There is more and more research suggesting that a "leaky gut" could be the underlying cause of many diseases that face modern humans and that it can perpetuate inflammation in the body that wreaks havoc on general health & well-being. In order to discuss this further, we need to start with some basics.
The basics:
1)
The gut is
essentially a long tube that forms a
barrier to the outside word that selectively allows
penetration of essential nutrients, vitamins, etc… that
we need to survive and thrive. Many hormones are
secreted by the gut and interestingly these hormones
can have both peripheral and central effects.
barrier to the outside word that selectively allows
penetration of essential nutrients, vitamins, etc… that
we need to survive and thrive. Many hormones are
secreted by the gut and interestingly these hormones
can have both peripheral and central effects.
2)
As mothers
approach birth their
vaginal population change in order to expose the baby
to as many good bacteria as possible - this is evidenced
by lower numbers of good bacteria in the guts of children
from c-section birth.
vaginal population change in order to expose the baby
to as many good bacteria as possible - this is evidenced
by lower numbers of good bacteria in the guts of children
from c-section birth.
3)
The gut houses
approximately 100 trillion
bacteria and this population of bacteria is around 10 times
(i.e. Food cravings/choices like carbohydrate cravings or PICA).
bacteria and this population of bacteria is around 10 times
that amount of human cells present in our body (3.72 x1013)-
this number is so great that it's becoming more apparent that
these bacteria might be able to
stimulate us to do what they want(i.e. Food cravings/choices like carbohydrate cravings or PICA).
4)
Gut flora
promote normal GI function, provide protection from infection, regulates metabolism &
comprises more than 75% of our immune system.
Our modern lifestyles put us at
risk for lowering the good bacteria normally colonizing our guts. Chris Kresser
outlines these in his blog:
·
Antibiotics and other medications like birth
control and NSAIDs
·
Diets high in refined carbohydrates, sugar and
processed foods
·
Diets low in fermentable fibers
·
Dietary toxins like wheat and industrial seed oils
that cause leaky gut
·
Chronic stress
·
Chronic infections
Antibiotic therapy will
essentially hit the reset button on our good bacteria, indiscriminately wiping
them out. It then becomes critical that we repopulate our gut with beneficial
bacteria and that’s where I believe most of us including Western Medicine practitioners drop the ball.
If the intestinal barrier becomes
permeable (leaky gut), large protein molecules escape into the
bloodstream that normally would not have penetrated. Since these proteins are
not recognized by the body, the body mounts an immune response to them and attacks
them. Studies show that these attacks can play a role in the development of
autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s, Type 1 Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis and
more. This immune response brought on by “leaky gut” has been shown to affect
not only the gut itself, but also other organs including the skeletal system, pancreas, kidney, liver and the brain.
Additionally, it’s been shown that “leaky gut” can manifest problems in the skin and heart.
What you can do to make sure your Gut stays healthy?
- Eliminate exposure to toxic substances in food. Substances to try to avoid:
- Cereal grains (especially refined flour)
- Omega-6 industrial seed oils (corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, etc.)
- Sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup)
- Processed soy (soy milk, soy protein, soy flour, etc.)
- FODMAPs intolerance – Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols – these are short-chain carbohydrates that are incompletely absorbed in the gut & can be easily fermented by Gut bacteria – the fermentation & osmosis caused by these undigested sugars cause major IBS symptoms such as gas, pain & diarrhea.
- Use Fermented foods
including Sauerkraut, Kimchi & Kefir, etc…
- Use high-quality, mutli-species probiotic supplement after antibiotic use.
- Manage your stress – Lots
of research links gut health with emotional health & well-being!There's so much more that could be discussed, but I'll leave that to the experts. If you're interested in having a full assessment done on the state of your gut health, track down a good functional medicine doctor in your area who can help you handle this. Two sites that can help you are the Paleo physicians network & Primal Docs.
Dan T
