Leaky gut explained

Not as gruesome as it sounds, a leaky gut is caused by the lining of your digestive tract becoming irritated and damaged through inflammation.

What is ‘leaky gut syndrome’?

Whereas a healthy gut allows the movement of broken down and digested food matter through the walls of the gut and into your bloodstream, a leaky gut is different. A leaky gut allows larger, undigested food matter through the walls of the digestive system, which on its way causes inflammation and leads to the poor absorption of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, along with vitamins and minerals. When a nutrient is improperly absorbed (or in some cases of leaky gut, not absorbed at all, due to its state of partial digestion), the gut goes into crisis.

What causes leaky gut?

The inflammation that causes leaky gut, can result from a number of conditions - the consumption of allergenic and abrasive foods (especially in the case of food intolerances, such as when an individual with lactose intolerance consumes dairy), an unhealthy lifestyle (fast foods, smoking and alcohol all have damaging effects on the digestive system) and some medications.

Build a healthy gut

The best way to support the ongoing health of your gut, is to ensure you:

• Choose fermented foods for easy digestion and high nutrient content
• Choose a good quality probiotic food or supplement
• Steer clear of ‘intolerant’ foods, such as wheat, dairy (cow), soy
• Eat a healthy, varied diet, high in easy to digest plant nutrients

Mr Vitamins recommends Nutra-Life WHOLE+ fermented Superfoods

Formulated with superfoods and fermented wholefoods, this healthy, powdered combination of botanical extracts, contains over 23 key ingredients combined with the knowledge from Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet traditions. The fermentation of 75% of ingredients in this product, allows for the creation of enzymes and new nutrients not present in the raw food. Taken daily, this product supercharges your nutrition whilst supporting your total health and vitality. Find out more about Nutra-Life WHOLE+ fermented Superfoods here