8 Signs You May Have A Leaky Gut

The gut issue we’re going to explore today is often called leaky gut syndrome — and it’s becoming more and more common across the globe as populations the world over begin to adopt a Western diet and lifestyle. While leaky gut syndrome is a fairly modern phrase, it has another name that’s been documented for years — intestinal permeability.

Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, is famous for having said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Even ancient Ayurvedic practitioners have long believed gut permeability was at the root cause of all disease processes, and healthy functioning of the intestinal lining and the gastrointestinal system is paramount to a healthy body and mind.

Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, is a recognized medical diagnosis in the medical community. Although this serious inflammatory bowel disease can be serious and affect gut barrier function, it is possible to treat leaky gut. But first, we’ll explain what leaky gut syndrome is and how it affects your GI tract, intestinal walls, and your body’s immune response.

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Leaky gut syndrome is a digestive issue that arises from factors such as an unhealthy diet, environmental toxins, stress overload, overmedication from long-term antibiotic use, and imbalances in beneficial gut bacteria.

The condition can often lead to more serious diseases — other diseases linked to digestive maladies like leaky gut include depression, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and a whole treasure trove of autoimmune and neuroimmune process issues.

A leaky gut is characterized by a damaged or weakened intestinal barrier. This allows the material to pass from the small intestine and into the rest of the body. As a result, microbes, antigens, and other potentially harmful substances can migrate throughout the body, and important nutrients may not be fully absorbed.

If you typically eat a Standard American Diet — one that consists of low-quality meat, conventional dairy products, refined flour, sugar, and other processed foods — you’re probably going to have gut problems.

Unfortunately, chronic inflammation and impaired digestive functioning are both outcomes of feeding the body these modern-day toxins. Over time, these digestive issues can turn into leaky gut syndrome.

What Are The Common Causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome

Although poor diet can be attributed to a leaky gut or increased intestinal wall permeability, there are numerous risk factors and other contributors that can cause this disorder. Here are a few common causes:

• Genes: Many of us are simply predisposed to developing leaky gut syndrome because we’re overly sensitive to environmental conditions that bring about an autoimmune response.
• Stress: Chronic stress disrupts gut balance, and leads to a wide variety of digestive health issues.
• Standard Western/American Diet: This way of eating is not good for your gut health. Too many chemicals, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, refined oils — all these toxins take a major toll on digestive health.
• Imbalances in gut bacteria: Dysbiosis is an imbalance in the gut between good and bad bacteria.
• Too many toxins: Toxins add up, and some of us have far too many lurking in our bodies. Exposure to chemicals from over-the-counter drugs, medications, conventionally grown foods, personal care products, air pollution, and plastic food containers — all of these add up and can result in a high internal toxic load.
• Gluten: Some people can eat gluten, but many cannot. And for those with gluten intolerance, it can cause leaky gut syndrome.

Top 8 Signs of Leaky Gut and Increased Intestinal Permeability

Know that you need to have the following symptoms over some time to indicate leaky gut syndrome — most doctors say between three and six months.

Sometimes, your body changes and symptoms arise due to other circumstances, such as a period of intense stress, which can cause intestinal distress. A woman’s menstrual cycle can also cause digestive issues.

Pay attention to what else is going on in your life and try to gain an understanding of how it affects your health. Your body is constantly changing depending upon the normal ups and downs of life.

The following signs, if you continue to experience them over an extended period, may indicate that you have a leaky gut:

1. Food Allergies or Sensitivity to Certain Foods

Many scientific studies point to a connection between leaky gut and food sensitivities. Your gut lining becomes inflamed when you eat something you’re sensitive to, and inflammation often causes a leaky gut.

On the flip side, a leaky gut also contributes to inflammation. It’s a vicious cycle. If you think you have food sensitivities, eliminate some of the more common culprits. These include eggs, dairy, gluten, corn, soy, peanuts, and nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant).

2. Mood Issues and Fluctuations

Mental health conditions like mood swings, anxiety, depression, ADD, and ADHD are linked to the symptoms of a leaky gut too. These are all neurological symptoms of leaky gut syndrome. There’s something called the gut-brain axis, and it describes the neural pathway between our digestive system and the brain.

As much as 90 percent of the body’s serotonin is produced in the digestive and gastrointestinal tract alone. So if your digestive system is faulty, it can have a direct impact on your mental health. In Western medicine, this is a rather recent discovery.

3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, or Other Gastrointestinal Diseases

Gas, bloating, and chronic diarrhea are all symptoms that point to a leaky gut. Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, and any proposed gastrointestinal disorder can also lead to leaky gut syndrome. However, irritable bowel syndrome is probably the most telling.

IBS is a digestive disorder characterized by changes in bowel movements and stool appearance, stomach cramping, gas, bloating, heartburn, and appetite loss. In many cases, if you have IBS, you also have a leaky gut as the two are interconnected.

4. Malabsorption of Nutrients

Sometimes we have gut issues because we’re not properly absorbing nutrients from the foods we eat, and we need to take digestive enzymes to aid the process. If you think this describes you, there’s no harm in taking a high-quality multivitamin, along with a digestive enzyme supplement, and magnesium and B12.

5. Autoimmune Disorders

If you’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, celiac disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or psoriasis, there’s a good indication you also have leaky gut syndrome.

If this is you, try eliminating gluten and other inflammatory foods from your diet for a few weeks and see if you experience positive changes in digestion.

6. Inflammatory Skin Disorders or Skin Problems

Inflammatory skin disorders like rosacea, acne, and eczema are linked to leaky gut syndrome because of the gut microbiota-skin connection. Some scientific evidence shows that even simple skin issues like acne arise because of gut inflammation.

7. Thyroid Issues

There’s a link between low thyroid function and leaky gut syndrome. Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder also referred to as chronic thyroiditis, might be affected by issues in the gut, and leaky gut syndrome in particular. Low thyroid function often results in chronic fatigue, lower metabolism, weight gain, and depression.

8. Difficulty Losing Weight

A leaky gut can make it hard to lose weight. A study from Brazil found that intestinal permeability is linked to gut dysbiosis, an unhealthy diet, chronic stress, and nutritional deficiencies — all factors that can impair metabolism and make weight loss difficult.

Contact Us for a FREE Consultation and Find Out How We Help Improve Gut Health

If you think a leaky gut may be contributing to your chronic health problems or issues, our healthcare professionals can help.

Our customized SmartFit weight-loss plans are designed to address the underlying health issues that can make weight loss difficult, including:

• Chronic inflammation
• Multi-system hormonal imbalances
• Leaky gut syndrome, intestinal permeability regulation, and gut bacterial imbalance
• Joint pain
• Autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Any chronic disease that’s creating a barrier to weight loss and a healthy gut!

Contact OB/GYN Associates of Alabama to get started. We create customized plans based on your specific health needs, including a leaky gut diet plan. Don’t wait; heal your leaky gut today!