“Leaky Gut?”
Heard of it? Most people have.
Know about it? Most people know it doesn’t sound good.
What is it? Most people have no idea.
A “Leaky Gut” is caused when something inside the small intestine causes the normally tightly packed “enterocytes” (small intestine wall lining cells) to become loosenend and start letting things in.
What does it let in? Food particles, bacteria good and bad kinds, and even viruses. IE - not good.
What causes it? There is a bunch of different ways to cause a leaky gut. The 3 main ways are: Lectins occurring from nuts, seeds, and grains, are transported inside the tightly packed cells by other cells. Gluten contained in grains like oats, wheat and others cause a release of a certain protein called “Zonulin” name not important. This protein causes the tightly packed gut lining cells to become loose and move apart, enough to let the gluten in, and cause havoc. The problem here is that gluten once inside keeps the cells loosened. Saponin’s are another Leaky Gut menace. They occur in nightshades, like tomatoes. When they cause a problem they dissolve the cell membranes of the tightly packed cells and let nasty things in.
Why is this bad? INFLAMMATION. All the bacteria and Viruses and so on that make it into the body, have to be detoxified and released by the Liver and Kidneys, too much gets in, the liver and kidneys get damaged and can’t do their normal daily tasks, which are many. This is the beginning of a whole host of other problems.
How do I Know? Notice what you eat, rate how you feel afterward, any bloating gas, or nausea, try taking the food out for a month and reintroducing it. If you feel good it may not be a problem. If you feel bad again, it may be time to remove that food from the lineup.
How long does it take to fix? If you do have an allergy, eating gluten 1 time every month, can keep the negative effects going. The gut will heal, however it can take from 6months to a couple of years for full recovery, although you will start to feel better almost immediately.
Steve Saville