It has been said by many health researchers that supporting intestinal health and restoring the integrity of the gut barrier will be one of the most important things we can do for health in the 21st century.
Our gut is home to approximately 100 trillion microorganisms — a number our human mind can hardly comprehend.
Our gut flora serves so many vital functions including: promoting normal digestive function, providing protection from infection, regulating our metabolism and comprising more than 75% of our immune system!
Inadequate or imbalanced gut flora has been directly linked to everything from depression to thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s, IBS, and even type 1 diabetes.
Our modern lifestyle and diet contributes to our unhealthy gut flora due to our exposure to:
Antibiotics
Birth Control Pills
Diets high in refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods
Diets low in fermentable fibers (yams, sweet potatoes etc…)
Toxins like the gliadin protein in wheat and refined oils like canola
Chronic stress
Our gut forms a protective barrier to keep harmful substances away from our internal organs – remember, the digestive system goes from your mouth, through the body, and ends at the anus.
When the intestinal barrier becomes permeable (called“leaky gut syndrome”), large protein molecules escape into the bloodstream, and the body launches an immune response and attacks them. These ongoing immune responses create the conditions for the development of autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s and type 1 diabetes, among others.
So what can you do?
1. AVOID WHEAT. Avoiding wheat and other gluten containing grains is important in maintaining gut health. Gluten-containing grains have a substance called gliadin, which has been shown to increase a protein called zonulin, which leads to intestinal permeability. Please remember, wheat is a problem in the human gut. So, regardless of whether you may be noticing any outright symptoms of gluten intolerance, it is still necessary to avoid wheat for the best gut health.
2. EAT FERMENTABLE FIBER FOODS. Starches like sweet potatoes and yams help heal the gut due to the nature of their fiber.
3. HIGH QUALITY MUTLI-SPECIES PROBIOTIC. Taking a probiotic on an empty stomach morning and evening is one of the best things you can do for gut health. Many people were not breastfed as babies, and started off life without the appropriate gut flora, and it can never be recovered. Additionally, due to multiple courses of antibiotics, birth control pills, and over the counter NSAID’s like advil, the gut is in a rather compromised position for most people. Consider probiotic supplementation a life-long habit.
I love Dr. Ohirra’s professional probiotic. It is on the more pricey side, but well worth it. If that doesn’t fit into your budget, take a trip to your local health food store and get a refrigerated probiotic with an acceptable freshness date. And please don’t be suckered into the belief that you have to start fermenting everything in sight. While that is quite the fad right now, fermented vegetables often contribute to candida, a cause of leaky gut in and of itself. So, play it safe and stick to a high quality, broad-species probiotic.
4. DEAL WITH YOUR STRESS. Chronic stress is just a body-destroyer in every way imaginable. I know this one is easier said than done, I lived two lifetime’s worth of stress in my years as an attorney. But do what you can, take a few minutes each day to yourself, out in nature if possible. Meditate, yoga, or watch a really funny movie. Laughter really helps reduce stress.
5. PARASITE CLEANSE. Do a parasite cleanse at least once a year. In working with clients over the years, parasites are one of the most common underlying problems in health, yet remain one of the most undiagnosed. I’ve had clients who have had literally tens of thousands of dollars worth of diagnostic testing yielding no results, only to do a parasite cleanse and have their problems resolve. An easy fix for a serious problem.
