The 4 Most Effective Leaky Gut Treatments

The 4 Most Effective Leaky Gut Treatments

Leaky gut may affect 25 to 88% of us with symptoms; whether they are gastrointestinal like- diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, GERD, acidity, bloating, reflux or systemic like- fatigue, headache, brain fog (unable to concentrate), joint pain or just a feeling of generalized inflammation- leaky gut may at the core of every diseased condition.

So let’s discuss what leaky gut is?

We have now enough data to conclude that increased intestinal permeability or in simple words leaky gut is something that is involved in many symptoms, conditions & disease states.

A small intestine is where 90% calories and nutrition is absorbed & that’s where leaky gut can occur. This is because small intestine is selectively permeable membrane that has to be tightly regulated. When there is a disruption of microbial colony i.e. when these bacteria, fungus and other micro biomes overgrow or they are imbalanced; the intestinal barrier becomes unhealthy. And when this happens some endotoxins leak through the semipermeable intestinal wall. These endotoxins are the particles to which body’s immune system responds. These toxins leak into the blood stream. And then this starts showing systemic and digestive system symptoms.

The leading causes include-

Genetic predisposition
Western Diet,
Overconsumption of Alcohol,
Poor Sleep,
Inflammation- Increased CRP (C-Reactive Protein), TNF-alpha, IL-6
GI conditions- IBS, IBD, Celiac , Non celiac disease, GERD
Chronic Stress,
Certain medications like overuse or over the counter use of antacids, NSAIDS- Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs
Chronic Diseases &
Aging

How to prevent it?
The 4-most effective treatments include:

Diet- specifically processed food containing emulsifiers have been documented to lead to leaky gut & IBD. Emulsifiers are food additives used to increase shelf life and give thickness to a food. Emulsifiers including carboxymethylcellulose, polysorbitols, caragennans, are used in ice creams, frozen desserts, chocolates, ketchups, sauces and many packaged and highly processed foods. They help to improve shelf life. But they also irritate & can start to breakdown the lining of your gut. Now it is not that you can never have any processed food, but the frequency, and the quantity matter. So don’t just binge on packaged food every day, a few times a day/ munching every now & then. So the magic is in having whole food, freshly prepared home food. Whole foods usually have less calories, are less prone to overeating, contain phytonutrients, enough fibers, healthier proteins, and healthier fats.

So just move from processed food to whole unprocessed freshly prepared food.
Another element in diet is elimination & reintroduction of foods that are known to be irritating. The short list is- Gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts and seeds, fish and shellfish. Not everybody is allergic to these foods so if your body doesn’t show any negative symptoms after consuming these; please don’t avoid them. They are not direct causes of leaky gut but in some people; stimulate the symptoms.

Go for Low FODMAP diet. FODMAPs are Fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and Polyols. So in general go for diet which is in low carbohydrates, too much of carbohydrates flair up the symptoms.

Fermented food is a blessing for small intestinal health. Research shows that people consuming fermented food are healthier than who do not consume regularly fermented food. So go for pickles (in moderation, & home prepared), curd, buttermilk, kefir, kimchee, Idli, dosa, dhokla (not an instant one), & all traditional and local fermented foods. Fermented foods help in maintaining small intestinal wall integrity.

Take home message-

Reduce processed food
Increase whole freshly prepared, home cooked food
Reduce common allergens
Reduce FODMAPs
Increase fermentable foods

Exercise- Exercise has been shown to reduce the leaky gut. Moderate exercise preserves intestinal health; by increasing abundance and diversity of gut micro biota. It also increases amount of short chain fatty acids in gut. Short chain fatty acids are linked to the loss of intestinal tight junctions leading to leaky gut and increased intestinal inflammation.

So do religiously- 2 resistance trainings/week & 2 Endurance/cardio sessions/week for 20-40 min.

Stress- Stress is inflammatory. Stress gives inflammatory markers like CRP(C-reactive protein), LPS(Lipopolysaccharides), IL-6 etc. to leak through into the blood raising inflammation.

So to reduce stress- Go for a walk in nature, do meditation like yoga, spend time with friends, invest time in hobbies.

Sleep- Poor sleep in timing, intensity, and duration does correlate with disruption of bacteria.

To get a healthy sleep - 1. Practice regularity in sleep.
2. Disconnect devices 1 hour before sleep.
3. Get 30 minutes of natural light exposure
4. Limit caffeine after 2pm.
5. Be physically active.

So maintain sleep hygiene.

This 4-step plan is the most powerful tool to improve your gut health really with the most root causative interventions possible.

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