Healing food allergies and leaky gut syndrome

If you have food allergies, particularly if you developed them later in life and are allergic to more than one food, chances are you also have leaky gut syndrome. If you can heal your leaky gut then you will be able to overcome your allergies as well.

What is leaky gut syndrome? When the intestinal lining becomes damaged, it can let partially digested proteins into the blood stream. The body does not recognize these foreign proteins and assumes they are invaders. It therefore sends out an immune response, attacking the protein molecules. After that happens a few times, the body quickly recognizes that particular food as dangerous and starts attacking very quickly. That is the way leaky gut can lead to food allergies. Leaky gut syndrome can also be at the root of other health problems, such as arthritis, excema, irritable bowel syndrome, and many believe fibromyalgia.

How do you get leaky gut syndrome? Being our first line of defense against many things trying to enter our bodies, the intestinal lining is well designed. However, it is rather fragile, as it is supposed to let digested nutrients through. It usually takes a number of different factors over a period of time to compromise the intestinal lining to the extent that we develop a leaky gut. Bacteria, fungi, yeast, such as candida, and other parasites can all damage the lining. Many drugs can as well, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other pain medications. Antibiotics, indirectly can cause it, by killing the beneficial bacteria in the gut, which allows harmful bacteria, and fungi to flourish. Anything that causes inflammation of the intestines can also damage the lining.

How do you heal leaky gut syndrome? This can be a difficult an lengthy process. I highly recommend seeing a health practitioner that specializes in it. In some countries there are several lab tests that can be done. These help not only in making an accurate diagnosis, but also in forming an efficient treatment plan. If you do not have access to a qualified health practitioner and believe you have leaky gut syndrome, there are a few things you can do for yourself. First, find out more about it to have a better idea if you really have it. Leaky Gut Syndrome by Elizabeth Lipski, is a great little booklet that goes into a lot more detail than I have here, about the symptoms, the causes, and the treatment. I Was Poisoned By My Body by Gloria Gilbere is another good book with more information on things you can do to help yourself.

The most important thing to do is give your intestinal lining the chance to heal itself. You need to stop eating foods that you are sensitive to. The best thing to do is an elimination diet, to figure out which foods cause reactions, then go on a rotation diet to avoid developing new sensitivities. Avoid taking any medications that are harmful to the digestive system, including anti-inflammatories, steroids, and antibiotics. You also need to restore the balance of good bacteria in your gut by taking large doses of probiotics and other supplements that enhance the beneficial bacteria. When looking for a probiotic, get one that has several different bacteria, as the work synergistically. Primal Defense is one that I have found to work well. It also has soil microorganisms that have proven beneficial to the immune system. Start taking your probiotic at one capsule twice a day. Slowly work up to about ten a day. You may need to stay at that dose for several months. Another useful supplement for the good bacteria is fructo-oligosacharide. You can be sure that you have some bad bugs in your gut, if you do have leaky gut syndrome. The best thing to do is find out what they are and take the right medicine to get rid of them. Chinese herbs are very useful against most of the harmful bugs in the gut. If you are going it on your own, though, I would only suggest eating raw garlic or taking garlic capsules.

I have skimmed over many things on purpose because if you do have leaky gut syndrome, you really need to get professional help. As I mentioned earlier, there are many conditions besides food allergies that could be related to leaky gut syndrome. If you have a chronic complaint that is resistant to treatment, check out one or both of the books I mentioned or see a health practitioner who specializes in treating leaky gut syndrome.