Leaky Gut Syndrome
Are my guts actually leaking? Intestinal permeability, or leaky gut as it is more commonly known, occurs as a result of inflammation and imbalance in the digestive system. When working optimally, the lining of our intestines is tight and impermeable. However, when there is inflammation and irritation, the lining of our intestines can easily be penetrated. This allows substances that are harmful to enter into the intestines. These unwelcomed substances can include undigested food particles, bacteria, fungi, and toxins which trigger an immune response from the body, placing stress on important organs such as the kidneys, pancreas, and liver – our primary detox organs!
So, how do we prevent this from occurring and causing disruption system wide?
Knowing what causes this as well as recognizing the signs and symptoms that our bodies are giving us to indicate that something is out of balance.
Signs and Symptoms
- Eczema
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Brain Fog
- Abdominal bloating
- Lots of gas and gas pains
- Belly cramps
- Chronic fatigue
- Food sensitivities (especially new ones)
- Swollen joints or joint pain
- Skin rashes
- Autoimmune responses (where the body attacks itself)
- Other symptoms no one has linked to leaky gut just yet
Causes of leaky gut
Zonulin
Zonulin is like the gatekeeper for your bowels. It decides how much space there is between the cells of your bowel lining. Meaning? Zonulin decides what size food molecules can pass through that lining.
A 2006 study showed that the bowels (aka intestines/guts) of some people react to gluten by making too much Zonulin.
This makes the gut more “permeable” allowing larger and more molecules to pass through the intestinal wall.
Voila! Leaky gut!
This could be why some people are sensitive to wheat and other gluten containing grains. If Zonulin allows molecules into the body that don’t belong there, you can then become sensitive to other foods.
Chronic Stress
Are you surprised? Chronic stress can alter the body’s immune response. The more stress you endure, the weaker your immune response. Therefore a body that is in a state of stress for a prolonged period of time, is likely going to struggle to successfully fight off foreign invaders.
Stress also increases cortisol levels which can greatly increase belly fat.
Alcohol Consumption
Sorry to break the news – but unfortunately alcohol is not your friend. Over consumption of alcohol can result in an accumulation of toxins. Toxin build up can impair both liver and intestinal function.
Dysbiosis
Too many bad bugs and not enough of good bugs! By simply having an imbalance in gut flora, the intestinal tract becomes significantly more permeable. Keeping your gut flora in tact is important when trying to keep your guts from leaking. A good reason to take probiotics daily!
What about Candida Albicans and leaky gut syndrome?
Candida albicans are a yeast/fungus, that can take over the natural bacteria in your gut. This is known as a yeast overgrowth, a candida infection or a yeast infection in your bowels.
Candida can make you sick by itself, however under certain circumstances, this yeast can grow through the intestinal wall and cause leaking gut.
Leaky gut can present itself differently from individual to individual. It may be associated with allergies, malabsorption issues, autoimmune diseases (the body essentially attacking itself), as well as food and environmental sensitivities among various other imbalanced and altered states. There are several lifestyle modifications that can be made to decrease the occurrence of a leaky gut – however – managing stress, eating a clean diet, and limiting alcohol consumption are effective adjustments you can make that can significantly reduce the risk of its manifestation!
Leaky gut and COVID-19
C0V1D-19 is largely associated with respiratory symptoms. While that is factual, it is not the entire story. As it turns out, C0V1D can also affect your gastrointestinal tract.
A January 2021 study from the American Society for Microbiology found that gut dysbiosis and leaky gut may actually let the C0V1D-19 virus into the bloodstream and cause multiple organ complications.
So, if you were to catch COVID today, is your gut going to be able to handle it?
