Leaky Gut 101: What is it, what causes it, and how to support healing naturally

Leaky gut has become a hot topic over the last several years. It's also known as Increased Intestinal Permeability. A large majority of individuals have this going on and probably have no clue that it is occurring, what it is, or how to overcome it. Unfortunately, it is something that is often overlooked, or not addressed in the traditional healthcare model. It is one of the reasons behind your pesky GI symptoms that you have been ignoring or think is just a "normal" part of life. As a Functional Gut Health Nurse, I am here to tell you that it is common, but not normal, and you can heal this naturally.

Leaky gut allows things to pass through into the bloodstream and our immune system is activated

So what does Leaky gut mean? Our intestines have one cellular layer on the inside lining with these "tight junctions" that are meant to be semi-permeable or allow nutrients to pass through into the bloodstream but not everything should be passed through. This is how we are meant to absorb things that we eat and use throughout the body. If these tight junctions become inflamed, they loosen, or become "leaky" and undigested food particles, chemicals, toxins, and unwanted items can pass through this layer into the bloodstream. Our body doesn't know what to do about these substances that are released into the bloodstream and will start reacting as if this is a foreign invader. The immune system is activated and creates antibodies. These foreign invaders travel to other parts of the body and create problems elsewhere. This can cause symptoms such as allergies, acne, abdominal complaints, brain fog, nutrient deficiencies, and even autoimmune conditions. This is another representation of why we look at the entire body as a whole in functional medicine and not just the symptoms. You can easily see how this can also lead to dysfunction in other systems, which makes the investigation in your health even more complicated.

Many medications can cause leaky gut

So what causes this lining to become inflamed and then leaky? Stress is a huge contributor! Excessive alcohol intake, chronic NSAIDS use (such as ibuprofen, advil, or aleve), dysbiosis (another term for imbalanced gut microbiome), gut infections, poor food choices, antibiotics, toxins, acid-blocking medications, and birth control can all be contributing factors to leaky gut. It is important to recognize that leaky gut is caused by something and not the root cause in and of itself for your symptoms. Something causes the intestines to become inflamed and working with a practitioner that is understanding of gut health can help you to find your unique root cause(s).

Aloe vera juice can be very soothing to the gut lining

How do you heal leaky gut naturally? First and foremost, you need to work on addressing the root cause(s), and determining what that root cause is. Could it be a medication that is contributing? Could it be something in your diet? Could it be the constant stress you are experiencing? What I like to tell my clients is "the first step is awareness". If you have been educated on the potential causes, then we can take a deeper look at your unique lifestyle and contributing factors so we can work on eliminating them. Many times, we find that a food group such as dairy or gluten are causing inflammation in their gut and by simply removing that item - we give the gut a chance to heal. If we are not finding something obvious, we can do functional lab or stool testing to investigate further. Secondly, we want to support the gut lining with soothing foods and herbs such as bone broth, slippery elm, marshmallow root, or aloe vera juice. Thirdly, we can look at introducing supplements that help the gut lining to heal and repair such as zinc, L-glutamine, quercetin, or collostrum. All of this should be supported with a healthy lifestyle that includes a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants, a consistent exercise regimen, restorative sleep, and stress reduction techniques.

As a functional gut health nurse, I work with clients to help build healthy foundations and uncover their unique root causes of their gut health concerns. Many times there is more than one thing going on and, together, we investigate things deeper so they can optimize their health and wellbeing. If you are looking for support in your gut healing, I offer 1:1 consultations and free discovery calls to determine if it's a good fit for you and your unique health journey. You can book either with me by clicking here. Until next time, I am rooting for your healing - one bite at a time.

- Food First Nurse