What is leaky gut and what can you do about it?

Today we’re going to talk about leaky gut. The term itself seems to be pretty harmless, but studies show that leaky gut is linked to many health concerns such as autoimmune disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, arthritis, chronic fatigue, acne and other skin conditions, obesity, and more.

Your gut is truly at the root of your health.

Your gut is where you take all the good stuff you eat and drink and transform it into the many building blocks your body needs to make energy, think clearly, sleep well, maintain a healthy weight, build muscle, fight infections, and clear out toxins that need clearing out daily so you can thrive.
 
It is my passion is to work with people like you whose health symptoms–like low energy, gut/digestive issues, excess weight, mood imbalance, chronic infections, and skin & sleep problems–are getting in the way of you living life fully and with a sense of freedom in your body. I help you to regain your health so you can feel great and free to enjoy life fully.

So what exactly is Leaky Gut?

First, let’s have a little review on the process of digestion. Food that enters the mouth is mechanically broken down by chewing before being passed down to the stomach through the esophagus. Once in the stomach, food is mixed with the digestive juices gastrin and pepsin creating a mixture called chyme. This phase takes place for approximately 2 hours.
The second phase occurs when chyme enters the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum. Digestive enzymes come together to break down food into small molecules so that the microvilli can absorb them. Absorption mainly happens in the second portion of the small intestine, which is the jejunum. Microvilli, the tiny finger-like tissues at the sides of the small intestine, serve as the passageway for the food molecules to enter your bloodstream.
 
The absorption phase is the most important of all! Absorption must be functioning optimally or else eating healthy and balanced meals would be useless. We don’t want all  of those nutrients in your food to go to waste!
 
But the sad truth is, more and more people have damaged their small intestines without knowing it. How? Stress, medications, pesticides, high sugar foods, processed foods, high intake of gluten…these all damage your gut.

When there’s damage in the small intestine, your microvilli can’t absorb the food molecules inside the jejunum effectively. This can lead to another problem: the passage of large food molecules to the blood. This is leaky gut.
You see, these large food molecules are yet to be broken down into smaller molecules before they should be absorbed to your bloodstream. Unfortunately, they have managed to escape the intestines through the gaps between your gut cells. Meanwhile, a normally functioning immune system considers these large molecules as foreign bodies causing them to be attacked and tagged. An immune reaction happens, and if there are too many large molecules in the bloodstream, this can cause the immune system to overreact. This can lead to food sensitivities, digestive symptoms, depression, brain fog, fatigue, and even more serious issues like autoimmune disease.

How do we prevent Leaky Gut?

Your gut deserves the best and it is certainly in your best interest, as you can see, to support your gut as much as possible.
 
First, modify your diet by choosing healthy food (organic whenever possible to avoid pesticides!) over processed foods. Increase water intake with clean sources of protein, high-fiber fruits and vegetables, and good quality fats and oils.
Keep in mind to also decrease your sugar intake (Lakanto is one of my favorite substitutes for sugar!) and limit drinking coffee and alcohol.
 
Next, assess your lifestyle. Are there things you do regularly that increase the toxins coming into your body (i.e. smoking; poor air quality, chemical exposure)? Take a look at other areas of stress in your lifestyle. We all have some stress. Consider doing some relaxation and stress-busting techniques to help you manage it. Check this article for tips on how to deal with stress or contact me so I can support you.

Preventing and Repairing Leaky Gut through SBI

In addition to these basic suggestions, there’s something really powerful for you to consider using called an SBI. SBI stands for Serum Derived Bovine Immunoglobulin. This substance is loaded with something called IGG. IGG works by blocking and binding toxins in the gut. With this mechanism, these toxins won’t have the opportunity to destroy your intestinal lining and disrupt your normal digestive function. It’s like stopping the wood before it can feed a fire that you don’t want to burn.
 
IGG is naturally made by your body, but diet and lifestyle can wear down your levels significantly.
 
Colostrum powder provides IGG, but if you are allergic or sensitive to dairy products, this isn’t a good option for you (as colostrum is derived from cow’s milk).
 
SBI, on the other hand is safe for individuals with dairy allergy or sensitivity (avoid if you have a beef sensitivity).
 
SBI contains more than 90% proteins and also over 50% immunoglobulins as well as other peptides and growth factors commonly found in milk and colostrum. These components bind to microbial antigens and toxins in the gut that would potentially cause damage to it. This allows your immune system to safely get rid of these potential triggers. 
 
If you are ready to heal your leaky gut or just strengthen your gut health, Mega IgG2000 by Microbiome Labs is a great option. Reach out to me if you are interested!

I hope this information is helpful to you.

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!

-Rebecca

P.S. If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!
Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. http://bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).