Really, gut bacteria influence everything from digestion to immunity to brain health!
But what doesn’t get as much attention—but is no less critical—is your gut lining. In this email, I want to highlight just how important it is and how it affects your health for good or bad.
The “gut lining” isn’t a single lining, so much as a barrier formed of millions of cells. This barrier serves as a protector, a “security system” of sorts intended to allow only the right molecules (typically, nutrients from your digested food or chemicals from medications) to pass through while stopping the wrong molecules (pathogens, toxins, etc.) and sending them on downstream to be eliminated.
In a perfect world, the gut lining would be an impenetrable barrier that does a flawless job of only allowing in the good while keeping out the bad.
Sadly, thanks to a wide range of factors—from excessive stress to poor modern nutrition to high doses of chemicals in our food to increased medication intake—the gut lining doesn’t do a flawless job. Holes begin to form in this cellular barrier, the lining weakens, and larger food particles can slip through these gaps.
While these larger food particles can cause indigestion, it’s the toxins and pathogens that hitch a ride with them that are the
real problem. The toxins and bacteria trigger an inflammatory response as the body tries to keep them from wreaking havoc once they’re in your bloodstream. This inflammatory response manifests in the form of headaches, cramps, gas, bloating, joint pain, fatigue, and food sensitivities.
Some people naturally have a weaker gut lining due to genetic factors, or the gut lining may be weakened by lack of proper nutrient intake (not getting enough of the fiber your gut bacteria need to flourish and repair the gut lining). A diet high in saturated fats and sugar can also weaken the gut lining, as can age.
A weakening of the gut lining leads to intestinal permeability, what we know as “leaky gut”. Leaky gut is linked to a number of health problems, particularly autoimmune disease. It also shares many similarities with inflammatory conditions (like Crohn’s disease, IBS, and celiac disease) but how exactly they’re connected hasn’t yet been established.
To be clear,
everyone has some level of intestinal permeability. It may not rise to the level of serious health problems in everyone, but suffice it to say, your gut is leaking, as is mine and that of everyone else around you.
The question is: what are you going to do about it?
The solution to the problem is not an easy one. Leaky gut isn’t typically diagnosed until it becomes serious because it’s such a common (and often minor) issue doctors aren’t looking for it.
But now that you know it’s a widespread problem, you can take steps to address it.
To prevent and reduce leaky gut and improve the health of your gut lining:
- Reduce your consumptions of inflammatory foods, including refined sugars, processed wheat products, saturated fats, and artificial foods.
- Reduce your alcohol intake.
- Only take medications as directed by your doctor, and avoid recreational drug use.
- Monitor your body’s response to known allergy-triggering foods (such as dairy, wheat, etc.) to watch for food intolerances or sensitivities (which can cause or be exacerbated by leaky gut).
- Exercise to improve digestion and strengthen your digestive system.
- Eat high-fiber foods that will feed your gut bacteria and aid in the repair of your digestive lining.
- Take a supplement that will support the re-building of your gut wall
Not too difficult, right? A few small changes to your life, but they can have a
huge net positive effect on your health—not just your digestive health, but every aspect of your body’s functioning.
A much-needed wake up call for why it’s time to surrender and let go.
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