What causes leaky gut?

In the Tang Dynasty, people pursued fatness as beauty, and beauties were all plump and round; in modern society, people pursue thinness as beauty, or "skinny" beauty. A4 waist, chopstick legs, butterfly ribs, dimples on the waist, everything is built on the basis of thinness. This is a difficult thing for people with leaky gut. Leaky gut syndrome makes it difficult for people to gain weight, but it also makes it difficult for people to lose weight. What causes leaky gut?

The following factors may contribute to leaky gut:

1. Immature intestinal development

Since the infant's intestines are not yet fully developed, most modern people use cow's milk instead of breast milk. The molecules of cow's milk protein are large, which is not only difficult for infants to digest, but also easily irritates the intestines, causing damage to the intestinal mucosa and increasing intestinal permeability. Therefore, it is recommended that infants drink breast milk or consume formula milk in which the protein has been partially hydrolyzed.

If the intestines are damaged since childhood, the absorption of food nutrients will naturally be poor. In addition, the intestines will breed bad bacteria due to infection, unbalanced diet, and poor bowel movements, resulting in poor decomposition of intestinal contents and an increase in internal and external toxins. This will lead to many physical problems, such as arthritis and myometrial pain, dermatitis, otitis media, gastroenteritis, flatulence, ADHD, autism, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases and chronic diseases.

In addition, bad bacteria grow in the intestines due to poor bowel movements, and improper diet leads to poor decomposition of intestinal contents and increased toxins, causing inflammation of the intestinal mucosa or too slow or too fast peristalsis, and intestinal bloating or diarrhea follows.

2. Various toxin damage

The misuse of antibiotics is an important factor causing intestinal damage. Antibiotics can make the digestive system a very "cold" environment, causing the spleen's yang energy to be completely lost, destroying the harmony between the spleen and stomach, and further damaging the digestion and absorption of food and liquids. Other factors such as alcohol, coffee, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cancer cytotoxic drugs, and radiation therapy will affect the permeability of the small intestine and cause leaky gut.

3. Internal factors of the body

When the intestines are damaged, symptoms such as inflammation, indigestion and food allergies are likely to occur. If nutrition cannot be provided to repair the inflamed intestinal wall, allergic reactions or even overreactions may occur after food enters the intestines, resulting in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, only by repairing the intestines first can you have a healthy body.

4. Intestinal infection

Infections by protozoan pests, mold, salmonella, or excessive growth of non-pathogenic bacteria, or insufficient growth of good bacteria in the intestines such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, will all damage intestinal health and cause increased intestinal permeability. If the body also develops inflammatory bowel disease, indigestion or food allergies, a tangled vicious cycle will occur.

The intestinal mucosa is a protective shield for the immune function, just like the oil that protects the surface of the skin. Once damaged, the first thing that will be affected is the secretion of immunoglobulins. In this way, bacteria, viruses, chemicals, parasites, and fungi will swarm in and cause damage to the body.

Generally speaking, a healthy intestine will properly absorb digested nutrients. Once the intestine is damaged, nutrients, including toxins, will leak into the intestinal capillaries before they are completely digested. In addition, when epithelial cells come into contact with "foreign visitors", it will cause an inflammatory effect, which will cause greater damage to the epithelial cells.

One of the factors that affect intestinal health is the ratio of beneficial bacteria to parasitic bacteria. When good bacteria outnumber bad bacteria, the intestine is in an acidic environment, forming an "intestinal wall barrier" structure, which can prevent allergens and pathogens from penetrating the intestinal wall and entering the blood. On the contrary, if bad bacteria dominate the intestines, the body will inevitably suffer from a variety of diseases. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are probiotics in the intestines. If the human body lacks these bacteria, the intestinal environment can be rebuilt by supplementing with probiotics, thereby strengthening the intestines.

For the body, it is a waste of money to fix the problem after it has happened. Therefore, it is best to prevent it from happening. You may wish to take care of your intestines in the following ways:

1. Maintain dietary diversity.

2. Develop the habit of drinking plenty of water, because water is the best solvent, which can promote circulation in the body and quickly excrete toxins.

3. Take in enough dietary fiber, which can promote the growth of probiotics.

4. Maintain good living habits, do not stay up late, exercise more, maintain a happy body and mind, and quit smoking and drinking.

5. Eat less processed food to avoid allergens.

6. Develop good bowel habits.