What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Leaky Gut Generally, the walls of a healthy gut allow very small molecules to pass through so that we can absorb nutrients.

Leaky gut occurs when tight junctions in the gut, which control what passes through the lining of the small intestine, don’t work properly.

This could allow unwanted bigger molecules such as food molecules, which are usually too large to pass through the intestinal barrier, to leak into the bloodstream.

Others pass through in the form of metabolic waste and microbial toxins.

When this happens the immune system treats these foreign substances as antigens or nasties, setting off an allergic response in which antibodies are secreted in the bloodstream to couple with and immobilize these large molecules.

What could cause Leaky Gut?

Eating excessive amounts of inflammatory foods such as dairy, sugar, and alcohol.
Gluten sensitivity.
Use of antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Infections such as candida, intestinal parasites, and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Let’s Take a closer look:

The digestive tract is an elaborate system that involves organs from the mouth to the anus.

One of the system’s components, the small intestine, performs an essential barrier function in keeping the body free from allergy.

The intestine’s membrane acts as a wall separating undigested food and the bloodstream.

The digestive tract organs properly break down food into smaller, usable molecules, which then are sent through the bloodstream to nourish the body’s tissues

Some amount of wall permeability is common.

In people with a healthy digestive system, up to 20 percent of undigested protein can pass through the mucous membranes.

Symptoms of Leaky Gut

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Gut Benefits of Probiotics Leaky gut symptoms are not unique. They’re shared by a range of problems. And tests often fail to uncover a definite cause of the problem.

Many are left without a diagnosis and, therefore, untreated, because a lot of the symptoms are quite common.

These symptoms include unexplained food intolerances and allergies, constipation, diarrhoea, wind, bloating, cramps, and heartburn as well as aches and pains.