Signs you may have leaky gut syndrome!

10 years ago | Digestive Health

By pH health care professionals

There is not a lot of credible information available about leaky gut syndrome. It is an odd description of a condition that seems to suggest that you might have holes in your intestines that cause it to leak. So let’s keep it simple and understand the theory behind what is referred to as a leaky gut.

Vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat are absorbed by the small intestine. Your small intestine contains microscopic pores that transfer the nutrients from the foods you eat to your bloodstream. Once transferred, the nutrients circulate all around your body through your blood.

The small intestine is considered semipermeable, which means that the pores only allow certain things to enter the bloodstream and everything else is blocked from entering. The problem with leaky gut syndrome is that the tiny pores in the small intestines widen. When this happens, undigested food particles and toxins that are supposed to be blocked are now allowed to make their way into your bloodstream. When foreign items invade the bloodstream (dangerous invaders), the immune system goes into attack mode.

So simply put, leaky gut may be described as an increased intestinal permeability.

To further complicate the problem, once toxins enter the bloodstream as a result of leaky gut syndrome, their first stop is the liver. If the liver is overloaded, then the toxins may eventually recirculate through the bloodstream. When they recirculate to the intestines, this further irritates the lining and increases its permeability even more. For this reason, once leaky gut develops, it tends to become progressively worse if measures aren’t taken to correct it.

Two reported signs of leaky gut syndrome may be the following:

Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, psoriasis or Celiac disease
Increased fat in the abdomen (see study)

So what can you do for a leaky gut?

If leaky gut syndrome is suspected, you may do the following:

Test for gut permeability (Proactive Health Labs offers testing for permeability)
Eat organic whenever possible and reduce your exposure to toxins
Talk to a doctor about supplements that may help (for example, zinc was found to be beneficial for people with Crohn’s who had leaky gut)

In other words, one key to healing a leaky gut may be first recognizing that you do indeed have the condition and changing your diet to eliminate the foods that the body considers toxic and inflammatory. Other measures may include adding healthy fats such as fish, coconut and olive oils, avocados and flax, and probiotics to restore the healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Leaky gut syndrome is becoming more and more common so be proactive.

Enjoy Your Healthy Life!

The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here.