3 Surprising Reasons Why You May Have Leaky Gut
Updated: Mar 5, 2024
Written by: Marissa Hughes, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Leaky gut, aka Intestinal Hyperpermeability, has garnered much attention in recent years, but how do you know if you have it? Spoiler Alert: you probably do.
Although not completely understood by the medical community, leaky gut is having a massive impact on the health of Americans. When the extremely delicate lining of the intestine gets damaged, particles and toxins are allowed to enter the bloodstream, causing inflammation and immune responses throughout the body.
This damage can be caused by a poor diet high in sugar and vegetable oil, certain medications, stress, antibiotics, excessive alcohol intake, and changes to the gut bacteria, known as the microbiome.
By repairing the gut lining, you may improve seemingly unrelated symptoms like joint pain, brain fog, autoimmune symptoms, bowel issues, energy levels, food sensitivities, and much more.
Even if you eat a healthy diet, here are 3 other reasons why you may still have leaky gut.
1 Not being breastfed
Unfortunately, not all mothers can nurse their infants, which may lead to possible gastrointestinal disorders.
Colostrum, which the infant would normally get in the first few days after birth, is nature’s perfect food for the baby. It gives them essential nutrients for the brain, eyes, and heart, protects the baby’s immune system, and coats the digestive tract to prevent infection and inflammation – precursors to leaky gut.
When missing out on this essential superfood, this can create a cascade of lasting issues stemming from intestinal hyperpermeability.
2 Eating bread and pasta
Sad, but true. As much as we all love to indulge in delicious, gooey, gluten-filled bread and pasta, it could have caused your leaky gut and may still be causing it.
Zonulin is a protein in the body that regulates the tight junctions of the intestines to allow nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This is a normal and necessary process, but when too much zonulin has been triggered, those tight junctions open up, therefore allowing bacteria and other toxins to leak through the intestinal barrier.
According to Dr. Alessia Fasano, who discovered zonulin in 2000, gluten and bacteria in the small intestine are the 2 biggest driving factors for opening the ‘zonulin door’.
In addition, wheat is heavily sprayed with RoundUp, the main ingredient being glyphosate, which acts as an antibiotic in the gut. By wiping out some of the good bacteria we have living there as a first line of defense, the protection against leaky gut is diminished.
3 Multiple rounds of antibiotics (even as a child)
Antibiotics are life-saving in many circumstances. There is a time and place for them in treating infections, but they may also have a detrimental effect on the microbial balance in the gut.
By reducing not only the pathogenic bacteria but also many of the beneficial bacteria, antibiotics are changing the balance of the microbiota in the gut. The microbiota is a term used to describe viruses, bacteria, fungi, and archaea, which contribute to intestinal barrier function. Restoring the variety of beneficial flora in the gut is essential when dealing with antibiotics.
So, how can you improve leaky gut?
1 We need to stop putting the things into our body that contributed in the first place: reduce toxins in food and unnecessary medications.
2 Stored toxins and/or pathogens that are creating inflammation need to be safely removed: gentle detoxification of opportunistic bacteria and other toxins is essential to begin the process.
3 Once that has happened, we can begin to rebuild our first line of defense – our gut bacteria: eating fermented, prebiotic, and polyphenol-rich foods will help with the regrowth.
4 Then we can work on the integrity of the gut lining: using targeted supplementation, stress reduction, bone broth, and other healing foods will help strengthen the intestinal lining.
By using cutting-edge stool testing to assess the gut microbiome, we, at Marissa Hughes Health, can see exactly what is going on in your gut and exactly how to improve it. Getting to your root cause is the best way to address leaky gut or any other health issue.
Click HERE to download my complimentary guide to giving your gut a probiotic makeover!
Marissa Hughes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Marissa is a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach, specializing in Digestive Health. She had been down a very long health journey of her own before deciding to take matters into her own hands and is now dedicated to helping other women feel as good as she does every day. She gets to the root cause of her client's gut issues by using a microbiome testing process, so each client receives a totally personalized plan, based on their individual results. She uses a combination of specific foods, supplements, stress management, detoxification and Pilates in her online program, The Happy Belly Method.
