Let’s look at ten signs of a leaky gut and the steps to heal it.
The gut is one of the largest organs in our body. It consists of the GI tract (esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine). The GI tract is part of our digestive system, it absorbs, and eliminates waste. It is the gateway to good health. Why?
It houses 70-80% of our immune system, has a direct connection through neurotransmitters to our brain, and houses the building blocks for making hormones for our endocrine system. Gut health impacts our moods, hormones (cycles), digestion, seasonal allergies, joint function, and much more. The two main components of gut health are the intestinal lining and the microbiome.
Intestinal Barrier (gut lining)
The intestinal barrier is made up of several components and is generally semi-permeable.
● Physical lining: the mucosal and epithelial lining, which ensures the gut passes and
exchanges substances appropriately
● Chemical barrier: home to the immune system, digestive enzymes, antimicrobials, and inflammation response, which defend against unwanted substances and pathogens. The intestinal wall is permeable to nutrients from our food but deflects harmful microorganisms. It achieves this by making mucous, digestive enzymes, and housing immune system cells to fight infection. Food must be digested by bacteria and enzymes into smaller molecules for the nutrients to get used. Proteins get made into amino acids, fats into fatty acids, and carbohydrates into simple sugars. What is left is either digested by bacteria or eliminated in the waste product.
Microbial Barrier (microbiome)
The microbial barrier is comprised of gut bacteria, which secrete antibodies, creating an immune response to protect against pathogens or harmful bacteria. Your microbiome is unique to you. Most of the microbiome is common bacteria, but some are from your exposure to the environment. Some antibodies protect the body against dangerous bacteria and viruses.
What is a leaky gut?
Leaky gut, also called intestinal permeability, occurs when the intestinal cells or the junctions between the cells are damaged, allowing unwanted substances to pass through the intestine. They can get damaged by food, medications, toxins, frequent antibiotic use, and chronic stress. When leaking occurs, unwanted substances cross the intestinal barrier and cause inflammation.
Let’s review the 10 Signs you have Leaky Gut
Food Sensitivities
Do you have certain foods you can not eat? Typically wheat, soy, corn, dairy, and peanuts. When certain foods irritate the intestinal lining, they pass undigested through the lining. Then the immune system reacts to them and causes inflammation which we notice as bloating, constipation or diarrhea, or abdominal pain. If this is you, take a food sensitivity test from EverlyWell and identify the foods that aggravate your body.
Skin Conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea
The skin or the integumentary system contains a good portion of your immune system. Therefore when you have systemic inflammation from an unhealthy gut it manifests as skin conditions such as rashes or acne. Several autoimmune disorders have rashes or acne as a hallmark of their disease for this reason as well.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common condition that affects 1 out of every 10 Americans. It is categorized as bloating, gas, pain, cramping because the gut is irritable. It is not a structural but a functional problem meaning there is nothing physically wrong with the bowel. The causes are either food sensitivities or a poor composition of bacteria in the gut.
Auto-immune conditions such as hypothyroidism
Per the name, autoimmune disorders are a dysfunction of the immune system. 70% of the immune system can be found in the gut, so the gut is tightly connected to autoimmune health. The immune system is on high alert from the particles leaking through the gut lining, and it starts attacking its tissue. That leads to many autoimmune symptoms like digestive issues, weight instability, and skin conditions.
Mood Disorders such as anxiety and depression
The gut is often referred to as the second brain. That is because most of the mood hormone serotonin gets produced in the gut. The intestinal cells in the gut (enterocytes) have nerve fibers and receive neurotransmitters or signals from the brain directly. A leaky gut can cause anxiety and depression, and a mood disorder can worsen a leaky gut.
Chronic Joint Pain
Seasonal Allergies
Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalgia
The lack of absorption of nutrients from food is correlated with energy levels. When the gut is not functioning, it does not absorb nutrients to turn into energy. And in turn, the lack of available energy for bodily functions causes chronic fatigue syndrome.
Hormonal Imbalances such as PCOS
A significant component of PCOS is insulin resistance and inflammation. Since that is common in many chronic diseases, there are links between PCOS and a leaky gut. Leaky gut causes not only digestive symptoms but also significant inflammation. Research has shown that women with PCOS have a disrupted gut microbiome. The excess androgens make the disruption and inflammation worse. Which then causes blood sugar imbalances (insulin resistance). It is a “snowball” effect, leading some researchers to wonder if leaky gut is the cause of PCOS.
How to heal a leaky gut
Diet and lifestyle changes can help you heal your leaky gut. Getting a healthy gut requires:
- Avoiding foods that trigger an immune response
- Eat nutrients that support a healthy gut
- Add supplements or herbs to add to your diet
- Make lifestyle choices that improve the gut barrier
A quick mention of nutrients that support a healthy gut. There are a lot of nutrients that support a healthy gut, but these are the most important ones:
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Zinc
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT)
Glycine and Glutamine (amino acids)
Soluble and Insoluble Fiber
Probiotics
DHEA and EPA
Fasano, A. Leaky gut and autoimmune diseases. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2012;42(1):71-8
