Suffering from chronic diarrhea, constipation or gas or bloating?
Feeling excessively tired most of the time and blame your diarrhea for it? Unintentionally losing weight?
You might have a “Leaky Gut”.
What is a “leaky gut”?
Leaky gut syndrome, also known as intestinal permeability, is a condition when the lining of the small intestines become damaged or becomes permeable, causing leakages or openings where waste products from semi-digested food can leak through the intestines and contaminate the blood system. These external elements enter in the blood stream then causes your immune responses to react and cause headaches, loose bowel movements, excessive tiredness, and more.
There is still insufficient evidence to prove that leaky gut is a serious problem and is still not recognized as a medical diagnosis by physicians. But intestinal permeability exists, and it occurs alongside other diseases and is linked to conditions such as food sensitivities, chronic fatigue, skin conditions and others.
What causes a leaky gut?
The internal mucous lining of the intestines is fairly robust, but this does not mean that we can be irresponsible and abuse our digestive system by continuously taking in hard to digest food and highly acidic drinks on a regular basis. An unhealthy diet is said to be the main cause for this condition.
Researches have said that medications like aspirin or powerful antibiotics can irritate the intestinal lining and damage its underlying layers. Continuous irritation of the said layers through extended use of these medications and unhealthy diet intake will then lead to intestinal permeability, or leaky gut.
10 signs you have a leaky gut:
Based on available research at this early stage of the discovery of this condition, watch out for the following symptoms:
- Chronic diarrhea, constipation and/or gas
- Malnutrition
- Decreased immune system efficiency or being sickly
- Headaches and unusual memory loss
- Excessive fatigue
- Skin rashes, acne or eczema
- Sugar cravings / carbohydrate cravings
- Arthritis or joint pains
- Anxiety or depression
- Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s or celiac disease
How to repair or cure yourself of a leaky gut?
Like almost all conditions stemming from the digestive system, a diet change is the best way forward. Some experts advise to eliminate gluten, dairy, refined sugars, soy, caffeine and alcohol can significantly reduce the risk of further damaging your intestines. Adding a few things like healthy fats such as fish and olive oil, avocados, omega 3 fatty acids and flax can help rejuvenate the intestinal lining. Helping out your digestive tract with fibrous food and probiotics in order to gain a healthy cycle of bowel movements will lessen the damage to your intestinal walls. Some nutritionists say to add L-glutamine to your diet, which is an amino acid that revitalizes mucous linings in the body, like our intestinal lining.
Regular bowel movements are a sign of a healthy digestive system, and to achieve healthy bowel movements, you have to tailor your approach to cover your whole body. Regular exercise will help you achieve a holistic healthy state and help your digestive system recuperate faster. Start with short walks, and lead to more strenuous exercises after you have regained your full strength.
If you feel that you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, please do not hesitate to consult your physician for further examinations.
