What are good foods for Leaky Gut?

[Koalamom]

I went to a naturopath yesterday that said I have terrible leaky gut. That is supposidly why I am allergic to almost every food.
She said to avoid foods that would be of small particle that could pas through the gut, and to eat more beef as that has larger particles and doesn't pass easier. That would explain why I can eat most meats with no food issues.

So what foods are larger particle foods or good for gut healing, and what should I avoid? Is raw or cooked better too?

[Mirzam]

If I was in your position, I would follow the Primal Diet by Aajonus Vonderplanitz. The diet is a raw animal foods diet, including raw meat. But that's me. I have been on (and off!) the diet for over twelve years and have never had IBS symptoms while on it. I do occasionally have IBS symptoms while on cooked food for short periods of time. So for me, the Primal Diet is without doubt healing. There are other pluses to the diet, IMO, more general well-being, more energy, I look better/younger to name just three.

[tanyalynn]

Have you considered the Specific Carbohydrate Diet? I think its function is specifically to heal leaky gut. There's a book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle (hope I got that right) that discusses it in detail, but there are also websites.

[Casha'sMommy]

OP-You might consider checking out the TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) website. There's lots of information and resources there.

GL!

[californiajenn]

GAPS is helping repair my leaky gut. I'm getting more and more back.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

I went to a naturopath ...
She said to avoid foods that would be of small particle that could pas through the gut, and to eat more beef as that has larger particles and doesn't pass easier. That would explain why I can eat most meats with no food issues.

that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!!! She knows nothing about the human digestive system.

The stomach acid, if strong enough in a healthy person, is meant to break down all proteins into individual amino acids to combine with the blood and nourish our brains and other body cells.

What is a good food for you is very individual. It could be something simple as a food allergy or food intolerance. Some of these suggestions are good ones. I would start a food journal and maybe do some testing or elimination diet for intolerances.

You can also do high dose probiotics and try digestive enzymes. Glutamine in 24 hr homemade bone broths, or supplements, can help heal the gut lining. Also sulfur (in MSM or epsom salts baths).

Vitamin A deficiency can also cause leaky gut.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by JaneS

The stomach acid, if strong enough in a healthy person, is meant to break down all proteins into individual amino acids to combine with the blood and nourish our brains and other body cells.

While the stomach gets things started with pepsin (not gastric acid, which serves to activate pepsin), the majority of protein disassembly is accomplished in the small intestine by pancreatic proteases.

(And exogenous enzymes are just another protein, BTW.)

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by JaneS

that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!!! She knows nothing about the human digestive system.
Yeah does sound silly when you think about it, but I am open to info as I am new to leaky gut.
The stomach acid, if strong enough in a healthy person, is meant to break down all proteins into individual amino acids to combine with the blood and nourish our brains and other body cells.

What is a good food for you is very individual. It could be something simple as a food allergy or food intolerance. Some of these suggestions are good ones. I would start a food journal and maybe do some testing or elimination diet for intolerances.

You can also do high dose probiotics and try digestive enzymes. Glutamine in 24 hr homemade bone broths, or supplements, can help heal the gut lining. Also sulfur (in MSM or epsom salts baths).

Vitamin A deficiency can also cause leaky gut.

Would me taking high amounts of Vit D and proabaly nit enough Vit A cause an A deficiency? Time to eat more liver as I have pounds of grass fed liver in the freezer.

Does the bone broth have glutamine, or do I have to add it? I did take a glutamine supplment about 9 months ago, but my newborn son reacted terribly to me taking it.

I so wish I could take probiotics, but my nursing son is highly allergic to probiotics. I am going to trial some pickles I made and see how he does with that.

What can I do about epsom salts if I don't have a bath tub?

I recently made a bone broth that was so gelatanous, that it was even hard to scoup with a spoon, but turned to liquid with heat. Isn't that good for healing the gut?

We are DG, EF, GF, SF, CF, and many, many other things. I felt great after cutting these things out, and about 2 months later, I flet like crap again.


I am trying to juice more, and make more broth. I need to get more greens in me as I stopped green smoothies since I realized I was allergic to bananas and the cold smoothies was making my stomach hurt.

[Panserbjorne]

most people with chronic lyme do end up with food intolerances. Is she addressing that? I get a wee bit sketched out by the whole "leaky gut" phenomenon from so many ND's. It's not that I don't agree that many people have issues...I just think that they don't really know what to do about it (don't eat things with small particles?!?) I also don't know that many really look to the source of the issue and work with people to heal.

At my worst meat and cooked vegetables were the best thing for me. I couldn't handle ANY raw. Not even blended. Juiced was much better, but I had to go easy on them. Broths were truly amazing. Truly a good broth is one of the better things you can do for yourself. That and herbal infusions.

If you have a wash basin you can do an epsom salt soak with just your feet.

[Koalamom]

Actually the naturopath is focusing on the lyme at the moment. Te gut healing is next on the list. It is hard to say what she does, but it involves lots of tapping on the back, maybe like a chinese healer. She says that her work involves reprograming the body to do what it should be doing.

But with all of that, I want to be doing what is best dietary wise for healing. She asked me to take loads of vitamin C, and to get my minerals up.

I have cut out nettles infusions for a bit as I may have overdone things. I used to feel good with it, but now I feel like my digestion is poor when I drink it. I am just giving it a break for a while, but perhaps I should just switch herbs. After not even a week of comfrey, I had to stop that because it was turning my mouth numb.

I have got basins! I will try that today.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

Would me taking high amounts of Vit D and proabaly nit enough Vit A cause an A deficiency? Time to eat more liver as I have pounds of grass fed liver in the freezer.

Yes according to evidence I have read. Most people do not eat upwards of 50,000 IU per day (10x the RDA) that traditional diets ate.

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

Does the bone broth have glutamine, or do I have to add it? I did take a glutamine supplment about 9 months ago, but my newborn son reacted terribly to me taking it.

Yes it has glutamine. It can cause excitability if your body (or your son's) cannot handle it.

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

I so wish I could take probiotics, but my nursing son is highly allergic to probiotics. I am going to trial some pickles I made and see how he does with that.

Allergic to certain ingredients or suffers effects from die off?

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

I recently made a bone broth that was so gelatanous, that it was even hard to scoup with a spoon, but turned to liquid with heat. Isn't that good for healing the gut?

Yes, very much, as the gelatin is soothing to the gut and helps digests other foods.

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-fea...beautiful.html
www.westonaprice.org/food-features/513.html

[JaneS]

Watch the vitamin C. I assume that she meant the chemical form: ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate? When my digestion was bad I couldn't take much of either, gas and bloating and indigestion always ensued try as I might b/c it was always touted as being so important, good for detox, etc.

I did (and still do) much better on natural whole food C up to 250 mg. per day (don't have to take as much natural b/c it is high in bioflavonoids) such as acerola, amla or camu.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Allergic to certain ingredients or suffers effects from die off?



Yes, very much, as the gelatin is soothing to the gut and helps digests other foods.

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-fea...beautiful.html
www.westonaprice.org/food-features/513.html

I don't know if it die off, or strains in the probiotics, but both my kids break out to bleeding in the diaper area, and down their legs. Sauerkraut is the worst reaction.

Thanks for the links!

Originally Posted by JaneS

Watch the vitamin C. I assume that she meant the chemical form: ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate? When my digestion was bad I couldn't take much of either, gas and bloating and indigestion always ensued try as I might b/c it was always touted as being so important, good for detox, etc.

I did (and still do) much better on natural whole food C up to 250 mg. per day (don't have to take as much natural b/c it is high in bioflavonoids) such as acerola, amla or camu.

I usually only take a natural Vit C, Tru C or camu camu, but for the past few days I have added in a few capsules of SA. I also feel crappy from AA and too much SA is almost as bad. The small amount hasn't been negative, but I don't plan on continuing the SA. I might give it a few more days. I just don't like how it is synthetic and missing all the bioflavaniods.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

I don't know if it die off, or strains in the probiotics, but both my kids break out to bleeding in the diaper area, and down their legs. Sauerkraut is the worst reaction.

Sauerkraut contains many more ingredients than just probiotics. My DS cannot handle fermented, acidic foods either. Also contains amines, a food chemical, that can cause reactions. I think a probiotic supplement might be very different based on our experience.

I tried probiotic foods for DS for a very long time with no good effect... homemade raw milk kefir was wonderful for me, fermented veggies, etc... but not him. He finally improved on the right probiotic supplement and didn't have major die off beyond a few days of pooping a lot, minor intestinal discomfort, and then he just improved. I don't think die off is what you are seeing with your reactions.

Babies and young children also have immune systems that are designed to have higher counts of bifidobacteria. Those strains are what sets up the GALT, BALT and MALT immune systems and have been shown to contribute to oral tolerance. You cannot get bifidobacteria in foods. Some yogurts have it but not the same infant strains and not very high count to make much of a difference.

[Koalamom]

Yes we do have food issues (chemical), and have to be careful. Interesting how our tollerances improved after moving from an apartment behind a toxic factory to a house in the country.

I am all for whole food probiotics, but I just can't make them work for us. It really isn't die off since there was no improvement after months of whole food probiotics. I imagine it is the chemicals.

So Jane, I assume you use the phamrax probiotics. I don't know where to begin with supplmenting probiotics, and when I looked into pahrmax, they have so many I don't know what to pick from for me or my kids. How do you decide, as it is like a whole new language?


I got a huge bag of grass fed beef bone yesterday for $5 and it is simmering now. Heal gut, heal!

[JaneS]

Yes, your total chemical load can make a huge difference! Have you also looked into supporting nutrients for methylation? Have you seen the Amine/Histamine/Salicylate tribe thread? My current research is focusing on link to thyroid as well.

There is more info in my WAHM link about them or feel free to PM me

[JaneS]

Also want to mention that sensitivity to food chemicals (amines, salicylates) can cause gut inflammation as well, so it's possible that you might need to reduce these further if you are noticing reactions.

this is why the SCD did not work for either DS or I in long run, we didn't know about food chemicals then and were eating very high sal foods such as almonds and honey and lots of veggies and fruits... but the SCD theory of reducing fermentable carbs makes sense for a damaged gut.

[Koalamom]

Cutting out grains mostly has really helped me. I have a hard time going 100% carb free.

I checked out the probiotics, and it looks like they have dairy (lactose). I love the sound of the Pharmax Neonate for my kids. Is there one without dairy?

Time to freshen up on the chemical thread...

I like the SCD only somewhat since it seems to focus on dairy and eggs which are out for us.