Leaky bowel syndrome is a health problem that is often overlooked by the medical community, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t ubiquitous; indeed, many practitioners of both alternative and mainstream medicine believe that millions of people worldwide suffer from this chronic and debilitating condition. According to MD James A. Ferrel, leaky gut syndrome “may be the cause of many ‘etiology unknown’ illness(es)… (and it) may also explain many of the symptoms patients have that confound and confuse many physicians.” Since many people suffer from chronic conditions that doctors just can’t seem to figure out, Dr. Ferrel is definitely on to something. Let’s take a closer look at leaky gut syndrome in order to better understand how it can (and maybe already does) affect your physical body.
What is leaky bowel syndrome?
Leaky bowel syndrome is caused by damages or changes to the lining of the bowels and these alterations can wreak havoc on your entire body. The main problem with leaky gut syndrome is that it increases permeability in your bowels which allows toxins, parasites, medications, infections, and any other foreign substance to leak into other parts of your body and cause many of the following problems:
- Abdominal Pain
- Heartburn
- Muscle Cramps
- General Pain
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Food Allergies
- Malnutrition
Whew! That is a pretty harrowing list of symptoms to suffer from indeed, and the interesting thing is that they are comprehensive, attacking your body in many areas from the gastrointestinal system to the nervous system. Doctors also believe that there may be links between leaky gut and Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Autism, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to name a few. So the question remains: how do you know if you have it and what can you do about it?
Avoiding the perils of the leaky bowel
Since leaky bowel syndrome is still a controversial and “unofficial” diagnosis in mainstream medicine, it is not always easy to have it diagnosed. However, the best way to avoid or improve leaky gut syndrome is by taking care of your general health. Doctors who treat leaky gut syndrome claim that diets that are high in sugar can result in a Candida (yeast) overgrowth that can cause leaky gut syndrome. Stress, inactivity, and heavy doses of pharmaceutical drugs can also lead to the development of leaky gut syndrome. So treating leaky gut syndrome, or any of the problems and conditions associated with it, means learning to live a healthier life style by doing the following:
- Avoid sugar, alcohol, dairy, and gluten (as much as you can)
- Cut processed and packaged foods out of your diet.
- No caffeine
- No soda
- Avoid heavily perfumed or chemical ridden beauty and hygiene products.
Leaky bowel attacks your systems by turning the toxins you put into your body against you. The fewer toxins you put in your body, the fewer problems you will have with your bowels leaking toxins to the rest of your body. It is a pretty simple concept that is hard to practice; we all talk about good diets and taking care of our health but we all know that that is easier said than done. However, if you want to avoid the perils of the leaky gut, then you have to make taking care of your health a top priority.