What Is Leaky Gut?

Explaining Leaky Gut

Leaky Gut is complex, but in a nutshell, the term itself describes what it is. Our intestinal lining is designed to only let nutrients into our bloodstream. Everything else is supposed to go through the digestive tract. When the lining becomes permeable it “leaks” non-nutrients into our bloodstream that can cause illness.

These non-nutrients include:

• Food molecules
• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Yeast
• Acids
• Toxins

What Causes Leaky Gut?

It would be east if I could say there was a very specific cause of leaky gut. Then we could just avoid that and our gut microbiome would live happily ever after. The truth is there are many contributors to leaky gut and many of them are probably a part of most of our everyday lives.

Before I list some of the things that may be causing leaky gut, I want to say that leaky gut is a relatively new theory (kind of like prebiotics) in gut health. Not all medical doctors put credence into it, but as time goes on, it is becoming more understood how much the gut microbiome affects our entire body and that keeping it healthy is important for our entire health.

Leaky Gut Contributors

• Prescription and over-the-counter drugs
• Processed foods
• Modified foods
• Lack of sleep
• Stress – mental, physical, environmental
• Toxins in the environment
• Air pollution
• Food contamination

Signs and Symptoms of Leaky Gut

Did you know that not all symptoms of leaky gut are related to digestion and how your gut feels? There are a myriad of other symptoms that can be a sign of leaky gut:

Digestive Leaky Gut Symptoms:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Digestive distress (diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach)
• Sugar & carb cravings
• IBS
• IBD (Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis)
• Celiac
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Anemia (I think of this as digestive because it is from lack of proper absorption of nutrients)

Non-Digestive Leaky Gut Symptoms:

• Frequent illness
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Rashes
• Eczema
• Acne
• Joint pain
• Brain fog
• ADHD
• Depression
• Lupus
• Other autoimmune disorders

I will be discussing more about gut health each week. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with the next article.

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Sherry Lipp

Sherry is a writer/blogger specializing in entertainment and food writing. She has been following a gluten, grain, and sugar-free diet for over 15 years and is the author of Don't Skip Dessert: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free & Sugar-Free Sweet Treats. She also enjoys writing about movies and television. You can find her entertainment articles at cinemalowdown.com.

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