Natural Ways to Recover From Leaky Gut In Baldwin County

The number of people who suffer from chronic digestive illness today is overwhelming. Most people don’t know why they feel discomfort or what causes them to feel ill. They just know something doesn’t feel right.

Since your digestive system is responsible for breaking down what you eat, there’s a good chance your issue is there. Leaky gut is one of the most common digestive issues among patients today. However, there is hope for recovery with holistic solutions.

What Is Leaky Gut?

Your intestinal lining has millions of cells that work together to form a protective barrier. This barrier keeps out harmful substances from entering your system. The barrier determines what nutrients to absorb or filter out of the body. If the barrier doesn’t stay strong, it can form “holes” or “leaks” that let toxins and other substances such as harmful bacteria or partially digested foods pass through this barrier into the bloodstream.

This problem is often called leaky gut. As your intestinal lining weakens, you lose your ability to fight off infections. A weakened intestinal lining can lead to inflammation, food sensitivities, bloating, and other health issues.

Causes of Leaky Gut

First, we need to understand that it is impossible to prevent every toxin from entering your body. The air you breathe and other environmental factors are impossible to fully control. Some people are also born with certain genetics that make them prone to inflammatory responses when they eat certain foods or are exposed to some of the many chemicals or toxins that are in our food supply. These inflammatory responses cannot only damage the intestinal lining, but can also contribute to digestive issues and the development of autoimmune conditions.

When the gut lining is damaged, it allows harmful bacteria, toxins, and partially digested foods to pass directly into the bloodstream in a condition referred to as”leaky gut”. As your body attempts to combat these harmful substances, other autoimmune diseases can develop because as the body responds to these substances some collateral damage can result. And because some of the partially digested foods resemble body tissue, when the body sees the partially digested foods as the enemy, some of the body tissues they resemble become damaged as well.

So while some genetic factors make intestinal health more susceptible to injury, by controlling what you eat and what you drink, you can reduce your risk of developing leaky gut and other autoimmune conditions. Think of it this way: If you stop pouring fuel on the fire, the fire may go out and less damage will result.

How Can You Recover From Leaky Gut?

If you struggle with inflammation, chronic fatigue, gas, or bloating, you may have leaky gut. The good news is that you can recover from leaky gut with natural medicine. Typically medications will reduce your symptoms but may actually mask the cause of your condition and allow ongoing damage to occur. The best way to determine if you your symptoms are being caused by a leaky gut is to undergo a detailed health history review and appropriate laboratory testing with a functional medicine doctor.  

A functional medicine doctor will seek out the source of your symptoms and order lab tests chosen to discover the cause of your issues. If you have leaky gut, there are several ways to naturally reverse the damage and allow your gut to heal.

Change Your Diet

There is plenty of research on the effects of digestive illness. when your functional medicine doctor orders appropriate testing, you may find that there are specific foods or chemical irritants that are contributing to your leaky gut. If you don’t first identify and then carefully address the causes of your gut and autoimmune issues, the problems will keep getting worse. The best way to treat these issues may be to completely change your nutrition and lifestyle.

Remove Food Triggers

Gluten is a major trigger when it comes to digestive health. Gluten causes excessive inflammation in the intestinal lining which in turn weakens the lining. You can find gluten in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, oats, corn, and many other processed foods.  

Dairy is another highly inflammatory food that people struggle with. Some dairy products have growth hormones which make them hard to digest and are harmful to the body. In addition, many people with gluten sensitivity are also impacted by dairy products because the protein structure is very similar to that of gluten containing substances.

Add Natural Foods

If you remove food triggers you must replace those foods with natural ones that will help restore balance. Some of these include:

• Omega-3 fatty acids – found in wild-caught salmon
• Grass-fed beef
• Garlic and ginger
• Dark-leafy greens
• Dark berries

When it comes to finding natural foods, walk the perimeter of the grocery stores. This is where you’ll find organic and fresh ingredients to eat. Try to stay within the produce sections and avoid the other isles with processed foods.

Restore Healthy Gut Bacteria

Your gut needs healthy bacteria to thrive. Add probiotics to your diet to restore your healthy bacteria. A functional medicine doctor will recommend the best ones for your current health needs.

Let Us Help You Recover From Digestive Disease

If you believe you’re struggling with digestive issues, contact us at The Gut Authority today. We want to help get you back to living a happy life. Contact us today.