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It paints a funny picture when you hear the words ‘leaky gut’, doesn’t it?  

It’s not quite what it sound like, and yet it is.  Leaky gut is short for Leaky Gut Syndrome. This is where there is increased intestinal permeability allows  bacteria and toxins to leak through the intestinal wall.

Maybe it doesn’t sound so bad at first, but this small problem can lead to a host of much larger issues.  There are many telling signs of a leaky gut, however, sometimes it is not clear at all.

I didn’t realize I had a leaky gut until I finally read that almost everyone with Hashimoto’s has a leaky gut.  It was especially hard for me to believe in the beginning because I had absolutely no digestive symptoms or distress.  

My stomach was made of steel it seemed- how could this be possible without me knowing? And yet, it turned out to be true.  

After healing my leaky gut, my Hashimoto’s slowly healed.  For some people, healing from Hashimoto’s is a more complex process, so I feel quite lucky in some regard.

LEAKY GUT SYNDROME

Western medicine is just beginning to understand the importance of our digestive tract as a cornerstone to our health.  However, even with this new understanding, conventional medical doctors do not recognize a leaky gut a real condition.

Leaky Gut Syndrome is an diagnosis of functional medicine.  Functional medicine is a medical practice focusing on optimal functioning of the body and its organs.  This usually involves holistic or alternative medicine.

There is a large amount evidence showing that intestinal permeability exists and that it can contribute to developing many health issues.  In fact, this review discusses the role of impaired intestinal barrier function on development of autoimmune disease.

WHAT IS A LEAKY GUT?

Your intestinal tract is where your body breaks down the food you eat and absorbs the nutrients.  However, it does so much more than this. This is because 80% of your immune system is housed in your gut.  

Everything you ingest, including bacteria, viruses, mold, toxins all enter through your digestive system.  This is why your intestinal tract plays a huge part in protecting your body from harm.

The walls of your intestines control what substances pass through the barrier and into your bloodstream.  There are small gaps in the walls of your intestines called tight junctions that allow nutrients to pass through.  

When these tight junctions become loose, then there is less control over what crosses the intestinal wall barrier.  This allows bacteria, toxins and larger undigested food particles to be pushed into the bloodstream.

This is what is called a “leaky gut” or intestinal permeability.  When your gut leaks these substances into the bloodstream it causes inflammation and can trigger your immune system to attack.  When your immune system is attacking undigested food particles, it can lead to food intolerances and food allergies.

WHAT CAUSES YOUR GUT TO LEAK?

There are many things that can contribute to increased intestinal permeability.  Your gut is regulated by your diet as well as the probiotic bacteria in your gut microbiota as discussed in this article.   

Also, the gluten protein in wheat is known for causing inflammation in your gut.  Gluten stimulates the release of zonulin leading to intestinal permeability.  Zonulin is a protein that regulates the tight junctions in your intestinal tract.

Other things that can lead to developing a leaky gut are:

Use of NSAIDS like ibuprofen Excess sugar intake Stress Inflammation

Excess alcohol intake Yeast overgrowth (such as candida), Environmental toxins Poor gut health (low amounts of probiotics)

All of these can affect the microbiota of your gut.

A major part of developing a leaky gut is an imbalance in the composition of the bacterial community in your intestines.  This imbalance can lead to intestinal wall dysfunction (leaking), barrier modulation, and chronic disease.

IMPROVE YOUR GUT HEALTH

A leaky gut can be prevented or even healed by paying attention to your diet.  Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables to build up the good bacteria in your gut.  Also, eat foods that boost your gut health such as kefir and fermented vegetables.  

1. Avoid inflammatory foods like gluten and food intolerances that trigger your immune system.  You can determine your inflammatory foods by using a food sensitivity test.  This is how I discovered the foods I needed to avoid while healing my gut.  You may need to work with a functional medical doctor to address any gut infections that may have developed.
2. Add digestive enzymes into your routine to help your body break down foods as it heals and support digestion.
3. Help your body rebuild the good bacteria in your gut to and assist with necessary repair. Take a high quality probiotic and eat foods with high probiotic content.  I use this probiotic supplement as recommended to me by my functional medical doctor.
4. Drink bone broth to provide the essential elements to repair your gut like l-glutamine and collagen.  Here is an easy bone broth soup recipe to help repair the cells in your gut and build new tissue.

If you would like more information here are three articles I wrote while healing from Hashimoto’s that address the leaky gut connection to my autoimmune condition:

• A Gluten Free Diet Can Help Hashimoto’s 
• The Leaky Gut Connection To Hashimoto’s
• Healing My Leaky Gut Stopped Hashimoto’s

A leaky gut is no joke and can lead to serious health challenges in the future.  Your health is worth adopting healthy, new habits and becoming informed. Making small changes at first can lead to bigger changes with time.  

What is the biggest challenge about your gut health that you are facing right now?