How to repair your leaky gut

YOUR GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) tract, also known as your gut, plays an important role in your overall health. Your gut is lined with a special barrier that releases helpful nutrients into your bloodstream while keeping harmful things, like toxins, from escaping.

Sometimes, however, the gut lining becomes leaky, letting unwanted or harmful substances into your bloodstream. A leaky gut may play a role in many conditions, from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Think of your gut as a hallway with millions of doors and windows. A community of bacteria and fungi, commonly called your microbiome, is the security team for these windows and doors. Your microbiome decides what is allowed to pass through and what gets locked in.

In a healthy gut, your microbiome opens a door or window to release helpful nutrients into your body. When your microbiome spots harmful substances like toxins and germs, it keeps the doors and windows closed.

When you have a leaky gut, however, this process does not go as planned. This might happen if there are cracks in the lining or your microbiome does not recognise a particular substance. Unwanted or unidentified substances can then escape the gut and migrate into your bloodstream.

Your immune system spots these substances and knows they do not belong there, so it launches an attack. This immune response creates inflammation, which is a key factor in many diseases, from Crohn’s disease to diabetes.

According to Dr Orlando Thomas, medical doctor and functional medicine practitioner at Thomas Medical and Shockwave Centre in Old Harbour, there is no easy solution for a leaky gut, but making a few lifestyle changes can help you feel better, sometimes in a matter of days.

The first step he said is to remove toxins, microbes, unhealthy foods, stress, alcohol and medication that you do not need.

“The best way to protect yourself from leaky gut is to invest more in your overall digestive health. This means being more attentive about following a gut-healthy diet that limits processed foods and high-fat and high-sugar foods, and includes enough fibre,” Dr Thomas said.

The process he said, can include fasting, including intermittent fasting, which is the basic one. “Fasting is now a leading treatment for gut health. When you do a fast you basically prejudice against the bacteria in your gut that depends heavily on sugar and refined carbs. Fasting for seven to 10 days you can basically eradicate these toxins, and then you can go back to rebuilding your gut lining,” he said.

Dr Thomas who was speaking at his weekly online health series, spoke on the topic ‘Gut Health the New Super Power’. He indicated that a strict carnivore diet can also be used to treat and reverse many diseases.

Contrary to what you have been led to believe your whole life, not all plant-based foods are good for you. In fact, some, like fibre, might cause more harm than good.

The carnivore diet takes this to heart and eliminates all plant-based sources, and with them, all the concerning compounds that could irritate or inflame the gut lining. That includes gluten, lectins, and fibre. These can cause inflammation and bloating, discomfort, and other symptoms of gut distress.

“Animal-based foods tend to share the common trait of being high in protein, but, they are also rich in other critical nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). These support the gut lining and promote cellular repair,” he said.

“Certain cuts of meat, like bone broth and organ meats, are extra rich in collagen. This protein provides amino acids like glycine and proline which may help repair the gut lining, strengthen intestinal walls, and improve overall gut integrity,” Dr Thomas added.

Milder treatments he said, can include oregano oil and garlic. However, if you have very severe issues, you may need long-term methods.

For many gut issues, including leaky gut syndrome, nutrition plays an important role in its treatment. Consuming probiotic-rich foods and other healing food for leaky gut that contain gut-repairing micronutrients to support gut health and the gut lining can be one of the best ways to heal a leaky gut.

The symptoms of a leaky gut may vary depending on the underlying medical and digestive causes. However, many bowel and digestive conditions have similar symptoms.

In general, symptoms of a leaky gut include sudden or ongoing diarrhoea or constipation, bloating, fatigue, headaches, gas, abdominal pain or nausea.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com