If you have had ongoing stomach and intestinal issues, you may have heard your doctor or someone online mention leaky gut. This may sound like something that you think you don’t have or you may have misconception of what leaky gut actually is. Before you move on from this as a possible issue you are having, that could explain other related issues you are having, consider the basics of what leaky gut is and what it means for your body.
So… what causes leaky gut?
Pores are the Issue
The clear cut answer to what leaky gut is can be defined in the pores of your intestinal lining. Overtime, with strain and other issues like diet, your intestinal tract can become more porous. This means that the tiny pores throughout the lining are now becoming more open allowing waste and toxins to leak. This is referred to medically as Hyperpermeable Intestines or leaky gut.
Immune System Issues
One of the first things that may clue you into have leaky gut issues is actually your immune system. You may find yourself getting sick more often, having bowel issues, or having ongoing issues with digestion. The reason for this is due to how your intestines work. The lining actually provides a barrier to keep your immune system safe from toxins as they exit the body. If the toxins are leaking out of the now porous areas of the lining, then you are leaching that fluid into your system. It is coming in contact with your immune system and causing you to be ill more often with reduced chances of getting better or moving on from the illness itself.
Foods Are Not the Cause
You may be under the misconception that it is the foods you are eating that are causing all the intestinal problems and leakage. The truth is that isn’t the case at all. The foods are simply leaking out. If you are thinking about diet change then know that the diet changes you can make to improve the issues are simply to maintain what is leaking in your system from being more harmful and to give a more gentle food to your intestinal tract. Food can help, but it wasn’t too many fatty or acid based foods that caused leaky gut.
These are only three of the major key points regarding what leaky gut is and how it can affect your overall health. If this sounds like what you are going through, consider contacting your physician to find out more and to see what can be done about your overall situation.
Signs you have leaky gut
If you have been reading up on leaky gut, and you think you may have it, then you may want to start narrowing down the signs. There are several signs of leaky gut that can lead you to your doctor and to a proper treatment plan. You may also find that you can manage the signs and symptoms and work towards handling it on your own naturall, at least for a time. If you are wondering if your issues are actually signs, then here are a few to consider.
Inflamed Bowel Syndrome
One of the first signs that you have leaky gut is inflammation in the bowel. This inflammation can first be misdiagnosed as a symptom of Crohn’s Disease. You will notice that you are having some pain in your bowels, sensitivity to the area, and overall pain and discomfort. If you are having this symptom it is a sign that something is wrong, regardless of it being leaky gut or not. If it is related to leaky gut you will have other symptoms alongside this and all of them are due to the leaking of the toxins into your system causing havoc on the rest of your body.
Increased Food Sensitivity
Everyone has some type of food sensitivity. They may not like hot foods, overly spicey foods, certain flavors, and certain textures. This becomes a sign of leaky gut when you start noticing it isn’t just your personal likes and dislikes and it is overall affecting your body as a whole. You may start noticing that pizza, for example, is irritating your stomach to a drastic level. That means you may be having adverse bowel issues such as constipation lasting more than one day or you may feel like bile is building up from it more than normal. These are signs that something is not processing right with your intestines and could be related to leaky gut issues.
Malabsorption
If you take supplements or vitamins daily and you have noticed that you are not getting the same benefit or feeling from them, this could be a sign of leaky gut. What this means is that the vitamins and supplements you are taking are actually not being processed properly and are leaking out with the toxins. Your body isn’t being given the chance to absorb them properly and therefore it may seem like you need to take more or change brands. When you do this often, you may start thinking they aren’t working anymore. This is usually referred to as malabsorption and is directly related to leaky gut.
These are the three key signs that you do in fact have leaky gut. If you find that these signs sound like your issues, then contact a physician to help with your treatment plan. You can also consider using natural ways to improve your gut health or supplements that may help with specific leaky gut issues.
Easy ways to improve gut health
Having gut health issues can be contributed to a number of different things. Your gut health can also contribute to several problems in your overall health as well. If you have been having gut issues, as well as related health issues, then you may be wondering how you can easily improve your overall gut health. Here are a few of the easiest ways you can improve your gut and help with your overall daily body health.
Change Your Diet
You don’t have to make drastic changes to your diet. There is a misconception that the diet is what caused the issues. The truth is, your diet didn’t cause these issues. Your diet can however help the issues. Try to add more fiber to your diet and try to reduce heavy oil foods that can cause blockages in your system. Think of your intestinal and gut area like pipes in your home. Oils can block your pipes and cause the path to be lined with oil and blocked. This makes digestion slower and it can increase the amount of toxins leaking out into your system. So, consider that when you make changes to your diet overall.
Drink More Water
The truth is, simply drinking more water can help. It won’t cure the gut health issues but water offers several benefits. It can help with the breakdown of the food you are eating which makes it easier to digest and easier to move out of your system. It makes absorption of minerals and supplements easier by allowing your system to be hydrated and ready to absorb nutrients. It also helps you keep hydrated which can help with overall health. That being said, remember this is pure water. This is not water that has been added to a drink like coffee or tea.
Add Probiotics
Sometimes your system needs a little boost to help things along. Though you can do this with foods and water, you may need more than that. Even supplements may not do what you need. One thing that will help your digestion and gut health, especially with leaky gut, is adding probiotics. You can find these in tasteless powder blends that can be added to everything from water to coffee. You can also find them in daily chewables or even yogurt.
There are other ways to improve your gut health, but these are the most common and easiest to put into effect into your life. By putting these three ways into action, you can see a quick improvement in your gut health and an ongoing improvement in your overall wellness.
