Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, once said about 2,000 years ago, “All disease begins in the gut.”

He was right on.                                                                            

When you consider all that, your gut does for you, it’s easy to see why Hippocrates zeroed in on it as the hot spot of health (or lack thereof).

Your gallant gut:

• Houses 80 percent of your immune system
• Breaks down your foods so that you can use them for nourishment
• Absorbs the nutrients from those foods
• And it eliminates not only the wastes from your foods, but also old, worn-out cholesterol, bile and hormones, and even viruses and infections!

So, what is leaky gut?

Your gut wall has tiny spaces between the cells in its lining that are just big enough to let nutrients through, so they can get into your bloodstream to nourish you.

But it's also woven tightly enough to securely “restrain” foods that are not properly broken down, as well as toxins, bacteria, and viruses. 

These "invaders" are securely held in your gut until they can be eliminated with your bowel movements. 

Leaky gut occurs when the spaces between your intestinal cells become too wide.  When this happens, viruses, toxins and bacteria have a green light to enter your bloodstream and make you sick.

In addition, food particles that are too big to be used for nourishment can also seep into circulation.

When this happens, the immune cells in your bloodstream launch an attack and stir up inflammation because these too-large food particles are seen as a harmful invader.

8 Signs of a leaky gut wall

Here are 8 signs that you may have a degree of leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability:

1) Inflammatory skin conditions

People with leaky gut are more prone to acne, eczema, and psoriasis.  This is due to the “gut-skin” connection that was first described in medical literature several decades ago.

It also explains why creams and lotions prescribed for these conditions many times aren’t very effective.

2) Low thyroid function

The classic signs of low thyroid function (aka hypothyroidism) are impaired metabolism, fatigue, hair loss, brittle nails, depression, and weight gain.

3) Food sensitivities

Like I mentioned above, food molecules that seep into circulation through a leaky gut wall can trigger your immune system into launching an inflammatory attack. 

Sensitivities to gluten and dairy are especially common.

4) Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) is characterized by abdominal pain, chronic inflammation in the intestinal area, explosive bowel movements, and (in the case of Crohn’s disease) nutrient malabsorption.

5) Autoimmune diseases

It easy to see how leaky gut and autoimmune diseases are connected.

If your immune system repeatedly gets taunted by an onslaught of things leaking out of your gut that shouldn’t be in your bloodstream, it can eventually become hypersensitive…and may begin attacking your healthy cells too! 

6) Nutrient malabsorption

Since the nutrients from your foods are absorbed in the intestinal tract, when your gut wall is leaky and can’t do its job properly, it only follows that you may have one or more nutritional deficiencies.

Especially common is a deficiency in Vitamin B12.

7) Depression, brain fog and mood swings

There is a network of chemical and electrical signals that continuously pass between the central nervous system (your brain) and the gastrointestinal system (your gut).  What affects one affects the other.

The brain-gut connection is the reason why you feel butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, and why conditions like anxiety and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) often go hand in hand.

8) Cirrhosis and liver problems

A leaky gut wall places a HUGE burden on your liver.

Your liver is responsible for filtering your blood and either letting substances “pass” (such as nutrients) or breaks them down to be eliminated—as in the case with toxins or other foreign substances.

But your liver is overwhelmed from too many inflammatory irritants seeping out from a leaky gut wall, it has less energy to filter your blood properly. 

This eventually leads to a buildup of inflammation throughout the body, and possibly your liver shutting down.

How do you spring a leak?

Some of the common causes of a leaky gut wall include:

• Chronic stress
• Harmful bacteria overgrowth, parasites, and yeast
• Use of NSAIDs, steroids, birth control pills, acid reducers or antibiotics

But arguably the biggest cause of leaky gut is DIET.

The role of diet in the development of leaky gut is threefold: 

#1 Feeding the bad guys

The refined carbs and soda that are so prevalent in our diets today cause an influx of sugar which nourishes the harmful bacteria in your gut, and eventually they may "eat away" at your intestinal lining.

#2 Poor digestion

Inadequate digestion leads to poorly broken-down food molecules that can bump up against the intestinal wall, eventually pushing their way through.

#3 Low fiber

The standard low-fiber American diet causes constipation and a lengthy bowel transit time.  With wastes remaining in your intestines longer that they should, harmful bacteria in your feces can irritate the gut wall. 

A leaky gut healing protocol

A smart healing protocol for leaky gut includes:

1- Concentrate on nourishing whole foods

Do the majority of your grocery shopping in the outer perimeter of the store, where the wholesome real foods are located.

I’m talking about fiber-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry and fish, eggs, and real butter.

At the same time, avoid sugars, refined carbs, and soda as much as possible. 

2- Promote better digestion

Digestizol Max enzyme formula can help promote better digestion by supporting your body’s own digestive enzymes and easing the burden on your GI tract. 

This is especially important if you are elderly, use acid reducers, or have had gastric or gallbladder surgery, as all these factors can cause an enzyme deficiency.

3- Help curb inflammation

Omega-3 fatty acids found in our VitalMega-3 fish oil formula are Nature’s perfect anti-inflammatory.   

4- Restore a healthy microbiome

A potent multi-strain, full-spectrum probiotic blend like Super Shield Plus is a must in restoring a healthier microbiome balance! 

The friendly bacteria in your system help to keep your gut wall strong and non-porous, as well as assist with digestion and keep harmful bacteria under control.

So, it’s crucial to rebuild your body’s army of friendly microbes and keep their numbers strong with the right probiotic formula.

Start on your way to a healthier gut wall today!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia