Systemic Inflammation Leaky Gut & What You Can Do About Them
Things like systemic inflammation and leaky gut have started to become popular topics in the last few years, but I think its still very confusing for a lot of people.
What I hope to do is to give you a better understanding of what these processes are, how they occur, and what impact they may have on your persistent and / or confusing physical symptoms.
We dont always think about how lifestyle factors can play a role in the process of chronic inlflammation and leaky gut. Its easier to understand how something like smoking, just for example, can cause inflammation in the lungs and in the body. Whats harder to understand is how things like the foods that we are eating, stress levels, or poor quality sleep play a role as well. You cant always choose what things are going on, and that is a scary place to be, especially when it comes to your health. However, what you can choose is the way you respond and your habits and behaviors. This puts you back in a place of having some control over what is going on and a sense of empowerment surrounding the process, even if it takes time to overcome.
After giving you a more clear picture of what is going on within the bodyand hopefully a better understanding of how chronic inflammation occursI am going to give you some practical tips and next steps so that you have options for ways you can do something about them. It is a physical, emotional, and mental journey, but healing is worth the investment!
Signs You Have A Leaky Gut
Since leaky gut is not yet a medically recognized condition, there is no set diagnostic criteria. As Pedre explains it, “Leaky gut is not a diagnosis but a process, a description of the underlying pathology of numerous diseases that we treat yet have failed to find a cure for.”
However, there are some signs and symptoms you can look out for that may indicate a more permeable gut lining.
Leaky Gut Syndrome: 7 Signs You May Have It
May 8, 2018
If youve been around the natural health world very long, youve probably heard of a condition known as leaky gut syndrome. It sounds pretty gross, but its an important enough problem to consider. There are several leaky gut symptoms to be aware of, which is particularly important since leaky gut is associated with dozens of related conditions and diseases.
As more Americans are affected by poor diet choices, chronic stress, toxic overload and bacterial imbalance, it appears that the prevalence of leaky gut has reached epidemic proportions. The medical profession is just now agreeing this condition may even exist, which is especially shocking to me because intestinal permeability has been discussed in the medical literature for over 100 years!
Why should leaky gut syndrome concern you? Recently leaky gut has been called a danger signal for autoimmune disease. If youre wondering if you may be experiencing leaky gut, the first thing to do is access your symptoms. Keep in mind that its very common for people on a Standard American Diet to struggle with poor gut function and high levels of inflammation but just because digestive issues and autoimmune conditions are common doesnt make them normal!
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The Digestive System And Leaky Gut
Sustaining a sturdy digestive tract and stomach lining is vital for the prevention of a digestive condition known as leaky gut syndrome. This happens when the barrier lining of your intestine is damaged. The leaky gut syndrome causes food and waste particles to go through your bloodstream, causing inflammation.
This digestive system condition can cause several problems such as gas, bloating, gas, Irritable Bowel System aka IBS, also an increase in sensitivity to wheat-based, containing gluten, and sugar-rich foods. There are many studies that show the positive relationship between adding collagen to your diet and healing from your leaky gut issues.
What Exactly Is Leaky Gut
Inside our bellies, we have an extensive intestinal lining covering more than 4,000 square feet of surface area. When working properly, it forms a tight barrier that controls what gets absorbed into the bloodstream. An unhealthy gut lining may have large cracks or holes, allowing partially digested food, toxins, and bugs to penetrate the tissues beneath it. This may trigger inflammation and changes in the gut flora that could lead to problems within the digestive tract and beyond. The research world is booming today with studies showing that modifications in the intestinal bacteria and inflammation may play a role in the development of several common chronic diseases.
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Gluten For Those With Celiac Disease Or Non
Gluten proteins are the primary energy storage proteins of wheat, barley, and rye. Localized in the endosperm of these grains, the gluten family encompasses a wide variety of proteins, including gliadins and glutenins.
Gluten causes inflammation in people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity . Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to gluten marked by the disruption of healthy intestinal tissue structure, gastrointestinal distress, and extraintestinal symptoms such as rashes and anemia. NCGS is characterized by intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms triggered by gluten in the absence of celiac disease and wheat allergy. For many years, NCGS was diagnosable only through a gluten elimination diet however, innovative labs such as Cyrex have now made it possible to test for NCGS in the clinical setting.
Gluten triggers gut inflammation in susceptible individuals by binding to intestinal CXCR3 receptors, prompting the release of zonulin. Zonulin is a protein that facilitates the breakdown of tight junction proteins between intestinal epithelial cells, increasing intestinal permeability and gut inflammation. Gluten also activates intestinal mast cells, which release proinflammatory molecules such as histamine and tryptase that perpetuate gut inflammation.
Its important to note that gluten doesnt cause inflammation in everyone. Those without celiac disease or NCGS may be able to tolerate gluten in their diet.
What Can You Do
This will vary based on your rediness to change and your commitment level. Do what you can something is better than nothing.
Small stepsgather information and try to identify problems:
- Keep a food journal to log symptoms and identify triggers.
- Have MD do labs .
- Read labels to gain awareness.
- Keep track of times throughout your day where you experience high stress and times which you experience a sense of calm. This is just data collection. Do not attach judgment to it. It will give you an idea of where to make changes later on. Keep track of these things by writing them down or logging them in a note on your phone. Dont skip this thinking that you wont forget because you will.
Medium stepsadding things in which reduce inflammation:
Bigger stepsavoid the things which cause inflammation:
- Try an elimination dietary protocol and strategic reintroduction .
- Switch refined sugars for natural ones that dont impact blood sugar .
- Remove artificial ingredients and processed foods.
- Remove sources of stress .
- Set boundaries and give yourself more margin .
- Remove things from your schedule and create open space on your calendar.
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Can A Leaky Gut Cause Ic
Hello! Please note that all links on this blog leading to Amazon are affiliate links. This allows us to maintain an independent opinion when reviewing brands while earning commission when you shop. Please support us and go on a shopping spree with Amazon 🙂
Can a leaky gut cause IC? Well, I have been seeing some great success in the reduction of pain symptoms when working with my interstitial cystitis clients to improve their overall health and quality of life.
One thing I found consistent across the board was the wide range of digestive issues that people with IC have.
I believe that IC is more than just an isolated bladder condition, rather a global dysfunction in the body often caused by so-called leaky gut syndrome.
Leaky gut has been associated with a variety of medical conditions such as:
- allergies,
- and, I believe, a leaky gut could cause interstitial cystitis , as well.
What Other Foods Can Cause An Issue Besides The High
These are the foods that are more irritants than they are allergens, or instead of being related to the protein molecule mistake tagging, they cause inflammation in other ways.
Big things:
- Carbs: All are not bad its refined carbs that cause the majority of problems.
- Fats: All fats arent bad its certain types of fats that cause problems trans-fat, saturated fat*, vegetable oils, incorrect omega 3 to 6 ratio.
- Alcohol: It may be shown to have some benefits, but it is a toxin first and foremost, and for someone dealing with chronic inflammation the benefits dont outweigh the problems.
- Caffeine: Might not be a problem for everyone, but for anyone dealing with cortisol issues it can be a major issue .
- Coffee: It is very heavily contaminated with pesticides , and again the caffeine may apply as a concern for some.
- Low quality meats: Processed meat which has additives and preservatives, meat thats fed poor quality diet , meat grown with antibiotics and hormones which are irritants.
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What Causes Systemic Inflammation
In a situation where there is an underlying issue already present and then something else happens above and beyond what the body can handle, things can start going wrong with the immune system. Basically, the body is already on high alert, then there is an additional trigger.
I mentioned before about the different molecules responsible for the inflammatory response. Some mark the foreign invaders and then others come in and attack them based on those tag. If the process is efficient, all goes right, but the body can only handle so many things at once.
When the body overwhelmed by all the things going on, its like someone running around trying to tag the problems but they dont have time to really look closely and so they can end up marking normal things by accident. The body can end up marking its own tissues that look very similar to the actual invader or other things that look like problems, but actually arent. Many of these things are proteins that are complex and have pieces that look very similar. That is why dietary things can be such heavy hitters.
This overwhelm of compounding things can be caused by things outside of our controlthing like illness, injury, exposure to harmful substances in our environment, genetic predisposition, autoimmune conditions, but systemic inflammation can be caused by things which are under our control as well.
Have Leaky Gut These 7 Food Additives Might Be To Blame
Our intestines do more work than we give them credit for, with the ability to process the food we eat and utilize the nutrients for the health of our bodies all while we go about our daily lives. Individuals who may indulge in less than healthy diets could be doing damage to their intestines without even knowing it, and their digestive problems might be a result of something called leaky gut.
Termed a medical gray area by physicians across the world, not much is known about this condition except that it can cause symptoms that make life difficult, including gas, bloating, and cramping after eating certain foods. Also called intestinal permeability, its thought to be linked to a wide variety of ailments including:
- Lupus
- Type 1 diabetes
- And so many more!
Leaky gut occurs in individuals when their intestinal lining breaks down and allows undigested food particles to enter into the bloodstream. This triggers an inflammatory response that can vary in severity, and until the gut lining is healed, the symptoms they experience will be ongoing. If youve ever had a stomach ache after eating a specific food or have a general feeling of unwellness all of the time, leaky gut could be the reason for the way you feel.
Foods That Contribute To Leaky Gut
Bolstering Our Gut Health
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What Are The Big Dietary Triggers
Often things which have complex proteins:
- Wheat/gluten
- Dairy: including whey and casein
- Soy: including protein powders and other soy-based products soy sauce, condiments, cooking spray, meat alternatives, soy milk, etc.
- Eggs: whites, yolk, or both depending on the person
- Legumes: beans, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts
Does All Disease Begin In Your Gut The Surprising Truth
More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates the father of modern medicine suggested that all disease begins in the gut.
While some of his wisdom has stood the test of time, you may wonder whether he was right in this regard.
This article tells you all you need to know about the connection between your gut and disease risk.
Though Hippocrates was incorrect in suggesting that all disease begins in your gut, evidence shows that many chronic metabolic diseases do.
Your gut bacteria and the integrity of your gut lining strongly affect your health. .
According to numerous studies, undesirable bacterial products called endotoxins can sometimes leak through your gut lining and enter your bloodstream (
3 ).
Some hypothesize that this diet-induced inflammation may trigger insulin and leptin resistance driving factors for type 2 diabetes and obesity, respectively. Its also believed to cause fatty liver disease.
At the very least, inflammation has been strongly linked to many of the worlds most serious conditions (
Nonetheless, keep in mind that this area of research is rapidly developing, and current theories may be overhauled in the future.
SUMMARY
Though not all disease begins in the gut, many chronic metabolic conditions are hypothesized to be caused or influenced by chronic gut inflammation.
Inflammation is your immune systems response to foreign invaders, toxins, or cell injury.
17 ).
29 ).
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Shop Your Favorites From Levels 1 & 2
Unlike food and drinks, it can be a bit hard to say which are your favorites.
For example, no one is running around like a collagen-crazed cookie monster screaming Ooooh, I love the taste of hydrolyzed collagen, me want peptides!.
So to help you narrow in on the best supplements to shop for, Ive made a quick guide below. Some notes about the guide:
- Must Haves Ive focused on the supplements from the pyramid that have the most direct impact on our gut health , are hard to get from our food, give the best bang for buck, and of course, are backed by the most studies. These are my personal must haves.
- If Budget Allows There are some fantastic supplements here. But since no one has the time or money to take all of them, Ive specified criteria and questions to ask yourself to determine what makes sense for you. This is super important for making your supplement protocol realistic.
- Where to buy Ive included Amazon links for all products, because there is no easier way to buy and all Prime members get free 1-2 day shipping.
- ZERO affiliate links every product I link to is simply the one I use each day, and was also a part of the formulation team for. So not only do I love these supplements, but they are even my babies.
Gut Microbiota And Autism
2016 review , autistic children often develop significant digestive problems, such as constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting.
In a small 2017 study, researchers compared stool samples from two groups of children autistic children with GI symptoms, and those without autism or GI symptoms. The researchers identified significantly higher amounts of Clostridium perfringens bacteria in samples collected from autistic children with GI symptoms.
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Low Mood And Mood Disorders
The gut microbiome plays a huge role in our mood and mental stability as well, and even the development of some mental health disorders . Because changes in microbiota correlate to changes in brain chemistry, a gut microbiome disruption due to illness, antibiotics, etc., can be associated with abnormal behavior and cognition, including mood disruption, depression, and anxiety . If this change in the microbiome causes leaky gut and thus weakens the mucosal lining and increases permeability, inflammation can be another driver of mood disruption . And unfortunately, just as hyperpermeability can be cyclical, inflammation can also be both a cause and result of depression .
Diseases Associated With Leaky Gut
There are some common digestive diseases as well as diseases found in other parts of the body that are often associated with leaky gut. These include conditions like Celiac Disease, Crohns Disease, and irritable bowel syndrome , or inflammatory bowel disease , as well as diabetes and liver disease. Many of these are considered autoimmune diseases or contain an autoimmune component. Autoimmune responses have been shown to be made worse by the presence of harmful substances that enter the bloodstream from the intestines. When these substances cross the intestinal barrier, the body recognizes them as foreign or harmful objects to be attacked through an immune response. Food allergies are another condition associated with leaky gut that can result in digestive issues and serious health problems. Heartburn, acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease commonly occur due to food allergies and food sensitivities.
The immune system is also central to preventing other serious diseases like colon cancer. While research is still underway, scientists do know that the immune system is directly influenced by the makeup of the microbes and bacteria in the gut. There is a connection to be made and better understood the importance of maintaining a healthy digestive system, even in relation to causes and risk factors for serious diseases such as cancer.
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