Gut Health

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Why All Disease Begins In the Gut

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Why All Disease Begins In the Gut

Why All Disease Begins In the Gut 

You may have heard or seen this quote from Hippocrates: “all disease begins in the gut” . It’s said that he used those words thousands of years ago, and current research is finding there’s much truth in this ancient piece of wisdom.

If you think your intestinal tract is only responsible for digestion and waste elimination, think again… your gut also plays a big role in immune system function, the synthesis of essential nutrients, and balancing neurotransmitters important for brain and mood health.

It’s even been referred to as our second brain by experts in the health professional community. I find this stuff fascinating!

It’s all about the health of our gut

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How To Heal Your Leaky Gut

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How To Heal Your Leaky Gut

How To Heal Your Leaky Gut

Gut health is a main focus of mine with my clients (for good reason!). They often ask:

How do I know if I have a leaky gut?

How long does it take to heal a leaky gut?

How do I heal my leaky gut?

There’s A LOT of talk in the health world about gut health these days. You’ve probably even heard that the key to reversing a whole host of health issues, ranging from skin issues to serious autoimmune conditions, starts with healing your so-called leaky gut.

Afterall, Hippocrates is famously credited with stating that “all disease begins in the gut”.

Several factors are thought to disrupt the normal intestinal environment and contribute to a leaking gut.

But what the heck is a “leaky gut” – and how do I know if mine is actually leaking? (Eww!)

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What to do About a Leaky Gut

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What to do About a Leaky Gut

What to do About a Leaky Gut

Leaky gut is also known as increased intestinal permeability. It's when the cells lining our intestines (gut) separate a bit from each other. They're supposed to be nice and tightly joined to the cell beside it; this is to allow certain things into our bodies (like nutrients), and keep other things out.

When the tight junctions between intestinal cells weaken it can cause the gut to be more permeable - leakier - than normal. When this happens, it allows things into our bodies that should not get in; things like large pieces of protein, toxins, or even bacteria and waste.

When substances that shouldn't be there, get into our bloodstream through the "leaks" in our gut, our immune system kicks in. These leaked bits mimic a food allergy, and our body reacts accordingly. It mounts a response to try to attack the invaders, and this causes inflammation.

Leaky gut is associated with a number of issues including food allergies, celiac disease, autoimmune diseases (e.g., Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Hashimoto's, asthma, type 1 diabetes, acne, eczema), joint pain, and neurological problems (e.g., multiple sclerosis). Some research shows that leaky gut might contribute to or worsen these conditions.

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How To Improve Your Gut Health

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How To Improve Your Gut Health

How To Improve Your Gut Health

Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.”

And while this may not be 100% true for every disease in every person, more and more research shows that our gut (digestive system) has a bigger role in many diseases than we used to think. And we're not just talking about heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, IBD, etc. We're talking about all kinds of issues like allergies, pain, mood disorders, and nutrient deficiencies.

There are a lot of reasons for this.