Tidbit Tuesday - Leaky Gut
Hello,
Welcome to another Tidbit Tuesday where we aim to teach you something new about health, nutrition, lifestyle, training, and so much more, every week!
This week we want to discuss something that may be causing you intestinal distress and or may be the underlying reason for your IBS or celiac symptoms.
LEAKY GUT SYNDROME!
Leaky Gut, also called increased intestinal permeability, is somewhat new and most of the research occurs in basic sciences.
We have an extensive intestinal lining covering more than 4,000 square feet of surface area.
When working properly, it forms a tight barrier that controls what gets absorbed into the bloodstream.
An unhealthy gut lining may have large cracks or holes, allowing partially digested food, toxins, and bugs to penetrate the tissues beneath it.
As I'm sure you can guess, this is not good and can lead to inflammation, infection, and if left untreated could lead to chronic conditions!
Our intestine is a permeable tissue that, when healthy, allows for further breakdown/mixture of food with digestive enzymes from the liver and pancreas.
The small intestine absorbs most of the nutrients in your food, and your circulatory system passes them on to other parts of your body to store or use.
To some level, our genetics play a role in how permeable our intestine is.
However, our modern lifestyle is likely to blame for most gut inflammation, IBS, celiac disease and Crohn's disease.
Some researchers point to the fact that Leaky Gut may be associated with little things like acne, all the way up to autoimmune diseases.
The standard Western diet is low in fiber and high in sugar and saturated fats. Heavy alcohol use and stress also seem to disrupt this balance. These factors may initiate the process of Leaky Gut!
A common initial step some practitioners take is to remove foods that can be inflammatory and could promote changes in the gut flora.
Among the most common are alcohol, processed foods, certain medications, and any foods that may cause allergies or sensitivities.
So what should you do if you think this might be you?
Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital says that diagnosing Leaky Gut is akin to a mechanic checking on a car, stating “you don’t know the exact problem until the mechanic lifts the hood, looks around, and tries different things — there is not a simple, direct approach to fixing the problem,” he says. “It’s the same with leaky gut. We have to try different strategies to see what helps.”
If your symptoms are quite severe or have been persisting for quite some time. Go see your family doctor and have some tests done to try and determine the root cause.
The most common is to review your diet and eliminate known dietary causes of inflammation, such as excessive consumption of alcohol and processed foods, and to explore whether you have any food sensitivities — for instance, to gluten or dairy. “In theory, reducing inflammation from your diet like this also may rebuild the gut lining and stop further leakage,” says Dr. Fasano.
One good recommendation would be to have a food allergy test done. This will tell you foods that you may be having a very mild reaction to, and not noticing, leading to inflammation in the gut.
Everyday things that you can do to improve Leaky Gut include being more attentive about following a gut-healthy diet that limits processed foods and high-fat and high-sugar foods, and includes enough fiber. Sticking to a regular exercise program can also strengthen your digestive system.
If you'd like to discuss making some specific changes to your diet because you may be experiencing Leaky Gut, email us today and we can begin discussing strategies to bring you back to 100%!
Cheers,
Coach Sean
