Learn How a Leaky Gut Could Affect Your Health
Gut health impacts every system in the body, from skin to our mental wellbeing and nutritional status, so keeping it healthy and happy is key to feeling good. You may or may not have heard about leaky gut syndrome which is more formally called intestinal permeability. Leaky gut has been linked to countless illnesses and imbalance within the body.
There are three key areas in my clinical experience that I have observed can support almost all the health challenges we face.
The first is our lifestyle choices. Our everyday choices greatly impact our health outcome for the better or worse. The second is our mineral and nutritional status. All biological activity requires nutrients to fuel their function. This is a non-negotiable when it comes to optimization of our health. Last is our gut health. The gut is known as the second brain and is a critical component in every aspect of our health.
Gut health is a key focus in our practice and we have written about it in more detail in a previous blog.
Today, I want to dive into one aspect of gut health that I see in many of my clients, called leaky gut. We will discuss what it is, it's health impact and ways you can begin to support your gut.
What is Leaky Gut?
You may have heard of leaky gut. It is also known as intestinal permeability. But what exactly is it? The intestinal lining is lined with special cells that are held tightly together (tight junctions) in order to properly digest food, absorb micronutrients, and filter out toxins and pathogens.
These tight junctions are compromised when exposed to diets high in refined sugar, processed food, genetically modified foods, stress, medications, toxins, parasites, antibiotics, nutrient deficiencies and gluten.
Looking at gluten a bit deeper, studies have found that gluten activates zonulin, which leads to increased intestinal permeability. (1) Zonulin is a protein that regulates the tight junctions of the small intestine. When zonulin is released in the intestines, the tight junctions open slightly and allow larger particles to pass through the intestinal wall. (2)
As a result, intestinal inflammation makes the lining of the intestine too porous with increased permeability. Consequently, it allows the entry of the undigested food particles, toxins, and microorganisms into the bloodstream, which triggers an inflammatory immune response. This process can set the stage for autoimmunity.
Who Gets Leaky Gut?
It is suggested we all have it to some degree. According to Harvard Heath, some of us may have a genetic predisposition, but modern life may actually be the main driver of gut inflammation.
There is emerging evidence that the standard American diet (SAD), which is low in fiber and high in sugar and saturated fats, may initiate this process. Heavy alcohol use and stress also seem to disrupt this balance.
Like gluten, another notable area of concern is Glyphosate (known as Roundup) and its impact on not only gut health in general, but leaky gut specifically. Research indicates that glyphosate exposure (a toxin) may disrupt the tight junctions between intestinal cells, allowing toxins, undigested food particles and bacteria to leak into the bloodstream. This has been associated with inflammation, autoimmune conditions and digestive disorders. (4)
Health Impact
Leaky gut syndrome is a rapidly growing condition. Although problems begin with your digestive system; if you have the leaky gut syndrome, it affects other aspects of your health as well.
There is considerable data showing that leaky gut may be associated with several health conditions. According to Harvard Health, studies show that leaky gut may be associated with autoimmune diseases: lupus, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, allergies, asthma, acne, obesity and even mental illness.
Common Signs & Symptoms
Food allergies & food sensitivities
GI symptoms: gas, bloating, nausea/vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, weight gain
Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depression
Acne, eczema and other skin issues
Asthma and seasonal allergies
Hormonal imbalances
Autoimmune diseases
As you see leaky gut can be far reaching in its impact to our overall health. But the good news is you can bring balance to your gut lining.
Can You Heal?
It is possible to bring healing to your intestinal lining however, you do need to be available to put in some work. The cells of the intestine are the fastest-growing cells of your body. They are continually self-repairing until your body actually creates a new lining every 5-7 days. (3) But after repeated assaults, it won’t heal anymore. You need to give your body time to heal, not just a week or two.
Multi-Pronged Approach to Addressing Leaky Gut
The 5-R protocol is a systematic and comprehensive approach that improves symptoms and repairs the gut. Additionally, I use functional testing to guide the process for a more personalized approach.
Step 1: Remove: Stop throwing gasoline on the fire. The foods you consume, the toxins you ingest are all playing a role. Additionally, gut pathogens play a role in leaky gut.
Step 2: Replace: We layer in support that the body needs, such as enzymes to help digest foods, bitters to help with fat digestion and foods that build your nutrition profile.
Step 3: Repopulate
We support the microbiome and help rebuild the gut bacteria. This can include adding certain foods to the diet and layering supplemental pre/probiotics.
Step 4: Repair: We encourage repair of the intestinal cells and mucosa, reduce inflammation and help our microbiome find a happy home within our digestive tract.
Step 5: Rebalance: Lifestyle choices play a huge role in maintaining a healthy gut. We optimize all aspects of our everyday choices to ensure lasting the best overall and long lasting outcome.
What can you do?
There is a lot that can be done to support gut health. But, what many find is they do not know where to start. In steps gut microbiome stool testing. There is a lot of data that can be gained from looking at your gut health and we have found we can pin-point and expedite supportive approaches to bring balance to one's overall health by utilizing this sort of testing. A generalized stool panel by Vibrant Labs called Gut Zoomer can offer a lot of insight to how to heal the gut and it gives glimpse into leaky gut. If looking just for a leaky gut panel you can explore Vibrant Labs Leaky Gut/Wheat Zoomer that looks more in depth at leaky gut markers.
Check out some of the insights gained from Vibrant Labs Gut Zoomer:
Parasites: Labs will look under the microscope for signs of a parasite and also diagnose them by the presence of their DNA. It might surprise you but parasites are more common than you think; common infections include Blastocystis hominis and Dientamoeba fragilis, which cause symptoms like nausea and stomach pain.
Yeast overgrowth: Too much yeast, like the common yeast called Candida albicans, can explain
wide range of GI symptoms as well as other symptoms like acne, weight gain, brain fog and even behavioral
challenges - especially in children.
Bacterial overgrowth: This includes both “potentially pathogenic” and pathogenic bacteria. A “potentially pathogenic” bacteria is a type of bacteria that can cause great disruption if it’s out of balance within the microbiome.
Calprotectin: This is an inflammatory marker associated with irritable bowel disease and other inflammatory issues. If your levels are significantly elevated, you’d need to consult a GI specialist about the next steps.
Immune markers: Testing for immune markers helps reveal whether the immune system is over or under active. Specific inflammatory markers, such as IgA, point to a food sensitivity or something else in the GI track like a fungus or bacteria that’s triggering an immune response. Elevated levels of eosinophils indicate an allergy or a parasite.
Pancreatic elastase: Pancreatic elastase is an enzyme that you should have appropriate amounts of; if not, your pancreas might not be functioning well and as a result, you might not be breaking down your food effectively.
Fat: By testing for the presence of fat in the stool; tells us how well you’re digesting and absorbing your food.
Beneficial bacteria: These microbiome tests also look for the good stuff. These tests look for short-chain fatty acids (like butyrate) that should be in your colon and stool in high quantities if you have a vast, robust microbiome.” If you’re not eating enough fiber, these bacteria might be missing.
Zonulin: Not all stool testing includes this marker, but it's well worth seeing. Zonulin is a protein produced in the gut, can be used as a biomarker to assess the integrity of the intestinal barrier and help access the potential of leaky gut. This marker is a must for those with autoimmune challenges.
Leaky Gut/Wheat Zoomer Panel
While a comprehensive stool assessment can bring great insight how to support and heal the overall gut, the Vibrant Labs Wheat Zoomer/Leaky Gut Panel can determine the level of intestinal permeability and tests the following markers: zonulin, anti-zonulin, actin, and LPS.
Intestinal Permeability (leaky gut) markers:
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) IgG/IgM/IgA
High levels of LPS antibodies indicate that LPS has penetrated into the bloodstream. LPS is a gram (-) endotoxin that can trigger a strong immune response in the host organism.
Zonulin
High levels of zonulin in the blood mean too much zonulin has been released in the gut, which probably signifies increased permeability. Testing zonulin levels will be the gold standard for detecting Leaky Gut and measuring improvement over time.
Anti-Actin IgG/IgA
Increased actin levels suggest epithelial cell damage, which can lead to increased intestinal permeability and decreased barrier function.
Anti-Zonulin IgG/IgA
Anti-zonulin refers to antibodies produced by the body specifically against zonulin. Anti-zonulin is the body's defense against excessive zonulin activity.
The science behind this test is impressive. It is a great test to know for your baseline intestinal permeability, but even better to do as you are looking to ensure your healing protocol is working. Learn more about the Wheat Zoomer/Leaky Gut Panel here.
Action Steps:
Know your food sensitivities by having a Food Sensitivity test conducted.
Know your gut microbiome through Stool Testing. Learn more.
Use our Ditch & Switch guide to help lower the toxic load.
Work with a skilled practitioner who understands the mechanism behind gut healing protocols.
Resources:
Our Approach
I am a clinically trained psychotherapist, who learned along with education and practicum hours that one's health challenges can be at the root of their psychological obstacles. I view the body and mind from a holistic perspective and dive deep with my clients to root out the core imbalances that keep them from progressing in the healing of their body and mind.
Have a Nourishing Day!
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