Gut Healing

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Healing the gut (which here refers to the small and large intestines) first requires removing all the things that aggravate the mucosa, kill the beneficial bacteria in your microbiome, and that cause the tight junctions to open up (see Leaky Gut). This means no gluten and minimising herbicides and pesticides, antibiotics, plastics, solvents, NSAIDs and proton-pump inhibitors. If your gut is really damaged and inflamed, it is a best to work with a practitioner to take you through healing your gut. Typically the process will look something like what follows.

First you begin with soothing and healing the gut lining. There are many foods and herbs which can be beneficial in this area and many of these are also good for using on a continual basis for keeping your gut and other parts of the body healthy. These include:

  • Bone Stocks/Broths. They have lots of Gelatine, Collagen, Glycine, Proline, Glutamine (which the small intestine runs on), Glucosamine and other gut-healing nutrients. They are also beneficial for connective tissue diseases such as Arthritis. See video in Recipes.

  • Liquorice

  • Aloe vera

  • L-carnitine

  • Marshmallow root

  • Slippery elm

  • Antioxidant rich foods

  • Greens and herbs like coriander, parsley, and rosemary

  • Dandelion

  • Vitamin C rich foods like camu camu, kiwi, strawberry, goji berries, and medicinal mushrooms - all good for collagen production, which our gut needs

  • Turmeric

  • Tulsi

  • Sulphur-rich foods containing cysteine to help with Glutathione production such as cruciferous vegetables, onions and eggs


Next, you need to start getting the good bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms back into you - typically referred to as probiotics. You can get stool testing done to find out what species your microbiome currently contains and in what balance, which can help to target which specific bacteria need re-populating. It can also tell you if you have an overgrowth of certain species that may require further specific treatment to bring back into balance. Microbiome testing is becoming more accessible all over the world - find a reputable provider for whatever country you are in. If testing is not accessible for you (typically it costs around $400USD) you can still work toward getting good bacteria into you including species that typically require re-populating if the microbiome has been damaged. I have included a list of some important strains to look out for when you are looking at capsule probiotics, and where you can, try find those available in endospore form, where they naturally have a coating that helps protect them from the acidity of the stomach (so they make it all the way to your intestines). Fermented foods are a great option as they often carry many beneficial strains. For instance, kim chee can have 400-500 different strains in it, and while they may not be present in as high density as you will find in a probiotic supplement, they are naturally formed. As you try different fermented foods you may feel that some agree with you more than others or that some make you feel really great. Trust your instincts and also have ones you really enjoy - often these will be the ones your body needs. I LOVE coconut kefir personally. I still remember the first time I had it in Kerala, India, not that I knew what it was at the time. I felt amazing the next day, but it didn't suit a couple of my travel companions. Always keep in mind that probiotics are typically damaged or killed by heat.

Some important probiotic/good bacteria species/strains:

  • Lactobacilli: Rhamnosus, Reuteri

  • Casei

  • Acidophilus

  • Plantarum

  • Bifidobacteria: Infantis, Lactis, Longum, Breve, Bifidum

  • Saccharomyces boulardii

  • Streptococcus spp.

  • Bacillus: Subtillis, Clausii, Indicus

  • Propionibactgerium freudenreichii

  • E. facium


Some good fermented foods:

  • Kombucha (with low residual sugar)

  • Kefir

  • Yogurt

  • Kimchi

  • Sauerkraut

  • Lactic acid fermented pickles (not vinegar pickles)

  • Miso

  • Natto

  • Tempeh

  • Olives


Once populated, to keep the good bacteria well sustained we need to feed them and the term that is used for what they like to be fed is "prebiotics" which includes inulin, resistant starches, and fibre that humans don't absorb but that gut bacteria love to eat.

Some good prebiotics:

  • Asparagus

  • Jerusalem artichokes

  • Onions

  • Chicory

  • Garlic

  • Leeks

  • Bananas

  • Burdock root

  • Sugar maple

  • Chinese chives

  • Dandy Greens

  • Peas

  • Legumes

  • Eggplant

  • Raw Honey

  • Green tea

  • Stalks and stems of many vegetables like broccoli


Polyphenols in food are often digested by good bacteria and their digestive process often makes the polyphenols even more bioavailable to us for absorption. Polyphenols are rich in:

  • Green Tea

  • Red Wine

  • Berries

  • Nuts

  • Artichokes

  • Apples

  • Onions

  • Cacao

  • Panax Ginseng

  • Cloves


What fermented foods are you going to start including in your diet?

What prebiotic foods are you going to start including in your diet?


Related Articles:

Herbicides and Pesticides
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Digestion
Microbiome
Leaky Gut


Much Love,

Sophia Englezos