Five signs of leaky gut

Your eyes may be the windows to your soul, but your intestines are the gateway to your health.

Even though we are told “you are what you eat”, it’s much more accurate to say “you are what you absorb”.

That’s why you might find that even though you’re eating a healthy, varied diet filled with fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, you don’t feel that great. This was exactly what Elizabeth complained of when she came to see me.

One of the things she asked me was how someone could diagnose themselves and know that they weren’t absorbing the goodness from their food. I told her that there are five things that she needs to look out for. They are all indications that her gut is “leaky” and would make her more prone to inflammatory health conditions.

Digestive problems: Gas, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation are not part of everyday life. They point to a problem in your gut.

Allergies: Conditions like acne, eczema and dermatitis all point to an angry gut.

Mood disorders: Anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and even autism are evidence of toxins in the digestive tract.

Other signs of a ‘leaky’ gut are joint pain and autoimmune disorders e.g. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and psoriasis.

To get back on the road back to health, remove the suspected problematic foods from your diet. In most cases, these are wheat, dairy produce and sugar. In particularly bad cases, it will also include soya, corn/maize, nuts and eggs.

Take a glutamine supplement to help repair and regenerate your intestinal cells (a teaspoon at bedtime should be enough to do the trick). I’d also suggest repopulating your gut with benefical bacteria, or probiotics. A capsule of 10 billion bacteria would be ideal.