Milly Gaines
Leaky gut syndrome, also known as intestinal permeability, is a condition that affects the integrity of the gut lining, allowing compounds to enter the bloodstream that shouldn't. Dr. Axe's diet plan for leaky gut focuses on removing foods and factors that damage the gut, such as sugar, grains, conventional meat, conventional dairy, GMO foods, and processed foods. He recommends a diet rich in bone broth, raw cultured dairy, fermented foods, fruits, vegetables, and high-quality meat, fish, and poultry. In addition to dietary changes, Dr. Axe suggests taking supplements like probiotics, L-glutamine, and licorice root to support gut health and repair leaky gut.
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What You'll Learn
- Include fermented foods, bone broth, coconut, fruits, vegetables, and high-quality meat, fish, and poultry
- Avoid sugar, grains, conventional meat, conventional dairy, and GMO foods
- Take supplements like probiotics, digestive enzymes, and L-glutamine
- Reduce salt, alcohol, and gluten intake
- Eat cooked vegetables, chicken broth, and bone broth protein
Include fermented foods, bone broth, coconut, fruits, vegetables, and high-quality meat, fish, and poultry
Dr. Axe recommends including fermented foods, bone broth, coconut, fruits, vegetables, and high-quality meat, fish, and poultry in your diet to help heal leaky gut syndrome.
Fermented foods such as vegetables and dairy products like pastured kefir, yogurt, amasai, butter, and raw cheese are some of the healthiest probiotic foods that can help heal the gut. Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acids that support gut health.
Bone broth is another key component of the leaky gut diet. It contains collagen, proline, and glycine, which help heal damaged cell walls and repair the gut lining. Dr. Axe suggests that his patients do a bone broth fast for three days to help treat leaky gut.
The diet also includes high-quality meat, fish, and poultry, as well as coconut and fruits. It is important to prioritize cooked vegetables over raw ones, as they are easier to digest for those with leaky gut syndrome. Vegetables provide essential nutrients and support overall health.
In addition to these foods, Dr. Axe emphasizes the importance of taking supplements like high-quality probiotics, L-glutamine, and licorice root to support gut healing and reduce inflammation. He also recommends reducing or removing certain foods that can trigger leaky gut, such as sugar, grains, conventional meat, conventional dairy, and GMO foods.
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Avoid sugar, grains, conventional meat, conventional dairy, and GMO foods
Dr. Axe's leaky gut diet focuses on removing foods and factors that damage the gut. The top foods to remove that cause leaky gut are sugar, grains, conventional meat, conventional dairy, and GMO foods.
Sugar
Sugar is one of the most common components of food that can damage the intestinal lining. Eating sugar in large amounts can wreak havoc on your digestive system. It can feed the growth of yeast, candida, and bad bacteria, which further damages your gut. Bad bacteria create toxins called exotoxins that damage healthy cells and can eat holes into your intestinal wall. Sugar is also linked to higher levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which increase inflammation and can further exacerbate leaky gut.
Grains
Unsprouted grains, especially those containing gluten, are problematic for those with leaky gut syndrome. This includes wheat, rye, and barley. The issue with unsprouted grains is that they contain large amounts of antinutrients or nutrient blockers called phytates and lectins. Lectins are fine in small amounts, but large amounts can be harmful. Lectins are found in many foods, including wheat, rice, spelt, and soy. Sprouting and fermenting grains reduces phytates and lectins, making them easier to digest. Once the gut is healthy, some grains can be added back into the diet occasionally.
Conventional Meat
Meat glue, or microbial transglutaminase, is an enzyme often used to improve the texture of meat and hold proteins together. It is considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but other studies suggest otherwise. It is found in imitation crab meat, fish balls, and to improve the texture of meats like ham and surimi. It is also used to form smaller cuts of meat and poultry into larger servings. Meat glue has been linked to increased gut permeability when immune cells are exposed to gliadin, a class of proteins in wheat and a component of gluten.
Conventional Dairy
Conventional cow's milk is another food that can cause leaky gut. The protein A1 casein in dairy can harm the gut. Additionally, the pasteurization process destroys vital enzymes, making sugars like lactose very difficult to digest.
GMO Foods
GMO and hybridized foods tend to be the highest in lectins since they have been modified to fight off bugs. Lectins can damage the gut in large amounts.
In addition to these foods, Dr. Axe's leaky gut diet also emphasizes the importance of reducing processed foods, refined oils, gluten, and foods high in lectins. Taking supplements, such as probiotics, enzymes, collagen, and fiber, can also support gut health and healing.
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Take supplements like probiotics, digestive enzymes, and L-glutamine
Dr. Axe recommends taking supplements like probiotics, digestive enzymes, and L-glutamine to support gut health and comfort, healthy digestive function, and immune system support.
Probiotics are considered essential for gut health, especially for those with signs of a leaky gut. Probiotics help repair the gut and support the growth of beneficial bacteria. The recommended daily intake is 2-4 capsules of high-quality probiotic capsules. It is important to note that without fiber, probiotics cannot live, so a diet rich in high-fiber foods like sprouted chia seeds, sprouted flax seeds, and sprouted hemp seeds is crucial. If you have a severe leaky gut, you may need to start with steamed vegetables and fruits.
Digestive enzymes can also be beneficial for those with leaky gut syndrome. These enzymes aid in the digestion of food and help reduce the burden on the digestive system.
L-glutamine is an essential amino acid with anti-inflammatory properties that can repair the gut and intestinal lining. It serves as fuel for the cells lining the intestines, keeping them healthy. Additionally, stress can deplete glutamine levels, so supplementing with L-glutamine is recommended to support gut health.
Other recommended supplements by Dr. Axe include licorice root, collagen, and bone broth protein. It is always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplements or dietary changes to ensure they are safe and suitable for your individual needs.
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Reduce salt, alcohol, and gluten intake
Leaky gut syndrome is a condition that affects the integrity of the gut lining, which normally serves as a barrier for the intestines. The condition is also called "intestinal permeability", and it occurs when the gut wall becomes damaged, allowing compounds that would normally be filtered out to enter and be absorbed into the bloodstream. For example, partially digested proteins and fats may seep through the intestinal lining, triggering an allergic response.
To repair a leaky gut, it is important to reduce salt, alcohol, and gluten intake. Firstly, excessive alcohol intake may increase intestinal permeability by interacting with certain proteins. Therefore, limiting alcohol intake can help to improve gut health.
Secondly, gluten can damage the gut in a similar way to Candida, which is a systemic overgrowth that can be treated and healed. Gluten-containing grains include barley, rye, bulgur, seitan, triticale, and oats. Some people with digestive health problems may also be sensitive to gluten, which can irritate their symptoms. Wheat, for example, may trigger gastrointestinal symptoms in people who are gluten-sensitive. Therefore, it is important to avoid gluten-containing grains and wheat products to help repair a leaky gut.
Thirdly, reducing salt intake is important for those with hypertension, who need to limit their salt intake to 1,500 mg to 2,300 mg. In addition, a diet high in salt, sugar, gluten, alcohol, and emulsifiers can contribute to intestinal hyperpermeability. Emulsifiers are food additives used to mix substances that would normally separate, and they are found in many processed food products, including bread, baked goods, ice cream, margarine, and salad dressings. Therefore, reducing salt intake, along with sugar, gluten, alcohol, and emulsifiers, can help to repair a leaky gut.
In addition to reducing salt, alcohol, and gluten intake, it is important to eat foods that promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria, including fruits, cultured dairy products, healthy fats, lean meats, and fibrous and fermented vegetables. Bone broth, meat and vegetable stocks, or fresh vegetable juices are also recommended, as they are nutrient-dense and gentle on the gut. Taking supplements such as L-glutamine and probiotics can also help to repair the gut and intestinal lining.
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Eat cooked vegetables, chicken broth, and bone broth protein
Dr Axe recommends a leaky gut diet that contains foods that support healing because they are easy to digest and can help repair the lining of the intestines.
One of the recommended foods is bone broth, which contains collagen and the amino acids proline and glycine, which can help heal damaged cell walls. Bone broth is also rich in natural collagen, minerals, and glycine. It is sourced from beef or chicken bones and is reported to boost gut health and fight against leaky gut. A 2021 mouse study concluded that the amino acids in bone broth have anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce damage to the gut due to ulcerative colitis.
Bone broth can be consumed in liquid form, or in capsule form, or as a protein powder. It can be added to a smoothie or a sports drink. If you don't like the taste, you can use it as the base for soups, stews, sauces, and gravies.
Another recommended food is vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, which offer richer sources of collagen building blocks and provide nutrients not found in sufficient quantities in meats or broth. Fermented vegetables are some of the healthiest probiotic foods.
Chicken broth is also a good option for gut health. It is often recommended for skin health.
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Frequently asked questions
Leaky gut syndrome, also known as intestinal permeability, is a condition where undigested proteins, toxins, and microbes can pass into the bloodstream. This occurs when the gut wall becomes damaged, allowing compounds to enter and be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Leaky gut syndrome can lead to food allergies, fatigue, joint pain, thyroid disease, and autoimmune conditions. One of the biggest warning signs is experiencing multiple food sensitivities.
Foods that can damage the intestinal lining include un-sprouted grains, sugar, GMOs, and conventional dairy. Alcohol and its metabolites can also impair the junction barriers that prevent leaky gut.
Dr. Axe recommends a diet that includes bone broth, raw cultured dairy, fermented foods, fruits, vegetables, and high-quality meat, fish, and poultry.
Dr. Axe emphasizes the importance of taking a high-quality probiotic supplement, as well as ensuring adequate fiber intake to support the probiotics. He also mentions the benefits of L-glutamine, an essential amino acid that can help repair the gut and intestinal lining.
