The holidays are upon us and most of us enjoy the multitude of festivities, lavish parties, getting together with our friends and family and most of all we LOVE LOVE the decadent food and beverages that bewitch us at these occasions. e problem is years of decadent behavior and self- indulgence combined with environmental toxins and food products laden with steroids and pesticides have slowed our bodies down and created a host of health issues that most of us are unaware of.
Leaky Gut Syndrome is very common in this day and age. It is the cause of much of our modern autoimmune diseases, such as:
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Asthma
- Crohn’s disease
- Addison’s disease
- yroid dysfunction
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Lupus
Other conditions that can possibly arise as a result of a leaky gut include: IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), allergies, food sensitivities, acne, eczema, psoriasis, attention de cit disorders, yeast, malnutrition and estrogen dominance (as a result of hormonal imbalances).
To define Leaky Gut, it is first important to mention that our gut, a hollow tube that passes from the mouth to the anus, has the all-critical job of preventing foreign substances from entering the body. e digestive tract has tiny porous openings between the cells (called tight junctions) so that nutrients can be absorbed from our food. If the pore-like structures open too wide, toxins from the gut can flood into the bloodstream, overwhelming the liver and causing allergies and a whole host of other ailments.
Another important function of the gut is to host 70% of the immune tissue in the body. Problems occur when either one of these protective functions of the gut is compromised. Hence, a Leaky Gut is a gut that becomes inflamed and in turn becomes porous, allowing large food proteins, bacteria, fungi, metals and toxic substances straight into our bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, our immune system is the last line of defense to deal with these substances and it will eventually get overwhelmed if a Leaky Gut is not repaired.
There are many factors that cause or worsen Leaky Gut Syndrome:
- Stress and lifestyle factors (eating on the run/ fast foods)
- Alcohol and ca eine irritate the gut wall; this includes colas (regular and diet), chocolate, co ee, and cocoa.
- Chemicals found in processed and fermented foods (i.e. dyes and preservatives), wine, vinegar, soy sauce, tofu.
- NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-In ammatory drugs)
- Antibiotics (causes overgrowth of yeast in the gut due to immune suppression),
- Antacids/ proton pump inhibitors (Nexium®, Protonix®, Prilosec®, etc.)
- Too many prescription drugs can slow the liver from performing proper metabolism resulting in toxins recirculating in the blood)
- A diet high in re ned sugars and other carbohydrates (i.e. candy, processed foods, cookies, white bread, sodas)
- A diet high in gluten (i.e. oats, barley, rye, wheat; dairy items with malt avorings in milk shakes and hot chocolate, processed cheeses and ice cream; meat dishes that include breadcrumbs, our, pasta, or
lunch meat; soup or soup bouillon; sauces, salad dressing and gravies with a our base) - Ingestion of animal products that have been given hormonal and antibiotic treatments
- Contaminated foods where E. coli can develop due to poor food handling or foods contaminated by parasites (i.e. pork, chicken, fresh water and hatchery fish)
How do you know if you have a Leaky Gut? Symptoms can vary from person to person depend- ing on the level of damage and the tissues being affected:
- Chronic diarrhea and constipation are signs of inflammation of the intestinal walls from a Leaky Gut.
- A poor immune system will result when your body tries to wage war on itself and ignores all the virus and bacteria we come in contact with on a daily basis, allowing you to get sick more often.
- Skin rashes are your body’s way of trying to dump the toxins through the skin perforations.
- Headaches, brain fog, excessive fatigue and memory loss are a result of the in ammation of tissue and toxin build up.
- Yeast (candida) overgrowth will cause cravings for sugar and carbohydrates leading to weight gain, gas, bloating, and anxiety.
One little known role of the gut bacteria is to assist in converting inactive thyroid hormone T4 into the active form of thyroid hormone T3. Ap- proximately 20% of T4 is converted to T3 in the GI tract so poor gut function can lead to poor thyroid function thus the extra weight you’re carrying won’t come o no matter how much dieting you do.
Hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid, can lead to a Leaky Gut, in ammation and infection. If you are taking antacids daily or acid suppressing drugs, you may already have Leaky Gut Syndrome or are at risk for it.
Constipation from Leaky Gut can impair hormone clearance and cause elevations in estrogen, which in turn raises thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) levels and decreases the amount of free thyroid hormones available to the body.
In order to normalize gastrointestinal function, there is a systemic dietary and nutritional pro- gram for intestinal barrier integrity that is science based designed to support the health of intestinal membranes. If you feel that your health has been compromised because of a Leaky Gut, you are in need of a gut repair. Get started in the New Year right. Let your New Year’s Resolution be something good for YOU!!
Hippocrates said: “All disease begins in the gut.” It’s only now, 2500 years later, that we’re just beginning to understand how right he was.
