Leaky gut syndrome is a condition that affects your digestive system. Increased intestinal permeability occurs when the spaces where water and nutrients are absorbed from food widen, thus allowing toxins and bacteria to pass into the bloodstream.
It has not yet been scientifically verified as a serious disease or its relationship as a cause or consequence of other diseases, but it is usually accompanied by other auto-immune or chronic diseases such as celiac disease or type 1 diabetes.
How does leaky gut syndrome affect your health?
Your digestive system is made up of a conglomerate of organs that process the food you eat to absorb its water and nutrients and then dispose of waste. Your intestine plays a special role in this process, since it is in charge of absorbing the greatest amount of nutrients that are good for your health, acting as a barrier against toxic and harmful agents for your body.
Intestinal permeability is the ease with which food substances pass through the walls of your intestine. Increasing the permeability of your intestine can develop a generalized inflammation and stimulate an auto-immune reaction in your body, since its increase allows the passage of larger and more harmful substances into the bloodstream, and can even allow the passage of unprocessed food particles that can be very harmful to your health.
What agents increase the permeability of your intestine?
Although the exact cause of leaky gut syndrome is not known, it is proven that the protein that regulates tight junctions is zonulin . If your levels of this protein are too high, they can loosen the tight junctions where nutrients pass and increase your intestinal permeability.
High levels of zonulin can be stimulated by bacteria or gluten, especially in people with celiac disease in the latter case. However, other elements can also affect your intestinal permeability, such as low levels of healthy intestinal bacteria or prolonged use of anti-inflammatories, among which aspirin or ibuprofen stand out.
How to improve intestinal permeability?
1. Increase your consumption of foods rich in healthy intestinal bacteria
A fundamental element if you suffer from leaky gut syndrome is to incorporate foods that increase the number of healthy bacteria in your body into your diet.
Among the foods that improve your digestive health and increase healthy gut bacteria are walnuts, bone broth, tea, yogurt, herbs and spices, lean meats, eggs, fish rich in omega 3 such as salmon and tuna , avocado, olive oil, rice and all kinds of fruits and vegetables.
2. Reduce the consumption of harmful foods
To reduce the permeability of your intestine , you must take care of the intake of foods that reduce healthy intestinal bacteria or favor the reproduction of harmful bacteria for your body, since these can increase your intestinal permeability and generate chronic diseases in your body.
Among the foods you should avoid include wheat, gluten, processed meats such as sausages or sausages, junk food, dairy, refined oils such as soy or sunflower, alcohol and other sugary drinks.
3. Take probiotic supplements
If you are not getting enough probiotics in your daily diet, it is a good idea to take supplements that contain them.
Probiotics have healthy gut bacteria, as these are naturally in fermented foods.
4. Reduce your stress
Chronic stress is proven to reduce your healthy gut bacteria . If this is your case, meditating or practicing yoga is a good idea to improve your intestinal health.
5. Avoid smoking
Tobacco can increase bad gut bacteria and reduce good bacteria; it can also increase inflammation of the digestive tract, as well as being a risk factor for various intestinal conditions.
6. Get more sleep
Not getting enough sleep can affect your intestinal permeability , since it can cause a poor distribution of healthy intestinal bacteria in your body.
7. Limit your alcohol consumption
Various investigations show that when alcohol is consumed in excess, it interacts with certain proteins, which can increase your intestinal permeability. Therefore, it is important that you reduce your alcohol consumption to casual events and do not abuse it.
Conclution
Leaky gut syndrome is the widening of the gaps where nutrients enter the bloodstream that allows unwanted substances to pass into it. To reduce the impact of this syndrome, it is important to limit alcohol consumption, eliminate tobacco, reduce your stress levels, get more sleep, eat healthily, and take probiotic supplements.
If you are suffering from leaky gut syndrome , consider getting a celiac disease test to rule out associated disorders, since this syndrome is often presented as a cause of it.
References
- Raman, R. The leaky gut diet plan: whta to eat, what to avoid. For Healthline [Revised July 2018]
