Leaky Gut

Leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability, is when the cells lining your GI tract become loose and no longer form a strong boundary. As a result, undigested food particles and toxins can ‘leak’ into the bloodstream and cause an immune system response.

Symptoms of a leaky gut may be experienced as abdominal pain, bloating, a growing number of food sensitivities, or irregular bowel movements. Yet symptoms may also manifest more systemically and cause brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, skin issues, malnourishment, and general inflammation.

Poor diet is one of the leading causes of leaky gut. This includes foods that are inflammatory such as sugar, gluten/wheat products, conventional dairy products, alcohol, and highly processed foods that contain chemicals, additives, artificial sweeteners, and industrial seed/vegetable oils.

In efforts to heal leaky gut, eating an anti-inflammatory diet is the best place to start!
This includes:

• Variety of fruits and vegetables

• Healthy fat such as avocado oil, grass-fed butter/ghee, and olive oil

• Hormone-free, grass-fed or wild animal products like beef, poultry, eggs, fish, and pork

• Nuts and seeds

• Bone broth

• Herbs and spices

• Gluten-free grains, if tolerated

Most people will notice a significant improvement in their symptoms after 3-4 weeks of making significant diet changes! Yet if you do not find relief, other reasons for leaky gut that cannot be remedied by an anti-inflammatory diet alone include:

1. Gut infections or bacteria imbalances in the gut
   If you have an overgrowth of bacteria or yeast, or are hosting a more harmful type of bacteria or parasite, a change in diet is often not enough to restore balance. Taking an in-depth look at your microbiome is very enlightening and can provide a clear roadmap to healing the gut.

   Learn more about my favorite tool to identify gut dysbiosis: GI-Map Stool Test

2. Unidentified food sensitivities or allergies
   Food allergies tend to produce reactions relatively quickly (stomach pain, vomiting, hives, etc), making it easier to notice a correlation between the food you ate and the poor reaction you had. Yet a food sensitivity reaction can be delayed often up to 3 days later, manifesting as a more subtle headache, skin breakout, or fatigue. This makes it hard to identify what food was the culprit.

   Learn more about how to test for food sensitivities/allergies: Dietary Antigen Test

3. Chronic stress

4. Certain medications like NSAIDs and antibiotics

5. Environmental toxins
   Exposure to mold, heavy metals, pesticides/herbicides, and harmful chemicals can be very damaging to the gut lining. Home and work environments are common concerns, and should be considered if leaky gut symptoms persist after making diet changes.

   Learn more about testing that can reveal environmental toxins: GPL-Tox and MycoTox Tests

Identifying the factors that may be impacting you will be important to truly heal your GI tract. Healing leaky gut improves the function of the entire body by reducing inflammation, modulating the immune system, improving digestion and nutrient absorption, restoring balance from the inside out!