"Leaky Gut" Syndrome
- What is "Leaky Gut" Syndrome ?
- What connection may Leaky Gut have to other clinical conditions ?
- What are the symptoms of Leaky Gut ?
- What causes Leaky Gut ?
- How can changing your diet help with Leaky Gut ?
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What is "Leaky Gut Syndrome" ?
Leaky Gut is the name commonly given to a condition called "increased intestinal permeability" that is thought to affect up to a third of the world's population. But what is it?
The wall of your gut (intestine) is the main way by which your body absorbs the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to maintain health and vitality. It is also one your body's main lines of defence against foreign bodies.The wall of the gut is highly intricate and is covered normally with a mucosal lining which acts as a barrier keeping out harmful substances and allowing only properly digested fats, proteins, and starches into the bloodstream.
However, when your mucosal lining breaks down, large molecules of undigested food can pass directly into your blood stream. Your immune system recognises these as a threat triggering the production of antigens, which results in a wide number of different effects. Harmful bacteria and toxins can also pass into the bloodstream, creating "cytokines" which alert your white blood cells, and can contribute to inflammation and irritation throughout the body.
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| Wall lining of healthy guts | Wall lining of leaky gut showing large food particles passing directly into bloodstream |
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What connection may Leaky Gut have to other clinical conditions ?
Leaky Gut may be behind a huge range of conditions causing us to feel unwell, and in the longer term, promoting illness and poor health. It has been linked to:-
| Acne | Giardia |
| Alcohol - excess use | Hives |
| Ankylosing spondylitis | HIV positive status |
| Autism | Inflammatory joint disease ie rheumatoid arthritis |
| Behcets disease | Intestinal infections |
| Celiac disease | Irritable bowel syndrome |
| childhood hyperactivity | liver dysfunction |
| Chronic fatigue syndrome | Malnutrition |
| Cirrhosis | NSAIDs - prolonged use |
| Crohn's disease | Psoriasis |
| Cystic fibrosis | Ulcerative colitis |
| Eczema | |
| Environmental illness | |
| Food allergies and sensitivities |
You can see from this list that there are a number which, at first glance, you would not associate with faulty digestion. The reality is that disorders in the intestinal tract can often be linked to conditions far removed from it.
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What are the symptoms of Leaky gut ?
There are a wide range of symptoms which may indicate that you are suffering from a leaky gut. These can include:-
| Abdominal pain | Food sensitivities |
| Diarrhoea | Indigestion |
| Asthma | Bloating |
| Bed wetting | Mood swings |
| Chronic joint pain | Aggressive behaviour |
| Recurrent bladder infections | Nervousness |
| Chronic muscle pain | Anxiety |
| Fevers of unknown origin | Poor exercise tolerance |
| Confusion | |
| Poor memory | Poor immunity |
| Fuzzy thinking/brain fog | Fatigue and malaise |
| Shortness of breath | Recurrent vaginal infections |
| Gas/wind | Toxic feelings |
| Constipation | Skin rashes |
| Poor alcohol tolerance |
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What causes Leaky Gut ?
The main causes of Leaky Gut are:-
- Poor or unhealthy diet
The modern diet which most of us eat is low in fibre, and full of saturated fat, sugar and salt. Not only is it low in nutrient value, it contributes to an imbalance in healthy bacteria and Ph. A gut that is either too alkaline, or too acidic, promotes dysbiosis. Low fibre diets slow down digestion time, allowing toxins to build up and to irritate the gut lining. High fat levels, food additives and sugar all act to inflame the intestinal tract. The proteins from wheat and dairy products are notoriously hard to digest (perhaps because of their relatively recent addition to our diet in evolutionary terms). These foods also have the ability to irritate the gut wall, causing leakiness.
- Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis, a term describing poor digestive conditions, is a major cause of Leaky Gut. It is associated with the build-up of bad bacteria in the gut,as well as Candida, other yeasts and parasites. Healthy bacteria, which protect the gut lining, are destroyed in the process.
- Excess use of alcohol
Alcohol depletes B-complex vitamins which are essential for healthy digestion.Alcohol also burdens the liver which releases toxins into the body that damage the intestinal tract.
- Immune system overload
Exposure to certain foods, as well as environmental and household chemicals, can stress our immune system and slow down our natural ability to repair cell damage.This has a bad effect on the maintenance of a healthy gut wall.
Chronic stress
Our bodies react to prolonged stress by producing less immune defence hormones and by slowing down the digestive process by reducing the blood supply to the intestinal tract.Prolonged use of NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Iboprufen
Drugs such as these directly damage the lining of the gut, allowing partially digested articles and toxins to enter the bloodstream.
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How can changing your diet help with Leaky Gut ?
Dealing with Leaky Gut requires a dual strategy approach, and it is best to work with a qualified nutritionist to assist you in the process.
First, it involves understanding,and then treating the underlying cause of Leaky Gut, be that, for example, poor diet, or stress. We may advise you to undergo one, or more, specific tests to establish precisely the antecedents to the Leaky Gut, such as:-
Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis test
which can accurately describe the presence of parasites, yeast overgrowth, and unhealthy bacteria,as well as point to imbalances in intestinal Ph.
Intestinal Permeability test - a urine test which can confirm a leaky gut as well as measure the extent of leakiness in the gut wall.
Food intolerance test. This is recommended as a fast and accurate way of determining which foods should be excluded from the diet whilst the process of repairing the gut wall takes place.
Repair of the health and integrity of your gut wall can now begin. This will also probably involve changes in your diet to optimize nutritional values, as well as a programme of supplements to support restoration of normal digestive operation.
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