I found out by way of diagnosis with an autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis) that I had intestinal hyperpermeability (i.e. "leaky gut") My holistic physician and a book she recommended by Dr. Isabella Wentz on Hashimoto's told me that is one of the conditions that is almost always required to be present for autoimmunity to develop, or else it results from the condition. This was a surprise to me, because the only GI signs I had were a months history of gradual onset acid reflux (which I had never had before) and what I decided were early onset of low stomach acid and new slight lactose intolerance, so I never would have known otherwise. To treat the reflux which I saw as a symptom of the leaky gut I used prilosec at high doses as a very temporary measure to get a handle on things until I got my leaky gut headed in the right direction. I did this first with high dose probiotics (Hyperbiotics PRO-15 regular "pearls") three times a day for a month, and added digestive enzymes including gluten-digest and dairy-digest also (all NOW brand). Then I added Nature's Way licorice 1 capsule three times a day with meals and NOW Aloe Vera gel caps 2 gels three times a day with meals along with L-Glutamine (Jarrow) 2 tablet three times a day to address the leaky gut further, and I noticed after 2-3 weeks of this combination a definite improvement in how my GI tract overall felt, and noticed I was better absorbing my food and my vitamins, minerals, and other supplements.
Another useful hint I used D-limonene (Jarrow) to stop my acid reflux almost completely taking just one soft gel a day and tapered off the prilosec completely within 1-2 weeks. After that the other changes I made to help my intestines, especially the Licorice and the Aloe, also kept the acid reflux under control. The last thing I got brave enough to try was Betaine Hcl with Pepsin (NOW brand) to correct for low stomach acid, another common cause of acid reflux and maldigestion and malabsorption as well as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which I strongly suspected I had had due to my rapid response to only the high dose probiotics in the beginning. It takes me anywhere from 1-3 capsules of Betaine Hcl with Pepsin to appropriately digest a small to large meal or even a snack, depending on how much protein there is, but the extra acid definitely helps, believe it or not.
I do believe the Licorice, the Aloe Vera, and the L-Glutamine have been an essential part in beginning to heal my leaky gut. I did add NOW Slippery Elm as well when I had few episodes of reflux again for additional support, at one capsuIe three times daily with meals. Whenever things seemed a little worse, I increased the dose to two capsules three times daily. I have not changed my diet except to try to eat as healthy as possible, since I have not noticed any obvious adverse reactions that correlated with my symptoms. If I have to I will, but given how much better I feel in my GI tract, I find it hard to believe that I have a serious food intolerance problem as of yet.. I do think the Licorice, the Aloe Vera, and L-Glutamine , and now the addition of the Slippery Elm, have formed the core of my treatment of my intestinal hyperpermeability, even without much in the way of diet changes, and they are more integral to my healing than I thought at first. I am still taking all the supplements I have mentioned during this narrative, along with many others, but I just had no idea how essential the direct healing herbals were going to be for my intestines. At first I was going to take those first three for a month or two, expected to notice no difference and so then planned to stop, having done my due dillegence. Now, although I don't plan to be on them forever, I fully expect it to be a number of months minimum that I am on this regimen, until I feel my "leaky gut" has healed, which is a slow process..
I highly recommend this product and some form of this regimen to anyone who is attempting to treat their own situation with intestinal hyperpermeability,or "leaky gut", or anyone who thinks they "just" have GERD or IBS or Celiac or any other intestinal disorder. Just be aware that your problems may run deeper than you think, don't expect just one magical supplement to heal you, and don't give up until you have done what it takes to feel better. It was noticing the distinct effects of the L-Glutamine especially that to me confirmed the "leaky gut" hypothesis/diagnosis and I was surprised how much it helped, with myself having such few overt GI symptoms initially. L-Glutamine is an amino acid that directly nourishes GI enterocytes, the cells lining the intestinal tract, and helps them heal the" tight junctions" they are supposed to have to prevent "leakiness," where antigens and food and bacterial particles become exposed to the systemic circulation.
After adding the L-glutamine, I could actually feel the difference and noticed that I was better absorbing nutrients and the other supplements I was taking.
Licorice root will also help with adrenal fatigue, another common underlying problem, and one I suspect I also have, as well as with anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic effects in the GI tract. These effects are also why I chose Licorice root to do double duty, although DGL licorice does not have these effects (Nature's Way Licorice Root is not DGL). Finally, if you do have a simple case of intestinal upset and/or acid reflux, Licorice (DGL) on its own or in combination with others like the Slippery Elm (NOW) and Marshmallow Root (Nature's Way) may be all that you need to take care of the problem, especially mild IBS and GERD. I simply wanted to share all the supplements I have used and my disease process for those without the luck of having a simple problem., in case the information is helpful. And don't forget even I didn't know I didn't have a simple problem until my holistic doctor told me about "leaky gut", so always dig deeper for what may be the root cause of a seemingly simple problem. Take it seriously if you think you have "leaky gut" - it usually takes multiple dietary interventions and months to years to heal, and causes severe systemic inflammation and sometimes eventually auto immune conditions. I fully intend to take most of the supplements I am on for GI healing, at the core the strong, high quality probiotics, broad spectrum digestive enzymes, Betaine Hcl with Pepsin, Licorice root, Aloe Vera gel, Slippery Elm, and L-Glutamine for many months at least, but even though things aren't perfect, Luckily, I can already see signs of healing taking place, and I will take changing my diet further seriously if I have to, but so far so good.
NOW has always been a reliable and top quality brand that I have trusted, and the Slippery Elm I have found to be no exception. It is clear how much I trust NOW brand from the fact that about half of these supplements I have mentioned are made by them, including the Aloe, the Betaine Hcl, and the digestive enzymes, all of which have been essential parts to my healing process. Slippery Elm is highly recommended for any situation where there is GI irritation whatever the cause, especially when acid reflux is a component, even if the situation is different from mine. Basically, it coats the GI tract allowing for both soothing and healing of almost any condition, with few to no side effects.. Some use it to get through a rough patch, like I was at first, and some use it for long term, which is what I am going to do from here on out. I will continue to purchase and use the slippery elm from NOW, along with many other NOW products, for the forseeable future. Highly recommended.!
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