Leaky gut

Leaky gut is when the, normally tight, junctions between cells that line the intestine start to starve and pull apart. This means that all the toxins, pathogens and everything that you are trying to excrete out in your poop, starts to leak back into the blood stream.

This in turn causes inflammation, auto immune diseases etc.

One of the best ways to help fix leaky gut is to increase your levels of butyrate, a short chain fatty acid. Butyrate is produced by our gut microbiome (our ‘heathy’ gut bacteria) and a way to increase levels of it is to eat more fibre, pre and probiotics. But also, to increase the amount you exercise, since this promotes more of the good, butyrate producing, healthy bacteria in the gut.

Butyrate also moderates inflammation. People with higher levels of butyrate are more resistant to inflammatory diseases and are less likely to suffer from allergies. Butyrate is also a circadian rhythm messenger - it ‘sets the clock’ of the liver and so also helps regulate sleep patterns.

One of my usual takeaways with this one: try to move your body every day + eat more fibre!!