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I’ve got the best leaky gut supplements for you today.

Do you know how much research around Leaky Gut Syndrome I did when writing The Leaky Gut Meal Plan: 4 Weeks to Detox and Improve Digestive Health?

A lot.

Like, more research than some people might want to do their whole lives.

And here’s the thing, the research part of the book was way over word count. A lot of it had to be thinned out and cut down. 

But this is okay because the book is now direct and to-the-point. I can still share everything else with you here.

The book gives you my top 6 leaky gut supplements.

After I share these top supplements for leaky gut, I’ll share some more miscellaneous thoughts that did not make the book.

These are things I still think are good, valuable, and important.

What the heck is a leaky gut?

I’ve written an entire article about what leaky gut is (HERE), but in the simplest terms, Leaky Gut Syndrome is when the cells that make up the lining of the intestinal wall become so inflamed that the gut lining becomes more permeable than it’s meant to be.

Tight junctions should be kept as such so that food particles and other things don’t get through the bloodstream and vice-versa.

So when these junctions loosen, all sorts of problems start occurring throughout the digestive system.

Make note, though, that while the topic of leaky gut is starting to become more mainstream, many traditional doctors still don’t recognize it.

They do, however, recognize the term intestinal permeability. (BTW – these are things I teach in Gut Healing: ELEVATED so that you can approach your gut healing journey in the best way with whatever medical providers you choose.)

Leaky Gut Issues

So how do you know if you have leaky gut?

Here are 11 symptoms of a leaky gut (click HERE to save them for later):

1. Digestive symptoms, including gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea or a combination of them all
2. Seasonal allergies or asthma
3. Hormonal imbalances
4. An autoimmune disease
5. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia
6. Mood and mind issues (ADD, ADHD, etc.)
7. Skins issues like acne and rosacea
8. Candida overgrowth
9. Food allergies and intolerances
10. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Colitis, Crohn’s, Celiac, etc.)
11. Headaches

What to do about leaky gut?

So, what are you supposed to do about it?

First, know that you must heal and seal if you want to get rid of digestive issues and remove chronic inflammation.

It’s not easy, but as long as the gut lining remains more permeable than it’s supposed to, that’s how long you will go without a healthy gut and feel less than optimal.

Remember, feeling like this is common, but we must stop normalizing it!

The main factors for healing leaky gut are:

1. Choosing a healthy diet (more on the leaky gut diet is HERE) — believe me, you can’t outrun a poor diet
2. Factoring in all lifestyle components (more on this below)
3. Ensuring you choose the top leaky gut supplements

Today’s article is namely about #3.

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This is a page from my Leaky Gut 101 10-page guide that’s included in Gut Healing: ELEVATED.

In the course, you’ll find several guides like this to help get you started on your journey from bloating and constipation misery to healing and health.

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Why Take a Leaky Gut Supplement?

Though far more research needs to be done on all leaky gut supplements, their biggest claim to fame is that they support immune function.

This is key because somewhere between 70-90% of the body’s immune system cells lie within the digestive tract.

If the gut is “leaky,” the immune response is not optimal.

Thus, the right supplement for leaky gut supplements play an important role in strengthening the gut lining in order to strengthen the immune system and boost overall health.

Best Leaky Gut Supplements

Click HERE to save this post for later.

I have put together this comprehensive list filled with high quality supplements you might consider if you have been told you have a “leaky gut.”

1. HCL (Betaine) with Pepsin

HCL = Hydrochloric Acid

According to my studies through the ADAPT program, here is the formal definition,

The stomach produces hydrochloric acid as part of the normal digestive process. The breakdown and absorption of nutrients occurs at an optimum rate only within a narrow range of acidity in the stomach. If there isn’t enough acid, the normal chemical reactions required to absorb nutrients are impaired. Hydrochloric acid is required for proper digestion of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, as well as efficient absorption of vitamins and minerals. Low stomach acid production can be caused by H. pylori infection (the bacterium that causes ulcers), stress, acid-suppressing drugs, a vegetarian or vegan diet, and advancing age.

Chris Kresser also makes note that,

While many people assume that GERD and heartburn are caused by too much stomach acid, research suggests that’s not the case. In fact, in my clinical experience, I’ve found that low stomach acid is a far more likely cause of these conditions.

This helps support healthy stomach acidity, gastric function, and protein digestion. Without adequate stomach acid, vitamins and minerals are not absorbed properly, and protein becomes harder to digest.

For those with a leaky gut, it becomes even more imperative that food is broken down as much as possible.

• All About HCL
• How to Test At Home for Low Stomach Acid HCL Challenge
• 33 Ways to Tell if You Have Low Stomach Acid

2. Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes support optimal digestion by helping the body absorb nutrients and convert food into energy. They can help with gas, bloating, indigestion, and irregularity.

Digestive enzymes help turn larger molecules found in foods (carbs, protein and fats) into more easily absorbed particles (such as amino acids, fatty acids, cholesterol, simple sugars and nucleic acids).

The body can then actually use these particles to function and for energy.

• What are Digestive Enzymes

3. L-Glutamine

L-glutamine, in my opinion, is a staple for those healing leaky gut syndrome.

Glutamine is an essential amino acid that is anti-inflammatory and necessary for the growth and repair of your intestinal lining.

L-glutamine acts a protector and coats your cell walls, acting as a repellent to irritants.

L-glutamine is the most plentiful amino acid in the body and supports intestinal health. It may work for those with IBS because of this role. (source)

• L-Glutamine for Gut Healing

4. Digestive Bitters

A digestive bitter is an herb that supports digestive function by stimulating bitter receptors on the tongue, stomach, gallbladder and pancreas.

Their primary effect is to promote digestive juices such as stomach acid, bile and enzymes to breakdown food and assist in the absorption of nutrients.

In ayurvedic medicine, digestive bitters are known as “deepaniya dravyas” or “deepana herbs.” According to Ayurveda, digestion plays a crucial role in overall health, and imbalances in the digestive system can lead to various ailments.

Digestive bitters are believed to improve digestion by stimulating the Agni (digestive fire) and enhancing the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes.

Bitters are, just as their name implies, bitter tasting with a bitter flavor; created from bitter herbs.

They are found everywhere from the bar (remember what I told you in Kilometer Zero?) to beauty stores (for healthy skin), and even (most importantly?!) your own medicine cabinet.

Common herbs and botanicals used in digestive bitters include gentian, dandelion, artichoke, burdock root, angelica root, chamomile, fennel, ginger, and many others. Each herb may contribute its own unique properties and potential health benefits.

These are made of herbs, bark, roots, and fruit and are used to improve digestion and breakdown of fats, reduce gas and bloating, and even help prevent SIBO and yeast overgrowth.

A digestive bitter is an herb that supports digestive function by stimulating bitter receptors on the tongue, stomach, gallbladder and pancreas.

Their primary effect is to promote digestive juices such as stomach acid, bile and enzymes to breakdown food and assist in the absorption of nutrients.

• A Gutsy Girl’s Master Guide to Prokinetics
• Gut Health Guide to Digestive Bitters
• 46 Carminatives for Digestive Health

5. Zinc

Zinc is known as an essential nutrient, meaning that the body can not produce it on its own. The zinc levels in our body are based purely on the zinc we consume through either food sources or dietary supplementation.

Zinc has SO many functions across the human body including:

• aids in over 300 enzymatic reactions 
• synthesis of immune cells
• support of immune function
• protein synthesis
• support of skin health
• HUGE player in cell growth
• supports both smell and taste
• maintenance of testosterone levels
• wound healing
• DNA synthesis- provides blueprint for all functions in the body

As you can see, zinc has a wide range of physiological processes across the digestive, immune, and metabolic systems. It plays a crucial role in both the immune and digestive systems, which are important for keeping the gut in balance. 

Source: HERE

This mineral is known for its ability to boost the immune system and help tighten the junctions of the intestinal lining.

Zinc supplementation tightens “leaky gut” in Crohn’s disease.

Zinc deficiency can arise from several sources, and a major physiological effect of zinc deficiency will be to induce leakiness in tight junctional seals and consequently epithelial cell layers. (source)

• Why Zinc is Important for Gut Health

6. Probiotics

Probiotics for leaky gut are common.

They help improve the overall microbiome of the gut by restoring beneficial bacteria that have been depleted. 

However, when choosing the right probiotic supplement for leaky gut (or any other condition), here are three things to consider:

1. Research: Is there research to back up the probiotic strain and species; overall efficacy?
2. Trust: Do you trust the brand? Go beyond the probiotics labels with all their fancy marketing.
3. Next generation thinking: Is the manufacturer going beyond the basics of commonly used strains and species? Is there something/anything unique?

• Probiotics for Gut Health
• All About Probiotic Strains and Species
• 8 Probiotic Myths

(All of the above information is taken from page 17 in The Leaky Gut Meal Plan: 4 Weeks to Detox and Improve Digestive Health.)

9 More Leaky Gut Treatment Supplements

The above supplements are the 6 leaky gut supplements included in The Leaky Gut Meal Plan book.

But that’s doesn’t mean there aren’t more leaky gut supplements that I think could be critical for your healing.

Here are 9 more leaky gut treatment supplements for building a healthy gut lining:

1. Omega-3 fatty acids

Some studies have shown that omega-3 PUFAs can modify the intestinal microbiota composition [52] by increasing the number of Bifidobacteria that decrease gut permeability. (source)

The benefits of getting in more omega are endless, but here are the ones we celebrate with More Omega:

• Healthy joint function
• Healthy immune function and a normal inflammatory response
• Skin and hair hydration
• Eye health/hydration
• Cardiovascular health
• Healthy moods and balanced emotions
• Healthy cell membranes
• Cognitive function, memory, and brain health

2. Vitamin D-3

Epidemiological studies show that individuals with higher serum Vitamin D have a lower incidence of IBD, particularly Crohn’s disease.

A deficiency in vitamin D leads to dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and has been reported to cause severe colitis.

Most Americans are deficient in essential Vitamin D. Yet more and more studies are revealing why getting enough vitamin D is important.

This amazing vitamin helps to prevent osteoporosis (building strong bones), depression, cancer, diabetes, obesity and more.

Here is what several doctors have to say about this crucial vitamin.

• Vitamin D represents the single most cost-effective medical intervention in the United States. (Dr. Greg Plotnikoff, Medical Director, Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.)
• I believe [vitamin D] is the number one public health advance in medicine in the last twenty years. (Dr. John Whitcomb, Aurora Sinai Medical Center.)
• I would challenge anyone to find an area or nutrient or any factor that has such consistent anti-cancer benefits as vitamin D. The data are really quite remarkable. (Dr. Edward Giovannucci, Vitamin D expert.)
• In all my many years of practice of medicine, I’ve never seen one vitamin, even vitamin C, have such profound effects on human health. (Soram Khalsa MD.)

You can read my full post on Vitamin D3 [HERE].

3. Vitamin K2-7

Vitamin K2 is also produced by gut bacteria in the large intestine.

However, people with malabsorption syndromes and other gastrointestinal disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and short bowel syndrome, might not absorb vitamin K properly.

You see, one of vitamin D’s most important jobs is to help your body with calcium absorption.

But without vitamin K2, calcium can deposit in your brain, heart and other organs causing deadly “calcification”.

Doctors often equate calcification to scarring because it…

• Damages the function of the soft tissues being calcified
• Can be really hard to undo

So the addition of K2 is CRUCIAL, but there’s even more because they are not all created equally.

Specifically, you need to ensure the types of vitamin K are in the form of “MK-7” (a.k.a. “menaquinone).

What’s special about MK-7?

It’s a NATURAL form of vitamin K2 – Not a synthetic one, which ensures maximum potency.

See, most manufacturers will cut corners and use some kind of synthetic vitamin K2…

And ALL synthetic K2s will lose potency the minute they hit the store shelf.

You can learn more about it HERE.

4. Collagen

Collagen is one of the best ways for treating leaky gut syndrome, which is why bone broth is almost always recommended.

It is made up of 19 different amino acids; non-essential and essential amino acids.

Collagen constitutes:

• 75% of skin
• 70% of ligaments
• 65% to 80% of tendons
• 50% of cartilage
• 30% of tooth dentin
• 16% of bone
• 10% to 11% of muscle
• ++ is also part of the structure of arteries and veins

Furthermore, Dr. Amy Myers states,

Collagen is beneficial to gut health because it contains large amounts of amino acids, glycine, glutamine, and proline which support a healthy bacterial balance in your gut microbiome and facilitates a healthy gut barrier.

She continues on with,

Collagen also contains nonessential amino acids, which are ones your body can make on its own. Three of the nonessential amino acids in collagen – glycine, glutamine, and proline – are considered conditional amino acids. Conditional amino acids are ones that become essential in times of illness or stress.⁵ That’s why it’s so important to supplement collagen as you get older or have an autoimmune disorder. Glycine, glutamine, and proline are also essential for a healthy gut.

5. PREbiotic

Prebiotics cannot be digested by human enzymes. Instead, they feed the bacteria in the colon that can digest them.

Therefore, the idea is that consuming prebiotics will help feed “good” bacteria, which then strengthens the overall gut environment.

Of course, you already know, but if you have active SIBO, this might not be your best strategy for right now.

SIBO and a leaky gut go hand-in-hand oftentimes.

To grab my best prebiotic supplements, click HERE.

6. Coconut oil (as a dietary supplement)

The “caprylic acid / medium-chain fatty acids in coconut products are rich in antimicrobial properties that work fantastically well to decrease levels of bad yeast and bacteria in the gut (help say goodbye to candida and SIBO).” 

Here is a comprehensive list of coconut oil benefits:

1. Coconut oil acts as a lubricant to the gut wall lining, which is optimal for those with IBS/IBD-C.
2. It supports the immune system. Coconut oil contains anti-microbial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. (source)
3. Coconut oil contains external healing properties (dry skin, cuts).
4.  It is one of the few oils that can be (safely) heated to high temperatures, which makes it optimal for cooking, sautéing and baking alike.
5. Coconut oil is stable enough to resist heat-induced damage (aka it won’t go rancid).
6. It is thyroid stimulating. 
7. Has the ability to kill off candida. 
8. Coconut oil has been known to lower cholesterol (due to the lauric acid).
9. It can keep diabetes in check.
10. Might help control heart disease.
11. It’s nourishing for the brain.
12. May help with those who have gastrointestinal malabsorption.
13. Could help with weight loss (due to the MCT’s; medium chain triglycerides).

7. Leaky Gut Revive

This is more of an all-in-one leaky gut supplement (by Dr. Amy Myers).

The formula contains: l-glutamine, larch arabinogalactan, marshmallow root powder, licorice root powder, slippery elm bark powder, and aloe vera leaf powder.

You can get it on Amazon HERE or if you are part of my Fullscript dispensary, you’ll get it for far cheaper ($15+ cheaper). Sign up HERE.

8. Glutagenics Powder

Similar to Leaky Gut Revive, this is another product with several ingredients which are great for leaky gut syndrome.

I personally used and loved this one.

You can get it on Amazon HERE or Fullscript HERE. 

But wait……one more Leaky Gut Supplement!

And there is still one more leaky gut supplement that I’m a huge fan of.

In fact, it might be my number one recommendation for anyone dealing with a leaky gut and/or weak immune system….

Tummy Soothe

This supplement is sort of a leaky gut supplement hack that not many know about and/or use. But I’m so confident in it that I formulated my own for the Gutsy community. I had so much success with the Just Thrive Ultimate IgG that I wanted to elevate that product and make it my own.

So I did.

But first, why IgG?

Let’s break it down.

IgG is an antibody – a protective protein that your immune system produces when it senses an invader. And bacterial inflammation is known to be one of the main causes for leaky gut symptoms.

Therefore, when IgG is adequate, they have the capability to “catch the invaders,” i.e bind to them so they can’t escape. 

Furthermore, if you remember from IgE vs IgG:

IgG is always there to help prevent infections.

It’s also ready to multiply and attack when foreign substances get into the body.

When you don’t have enough, you are more likely to get infections. (source)

Tummy Soothe, the product we brought to the marketplace supports the structure of the cells of the intestinal lining and helps with the intestinal barrier.

As I previously mentioned, up until now, I have always talked about and promoted the Just Thrive IGG, so here are the added benefits with Tummy Soothe:

• Tummy Soothe has a higher dose of ImmunoLin®
• The Tummy Soothe comes as a powder vs. pill so it’s easier dosing
• Tummy Soothe has an added NAD Glucosamine benefit (protects cellular health + improves energy levels)
• The Tummy Soothe formula is a premier practitioner grade

What is ImmunoLin®?

ImmunoLin® (SBI concentrate) is a proprietary, protein‐based dietary supplement containing more than 50% immunoglobulins to help support digestive function and promote a healthy mucosal immune system.

It boasts the following benefits:

• Supports gut health
• Supports GI mucosal health
• Supports gut and systemic immune function
• Supports GI barrier integrity

What is NAD?

N‐Acetyl‐D‐Glucosamine (NAG) helps support immune function and mucosal health and reduces intestinal permeability.

NAG supports immune function and promotes a healthy inflammatory response by potentially reducing the excess activation of T‐cells, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells.

Studies have also demonstrated the potential for NAG to support the release of acid mucopolysaccharides by fibroblasts and help restore the protective structures in the GI tract. It may also help to restore the integrity and function of the mucous membrane. This may help support GI conditions such as IBD. (source)

In one study, 34 participants with IBD took 2 g of NAG three times per day for 4 weeks. The study results indicated an improvement in self‐reported IBD symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, the passage of mucus, nausea, and rectal bleeding. (source)

I LOVE this supplement so much, and take it every single day. It’s super easy to add to any food and/or beverage, as it’s flavorless.

Where to Get Leaky Gut Supplements

Because I tend to take a more minimalist approach to supplements these days, I’m careful about what I use and who I buy from.

And because of this, I do partner with various supplement companies so that both you and I can receive a discount.

When you purchase from (some of) these companies, I make a small amount. That said, their prices do not increase in order to pay me. In fact, by partnering with and purchasing from me, you are simply saving money.

With that, let me share some high-quality places to get leaky gut supplements.

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Note

A Gutsy Girl’s supplement line, Gutbyo[me] can be found HERE at guthealingsupplements.com. The line includes:

1. Break Down
2. Move Now
3. Tummy Soothe
4. Increase Now

With any purchase, you will get my supplement + medication PDF tracker for free. Get free shipping when you order The Gutsy Bundle, which is my customized system for overall gut health on your healing journey.

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HCL (Betaine) with Pepsin

• Integrative Therapeutics via Amazon
• NOW Foods via Amazon

Digestive Enzymes

• Enzymedica – Digest Gold via Amazon
• Digestive Enzymes (assortment) via Perfect Supplements (use code GUTSY10 at checkout to automatically save 10%)

L-Glutamine

• NOW Foods via Amazon

Zinc

• Thorne’s Zinc Bisglycinate
• Integrative Therapeutics Zinc Chelate 

Probiotics

• Just Thrive Probiotics (MY FAVE! 15% off with code ‘AGUTSYGIRL’ at checkout) (You can also simply add to your Amazon order, but will not get the 15% discount.)

Vitamin D3

• I love and trust Perfect Supplements so hard. You can get their high-quality Vitamin D3 HERE (use code GUTSY10 at checkout to automatically save 10%).

Vitamin K2-7

Hands down, grab the Just Thrive K2-7 HERE (use code AGUTSYGIRL at checkout to save 15%).

Collagen

Looking for a delicious flavored Collagen with no extra junk? Click HERE for the Perfect Supplements (elderberry and chocolate flavors). {Code GUTSY10 at checkout to automatically save 10%.}

Prebiotic

I like both the Just Thrive Prebiotic. You can use my code AGUTSYGIRL to save 15%.

Coconut oil (as a supplement)

I used Lauricidin for a very long time on my journey.

Today I just incorporate coconut oil into my diet here and there.

Supplements for Leaky Gut Caution

Click HERE to save these for later.

Know and trust the source.

With the supplement market booming (almost $200 billion by 2025), not all supplements are equal.

Many supplements now contain extra additives, artificial sweeteners, and fillers and/or the main source of whatever ingredient you are trying to get from it is not as high-quality as you think.

Do your research.

Work on using them in conjunction with a doctor or other health practitioner.

Approach some supplements with more caution than others.

Like HCL with pepsin, for example. Taking too much can cause damage (you would feel a massive burning in your stomach).

On the flip side, if you need a larger dose of something and you’re not taking enough, you’re less likely to reap the health benefits.

It could be the best supplement, but if you’re not using it appropriately, it won’t matter.

Minimize to maximize.

Because the supplement industry is so large and constantly telling us that we need their supplement to optimize health, we tend to think more is better. The truth is that, usually, minimizing is maximizing.

The more supplements you’re taking, the less you are able to understand what is truly working; what is not.

A supplement is simply “in addition to” and/or to give a boost.

Healing Leaky Gut Syndrome is about far more than the supplements you take or do not take. 

In fact, if the supplements and diet aren’t working, you might need to do some troubleshooting. 

Here is one way to troubleshoot.

Factor in Your Lifestyle

Even though it’s in the book, people avoid the lifestyle part and write it off as “not important.”

Tough love here. It’s very, very important. And if you’re doing all the other things on any given treatment plan, this might be your golden ticket to healing.

Oftentimes, you can’t diet harder. Think about the primary foods.

I’m serious. Stop right now and really think about them.

BTW – the number one tool you can have for this entire list, troubleshooting, and your journey is my gut healing journaling SYSTEM.

Grab 8 other ways to troubleshoot your leaky gut healing plan HERE.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. How to Heal Leaky Gut Syndrome Fast
2. A Gutsy Girl’s Bible: a 21-day approach to healing the gut
3. 3 Ways to Know Your Leaky Gut is Healing

Xox,
SKH