What the Fork is Leaky Gut?

Nearly ten years ago, I was working in a high growth startup in London under a lot of stress, feeling constantly tired, having insomnia, catching one cold after another and feeling bloated no matter what I ate. Following my sister’s advice, I visited a naturopath, a health practitioner that looks at your overall health with a more holistic approach. I was diagnosed with leaky gut and immediately put on a gluten free protocol.  Having been a child with persistent digestive issues, tonsillitis, and more serious infections such as mono, it came as a surprise that I had never visited a holistic practitioner.

After a long and eye opening consultation, I learnt that my immune issues mainly boiled down to my gut health. I left feeling relieved, realizing that all along I had been looking at my health from the wrong standpoint. I had focused on fixing specific issues instead of looking at the bigger picture to understand what was the underlying root cause of my fragile health. As the wise Deepak Chopra says “Health is not the mere absence of disease; it is a state of physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing”.

What exactly is the gut?

I always thought that the gut was another term for the stomach, but soon discovered it is an intricate ecosystem that hosts our immune health and covers the stomach, large intestine and small intestine. 

What I didn´t know was that 70% of our immune system lives in our gut and it is actually where our feel good hormones like serotonin are made! Suddenly it all made sense: my lack of energy, changing mood and constant health problems were a cause of my gut imbalance. 

Think of the body as an orchestra, and each organ as an instrument, the gut would definitely be the leading one. When this instrument is out of key, the whole orchestra is out of sync. Only now are scientists beginning to understand the vital role the gut plays in our overall health and wellbeing.

What happens when your gut is out of balance or you have a leaky gut?

Your gut wall has tight junctions that act as a protective barrier to avoid toxins and pathogens getting into your bloodstream. When this barrier is damaged, you have a condition known as leaky gut. 

When things other than nutrients (toxins, undigested food particles or pathogens) leak into your bloodstream through the “cracked” gut wall, your immune system tags these as invaders and attacks them. This creates inflammation in your body. Inflammation is your body's natural response to a perceived injury or threat and is a great alert system. When inflammation goes on for too long and becomes chronic, however, it can lead to more serious illnesses such as autoimmune disorders. This is why what you eat plays a huge role in your health. Think of the potential extra damage you can do to your gut if your gut is inflamed and you eat inflammatory foods three times a day 365 days a year. 

The exact underlying cause of leaky gut is still a mystery yet some factors that play a role in the damaging of the gut wall include: severe or chronic stress, excessive sugar intake, medications, yeast overgrowth, and gluten or other food sensitivities. Leaky gut can cause different symptoms such as bloating, difficulty concentrating, seasonal allergies or skin problems, among others. If you have any of these symptoms, it is advisable to get tested for leaky gut through a stool test. 

How to heal your leaky gut?

The good news is that through a healthy diet and balanced lifestyle you can restore your gut walls back to their optimum protection levels and regain your immune health. Following an anti inflammatory diet allows you to reduce inflammation in your body and heal your gut. 

Learn more about an anti inflammatory or leaky gut diet and the ingredients to avoid in my posts Anti Inflammatory Diet 101 and Gut Survival Kit.