FIX MY BELLY

The Essential Herbs List

This comprehensive list includes herbs for leaky gut health issues mentioned earlier.

While we will always recommend that you speak to medical professionals when making decisions regarding your gut health illnesses, we recognize that some may not take this seriously when considering herbs or herbal medicine. We suggest that you still do so and also do your own research to see what others in a situation similar to yours did to promote gut healing.

Ginger for Leaky Gut

This one probably didn't surprise you. Ginger is already well known by most people to help when you're having stomach issues. In fact, there have been studies done which show how helpful ginger can be for nausea and vomiting. (Source)

In addition, ginger root has also been noted to be helpful for diarrhea for those who have irritable bowel syndrome because ginger is known to fight inflammation. This is also why ginger-containing food/drinks are helpful when you have the common cold. (Source)

Finally, a lesser well-known benefit of ginger is that it can help build up healthy gut bacteria in your intestines. (Source)

For all these reasons, you'll want to think about incorporating more ginger in your diet, by way of natural food or supplement, or things like tea as it's an essential herb to restore gut health.

Oregano for Leaky Gut

We mostly know that oregano can help add flavour to some of our foods. However, what's less known is that it can have many health benefits -- especially to help restore gut health. Oregano is known to be anti-inflammatory. While, this means it can beneficial if you're dealing with a flare-up, it can also be useful to add more to your overall diet.

In addition, a study with pigs showed that oregano not only reduced inflammation but also strengthened the intestinal wall (Source). While the study was done with animals, the impact is notable. From this, we can glean that oregano may be part of a long-term strategy to maintain a strong gut.

Finally, oregano might also support with cramping and bloating issues. You can test to see if this is helpful for you.

Fennel for Leaky Gut

In some cultures, fennel is known to be helpful for digestion. It's even seen as a remedy for constipation. A study showed that, similar to oregano, fennel is shown to help support the intestinal lining. In this way, it's similar to the impact of l-glutamine on a leaky gut.

What's more is that in mice specifically, those who were treated with fennel seeds showed less signs of ulcers than those who were not. (Source)

When dealing with abdominal pain as a symptom of leaky gut syndrome, fennel tea was also shown to help reduce the severity of the pain. That said, as mentioned before, this is not a one-size-fits-all, as some may have adverse reaction to fennel seeds or tea so it's best to experiment for yourself.

Chamomile for Leaky Gut

Although it may have a bitter taste, chamomile is one of the most healthiest herbs for many illnesses and conditions. These may include allergies, inflammation, pain, and yes, several gut health conditions.

As we know, leaky gut can have much in common with other digestive health conditions , such as indigestion, nausea and chronic diarrhea. In fact, a study showed that chamomile helped with diarrhea in rats. (Source)

Some people have found great success with using chamomile to be very helpful for dealing with symptoms (usually in the form of tea).

Interestingly, chamomile is also known to support motility in the digestive tract, which can help bowel movement. As chamomile seems to help those with diarrhea and also those with motility problems, you'll want to check how you personally react to chamomile.

Turmeric for Leaky Gut

It seems that turmeric has become the cure-all herb for all problems and is considered one of the best herbs. The benefits of this herb extend to gut health and leaky gut syndrome. Turmeric was shown to help promote healthy intestinal flora and strengthen the gut wall.

The reason that turmeric is generally so popular is mainly due to its anti-inflammatory properties -- for what it's worth, some naturopaths advise to take turmeric supplements in place of analgesics, such as Tylenol or Advil. This anti-inflammatory feature combined with its abilities to support the immune system can help keep harmful bacteria at bay and promote gut healing with good bacteria.

Also, given that we know that there is a link between stress and leaky gut, turmeric is also known to have calming properties which may help reduce anxiety and depression.

Ultimately, due to its many benefits, turmeric is an excellent herb to help restore gut health.

Peppermint for Leaky Gut

Peppermint is a member of the mint family and is often a main ingredient in soaps, chewing gum, toothpastes, candies, and teas. However, when specifically dealing with gut health issues, peppermint oil can be very useful for aiding with digestion and constipation. A popular product, IBGard, is effectively peppermint oil which can help those who have constipation symptoms with leaky gut syndrome by relaxing muscles.

Peppermint has also been shown to help with abdominal pain in those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). (Source)

While IBS may be different than leaky gut, their close link makes it wise to keep these findings in mind. If you are suffering from constipation, you are likely to also be facing abdominal issues and as such, peppermint may be for you.

Licorice for Leaky Gut

Licorice root is known to have many health benefits. When pertaining to gut health, it can improve immune function. In addition, it has also been known to help minimize symptoms with many digestive disorders, including ulcers.

Some use licorice to relieve constipation. In some places, it's viewed as a mild laxative. In this situation, if you have constipation issues, you may benefit from adding licorice in your diet.

Finally, there is also evidence to support that licorice root can have probiotic effects (similar to fermented foods), which helps promote good bacteria and fight of bad gut bacteria. (Source). As we know, when our gut accumulates bad bacteria (such as from a poor diet from fatty foods), we can start seeing leaky gut symptoms. From here, probiotics (or good bacteria) can help offset the negative impact.

Slippery Elm for Leaky Gut

Slippery elm bark is essentially a tree in North America and one of the herbal remedies used by Native Americans and Canadians. Slippery elm has been known to support from various ailments including coughs, cold, skin problems and wound healing properties. However, due to its chemical makeup, it was also used for digestive health problems such as chronic diarrhea and constipation.

Mucous membranes problems with intestinal problems can also be soothed with slippery elm, which can help restore gut health. (Source)

Finally, while terms such as ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory bowel disease) or peptic ulcers were not yet invented, slippery elm was also said to have fight stomach ulcers. While this specifically pertains to ulcers, it may be a good idea to look into slippery elm if you also suffer from leaky gut syndrome.