Your gut truly is the gateway to good health. When your gut malfunctions, it can lead to a wide range of health problems. A widely debated topic in gastroenterology research as well as the field of immunology is “leaky gut” or “intestinal permeability.” But what exactly is it?
The lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is composed of small, side-by-side epithelial cells forming tight junctions. These tight junctions act as a barrier between the inside of the body (blood/circulatory system) and the outside of the body (the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract). Under healthy conditions, our intestine allows the absorption of essential nutrients from the intestinal lumen while providing a barrier against the passage of harmful substances into the body.
Leaky gut occurs when there is an increase in permeability of the intestinal mucosa, leading to increased absorption of gut-derived endotoxins, antigens, and inflammatory mediators. Gluten, for example, is known to cause intestinal cells to release zonulin, a protein that can break down tight junctions in the intestinal lining.
But many other factors may be involved: intestinal infections (bacteria, yeast, parasites) are particularly common, but medications, including antibiotics, environmental toxins, stress and age, can also cause these junctions to break down. tight. When epithelial cells and junctions begin to break down, this allows toxins to pass through and between cells into the bloodstream. These foreign molecules may include undigested food molecules, toxins or bacteria. As a result, our immune system is activated to eliminate or destroy these unwanted molecules. This activation of the immune system results in an inflammatory response and can lead to a wide range of signs, symptoms and health problems.
This can lead to long-term health consequences. In fact, increased intestinal permeability has been linked to symptoms far from the gut, including autoimmune diseases, depression, arthritis, diabetes, and other conditions in which a pro-inflammatory state persists.
Healing a leaky gut is one of the most important things you can do to restore overall health and vitality and I explain in detail how to do this in my book: The Gut Health Diet Book.
When the gut is damaged, instead of being a source of nutrition, it becomes the source and gateway to toxicity and inflammation. Research has shown that intestinal permeability is associated with a range of health problems and not just IBS-like symptoms. For example, systemic inflammation, allergic reactions such as eczema, asthma or hay fever and the progression of autoimmune diseases.
By restoring health and function to the gut, you prevent potential invaders from entering the bloodstream where they can cause inflammation locally in your gut but also systemically throughout your body.
Signs of a leaky gut include:
- Symptoms of IBS: bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea
- Asthma, eczema, seasonal allergies
- Hormonal imbalances, premenstrual syndrome
- Autoimmune diseases, e.g. celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, hashimotos
- Chronic fatigue / fibromyalgia
- Mood disorders, depression
- Candida overgrowth
- Food allergies
- Inflammations in the body
- Skin conditions, e.g. acne, psoriasis
You can test for leaky gut via the Cyrex test and zonulin markers. In many cases, further laboratory tests are necessary to identify the underlying triggers that contributed to the leaky gut.
Damage to the intestinal lining can occur for a variety of reasons, including intestinal infections, sensitivity to certain foods (especially gluten and dairy), oxidative damage, medications, stress, alcohol, smoking, nutritional deficiencies and poor diet. Therefore, identifying key dietary triggers is also an important step in promoting long-term healing. However, healing the gut requires more than just eliminating known allergenic foods. He needs to be fed nutrient-rich and specific foods. That’s why I wrote the Gut Health Book to bring you delicious and nourishing recipes to restore gut health.
Changing your diet, taking supplements, and making lifestyle changes are all important to help restore the intestinal lining and improve your long-term health.
If you suffer from persistent digestive problems, contact the office to arrange an individual consultation.