Leaky gut syndrome affects millions of people worldwide, with many unaware they have it in the first place. The truth is, what you’re eating every day could be the underlying culprit that is damaging your gut lining.
The good news is that with a few simple dietary changes and my most powerful gut-repair tool, you can heal your gut and restore balance. In fact, you can even reverse leaky gut syndrome—just like I did!
Keep reading to uncover exactly how to repair your gut and lower your risk of autoimmune disease. Plus, I’ll reveal two sneaky food groups that could be wreaking havoc on your gut health!
What Is Leaky Gut?
Your gut is an incredible part of your body. It’s where 80% of your immune system lives. Your gut also provides a pathway for nutrients to be absorbed into your bloodstream and converted into energy. Your gut cell walls have tiny openings that allow these teeny tiny particles to pass through. Think of a drawbridge allowing tiny boats to pass through.
However, some elements, such as certain foods and toxins, can cause your drawbridge to stay open, allowing much bigger boats (particles) to pass through that are not supposed to. This is known as a leaky gut.
Once these foreign invaders pass through, it triggers your immune system to view them as pathogens and attack them.
The problem is that these invaders can resemble your cells. Your immune system can get confused and attack the healthy tissues in your body. This leads to inflammation, putting you at risk of developing an autoimmune disease.
Once you have an autoimmune disease, if you leave your leaky gut untreated, you’ll likely move further down the Autoimmune Spectrum®.
As I pointed out, your gut can become leaky due to many factors. However, two of the biggest culprits are found right on your plate. Let’s discuss these surprising causes of leaky gut.
Two Surprising Causes of Leaky Gut
Identifying the causes of leaky gut is key in preventing it. The high prevalence of leaky gut is a direct result of our modern lifestyles. While chronic stress, environmental toxins, and gut infections such as Candida overgrowth and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can damage your gut cell walls, the primary cause of leaky gut is what we eat. I’m talking about particularly inflammatory and toxic foods. Let’s take a closer look at these two surprising causes of leaky gut.
Inflammatory Foods
There are plenty of foods that you might consider healthy. However, some may be causing your inflammation and even your leaky gut. I will discuss how you can discover what foods are causing your symptoms later.
So what am I talking about when I say “inflammatory foods?” Inflammatory foods cause inflammation and leaky gut, potentially leading to autoimmune disease.(1) These foods include refined sugars, grains, legumes (beans), nightshades, and more.
If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune or thyroid disease or believe you have a leaky gut, you should avoid these inflammatory foods:
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Grains and pseudo-grains include wheat, barley, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, chia seeds, and more.
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Legumes such as lentils, peanuts, chickpeas, and soybeans.
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Nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes.
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Gluten
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Dairy
The two inflammatory foods everyone should avoid entirely are gluten and dairy. When you eat gluten,(2) it triggers the release of zonulin, a chemical that signals the tight junctions of your intestinal walls to open up.(3) When that happens, you have a leaky gut. You can learn more about the connection of Zonulin and leaky gut from my podcast episode with Dr. Alessio Frasano.
Dairy also causes inflammation in a large percentage of the population. Many experience digestive issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and other symptoms, including acne. I believe dairy is one of the most inflammatory foods in our modern diet, second only to gluten.
Two components of dairy tend to cause inflammation: the sugar (lactose) and the proteins, casein and whey.(4) Casein is a protein with a very similar molecular structure to gluten, and 50% of people who are gluten intolerant are casein intolerant as well.(5)
Now, let’s look at toxic foods.
Toxic Foods
The primary culprit of leaky gut syndrome is toxic foods. Toxic foods are unhealthy for all bodies and should permanently be removed from your diet or, at the very least, consumed as little as possible. Toxic foods include:
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Alcohol
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Caffeine
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Artificial sweeteners
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Additives, preservatives, and dyes
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High fructose corn syrup
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Trans or hydrogenated fats
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All processed food, junk food, and fast foods
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Packaged gluten-free or dairy-free foods that may have added sugars
Steps to Heal Your Leaky Gut
As I discussed earlier, leaving your leaky gut untreated can lead to autoimmunity or put you further along the Autoimmune Spectrum®. As a functional medicine physician, I use the 4R approach to heal your gut. I successfully used this approach with thousands of patients in my many years of practice.
Remove
The first step is to get rid of everything that impacts your gut’s microbiome— inflammatory foods (gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and eggs), toxic foods (sugar, caffeine, and alcohol), and gut infections (Candida overgrowth, SIBO, or parasites). For maximum support, add ImmuneIG to bind to the antigens that lead to dysbiosis and promote the integrity of your gut lining.
Restore
Next, you’ll want to restore the essential ingredients for proper digestion and absorption that get depleted by a poor diet, medications (such as antacids and antibiotics), chronic illness, or aging. Add digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid to support optimal digestion and nutrient absorption.
Reinoculate
Reintroducing beneficial bacteria is crucial to establishing a healthy balance of good bacteria. This is accomplished by taking a high-quality probiotic that contains beneficial bacteria such as the bifidobacteria and lactobacillus species. I recommend a daily probiotic with 30 billion units for daily maintenance or one with 100 billion to support maximum digestive health and immune function. I also recommend Prebiotic Fiber Complete™ to feed the healthy bacteria. If you have SIBO, I recommend taking a soil-based probiotic and avoiding added fiber.
Repair
Lastly, providing the nutrients necessary to help the gut repair itself is essential. My most comprehensive weapon against leaky gut is Leaky Gut Revive®, which contains powerful gut-repairing ingredients such as l-glutamine, aloe, deglycyrrhizinated licorice, arabinogalactan, slippery elm, and marshmallow root. With these ingredients, Leaky Gut Revive® nourishes and soothes your gut cells, restores your natural mucosal lining, and maximizes gut-mending fatty acid production. It also comes in a delicious strawberry lemonade flavor.
How Leaky Gut Revive® Helps
Leaky Gut Revive® has always been my go-to tool for gut health and is packed with a high concentration of gut-repairing ingredients that nourish and soothe your gut cells. It also comes in a delicious strawberry lemonade flavor. I look forward to drinking a glass of it every morning, and my daughter, Elle, loves it! It’s so refreshing. Now, let’s look at the ingredients of Leaky Gut Revive® and their unique benefits:
L-Glutamine
L-Glutamine is one of the most essential nutrients to restoring gut health because it supports cell regeneration. This amino acid helps to mend the broken junctions in your intestinal wall so they can function optimally.(7) L-Glutamine can also be used as a preventative nutrient, minimizing the damage caused by foods, toxins, infections, and stress that can lead to leaky gut in the first place.(8)
Larch Arabinogalactan
Larch Arabinogalactan is a fiber found in many plants, most commonly in the wood from the larch tree. It is a complex carbohydrate that supports healthy immune system function and is a free radical fighter.(9) It also promotes healthy gut microflora and promotes gut mending fatty acid production, which is essential in repairing your leaky gut.
Marshmallow Root
Marshmallow root has a high mucilage content, which covers your digestive tract with a protective lining. It can support your gut’s reaction to inflammation, impacting ulcers, diarrhea, and constipation. Furthermore, marshmallow root can help restore the integrity of the tight junctions in your gut wall.
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Root
Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) helps your body repair your gut lining. It works by replenishing the mucus that creates a healthy intestinal barrier. DGL is made by removing glycyrrhizin — which can raise blood pressure — from whole licorice while retaining its nutritional benefits. Since the glycyrrhizin has been removed from the licorice, Leaky Gut Revive® will not increase your blood pressure.
Slippery Elm Bark
Slippery elm is another effective herb for gut repair that has been used for centuries in the United States. It works to your advantage in three ways. It increases the mucilage content in your digestive tract and stimulates nerve endings to boost mucus secretion, neutralizing excessive acidity in the gut.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is soothing and protects your body. It helps your body replace the lost mucus associated with gut damage and leaky gut. Aloe vera supports your immune system, improves water balance within your intestines, and aids in controlling Candida overgrowth.(10)
The Final Word on Causes of Leaky Gut
Now that you know the two surprising causes of leaky gut, you can take simple steps to improve your gut health. Providing your body with the nutrients it needs to repair your gut lining is essential on your path towards optimal health. Leaky Gut Revive® is a great starting point for anyone dealing with leaky gut syndrome or autoimmune disease. This high potency formula consists of 3000 mg of L-glutamine, 2000 mg of arabinogalactan, marshmallow root, licorice root, slippery elm, and aloe vera. If you want a delicious way to start your mornings, Leaky Gut Revive® Strawberry Lemonade is a must-have! Simply add a scoop to 8 ounces of water, stir, and enjoy!
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