Leaky gut disease or leaky gut syndrome is a condition that can be caused by antibiotics, infections, parasites, toxins, or poor diet. The significant feature of the condition is alteration or damage to the bowel lining.
As the lining becomes more permeable than normal ,it allows microbes, undigested food, waste, toxins, or large macromolecules to enter. Some researchers believe that these substances have a direct affect on the body; others think the problem is an immune reaction to those substances.
Whatever has caused it for you, you probably just wish the symptoms — everything from acne and indigestion to anxiety and fatigue to joint pain and constipation, to name a few – would go away. Unfortunately, that wish can lead to treating just the symptoms. If you have leaky gut disease, however, it’s important that you don’t just address the symptoms. You need to focus on the root causes of the condition.
Many physicians believe that the main cause of this disease is a person’s diet. Though there are a lot of disagreements to every reason this disease occurs, they all agree that diet is part of the issue. Therefore people that suffer from leaky gut will be assigned an anti-inflammatory diet.
The anti-inflammatory diet or leaky gut diet, is an eating plan more than a diet. When you do a little research you will find that there is more than just one type of diet out there. Though to just bring up a point, we will discuss the generic diet.
The leaky gut diet will include things like avoiding refined carbohydrates such as pasta or rice, eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, eating whole grains, eating lean meats like chicken or fish and even eating items that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
When a doctor is endorsing this diet, they will also tell the individual to avoid foods that are high in sugar or products such as alcohol or caffeine. Though drugs do not fall into a bad category, doctors will have a patient refrain from use of over-the-counter drugs and NSAIDS.
One word of caution regarding this plan: The effects you experience (i.e., an improvement in your symptoms) will not be as immediate as they would be if you treated yourself with medications. You probably need to give the anti-inflammatory diet at least two weeks versus the hour or two a medicine might take. On the other side, this diet might have a bonus effect not usually found in medications: weight loss!
[Needless to say, this article is for informational purposes only. It is in no way meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have any of the symptoms listed here or suspect you might have Leaky Gut Disease, consult your doctor.]
Natalie MacBride thinks life is too short not to feel good about it… and that we all deserve to feel good about ourselves. If you want to read tips about getting healthier and feeling good, you can find her at Leaky Gut Diet and Natural Healing with Food.
categories: leaky gut disease,bowel,disease,condition,health,fitness,food,diet