Could “Leaky Gut” Be Causing Your Health Problems?
Perhaps you’ve been struggling with some frustrating health symptoms that just don’t seem to be improving. It could be brain fog or difficulty concentrating. Maybe you’ve started having skin issues like rashes or even full-blown psoriasis or eczema. Could be that your thyroid has gotten sluggish or your blood sugar levels have become dysregulated. You’ve been doing all the “right things”, but your condition just isn’t really getting any better. Could a condition called increased intestinal permeability aka “leaky gut” be to blame for your symptoms?
What is “leaky gut”?
The lining of your digestive system is designed to absorb nutrients into your bloodstream and keep bad stuff (like bacteria, toxins, undigested protein molecules, etc.) out of your bloodstream. Most nutrient absorption occurs in your small intestine, where the lining is only one layer thick. The cells in your gut lining are held together by what’s called tight junctions. These junctions open to let the nutrients cross into your bloodstream and then close back up to keep the bad stuff out. Sounds good, right? However, if the gut lining becomes compromised, these junctions can start to let things like bacterial toxins and larger protein molecules into the bloodstream. If this happens, your immune system will react to these foreign invaders, and if the process continues, inflammation and even autoimmune disease may eventually develop.
One helpful illustration for leaky gut is to think about a window screen. You open up a window and the screen is there to let good, fresh air in (think nutrients) and keep bad guys like insects (think toxins, bacteria, etc.) out. However, if you start poking larger holes in that screen, bugs and other unwanted invaders can start coming in. At this point you’re scrambling to try and get rid of the insects that have taken over the room. This is similar to how your immune system reacts when foreign particles and toxins enter the bloodstream due to increased permeability in the gut lining. Maybe not a perfect analogy, but hopefully you get the picture.
What health problems can be caused by leaky gut?
Leaky gut can be the cause of many digestive symptoms and even lead to conditions like irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease. But the effects can extend beyond the gut into pretty much any system of the body. In fact, it is possible to have increased intestinal permeability without having digestive-related symptoms. Here are some symptoms and conditions that have been linked to leaky gut:
Autoimmune conditions – Many autoimmune diseases including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus have been linked to increased permeability in the gut lining.
Skin issues - acne, rashes, psoriasis, and eczema
Brain and neurological problems – anxiety, depression, brain fog, multiple sclerosis
Systemic issues - fatigue, joint pain, fibromyalgia, lupus
Environmental and food allergies
Thyroid problems – autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s) and hyperthyroidism (Graves’)
Metabolic issues – obesity, blood sugar dysregulation
If you’ve been experiencing chronic health problems and they don’t seem to be improving, it could be worth taking a look at your gut health. A compromised intestinal lining could play a role in the symptoms you are struggling with.
We’ve discussed what leaky gut is and what conditions it can cause or contribute to. In our next post we will go into detail about what causes this increased intestinal permeability and what we can do to treat it.
Struggling with your health and need help getting back on track? HopeSpring Functional Wellness is now accepting new patients! Schedule a free discovery call today to get started.
Sources and References
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