Ibs Or Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome was once considered little more than a non-diagnosis the blanket term given when doctors essentially had no idea what was going on. Now, we know that IBS not only affects more than 10% of the global population, but that fewer than 30% of those affected will ever make it to the doctor to even seek a diagnosis. IBS is usually managed with diet and medication, but essential oils especially in enteric coated capsules that can make it past the stomach have been indicated for symptom control, as well.
Although more extensive studies are welcomed, an extensive review conducted in 2008 shows peppermint oil exhibiting significant improvement over placebo, alongside dietary fiber both of which stood alongside antispasmodic medications in efficacy. To ensure the oil reaches the intestines, enteric coated capsule preparations are indicated by studies.
Internal Use Drink Or Food
Very few essential oils are okay for internal use. They are highly concentrated and can become toxic substances or cause adverse reactions if they come into direct contact with skin or are consumed internally.Make sure you research the essential oil before internal use. Always dilute your essential oil with a carrier oil and apply it to a small section of inconspicuous skin first to see if you have an allergic reaction.
Top 6 Essential Oils For Gut Health
BONUS: Not making the Top 6 Essential Oils for Gut Health list, dont forget about Tarragon. Its still a super healing oil that promotes gut health as well!
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How To Use Oregano Oil
Oregano oil extract is widely available in capsule and tablet form. It can be bought from most health food shops or online.
Because the strength of oregano supplements can vary, its important to read the directions on the individual packet for instructions on how to use the product.
Oregano essential oil is also available and can be diluted with a carrier oil and applied topically. Note that no essential oil should be ingested.
Theres no standard effective dose of oregano essential oil. However, its often mixed with around 1 teaspoon of olive oil per drop of oregano essential oil and applied directly to the skin.
Like other essential oils, keep in mind that oregano essential oil should not be consumed orally.
If youre interested in taking oregano oil extract but currently taking prescription medications, make sure to consult your healthcare provider before adding it to your regimen.
In addition, oregano oil extract is not generally recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
SUMMARY
Oregano oil extract can be purchased in pill or capsule form and taken orally. Oregano essential oil is also available and can be diluted with a carrier oil and applied to the skin.
Oregano Oil For Leaky Gut Syndrome
Oregano oil is a must for anyone considering essential oils for gut health, as it was one of the top antiviral foods. The oils of this herb contain a litany of useful terpenes for repairing a leaky gut . A powerful molecule found in oregano oil is carvacrol.
One analysis found that carvacrol helps fight off the growth of Staphylococcus aureus 7. This opportunistic bacteria can destroy beneficial intestinal flora, opening the door for Leaky Gut Syndrome to develop. In the study, 43% of mice who were given carvacrol saw their gut biome improve. That number is in comparison to the 50% of mice who were administered antibiotics.
Another study looked at how oregano oil prevented the growth of Escherichia coli. The analysis noted that keeping E. coli at bay helped prevent the growth of Leaky Gut Syndrome8. Thats because oregano oil improved the tight junctions proteins responsible for keeping our gut lining sealed.
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Leaky Gut Diet Sample Menu
Based on the recommendations above regarding the best and worst leaky gut foods, here is what a few days of meals might look like when following a leaky gut diet plan:
Day #1
- Breakfast: avocado on sprouted grain toast topped with sauerkraut and tomatoes
- Lunch: salad topped with sliced grass-fed steak and cooked or cultured veggies
- Dinner: stir-fry made with mixed veggies and protein of our choice
Day #2
- Breakfast: yogurt parfait made with plain yogurt, chia seeds and berries
- Lunch: cooked fish, such as salmon, with steamed veggies topped with olive oil
- Dinner: seared chicken served with a mixed salad or vegetable soup
Day#3
- Breakfast: smoothie made with coconut milk, kefir or raw milk, sprouted almond butter and collagen protein powder
- Lunch: chicken salad made with yogurt and avocado, served with veggies or salad
- Dinner: steak or fish served with vegetable soup
Lavender Essential Oil For Gut
Lavender essential oil is known for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which help to balance the digestive system. This essential oil is inexpensive and useful for a variety of issues.
Lavender essential oil is also distinctive in another way. The essential oil is inflammatory, which successfully reduces digestive problems and gut pain. This essential oil is very effective against digestive issues even when not ingested.
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What Else Can I Do To Help With My Gut Issues
- Start by becoming mindful. Consider the burden on your body with all the toxins around it then, consider what it would look like for your body to heal itself with your support.
- Educate yourself. Become a label-reading expert.
- Learn about things in food and household products that may be inflammatory to you or your children. It will take many hours of research like it did us.
- Clear out products in your home and foods in you diet that could be the source of inflammation and replace them with plant-based alternatives
- Dont stop there. Usually those are just red flags that are pointing to a deeper issue.
The Leaky Gut Diet And Treatment Plan Including Top Gut Foods
Leaky gut syndrome is a condition thats thought to affect millions of people, many of whom dont even know it. The good news is following a leaky gut diet can help overcome this condition.
From the sound of it, you might think leaky gut syndrome only impacts digestive health, but in reality it can lead to many other health conditions. For example, according to recent research, the cause of your food allergies, fatigue, joint pain, thyroid disease and autoimmune conditions may be a leaky gut.
What is the fastest way to treat leaky gut? Following a healing leaky gut syndrome diet is one of the best strategies for getting your body back on track.
In this article, I outline specifically how a leaky gut diet works, so you can break through some of the stubborn health problems youve been struggling with.
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Benefits And Uses Of Oregano Oil
Oregano is a fragrant herb thats best known as an ingredient in Italian food.
However, it can also be concentrated into an essential oil thats loaded with antioxidants and powerful compounds that have proven health benefits.
Oregano oil is the extract and, although its not as strong as the essential oil, it appears to be useful both when consumed or applied to the skin. Essential oils, on the other hand, are not meant to be consumed.
Interestingly, oregano oil is an effective natural antibiotic and antifungal agent, and it may help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol levels.
Botanically known as Origanum vulgare, oregano is a flowering plant from the same family as mint. Its often used as an herb to flavor food.
Although its native to Europe, it now grows all over the world.
Oregano has been popular ever since the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations used it for medicinal purposes. In fact, the name oregano comes from the Greek words oros, meaning mountain, and ganos, meaning joy or delight.
The herb has also been used for centuries as a culinary spice.
Oregano essential oil is made by air-drying the leaves and shoots of the plant. Once theyre dried, the oil is extracted and concentrated by steam distillation .
Oregano essential oil can be mixed with a carrier oil and applied topically. However, it should not be consumed orally.
Here are 9 potential benefits and uses of oregano oil.
Essential Oils To Treat A Leaky Gut
Before using any essential oils, it is critical that you know how to use them correctly. Be sure to use high-quality oils before beginning any course of treatment, and use them with proper medical instruction. Typically, essential oils are used for aromatherapy, but some can be applied topically, and a few can be ingested. But again, think of them like medication. Get medical advice before using any essential oils for treatment.
Many people with gut health concerns find that using essential oils can help in the following ways:
- Destroying harmful pathogens
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To Use Ginger Essential Oil
For nausea, diffuse ginger essential oil alone or with other gut-healthy oils, such as peppermint or lavender, or apply 1 to 2 drops NEAT over the stomach. Add ginger oil to bathwater to help overall digestion, or to cooking recipes that call for ginger. Just be sure to add it right before serving to preserve the most benefits. Learn more about cooking with essential oils.
The Vicious Cycle Of Systemic Inflammation
Systemic Inflammation is often the underlying issue for most health conditions, including auto immunity, food intolerances, anxiety, depression, poor focus and concentration, digestive dysfunction, high blood pressure, fluid retention, asthma, dementia, cramps and ADD/ADHD.
Some examples of inflammation correlating with disease include:
- Inflammation of your heart : Shortness of breath or fluid retention
- Inflammation of the small tubes that transport air to your lungs: Asthma attack
- Inflammation of your kidneys : High blood pressure or kidney failure
- Inflammation of your large intestine : Cramps and diarrhea
- Inflammation of the Small Intestine : Food Allergies
- Inflammation of the Brain : Dementia
Often, when inflammation becomes chronic, there are often no discernible symptoms until there is a loss of function.
Inflammation begins in the gut and spreads elsewhere through the body. Therefore, if you can heal inflammation at its root in the gut you can heal it elsewhere in the body.
Unwinding this viscous cycle begins with supporting healthy digestion, the integrity of the intestinal mucosal lining and the ability of the body to shift out of the chronic inflammatory cycle.
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Weve Got You Covered: Life 9
Life 9® is a probiotic supplement that supports digestive health and gut and intestinal functions, leading to a healthier immune system. With a special bottle and cap to ensure freshness, these capsules also contain special delayed-release technology, so the ingredients release in the small intestine.
Fun fact: Most of your energy after meals is used for digestion. With a healthier gut, you will maintain higher levels of energy to make it through that post-lunch I still have four hours of work left slump.
To Use Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint oil can be used topically, aromatherapeutically, and internally. Rub a drop, undiluted, over the abdominal area for relief from cramping, bloating, gas, indigestion, and more. For halitosis, place a drop of peppermint oil on your toothbrush, and brush as usual, twice per day. You can also add peppermint oil to a capsule and take it internally. To help with nausea around the clock, diffuse peppermint oil. Or put an inhaler in your purse.
Peppermint can also be combined with other digestive-friendly oils, such as lavender and ginger. Do NOT add drops of peppermint oil to water. Oil and water dont mix, and this isnt a safe or effective way to ingest essential oils. Check with a certified aromatherapist before using peppermint oil if you are pregnant, nursing, or using it for children, as peppermint oil is contraindicated for certain ages and conditions.
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How Essential Oils Heal The Gut
Most healing remedies are assimilated through your digestive track supplements, food, and many herbal remedies that are ingested can only be properly absorbed and assimilated when your gut is healthy.
Compromised gut function compromises your ability to assimilate remedies through your gut lining. This might explain why research suggests that small intestine mucosal recovery 2 years after following a gluten-free diet was only 34% in celiac patients. When the gut is compromised, healing nutrients are not fully assimilated.
This is where smelling or topically applying plant nutrients from essential oils can provide a powerful point of entry to your body. Topically applied or inhaled essential oil remedies can help restore healthy digestive function, repair damage to the intestinal lining, restore gut integrity and close the tight junctions. Read more about that .
Plants, and their concentrated essences contained in essential oils, contain healing compounds that are especially powerful in healing the gut. For example, short chain fatty acids are metabolized during the digestive process when friendly gut bacteria ferment plant fiber in your colon. SCFA serve as the main source of energy for the cells lining your colon and promote the development of a robust immune system.
Essential Oils And Gut Health
We typically think of using essential oils for their marvelous fragrance, or as a spa treatment. These uses are certainly valid, but you should know that plant essences have been used as medicine for thousands of years.
First, let me be clear that Im referring to essential oils, not fragrance oils. Fragrances are synthetics based on petrochemicals and do not share the therapeutic qualities of natural high grade essential oils. They are cheap copies of the real thing.
Also, a quick disclaimer. If you are having health problems, you should consult your healthcare professional. This article outlines historical uses of essential oils for digestive issues, and shouldnt be considered as medical advice.
One of the most popular oils for improving digestion is peppermint. It relaxes the smooth muscles of your intestines, and has long been used to help relieve gas pressure. But it also helps to calm down reflux. Instead of popping an antacid when you have heartburn, you might want to try a drop or two of peppermint oil in a bit of warm water, and drink it down.
Or if youd rather not ingest it, add a couple drops of peppermint essential oil to a teaspoon of olive or coconut oil and rub it on your abdomen in a slow and gentle clockwise motion. This is really great for kids tummy upsets.
Since it relaxes those digesting muscles, many people find that peppermint tones down IBS , a frustrating combination of constipation and diarrhea.
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Morphology Of The Jejunum
Morphology is a good indicator of the status of the intestine . As shown in Figure 1, although no significant differences were observed in villus width, crypt depth, and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth between different treatments , the villus height of the OEO-treated pigs was significantly higher than that of the control . As shown in Figure 2, the villi were scattered and seriously desquamated in the jejunum of the control group, while higher and intact villi were observed in the jejunum of OEO-treated pigs.
Effect of OEO on jejunum morphology in pig. The jejunum was cut off and fixed in 10% formaldehyde-phosphate buffer and then stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Hematoxylin and eosin staining with original magnification ×100. Bars represent 200m.
Major Microbiota In Different Regions Of The Intestinal Tract
The effects of OEO supplementation on selected microbial populations in different intestinal tracts are shown in Figure 5. Although there were no significant differences in the total bacteria, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus spp. populations, the OEO-treated pigs had a significantly lower population of Escherichia coli in the jejunum , ileum , and colon compared with the control.
Effect of OEO on selected microbial populations in the jejunum, ileum, and colon tract of pig. Values are means ± SEM, n = 6. Significantly different from the control group. Significantly different from the control group. Tot, total bacteria Lacto, Lactobacillus spp. Entero, Enterococcus faecalis E. coli, Escherichia coli Log10, 16S rRNA gene copies/g contents.
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