What is leaky gut
Q: I don’t have diabetes, but I’m having trouble getting my glucose levels to go low and stay low. My doctor suggested that I might have leaky gut, and I should make dietary changes to improve the situation. What is leaky gut, and what does it have to do with glucose levels? -- Greg T., Salt Lake City
A: Stabilizing your glucose levels takes a multi-pronged approach that combines exercise, quality sleep, smart nutritional choices and perhaps medications. But if you are doing all or some of that and not having much luck, it may help to take steps to ease leaky gut.
Leaky gut is caused when the lining of your intestines is no longer able to prevent certain toxins -- from the foods you eat, your natural gut bacteria and environmental pollutants, such as emulsifiers, organic solvents, nanoparticles and microbial transglutaminase -- from entering your bloodstream. There, they cause inflammation and can disrupt your immune and cardiovascular system, and more.
Glucose regulation is affected because leaky gut alters intestinal production of the glucose-regulating hormone serotonin and secretion of insulin-stimulating incretin and affects how short-chain fatty acids produced in the gut aid glucose management.
Helping to make sure your intestinal lining is strong and your gut is able to regulate glucose levels effectively starts with making lifestyle changes. We have observational studies that indicate heavy alcohol use, stress and a low-fiber diet with a lot of added sugars is associated with ramping up gastrointestinal inflammation linked to leaky gut syndrome. It may also develop because you carry excess weight and are sedentary or you take certain medications that kill off important gut bacteria.
So aim for two to three servings daily of 100% whole grains and other high-fiber foods, avoid inflammationrelated added sugars and red meats and adopt a plant-centered diet. Bonus: Ask your doc about trying bovine colostrum in pill form -- a number of peer-reviewed studies show that it prevents leaky gut due to NSAID drugs and intense exercise -- maybe it’ll help here too.