Leaky gut syndrome causes and tests
What causes a leaky gut syndrome?
Leaky gut syndrome causes and tests? Research shows that Leaky Gut Syndrome is caused by much of what we consume. Dairy, sugar, soy and grains are the primary culprits of gut irritation.
Other irritants that cause leaky gut syndrome include:
- Antibiotics
- NSAIDS
- Alcohol (excessive amounts)
- Stress (constant/chronic)
- Toxic Metals
- Processed foods
- Smoking
- Drugs
- Pollution
In my experience, the only way to heal the gut, to stop auto-immune reactions is to change your diet and lifestyle choices.
Firstly, I haven’t found any way to heal the gut without some form of animal protein and healthy fats. Animal proteins and healthy fats contain essential nutrients that nourish the body and the lining of the gut. It’s important to eat small amounts of fat, meat or fish to heal.
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You can also drink lots of bone broth soups (or just the bouillon on its own). Bone broth is also known to improve the lining of the gut and to lower inflammation in the body. Be sure to include vegetables and some well-chosen carbohydrates and fats with your meals too,
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Once your gut is healed, the chronic inflammation will subside, and your hair will be able to regrow again.
The leaky gut syndrome test
You don’t necessarily need to go through all of these tests if you’ve been chronically ill for a long time, as the symptoms may be clear to you or your doctor anyway. But if you would like to have it confirmed, you can look into any of these options.
Ways to find out if you suffer from a leaky gut syndrome
Live blood analysis
This is the simplest way to detect if you have a leaky gut. A medical practitioner takes a single drop of blood from your finger and, using a special microscope, can immediately assess your body’s state of wellness.
Just imagine, one tiny drop of blood, magnified at around 10,000 times, can reveal the state of your health as well as decipher if you suffer from a leaky gut! This was in fact how I discovered that I suffered from a leaky gut.
Your blood sample is immediately assessed and the practitioner can then recommend steps to fixing any issues found. Many people with long-term undiagnosed problems have also benefited greatly from live blood analysis, as well as those who want to prevent falling ill.
Zonulin or lactulose tests
Zonulin is what helps to control the size of the opening between your gut and bloodstream. Although a small opening is needed to allow nutrients to be transported back and forth, abnormally high levels of zonulin can lead to the opening becoming too large. Gluten, parasites, candida yeast and harmful bacteria can trigger the zonulin level to rise.
A simple test can be done to find out how high your zonulin levels are. Stabilising high zonulin levels is critical as, if left alone, it can lead to more damage. The zonulin test is carried out using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test (ELISA). The test assesses how permeable the intestinal guts is. It also tests for levels of sugars found in your urine.
IG3 food intolerance test
Food sensitivities and allergies can trigger or worsen a leaky gut, so it’s important to take this test if you suspect that you suffer from it.
When toxins that shouldn’t be able to enter the bloodstream do, our immune system goes into overdrive by raising the immune response. It also produces more antibodies to help defend the body against these harmful particles. Unfortunately, a side effect of this is an allergic reaction to food that we normally should be able to eat, especially gluten, processed foods and (pasteurised) dairy.
The IgG Food Allergy Test is carried out by having blood drawn or by using dried blood that can be collected from home and sent to a lab for analysis.
Stool test
A stool test can detect bacteria levels, the health of the intestinal immune system and probiotic levels in the gut. It also reveals information on yeast, parasites and bacteria that might contribute to leaky gut.
The test is carried out by collecting a stool sample on two separate occasions (at least 12 hours apart). Before collecting the sample to need to stop taking any supplements and limit the amount of meat you consume as this can alter the results.
Organic acid and vitamin and mineral deficiencies tests
Nutrient malabsorption and vitamin and mineral deficiencies can be caused by a leaky gut so it’s important to have this tested. This usually occurs when the gut’s microvilli stop working properly, allowing large particles to pass through the lining (like gluten) and for some nutrient-rich molecules to be blocked from entering.
An organic acid test looks for any deficiencies in minerals and vitamins, amino acid (protein) fat and bacteria levels. It does this by looking at the effects of the nutrient deficiencies as by-products that occur. This is thought to be more accurate than just looking at nutrient levels. It can also tell you how well your body uses nutrients.
The test can be done with a kit that’s sent to your home. You simply collect your urine sample and then send it back to a lab for testing.
It’s not only what you eat, but it’s also what you absorb
One, major reason why it’s so important to healing a leaky gut is that it can affect how much food your body absorbs. I’ve always said that eating good food is only half the battle, the other half is ensuring that its nutrients are being absorbed properly – otherwise, what’s the point!? This is where digestive enzymes and Hydrochloride (HCL) supplementation comes in.
A healthy level of hydrochloric acid is essential as it aids the digestion of proteins, absorption of amino acids and the extraction of vitamin B12 from our food.
The level of acid in our bodies can become depleted through leaky gut syndrome. However, the supplement Betaine HCL can help to increase the level of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Stomach acid is essential for our immune system as it kills off any potential pathogenic bugs in our food.
Your stomach is the core of your being so if you regularly suffer from an upset stomach or pain it can be debilitating. What causes stomach pain and indigestion? More importantly, what can be done to heal an ailing stomach? And how does low stomach production can result in hair loss?
Supplementing HCL can help you with hypochlorhydria
Hypochlorhydria is a condition in which the sufferer does not produce enough hydrochloric acid (HCL) in their stomach. I’ve suffered from this condition too. The acid triggers the activation of pepsinogen, converting it into the active enzyme pepsin. A shortage of this gastric secretion can have a dramatic effect on your digestion and on your health. Over time this may contribute to malnutrition, malabsorption of nutrients and inflammatory skin conditions.
The purpose of HCL is to kill harmful bacteria. With age, the levels of HCL usually decrease, and over 50% of those over the age 60 have low levels of HCL in the stomach.
Achlorhydria is even worse, in this condition the person’s body produces no acid at all.
To heal leaky gut syndrome, the most important fact is to incorporate an anti-inflammation diet and to live a holistic lifestyle.
Empowering others via my wellness platform and holistic wellness books
I hope you liked this article about leaky gut syndrome causes and tests. If you would like to learn more about my tips and tricks on how I saved my life from being chronically ill and tired to the lively person I am today, ensure to check out other pages of this wellness platform.
For a few years I suffered from chronic health problems and thinning, lifeless hair that was falling out at a rapid rate.
Enough was enough – I decided to take drastic action and switched to a completely natural, non-toxic, healthy and holistic haircare and health routine. The results were astounding, and after a lot of hard work, my hair is now healthier and glossier than ever before!
Now, through my holistic wellness books and anti-ageing health platform, I want to empower people around the world do the same and regain their health, hair, life, vitality and beauty!
