Is Leaky Gut Syndrome a Real Condition?
Over the last (20) years or so, more and more Americans complain about having gut issues such as heartburn, IBS, ulcers, bacterial overgrowth, gluten sensitivity, dairy issues and celiac disease.
Gut health is the foundation of all the organs system functions: immune system, liver function (metabolic “hormone” system), kidney function (detox) and brain health.
A phenomenon called “leaky gut” has gained quite a bit of attention lately, particularly among natural health practitioners. Leaky gut, also known as increased intestinal permeability, is a digestive condition in which bacteria and toxins are able to “leak” through the intestinal wall.
Today I’d like to review what Gut Health is, how it works, and why we pay so much attention to it in your personal health analysis. It’s the perfect example of treating the root cause, versus the symptomatic approach, in our Functional Medicine practice here at FLHC.
Mainstream medical professionals sometimes do not recognize leaky gut as a real condition. However, there is quite a bit of scientific evidence that leaky gut does exist; and in my practice, I’ve seen poor gut health associated with multiple health problems. When we clear up leaky gut, (one of the main root causes of inflammation), the symptoms and its diseases become controllable, and can even be eliminated.
What is Leaky Gut?
The gastrointestinal tract is the foundation of health. It is the site where the outside world (food, water, inhaled particles, contaminants, etc.) meets the inside world of your body. The barrier of your intestinal cells (with your immune system and intestinal bacteria) decides what nutrients get absorbed into the blood and what toxins and pathogens get kept out of the blood. Take a look at this diagram that explains Leaky Gut in drawing form, so that you can follow along in our explanation.
The human digestive tract is where food is broken down and nutrients are absorbed. The digestive system also plays an important role in protecting your body from harmful substances. The walls of the intestines act as barriers, controlling what enters the bloodstream to be transported to your organs.
Small gaps in the intestinal wall called tight junctions allow water and nutrients to pass through, while blocking the passage of harmful substances. Intestinal permeability refers to how easily substances pass through the intestinal wall.
When the tight junctions of intestinal walls become loose, the gut becomes more permeable, which can allow bacteria and toxins to pass from the gut into the bloodstream. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as “leaky gut.”
When the gut is “leaky” and bacteria and toxins enter the bloodstream, it can cause widespread inflammation and trigger a reaction from the immune system.
Symptoms of leaky gut syndrome include bloating, food sensitivities, fatigue, digestive issues and skin problems.
Medical professionals agree that increased intestinal permeability, or intestinal hyper-permeability, exists in many chronic diseases.
What causes Leaky Gut?
Leaky gut syndrome remains a bit of a medical mystery for many “mainstream” medical professionals. They are still trying to determine exactly what causes it, and have a hard time conceptualizing how our metabolic system can determine the health of so many of our other organ systems.
Remember, Functional Medicine treats the body as a whole rather than as individual functioning systems.
In my practice, I have treated gut problems in my patients for years. From constant stress (throwing off your adrenal hormones) to poor thyroid function, our guts and microbiome must all work together to keep the body in balance.
Below are a few factors that play a contributing role to poor gut health or leaky gut syndrome:
Excessive sugar intake: An unhealthy diet high in sugar, particularly fructose, harms the barrier function of the intestinal wall.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): The long-term use of NSAIDs like ibuprofen can increase intestinal permeability and contribute to leaky gut.
Excessive alcohol intake: Excessive alcohol intake may increase intestinal permeability.
Nutrient deficiencies: Deficiencies in vitamin A, vitamin D and zinc have each been implicated in increased intestinal permeability.
Inflammation: Chronic inflammation throughout the body can contribute to leaky gut syndrome.
Stress: Chronic stress is a contributing factor to multiple gastrointestinal disorders, including leaky gut.
Poor gut health: There are millions of bacteria in the gut, some beneficial and some harmful. When the balance between the two is disrupted, it can affect the barrier function of the intestinal wall.
Yeast overgrowth: Yeast is naturally present in the gut, but an overgrowth of yeast may contribute to leaky gut.
Diseases associated with Leaky Gut
One in 30 children are affected by autism, ADS and allergies; plus the statistics of adults with Alzheimers, Parkinson’s and cancer are increasing by the day. All of these chronic diseases have gut health at their core.
Some of the most obvious chronic diseases that are linked to poor gut health are:
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by a severe sensitivity to gluten. Several studies have found that intestinal permeability is higher in patients with celiac disease. In fact, one study found that ingesting gluten significantly increases intestinal permeability in celiac patients immediately after consumption. Celiac disease can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, bloating and gas, and weight loss.
Diabetes: There is some evidence that increased intestinal permeability plays a role in the development of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Studies show that the immune reaction responsible for beta cell destruction may be triggered by foreign substances “leaking” through the gut. One study found that 42% of individuals with type 1 diabetes had significantly elevated zonulin levels. Zonulin is a known moderator of intestinal permeability. In an animal study, rats that developed diabetes were found to have abnormal intestinal permeability prior to developing diabetes.
Crohn’s Disease: Increased intestinal permeability plays a significant role in Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s is a chronic digestive disorder characterized by persistent inflammation of the intestinal tract. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of conditions that cause swelling and irritation in your digestive tract. IBD can cause abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, fever, and bloody stools. IBD is inflammation or destruction of the bowel wall, which can lead to sores and narrowing of the intestines. Studies have observed an increase in intestinal permeability in patients with Crohn’s disease. Several studies also found increased intestinal permeability in relatives of Crohn’s patients, who are at an increased risk of developing the disease. This suggests that increased permeability may be connected to the genetic component of Crohn’s disease.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Studies have found that people with IBS are likely to have increased intestinal permeability. IBS is a digestive disorder characterized by both diarrhea and constipation. One study found that increased intestinal permeability is particularly prevalent in those with diarrhea-predominant IBS. IBS can cause abdominal pain, bloating, cramping, constipation or diarrhea, mucus in stools, and excess gas.
Food Allergies: Studies have shown that individuals with food allergies often have impaired intestinal barrier function. A leaky gut can allow food proteins to cross the intestinal barrier, stimulating an immune response. An immune response to a food protein, which is known as an antigen, is the definition of a food allergy.
Is Leaky Gut a Cause, or Symptom, of Disease?
Most proponents of leaky gut syndrome claim that it is the underlying cause of most modern health problems. Plenty of studies have shown that increased intestinal permeability is present in several chronic diseases, specifically autoimmune disorders.
However, it is difficult to prove that leaky gut is the cause of disease. In my experience over the past 15+ years, I know that leaky gut can be both the cause and the symptom of many diseases. When your gut is out of balance, so is the thyroid, and neurotransmitter hormones. Each system works hand-in-hand to keep our bodies in balance.
This is why in our practice we are pro-active in testing for leaky gut, and strive to balance the gut system before an imbalance escalates to disease somewhere in the body!
How do we test for Gut Health?
Depending on the severity of your personal health symptoms, we may use several different testing modes.
Food Allergy and Food Sensitivity testing: We use very comprehensive blood testing to detect food allergies and food sensitivities that can be the cause of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract as well as the cause of symptoms/conditions elsewhere in the body. Certain foods can have the same effect as toxins in some people. We use very comprehensive blood testing which use very sensitive testing for more accurate results.
Intestinal Barrier Function testing: Blood or stool tests for zonulin can indicate the presence of leaky gut. Blood tests can also show potential causes of leaky gut: high histamine, low DAO, antibodies to intestinal cells, and immune activation to bacteria.
Comprehensive Stool testing: Evaluation of the stool is done to assess for: digestion, sufficiency of beneficial bacteria, potentially pathogenic bacteria, immune activation, inflammation, leaky gut and poor elimination of toxins. This testing is useful for everyone because the intestinal tract is where all our health troubles start.
How to Improve your Gut Health BEFORE you have a problem
There are steps you can take to improve your gut health. One of the keys to a healthier gut is increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in it. Here are a few strategies to support a healthy gut:
Increase your intake of high-fiber foods. The soluble fiber found in vegetables, legumes, and fruit support your gut’s beneficial bacteria. Soluble fiber, which is found in fruits, vegetables and legumes, feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates. Too much sugar can negatively impact gut barrier function. Harmful bacteria thrive on sugar, and excessive sugar intake can harm gut barrier function.
Reduce your use of NSAIDs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, can increase intestinal permeability.
Take probiotic supplements. The beneficial bacteria of probiotics are considered helpful for many gastrointestinal conditions, such as IBS. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can improve your gut health. Probiotic supplements have been shown to be beneficial for gastrointestinal diseases.
Reduce your stress levels. Gut bacteria can be harmed by chronic stress.
Reduce your alcohol intake. Overindulging in alcohol can increase intestinal permeability.
Quit smoking. Tobacco smoke may increase digestive tract inflammation and is a risk factor for a number of bowel conditions.
Eat fermented foods. Fermented foods, such as plain yogurt, kimchi, “live” sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha, contain probiotics that can improve gut health.
THE BOTTOM LINE
In this newsletter, we have explored many of the Gut related symptoms and diseases - from the Gut-Brain Connection (Alzheimers, Anxiety, ADHD and Dementia) to IBD, Diabetes and Crohn’s disease.
The gut needs to be healthy and working in harmony with our other organ systems for us to enjoy a healthy life. With some easy testing techniques, we can make sure that we are helping our gut microbes flourish, keeping us strong to fight off chronic disease.
In the U.S., 90% of the $3.8 trillion in annual health care spending is for people with chronic health conditions — a number that could easily be reduced. But health is so much more than cost. At its core, it’s about helping people to extend their lives and making those lives fuller and happier. People are not lazy, gluttonous or weak-willed. They’re ill-informed. They’re ill-equipped. I’ve seen that when we give people the chance to understand their health to lead better lives, they take it.
So, take care and make sure you have a Healthy GUT. Preventable conditions can pile up as we age. Every day 10,000 Americans turn 65, and 27% of the nation already has two chronic illnesses. I believe by keeping your GUT healthy, we can stave off many “preventable” diseases. We need to see a change in paradigm from “cure” to “prevention” in health care and public health. Americans have a choice of approaching their personal health from a reactive mindset, or “preventative” approach. It’s my goal to help you focus on prevention BEFORE you become sick.
From a Functional Medicine perspective, we help you uncover the root or core causes of illness and disease, as well as monitor your health over time. In this way, we can facilitate natural ways of bringing the body system and vital substances back into balance and thereby reducing and eliminating illness and disease without medications. The practice of Functional Medicine revolves around natural healing and long term wellness facilitated by living a healthy lifestyle. When everything is well nourished and functioning well, we come to that place of wellness and bliss.