Leaky Gut Support is a proprietary herbal blend designed to provide support for loose stools and occasional diarrhea. When the mucous membranes become imbalanced, excess mucus can be produced, which may result in loose bowels. Excess mucus in the intestinal tract may also compromise intestinal absorption. Leaky Gut Support supports the body’s natural ability to pull excess water and mucus off the intestinal wall, helping to maintain optimal intestinal health and promote healthy stool formation.*
Leaky Gut Support is comprised of bael tree (bilva), slippery elm, licorice, psyllium, amla, belleric myrobalan (bibhitaki) and chebulic myrobalan (haritaki). This is a supportive formula for balancing elimination while preparing the gut flora to support a healthy microbiome.*
Suggested Use: Take 1 capsule in the AM and PM without food, or as directed by your health care professional.
Bottle Contains: 90 vegetarian capsules, 500 mg each
Ingredients: Wildcrafted Aegle marmelos (Bael Tree Fruit). Organic Ulmus rubra (Slippery Elm Bark), Organic Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice Root), Organic Plantago ovata (Psyllium Seed Husks, Organic Phyllanthus emblica (Amla Fruit), Organic Terminalia bellerica (Belleric Myrobalan Fruit), Organic Terminalia chebula (Chebulic Myrobalan Fruit)
(Go to Ayurvedic Herbal Makeup)
Does not contain: Yeast, gluten, corn, soy, milk, fish, animal products, binders, fillers, preservatives or artificial coloring.
Kosher Certified: No animal derivatives
The Science
There is strong evidence to suggest that psychological stress has marked impact on gastrointestinal health and digestion. Stress is processed through the intestinal tract where 95 percent of the body’s serotonin and other neurotransmitters are manufactured and stored –leaving only 5 percent of the body’s serotonin in the brain at any given time. (1) Over-stimulation of the intestinal epithelium or “skin” can alter the gut microbiology and send stress signals to the brain via the gut-brain access. (2)
Once the brain gets the message that there is an emergency brewing—it sends this stressed message to every cell in the body and, in particular, back to the gut, where more stress, intestinal discomfort, and altered microbiology ensues. (2)
For optimal intestinal health, one must take a comprehensive approach that includes:
- Stress prevention techniques
- Protecting the gut and nervous system from the effects of day-to-day stress
- Supporting the intestinal skin
- Rebooting beneficial microbiology
Intestinal Imbalances
I have described the balance of the intestinal skin as in the story, “The Three Little Bears.” The skin or lining of the intestinal tract cannot be too dry, it cannot be too wet — it has to be just right.
If it is too dry as a result of stress, which is processed through the intestinal tract (3), the elimination can slow down and you may experience bouts of constipation. (4, 5) The body may also overcompensate for this stress-induced dryness by producing reactive mucus in the intestines. This can alter the function of the intestinal skin, blocking the absorption of water, disturbing the function of digestive enzymes and bile – all of which can produce bouts of diarrhea. (5)
Either way, whether the stools are too loose or too dry, the health and function of the intestinal tract and its good bugs will be compromised. (5) Toxins can then default back into the portal circulation in route to the liver. Here, the liver can become congested and the bile flow compromised. Bile is actually one of the main drivers of healthy elimination. If the bile becomes congested, a host of digestive imbalances can ensue. (6)
Loose Stools
The production of intestinal mucus that can cause a looser stool and abdominal discomfort is often characteristic of a Pitta or Kapha imbalance in the lower digestion. This is commonly triggered by overworking or pushing the body too hard.
Kapha intestines are marked by a slow, boggy digestive system. If this body type becomes stressed, it is also processed through the intestinal skin where there is a natural predisposition to produce excessive reactive mucus. This can result in seeing mucus in a looser stool with digestive congestion. If not addressed quickly, this can begin to prevent the intestines and microbes from assimilating the needed nutrients and detoxifying effectively through the intestinal wall. To support a kapha-based intestinal tract we have to pull the mucus off the wall of the intestines and de-congest the intestinal tract.
Bael Tree Fruit
Bael Tree fruit (Aegle marmelos), also known as Bilva, has been used in Ayurveda for millennia to balance and flush mucus in the digestive system, in part due to it’s astringent, absorbent, light, dry and bitter qualities. Bilva supports the formation of healthy stools by helping to soothe and protect the intestinal mucosa and intestinal lining, particularly in the colon and the stomach.
Traditionally, bilva has been used in Ayurveda to support digestion in the case of abdominal discomfort, weak digestive fire, toxicity in the colon, loose stools, occasional diarrhea and excess heat, or kapha, in the bowels.
Bilva has been shown in studies to:
- support the body’s natural ability to regulate intestinal motility and support the formation of healthy stools. (7, 8)
- help manage loose stools, occasional diarrhea and balance reactive mucus in the stools. (9)
- boost the proliferation of helpful intestinal bacteria and support healthy intestinal function and balanced intestinal mucosa. (10)
Triphala
Leaky Gut Support includes triphala, which is a combination of three Ayurvedic fruits: amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki.The first step in supporting healthy elimination is to tone the bowel muscles and lubricate the intestinal villi and gut wall. Triphala (also spelled trifala) is a classic Ayurvedic formula that consists of three fruits which help safely and effectively address loose stools and occasional diarrhea (11):
- Haritaki tones the muscular wall of the gut.
- Amalaki supports the health of the intestinal skin and villi.
- Bibhitaki boosts the removal of mucus and toxins from the wall of the gut.
General Disclaimer:
Warning: Keep out of reach of children. Not intended for use by pregnant women. Store in a cool, dry place.
Important Note: Most cases of loose stools or occasional diarrhea are nothing more than a brief inconvenience. But if they persist or are accompanied by other symptoms, they may be signs of a more serious condition. If you have it for more than 3 days, make an appointment with your primary care physician. Call your doctor right away if you have:
- Severe abdominal or rectal pain
- Blood in your stool
- Black, tarry stools
- High fever (greater than 101.3 F)
- Signs of dehydration
Ayurvedic Herbal Makeup
| Bael Tree | Slippery Elm | Licorice | Psyllium Seed | Amla | Belleric Myrobalan | Chebulic Myrobalan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin Name | Aegle marmelos | Ulmus rubra | Glycyrrhiza glabra | Plantago ovata | Phyllanthus emblica | Terminalia bellirica | Terminalia chebula |
| Also Known As | Bilva, Bili, Bhel, Bengal Quince, Golden Apple, Japanese Bitter Orange | Red Elm, Gray Elm, Soft Elm, Moose Elm, Indian Elm | Gan Cao, Yashtimadhu, Honey-Stick | Snigdhajira | Amalaki, Dhatri, Indian Gooseberry | Bibhitaki, Bahera, Beleric, Vibhitaka, Aksha | Haritaki, He Zi, Black Myrobalan |
| Part Used | Fruit | Bark | Root | Husks | Fruit | Fruit | Fruit |
| Taste (Rasa) | astringent, sweet | sweet | sweet, bitter | sweet, astringent | astringent, bitter, pungent, sweet, sour | astringent, bitter, pungent, sweet, sour | astringent |
| Energy (Virya) | cooling | cooling | cooling | cooling | cooling | heating | heating |
| Quality (Guna) | light | heavy | cooling, oily, heavy | oily, heavy | light, dry | light, dry | light, dry |
| Post-digestive quality (Vipaka) | sweet | sweet | sweet, bitter | sweet, astringent | sweet | sweet | sweet |
| Constitution Effect (Dosha) | Decreases Kapha, increases Vata | Decreases Vata and Pitta, can increase Kapha if taken in excess. | Decreases Vata and Pitta, can increase Kapha if taken in excess. | Decreases Vata and Pitta, can increase Kapha if taken in excess. | Decreases Vata and Pitta, can increase Kapha and Ama (toxins) if taken in excess. | Decreases Kapha and Pitta, can increase Vata if taken in excess. | Balances all Doshas. |
| Tissue (Dhatu) | plasma, blood, fat, nerve | plasma | all tissues | plasma, blood | all tissues, increases Ojas | plasma, muscle, bone | all tissues |
| Systems (Srotas) | digestive, excretory, nervous | respiratory, digestive | digestive, respiratory, nervous, reproductive, excretory | excretory, digestive | circulatory, digestive, excretory | respiratory, digestive, excretory, nervous | digestive, excretory, nervous, respiratory |
References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3921083/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4202343/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10418549
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4017427/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19696192
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18788050
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480795/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2788518/
9. https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84920999204&origin=inward&txGid=b5b9bff5541f9c4dea7f596fe0b60be0
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4615325/
11. https://www.bioline.org.br/abstract?id=pt06008
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