Reversing Leaky Gut

March 2, 2020 Ashley Turner

As we have discussed what leaky gut is and what some of the contributing factors are, let’s dive into how to reverse intestinal permeability. It is important to note that each individual is different and therefore reversing leaky gut will look differently for each person. Please seek out a skilled functional medicine practitioner to guide you and monitor this process.

Eliminate Factors that Cause Inflammation to the Gut

Many dietary and lifestyle choices impact the health and integrity of the gut lining. We discussed many of these factors that cause inflammation within the gut in our previous post, this is a brief review. Although some of these are not in our control, many of them are! It is wise to scrutinize these factors and remove them from your life. These include:

Food sensitivities
We recommend getting accurate food sensitivity testing from a reliable lab. Unfortunately there are many labs that claim to do food sensitivity testing and the results are invalid; not all food sensitivity testing is created equal, nor do they all look at a true immune response to foods. Additionally, abiding by an elimination diet can be a powerful tool in not only healing a leaky gut, but also in identifying food sensitivities when foods are reintroduced. Restorative Kitchen is a helpful resource in navigating an AIP/elimination diet.
Gluten
Removing gluten from the diet is crucial for reducing gut inflammation. Even if you do not have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity is a widespread concern. Gluten consumption is closely linked with leaky gut.
Conventional dairy
Research shows that 50% of individuals with gluten sensitivity are also sensitive to conventional dairy. Read more here.
Infections and gut dysbiosis
Finding and removing infections and other gut imbalances is a crucial step in reversing leaky gut. See the next paragraph for more insight.
Medications
Various medications including oral contraceptives, NSAIDS, steroids, antibiotics, and acid-reducing drugs can inflame the gut. Do not change any medications without your prescribing doctor’s instruction.
Stress
Chronically elevated stress levels can cause increased inflammation within the body
Emotional trauma
Strenuous exercise
Excessive alcohol intake

Find and Eliminate Gut Pathogens

Pathogens and gut dysbiosis (imbalance of beneficial and pathogenic organisms) are a significant contributing factor to leaky gut. Identifying pathogens and removing them is a crucial step in healing leaky gut. At our office, we use various functional lab testing methods to identify pathogens such as harmful bacteria, parasites, and fungal overgrowth. Using various and specific antimicrobials is important in rectifying these common infections.

Detoxification

As discussed in our previous post, environmental toxins are a contributor to leaky gut. Taking specific binding agents, supporting glutathione levels, and opening up the body’s detoxification pathways are important steps in reversing leaky gut. Please do not start a detoxification protocol without seeking guidance from a skilled functional medicine clinician.

Glutathione

Glutathione is known as the body’s master antioxidant and works to fight oxidative stress within the body. It also helps control inflammation and supports the body’s detoxification pathways. While the body produces glutathione naturally, certain forms of glutathione supplementation can be helpful to expedite the detoxification process. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is also a commonly used supplement, as it is a precursor to the production of glutathione in the body.

Binding Agents

Taking binding agents will ensure that toxins will be ushered out of the body and not recirculated to cause more harm and inflammation. Read more about binding agents here. These binding agents work powerfully to safely eliminate toxins, endotoxins, harmful bacteria, and mold from the body.

Some of our favorite binding agents include:

Activated charcoal
Zeolite
Fulvic and humic acids
Bentonite clay
Silica

Probiotics

Probiotics are various strains of bacteria and yeast that are beneficial to the health of the body. These organisms support a thriving microbiome, proper immune function, a healthy gut, and numerous other physiological processes. Read more about probiotics here.

Prebiotics

Consuming prebiotics in the form of fermentable fibers or through supplementation can be helpful to benefit probiotic bacteria. Prebiotics act as a food source for probiotic bacteria and help them thrive within the microbiome. Sometimes we use prebiotic supplementation with patients, depending on their case. Some common dietary sources of prebiotics include: Jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, garlic, onion, and leeks. It is helpful to note that resistant starches such as green banana, plantain, cooked and cooled potatoes, sweet potatoes, and potato starch also are a food source for beneficial gut bacteria. We have also found that supplementing with certain forms of prebiotics can be deeply therapeutic for those with damaged guts.

Gut Supporting Supplements

This is not an exhaustive list of the therapeutic agents that we use with our patients to help heal and seal the gut-lining, but an introduction to some important considerations. Please seek the help of a leaky-gut literate practitioner to help you decide which supplementation might be helpful for you.

L-Glutamine

L-glutamine is a non-essential amino acid found in food but is also produced naturally within the body. This amino acid works to repair damage in a leaky gut. It can also subdue sugar cravings.

DGL, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow, and Chamomile

These herbs help maintain and increase levels of the protective mucus lining and soothe mucus membranes within the gut.

Quercitin

A plant flavonoid that is helpful for restoring tight-cell junctions. It also mitigates gut-damaging histamine responses by helping to modulate mast cells.

Vitamins A & D

Proper vitamin A and vitamin D levels are crucial in supporting the proper function of secretory IgA and restoring the gut mucosa

Digestive support

Digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid, and bile acids are all required for proper digestion. Deficiency in any of these digestive supports can impair adequate digestion of foods and hinder healing.

Anti-inflammatories

Anti-inflammatory agents including turmeric, resveratrol, and omega-3 fatty acids have the ability to powerfully dampen inflammation and decrease oxidative burdens not only within the gut, but also within the entire body.

Sleep

Achieving at least a full 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep at night is deeply restorative to the body and overall health. When seeking to heal a leaky gut, endeavor to get restorative sleep. Consider these strategies for quality sleep:

Dim the interior lights with the setting of the sun to signal proper sleep hormone cascades
Wear blue light blocking glasses when using electronics after sun-down
Avoid electronics in the bedroom
Consider EMF protection for your home
Ensure beds are not placed on the same wall as a smart meter
Sleep in a completely dark environment, using blackout curtains if necessary
Sleep at appropriate temperatures
Use calming essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, vetiver, cedarwood, etc. in your sleeping environment

Be aware that it is not unusual to have disrupted sleep when there are underlying pathogens and infections within the body. It is common to experience some sleep disturbances when changing your diet and fighting infections. You might find your sleep disrupted when these changes are made.

Appropriate Exercise

Moving the body appropriately is a fine balance. As discussed in our last post, too much strenuous activity can cause and perpetuate a leaky gut. Conversely, moving too little can impact gut barrier integrity. See our article on exercise and chronic illness for further insight.

Manage Stress

Managing stress can be difficult in our fast-paced, productivity-driven culture. As we have discussed before, when we live under chronic stress, the stress hormone cortisol is also chronically elevated. We were not designed to have chronically elevated cortisol. While short term cortisol elevations can be helpful in a fight or flight response, chronically elevated cortisol can be extremely damaging to the gut. Additionally, stress diminishes L-glutamine, an essential amino acid mentioned earlier that is important for maintaining the gut barrier.

Consider these strategies:

Mindfulness
Prayer
Cultivate gratitude-write down what you are grateful for!
Create margin with your time commitments
Supplement with adaptogenic herbs to help support the body’s stress response
Consider meditation apps such as headspace or calm
Meditation devices such as Muse can be helpful because they offer biofeedback to help gain understanding of how to achieve a meditative state
Spend time in nature
Cultivate meaningful relationships
Take epsom salt baths
Sensory deprivation floatation therapy

Additional Therapies

Additional therapies that are helpful for optimal wellness and reversing leaky gut include low level laser therapy (LLLT), near infrared sauna therapy, IV nutritional therapy, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Again, talk with your doctor to find out if these modalities might accentuate your care.

We find it a great privilege to help many patients reverse leaky gut and its associated conditions. Please contact our office if we can be a resource for you!