“All disease begins in the gut” was a statement made over 2,000 years ago by the ancient Greek Physician Hippocrates, a man many regard to as the Father of Modern Medicine.

Hippocrates was certainly ahead of his time as in the past couple decades the importance of gut health has really come to light.  We know today that approximately 75% of our immune system resides in our gut! This has a lot to do with the massive amount of bacteria that resides in our digestive tract. Our gut is home to approximately 100 trillion bacteria! It’s hard to even comprehend this number. Some in the health community like to state that we are actually more bacteria than we are human as the amount of bacteria in the human body outnumbers human cells!

The health of our gut is crucial to our overall health. Research has shown that an unhealthy gut can be linked to a very wide range of health issues from auto-immune disorders, diabetes, obesity, fatigue, depression, autism, arthritis and on the list goes.

Many researchers and health and wellness advocates, including us, believe that supporting and healing the gut is one of the most important things we can do to support our overall health. The health of our gut depends on our gut flora as well as the integrity of our gut barrier.

Regarding gut flora, our gut contains both good and bad bacteria, and of course we want more of the good guys. The foods we eat and our lifestyle can have either a positive or negative impact on our gut flora.

Regarding our gut barrier, I think we can all agree that what happens in the digestive tract, should stay in the digestive tract. When the integrity of our gut barrier becomes compromised and broken down (leaky gut), partially digested food particles and proteins actually “leak” out of the gut and make their way to the blood stream.

When proteins that normally stay in the gut hit the blood stream, the immune system views these proteins as foreign invaders and attacks them! Multiple organs and area’s of the body can be effected by these attacks, and until our gut is healed, this process can repeat itself multiple times a day. These immune system attacks play a role in auto-immune disorders like type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto’s studies show.

Things That Hurt Your Gut:

Medications

Unfortunately medications like birth control, antibiotics and NSAID’s have a negative impact on our gut flora and overall gut health. Antibiotics specifically are particularly damaging to our gut flora.

Pathogens

Treat any intestinal pathogens such as candida overgrowth and or parasites now! (More on this in the future).

Remove Inflammatory Foods

Many out there still think that gluten avoidance is just another fad diet without any science behind it. However, the fact is that gluten containing grains contain a protein called gliadin which increases zonulin. Zonulin is a protein that increase intestinal permeability in humans and thus contributes to “leaky gut”.

Zonulin is so powerful at disrupting the integrity of our gut that high levels of it are directly linked to many autoimmune conditions such as: type 1 diabetes, celiac, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA’s) is another dietary factor to be aware of as they have been shown to create oxidative stress and inflammation throughout the body as they are the most fragile, easily oxidized group of fats. This inflammation extends to the gut which can have a negative impact on our gut lining and create unbalanced gut flora which will lead to many health issues. Sources of polyunsaturated fats to avoid include vegetable oils such as: canola, corn, soy, safflower, cottonseed, peanut oil as well as margarines, and all of the processed snack type foods that contain these low quality oils. 

Reduce/Eliminate Chronic Stress

Chronic stress results in chronically elevated levels of stress hormones such as cortisol. Chronically elevated cortisol has a negative impact on our hormonal and overall health. Chronically elevated cortisol can increase the permeability of our guts, otherwise known as “leaky gut”.

Reduce Your Exposure to Toxins

We talk about this one all the time – reduce your exposure to man made chemicals and toxins now! Our exposure to toxins is increasing all the time. The air, our water, plastics, pesticides and the amount of unregulated chemicals and toxins in our cleaning and personal care products is a disgrace. All of these toxins have negative effects that can effect every part of the body and our gut is no exception. Toxins such as BPA, phthlates, glyphosphates and antibiotics negatively impact our gut flora and the protective lining of our gut.

Ways to Support Your Gut:

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar can help eliminate bad bacteria, supports our good bacteria and improves digestion by stimulating stomach acid. Having enough stomach acid is critical for proper digestion as it helps to start immediately breaking down food and also serves as a messenger to the pancreas, liver and gallbladder to kick start bile and digestive enzyme release. Contrary to what many believe, most of us are deficient in stomach acid as stress, being protein deficient and the aging process in general will diminish it. ACV and the pectin it contains is also a good source of prebiotics. Prebiotics are basically food for probiotics, stated another way, prebiotics feed the good guys in our gut. We suggest taking 1-3 teaspoon shortly before each meal with a sip of water. As with everything, quality matters! Go for a raw, unprocessed Apple Cider Vinegar that still contains the “Mother”. This is the cloudy, blob looking thing that sits on the bottom of the bottle. By opting for a quality vinegar with the “Mother” you are getting both beneficial bacteria and enzymes. Hippocrates was big on ACV! 

Bone Broth

Our ancestors knew best! Bone broth is a time honored super food that supports our digestive and overall health. Bone broth and the unique amino acids, collagen and gelatin it yields is very anti-inflammatory and restorative with regards to the gut. Many of us today are no longer getting these nutrients and in addition to supporting the gut, bone broth is also great for the skin, hair, nails and our joints! TIP: Use apple cider vinegar in the cooking process of your bone broth.

Probiotics

The easiest way to populate your gut with healthy, beneficial bacteria is to eat RAW/UNPASTUERIZED fermented foods like: sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha, yogurt, kimchi and to take a quality probiotic supplement. The most important thing regarding probitoic supplements is to find one with strains that are proven to be beneficial, not just how much total bacteria has been jammed into each capsule.

We highly recommend Young Living’s Life 9 probiotic.

Essential Oils

Many Essential Oils are supportive of proper digestion by aiding in the secretion of digestive enzymes, cleansing the gut of toxic materials, as well as alleviating occasional stomach discomfort. Our favorite Essential Oil to support the gut is Digize which is a blend of: peppermint, ginger, anise, tarragon, juniper, fennel, lemongrass, and patchouli. 2-3 drops with each meal or as needed.

Takeaway

The takeaway to remember here is that you do not have to have gut/indigestion issues to have leaky gut. Leaky gut often results in skin issues like acne or eczema, mental illness, autism, heart failure, and autoimmune conditions affecting the joints (rheumatoid arthritis), and thyroid (Hashimoto’s).

Supporting your gut health is a very important and often overlooked piece of the health puzzle. 

Thank you for reading!

#Oilyevanstribe

Written by Will Evans

*This information includes ideas and suggestions that is educational in nature, and is provided only as general information. We are not medical professionals; and our advice should not be looked upon as medical treatment plans. This information does not represent the views or opinions of Young Living.*

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7670/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3983973/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886850/