Download Leaky Gut Exposed - Nourished Health Center

Leaky Gut Exposed
The job of the small intestine is to completely digest food and absorb nutrients. Nutrients are absorbed through
villi and microvilli on the intestinal wall. This lining of the small intestine also acts as a barrier to microbes, large
food particles, foreign substances, and allergens, preventing them from going into the blood stream.
Hyper-permeability of the small intestinal mucosal lining or leaky gut syndrome (LGS) is extremely common and
undiagnosed. If the tight junctions between cells, desmosomes, open too wide or are open for too long, gut
toxins can flood the bloodstream, overwhelming the detoxification efforts of the liver and causing food
sensitivities. This can be caused by the mucosal lining becoming irritated or inflamed. Toxins may include
undigested pieces of food to bacteria to environmental pollutants and more. LGS is a causal factor in conditions
from attention deficit disorder to psoriasis to inflammatory bowel disease and more. The most common causes
of LGS are consumption of food intolerances, large consumption of gluten (even when not an intolerance), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid drugs, hormone prescription medications, birth control pills, candida
overgrowth, h pylori bacteria, stress and antibiotics.
All autoimmune diseases are implicated as a possible effect of LGS. Saputo In Optimal Digestive Health explains
that there are three nasty cycles that can occur in regards to LGS. A nasty cycle is formed in which oversized
unbroken down protein molecules enter the blood stream. The body creates antibodies against that protein
molecule. Whenever that protein is eaten in the future, the body will attack it as an invader and send it to the
liver for detoxification. This immune response causes inflammation and more toxins and undigested food
molecules to get through to the blood stream. This in turn results in more antibodies.
With the immune system constantly on “high alert,” the immune system begins to attack the body where it is
storing the perceived toxins. This results in automimmune diseases (like arthritis) causing inflammation and in
turn amplifying LGS. Likewise, dysbiosis may trigger the immune system leading to overstimulation and
inflammation that makes the LGS worse, which furthers dysbiosis. Additionally, malnutrition limits the supply of
blood and nutrients to the gut lining, which results in lining shrinking, deterioration, and increased permeability.
Increased permeability means less nutrients are fully digested and absorbed which continues the cycle of
malnutrition.
Getting Over the Leaky Gut
Dandelion root tea – This is a bitter so will help stimulate an increase in HCL acid and promote digestion. Also, it
helps repair liver damage and is tonic to liver to help in releasing of toxins (necessary since the liver has to
cleanse and release all the toxins/molecules so not held in body continuing to toxify the body).
Licorice root – use as sweetener with dandelion root tea as herb or if concerned about increasing blood pressure
than get deglycerized licorice pills. Licorice helps with digestion, but also is really good for adrenal exhaustion.
Oregon Grape Root – It is a bitter so will help stimulate an increase in HCL acid and promote digestion. Also, it
stimulates the gut to release more mucous for the mucosal lining which helps wash away toxins from the gut
and also helps repair the gut lining. Also helps kill bacteria and parasites
Probiotics – Good bacteria helps ward off the opportunistic critters that can cause leaky gut. Also, dysbiosis
usually accompanies leaky gut.
Need marshmallow root or slippery elm to increase the amount of mucous your body has available to produce
for the gut lining. Helps repair gut lining.
Vitality Transformation Blueprint: Your Map to Vital Health
http://www.nourishedhealth.com
L-Glutamine is in red meat, turkey, chicken, fish and the raw brassica family. L glutamine is key to gut integrity
and strengthening the gut lining tissues. Also, as an added benefit it is critical to the body’s ability to gain muscle
mass and balance blood sugar.
Zinc is helpful to the body in repair of stomach lining issues and is often deficient in women, especially older
women.
Quercetin is an important antioxidant useful for helping fight all of the toxins released in the body when dealing
with leaky gut. However, its easy enough to get from foods, so no reason to do as a supplement. Foods rich in
quercetin include capers (1800mg/kg)[1], lovage (1700mg/kg), apples (440mg/kg), tea (Camellia sinensis),
onions, especially in red onions (higher concentrations of quercetin occur in the outermost rings[2]), red grapes,
citrus fruits, broccoli and other leafy green vegetables, cherries, and a number of berries including raspberry,
bog whortleberry (158 mg/kg, fresh weight), lingonberry (cultivated 74mg/kg, wild 146 mg/kg), cranberry
(cultivated 83 mg/kg, wild 121 mg/kg), chokeberry (89 mg/kg), sweet rowan (85 mg/kg), rowanberry (63 mg/kg),
sea buckthorn berry (62 mg/kg), crowberry (cultivated 53mg/kg, wild 56 mg/kg),[3] and the fruit of the prickly
pear cactus. A recent study found that organically grown tomatoes had 79% more quercetin than
"conventionally grown".
A study by the University of Queensland, Australia, has also indicated the presence of quercetin in varieties of
honey, including honey derived from eucalyptus and tea tree flowers.
Saputo, Len. “Leaky Gut Syndrome,” Optimal Digestive Health: A Complete Guide. Ed. Trent
Nichols and Nancy Faass. Rochestor, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2005. 57-64.
Vitality Transformation Blueprint: Your Map to Vital Health
http://www.nourishedhealth.com