Healing Foods & Supplements for the Gut

You can tell a lot about your health by the state of your gut? The state of your gut often begins when you first put food into your mouth.

One of the major issues we hear today surrounding gut issues is leaky gut, also called intestinal permeability.

We can develop leaky gut when the tight junctions in the gut wall open and allow bacteria into our small intestine, and ultimately into our blood stream. Zonulin is a protein and is the physiological substance that directly controls the tight junctions in the gut wall. Zonulin signals the tight junctions in the gut to open and close. Scientists have found that the two things that can trigger the release of zonulin in the small intestine is exposure to bacteria and exposure to gluten. Scientists have also found that when the small intestine is exposed to any infection, it secretes zonulin in response, which then opens the door of the tight junctions.

To protect your gut, you want to include healing foods and supplements in your diet. These foods include the following:

Bone broth - bone broth can transform your health. Both bone broth and collagen protein powder contain amino acids, such as proline, glycine and glutamine that help repair the gut lining. Along with gut-sealing collagen, bone broth is full of minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, silicon, sulfur-in forms that your body can easily absorb.

Fermented vegetables - these enhance nutrients by making them more easily absorbed by the body, while restoring vital bacteria in your gut.

Coconut products - they are high in lauric acid, which kills pathogens such as bacteria and fungi

Fermented dairy - (yogurt and kefir) provide you with healthy bacteria to start rebalancing your gut flora

Cooked vegetables - these are easier to digest than raw vegetables and are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Organic meat - products such as wild-caught fish and grass fed beef are high in omega-3 fats and protein, which help reduce inflammation and rebuild healthy cells.

Along with gut healthy foods, you can also incorporate gut healthy supplements. These supplements include the following:

L-Glutamine - heals leaky gut. If you are looking to improve digestive health and heal leaky gut, it's recommended to take 5 grams of glutamine powder twice daily with meals.

Digestive enzymes - help soothe troubled guts. If you have any type of digestive disease, such as acid reflux, gas, bloating, leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Chrohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, malabsorption, diarrhea, or constipation, then digestive enzymes can help. Digestive enzymes can take the stress off the stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and small intestine by helping break down difficult-to-digest proteins, starches and fats.

It's suggested to take one or two capsules at the beginning of each meal to ensure that foods are fully digested, decreasing the change that partially digested food particles and proteins are damaging your gut wall or worse - sneaking through your tight junctions and into your bloodstream.

Ashwaganda - lowers cortisol & balances thyroid hormones, also strengthens the immune system. It's recommended to take 500 mg, 1-2 times daily.

Increasing the above gut protecting foods and supplements can help decrease leaky gut and  keep your gut healthy.