What is intestinal hyper-permeability… aka leaky gut

Leaky gut is a condition called intestinal hyper-permeability, affecting millions and linked to a laundry list of health woes, from everyday discomforts like bloating and gas to more serious issues like eczema, rashes, and autoimmune disorders.

What is a leaky gut?

Think of your gut lining like a bouncer at a club, deciding who gets in (nutrients) and who stays out (toxins, pathogens, undigested food). When your gut's "security" system falters, allowing unwanted guests to slip into your bloodstream, that's leaky gut in action. It can happen through damaged cells or loosened tight junctions between cells, triggering an immune response and a host of symptoms.

How did my gut get ‘leaky’?

There can be many culprits. Poor diet tops the list, with grains, dairy, processed foods, and GMOs leading the charge. Grains, for instance, contain lectins and saponins that poke holes in your gut lining, while gluten amps up zonulin production, making your gut even leakier. Pathogens like bacteria, yeast, and parasites also wreak havoc, along with imbalances in your gut microbiome, toxins from meds and environmental sources, stress, antibiotics and even genetic predispositions.

How does leaky gut cause food sensitivities?

Picture this: undigested food molecules slip past your gut defenses, setting off alarm bells in your immune system. Your liver, overwhelmed by the influx, can't keep up, leading to these molecules circulating and settling in tissues throughout your body. Your immune system, now on high alert, starts mistaking harmless foods for invaders, triggering sensitivities and a cascade of symptoms.

What about autoimmunity?

Your immune system, already on high alert, may start attacking your body's own tissues, mistaking them for intruders. This autoimmune response can manifest in various conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, hashimotos, colitis, or Crohn's disease. But here's the good news: by reducing hyperpermeability (leaky gut), we can halt and even reverse autoimmune conditions.

So, there you have it - the lowdown on leaky gut. Remember leaky gut is usually a symptom not a root cause. To truly heal leaky gut and ensure you don’t relapse it is important to dig deeper and find out what caused your leaky gut.