Leaky gut syndrome is a condition in which the small intestine's lining becomes damaged, leading to increased intestinal permeability (a condition known as "leakiness"). The damage that causes a leaky gut can happen for a number of reasons, including food allergies or sensitivities, bacterial overgrowth and infection, chronic stress, and autoimmune disorders. Leaky gut syndrome is often associated with other conditions, such as Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This article will explain what leaky gut syndrome is, its connection to other health conditions like IBS and Crohn's disease, what causes it, how to treat it with diet changes or medications, and how to prevent it.
What is a leaky gut?
Leaky gut syndrome is a condition where the lining of the intestines becomes damaged, allowing toxins and microbes to enter the bloodstream. It's often referred to as intestinal permeability.
Leaky gut syndrome is not officially recognized as a medical condition, but some experts believe it may be related to other maladies such as autoimmune diseases (e.g., celiac disease). Diagnosing leaky gut syndrome may require a stool test; however, this will only tell you if there are harmful bacteria in your system--it can't confirm whether or not you have leaky gut syndrome. The main way to treat leaky gut syndrome is changing your diet so that you're eating more fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables rather than processed foods containing refined sugars or artificial sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
What causes leaky gut syndrome?
The gut is a barrier between the inside of your body and the outside world. It protects you from harmful bacteria, toxins, and other substances that may enter your system through food or drink. The gut also helps digest food so it can be absorbed into your bloodstream.
If this barrier becomes damaged or "leaky," then it becomes easier for things like toxins and undigested food particles to pass through into your bloodstream, where they can cause problems in other areas of your body, like joints or brain tissue (1). This is why some people have digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhea when they eat certain foods--because these foods aren't being properly digested by enzymes in their stomachs due to leaky gut syndrome!
How do you know if you have a leaky gut?
You can test for leaky gut by taking a stool test, which will tell you if your body has elevated levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS is an inflammatory molecule produced by bacteria, so when it's present in high quantities, it can cause serious problems.
If you suspect that you have leaky gut syndrome and want to know more about the condition, talk to your doctor about getting tested for LPS and other markers of inflammation. The good news is that treatments are available for people who suffer from leaky gut syndrome--but first, we'll look at what causes this condition in the first place!
How do you treat leaky gut syndrome?
The best way to treat leaky gut syndrome is to follow a diet that minimizes inflammation and works with your body's natural healing processes. Here are some guidelines for how to eat for healthy digestion:
- Eliminate foods that cause inflammation, such as gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, and rye), refined sugars, processed foods, and artificial sweeteners. These can increase symptoms of leaky gut syndrome by triggering an immune response in your body -- an "allergic" reaction to these substances will cause blood vessels to dilate or expand within the intestinal lining, which leads them to rupture more easily under pressure from waste products trying to pass through the gut wall into circulation where they create inflammation throughout the body.*
- Eat anti-inflammatory foods instead, such as vegetables high in soluble fiber like artichokes or nuts like walnuts; fruits rich in prebiotic fiber like bananas; bone broth soup made from boiling bones from poultry birds like chickens or turkeys until they fall off into liquid form at which point you strain out any bits left behind before consuming it once cooled down enough not to burn yourself when drinking straight out of cup! You may also consider taking probiotic supplements containing live bacteria cultures such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. These helpful microbes populate our guts when we are born but disappear over time due mainly due stressors such as excessive exercise levels combined with poor eating habits involving too much junk food consumption during childhood years leading up puberty stage, where hormones start kicking into gear causing rapid changes within both physical appearance including height growth rate while also affecting mental health conditions like depression resulting from lack self-esteem issues caused by bullying classmates who tease kids who look different than most others around them."
A diet high in inflammatory foods can trigger the development of a leaky gut.
- Inflammatory foods
- High in fiber
- Low in fiber
- High in sugar
- Low in sugar: The best example of this would be fruit. Fruits are high in sugar, but they also contain a lot of water and fiber, which slows down your body's absorption of that sugar. So if you have a piece of fruit with a meal, it won't spike your blood glucose levels as much as eating an equivalent amount of white bread.
Conclusion
Leaky gut syndrome is a condition that can cause digestive issues and even lead to autoimmune diseases. Understanding what causes a leaky gut is important so you can treat it before it becomes serious.
