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Written by
Deborah Freudenmann BHSc
Gut health is central to our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It is connected to everything that happens in our body and therefore also directly linked to the formation of disease.
Intestinal health or gut health could be defined as the optimal digestion, absorption and assimilation of food. Sounds simple right? However, the optimal functioning of our gastrointestinal system depends on many other factors. For example, the bacteria in your gut are an ecosystem as complex as any rainforest. These bacteria must be in balance for you to be healthy.
Our gut has what we would call a barrier – it’s job in the intestine is to let important nutrients inside whilst keeping everything else out. This makes our gut a highly selective and controlling barrier – like a security checkpoint. This highly selective barrier is a single layer of specialized cells called enterocytes. These enterocytes have a cell membrane shaped into fingerlike projections called villi with hair like cell membrane extensions called microvilli. This increases the number of enterocytes to line the gut – ultimately increases the surface for absorption of nutrients.
And just past that security checkpoint, is an enormous portion of the body’s immune system – imagine a small army – our immune cells are ready to fight any invaders that try to cross the enterocytes highly secure barrier.
In today’s article we are going to discuss increased intestinal permeability or more commonly known as leaky gut. Increased intestinal permeability means that particles and invaders we want to keep out can easily move past our security checkpoint and enter the system. This happens when either the enterocytes are damaged or the complex structures that hold together these cells – tight junctions have been damaged.
What leaks into the body isn’t big pieces of food, but a diverse range of small substances such as incompletely digested proteins, bacteria, infectious organisms, and waste products. All of these substances activate our immune system on the other side – marking them as foreign invaders, recruiting more immune cells and mounting an attack. When continuous substances leak through the gut barrier our body increases in systemic inflammation and sends the immune system into overdrive. Some substances cause generalized inflammation throughout the body and some stimulate targeted attacks – such as the development of food intolerances. Leaky gut causes the intestinal lining to become inflamed and the microvilli to become damaged or altered. The damaged microvilli then cannot produce the necessary enzymes and secretions that are essential for a healthy digestion and the absorption of nutrients.
Damage to the gut lining followed by the invasion of harmful substances leads to systemic inflammation and acts as a trigger for the development of intestinal and systemic diseases.
Candida overgrowth may be a result of a high-sugar diet, imbalanced immune system, stress, or even oral contraceptive use. Candida overgrowth can cause inflammation in the gut wall, leading to leaky gut. Good bacteria found in fermented vegetables and probiotic supplementation can help repair damaged tissue in the digestive tract.
It is important to rebalance an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut known as dysbiosis with good bacteria. This is vital in re-establishing the intestinal barrier and repair of the mucosal lining. Good bacteria and microbes in your gut can help to promote resistance to the colonization of harmful or pathogenic species. Taking a quality probiotic supplement and/or adding fermented foods into the diet is beneficial.
Long-term alcohol consumption can result in intestinal mucosal damage, inflammation, dysbiosis and exacerbate leaky gut. During alcohol metabolism a byproduct is produced which increases the formation of harmful pro-inflammatory metabolites which impact tight junction integrity. Limiting or avoiding alcohol is advised.
The gut brain axis is a two directional relationship that allows the brain to communicate with our gastrointestinal system – coordinating our mental and physical wellbeing. It has been well researched that both physical and emotional stress (increased cortisol levels) can induce intestinal permeability. Furthermore, traumatic incidences have been proven to instantly alter the gut microbiota. Regulating our stress response is important in gut health management and repair!
With intestinal permeability there is an influx of foreign particles into the bloodstream which throws the immune system into overdrive. Resulting in the production of various antibodies, which make the body more susceptible to antigens in certain foods – in particular gluten and dairy. It is important to avoid all foods that cause a reaction within the system to reduce inflammation, degradation of the gastrointestinal membrane lining and subsequent intestinal permeability.
Avoid refined carbohydrates, margarine and trans fats, cakes, sweets, pre-packaged, prepared and processed food. Avoiding processed meats such as salami, hot dogs, packaged sauces and artificial sweeteners.
Try to include foods high in B-vitamins and minerals such as almonds, beans, whole grains (if no allergy), dark leafy greens (spinach and kale), and sea vegetables.
Eat antioxidant-rich foods, including fruits (blueberries, cherries, and tomatoes) and vegetables (squash and bell peppers).
Consume fresh garlic and turmeric in the diet as they are both anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory.
Eat more lean meats, cold-water fish, fermented tofu (soy, if no allergy), or beans for protein.
Use healthy cooking oils, such as olive oil or coconut oil. Healthy fats from avocado, omega 3 fatty acids from fish such as salmon.
Bone broth is very healing for the gut as it contains collagen and amino acids to help repair damaged cells.
Gluten directly impacts the intestinal integrity through the release of zonulin – a protein that contributes to intestinal permeability. Additionally, gluten contributes to the formation of antibodies – which can cause the secretion of inflammatory mediators which result in tissue damage.
When parasites are present within the gastrointestinal system, there is a large competition for nutrients and therefore often a nutritional deficiency. Parasitic infections degrade the protective lining of the gut and contribute to the development of GIT disorders and inflammation.
Many pharmaceutical drugs impact our gut health (including the birth control pill), however for example; antibiotics result in an impairment of the gut microbiome as well as cause harmful effects on the intestinal epithelial cells and increase risk of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
Our environment is full of toxins – from our air, food and the daily products we use. All of these toxins need to be removed from our system via Phase 1 and 2 detox pathways. If our detoxification pathways are not functioning optimally the build-up of waste causes inflammation and oxidative stress within the body. Further impacting our gastrointestinal system and progression of intestinal permeability.
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At the O3 academy we will show you how to set up a little home clinic to treat many different maladies like open wounds, infections, cancer or even leaky gut.
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As we learn more about the importance of a healthy diet, the term “phytonutrients” has become increasingly popular. But what exactly are phytonutrients? Why are they important for our health, and where can we find them? In this article, we’ll explore the world of phytonutrients, their benefits, and how you can incorporate them into your diet.
A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is disrupted. The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, which are carried to it by blood vessels. When blood flow to the brain is interrupted, brain cells can start to die within minutes. This can cause permanent brain damage or even death. The symptoms of a stroke can vary depending on which part of the brain is affected.
Myocarditis and pericarditis are two types of heart inflammation and damage to the heart muscles. These two conditions can lead to some serious and unwanted consequences. In this blog, we will explore the differences between myocarditis and pericarditis, their symptoms, causes and various treatment options. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium), while pericarditis is an inflammation of the lining that surrounds the heart (pericardium). Both conditions can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms related to heart function.
Athlete’s foot, also known as tinea pedis, is caused by a fungus. It is caused by a group of fungi called dermatophytes, which thrive in warm, moist environments, such as sweaty shoes or locker room floors.
The infection often strikes in “athletes”, who tend to have sweaty feet stuck in tight-fitting shoes for long periods of time. However, the rash can affect non-athletes just as commonly – especially if you wear shoes all day and sweat. Athletes foot can also be spread from person-to-person via unwashed clothes, shared towels, and even contaminated floors.
That’s 30 different types of plants across all 6 plant food groups: fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes (beans & pulses), nuts & seeds, herbs & spices. Plant-based foods play a key role in improving gut health by contributing to the diversity of the gut microbiome.
Why?
The more diverse, whole plant-based foods you eat, the more you’re likely to boost the diversity of the trillions of gut microbes you have.
Accidents such as the Ohio train derailment are happening more often than you think. Data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by non-profit groups that track chemical accidents in the US shows that accidental releases of toxic materials are happening consistently around the US. Accidents can be via train derailments, truck crashes, industrial spills or plant leaks, pipeline ruptures etc.
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2 Responses
Hello Deborah Freudenmann,
Thank you for such a great video. Very informative. I never had such a clear and synthetized information about leaky gut, autoimune deseases, etc. I´m trying to understand the link between your video and Healing at Home channel. Will we have later a solution to recover the enterocytes from Healing at Home?
Hello Joao, thank you for the comment! It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the video and found it informative. With this video there is no specific connection between the Healing at Home channel. However, in terms of recovering the enterocytes yourself this is indeed possible! The buildup of the video was to showcase that leaky gut or intestinal permeability has many causes. Yes, we can supplement with glutamine and N-acetyl glucosamine which improve and repair our intestinal mucosal barrier and tight junction integrity, probiotics to re-establish the micro-biome, curcumin and omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation…just as an example of the most standard approach. However, without establishing and removing the causes for leaky gut – the supplements may help but the issue will continue to progress. I might make another video in future with some more tips on repairing and recovering the enterocytes so stay tuned. Otherwise we offer online consultations and education through our functional medicine health coaching course.