Leaky gut syndrome is a disorder in which the mucus layer of the digestive tract is damaged and allows the gut wall to be exposed and in turn compromises our immune systems and digestive health.
This exposure can allow bacteria, viruses, toxins, and more to enter into our bloodstreams which causes many different forms of health problems. If you’re suffering from digestive ailments, you might have leaky gut syndrome.
In this article we’re going to go through everything you need to know about leaky gut, and how to deal with it. Follow along and we’ll keep you in the know on this unfortunate health issue.
Symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome
If you’re not sure if you’ve got leaky gut syndrome, we will first go through some of the leaky gut symptoms you might experience if your mucus layer is compromised. There are several different types of symptoms you might experience, and each have a different effect on the body.
- Digestive Issues
Digestive issues are some of the most common symptoms of leaky gut and will effect normal digestive functions on a daily basis. Digestive symptoms include chronic diarrhea, constipation, gas or bloating, and indigestion.
On a more severe level, you might experience vitamin and mineral deficiencies, Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, or Diverticulitis.
Experiencing odd food cravings for sugars and carbs is also related to leaky gut as well as intolerance to certain types of foods.
- Immune Symptoms
With your digestive tract being heavily involved in your immune system, leaky gut syndrome can also wreak havoc on your immune system. The breakdown in your digestive tract can cause your immune system to work overtime to rid itself of the toxins that your bloodstream is exposed to through the compromised mucus layers.
Some of the immune issues that are related to leaky gut include skin problems like rashes, eczema, acne, and rosacea. Additionally it can contribute to asthma, arthritis, allergic reactions, and autoimmune diseases.
In addition to the aforementioned symptoms, you can also experience effects on your mood and mental well-being. This is due in large part to the GI system’s role in producing serotonin, which regulates your mood and metabolism.
Leaky gut syndrome can cause headaches, grogginess, anxiety, hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue, and other major brain function problems.
What Causes Leaky Gut Syndrome?
There are a number of external factors that can contribute to leaky gut syndrome and they vary from mental health all the way to improper diet.
Imbalance in healthy gut bacteria is a primary contributing factor. Our guts need bacteria to properly break down and digest our food, if this is thrown out of sync, it can contribute to the erosion of our inner mucus linings.
High carbohydrate diets or diets that are protein deficient can also be a contributing factor. High carb diets allow for the build-up of harmful bacteria in our GI systems. Protein deficient diets lack the amino acids required to build up the mucus layers in our digestive tracts.
Chronic stress is also a large contributing factor. Stress can cause highly inflammatory hormones into our systems that left unchecked over the long term can be very damaging to our digestive systems.
Other risk factors include some medications like anti-biotics and pain relievers. These medications can irritate our GI system, especially if used heavily over a long period of time. This causes a slow break down of the mucus membrane leading to leaky gut syndrome.
Maintaining a Healthy Gut
While this may all sound dire, there are steps you can take to maintain proper gut health and allow your system to function well and rebuild itself.
Consuming healthy foods that are rich in protein can go a long way to getting your gut health back on the right track. Meats, fish, eggs, and cottage cheese all contain amino acids that are helpful in healing your gut.
In addition to a protein rich diet, you’ll want to eliminate gluten, dairy, alcohol, and caffeine from your diet as your body can view these as toxins, further exacerbating the problems that are plaguing your GI tract.
Taking quality probiotics each day can do wonders in promoting beneficial bacteria in your gut and many consider them to be one of the most important supplements you can take for long-term digestive health. You might also consider taking supplements like Zeolite Crystals, which can improve the intestinal wall.
Conclusion
Leaky gut syndrome is something that is very dangerous and can certainly make us feel pretty crummy each day, but if you can take the proper steps to either prevent it, or heal it if you’re already suffering from it, it can be overcome.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms and aren’t sure what to do, consider consulting your doctor. You can start taking steps today to ensure a healthy GI tract, and it all starts with your diet.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
