Leaky Gut Syndrome: How Do Leaky Bowels Differ From Healthy Ones?
In The United States, the diet of heavily processed, unhealthy food that most of us eat can lead to bowel problems. Certain bacteria that reside in our digestive tract are beneficial and and assist in the proper digestion of food, but the typical American diet can weaken or eradicate these populations of beneficial bacteria. This results from the way that food is now processed, which among other things can cause leaky bowels.
How does this happen?
Let’s look at how the digestive process works. Our bodies begin digesting the food that we consume when it is chewed it up (mastication) and by the action of a digestive enzyme called salivary amylase that is in our saliva. In the stomach, other enzymes and HCl break the food down a bit further. From there it moves into the small intestine for another stage of digestion, and this is where the nutrients we need are absorbed. The next stage of the digestive process takes place in the large intestine (also called the colon or bowels), which reabsorbs excess water.
Normally, a mix of beneficial and harmful bacteria reside in the large intestine, and to remain healthy, your body must maintain the proper balance between these populations. The beneficial bacteria provide us with certain nutrients, help to keep the harmful bacteria in check, and assist in the digestion process. When this balance is upset by the presence of an excessive number of harmful bacteria, various health problems can result.
Unfortunately, the proper balance between harmful and beneficial bacteria can be thrown out of whack fairly easily. Stress, alcohol, processed sugar, conventionally processed foods, and drugs can all kill or inhibit the growth of beneficial bacteria. Moreover, substances that are added to modern food as preservatives or coloring can interfere with the growth of beneficial bacteria and upset the natural balance in your colon.
You can probably guess that since we take antibiotics to treat or prevent bacterial infections, they can also disturb the balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria in the colon. Antibiotics can kill both the harmful and beneficial bacteria, which sometimes leads to an imbalance of the two that favors the harmful ones. This can lead to inflammation or irritation that in turn can cause or aggravate leaky gut syndrome.
This inflammation of the intestinal lining can interfere with the colon’s ability to perform its function properly, allowing the lining to ‘leak’ undigested food residue, toxins, and other substances into the blood stream. The body responds to these leaked substances as invaders, and the bacteria now in the blood can reach any organ in the body. Many uncomfortable symptoms can result from leaky bowels, including cramps, gas, constipation, indigestion, heartburn, and pain.
The good news is that the natural balance of harmful and beneficial bacteria can be restored. You’ve probably heard of probiotics supplements, and these are nothing more than healthy bacteria that your body needs. Taking probiotics can therefore bolster the population of beneficial bacteria and crowd out the excess harmful bacteria, restoring the proper equilibrium between the two. Since a healthy colon depends upon the proper balance of bacteria in your digestive tract, restoring this balance can arrest the damage and give your body a chance to heal itself.
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