So what exactly is LEAKY GUT SYNDROME?

According to Hippocrates, known as the "FATHER OF MEDICINE", All disease starts in the gut. So why does he say this? Well 80% and more of our Immune system and immune cells are found in our gut. So when you have a miserable tummy, you will most certainly have a miserable immune system too. 

Leaky gut is whereby the protective lining on the inside of the intestines becomes porous and allows too many noo noos into the blood stream and thereby the immune system flairs up into full blown war!

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF LEAKY GUT? 1. Poor dietary choices 2. Chronic Stress 3. Negative Emotions 4. Infections 5. Systemic inflammatory diseases 6. Low stomach acid 7. Toxin exposure

8. Use of Anti-inflammatory medications, such as common OTC remedies, like Naprosyn, Ibuprofen, Motrin, and Aspirin, which essentially poke holes in the gut lining 9. Use of Antibiotics, which disrupt the normal gut flora WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF LEAKY GUT? Leaky gut syndrome may result in the following conditions: 1. Food allergies or sensitivities 2. Malnutrition 3. Dysbiosis 4. Toxin overload 5. Autoimmune diseases (an example is a thyroid disease known as Hashimoto’s, in which the body attacks its own thyroid proteins) HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A LEAKY GUT?

The symptoms of a leaky gut include: 1. Bloating

2. Indigestion 3. Constipation/diarrhea 4. Fatigue (through malnutrition or its effect on the thyroid)

5. Weight gain (partly due to water retention) 6. Migraine headaches 7. Autoimmune disease The treatment for a leaky gut depends on finding the underlying causes. It is often accompanied by a dysbiosis (or microbial imbalance) in the body. Such an imbalance has to be corrected. If there is low stomach acid, which leads to a condition known as SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth), this has to be corrected through stomach acid supplementation. Exposure to toxins or antibiotics needs to be reduced. Exposure to inciting foods needs to be eliminated. (Usually, testing for food sensitivities through IgG Type4 testing will reveal what foods are aggravating the immune reaction and need to be avoided in the diet.) Digestive enzymes may also be needed. Improving the microbiome of the gut through both probiotics and prebiotics is a key part of the treatment. Probiotic bacteria actually help regulate our immune response and help heal the leaky gut. Learning relaxation techniques and slowing down to eat (rather than eating on the run) are all important aspects of healing the leaky gut. Essential Health has a way to treat you! So if you are wanting to change your life contact us to make an appointment.