If you suffer from the symptoms of Leaky Gut Disease then the chances are that you spend an awful lot of time thinking about your gut.
Actually most people don’t seem to really want to spend too much time thinking about their gut at all. But did you know that it’s responsible for 80% of your immunity? It is the major point of entry for foreign antigens, and the only thing that prevents your entire system from being exposed to those potentially harmful substances is the mucosal barrier of your gut.
When this barrier becomes damaged, you’ll experience Leaky Gut Disease or Syndrome. This isn’t really a disease, but simply a nickname for “increased intestinal permeability.” But whether it’s technically a disease or not, Leaky Gut can leave you susceptible to a wide range of symptoms and illnesses. These symptoms can range anywhere from skin rashes and acne to constipation, bloating and irritable bowel to fatigue and joint pain. You could even suffer from poor memory, anxiety, recurring infections or shortness of breath.
So how can you “get” Leaky Gut? The truth is that there are many reasons, but our modern lifestyles are a huge factor. One of the main causes of the syndrome is poor diet. If you don’t have enough fiber in your diet, then it takes longer for food to make its way through the digestive system. This is what allows toxic by-products of digestion to irritate the mucosal lining of the gut. When this gets irritated and damaged, it can’t work as well and toxins will make their way into the blood stream. Many of our modern processed foods are very low in fiber and nutrients that the body needs to repair itself. Even worse, many of these foods contain too much sugar, fat and additives, which can all promote inflammation of the gut.
There are more modern culprits, including medicine. Many of the medicines used today can aggravate the symptoms – even medicines you may take for Leaky Gut itself! NSAIDs are known to contribute to damage of the mucosal lining, and birth control drugs can stimulate the growth of fungi which damages the lining. Some cancer treatments can also disrupt the way our digestive system works.
Some other factors that can contribute include yeast, parasites, chronic stress, immune overload, excessive alcohol consumption and gastrointestinal disease.
Many people think that the causes of Leaky Gut Disease are simply impossible to avoid, and are resigned to the fact that they simply have to live with the condition.
Unfortunately, as time goes by, not only does the damage to the gut’s mucosal lining worsen, but the body’s ability to absorb symptoms that may seem manageable in the early stages of Leaky Gut can worsen. If nothing is done to alleviate and reverse the damage that’s been done, the body will become increasingly unable to manufacture the digestive enzymes it needs to absorb nutrients for growth and repair. What began as a few minor complaints can develop into a constantly worsening condition with symptoms that are increasingly difficult to live with.
The good news about Leaky Gut Disease is that it doesn’t have to progress: There are many things you can do to help with your own healing… but that’s another article.
Natalie MacBride thinks life is too short not to feel good about it… and not to just plain feel good yourself. For more information and tips to help you do that, take a loot at Leaky Gut Disease and Natural Healing with Food.
categories: health,disease,illness,conditions,medicine,natural,herbal