Digestive issues, food sensitivities, and brain fog can all make it tough for you to get through your day. For some people, these symptoms can be caused by leaky gut syndrome. Normally, your intestines serve as a barrier that only allows select nutrients to enter the bloodstream. When leaky gut syndrome develops, unwanted substances can pass through this barrier, leading to a variety of chronic health issues. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to heal gut health issues.
Here, we'll explore more about leaky gut, why it's so important to pay attention to gut health, and foods and recipes that can help restore your gut's ability to serve as an effective barrier between your digestive system and your bloodstream.
What is leaky gut?
Also known as increased intestinal permeability, leaky gut is a condition that occurs when the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, allowing undigested food particles, toxins, and bacteria to enter into the bloodstream. A healthy intestinal system works as a selectively permeable barrier, allowing certain materials to pass through to the bloodstream while blocking harmful substances.
When the intestinal barrier is compromised, harmful materials can make it through the intestinal walls to the bloodstream, triggering a body-wide immune system response that can lead to inflammation and other issues related to a variety of health conditions.
Symptoms of leaky gut syndrome can differ from person to person and may include:
- Digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation
- Food sensitivities, including an increased sensitivity to gluten, dairy, soy, and other common food allergens
- Fatigue and brain fog
- Inflammation
- Joint pain
- Skin conditions including eczema and acne
- Autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto's thyroiditis or rheumatoid arthritis
An important note: While medical professionals agree that increased intestinal permeability is real, the term "leaky gut" is not yet a recognized diagnosis. If you're experiencing symptoms of leaky gut syndrome, it's a good idea to talk with your healthcare professional to rule out underlying issues.
What causes leaky gut?
The lining of your intestines is made up of a layer of cells that are tightly connected. This layer is responsible for helping nutrients and other helpful materials pass through to your bloodstream, while retaining and eventually getting rid of harmful materials. Sometimes, certain issues cause this barrier to become less effective. Chronic stress, alcohol consumption, certain infections, excessive use of certain medications, and a diet that relies heavily on processed foods and refined sugar can weaken the connections between the cells that make up the intestinal lining, causing leaky gut symptoms.
Why fixing leaky gut matters
Leaky gut syndrome can have a serious impact on overall health and well-being. If you think you may be suffering from a leaky gut, adding foods that support gut health to your nutrition plan can help you get back to feeling your best.
Some of the benefits of healing leaky gut syndrome can include:
- Better digestion: The wide range of digestive issues associated with leaky gut syndrome can make it hard to get the energy, nutrients, and minerals you need from food. Restoring gut health can help to alleviate symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, acid reflux, bloating, and gas.
- Enhanced mental health: Researchers are still working to understand the connection between gut health and mental health. A compromised gut can inhibit your body's ability to produce serotonin, which may lead to a number of mental health issues like mood swings, anxiety, and depression. Taking steps to heal leaky gut syndrome may help to alleviate these issues.
- Strengthened immune system: Much of the body's immune system resides in the gut, and a healthy digestive system is key for fighting off viruses and bacteria. Healing leaky gut syndrome supports a healthy immune system and can help your body fight acute, chronic, and autoimmune conditions.
- Reduced inflammation: When toxins and bacteria enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall, the body tries to protect itself by creating an inflammatory response. Over time, chronic inflammation can lead to cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and other serious health conditions. Healing leaky gut can reduce inflammation and help alleviate and/or heal related long-term health conditions.
Foods that can help heal leaky gut
Healing leaky gut requires a multifaceted approach. As you work to heal your gut, it's important to eat foods that reduce inflammation throughout the body, restore beneficial bacteria to the gut, and repair intestinal tissue.
Foods that can help to support the leaky gut healing process include:
- Bone broth: Whether you choose to make bone broth at home or buy a shelf-stable version at the grocery store, this gut-healing powerhouse is loaded with collagen, gelatin, and amino acids that can help repair your digestive lining while also reducing inflammation throughout the body.
- Fermented foods: Rich in probiotics, fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi can all add helpful bacteria to the gut to restore your microbiome and aid in the healing process.
- Fiber-rich foods: Fiber works as a prebiotic, feeding the good bacteria in your gut. While fiber supplements can be helpful if you struggle to get enough fiber, it's best to hit your daily fiber goals using whole foods. Adding a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and seeds to your diet can help.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Found in fish, flaxseeds, and chia seeds, omega-3 fatty acids can help to support healing in your digestive system.
- Coconut oil: Medium-chain triglycerides are abundant in coconut oil, making this plant-based fat a smart choice to help your body fight harmful bacteria and restore a healthy gut microbiome.
- Ginger and turmeric: Both spices are powerful anti-inflammatories that can reduce inflammation in the gut and promote healing.
Leaky gut recipes
Healing leaky gut syndrome can be a delicious adventure that pushes you to try new foods that help you feel your best. These are some of our favorite recipes that help support digestive health.
Ginger-carrot soup with bone broth and turmeric
Sourced from Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 4 cups chicken bone broth
- 4 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large Dutch oven. Add chopped onion, fresh ginger, turmeric, and garlic. Sauté until soft.
- Add bone broth and chopped carrots. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until carrots are very soft.
- Turn off heat and add coconut milk. Blend with an immersion blender or cool and process in batches in a regular blender.
- Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
Gut-Healing Smoothie
Sourced from Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN
Ingredients
- 2 cups full-fat coconut milk or almond milk
- 2 cups kale
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 frozen bananas, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon chia or flax seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon bee pollen
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon raw honey or Manuka honey
- 2 tablespoons collagen protein or whey protein
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until smooth (about 2–3 minutes).
- Serve over ice.
Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Sourced from Beyer Functional Wellness
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Use a mandolin slicer to cut the sweet potatoes into paper-thin rounds. Pile all the sweet potato rounds into a large bowl and pour the olive oil over the top. Gently toss to coat every piece with oil. Then lay the sweet potato rounds out on the baking sheets in a single layer.
Sprinkle the chips lightly with salt. Bake for 20–25 minutes until crisp and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets. Then move the chips to a bowl, or plastic bag to store. If you happen to find a few chips with soft centers, pop them back in the oven for about 5 minutes.
Sweet potato chips go from perfect to burned very quickly. Start watching each batch at the 20-minute mark and remove them the moment they look 90% crispy. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Healthy Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice
Sourced from Beyer Functional Wellness
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless; cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 onion, yellow or white, diced
- 2 carrots diced; three small or two medium
- 3-4 garlic cloves chopped
- 4 cups cauliflower rice frozen
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2-3 green onions sliced
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Heat half of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the chicken breast and arrange in a single layer.
Cook undisturbed until almost all pieces are no longer pink. Sprinkle it with cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper and stir. Continue to cook for 3–4 minutes more, or until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
To the same skillet, add the remaining oil. Sauté the onion and carrots until they begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and cauliflower rice.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower rice is tender, around 5–7 minutes.
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and stir with the cauliflower rice.
Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
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