5 FOODS/DRUGS THAT WILL LEAD TO A LEAKY GUT

Leaky gut is when your intestinal lining gets more permeable than it already is. It will result in inflammation, and autoimmune disease if not treated.

The 5 drugs/foods that would trigger a leaky gut –

PAIN MEDICATION – NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs) they block an enzyme called COX cyclooxygenase an enzyme which protects the stomach and reduces prostaglandins a family of chemicals produced by our cells that support many important functions in the body (clotting, promote inflammation necessary for healing)

ANTACIDS – Your gut (starting at the mouth ending at the anus) is home to many bacteria. But since stomach acid kills bacteria, it prevents the multiplication of bad bacteria in the stomach. The high acidic environment prevents this bacteria from surviving, if pH rises then many bad strains start thriving. Antacid drugs actually raise the pH causing this condition. A higher pH of 6.5 or so will cause the bad bacteria to thrive. Inflammation of the digestive tract is then caused by the suppression of adenosine most important forming adenosine triphosphate (ATP) a key to many functions in the human body.

SUGAR – when sugar molecules bind to protein without the influence of enzymes; then a specific protein which maintains the integrity of the junctions of the intestinal lining gets affected. This bonding of sugar to protein molecules is referred to as ‘glycation’ and the result is AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) a highly destructive protein which affects the gut permeability.

GLUTEN – while we Indians are predisposed to eating it in our chapattis, if you have a compromised digestive system, it’s good to go gluten-free. You don’t just get it from your flour but its sits secretly hidden in a lot of bottled sauces, and packaged products as it is a thickening agent. Gluten has gliadin a protein found in wheat that affects the gut lining.

EMULSIFIERS – besides leading to obesity, they affect good bacteria in the gut. Most packaged and processed products have emulsifiers, they increase the shelf life of a product and make it richer in texture. They are acidic and destroy the gut lining.