The possibility of a link between so-called leaky gut and vitiligo may seem unlikely at first glance. But read on for an explanation of the logic behind this theory.
In a normal, healthy digestive system food breaks down thoroughly. Specifically, it breaks down into amino acids, essential fatty acids, glycerol and simple sugars. Any undigested food stays in the gut until eliminated in the normal way. But the small digested molecules pass through the gut wall into the blood stream. They then reach the liver, where they are processed.
In someone with leaky gut syndrome, however, larger food particles get absorbed before they have been properly digested. And they actually get into the blood stream. The immune system then flags up these large molecules as being “foreign”. It assumes they are harmful viruses or bacteria. And so it launches an immune response, which causes inflammation in the gut, and often elsewhere in the body too.
Inflammation is at the heart of a whole host of diseases and a bewildering array of symptoms. It can cause chronic allergy and lead to a range of auto-immune conditions… Including vitiligo, bowel diseases, arthritis, skin rashes, eczema, psoriasis, food allergies, IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis, pancreatitis, and more. (For more information on this, see the Vitiligo and Autoimmunity page.)
To help to heal a leaky gut, the following steps are all common recommendations:
- cut right down on processed and sugary foods, whilst increasing your intake of vegetables and fruit;
- take a teaspoon of either l-glutamine or collagen mixed with water first thing in the morning before breakfast – this provides a kind of “sealant” the stomach, helping to stem the leak of undigested food molecules;
- identify any food sensitivities and eliminate those foods from your diet (gluten, dairy and yeast are common culprits);
- take a high-quality, high dose, broad-spectrum probiotic;
- take digestive enzymes to help you break down your food properly;
- eat little and often (this helps avoid putting your digestive system under too much strain).