The health of our gut is pivotal to our overall health – and a disturbance to our intestinal barrier function, known as “leaky gut” has been linked to the development of a range of chronic diseases including autoimmunity and inflammatory conditions.

Our gut acts as our body’s largest interface between the internal and external environments. It allows the absorption of nutrients from our intestine into the blood stream and meanwhile acts as a barrier against harmful microorganisms and toxins. Our gut lining maintains its selective barrier function through the formation of “tight junctions” which link adjacent cells and seal the gaps between them.

Leaky gut, or increased intestinal permeability is a condition in which the structural integrity of the gut becomes compromised, allowing undigested particles, bacteria, toxins and other antigens to escape from the gut into the bloodstream. This can cause the immune system to launch an inflammatory response and results in a range of symptoms such as digestive symptoms like bloating, diarrhoea and food intolerances, or systemic symptoms such as skin issues like eczema or acne, seasonal allergies, fatigue, low mood and autoimmune conditions.

What causes leaky gut?

There can be a number of causes, from bacterial or yeast overgrowths, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chronic stress, deficiency in nutrients such as vitamins A, D and zinc, excessive alcohol consumption and a diet high in sugar or gluten.

How can I heal a leaky gut?

Nutritional therapists use a comprehensive 5-step program, known as the 5-R protocol, developed by Dr Jeffrey Bland.

1. Remove

This involves removing factors that may be contributing to poor gut health and imbalanced gut flora, such as gluten, sugar and any known food sensitivities, reducing stress and removing any undesirable bacteria or yeast overgrowth using antimicrobials.

2. Replace

In this stage of the protocol, you aim to replace factors that might be missing to support good digestion, such as hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes or nutrients that are needed to support the digestive and immune systems.

3. Reinoculate

Here, we rebalance the gut flora to ensure adequate numbers of friendly gut microbes and prevent the overgrowth of harmful species. You can support the balance of your gut bacteria by including fermented foods rich in probiotics such as natural live yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha. Prebiotics provide fuel for the bacterial strains, and you can get great levels of prebiotics in foods such as onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, dark green leafy vegetables, chicory and apples. A multi-strain probiotic supplement could also be supportive.

4. Repair

This stage aims to promote gut-healing and reduce inflammation. You can include foods rich in amino acids, such as bone broth, or a collagen peptide supplement, and supplements containing healing ingredients such as L-Glutamine, Aloe vera, marshmallow, slippery elm, curcumin, lactoferrin, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc.

5. Rebalance

Lifestyle habits have enormous influence on the health of the digestive system, so it is important to give consideration to reducing stress levels, improving sleep and incorporating moderate exercise into your daily routine.

If you think you might have leaky gut, and want to put an individual protocol together with our team of nutritional therapists, please complete our online health questionnaire: Tailored Health Questionnaire | Cytoplan