Often times bacteria and other microorganisms are thought of as being harmful to our body but the truth is that there are both good strains and bad strains of bacteria. Our digestive health depends on beneficial bacteria for several important reasons. Different strains of beneficial bacteria assist our gut in different ways. Digesting food, producing vitamins, healing damaged cells and destroying disease causing cells are all different things certain strains of bacteria do. Probiotics are said to contain a variety of microorganisms that are beneficial for our gut health, as well as, some non-gut related healing including skin care. Probiotics can be found in supplement form, as well as, in fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut.
Can They Help A Leaky Gut?
Leaky gut probiotics can definitely help a leaky gut but there is a time and place for them to be used during a course of natural leaky gut treatment. Here’s the key element that must be remembered…. If a person has a leaky gut it’s going to lead to the loss of bacteria from the gut and into the bloodstream, adding more beneficial microorganisms IS definitely important but you wouldn’t want them to simply leak out.
Leaky gut is medically known as intestinal permeability. There are various things that can be causing damage to the intestinal wall, the lining, and the tiny little junctions that hold the lining to the wall. Pharmaceutical medications,overuse of painkillers containing NSAIDs, a chronic illness, and surgical procedures in the gut region can all lead to intestinal permeability leaving cracks, gaps, and holes. Our gut houses over 50% of our immune system responders and it also keeps toxins, bacteria, and undigested food particles contained until it’s time for them to be expelled through waste. When damage is caused it leaves room for all of the toxicity to seep into the bloodstream being carried throughout the body causing drama.
Probiotics are meant to be used when the damage to the intestinal wall lining is fully repaired and the gut is no longer leaky. Probiotics can help prevent intestinal permeability but they have to be consumed before a case of leaky gut exists but when the gut is already permeable it can add to inflammation. The best course of action would be, talk with your doctor throughout the leaky gut treatment it is important to have the levels of bacteria checked out to be sure you don’t have an overgrowth. This can be done through a breath test. Once your doctor thinks your leaky gut is healed and it’s safe to introduce the beneficial microorganisms into your microbiome then you can start using probiotics to help add some healing, as well as, to keep your gut strong.
