4 Things You Need to Know About Leaky Gut Syndrome
Written with Ann Arbor Holistic Health Practitioner, Kristina Carman, ND
Kristina Carman is a Naturopathic Doctor with over 12 years of experience and a whole-person, systems-based approach rooted in nutrition and yoga therapy. Her global background and studies in both modern science and traditional frameworks inform her work with digestion, hormones, immune health, and more.
Discover the basics of leaky gut syndrome and why gut lining integrity is essential for overall health. Learn about its causes, symptoms, and long-term ways to support your gut.
Leaky gut has become a buzzword in health conversations, but the science behind it is both fascinating and important to understand. As Kristina Carman, ND, an Ann Arbor Holistic Health practitioner, explains, “Leaky gut is a bit of a fashionable term for saying ‘intestinal permeability’, which basically means we have a gut lining that can degrade and become more permeable.” When this lining weakens, “undigested food, bacteria, and toxins are reabsorbed within the bloodstream,” which can contribute to issues ranging from autoimmune challenges to skin problems and even shifts in mental health.
So what causes this breakdown in gut integrity? According to Kristina Carman, ND, “Diet is huge… stress is enormous… overuse of antibiotics [and] over the counter medications” can all play a role in weakening the gut lining. She emphasizes that these factors rarely act alone. “They all work together,” she says, meaning that stress, poor sleep, and dietary choices can combine to create a much bigger impact on gut health than any single factor on its own.
The good news is that your body is resilient. “Leaky gut is something that you can certainly support,” says Kristina Carman, ND. It is not a quick fix, but a long-term commitment to nourishing the gut can restore balance and improve overall resilience. In the blog below, written by Ann Arbor Holistic Health founder Gary Merel, we will walk through four essential things you need to know about leaky gut syndrome, and how you can begin to strengthen your gut lining starting today.
4 Things You Need To Know About Leaky Gut Syndrome
Too often, the gut is overlooked for the role it plays in our health and wellness. When you have intestinal permeability – otherwise known as leaky gut – all the things that are in your intestines can seep into the blood stream and your body. Gross, right? Leaky gut is also incredibly harmful to your health.
1. Leaky gut causes your immune system to revolt.
To put it graphically, leaky gut is like a bag of garbage that is slowly releasing its mashed-up contents. And when undigested food particles, bacteria, and toxins leak out of the intestine, your immune system revolts. This reaction makes sense, since almost 75 percent of your immune system is in your gut.
It’s not only what comes out of the intestines that’s problematic, it’s what the intestine is limited in doing. Leaky gut means this organ is unable to produce the enzymes needed for proper digestion. The body is unable to absorb essential nutrients and, therefore, the immune system becomes weakened.
Thankfully, you don’t need to get a new trash bag to fix your gut – you just need to identify the source of the revolt and rebuild your system so it’s strong and impermeable.
2. Your gut influences how you feel from head to toe, inside and out.
The health of your gut has everything to do with your overall health and well-being. When you have leaky gut combined with gastrointestinal distress, you can suffer from a buffet of chronic conditions and illnesses, including:
Skin problems – eczema
Mental health issues – anxiety and depression
Respiratory complications – asthma
Pain – arthritis
Digestive problems – Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, food allergies, and irritable bowel
Other conditions – diabetes, chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalances, or migraines
How can a skin condition be caused by your digestive system? Your gut is a powerful part of the body, and its strength and wellness impact how you feel and how your systems work.
3. What you put in your body impacts how your intestines behave.
Eating well takes commitment and knowledge, but once you have these tools, feeding your body the healthy way will come easy. While your DNA and overall health play their own roles in your risk of developing leaky gut, there are other habits that contribute, too:
Eating too many refined sugars.
Excessive use of antibiotics.
Unhealthy reliance on over-the-counter pain relievers.
Nutritional deficiencies.
High alcohol consumption.
Chronic stress.
4. Leaky gut symptoms can masquerade as other problems.
Chronic fatigue, sugar cravings, joint pain, chronic gas or bloating, chronic diarrhea or constipation, skin rashes, and headaches are all potentially symptoms of digestive and gastrointestinal distress, but they could also indicate the presence of leaky gut.
The holistic approach to health is to address the root cause of a problem, not just address the symptoms. With the support of the holistic specialists at Ann Arbor Holistic Health, together we will determine what’s wreaking havoc on your immune system, balance your gut, and help you establish a sustainable healthy lifestyle for your best life. Contact us today to take control of your wellness.