The News On Food

Leaky gut syndrome explained

Leaky gut syndrome or what is sometimes called increased intestinal permeability often goes hand in hand with those suffering from food intolerance symptoms. It is not unusual for it to go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed by those in the medical profession. Click here to read  an article that explains how one woman was misdiagnosed based on her symptoms. It also mentions that even though some doctors agree that there is such a thing as leaky gut syndrome, whether it actually is the cause of the health problems is debated.

Because you may only be suffering from a couple of leaky gut symptoms such as mood swings and stress, it is possible you may not be aware that leaky gut syndrome is the reason for your own health ailments. Additionally, one of the major problems with leaky gut syndrome is that you may suffer from malnutrition as a result. This is extremely stressful for parents of young children as they watch their children wither away to skin and bones.

Leaky gut syndrome is also known to cause low immunity thereby creating a greater chance of  contracting illnesses. I know how scary this is as a parent having gone through this with one of my own children. The only way I was able to eventually identify that my child was suffering from leaky gut syndrome was by initially recognizing that he had food intolerance symptoms. Once I was able to identify this, I started on a path of discovery about food and consultations with alternative health professionals, that led me to leaky gut syndrome.

The easiest way to explain leaky gut syndrome is to watch the following video:

Leaky gut syndrome – my journey

When my son was suffering from food intolerance symptoms, I was desperate for answers.  People would tell me he was just suffering from the terrible twos; which according to some, is a phase that two year old children go through where they throw tantrums all the time and seem to be in a constant power struggle.  I don’t believe in the terrible twos,  food intolerance symptoms aside. He was irritable, defiant, stubborn and his behaviour was at times unmanageable. It was physically and mentally stressful and draining.

As a result, I consulted a naturopath who conducted some urine tests and stool tests. It was through these tests that he was diagnosed with leaky gut syndrome. So now at least, we had something to work with. The down side of seeing the naturopath and not having the knowledge I have now, was that we ended up having him supplemented to the max. We had approximately 15 bottles or containers of vitamins to fix the leaky gut and provide him with the nutrients he was lacking. While I believe this did have some impact on his health, it did not change the fact that he was on a restricted diet and what I could feed him was not getting any more expansive.

Then, he decided he did not want to take these vitamin shakes I was making for him 2 times a day and to be honest, I’d had enough too so together we gave it up.

So take a look at the picture over on the right and ask yourself if you want to be grinding tablets or blending them into a mix two times a day and taking the mix yourself or giving it to your children OR look for a natural alternative. I know what I found easier! Remember, the picture on the right is only one third of what I was doing twice a day.

Leaky gut syndrome – my research

I then went looking for more answers to cure leaky gut syndrome. I started my own research online and through that research and after trying several other ways to cure my son’s food intolerance symptoms,  I came across a guy that I now understand to be an absolute guru on food.

I went to a free seminar one night here in Melbourne and discovered that there was a cure for leaky gut syndrome. I purchased his books because I could see the value of what was contained there in and I am amazed at the knowledge and writings contained in these books. They are heirloom books and I treasure them and what I have learned from them.  The books I am referring to are called the FDR which stands for Farmacist Desk Reference. (books pictured right).

Leaky gut syndrome – my cure

There were a few things I put into place to cure our leaky gut syndrome, as a result of reading the FDR. They are listed below:

• I introduced fermented products such as raw milk,
• An absolute must is kefir products and you can buy a starter kit by clicking on this link,
• fermented miso,
• pure apple cider vinegar,
• unhomogenized yoghurt,
• cheese that contained vegetable rennet rather than animal rennet or animal enzyme.
• make sure water intake is high
• add some psyllium husk to cereal in the morning or to a healthy smoothie where it can be easier to get into the body, to increase fibre intake
• add unrefined salt to food. NOT ordinary salt as they are not the same thing.
• you can also introduce pure sauerkraut but I found it difficult to incorporate this into my child’s diet.

Over time, I noticed my son’s behaviour improved, he was much happier and I was able to slowly introduce a wider variety of fruit and vegetables. We still avoid wheat where we can as I find this causes problems with formation of his stools but mostly, we can use products with kamut where there is even less of a reaction than spelt flour which is often used as an alternative to general wheat flour. If you are in Australia then you might like to try Healthy Bake Bread or Ancient Grains. Always check the ingredient list on products you are using.

If you are concerned about  introducing dairy initially then start with pure apple cider vinegar from This shop.

The power of pure water

Another option for adults or children over a certain age, is to do a water fast. A good way to work up to a longer fast that your body needs is to start by doing a water fast one day a week.

I do recommend however, you seek guidance before you undertake this as those who have been quite ill can find it difficult to do a water fast that extends beyond one day. You will need support and to be in a position where you are not relied upon in case you find you are unable to function during this time. There is also some great information on fasting in the FDR and I shall leave fasting for another topic.

To conclude I would like to say that improvements may take time but it can be worth adding fermented products to your diet because this will improve your intestinal permeability and provide much greater health benefits while healing your leaky gut syndrome. Keep to your restricted diet based on your elimination diet until you start to see improvements in your health.

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience. Please consult an appropriate professional about your situation.