Leaky gut is otherwise known as increased intestinal permeability.
Picture your gut lining as having small holes, allowing it to absorb nutrients that allow your body to function.
Permeability can be seen as "how much" is able to move through these holes to be absorbed.
When your gut becomes damaged, these holes increase in size, thus increasing the permeability (how much is absorbed).
When holes and cracks form in the lining of your gut, this allows things to seep through like bacteria or toxins which shouldn't otherwise do so.
This can result in a host of symptoms, including bloating, cramps, and skin irritation - but is not commonly spoken about, so can fly under the radar.
The most common cause of leaky gut is an imbalance between "good" and "bad" bacteria, but can also result from the overconsumption of coffee, alcohol, or even drugs.
This is why, if you're on a gut healing journey, alcohol shouldn't be consumed, and coffee limited - especially on an empty stomach.
In order to overcome the issues, you need to take a holistic approach to rebalance the good and bad bacteria in your gut, which is what my coaching plan The Gut Reset tackles.
The Gut Reset also provides a detailed supplementation guide, and some of those listed as specifically aiding leaky gut are vitamin A, zinc, fish oil, and l-glutamine.
Providing sufficient gut rest through either fasting or not snacking too frequently between meals has also been shown to aid in healing the lining of the gut - something I discuss at length in my book.
A bonus tip, consuming bone broth which contains a host of vitamins, minerals, and collagen has been shown to support healing the gut lining - again discussed in my book.
In summary, you want to both provide the overall environment to allow your gut to heal, and also tackle the root cause of the issue itself.