Your gut—the gastrointestinal tract that runs from your mouth to your bottom—is your biggest immune system organ.

When the gut is compromised, a myriad of issues can result. That’s why the natural health community has been recently zeroing in on a common problem with the gut: known as leaky gut syndrome.

Below we’ll cover what leaky gut is, what causes it, common leaky gut syndrome symptoms, and ways you can heal your gut.

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Basically, “leaky gut” means there are holes (or “leaks”) in the lining of your intestines. Through these holes, undigested food particles and other substances—like bacteria and waste products—are able to enter your bloodstream where they should be.

The damaged cells also make it hard for your intestines to properly absorb nutrients and make enough enzymes to digest food.

Your body also responds to the “invaders” that come through the holes—leading to inflammatory reactions that can greatly affect your health and lead to a variety of problems.

What Causes of Leaky Gut?

There are a few main causes of leaky gut syndrome. Diet is one of the biggest. Many of the foods Americans eat every day are inflammatory and your body starts treating as foreign invaders.

Those foods include:

• Gluten and wheat
• Corn
• Soy
• Lentils, beans, and legumes
• Highly processed vegetable oils like canola oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil
• Non-organic dairy and other animal products
• Refined sugars, carbohydrates
• Preservatives and additives used in processed and packaged foods

Eating these foods can make your body release antibodies as an immune response that leads to many of the symptoms of leaky gut.

Certain medications can also cause leaky gut, including steroids, antibiotics, and some pain relievers like Tylenol or aspirin. Like the foods above, these drugs can irritate and damage your gut lining.

High amounts of stress can also lead to a leaky gut. When you’re stressed for a good amount of time, it weakens your immune system and causes inflammation in your body [1].

Common Leaky Gut Syndrome Symptoms

A huge amount of your immune system cells are found in your gut [2]. That’s why poor gut health can cause many different problems in the body.

Here are some of the most common ways leaky gut can manifest in your body.

1. Digestive Issues

Including chronic constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, and irritable bowel problems.

2. Food Allergies

Leaky guts often mass-produce antibodies to fight off particles leaking through their linings. This can show up as various food allergies or sensitivities. Thankfully, they can often be reversed when the gut is healed.

3. Getting Sick Often

Since the gut is so tied to immunity, it makes since that a compromised digestive system would lead to more frequent sickness throughout the year.

4. Low Energy and Fatigue

Including excessive fatigue, less mental and physical energy than you used to have, and frequent headaches or migraines.

5. Skin Problems

Acne on the face or body, rosacea, eczema, and other skin issues can result from a leaky gut.

6. Autoimmunity

Autoimmune conditions occur when the body begins to attack itself. Similarly, particles that enter the blood through a leaky gut tells the body it’s under attack, which can lead to autoimmune-like problems.

7. Mood Issues

Including brain fog, memory issues, headaches, or feelings of low mood or anxiousness.

8. Cravings

One of the most common (and frustrating) leaky gut syndrome symptoms is having lots of cravings for sugars, carbs, and other foods that lead to poor health.

9. Trouble with Weight Loss or Gain

Including unexplained weight changes or having trouble losing weight, even if you’re eating healthy and/or haven’t changed your eating habits.

10. Nutritional Deficiencies

Various nutritional deficiencies can happen with a leaky gut, including the loss of digestive enzymes, magnesium, and vitamin B12. Replacing these lost vitamins or minerals can help.

Top 5 Ways to Heal Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome symptoms can be extremely frustrating and discouraging. But the condition is by no means a lost cause. There are some very effective approaches you can take to leaky gut, including these five.

1. Try an Elimination Diet

For three weeks, try removing the list above of foods that can cause leaky gut to see if symptoms improve. This can help the gut lining heal and reduce your leaky gut symptoms.

It’s also generally a good idea to avoid most of these foods daily anyway. And if you suspect hidden food allergies or sensitivities not on the list, consider getting an allergy or food sensitivity test done.

Once you start to heal your gut, sensitivities often go away.

2. Eat Fermented Foods Often

Healthy fermented foods include:

• Apple cider vinegar (unpasteurized and raw is best)
• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Tempeh
• Natto
• Organic kefir or yogurt (unsweetened)

These foods contain natural probiotics your gut needs to digest and function properly. They can also help replenish bacterial imbalances from stress or antibiotic use.

3. Go Easy on Yourself and Practice Mindfulness

Since stress can cause leaky gut, practicing regular stress-relief techniques can help heal the gut and also prevent future problems.

Here are some natural ways to reduce your stress levels:

• Give yourself daily quiet moments of prayer or meditation
• Work on getting at least seven hours of sleep each night
• Avoid using your computer, phone, or tablet at night and try to avoid working at home
• Get regular exercise and spend time outside in nature
• Try to have a regular yoga practice
• Be around people who lift you up and encourage you

4. Reduce Your Exposure to Toxins

We can’t avoid all of the toxins in our environment, but there are ways we can reduce exposure:

• Eat organic as much as possible.
• Avoid using plastic containers or bottles.
• Use all-natural and non-toxic home cleaning supplies, body products, and cosmetics as much as you can.
• Get a water filter for your sink and/or buy clean, filtered water.
• Exercise regularly to detox your system through sweat.

5. Consider Leaky Gut Supplements

Sometimes your gut needs some additional help beyond lifestyle changes. These supplements are often used to support the gut:

• Probiotics
• L-glutamine
• Vitamin D
• Bone broth
• Quercetin
• Betaine HCL

There’s still a lot to learn about leaky gut syndrome, but we can use what we know now to take better care of ourselves and avoid further problems related to one of the most important organs in our bodies.

To further support your whole body, including your gut, shop our huge selection of natural health products for every need.

Disclaimer: Statements made have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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