a small price to pay for feeling so alive and healthy again! Cyrex's Array 4 - the Gluten Cross Reactivity test, can help determine which foods are beneficial for you and which are not.
If you have any of the symptoms I mentioned, be sure to get checked by your functional healthcare practitioner as your symptoms could be caused by other issues, like SIBO (Small Intestional Bacterial Overgrowth) and/or Candidia. It's important to design a treatment plan that fits your issues.
To your good health,
Dr. Susan
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