QUESTION:
 
My doctor has no answer for me so I'm hoping you do? I am plagued with Leaky Gut syndrome, can it be repaired? How to live with this or if it can be healed. Can you help?
 
Jan
 
 
ANSWER:
 
I covered this about four years ago but so many new subscribers may like to know about it now.
 
Yes it can be repaired but will require diligence and work? Not surgical repair but internal organ repair. Since this problem isn't usually talked about, checked for, or very well known I would like to help you and others understand what a leaky gut syndrome is?
 
Foods we eat passes into the small intestine, which is designed to allow nutrients to be absorbed from our food and into our blood stream. The mucus lining of the intestine consists of helpful bacterial and good yeasts, which break down the food into substances that are beneficially used by the body. When the composition of this lining is disturbed, the intestine walls can be damaged, and become porous - allowing unwanted substances to penetrate the lining and into the bloodstream. Prominent in people who have consumed a lot of antacids over the years or have a sugar addiction, of which both kills the natural flora in the gut leaving the intestines to struggle on their own and not do too well!
 
The body becomes overwhelmed by the flood of foreign substances - by way of chemicals and pesticides in our foods and what we put on our bodies and breath in the air - and reacts by producing antibodies resulting in inflammation to joints and circulatory systems, allergies and even mood swings.
 
What causes leaky gut?
A large number of factors are thought to be the villains, including:
 * Overuse of antibiotics, antacids, steroids, NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc)
 * Poor diet - high in refined foods and sugars resulting in nutritional deficiencies
 * Incomplete digestion, caused by a multitude of habits, smoking and gulping foods (eating too fast and failing to chew food well).
 * Overexposure to environmental toxins, such as smog, skin care products, household cleaning products, chemicals and pesticides on and in foods, etc..
 * Stress
 * Parasitic infestations
 
 
Symptoms that may be the result of a Leaky Gut:
 * Candidiasis, when "bad" yeast takes over the intestines and other parts of the body such as the vagina. In some instances, candida can even invade the brain mostly left undetected, but can be misdiagnosed..
 * Allergies - food, airborne, environmental, skin
 * A weakened immune system with all the problems that can follow
 * Chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome
 * Auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, CFS and lupus.
 
 
Steps To Repair Leaky Gut:
* First make sure it isn't being exacerbated with a parasitic infestation. This requires a stool sample and examination by a lab.
  *Removing the candida yeast and its roots, which penetrate the mucous lining, by killing them with good bacteria. Read "Your Ecosystem Within." This can be done with Ionic Silver Water (3 Tablespoon three times a day for at least 1 month) and Probiotics - 1 with each meal and 2 at bedtime on empty stomach!
 * Cleanse the gut of toxins. (This too will occur when flooded with Probiotic enhancement.)
 * Keep away from the non-food foods: sugars, refined carbohydrates, coffee, fatty foods (meat & dairy).
 * Enhance the flow of digestive secretions such as HCl and pancreatic enzymes, this happens when the probiotic balance is re-introduced into the intestines..
 * Provide proper nutrition to the body!
* Lay off the cookies, candy and cake and stop drinking sugar laden soft drinks (sodas, pop).
 * Include the right mineral supplement in the diet to replace those missing. Eating fatty foods, sugary foods, fast or prepackaged foods  and drinks disturbs the body's proper balance of intestinal flora, normally present in the gut, the enzymes that facilitate digestion and protect the permeability of the intestinal wall can no longer function as efficiently without the proper mineral and probiotic balance.
 
Prevention and living with Leaky Gut requires;
 
"Eating clean." This means limit your intake of fruits and vegetables that have a high pesticide content. The most contaminated produce are apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, raspberries, spinach and strawberries. Buy organic versions of these foods for fewer pesticides and chemicals.
 
If organic produce is not an option, be sure to wash and rinse your fruits and vegetables well with soapy water. Dish detergent is fine. Then rinse with plain filtered water, chlorine in most water systems simply recontaminate your foods when rinsing. I spray my fruits and vegetables with Silver Water and let sit for about 60 seconds then rinse under my counter top filtered water.
 
If you do not have access to organic foods it is advisable to consume more of the "clean" fresh fruits and vegetables -- asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples and sweet peas. These consistently have the lowest levels of pesticides.
 
Avoid foods that contain high levels of saturated animal fats, such as red meat, fast food and processed food. Choose low-fat, hormone-free and antibiotic-free sources of protein.
 
Do not use artificial sweeteners of any kind. These substances are commonly found in sugar-free candies and low-calorie and low-carbohydrate foods. Their short-term side effects include gas, diarrhea and bloating and long term neurological diseases, such as MS, ALS and others.
 
Get an adequate amount of fiber. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains, legumes, especially brown rice, which are good sources of fiber helps to maintain healthy bowel function.
 
Eat more foods that are rich sources of healthy bacteria -- natural probiotics, such as unsweetened yogurt with lactobacillus acidophilus (LA). With yogurts read the label as so many flavored yogurts contain almost no LA and will add nothing to your need. Other foods that enhance healthy intestinal flora include tofu, miso, tamari, shoyu, tempeh, green tea and sauerkraut. The probiotic supplement my family and I take can be found at this link.
 
Make sure you get sufficient daily intake of good clean filtered water! To figure out how many eight-ounce glasses you should drink, divide your body weight (minus one decimal point) by two. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water daily. Note: Don't drink your water with meals or you will dilute the acid needed for proper digestion.
 
Do not use antacids as a source of calcium. They can have a negative effect on the intestinal environment and digestion which makes for poor absorption.
 
Digestion is enhanced if you are relaxed when you eat. Chronic stress lengthens gastric emptying time... Work to release stress before eating. Take a walk or take a natural herbal stress control formula 30 minutes before eating.
 
Listen to your body's signals for elimination. Constipation promotes inflammation, and this may cause some hormones to be inappropriately reabsorbed by the blood, increasing the risk for certain hormone-dependent cancers. Usually people on healthy diets have a bowel movement following each meal.
 
Leaky Gut syndrome can impact the whole body creating other problems with spreading inflammation? Inflammation in the lining of the gut can lead to colitis or Crohn's disease. If the antibodies attack the joints, it can result in arthritis. Inflammation in the lungs can cause asthma. The presence of foreign substances also imposes an additional burden on the liver, which plays a vital role in preventing the clearing of toxins from the bloodstream.
 
Hope this helps, if you have further questions feel free to ask,
Lena

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