Can You Recognize The Leaky Gut Signs And Symptoms?

Leaky gut signs and symptoms vary because this condition can affect all bodily systems. As a result, symptoms are often attributed to other health conditions. In addition, many doctors do not recognize a leaky gut as an official medical diagnosis.

This article will discuss the signs and symptoms of a leaky gut and cover everything you need to know about this syndrome.

What Is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

A leaky gut syndrome is a condition of increased intestinal permeability in which the intestinal lining is compromised, allowing harmful substances to "leak into the bloodstream."

The intestinal barrier is composed of a series of cells linked together by "tight junctions" or gates controlling the absorption of substances. But a certain amount of intestinal permeability is required for survival. So, this barrier is always "semi-permeable" to allow water, the absorption of essential nutrients, and other beneficial substances to enter the gastrointestinal area quickly and efficiently while blocking potentially harmful microorganisms, undigested food particles, and toxins from entering the bloodstream.

With a leaky gut syndrome, these gates become loose, allowing harmful substances to "leak" into the bloodstream. The immune system reacts to these toxic substances, potentially causing widespread systemic inflammation and numerous health issues.

Leaky Gut Symptoms And Signs

Here are just some of the signs and symptoms linked to a leaky gut.

• Celiac disease
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Bloating
• Brain fog
• Gas
• Headaches
• Excessive fatigue
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Food allergies
• Immune system defects
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Joint pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Autoimmune diseases, i.e., eczema, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis
• Chronic stress
• Chronic inflammation
• Food sensitivities
• Chronic diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Mental health issues like depression and anxiety
• Asthma
• Acne
• Digestive tract issues
• Hashimoto's thyroiditis
• Fibromyalgia
• Lupus
• Parkinson's disease
• Insomnia
• Autism
• Crohn's disease
• And more

What Causes Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Here are the four leading causes of leaky gut syndrome.

Gut Dysbiosis

Gut dysbiosis refers to a bacterial imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract. The intestines are home to a wide range of bacteria collectively called the gut microbiota. They aid digestion, support the intestinal barrier, keep the immune system strong, and perform other vital functions.

Research suggests that an imbalance in gut bacteria can trigger the body's immune response causing gut inflammation. (1) Because this inflammation stretches the intestinal barrier, it increases intestinal permeability allowing substances to leak into the bloodstream.

And it goes both ways. Beneficial gut bacteria play a role in healing or preventing a leaky gut. Indeed, the state of the gut microbiota is so critical to gut health that there is scientific evidence that it can heal or prevent a leaky gut. For example, research shows that Butyrate, a postbiotic metabolite created by bacterial fermentation of fiber in the lower colon, can reduce gut inflammation and repair and enhance the barrier function of intestinal cells. (2, 3)

Poor Diet

Speaking of inflammation...

A regular diet of inflammatory foods -- such as refined carbs, sugar, heavily processed foods, fast foods, convenience foods, etc. -- is strongly associated with leaky gut syndrome.

Inflammatory foods include:

• Sugar, which you'll find in candy, cookies, cakes, soft drinks, etc.
• Artificial sweeteners (Splenda, aspartame, etc.)
• Alcohol
• Peanuts
• Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)
• Gluten (bread, baked goods, pasta, cereal, crackers, beer, gravy, soup not labeled "gluten-free")
• Refined carbs (white bread, white rice, white potatoes)
• Vegetable oil
• Red meat (due to hormones and preservatives, unless you choose organic preservative-free varieties)
• All heavily processed foods (due to the preservatives, additives, and food coloring that trigger an immune response.)

Chronic Stress

Stress is a chronic issue in our modern society. Everyone seems to be so overloaded with work, family, and social responsibilities that they never take a minute to wind down. Unfortunately, studies show that stress can harm health due to its effect on gut bacteria.

Namely, chronic and acute stress alters the composition of gut bacteria (4). How does this happen? The autonomic and circulatory systems send distress signals to the gut, causing an immune response. The resulting gut inflammation "triggers blooms of pathogenic bacteria that encourage dysbiosis and a leaky gut." (5, 6)

Exposure to Environmental Toxins

In our technological age, it is impossible to avoid environmental toxins. Air pollution. Pesticides. Insecticides. Cleaning products. Parabens, Cosmetics. Pharmaceuticals. Contaminated tap water. Preservatives in food. They're all around and inside of us.

Unfortunately, they also alter microbiota composition and increase intestinal permeability, leading to the leaky gut syndrome.

How To Fix Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut symptoms can be unpleasant, but the good news is that you don't have to suffer from them for the rest of your life. There are a few easy ways to seal a leaky gut. Here are a few of them.

Get More Sleep

Sleep deprivation can also alter your gut bacteria, leading to a leaky gut. So experts recommend that most people get at least seven or eight hours of sleep a night.

Here are a few tips for getting a better night's sleep.

• Go to bed at the same time each night. (When you create a sleep schedule, you're training your body to start getting tired an hour or so before bedtime.)
• Avoid napping during the day.
• Put away your devices at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light of the device screens interferes with your brain's production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
• Avoid caffeine foods and beverages at least four hours before bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant that can interfere with sleep.
• Try not to eat a heavy meal right before bed. The digestive process can interfere with a good

Improve the Quality of Your Diet

Improving the quality of your diet can have a significantly positive impact on the leaky gut. A high-quality diet feeds the beneficial gut bacteria needed to heal the intestinal lining. It also helps rebalance the gut microbiome, helping reduce digestive inflammation.

Below are a few dietary strategies to help heal or prevent the leaky gut syndrome.

• Reduce or eliminate processed foods from your diet.
• Eat more fiber foods to feed butyrate-producing bacteria. Try to choose nonstarchy vegetables over grain foods, as the latter promotes inflammation.
• Eat more fermented foods like sauerkraut and yogurt, as they contain live bacteria to help rebalance your gut microbiome.
• Try to cut out refined sugar, as it is highly inflammatory.

Manage Stress Levels

You can't remove all stress from your life, but there are some things you can do every day to reduce stress and the risk of leaky gut syndrome.

• Take up a hobby. Any activity you enjoy doing can relieve stress.
• Practice meditation. Research suggests that this ancient practice reduces stress and strengthens natural immunity, supporting overall health.
• Regularly perform aerobic exercises. While exercise does stress your body in the short term, it releases hormones like endorphins that reduce stress and improve mood. Examples of aerobic exercises include running, jogging, cycling, swimming, and kickboxing.
• Practice yoga
• Take tai chi classes
• Go to lunch with good friends
• Practice deep breathing exercises 
• Get a dog or cat. Numerous studies show that pet ownership reduces stress and strengthens the immune system.
• Laugh. That's right. Laughter is one of the best ways to relieve stress.

Reduce Environmental Toxins

• Switch to natural cleaning products
• Keep your home dust-free. (If you have any lead paint in your home, it can hide in the dust you breathe.) So, be sure to dust and vacuum regularly
• Repair any leaks in your plumbing, walls, and roofs immediately to prevent mold growth.
• Keep mice out of your home, as their feces and urine can be toxic.

Take SANE Viscera-3: The Natural Leaky Gut Solution

We've mentioned Butyrate earlier in this article. It is a postbiotic metabolite created from the bacterial fermentation of fiber in the lower colon. Ivy League Doctors call it the "optimal" one for gut health. It helps rebalance gut bacteria, defend against inflammation of the digestive system, and repair and enhance the gut barrier. What more could you want in a gut-health, leaky gut healing supplement?

Unfortunately, you won't find Butyrate by itself on store shelves because it dissolves long before it reaches the colon. Consequently, a stabilizing agent must be added to ensure its safe passage.

But we have some GOOD news!

SANESolution has teamed up with health experts to create the new Viscera-3™ TRIbutyrate POSTbiotic supplement, a formula that contains the POSTbiotic butyrate (or butyric acid) in a unique patented form — time-released to reach your large intestine where it starts going to work immediately to fix leaky gut.

Clickhere to learn more and place your order.

References

1- http://www.eurekaselect.com/article/78347
2- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10483900/
3- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26582965/
4- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3039072/
5- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27554295/
6- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7213601/