Seasonal Allergies Or Asthma
This symptom of leaky gut may have you scratching your head, but if you start having seasonal allergies or asthma problems that you previously didnt have, then it could be a sign of leaky gut syndrome. Usually people who have seasonal allergies and respiratory issues have had them for their entire lives meaning that any sudden onset of these problems could be an indicator that leaky gut is to blame.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Leaky Gut And What Causes It
Its been linked to all sorts of health problemshere are the symptoms of a leaky gut, and what to do about it.
Your gut may seem completely separate from your brain, but your digestive system has significant implications on your brain health and your mental health. And many people have no idea that they have a leaky gut.
In this guide, well explore what a leaky gut is, what the symptoms of leaky gut syndrome are, and how to give your gut the love and care it needs to thrive.
Signs You Have Leaky Gut Syndrome & How To Heal It
7 Signs You Have Leaky Gut Syndrome & amp How to Heal It Contributing writer 7 Signs You Have Leaky Gut Syndrome & amp How to Heal It
Leaky gut syndrome, also known as intestinal permeability, is a digestive condition that can drive inflammation and autoimmunity. While it is not yet a widely recognized medical condition, integrative and functional medicine doctors are at the forefront of diagnosis and treatment, while more research is starting to emerge to explain what it is and how to heal it.
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What Foods Should You Avoid If You Have Leaky Gut Syndrome
If your doctor feels confident that you likely have leaky gut, they may recommend adjusting your diet to remove inflammatory foods that could impact gut flora, such as:
- Processed foods
- Foods that may trigger allergies or sensitivities, such as gluten or dairy
- Alcohol
Additionally, the doctor may also recommend a low FODMAP diet. Usually, this diet is recommended for people with IBS or even celiac disease, but it may help relieve some of the symptoms from leaky gut as well, especially since there is so much symptom overlap.
Creating a diet rich in foods that aid the growth of beneficial gut bacteria is important as well. Some great options are vegetables , roots, fruit, sprouted seeds, fish, cultured dairy products and nuts .
References
Systemic Disease Infections And Dysbiosis
Diseases and infections can cause the gut lining to loosen, causing leaky gut, which is why we have to keep our immune system healthy and strong and support the gut in many disease states. Infections can cause an imbalance of the healthy and opportunistic bacteria in the gut, which can result in the overgrowth of bacteria, yeast, fungi, and/or parasites. Its been shown that the pathology of disease can be tied to the degree of intestinal permeability.
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What Is Leaky Gut Syndrome Exactly
Specifically, leaky gut syndrome is a digestive condition in which toxins and bacteria enter your bloodstream through gaps in your intestinal walls. This happens because your intestines are too permeable. In other words, your intestine is abnormally susceptible to these substances passing through them, which leads to a range of symptoms.
Amazingly, your intestinal lining covers a staggering 4,000 square feet of surface area.
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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Leaky Gut Symptoms Causes Effect And Treatment
If you were to ask a good number of people to list all the diseases they know or those which exist then you will be so surprised. Not so many diseases are well known out there which is very worrying because without their knowledge then many people stand a huge risk. One of these diseases which is not well known is the leaky gut infection which affects people without even them knowing.
The sad state of things is that still, there is not so much information out there about this disease. As such, many people who experience its signs confuse them with those of another disease or ignore them altogether. As a result, one of the people affected might have themselves consumed with the illness without their knowledge.
Due to this state of things it has become essential to try and offer as much information on the Leaky gut as it is possible. This is exactly what this text is all about. The text is an attempt to provide you with as much information on the issue of Leaky gut syndrome and any other things you might find useful in this regard.
What Causes Leaky Gut
For treatment for Leaky gut to be sought and found one thing has to be established and that is the cause of this condition. It is only by knowing what exactly causes Leaky gut that you will be able to know how best to treat this condition when it affects you.
The causes of Leaky gut vary from one to the other. As such, it is not exactly easy to tell what exactly causes Leaky gut in all people who are affected. The only thing that any research can do is to look at some of the common causes of this condition in different people.
Tight instability and inflammatory response are some of the known common causes of Leaky gut in people. However, it should be noted that these are not the only causes of Leaky gut as there are others also which might not be known.
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How To Find A Good Probiotic
Most probiotics dont actually work. They either contain bacteria that are already dead or bacteria that will die the second they make contact with your stomach acid.
One of my rules-of-thumb is to never buy probiotics that are in the refrigerated section. If they cant survive at room temperature, they definitely wont survive in a 98.6 degree Fahrenheit human body.
And even when the bacteria are alive, a lot of companies dont put enough in their formulas to actually make a difference. You want trillions of living, effective bacteria in your probiotic supplement.
Finally, you also want to make sure you get the right strains of bacteria to repair your gut. A 2017 study in people with leaky gut found that there are four specific probiotic bacteria that strengthen your gut lining:
- Bacillus subtilis HU58
- Bacillus clausii
- Bacillus coagulans
There are a few good probiotic companies out there. Ive done a lot of research on probiotics over the years, and these days my go-to choice is Just Thrive.
Just Thrive makes probiotics that are coated in a protective shell designed to pass through your stomach intact, and their testing shows that 99% of the probiotic bacteria in their formulation make it into your gut alive.
They also contain all four of the best strains for gut repair. Instead of throwing a bunch of different bacteria strains at you and seeing what sticks, Just Thrive delivers a large dose of only the most effective probiotic strains.
Bacterial Imbalance And Overgrowth
Once your intestinal bacteria are out of balance, there is an opportunity for potentially harmful bacteria to overgrow and flourish. This can manifest in intense food cravings , bloating, gas, diarrhea and stomach pains. In response, the body triggers an immune reaction resulting in inflammation, which weakens the tight junctions and can lead to leaky gut.
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Persistent Bloating Gas And Diarrhea
Intestinal permeability is linked to your body having a difficult time with digestion, and both irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease could be results of LGS. It stands to reason that LGS is also associated with general gassiness and diarrhea. Leaky gut syndrome can also trigger food sensitivities.
How Does Leaky Gut Occur
The walls of our intestines are built to allow water and nutrients to pass through to our bloodstream. However, at the same time, bacteria and toxins enter the bloodstream, where they can be harmful. It is also worth noting that even though people usually talk about guts or intestines in general terms when discussing leaky gut syndrome, the loosening of our guts lining largely happens in the small intestine.
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Leaky Gut: What Is It And What Does It Mean For You
- By , Contributor
Before the medical community had better understanding of the mechanisms that cause disease, doctors believed certain ailments could originate from imbalances in the stomach. This was called hypochondriasis. This concept was rejected as science evolved and, for example, we could look under a microscope and see bacteria, parasites, and viruses. The meaning of the term changed, and for many years doctors used the word “hypochondriac” to describe a person who has a persistent, often inexplicable fear of having a serious medical illness.
But what if this ancient concept of illnesses originating in the gut actually holds some truth? Could some of the chronic diseases our society faces today actually be associated with a dysfunctional gastrointestinal system?
The expression “leaky gut” is getting a lot of attention in medical blogs and social media lately, but dont be surprised if your doctor does not recognize this term. Leaky gut, also called increased intestinal permeability, is somewhat new and most of the research occurs in basic sciences. However, there is growing interest to develop medications that may be used in patients to combat the effects of this problem.
What Are The Symptoms Of Leaky Gut Syndrome
Leaky gut syndrome is not recognized as an official condition my some doctors and can be difficult for all healthcare providers to identify. The symptoms often look very similar to other health conditions, so it is hard to distinguish the underlying cause. Constipation, bloating, and chronic diarrhea are leaky gut symptoms that also show up in numerous gastrointestinal illnesses and conditions. Nutritional deficiencies are also often seen. Fatigue, headache, trouble concentrating, and confusion, are vague and hard-to-diagnose symptoms. Widespread inflammation, joint pain, and skin conditions like eczema, rashes, and acne are associated with leaky gut but can also have a variety of other causes.
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Leaky Gut Fix #: Rebalance Your Gut Flora
The first two steps mentioned above will likely help to reduce gut permeability. However, to ensure that this solution is sustained, you will have to invest time and effort into maintaining a healthy balance of gut flora.
This can be done in numerous ways. The healthy protein and vegetable-rich diet mentioned above is a good first step. But, you can and should do more. Instead of simply taking probiotics when you are on antibiotics, you should add in a daily, high-quality probiotic. Plus, in addition to probiotics, another great addition is fermented foods. There are a host of them to choose from, including sauerkraut and kimchi.
What Are Potential Causes Of Leaky Gut Syndrome
Another way to think about leaky gut syndrome is to consider your intestinal barrier as similar to a net. Usually, the net is tightly woven and things can not pass through it that arent supposed to pass through it. But with leaky gut syndrome, the joints where the net meets itself get distorted and the holes in the net get wider. This means your intestinal wall gets weakened. It cant really do its job.
Now, your digestive net is meant to allow small nutrients to pass through your intestinal system. But with a leaky gut, the net lets a lot more through than it should. Those larger, more dangerous molecules and bad bacteria get into your bloodstream before theyre properly broken down.
Suddenly, your body thinks these undigested food particles and bacteria are threats so, it tags those foods when you digest them. Then, the next time you consume them, your body thinks youre allergic to them.
Sometimes when you have leaky gut syndrome, you may also experience symptoms that dont seem entirely gut-related. Of course, there is the usual bloating, gas, constipation, discomfort, and diarrhea. But you might also feel
- Swollen
- Like you have trouble breathing
- Irritable or down in mood
- Brain fog
If you have any concerns, talk to your doctor.
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Is There A Test For Leaky Gut
While diagnosis is incredibly difficult as mentioned, there is one specific test that some physicians will use in order to test intestinal permeability. The test is called the mannitol and lactulose test. Both of these are water-soluble molecules that the body cannot use. Mannitol is easily absorbed by people with healthy intestinal linings, whereas lactulose is a larger molecule, and thus is only slightly absorbed. A person is instructed to drink a solution containing both of these molecules, and then their urine is collected for six hours. The amount present in the urine reflects how much was absorbed by the body a healthy test will display high levels of mannitol, and low levels of lactulose. If high levels of both are found, it indicates increased intestinal permeability. If low levels of both are found, it indicates general poor absorption of all nutrients .
It is important to note that this test is an indicator of small intestine permeability, and cannot definitively diagnose leaky gut with full certainty. Most physicians steer clear of this test, as they do not believe it is very reliable. Additionally, since increased intestinal permeability is a symptom of many other diseases, it should not be used to necessarily diagnose leaky gut syndrome, as this could prevent a patient from receiving treatment for a more serious condition they may have. Seeking the advice of a gastroenterologist is recommended, as they specialize in digestive health and the GI tract.
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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How To Get Rid Of Leaky Gut
Leaky gut is a serious condition, and it can be reversed, but it requires one to ardently follow certain steps. These basic steps are referred to as the 4 Rs of remove, replace, repair, rebalance:
- Remove foods and factors that damage the gutthese include pro-inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy , added sugars, food additives and chemicals, produce grown with pesticides, GMOs.
- Replace these foods with a whole-foods diet with a focus on anti-inflammatory foods like blueberries, turmeric, broccoli, leafy greens, avocados, peppers, etc.
- Repair the gut with specific leaky gut supplements like collagen precursors , amino acids , butyric acid, digestive enzymes .
- Rebalance your gut microbiome with probiotics . This step is essential because bacteria in your gut are a major component of the intestinal barrier. They help promote resistance to the colonization of harmful bacteria species competing for nutrients. They also regulate the digestion and absorption of nutrients and help supply epithelial cells with energy.
Accurate And Reliable Measure Of Gut Health
We have developed an industry leading test for leaky gut which is easy and fast. Our simple test can measure the severity of leaky gut, enabling doctors, dietitians, naturopaths and other wellness advisors to provide the advice needed to begin the healing process.
Quicker testing and quicker results lead to improved health and enhanced quality of life.
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Are You Experiencing A Nutritional Deficiency Or Sensitivity To Certain Foods
In the case that your gut lining becomes swollen or subject to damage, your gut barrier can become permeable and allow for toxic substances to pass through your system. However, leaky gut syndrome can sometimes also be responsible for partial nutrient absorption. The swelling of your gut lining will likely affect the function of your microvilli those are the little bristles lining your gut barrier that help with nutrient absorption.6
If your tight junctions expand in width or stick open as you digest, unprocessed fats and proteins can pass through them and infiltrate your bloodstream. In this case, your body will react negatively to these threats and may greenlight allergic responses which can complicate the following symptoms:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Skin irritation7