Understanding & Fixing Leaky Gut
Restore your gut to health in 90+ days
By Diana Dannelly - April 28, 2020
The gut and digestive system have taken center stage as a health topic today. Both natural and Western medicine have recognized that the gut houses 80% of the immune response and are beginning to study and understand it's relationship to the brain as well as many other diseases.
You might be surprised to find that the following conditions all have an underlying imbalance in common - leaky gut due to tears/gaps in the tight junctions of the large intestine.
- Chronic constipation
- Mood and appetite disorders
- Depression
- Cognitive decline
- Loss of memory and recall
- Anxiety
- Chronic Pain
- Parkinsons
- Auto-immune disorders
In addition to the above listed disorders, gut dysbiosis may exist in the form of Leaky Gut, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chrones Disease, Food intolerances, gas, pain and bloating.
What biological factors are considered to make up a "healthy gut"?
Those with a healthy gut will rarely - if ever - suffer from any digestive issues and will most likely not have any of the above listed diseases in process either. The measurable markers of a healthy gut include:
- Good microbiota diversity (healthy strands of probiotics)
- Low levels of pathogens (bad bacteria, viruses, parasites)
- A strong mucosal barrier
- Low mucosal inflammation
- Strong, tight junctions in the intestinal wall
What factors make up dysbiosis? Dysbiosis also called dysbacteriosis, is a term for a microbial imbalance or maladaptation on or inside the body, such as an impaired microbiota.
Due to the presence of glyphosate (Round Up weed killer) and pesticides in our food and water supply along with electromagnetic field damage and poor diet and lifestyle habits, most people will suffer from some sort of digestive issues. As a naturopath, I most commonly see leaky gut in the form of food sensitivities that lead to extreme discomfort, constipation and in severe cases this seems to lead to skin issues especially acne and eczema. The biological factors that make up gut dysbiosis are:
- Low Microbiota diversity
- An over abundance of mucus degrading and toxin producing pathogens
- Weak tight junctions in the intestinal wall
- Inflamed intestinal cells
- A degraded and inflamed mucosal layer
- Low short-chain fatty acid production
- Endotoxins (LPS lipopolysaccharides) leaking through the torn membrane and into the body, causing an immune response.
- Low butyrate (Gut bacteria produce butyrate, an important short-chain fatty acid that supports digestive health, helps control inflammation, and even aids in preventing disease)
- Low propionate (Propionate as a health-promoting microbial metabolite in the human gut. Propionare is a major microbial fermentation metabolite in the human gut with putative health effects that extend beyond the gut epithelium. Propionare is thought to lower lipogenesis, serum cholesterol levels, and carcinogenesis in other tissues.)
- Acetate (In general, acetate may modulate body weight control through different mechanisms that can affect central appetite regulation, gut-satiety hormones, and improvements in lipid metabolism and energy expenditure)
The relationship between Leaky Gut and food sensitivities
Now more than ever, consumers are becoming more conscious of their personal food sensitivities. People are starting to understand that there is no "right diet" for everyone and that they either need to get tested or eliminate certain foods in order to discover the things that they should not be eating. From finger pricks, to food scans and muscle testing - there are a variety of ways to uncover your personal food sensitivities. The unfortunate thing is that
if you have a leaky gut EVERYTHING that you eat becomes inflammatory as it leaks out of your gut into your body. I have clients who have eliminated gluten, dairy, soy, corn, sugar and are eating VERY clean - yet still experiencing horrible digestive and health issues especially when it comes to acne and eczema. Some clients are also on probiotics and digestive support for inflammation and it simply isn't working. So the people who still eat everything have something in common with the people who have eliminated foods they're sensitive too... both are STILL experiencing issues one way or another.
This is when its time to reset your gut, and you can do it in a minimum of 90 days...
The Total Gut Restoration Program consists of a 90 day, 3 stage process during which you will take a certain amount of supplements at certain times. Both a food sensitivity scan and digestive scan will be completed at the beginning and the end of the process as well as muscle testing of the actual large and small intestine. Once your gut becomes balanced, a simple maintenance protocol will go into place and you can begin introducing certain foods back into your diet. I am Partnered with MicroBiome Labs to offer this process to clients.
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