Are Your Guts Leaky? Let's Find Out Why!
Leaky Gut
Part One - What is it?
Leaking Guts? What does that mean?
Let’s discuss leaky gut. What is it and how do I know if you might have it?
First off, if you are suffering from:
Digestive distress
Skin issues
Respiratory problems
Autoimmunity
Mood instability
Weight gain
Migraines
Brain Fog
Fatigue
Then you should know that all of these things (and more) can be traced back to gut health and possibly leaky gut! The gut, or gastrointestinal system, is truly a gateway to overall health. The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of organisms including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses, and protozoan throughout the digestive tract. Far beyond just digestive health, the following organ systems are also closely related to gut health:
- Immune system
- Endocrine system
- Nervous system
- Circulatory system
- Integumentary system
- Respiratory system
- Reproductive system
A few key points to consider when thinking and discussing our amazing guts. There is TEN TIMES the number of bacteria in our body than our own cells and the majority of them are found within our digestive system. The gastrointestinal system contains 90% of the body’s happy hormone, serotonin. Most importantly, approximately 70% of our immune system is housed in our gut! So it’s apparent that gut health isn’t just about digestion. The health of our gut affects nearly every system in our bodies!
Leaky gut is a term that refers to intestinal hyperpermeability and has become an increasingly more common health problem. Leaky gut can contribute to MAJOR health problems, including autoimmunity. How, though? Intestinal hyperpermeability is exactly what it sounds like... the digestive tract is no longer able to ensure the good stays in and the bad stay out. Instead, the tight junctions, or the proteins holding the intestinal walls together, are loosened. This leaves sizable gaps for undigested food particles, digestive fluids, and toxins to enter the bloodstream.
The body reacts to these foreign particles in the blood by producing immune antibodies, or pro-inflammatory cells, to fight them off. This breeds chronic inflammation, possible food allergies, and various health complications. Of course, there are no signs of improvement until the gut’s permeability is addressed. Fortunately, we now have a better understanding of the contributing factors, obstacles, and support methods for leaky gut so there IS a stop to the cycle!
Several factors have proved to negatively affect the gut’s integrity. The most prominent include:
The Standard American Diet
Exposure to Chemicals
Chronic Infections
Gluten and Other Grains
Food Allergies
Excessive Medications
Poorly Managed Stress
The Standard American Diet, rightfully known as the SAD diet, is one of the leading factors for the chronic health issues we see today. According to a 2009 study conducted by the USDA, 63% of the calories Americans are consuming came from processed foods containing preservatives, refined grains, and added sugars and oils.
It’s almost as though the general public took it upon themselves to refigure the food pyramid to consist of: Grain at the base, Dairy in the middle and sugar at the top.
When in all honesty, none of these foods have any business being part of our diets at all. You can call it what you want... frood, Frankenfoods, food-like substances, fake food... but you most definitely can’t call most of our “food” supply real food! When the majority of our diets are packaged meals with paragraph-long ingredient lists and labels we can’t understand, we are not eating real food!
A couple of alarming facts: First, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved approximately 3,000 different food additives, preservatives, and colorings without adequate research on safety and believe it or not the average person ingests over 150 pounds of additives each year!
The magnitude that these chemicals are allowed into our lives is incomprehensible. We are becoming more and more aware of the consequences of this fake-food lifestyle and it is simply unacceptable! This is only one factor in the leaky gut epidemic, but definitely a big one!
But there are the other factors responsible for the onset and progression of leaky gut as well. Most importantly, inflammation is a vital immune response and is the body’s attempt to defend itself against pathogens, heal from injury, and repair damaged tissue. Chronic inflammation, however, is not beneficial to our bodies in any way. In fact, it can worsen the body’s ability to recognize foreign invaders and puts the body in a state of stress for extended periods of time. This can lead to lasting damage, increased food allergies, and eventually autoimmunity. This type of inflammation can be from a number of things, but largely seen as a result of leaky gut and poor dietary habits. If chronic inflammation goes untreated, leaky gut worsens and the body ultimately loses its ability to repair from the damage.
Another factor to mention is gluten. Gluten is the general term for a mix of proteins in many grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten has found itself in much of our food supply, disguised in packaged foods and featured in most pre-prepared dishes. It is no surprise that our consumption of gluten has increased immensely, and our health is suffering from it. Gluten allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances are becoming increasingly more common, “gluten-free” has become a buzz word within the health community, and people are finally beginning to explore how detrimental gluten can be for their health.
How is it detrimental, you ask? Gluten can make your gut leaky. Simple as that. Zonulin, a protein found in gluten, increases the permeability of the gut by further opening the spaces between cells. The antibodies normally released as a result of leaky gut are accompanied by MORE antibodies created to attack one of the gluten’s more prominent building blocks, gliadin. This leads to more inflammation, more bodily confusion, and more health complications.
In other words, your body reacts to the consumption of gluten by creating a defense mechanism to fight it. Once this damage has occurred within the digestive tract, it is then distributed throughout the entire body. Aside from contributing (if not entirely responsible for) leaky gut, gluten increases inflammation, overall digestive distress AND alters the balance of our microbiome. Our microbiome must be equipped with efficient healthy bacteria in order to be successful in carrying out its necessary functions.
Without the proper balance of bacteria, the following functions are disrupted:
- Digestion
- Immune response
- Nutrient absorption
- Hormone regulation
- Vitamin production
- Detoxification
- Mood management
- And many more
Gluten produces both primary and secondary effects.
The damage gluten leads to that we have talked about thus far has mostly been the primary effects:
Intestinal hyperpermeability (leaky gut)
Permeability of the blood-brain barrier
The onset of autoimmune diseases (such as celiac disease, Crohn's, and ulcerative colitis)
The development of psychological disorders
Dysbiosis, or abnormal bacteria growth
Acute allergic, or IgE, responses and a delayed antibody response.
While all of these issues are very serious within themselves, they, too, create further complications. Next comes the secondary effects of gluten... The secondary effects of gluten exposure include things like severe nutrient deficiencies (such as iron and vitamin B12) as well as systemic inflammation (leading to organ and tissue breakdown).
It may seem a bit redundant that we keep coming back to how your body acts on gluten, but it is one of the most important pieces of information you can take from this! Gluten is a major component of the leaky gut cycle. It is present in the onset, the maintenance, and the progression of this damaging condition and it should not be taken lightly.
As you can probably guess, gluten’s path to digestive issues is pretty direct. The first step is when gluten’s contribution goes unnoticed. At this point, it is likely there are little to no known symptoms. This is where most people will assume that gluten won’t hurt them and therefore can eat it no problem. Unfortunately, the lack of apparent symptoms does not mean that gluten doesn’t hurt your gut. In fact, it takes exposure over time and the accumulation of damage before leaky gut will be noticeable. For those cutting out gluten before they feel any physical discomfort, they are still working to help an underlying issue even if they can’t quite feel it yet.
The next step is the progression of subclinical problems. This is where leaky gut truly begins to develop. Often, the first thing that will be noticed is increased food and environmental sensitivities. Digestive distress may begin to become more frequent. Unfortunately, it is common for people to still avoid blaming gluten for their discomfort.
The last step is recognizing the problem. However, it is not usually recognizing gluten as the problem, but the acknowledgment of the problem that gluten has created. For example, if someone develops inflammatory issues, most likely the symptoms get attention and not the root of the problem.
It’s a shame that this happens so often as if gluten was recognized as the main problem during the early stages, then a lot of these health issues could be avoided entirely. Gluten, however, is not the only concern when it comes to solving leaky gut. There are a few other things we need to discuss.
Much like the additives and preservatives flooding our food supply, pesticides are also a big part of what’s on our plates. There are three million tons of pesticides used worldwide each year and more than 16,000 chemicals involved in the production of these pesticides. Studies to ensure their safety on humans have been very limited, whereas some have no documented research at all!
While we are not entirely sure of their safety on human health, we do recognize strong links between pesticide exposure and:
- Nervous system disorders
- Immune system suppression
- Reproductive damage
- Hormonal imbalances
- Thyroid Issues
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Obesity
- Asthma
- Migraine headaches
- Attention disorders
- and developmental delay in children
The magnitude that pesticides (along with the steroids, hormones, antibiotics, and excitotoxins) show up in our food supply is truly frightening and to think it isn’t a main component of our leaky gut trend is simply impossible. We all know that medication is easily overprescribed in the current medical model used today. This, in the short term, has seemed to work because the patients experience temporary relief from their discomfort. But… what isn’t taken into account is how these prescriptions have affected our bodies especially our tight junctions in the gut.
For example, statins, drugs used to lower cholesterol, have been shown to lower Vitamin D and coQ10 levels. While it may be lowering cholesterol, it is simultaneously creating nutrient deficiencies, muscle fatigue, increased blood pressure, and weakened immunity. Painkillers (like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin) contribute to Vitamin C and iron deficiencies leaving one vulnerable to disease AND eroding the mucosal lining of the stomach. Acid reduction medications hinder the digestion of protein, calcium, and vitamin B12, often causing chronic pain problems. Long term use of antidepressants, too, significantly impacts the gut’s motility and leads to digestive issues.
Lastly, it’s important to note that almost all medications are unable to differentiate between the good bacteria in our gut and the illness it is trying to attack. That results in an altered microbiome and a much greater risk of infections. As you can tell, drugs offer a lot of unintended consequences that can affect our health very badly. There are a few situations where drugs should be your solution, such as a life-threatening infection or a surgical situation. Without the immediate emergency needs of medication, it is best to work on the issue than it is to temporarily patch the problem. Medication is there for a reason but there are other long-term solutions that can be found as well.
Next week we will continue with this discussion on Leaky Gut. There are solutions to help! It is important that if you feel that you may be dealing with leaky gut and are in need of some support that you visit your naturopathic doctor first to rule out any other issues. If you are currently under quite a bit of stress and would like to support with your nutrition then talking to a holistic nutrition expert can help you work with food and lifestyle to make sure your guts are working optimally!
Want to get even healthier? Are you concerned about supporting your health by working on your microbiome balance and finding a solution to your leaky gut? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with us today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation. We work with people from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!
