How to Heal Your Gut

There is a lot of talk going around about leaky gut, intestinal impermeability, digestive disorders, food allergy symptoms and what the modern diet is doing to your GI tract. It can be overwhelming to find all the information you need about your symptoms, possible autoimmune conditions created from the gut and physical pains and illnesses that are caused from inflammation and poor absorption of nutrients. The diets set out on the internet all vary in some way or another and require you to pinpoint what type of intestinal permeability you are experiencing, be it stress related, Candida overgrowth, immunity inflammation, gallbladder issues or gastric problems. Most of us are not doctors, so it becomes a guessing game with trial and error. This is not to say you can’t figure it out and use a moderated diet with accurate supplements to heal your body, but it will take time, work and a keen awareness of how things make you feel, how they react in your body and what symptoms are affected. And all of this work will be worth it, but in the meantime, there must be something you can do to start the healing process no matter what is causing the problem, right?

Yes! There are certain things scientists and herbalists alike agree on for all forms of gastric distress and mucosal lining issues. There’s a set of particular herbs, amino acids and chemical compounds that have all been scientifically proven to heal the gut and reset digestive performance. Each one of these can be found individually, but you will need to look for high-quality, gut-enhanced formulas with accurate dosing specifically for GI tract healing. We thought that sounded a bit complicated, so we found all of them and created one supplement to give your digestive and immune systems what they need to begin recovering now, Terra Origin Healthy Gut.

Zinc Carnosine for Healing and Bacterial Balance

Zinc and carnosine are trace elements that can be found in some foods, but when bound together, the carnosine acts as a carrier for the zinc directly to the affected areas. There is a strong antibacterial effect that has proven successful in helping to eradicate H. Pylori or Helicobacter pylori, with the use of antibiotics, from the gut. The primary benefit of zinc carnosine is its anti-inflammatory power as it travels directly to the damaged tissue and works to repair it immediately lowering the inflammation and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease IBS. It can also provide significant reprieve of ulcerative colitis pain and symptoms.

L-Glutamine for Rebuilding Gut Cells

L-Glutamine is often talked about in the world of sports to help muscles recover faster after intense workouts, and that is because of its direct effect on the growth of tissue cells. When taken in larger doses, 5-10 grams daily, it triggers a response in the stomach and intestines. This simple amino acid is the fundamental fuel needed to rebuild and produce enterocytes, the cells that make up your digestive linings. It is literally the building block of your entire GI tract! It also helps to regulate the production of intestinal mucus and Secretory Immunoglobulin A (SIgA) which fortifies mucosal immunity. Lastly, L-Glutamine can help stop food toxins from entering your bloodstream by strengthening the intestinal tight junctions which regulate what passes through the digestive lining and into the body.

N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine for Rebuilding the Mucus Barriers

N-acetylglucosamine, NAG, is a chemical that comes from the outer shells of shellfish and is a derivative of glucose. It has profound impacts on gut health and has been shown to improve conditions in osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. NAG is a primary component for rebuilding the mucous membrane of the digest tract. This is key to stop the leakage of food toxins and particles into the bloodstream and seal up the gut. It can rebuild holes and heal the damage to these sensitive tissues. Studies also show that it helps rebalance the gut microbiome by encouraging the growth of good bacteria, like Bifidobacterium bifidum.

Methylsulfonylmethane for Symptoms and Allergies

Methylsulfonylmethane, MSM, is an organic sulfur compound that has long been used for joint pain and inflammation, but recently it has shown great results against leaky gut. Being a powerful anti-inflammatory, it can help reduce or eliminate inflammatory and allergic reactions to certain foods while the gut is healing. It too has been shown to help rebuild the gut lining and fortify tight junctions, reducing the leakage, and the sulfur improves overall digestion.

Herbs Play a Part as Well

There are many herbs that can help heal the digestive tract and soothe symptoms of leaky gut and digestive distress, but we have focused on four specific plants for their documented effects on improving intestinal permeability, deglycyrrhizinated licorice root (DGL), slippery elm bark powder, marshmallow root powder and aloe vera.

DGL is best known for its ability to strengthen the immune system, fight autoimmune disorders and provide anti-ulcer and anti-inflammatory compounds. It does this by stabilizing your hormones and balancing cortisol levels. This combats inflammation and adrenal fatigue.

Slippery elm and marshmallow root both contain mucilage and are excellent supporters against leaky gut. They moisten the mucous membranes and coat the stomach lining absorbing toxins and combating inflammation in the tissue. Slippery elm is also a prebiotic giving the good bacteria and your probiotics something to feed on.

The added aloe vera plant provides an essential gel that helps to heal the lining between the intestinal wall and the blood stream that can be damaged from undigested proteins.

Now you have all the supplements you need in one easy dose to start fortifying your intestinal permeability and healing the symptoms of leaky gut. As for foods you will need to experiment with the things your system can digest and use. One of the agreed on food supplements is bone broth rich in collagen to help heal the intestinal linings and glycine to improve digestion. If you don’t have the 36 – 48 hours to simmer your broth, try Terra Origin Bone Broth Protein Powder for all the benefits with less time and more flavors!