What Is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

By John Wilkins

Are you suffering from chronic illness or a debilitating autoimmune disease of some kind that’s keeping you from enjoying life to the fullest? Recent medical research has revealed that many chronic health problems, especially autoimmune diseases, are caused by a “leaky gut” so it’s imperative to understand what it is and what to do to heal it.

Simple concept: “Don’t keep pouring water into a leaky bucket.”

The bucket (your stomach) becomes leaky when poor diet and lifestyle choices create an environment in your gut that promotes the growth of harmful bacteria that hinder proper digestion and  increase intestinal hyperpermeability. That could happen when tight junctions in the gut, which control what passes through the lining of the small intestine, don’t work properly and toxic substances are allowed to leak into the bloodstream.

These substances, pieces of undigested food and large chain protein molecules are then seen as “foreign invaders” by the immune system and are attacked by your white blood cells. This creates inflammation that may lead to autoimmune diseases. The good news is, this process can be reversed by replacing the bad-harmful bacteria with healthful-good bacteria.

(A few years ago I contracted a crippling autoimmune disease called Polymyalgia Rheumatica or PMR and I was motivated to heal it.  Based on my research I started with healing my gut. First, I did  tests to determine what my gut bacteria looked like … it turned out I had the kind of rogue bacteria that liked fried foods and alcohol. Obviously, if I wanted to be healthy, I needed to make some changes … which I did. In only 56 days I healed my gut and subsequently was healed of all my diseases and off all prescription medication!)

Here is the basic protocol to heal a leaky gut:

The easiest way to jumpstart the healing process is to take a good probiotic in capsule form. The “good bacteria” will become the gatekeepers of our gut. Think about it this way, when you add the proper probiotics to your diet, the good guys are coming over the hill to save the day. They will crowd out the bad bacteria and create a new and healthy nutrient-loving garden in your intestines.

And here’s the key: the good bacteria will close off the weak areas in your gut and prevent toxic substances from leaking out and into the blood stream, thus elimitating chronic inflammation leading to disease. So, bottom line: Find a functional doctor, MD or Chiropractor that is familiar with the probiotic protocol.

Or go to a health food store and ask them for some help and buy the capsules and start the process of healing your gut. My doctor, Adam Fields, recommended Microbiome, a prescription based pharmaceutical grade probiotic.

Great Food Options for Fixing a Leaky Gut

Now that we have repopulated our gut with the good bacteria, we need to properly feed and nourish them so they stay happy and stick around to continue doing the job of feeding the rest of our body. So, start eating foods that are good and protective and healing for your gut. Here is a partial list:

• Vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, arugula, carrots, kale, eggplant, beetroot, Swiss chard, spinach, ginger, mushrooms and zucchini.
• Roots and tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, squash and turnips.
• Fermented vegetables: Kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh and miso.
• Fruit: Coconut, grapes, bananas,
  blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, oranges, mandarin, lemon, limes, passionfruit and papaya.
• Gluten-free grains: Buckwheat, amaranth, rice (brown and white), sorghum, and gluten-free oats.
• Healthy fats: Avocado, avocado oil, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil.
• Fish: Salmon, tuna, herring and other omega-3-rich fish.
• Beverages: Bone broth, teas, coconut milk, nut milk, water and kombucha.
• Nuts: Raw nuts including almonds, walnuts and nut-based products, such as nut milks.

Some Foods to Avoid

The following list contains foods that may harm healthy gut bacteria, as well as some that are believed to trigger digestive symptoms, such as bloating, constipation and diarrhea:

• Wheat-based products: Bread, pasta, cereals, wheat flour, couscous, etc.
• Gluten-containing grains: Barley, rye, bulgur, seitan, triticale and
• Processed meats: Cold cuts, deli meats, bacon, hot dogs, etc.
• Red Meat
• Baked goods: Cakes, muffins, cookies, pies, pastries and pizza.
• Junk food: Fast foods, potato chips, sugary cereals, candy bars, etc.
• Dairy products: Milk, cheeses and ice cream.
• Refined oils: Canola, sunflower, soybean and safflower oils.
• Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame, sucralose and saccharin.
• Sauces: Salad dressings, as well as soy, teriyaki and hoisin sauce.
• Beverages: Alcohol, carbonated beverages and other sugary drinks.

It’s so simple: eat healthy, mostly plant-based food with a lot of ruffage and avoid unhealthy highly processed  food-like substances and cut back on your alcohol intake, but you knew this all along. To be healed, follow the whole food, plant based diet and lifestyle. Let the healing begin!

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For more detailed information on the Leaky Gut syndrome and how to heal it, visit: www.ourpassionforhealth.org

John Wilkins is the author of the book “To Thine Own Health Be True” and the founder and CEO of “Our Passion For Health,” a non-profit organization dedicated to public health education for the betterment of mankind. Contact John at john@ourpassionforhealth.org for more information.