People are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of our digestive systems to our overall health. Leaky gut, or intestinal hyperpermeability, is one condition that has grown in popularity in recent years. It can be the root cause or a contributing factor for various chronic symptoms and diseases like:
- Obesity and weight gain
- Hormone imbalance
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Eczema and psoriasis
- Autoimmune diseases
- Depression and anxiety
- Food sensitivities
Healthy intestines only allow fully digested food particles, (like simple sugars, micronutrients and amino acids) to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The intestinal lining is made of a thin layer of cells that normally have tight spaces between them. The intestinal wall acts like a colander, so only small, digested particles can pass through.
With Leaky gut, the cells become irritated and inflamed, creating wider gaps between them. Many things in our food and environment can cause this irritation and inflammation like stress, chemicals, food additives, imbalanced gut bacteria and medications. The larger gaps between cells allow larger (undigested) food particles, bacteria and toxins to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Since blood flows to every cell in your body, these irritants can affect any organ system (your skin, brain, nerves, heart, lungs…) and cause inflammation. This inflammation is what contributes to your symptoms and disease.
