LEAKY GUT
Leaky Gut Issues
Leaky gut syndrome is also known as gut hyper permeability and can be linked to conditions ranging from depression and allergies to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The inner lining of the human gut can be likened to a boundary wall, with the foreign substances (undigested foods, good and bad bacteria, chemicals, toxins) kept on the outside of the wall and our body’s army guarding the inside of the wall (our gut tube). While the cement and bricks of the wall stay intact, the army (our gut immune system) can stand at ease, as only the recognised ‘safe’ substances will be absorbed though the gut wall and permitted to cross the border. If there is damage to the boundary wall however, foreign substances can enter into the body territory alarming the army (gut immune system) to defend the body against the invader.
The gut is the body’s biggest immune system organ, the body’s source of nutrition, and the second largest collection of chemically active nerve fibres, the enteric nervous system or second brain.
2 Pillars of Leaky Gut
Pillar 1 - Intestinal Barrier Damage
The gut lining becomes permeable, allowing toxins, undigested food, and pathogens to pass into the bloodstream.
Pillar 2 - Chronic Inflammation
Triggered by the immune system's response to these foreign substances which includes eating the wrong food for your body leading to systemic inflammation and exacerbating gut permeability.
We highly recommend that you book a food sensitivity test with one of our doctors to discover which food your body functions optimally on and which food should be eliminated.
The 5 R's
Every patient needs to decide whether they would like to go the conventional chemical route by take anti inflammatory medicines, immune suppressants, laxatives or anti diarrheal medicines and expose their body to possible side effects; or whether they would prefer an alternative and side effect-free approach. This is where Optimum Care would like to teach you how to repair and restore your digestive system by using the 5 Rs.
Remove
- Similar to what we have focused on in the first pillar of leaky gut syndrome, detoxing the body, but worth mentioning again, is medically speaking how very important it is to have 1-3 bowel movements per day. Using a natural laxative, containing cleaning herbs like Aloe, Milk thistle, Senna leaf or Cascara bark to ensure the body is optimally eliminating unhealthy food, alcohol, gut irritating medication, unhealthy parasites, yeast, and gut micro-organisms from the body. Magnesium oxide is an osmotic laxative and works very well.
- LaxiCare & ColonActive contains the above herbs in ideal quantities to support healthy waste removal.
- Olive Leave Extract is gastroprotective and eliminated pathogens in the guts
Replace
- Replace deficient or lacking digestive aids in your gut with digestive enzymes and HCL.
Reinoculate
- Reinoculate the gut with healthy bacterial probiotic colonies (trillions of strains of different probiotic bacteria). Your existing probiotics are depleted by environmental toxins, age, antibiotic, steroidal and hormonal medicines, stress, excessive caffeine intake, and poor dietary habits. A good Probiotic provides essential benefits such as immune regulation, healthy small intestinal digestive function, weight control, energy production, hormone regulation, and relieving inflammation.
Repair
Repair irritation, inflammation or damage to the gut with gut-friendly foods and gut-recovery powders, such as:
- L-Glutamine: (present in ColoCare – click here to buy) heals the gut lining and improves intestinal functioning, improves immune cell functioning, protects against pro-inflammatory agents and is the building block of GABA, (gamma-amino-butyric acid) which is a natural calming neurotransmitter in the brain.
- Inulin: a prebiotic fibre that helps nourish beneficial bacteria in your gut.
- Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs): MCTs support your gut environment, especially since they have the capability to combat harmful bacteria, viruses, fungiand parasites. Additionally, MCTs contain antioxidantand inflammatory properties.
Reduce Risk of Recurrence
Ideas to help reduce the risk of recurrence:
- Follow the
7 Foundations of Health - Use stress release techniques like tapping, breathing, positive emotions, rest, sunshine, and consider taking Optimum Care products such as NeuroCare and AdrenoCare
- Do exercises such as Pilates/Yoga/Non impact exercises
- Eat certain calming foods e.g. steamed leafy greens, blueberries, almonds, chamomile tea, and celery, found in the Optimum Care Daily Veggie Juice recipe eat gut-friendly foods such as bone broth, fermented foods (kefir, kambucha tea, kimchi, sauerkraut, plainorganic full fat yogurt), coconut, coconut milk, coconutwater, coconut oil
Solutions
Optimum Care offers a variety of products you can consider using to assist you with Leaky Gut issues.
