Leaky Gut is a condition where the lining of the gut deteriorates and becomes damaged. The damage causes holes in the intestinal lining which allows food particles and toxins to get into the bloodstream. The immune system recognizes the food particles and toxins as foreign invaders and attacks them, which can lead to a variety of health issues, like systemic inflammation, food sensitivities, and an imbalance in the gut microbiome.
The integrity of the intestinal lining is important because the gut affects nearly every system in our entire body. Its health is fundamental to our immune system and has a direct connection to the brain. So if there are holes in the intestinal lining, our health and well-being will be compromised.
At Naturally Sue Wellness in NYC, we specialize in gut health. We offer naturopathic care for Leaky Gut in-person (in NYC) and online, nationwide!
Leaky Gut can be caused by a variety of factors. Gluten, dairy and, stress are some of the causes of the wear and tear of the gut lining, leading to intestinal permeability. Other causes may include:
Because the gut affects our entire body, symptoms of Leaky Gut may occur in multiple body systems:
Leaky Gut can also cause nutritional deficiencies, as the gut is unable to properly absorb essential nutrients, like iron, zinc, Vitamin D, and B Vitamins.
There is a strong link between Leaky Gut and long-term health consequences, like arthritis, autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance, heart disease, and mental health disorders.
At Naturally Sue Wellness in NYC, we take a patient-centered approach to treatment for Leaky Gut. We combine evidence-based medicine with holistic approaches to treat the underlying cause of your digestive, skin, or joint issues, not just the symptoms themselves.
We will facilitate the healing of your gut lining to reverse your symptoms and optimize your gut health. We utilize dietary and lifestyle modifications along with homeopathic treatments to address each patient’s needs.
Everyone is different in what they need. We work closely with you to determine the right treatment protocol for your needs.
We listen to your entire clinical history during your first visit to Naturally Sue Wellness. Based on our conversation, we partner with you to customize a gut-healing protocol to address your Leaky Gut’s underlying causes. Our goal is to:
We also commonly recommend comprehensive GI Microbiome testing through a comprehensive stool panel, which looks at your entire gut Microbiome, including leaky gut markers, including Zonulin and Secretory IgA.
This test also checks for parasites, bacteria (good and bad bacteria), enzymatic function, immune function, inflammation markers, and much more. These tests will help us determine a specific course of action for each patient.
Ready to get started with Naturally Sue Wellness? Contact us to book a free consultation to optimize your gut health, naturally.
Naturopathic treatments for Leaky Gut include a blend of dietary and lifestyle changes, as well as useful homeopathics, like herbs, vitamins, and minerals. Our treatment goal is to tighten up the junctions in the gut lining, decrease inflammation, and enhance immunity. We then help to rebuild the lining with new tissue and mucosa.
The first step to recovering from Leaky Gut is to seal the leaks in your gut lining, repair damaged cells, build new tissue, and replenish the mucus lining that serves as a healthy intestinal barrier. Several herbal remedies that are used for this purpose include:
Not all herbs are right for everyone. It’s important to work with a professional who can look at your specific needs and tailor herbal therapy accordingly.
Nutrition is a first-line therapy in a natural treatment approach to Leaky Gut. A combination of food and supplementation to get your body the right nutrients heal and repair your gut will likely be necessary.
Foods to Include
An anti-inflammatory diet, rich in fruits, cooked vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats is the most healing for Leaky Gut. Consuming probiotic foods that promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria, like kimchi, sauerkraut, and miso, is also key in keeping the gut lining healthy and intact, and helps fight inflammation.
Foods to Avoid
An important aspect of healing from Leaky Gut is the removal of anything that is causing inflammation and contributing to the breakdown of the gut lining, such as:
Toxic foods like sugar, caffeine, and alcohol should also be eliminated, especially during the healing process.
Nutritional Supplements
The following nutritional supplements are also key for healing Leaky Gut naturally:
Stress management
Stress is one of the most common causes of Leaky Gut. Stress contributes to gut inflammation and damage. Finding ways to manage stress is an important component to healing Leaky Gut naturally. Activities like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can help promote gut healing. But anything that makes you feel calm will be effective – music, art, journaling, hobbies, reading, laughing. Everyone is different in what is relaxing. Find the thing that works for you.
Sleep
Poor sleep is a major contributor to elevated cortisol levels and chronic stress, which can negatively affect gut health. Without sleep, our body cannot recuperate, repair, and regenerate. Getting enough good, quality sleep is important for gut healing and overall health.
Exercise
Low-impact, moderate-intensity exercise can be beneficial for healing Leaky Gut because it can help reduce stress. Body weight exercises, resistance training, walking, Pilates, biking, swimming, and hiking, are all good examples of moderate-intensity activities.
While exercise is a healthy habit, excessive exercise can worsen gut health because it elevates the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. If you have Leaky Gut or any other gut health issue, don’t overdo it with exercise.
Supplementing with protein may also be especially important to support your gut if you’re incorporating more exercise into your routine.
Work with a naturopath to make sure you’re supporting your gut health with exercise, not compromising it.
Mental Health Support
Leaky Gut disrupts the communication system between the gut and the brain, known as the gut-brain axis. A leaky gut equals a leaky brain! As a result, depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles are common among patients with Leaky Gut. As part of your treatment protocol at Naturally Sue, we will support your mental health in whatever way makes the most sense for you.
The cause of Leaky Gut is different for everyone. A tailored approach based on individual needs and root causes is the most effective way to treat Leaky Gut. The doctors at Naturally Sue Wellness have the expertise and resources to customize a plan specifically for you so that you can fully recover and prevent future occurrences.
Get started now with an individualized health plan for Leaky Gut in NYC.
A 40 year old female patient presented to my virtual practice with bloating and food allergies. I recommended the GI Map stool test by Diagnostic Solutions labs with the Zonulin marker add on, which is a leaky gut marker.
Her Zonulin was elevated at a level of 275.8 (range: <175) and she also had a low Secretory IgA at a level of 321 (range: 510-2010).
High zonulin and low Secretory IgA can be common in those with leaky gut.
This was super helpful data to have because I then knew what I needed to do in terms of her health plan and what items to recommend. I was able to also see if she had any bacterial overgrowth, candida, how her pancreatic enzymes were functioning and also how well her commensal bacteria were (think of them as the good guys in your gut). She did not have any overgrowth of inflammatory or opportunistic bacteria and it was actually quite the opposite. This patient had more of a deficiency of good bacteria, and because of that, I did not need to give her any antimicrobial herbs. The work we had to do was primarily building back up her gut, rather than killing anything off.
These other markers are helpful to have because we can then work on the entire microbiome, which has an impact on so many other systems in our body.
-Dr. Susan Cucchiara
We can actually test you for leaky gut markers in a stool panel! Using the “Test not guess” approach is very helpful to get patients results.
We take into account that everyone may differ in the reason why they have a leaky gut. At Naturally Sue Wellness, we take a specific and strategic approach based on your clinical history and labs to help recover the integrity of your gut lining and help you solve the symptoms that have developed because of the leaky gut.
While there may be common herbal remedies or supplementation that can help leaky gut, if you are not working on the causative factor, you may not reach full healing. For example, if you have toxins like mold present in your labs that have affected the integrity of the gut lining, it is imperative we find the source of exposure and help you detoxify safely in order to fully heal. We can test various markers to make sure we are looking at the full picture.
Since the gut affects all areas of the body, Leaky Gut can lead to a variety of symptoms and health issues. Most notably, signs of Leaky Gut include:
Some steps you can take to naturally heal or avoid Leaky Gut include:
The underlying cause of Leaky Gut may not be the same for everyone. If you suspect you have Leaky Gut, it’s best to work with a professional who can customize a treatment plan that will address your specific needs.
Recovery from Leaky Gut will vary from person-to-person depending on the severity and the causes of disease. Most people will start to feel some signs of healing within 1 to 6 months. More severe cases may take a year or 2 to fully recover.
Signs your Leaky Gut is healing include the following:
You will generally feel better, more energetic, and less crummy all around.
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