Hippocrates got it right 2000 years ago by coming to the conclusion that, “All disease begins in the gut”.
So here’s the elephant in the room… millions of people probably have a condition called intestinal permeability (often referred to as leaky gut) without even knowing it.
Most doctors have never heard of leaky gut or are fairly skeptic that it even exists. There is often a feeling of hopelessness and despair for those suffering from complex symptoms that their doctor can’t seem to make sense of and are often too quick to dismiss. Our modern medical system doesn’t do a good job of connecting all the dots across functional human systems, so problems and symptoms never go away and become chronic disease conditions later in life.
But the facts are becoming clearer: having a leaky gut along with an unhealthy microbiome, are at the root of many of today’s chronic diseases such as autoimmune, obesity, cardio vascular, cancer and diabetes.
It all starts to make more sense if you step back and look at leaky gut not so much as a disease, but as a mechanism by which a number of different health conditions can take root in in the body.
It All Starts In The Gut
The gut is your largest immune organ and it has an important role to play in protecting your body from toxins and foreign invaders whether they come from your food or the outside environment. It is also responsible for both digestion (breaking down food) and assimilation (taking in nutrients and using them in the body). And let’s not forget that an important function of the gut is to get rid of the waste products you can’t use.
Your overall health, how you feel and act, and your ability to avoid chronic disease as you age, is in part dependent on the health of your digestive system and microbiome.
How a Leaky Gut Affects You
When you have a leaky gut, the protective web making up the lining in your small intestine has little tears in it, most likely from medications, toxins, bacteria overgrowth or undigested food. Under normal conditions this intact barrier has an important job… it let’s certain foods and nutrients pass through while keeping others out. But when the tears in the lining become large enough, certain offending foods like gluten (and other grains), molecular by-products and bacteria overgrowth that normally can’t pass through, are now able to do so.
As these toxic materials leak into your blood, the immune system immediately gets to the job of getting rid of these invaders. The by-product of this immune response is inflammation and it can finds its way to every part of your body. This unfortunately causes other symptoms like food sensitivities, aches and pains, fatigue, brain fog, bloating, headaches and rashes.
There are other side affects associated with having a leaky gut. Nutritional deficiencies may develop as a result of long-term damage to the small intestine villi, which are the finger-like projections responsible for absorbing nutrients. Also when cells are damaged in the gut they don’t produce the enzymes needed for proper digestion. This results in malabsorption of essential nutrients, which can impact your hormones, affect your bones and tissues, cause an overgrowth of bad bacteria, and trigger a host of other systemic problems.
What Causes Leaky Gut?
If you have a leaky gut, it can usually be traced back to some usual suspects:
- Problematic foods such as gluten, other non-wheat grains, casein (dairy), GMO foods especially soy and corn, processed foods, and high amounts of sugar
- Medications like antibiotics, NSAIDs, aspirin, and anti-inflammatory drugs
- Pathogens including infections, virus, bacteria overgrowth like Candida, and molds
- Metabolic wastes and by-products including cellular chemicals and hormones
- Environmental pollutants such as pesticides, plastics like BPA, and petro chemicals
Signs That You May Have a Leaky Gut
- Food allergies, chemical sensitivities, sinus conditions, asthma
- Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, lupus, celiac disease or Crohn’s
- Poor digestion, nutritional deficiencies, malabsorption
- Depression, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, even autism
- Skin problems, including eczema, psoriasis, rashes and acne
- Cravings for sugar or carbs, insulin resistance
- Pain Disorders like fibromylgia, arthritis, headaches, migraines, joint pain
- Hormone Disorders including adrenal stress, menstrual, osteoporosis
Repairing Your Leaky Gut
There’s no miracle cure for treating leaky gut, but there are things you can do if you’re suffering from it that can help reduce inflammation and restore the integrity of your gut lining.
Treatment for leaky gut involves finding your triggers and removing them, getting the right tests and diagnostics done to assess severity, introducing good bacteria to support the microbiome, replenishing your body with nutrient-rich foods, and creating a plan for long-term wellness.
Most people will notice some improvement of their symptoms within 4-6 weeks, although don’t get discouraged if it takes several months and even years to repair and heal your leaky gut (and related digestive and immune conditions).
Just to Recap Leaky Gut Disease & How to Heal it
- Millions of people most likely have it and don’t even realize it
- A single dose of antibiotics can alter your microbiome for 12-months or more
- Discover what is causing your leaky gut and get rid of it… stop throwing more gasoline on the fire!
- Leaky gut is a part of the mechanism for autoimmune disease and other chronic conditions
- Have patience… a leaky gut doesn’t occur overnight and it will take time to heal.
If You Say “Yes” to Any of The Following, Get a Remedy NOW!
- Do you have a leaky gut?
- Have you had a round of antibiotics in the last 18-24 months?
- Do you have symptoms that just won’t go away no matter what you do?
- Do you have food sensitivities and allergies all year long?
- Have you been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease?
Heal your gut now and prevent other serious symptoms… join my Gut Health Secrets 90-Day Boot Camp
Disclaimer: the views and nutritional advice expressed in this publication are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical advice. No information provided should be interpreted as a diagnosis of any disease, nor an attempt to treat or prevent or cure any disease or condition. All information in this publication is for educational purposes only and Aine-Marie and Advesta Health encourages its clients and members to continue to work in a partnership with qualified medical professional. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider or seek medical assistance. Reading, sharing, or downloading this publication does not establish a doctor patient relationship with Aine-Marie or any Advesta Health employee or consultant including any of our licensed health practitioners, coaches, dieticians or nutritionists.
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