The term ‘leaky gut’ is finding its way into more and more conversations about health these days. It’s not exactly a household term, but you may have heard it on the Dr. Oz Show, or seen reference to it on Facebook.
But do you really understand what it is and why so many people are talking about it? Why is leaky gut being associated with autoimmune disorders, hormonal imbalances, ADD and ADHD, IBS, and more?6 First, let’s examine a healthy gut.
In a healthy intestine, the food you eat is broken down into tiny particles that pass through the intestinal wall and into your blood stream. These particles should be in a form that your body can use for fueling your muscles, repairing damaged tissue, building new tissue, creating hormones, keeping your immune system strong, etc.
It’s a very complex process in which vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, fats, and sugars are removed from the food you eat so that your body can utilize them. These particles, known as macronutrients, have to be smaller than blood cells to be able to pass through the walls of your blood vessels and carried to where they are needed. And so, the junctions in the intestinal wall where the macronutrients pass through are also very small.
The job of making macronutrients available is largely carried out by bacteria living in your intestines. While the idea of bacteria living inside of you may sound disgusting, it is actually necessary for life. And not all bacteria is bad; think about the fact that we use bacteria for turning milk into yogurt and cheese, and yeast to make bread rise.
The number of bacteria cells living in our intestines outnumbers the total number cells in our body. That fact in itself should illustrate how important our digestive process is. Within those billions of bacteria are colonies of different strains of bacteria, each with a unique function.
Different strains of intestinal bacteria break down different components of the food that we eat. Some work to break down carbohydrates while others break down proteins. Some strains are responsible for synthesizing vitamins such as vitamin K, and B vitamins such as riboflavin, biotin, thiamin, and folate.3
These colonies of friendly bacteria also help protect the integrity of the intestinal lining. By keeping the mucosal lining of the intestines healthy, the proliferation of pathogen bacteria is kept in check. Pathogenic bacteria breakdown carbs and sugars for their own sustainment while simultaneously producing toxins that have a negative effect on our health as a whole.4
The immune system in the gut is also activated in the presence of pathogen bacteria; it sends out killer T cells in response to their presence. While it is unclear to what extent the friendly bacteria activates the innate immune system response, studies are showing a very clear connection to regulation of killer T cells responding to a pathogenic invasion of the intestines by these friendly bacteria.4
What this means is that a healthy balance of good and bad microbiotia is critical for good health. Bad bacteria keep the immune system active while the good bacteria keep the immune system from running rampant. As in all areas of the body, balance is key.
When we talk about leaky gut, we are referring to a compromised intestinal lining that is characterized by increased permeability where the normally very small junctions become much larger. As a consequence of increased permeability, larger than normal particles penetrate the intestinal wall and end up in the abdominal cavity, including partially digested food, waste products, bacteria and toxins. Some of these also get absorbed into the blood stream.1
One of the more serious results of having a leaky gut is the development an autoimmune disorder; rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s Disease, lupus, psoriasis, and celiac disease have all been associated with leaky gut. Other symptoms may include irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia, asthma, seasonal allergies, food allergies or intolerances, hormonal imbalances such as PMS or PCOS, depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, rosacea or eczema, and candida overgrowth.6
Even though the intricacies of the gastrointestinal system are not fully known, the medical community is starting to piece together some very important concepts of cause and effect that the scientific community has started to explore.
According to Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, “The cause of this [leaky gut] syndrome may be chronic inflammation, food sensitivity, damage from taking large amounts of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), cytotoxic drugs and radiation or certain antibiotics, excessive alcohol consumption, or compromised immunity.”9
After reading some reports on the causes and symptoms of leaky gut, you may find yourself wondering which came first—food sensitivity, for instance or leaky gut. In fact, many individuals have differing opinions. Nevertheless, the occurrence of a food sensitivity is never a good thing.
Since scientists, doctors, and other professionals differ in their opinion about which came first, it can take time and dedication of both the patient and the doctor to eliminate the cause and heal the gut. Fortunately, recovery is possible.
Depending on which doctor you talk to, there are different protocols for healing leaky gut, mostly predicated on other conditions also existing. Conditions such as autoimmune disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other irritable bowel condition, high stress and anxiety levels, intestinal infections such as Candida overgrowth or small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), high blood sugar, and taking medications that are damaging to the intestinal lining will help dictate treatment.
There are 4 essential parts to eliminating leaky gut and healing the intestines. First and foremost, you have to remove what is causing the imbalance in the gut. Then you need to assist proper digestion with supplements such as digestive enzymes. Beneficial bacteria need to be reintroduced through fermented foods and quality colonizing probiotics. Finally, the intestinal wall needs to be healed.
Let’s start with medications which have been shown to have negative effects on gut health. Antibiotics, while sometimes are 100% necessary, are too often over prescribed, and tend to be particularly damaging to the intestinal microbiome. Broad-spectrum antibiotics appear to do the most damage as the balance of beneficial and pathogenic bacterial can be disrupted for years while inducing a huge potential for creating antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria through horizontal gene transfer.3
Medications such as steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), birth control pills, and acid-reducing drugs can cause damage to the intestinal lining. Environmental toxins such as mercury, BPA from plastics and drinking water, and pesticides (especially GMO plants and meat from animals fed GMO products) also cause changes in the gut environment.7
Inflammation is considered both a cause and a symptom of leaky gut. Inflammation can come from food sensitivities (which is also considered both a cause and a symptom) such as gluten, dairy, grains, pseudograins, nightshades, and eggs.7
Processed sugar and alcohol cause systemic inflammation as well as in the gut. Consequently, chronic inflammation leaves the door wide open for autoimmune disease to develop. Removing processed foods, sugar, and alcohol are an important step in healing.
Hormone imbalances and excessive stress often go hand in hand. Chronic high stress levels cause elevated levels of cortisol which interrupt sleep patterns, deplete the adrenals, and cause general havoc with your thyroid, reproductive hormones, and others. Besides being detrimental to the friendly intestinal bacteria, hormone imbalances can lead to longer healing time in your gut and elsewhere in your body.2
In cases of Candida overgrowth and SIBO, the bacterial infection will need to be treated before balance to the microbiome can be re-established. Naturopathic doctor Dr. Jason Klop has developed a recovery program for people suffering from SIBO designed to eliminate SIBO and heal the gut naturally.
There are a number of foods and supplements that are effective for healing the gut and restoring balance to the microbiome. Probiotics, especially the colonizing varieties, and fermented foods will help replace the beneficial bacteria necessary for nutrient assimilation and maintenance of the mucosal intestinal lining.
Changing your diet from processed foods to one which includes organic whole fruits and vegetables will help eliminate pesticides and provide necessary fiber for the good bacteria to feed on. Since malnutrition is often associated with leaky gut, a healthier diet will assist your body to heal faster. Choose meats that are organic grass fed, free range, and wild caught (in the case of seafood). Red meat is inherently harder to digest, so limit red meat until symptoms improve.
Supplementation of quercetin, and L-glutamine through either food or a supplement promotes healing, and turmeric will reduce inflammation.8
Digestive enzymes help break down food for absorption, betaine hydrochloric acid (HCL) increases acidity in the stomach to aid digestion, slippery elm helps protect the stomach lining and mucosal intestinal lining, Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL) also supports the mucosal intestinal and stomach lining, marshmallow root eases inflammation and heals ulcers, and caprylic acid and/or candisol which are antifungal, antiviral, and known to kill Candida albican bacteria are also helpful.5 It’s best to work with a naturopathic or other alternative medicine professional for proper guidance on using these supplements.
Leaky gut is a serious condition that often goes undiagnosed but leads to many serious health problems if left untreated. If you suspect that you may be suffering from leaky gut, find a health care professional who is familiar with it for testing and evaluation.
References
4 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut & Autoimmune Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from Dr. Axe Food is Medicine: https://draxe.com/4-steps-to-heal-leaky-gut-and-autoimmune-disease/
2. Cole, W. (2016, May 31). 8 Underlying Factors That Can Lead to Leaky Gut. Retrieved from Dr Will Cole: https://drwillcole.com/8-factors-can-lead-leaky-gut/
3. Jandhyala, S. M., Talukdar, R., Subramanyam, C., Vuyyuru, H., Sasikala, M., & Reddy, D. N. (2015, August 07). Role of the Normal Gut Biota. Retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4528021/
4. Littman, D. R., & Pamer, E. G. (2011, October 20). Role of the Commensal Microbiotia in Normal and Pathogenic Host Immune Response. Retrieved from ScienceDirect: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1931312811002976
5. Myers, A. (2013, May). 8 Supplements to Heal a Leaky Gut. Retrieved from Amy Myers MD: https://www.amymyersmd.com/2013/05/8-supplements-to-heal-a-leaky-gut/
6. Myers, A. (2013, September). 9 Signs You Have a Leaky Gut. Retrieved from Amy Myers MD: https://www.amymyersmd.com/2013/09/9-signs-you-have-a-leaky-gut/
7. Myers, A. (2017, October). The Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Connection. Retrieved from Amy Myers MD: https://www.amymyersmd.com/2017/10/leaky-gut-autoimmune-connection/
8. Pizzorno, J. (2017, March 17). 4 Nutrients to Help Heal Leaky Gut: A Doctor Explains. Retrieved from MindBodyGreen: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-29167/4-nutrients-to-help-heal-a-leaky-gut-a-doctor-explains.html
9. Weil MD, A. (2005, December 12). What is Leaky Gut? Retrieved from Weil: https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/gastrointestinal/what-is-leaky-gut
Thanks so much Angela!xo,Kellyann