Saturday, September 10, 2011

Leaky Gut Symptoms

Increased Intestinal Permeability, or Leaky Gut Syndrome, is sort of a "stealth" disease as it can be very hard to properly diagnose, if you are not familiar with it.  The symptoms of this disorder vary greatly and often times are treated as the medical condition, when in fact, they are a by-product of a larger problem.  

Leaky Gut occurs when your intestinal lining become compromised due to inflammation.  Bacteria, fungi, undigested food and such start to leak through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream.  Your body's immune system starts to kick in and fight these toxins.  The end result is that your body starts to attack itself and you end up with an auto-immune disorder of one type or another.

The toxins are also still in your system and can pick an organ to move into.  The symptoms vary from gas, cramps, diarrhea, heart burn and even constipation.  When your body's immune system starts attacking, you may end up with an auto-immune disorder such as food allergies, kidney disease, acne, headaches, Candida, Fibromyalgia and arthritis.  This is only a short list of auto-immune disorders that can happen from this condition.

Since your liver's function is to clean the blood it can be over-worked when you have bacteria and other toxins in your bloodstream.  Eventually your liver will stop working properly if it continues to fight an uphill battle, such as this condition.  If your liver is unsuccessful in cleaning the toxins out of your bloodstream, you are vulnerable to the possibility that more of the "bad bacteria" will continue to grow inside of you.

Your adrenal glands are in place to fight infection in your body.  If you have too much bad bacteria battling your adrenal glands, they are vulnerable to exhaustion.  If you sleep but don't feel revived, if you constantly feel over-tired, are incapable of concentrating or handling stress, this may be the reason why it is happening.

It is vital that you are properly diagnosed and get to the root of the problem causing your symptoms.  The great news is that if the disorder is properly diagnosed, the treatment can commence and you can restore your health!

We need to make a disclaimer here.  We are not medical professionals, just people wanting to share what we know.  Do not use this information to self-diagnose.  Find a medical professional who is very familiar with this health condition and have them diagnose you.  This article is only meant to help you understand the condition so that you will take the right course of action.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Homeopathic Cures for Leaky Gut

There are some natural herbs that work really well with healing Increased Intestinal Permeability, which is more commonly called Leaky Gut Syndrome.  One herb that works really well with stomach issues such as cramps, excessive gas, and bloating is chamomile.  Chamomile also mellows you out and a hot cup of chamomile tea is usually advised if you have troubles falling asleep at night. Since chamomile is a great relaxer, it can melt away stress.  Considering that stress plays a role with Leaky Gut, this is an added benefit as well.

The herb peppermint helps move bile through your system and soothes your tummy as well.  It also acts as a kind of natural disinfectant as it will obliterate certain strains of bacteria.  Considering that Leaky Gut is caused  by "bad" bacteria entering into your bloodstream, a nice hot cup of peppermint tea is sounding better all the time!

Have you heard of Marshmallow Root?  Sounds delicious doesn't it?  Well this herb helps calm down aggravated mucous membranes in your gut.  If you recall, the problem with Leaky Gut starts when your stomach lining gets inflamed and bacteria, fungi, food and other particles make it into your bloodstream.  Marshmallow Root can help keep your stomach lining impermeable and ideally keep the bad stuff out!

Slippery Elm, when mixed with water, forms a gel-like substance that will coat your insides.  It works great for a "scratchy" throat, an upset stomach or intestinal tract.  In fact, it is also used externally to soothe burns or boils on the skin.   Much like Marshmallow Root, it can protect your intestinal wall.  It also contains antioxidants, which act to reduce free radicals in your system and relieve infections.  All of these properties work beautifully with this health condition.

Echinacea, an herb associated with treating some pretty serious things, like malaria and scarlet fever, is also helpful with Increased Intestinal Permeability.  It acts as an anti-inflammatory, has antioxidants, and bolsters your immunity to disease. 

There is another herb worth briefly mentioning here.  Goldenseal is a great herb to use to heal your digestive tract.

The sad truth today is that doctors over-prescribe antibiotics, which leads to a whole host of problems. Antibiotics often times can cause this disorder as they kill off both the good and bad bacteria.  The herbs discussed above are helpful in helping restore your health.

We are not medical professionals or herbal specialists.  Please understand that these articles are only for informational purposes and to be used as a "jumping off point."  Please consult with a professional who specializes in Leaky Gut Syndrome if you believe you may be suffering from the condition.  

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

The Proper Diet for Leaky Gut

The "No-No Foods

If you are suffering from Leaky Gut Syndrome, then you will need to eliminate certain things from your diet for a minimum of 30 days so your body can start to heal.

Let's start with the fruits and vegetables you should not eat. Stay away from all citrus fruits, strawberries, papayas, bananas and kiwis. The vegetables that you should cut from your diet are beans, potatoes, corn, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, peanuts and eggplants.

Dairy products are a big no-no, and this includes eggs.


Foods with yeast in them are off limits. Some examples of foods that always contain yeast are bread, bagels, malt beverages, beer, cider, fruit skins and wine. For a more comprehensive list, just click on Foods with Yeast.

Certain grains, such as rye, barley, millet and oats should not be eaten.

Liquids such as vinegar, honey, vanilla, and drinks with caffeine in them also need to be removed completely from your diet.

Unfortunately, chocolate also falls into the "no category".

I wish I did not have to give you this big "no-no" list, but it is vitally important that you eliminate these foods from your diet for the period of time it takes for your body to heal from Leaky Gut Syndrome. The good news is you won't have to eliminate these items forever..



I need to make a disclaimer. I am not a physician, just a regular person providing information on a topic I have researched. Please consult a medical professional who is experienced in treating this disorder. This information is only meant to be a place for you to start as you learn about Leaky Gut Syndrome.

The Yes Foods

In the event that you are suffering from Leaky Gut Syndrome, you will need to modify your diet until your body heals. I just wrote a post on all of the items you should not eat, now let's get to the foods that you should eat! I have alphabetized the safe fruits and vegetables and placed the list directly below.

  apples
  apricots
  avocados
  beets
  berries (except strawberries)
  bok choy
  brown rice
  brussels sprouts
  carrots
  cherries
  cilantro
  coconut milk
  dandelion greens
  figs
  grapes
  kale
  lettuce
  nectarines
  onions
  parsnips
  peaches
  pears
  pine nuts
  plums spinach
  pumpkin seeds
  sprouts
  sunflower seeds
  wild rice

Stick to these foods for the first 30 days, then you can start to add fish, chicken and turkey into your meals. Do not add all three at the same time, rather, introduce one type of meat into your diet, and wait three days before trying anything else new.

Once you have some success, you can start allowing other items that were once restricted back into your diet, like Nightshade vegetables, beans and soy. As far as fruits go, you can start back introducing papayas and pineapples.

Keep slowly introducing the restricted foods, just remember to not jump the gun.  You need to start incorporating these foods back into your diet slowly and safely.  Give your body time to show you if it is ready for each new thing.  Introduce one new food at a time and wait three days in-between.

I need to make a disclaimer. I am not a physician, just a regular person providing information on a topic I have researched. Please consult a medical professional who is experienced in treating this disorder. This information is only meant to be a place for you to start as you learn about Leaky Gut Syndrome.

Monday, September 5, 2011

How Healthy Bowels Operate

Most of us are not aware that the processed foods we eat actually remove the healthy bacteria that our bodies need to digest properly. As a result, some of us are living with poor digestive health!

Bacteria, both the "good and bad" types, live in our gut. We need the good bacteria to keep the bad bacteria from growing out of control. The good bacteria has a few roles, actually. It aids in digesting our food, gives us vitamins and nutrients and helps us keep the bad bacteria "in check" so that we maintain a healthy gut.

Our digestive process starts with us ingesting both food and liquid. From there, it passes through the stomach into our small intestine. Our small intestine absorbs the nutrients from our food and passes everything down to our large intestine. Our large intestine absorbs the water into our system.

If we do not get enough good bacteria in our food to ward off the bad, we become vulnerable to poor digestive health and conditions like Leaky Gut Syndrome developing. If we eat too many foods with sugars in them, drink too much alcohol, take certain drugs or even get too stressed, our good bacteria becomes compromised. Things like toxins in our food, and other impurities can also kill the good bacteria.

Antibiotics are also a big culprit. They kill all bacteria, whether it be good or bad. When our gut doesn't have the good bacteria at work, and the intestinal wall becomes agitated or inflamed, we are prime candidates for Leaky Gut Syndrome. The condition's "proper name" is Increased Intestinal Permeability. The name Leaky Gut Syndrome gives you a "visual" of what is happening, as you are literally experiencing leaky bowels. Your gut is leaking the bad bacteria, toxins, parasites and such into your circulatory system.

I need to make a disclaimer. I am not a physician, just a regular person providing information on a topic I have researched. Please consult a medical professional who is experienced in treating this disorder. This information is only meant to be a place for you to start as you learn about Leaky Gut Syndrome.

Have You Heard of Leaky Gut Syndrome?

What Is Leaky Gut Syndrome?


Leaky Gut Syndrome's actual medical name is called Increased Intestinal Permeability. The sad news is that your doctor may not even know about this disorder. Leaky gut first occurs when the lining of your intestinal tract actually becomes inflamed because it has responded negatively from something you've ingested.

What happens is that the lining or wall of your intestines, when it becomes inflamed, actually has areas that open up and allow things like food and bacteria to enter into your bloodstream. Once these unwanted elements show up in your blood, your body’s natural defense systems kick in.

Antibodies then begin to attack these foreign items in your circulatory system. And the next time you have the same food or bacteria entering into your blood, your body reacts to it in the form of an allergy or an auto-immune disorder.

Did you know that 70% of your body's immune system, also known as its lymphatic system, is located right around your digestive tract. In fact, that part of your immune system has its own name, GALT. GALT stands for Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissues.
When it detects something foreign entering your bloodstream, it attacks. You may feel bloating, have more gas than normal, you may experience cramping or overall intestinal discomfort when leaky gut occurs. Since your immune system is working hard to fight these unwanted elements, you may feel utter exhaustion, which may cause stress and even make it hard for you to concentrate.

Leaky Gut Syndrome's actual medical name is called Increased Intestinal Permeability. The sad news is that your doctor may not even know about this disorder. Leaky gut first occurs when the lining of your intestinal tract actually becomes inflamed because it has responded negatively from something you've ingested.

What happens is that the lining or wall of your intestines, when it becomes inflamed, actually has areas that open up and allow things like food and bacteria to enter into your bloodstream. Once these unwanted elements show up in your blood, your body’s natural defense systems kick in.

Antibodies then begin to attack these foreign items in your circulatory system. And the next time you have the same food or bacteria entering into your blood, your body reacts to it in the form of an allergy or an auto-immune disorder.

Did you know that 70% of your body's immune system, also known as its lymphatic system, is located right around your digestive tract. In fact, that part of your immune system has its own name, GALT. GALT stands for Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissues.

Symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome

When it detects something foreign entering your bloodstream, it attacks. You may feel bloating, have more gas than normal, have cramping or overall intestinal discomfort when leaky gut occurs. Since your immune system is working hard to fight these unwanted elements, you may feel utter exhaustion, which may cause stress and even make it hard for you to concentrate.

These symptoms, while serious, are only the tip of the iceberg. You may develop a whole host of disorders from this condition. The disorders range from acne to vaginal infections to fibromyalgia to cancer.

Potential Conditions That May Be Caused By It

·   Low resistance to illnesses or infections
·   Persistent bladder infections
·   Recurrent vaginal infections
·   Skin rashes
·   Bed-wetting
·   Chronic joint pain
·   Chronic muscle pain
·   Acne


There are even more grave illnesses that can stem from Leaky Gut Syndrome.  Fibromyalgia, gluten intolerance, pancreatitis, septicemia, dermatitis, and even cancer.  You  may be treated for a particular condition while not addressing the underlying cause for it. As you can imagine, the treatment will be unsuccessful. Most Allopathic doctors are not yet fully aware of and treating this disorder yet, but most Naturopathic doctors are.

If you are suffering from any of the conditions mentioned here and have not been able to effectively treat them thus far, I recommend that you consider Leaky Gut Syndrome as a reason for the problem persisting.

A friend of mine has a free 10-part mini course that you can sign up for on this blog.  I am also providing much more comprehensive resources available for purchase for you to fully understand and treat this disorder.  Do your homework as you will need to know about the treatment of leaky gut syndrome as well as the correct diet for leaky gut syndrome.

Please consult a medical professional who is experienced in treating this disorder. This information is only meant to be a place for you to start as you learn about Leaky Gut Syndrome.


I highly recommend that you seek medical treatment. I suggest that you find a doctor who treats Leaky Gut, also known as Intestinal Permeability Disorder. I also suggest that you become fully informed about the disorder, its symptoms and its treatment. In this day and age, I feel it is truly critical that we manage our medical care. If we entrust this completely to medical professionals, we leave ourselves vulnerable. Be sure to take the time to fully understand how Leaky Gut Syndrome works. After all, it is your health we are discussing here.