Leaky gut could allow toxins into the bloodstream, expert warns – foods to prevent this

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According to expert Sas Parsad, founder of The Gut Co, an “unhealthy” gut microbiome can have serious consequences for the body. Your gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria, fungi and other microbes, which play an important role in digestion and keeping the immune system working. However, he warned that some foods can damage this.

Speaking with Express.co.uk, he explained: “The gut can have a huge impact as we age and could have an impact on how long we live for.

“If you consume food and drink that leads to an unhealthy gut microbiome, you may cause damage to your overall health.”

One specific problem is a leaky gut.

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Sas said: “Leaky gut occurs when the intestinal lining wears away, allowing toxins and food to pass into the bloodstream.

“This can cause many health issues and if left untreated, can make you seriously unwell.

“Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, arthritis, obesity, and mental illness have all been linked to having leaky gut, and many of these can cut lifespan down.”

The worst culprit for causing an unhealthy gut is processed food as it “feeds the bad bacteria in the gut”.

“If you have too many bad bacteria, they outweigh the good bacteria, and this leads to dysbiosis of the gut,” Sas added.

“When the gut is in dysbiosis, it can lead to IBS, IDB, coeliac disease, allergies, food intolerances, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, to name a few.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women over the age of 65, meaning it can have an incredible impact on lifespan and cause premature death.

“As the consumption of processed food has increased so dramatically in recent years, it could have an impact on the future generation’s average life expectancy, as it is so toxic for the gut microbiome when consumed excessively.”

He recommended prebiotic fibre as the best type of food for gut health.

“This is a non-digestible substance that arrives at the good bacteria in the gut relatively intact, making it a fantastic source of nutrients for them to absorb,” he said.

“This allows them to grow stronger and multiply, leaving less room for the bad bacteria to repopulate and cause issues.”

Prebiotic fibre can be found in:

• Oats
• Barley
• Whole grains
• Onions
• Garlic
• Bananas
• Leeks.

Sas advised swapping out your white pasta for wholemeal pasta, adding in some garlic and onion and snacking on fruit as a “great way” to include more prebiotic fibre into your everyday life.

He added: “Avoid too much refined sugar to keep your gut microbiome healthy, as sugar is a food source for bad bacteria, allowing them to multiply and cause harm.

“Sweets, chocolate, baked goods, white bread and fizzy drinks are all often high in sugar.

“Although very little damage is done when you consume sugar in moderation, don’t go overboard if you want to maintain a healthy gut and avoid the health issues that come along with that.”

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