The gut is the gateway to health. If your gut is healthy, chances are that you're in good health.

However, there's a condition

called leaky gut that can lead to a host of health problems.

What is a leaky gut?

The gut is naturally permeable to very small molecules in order to absorb these vital nutrients. In fact, regulating intestinal
permeability is one of the basic functions of the cells that line the intestinal wall. In sensitive people, gluten can cause the gut
cells to release zonulin, a protein that can break apart tight junctions in the intestinal lining. Other factors such as
infections, toxins, stress and age can also cause these tight junctions to break apart.

Once these tight junctions get broken apart, you have a leaky gut. When your gut is leaky, things like toxins, microbes,
undigested food particles, and more can escape from your intestines and travel throughout your body via your bloodstream.
Your immune system marks these "foreign invaders" as pathogens and attacks them. The immune response to these
invaders can appear in the form of any of the nine signs you have a leaky gut, which are listed below.

What causes leaky gut?

The main culprits are foods, infections, and toxins. Gluten is the number one cause of leaky gut. Other inflammatory foods
like dairy or toxic foods, such sugar and excessive alcohol, are suspected as well. The most common infectious causes are
candida overgrowth, intestinal parasites, and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Toxins come in the form of
medications, like Motrin, Advil, steroids, antibiotics, and acid-reducing drugs, and environmental toxins like mercury,
pesticides and BPA from plastics. Stress and age also contribute to a leaky gut.

if you suffer from any of the following conditions, its likely that you have a leaky gut:

9 Signs You Have a Leaky Gut

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

2. Seasonal allergies or asthma.

3. Hormonal imbalances such as PMS or PCOS.

4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimotos thyroiditis, lupus, psoriasis, or celiac
disease.

5. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia.

6. Mood and mind issues such as depression, anxiety, ADD or ADHD.

7. Skin issues such as acne, rosacea, or eczema.

8. Diagnosis of candida overgrowth.

9. Food allergies or food intolerances.

How do you heal a leaky gut?

In my practice, I have all of my patients follow The Myers Way comprehensive elimination diet, which removes the toxic and
inflammatory foods for a certain period of time. In addition, I have them follow a 4R program to heal their gut. The 4R
program is as follows.

1. Remove.

Remove the bad. The goal is to get rid of things that negatively affect the environment of the GI tract, such as inflammatory
and toxic foods, and intestinal infections.
2. Replace.

Replace the good. Add back the essential ingredients for proper digestion and absorption, such as digestive enzymes,
hydrochloric acid and bile acids.

3. Reinoculate.

Its critical to restore beneficial bacteria to reestablish a healthy balance of good bacteria.

4. Repair.

Its essential to provide the nutrients necessary to help the gut repair itself. One of my favorite supplements is L-glutamine,
an amino acid that helps to rejuvenate the lining of the gut wall.

If you still have symptoms after following the above recommendations, I would recommend finding a Functional Medicine
physician in your area to work with you and to order a comprehensive stool test.

And if you're interested in learning more about how you can effectively reset your system to help heal your gut, check out our
detox course: Master The Art Of Detoxing: A 14-Day Plan To Feel Good Again.

Have you been suffering from a gluten intolerance, leaky gut, candida overgrowth, parasites, or something similar? Are you
trying to repair the havoc wreaked on your gut?

While the first step in this healing process is unquestionably to change your dietary habits in order to stop any further
damage to your gut. Taking the following eight supplements can be very beneficial in aiding in and speeding up the recovery
process of healing of a leaky gut.

1. Probiotics

Our gut is full of goodand friendly bacteria that help us properly break down and digest our food. They help keep our gut in
check and prevent bad bacteria from overgrowth. Unfortunately, these friendly bacteria can be depleted and disrupted by
taking antibiotics, steroids, acid-blocking medications, eating a poor diet, and many other factors. Taking a highly
concentrated dose (25-100 billion units a day) of probiotics on a daily basis can help you regain a healthy balance of bacteria
in your gut.

2. L-Glutamine

L-Glutamine is an amino acid that is fundamental to the well-being of the digestive and immune systems. Glutamine is great
for repairing damage to the gut, helping the gut lining to regrow and repair, undoing the damage caused by leaky gut, and
reducing sugar cravings. I recommend 3-5 grams a day.

3. Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are plant or microbial-based supplements that support the breakdown, absorption, and utilization of
macronutrients. Taken with meals, they work with the bodys own reduced supply of enzymes to achieve maximum digestion
and support intestinal repair mechanisms.

4. Betaine Hydrochloric Acid (HCL)

Betaine hydrochloride (HCL) promotes optimal gastric acidity for support of protein digestion and absorption of minerals and
other nutrients such as vitamin B12. There is simple at home test you can do to see if you have low stomach acid and are in
need of HCL replacement. Begin to eat a meal and of the way into your meal take 650 mg of HCL and then finish your
meal. If you experience heartburn, you have sufficient levels of HCL. If you do not experience any burning sensation in your
upper abdomen, then you likely would benefit from HCL at each meal.

5. Slippery Elm

It might have kind of a strange name, but slippery elm has been used as an effective gut healer for centuries in the United
States. This supplement both contains mucilage and stimulates nerve endings in the bodys intestinal tract to increase
natural mucus secretion, which is an instrumental part of the stomachs protective lining and helps combat ulcers and
excessive acidity in the digestive system. It also contains important antioxidants that help relieve inflammatory bowel
symptoms.

6. Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)

DGL is an herb that has been used for over 3,000 years in the treatment of digestive issues including ulcers and indigestion.
It's made from whole licorice, but the manufacturing process includes the removal of glycyrrhizin, which can cause an
elevation in blood pressure. DGL supports the bodys natural processes for maintaining the mucosal lining of the stomach
and duodenum.

7. Marshmallow Root

Marshmallow root is a multipurpose supplement that can be used for respiratory or digestive relief. Like slippery elm, it
contains a high mucilage content. It eases the inflammation in the stomach lining, heals ulcers, and treats both diarrhea and
constipation by creating a protective lining on the digestive tract.

8. Caprylic Acid

Caprylic acid, also known as octanoic acid, is a naturally occurring fatty acid that comes from coconut oil. Calcium and
magnesium caprylates act as buffers, and may also help slow the dispersion and release of caprylic acid to support its
activity throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Caprylic acid is known for its antiviral and antifungal activity. For those who feel
that you may be suffering from Candida or yeast overgrowth this is a safe, effective and natural way to treat Candida.

I frequently get asked how long it will take to heal a leaky gut. That of course varies from person to person and depends on
how the gut became leaky in the first place. Typically, I find that when one follows my 4R Program for healing a leaky gut and
adds in the above supplements, it should be about a three-month process.