What Is Leaky Gut
We are often asked “what is a leaky gut?” How do I know if I have one?
A leaky gut means “increased intestinal permeability”. Basically it is a symptom of gut inflammation and imbalance and it can have many causes.
It can definitely occur at any age and if you have symptoms of tummy pain, just not thriving and poor nutritional status, allergies and sensitivities, cramps, bloating, chronic joint pain, constipation, fatigue, diarrhoea, gas, foggy thinking, indigestion and poor immunity then leaky gut may be a possibility.
Your digestive tract is more than just a tube that holds and processes food. It also houses a part of your immune system in the form of a bacterial barrier of good and bad bacteria in the gastrointestinal mucosa. The gut also absorbs nutrients and fight off bugs by identifying toxins, viruses or allergens that could cause you to be ill. Usually a greater proportion of good bacteria keep things in balance and under control but stress, poor diet, medications, structural problems, toxins or illness can all allow bad bacteria to overtake the good bacteria resulting in chronic health issues.
This gut barrier in the gastrointestinal mucosal lining is supposed to keep out bacterial products, foreign substances and large undigested proteins and molecules. On the surface of the barrier are villi and microvilli which allow us to absorb nutrients. In between the cells are junctions (desmosomes) which usually form tight junctions which won’t allow large molecules to pass through into the bloodstream. If the barrier is inflamed or irritated the junctions become less tight, so the larger proteins pass through. When this happens our immune system sees this as a foreign substance, which of course will cause an antibody (allergic) reaction. If lining damage is severe then even larger molecules like bacteria, fungi and undigested food particles pass through the weakened cell membranes, going directly into the bloodstream, activating antibodies and causing cytokines to be released.
What you eat, drink and think can deeply affect the workings of the gut. Digestive issues can have a huge impact on health, immunity, wellbeing, strength and vitality. Many diseases affect the gastrointestinal tract – irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, leaky gut or gut dysbiosis, colitis, chrohns disease, coeliac disease or gastroesophageal reflux. A leaky gut is associated with allergies, coeliac disease, malabsorption syndromes, asthma, skin disorders, food and environmental sensitivities.
Leaky Gut also means the liver has to work harder, because those extra molecules that pass into the bloodstream have to be dealt with somehow – and in this case the liver takes on the job.
Natural Medicine lends itself well to treating this condition –
In clinic I look at a symptom based approach, and I also favour a hemaview live blood analysis test as it allows us to see, on the big screen, and from adrop of blood, things like nutritional status inflammation etc. Please refer to the hemaview page on the website for more information.
Naturopathically I would be looking for causes: Parasites? Yeast infections? Allergies? Bacterial infections? Medications? Or maybe chronic stress, gut
dysbiosis, immune overload or gastrointestinal disease, poor diet or long term use of anti-inflammatory medication. I may recommend a food sensitivity test (you get a 40 page report with this and we test over 200 items – food and environmental).
I treat Leaky Gut by restoring gut integrity through the use of herbs, dietary changes, supplemental nutrients like glutamine, and replenishing gut flora with probiotics and prebiotics. We may use digestive enzymes for a time to ensure that all foods are properly digested. We have a full range of herbs and supplements in dispensary and I also have gentle herb drops (HbT’s) which are excellent for children, very palatable and easy to take.
You are welcome to come in and see me for a hemaview test and a consultation if you think this might be you. You can call the clinic on 09 479 1171 to book an appointment or email us at health@myremedy.co.nz if you have any questions.
References:
Hechtman, L. (2012). Clinical Naturopathic Medicine. Chatswood: Elsevier.
Sarris, J. (2010). Clinical Naturopathy. Chatswood: Elsevier.
The Anti-Inflammatory Pyramid. (2012, November 01). Retrieved November 01, 2012, from Biopractica: www.biopractica.com.au
Thomas, J. (2007). Healthy Gut Guide. Camberwell, Victoria: Penguin.
