How to Heal Leaky Gut: Everything You Need to Know to Heal
Do You Have Leaky Gut? (Spoiler: Probably!)
I get asked all the time, "Sandie, do I have leaky gut? How do we test for it? What can we do about it?" And the simple answer is, yes, you likely have leaky gut – close to a 100% chance, to some degree.
Why is it so common? Because leaky gut is caused by the world we live in: toxins, pathogens, heavy metals, even emotional stress. Basically, any stress on the body affects the permeability of your intestinal lining.
Do You Need a Leaky Gut Test?
Now, do we need to test for it? No. Why would we spend money on a test to tell us something we already know? It's the same with heavy metals. People are always like, "which test do you run for heavy metals?" Well, I don't run them because you have them – they're everywhere.
So, if we know we likely have leaky gut, let's not waste money on labs to confirm it. Let's instead focus on repairing it.
Beyond Gut Lining Support
A lot of people jump straight to gut lining support: "Oh, I need glutamine, slippery elm, marshmallow, butyrate". While these things do support the gut lining, they're rather pointless if you're not addressing why you have leaky gut in the first place.
And a word of caution about glutamine: some people should NOT take it, especially if they have GAD1 mutations. That's a genetic mutation affecting enzymes in your brain that change glutamine into GABA. If you have those mutations, glutamine can lead to toxic glutamate levels, which you don't want – that presents as headaches and hyperactivity. So, always test before supplementing with glutamine.
Focus on Root Causes
These supplements will support your intestinal lining, but they won't fix the problem until you address the underlying causes: toxins, pathogens, metals. We need to take a step back from just thinking about leaky gut and do the groundwork before throwing a bunch of gut-healing supplements at it. What's the point of constantly putting in support if you're just breaking down the lining over and over? It's a vicious cycle.
Detoxification is Key
We can't live in a bubble and avoid all toxins and stress. So, we do the best we can by giving our body the tools to repair, remove pathogens, and eliminate as many toxins as possible. That's where working on our detoxification pathways becomes crucial. We won't get rid of all the toxins, but the better our detox pathways work, the better our body can handle them.
First Steps to Healing
So, what's the first step? We want to rebuild the body and repair those detox pathways. I recommend starting with an organic acids test, a full blood panel, and a genetics test to guide your repair process. This won't tell you how to get rid of pathogens yet; we're focusing on rebuilding first.
The Role of Neurotransmitters and Stress
We also need to look at neurotransmitters. Often, people are in chronic fight or flight – full of anxiety, fear, and worry about their health, job, family, etc. And when you're in fight or flight, nothing heals. That stress response can literally rip apart your gut lining.
So, those foundation labs (organic acids, genetics, blood panel) help us see neurotransmitter levels, which are crucial for everyone to address. There's so much stigma around neurotransmitters; people tell you it's "all in your head," and you feel gaslighted by doctors. But the reality is, your neurotransmitter balance plays such an imperative part of healing, because if you cannot shift from fight or flight into rest, digest, and repair, you're going to get nowhere; you'll only get sicker. I see this all the time with my clients: the ones who don't heal are the ones who can't make that shift.
We need to address neurotransmitters and support the brain. And mindset is huge. If you've been in fight or flight for a long time, you have recurring, repetitive thought patterns based in fear that need to be addressed.
And I'm gonna go on a little bit of a tangent here, but it's really important.
The "Perfect Health" Myth
We have this idea that we're supposed to be perfect, and that's just not reality. We live in a toxic world. The air isn't clean, the water isn't clean, the food isn't clean. Even if you're eating organic, there's still pesticide drift. It's impossible to avoid it all.
So, we need to let go of the idea that we can have zero leaky gut. It's not realistic. But we can still feel good!
Biofilms and Leaky Gut
Another thing that really affects leaky gut is biofilms. Biofilms are like a slimy matrix that pathogens (bacteria, yeast, parasites) create to protect themselves. They're like little cities in your gut, and they're really hard to get rid of.
And guess what? Biofilms also contribute to leaky gut! They cause inflammation and damage the gut lining.
So, if you're treating leaky gut without addressing biofilms, you're missing a big piece of the puzzle.
Key Steps to Heal the Gut (Recap)
To recap, here are the key steps to truly heal your gut:
Rebuild and Repair: Start with organic acids, bloodwork, and genetics testing to identify imbalances and guide your repair process.
Support Detoxification: Focus on opening up your detox pathways so your body can handle the constant influx of toxins.
Balance Neurotransmitters: Address stress, anxiety, and mindset to shift out of fight or flight and into a healing state.
Break Down Biofilms: If you suspect chronic infections or pathogens, address biofilms to make them vulnerable to treatment.
Letting Go of Perfection
Remember, you don't have to be perfect to heal. We're all exposed to toxins. The goal is to give your body the tools to handle those exposures and feel your best.
I hope this helps you understand leaky gut and how to approach it effectively!