In the last few years there has been increased awareness of the importance of gut health as an important piece of maintaining overall good health. The microbiome in our gut also appear to play roles in nearly every chronic disease.
The gut, sometimes called “the forgotten organ” because:
- 70 to 80% of your immune system lives in the gut.
- 90% of your serotonin is produced by the gut microbiota.
- The cells in your body are outnumbered 10 to 1 by microbial cells
- Genetically, your microbes outnumber you 150 to 1
The good news is that the gut is affected by diet and supplementation, so there are things we can do to improve the gut health and therefore your overall health.
We live in a time where our bodies are challenged by many environmental factors. We now have toxins that never existed before, modern medications, processed foods, light and energy disruptions due to screen time, and increased personal and work stressors.
Healing the gut is so important because it modulates inflammation, energy, hormonal balance, nutrition absorption, and neurotransmitter synthesis.
One of the most important things you can do for your health is to work on healing your gut.
Seven Signs of Leaky Gut
Leaky gut is a term used by those who practice functional or integrative medicine. Our lifestyle can damage the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and cause particles to leak into the bloodstream, driving inflammation and poor regulation of the immune system.
Here are 7 signs of leaky gut:
- Food sensitivities or allergies – With leaky gut, the immune system becomes confused and attacks food particles that have leaked from the GI tract into he bloodstream.
- Chronic or recurring digestive issues – These range from the mild discomfort of gas and bloating to debilitating irritable bowel syndrome.
- Mood and behavior-related issues – Leaky gut often contribute to mood imbalances.
- Hormonal imbalances – The gut microbiome is key in the absorption of our hormones. If you are taking hormones, having a health gut is key to keeping hormones balanced.
- Heart disease and other metabolic conditions – Leaky gut can lead to increased inflammation, insulin resistance and high cholesterol. These are all factors that contribute to developing plaque in the arteries or diabetes.
- Autoimmune disease – Leaky gut can lead to autoimmunity.
- Skin conditions – Rosacea, eczema, dandruff, acne, and psoriasis have been associated with leaky gut.
4 Steps to Heal and Restore Your Gut
The good news is that, in most cases, this problem can be reversed. And, of course, the earlier the problem is treated, the better the chance for complete healing. The functional medicine protocol for healing a leaky gut and restoring balance to the gut microbiota includes 4 steps:
1. Remove gut-damaging factors:
Food sensitivities
Pathogens
Sugar
Artificial sweeteners
NSAIDs
Smoking
Unnecessary antibiotics
Preservatives
GMO foods
Excessive alcohol consumption
Stress
2. Replace needed elements to repair the lining and restore balance to the microbiome:
A complete gut restoration system is available at microbiomelabs.com
The protocol includes:
MegaSporeBiotic™ is a spore-based, broad-spectrum probiotic which has been shown to improve leaky gut by 60% in 30 days in the company’s clinical trials.
MegaPrebiotic™ is made of non-digestible polysaccharides aimed at increasing microbial diversity by feeding keys bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Bifidobacteria.
MegaMucosa™ contains dairy-free immunoglobulins clinically shown to help repair leaky gut syndrome and modulate mucosal inflammation.
If you are not getting this supplement through a medical professional, you can register on the website to order them.
Click here to view the Twelve week Protocol instructions
If you have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance another helpful supplement from Microbiome labs is WheatRescue which is a specialized gastric enzyme supplement to help break down glutinin and gliadin that might sneak into your diet.
3. Reinforce and restore gut microbiome by taking MegaSporeBiotic™ MegaMucosa™MegaPrebiotic™ and eating a diet rich in whole repair leaky gut syndrome and modulate mucosal inflammation.
4. Repair the integrity of the lining of the gut by:
Reducing stress levels
Fasting intermittently
Consuming a variety of vegetables
Consuming low-mercury fish
Supplement with the three supplements previously listed.
Other supplement options include:
L-Glutamine 500 mg cap 1-2 caps once daily by mouth
Quercetin 500 to 800 mg twice daily
Curcumin 400 mg daily
Resveratrol 500 mg daily
EPA/DHA around 700 mg of EPA and 400 mg of DHA daily. Nordic Naturals Ultimate has approximately that much EPA/DHA in 2 caps.
The good news is that all a gut-healing protocol can be beneficial to most people no matter where their gut health stands today.
Because our gut microbiome impacts so many body systems, working to heal and restore your gut lining will help heal the entire body.
