My Favorite Supplements for Gut Health, Leaky Gut, and Bloating

Focusing on my gut health and healing my leaky gut was one of my primary areas of concern once I began my health journey years ago. Growing up, I always had digestive problems, from constipation to bloating, especially after eating to certain foods. But, we didn’t think anything of it back then because autoimmune conditions, allergies, and food sensitives weren’t mainstream yet, so no one really talked about it.

It wasn’t until I got older and started studying the body, nutrition, and healthy living that I realized it wasn’t normal to feel this way! I should feel good and energized after eating a meal, not bloated and lethargic.

Watch Video Below…

Supporting Gut Health & Healing a Leaky Gut – My Journey

So, of course, over the years I’ve changed my diet to one that supports my gut health and overall digestive health (and that agrees with my body). But, in addition to changing my diet, I’ve also incorporated certain supplements that, I wholeheartedly believe, helped to strengthen my gut lining, heal my leaky gut, balance my microflora, and support my overall digestive tract.

And, I’m really seeing the results of it today because I no longer get bloated after eating, even with foods I used to be sensitive to like dairy. And, I no longer get tired after a meal. Hallelujah!

I do want to say that nothing is more important than changing your diet and nutrition when it comes to your gut health and healing a leaky gut. But, having said this, I do believe these added supplements were like the “cherry on top” to taking my digestive and gut health to the next level.

#1 – Living Bone & Bone Marrow Extracts

These two extracts are my absolute favorites when it comes to gut health. The reason I take Living Bone and Bone Marrow extracts in addition to my Collagen Peptides is because they offer additional benefits on top of the collagen benefits.

Think of it like this – when you make homemade bone broth, you’re extracting the nutrients from both the bone and the bone marrow. So, not only are you getting the collagen, but you’re also getting all of the other support nutrients as well.

The collagen alone is great for strengthening you gut lining and your overall digestive health, but the living bone and the bone marrow also contain…

• Bioavailable Calcium (great for bone and teeth health)
• Glucosamine (super anti-inflammatory and helps to relieve joint pain)
• The Marrow contains a fatty acid called CLA (helps to reduce inflammation, boost immunity, and promotes overall fat loss)

After taking these, I’ve noticed a huge improvement in my overall digestion as well as healthier hair, skin, and nails. Additionally, I’ve noticed I don’t get as sore after a workout. And, even if I do get sore, my recovery time is much faster.

Quality is extremely important when it comes to taking animal extracts and/or glandulars. You want to make sure they’re sourced from animals that are pasture-raised, grass-fed, and not injected with steroids or hormones.

My favorite line of animal extracts and glandulars is Ancestral Supplements. I use their products personally and have been for years.

Get it Here: Grass-fed Living Bone and Grass-fed Bone Marrow

**I personally started with 1 capsule of each for the first week. Then, I worked up to 2 of the Living Bone and 3 of the Bone Marrow per day. I take them with my breakfast. Keep in mind that everyone responds differently to supplements, so it’s always a good idea to start slowly.

#2 – L-Glutamine

The next supplement that made a huge difference in my digestion, especially when it comes to leaky gut, is L-Glutamine.

If you’re not familiar with what leaky gut is, it’s basically when your intestinal lining becomes too permeable. Technically, your gut lining is supposed to be semi-permeable to allow things like micronutrients into the bloodstream. However, if it becomes too permeable, then undigested food particles, unwanted bacterias, and toxins can seep through into the bloodstream and create a whole host of negative health issues.

This is why it’s so important to strengthen your gut lining to help avoid a leaky gut. And, L-Glutamine is an amino acid that has been shown to not only help strengthen your gut lining, but also to help repair it.

Personally, I like to use the powder form instead of capsules. It easily absorbs into water and has a very mild taste. You can even add it to your smoothies and juices.

Get it Here: L-Glutamine Powder

** Personally, I started with 1/4 tsp in water and worked up to 1 tsp in water per day. Now, for maintenance, I only take about 1 tsp once per week. FYI: There are a small handful of people who may have an allergic reaction to L-Glutamine, so always start with a very small dosage.

My Favorite Probiotics for Gut Health

Of course, a huge part of improving and maintaining gut health is probiotics. Balancing your microflora can have a huge impact on your health, including how good or bad you feel, how well you digest foods, and much more! So, here are the two probiotics that I’ve taken for years now and still take to this day.

Just Thrive: A Spore-Based Probiotic

When I first began my health journey 10+ years ago, I knew I needed a good probiotic. I tried brand after brand, but all of them contained the lactobacillus strains (lactic acid based), and my body just did not respond well to them.

About 5 years ago, I heard about spore-based probiotics for gut health, and I went down the rabbit hole of research.

In a nutshell, spore-based probiotics are soil-based micro-orgasnisms, which means they’re not lactic acid based. Essentially, these micro-organisms live in the top soil and humans have been ingesting them for years. Back in the day, when people grew their own food, they’d harvest the vegetables directly from the soil, give them a light rinse, and eat them. This was actually a good thing because they’d ingest these soil-based organisms, which are very good for your overall gut health.

Nowadays, thanks to industrial farming, not growing our own foods, and over washing and peeling our produce, we’ve essentially stopped ingesting these beneficial micro-organisms.

This is where spore-based probiotics come into play. They help fill in the gap and diversify your gut bacteria if you’re unable to grow your own foods and pick them directly from the soil.

When I first started taking these probiotics several years ago, I noticed a huge improvement in my digestion. Not only was my digestion stronger and I could tolerate foods I used to not be able to tolerate (such as dairy), but it also helps my bowel movements to be more smooth and consistent. Additionally, our gut is our “second brain” so once you begin balancing and diversifying your gut bacteria, you’ll also notice an increase in energy and brain power!

Get it Here: Just Thrive Spore Based Probiotic (I take 1 per day in the AM on an empty stomach) USE CODE KAYLA15 FOR 15% OFF!

Jarrow: Saccharomyces Boulardii

This probiotic is unique in that it’s actually a beneficial yeast, not a bacteria. The reason this is so important is because it helps to keep other yeasts, such as Candida, in balance.

Candida is a naturally occurring yeast found in the body, but if it gets out of control, it can lead to lots of negative health symptoms.

Candida overgrowth can occur due to too many rounds of antibiotics, a diet high in processed sugars and refined carbs, heavy metal toxicity, and more.

Saccharomyces Boulardii helps to push excess candida out of the body to create a healthy balance. I like to take this probiotic as more of a preventative to ensure candida does get out of control. This strain can also be beneficial to those with Hashimoto’s.

Get it Here: Jarrow Saccharomyces Boulardii (I take 1 per day in the AM on an empty stomach.)

Bonus Mention: Digestive Enzymes

I no longer take digestive enzymes anymore because I’ve gotten my digestive and gut health to a place where I’m more maintaining instead of trying to heal and repair.

However, back when I found out I had Celiac Disease, I was barely absorbing any nutrients from the foods I was eating, and digestive enzymes played a major role in helping me recover.

With digestive enzymes, I was able to start absorbing nutrients again, which helped me to feel better in the short term while healing my leaky gut and strengthening my digestion.

So, I never looked at digestive enzymes as a longterm solution, but if you’re at the beginning stages of your health journey, they can make a big difference in how you feel, your energy levels, and with avoiding nutritional deficiencies.

Get it Here: Digestive Enzymes (best to take with meals)

I’ve tried many supplements over the years for gut health, and these are the ones that have stood the test of time and that I still use today (except the enzymes). I continue to take these supplements as maintenance to ensure I’m promoting overall gut health and keeping my gut flora diversified and in balance.

These supplements may not work for everyone, but they definitely work for me! Comment below some of your favorite supplements for gut health.

Looking for gut healing recipes?

Here’s some gut healing recipes that’ll support your overall digestion.

• Gut Healing Smoothie
• Collagen Beauty Smoothie
• Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack recipes!)

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease or illness. Always consult with a doctor or medical physician before beginning any new diet or supplement, especially if you’re on prescription medication(s).