Leaky Gut Syndrome is a problem that happens in the small intestine. The walls of the small intestine are supposed to keep substances inside, but sometimes grow weak and let substances into the bloodstream, such as with Leaky Gut Syndrome. Inflammation causes the intestines to swell and create gaps. Once foreign substances escape into the bloodstream, the body’s immune system attacks the invader. But healthy cells get caught in the crossfire too, which lead to more inflammation and problems all over the body. The causes of this disease are not very well known, but it can be triggered by food allergies, certain medications, and radiation treatment. It can also be a part of another disease in the intestines, like Crohn’s or Celiac disease.
Because the causes are relatively unknown, Leaky Gut Syndrome can be difficult to diagnose. Its symptoms are common for other conditions as well. One thing medical professionals do know is that lifestyle factors tend to play a big role in flare-ups. Chronic stress paired with a poor diet and exercise make Leaky Gut worse, and can even be a big causing factor. Research has been revealing that Leaky Gut is a root cause of many other ailments in the body, including some chronic diseases. If you are worried that you may have leaky gut, keep an eye out for these common symptoms to determine if you should consult a medical professional:
1. Poor Immune System
If you find you cannot fight off infections or colds recently, it could be a sign of poor immune system function due to leaky gut syndrome. Because foreign substances are overflowing the liver and sneaking into the bloodstream, the immune system is thrown into overdrive and attends to fighting these foreign substances. Because so much attention is being paid to the escaped substances, the rest of the body is left almost defenseless against the environment. Yeasts, fungi’s, bacteria and viruses take their opportunity to set up shop inside the body and the immune system has trouble fighting them as well as the leaky gut. Auto-immune functions can become so compromised over time, chronic conditions like Diabetes and heart problems can develop.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]2. Headaches, Brain Fog, Memory Loss
Inflamed intestines can lead to a host of problems in the head as well. You may find yourself forgetting where you misplaced your phone in an instance, or making simple errors you don’t normally make. This is because the brain and the intestines are intimately connected by nerves. The brain has to send signals to the stomach and vice-versa, for normal functions like eating and digestion. When the intestines are inflamed and damaged, the brain is receiving less signals or problematic ones, which leads to symptoms like confusion, headaches, and trouble with memory. Research has even gone so far as to suggest that leaky gut may play a role in dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]3. Excessive Fatigue
Feeling tired all the time is a common symptom when you’re sick or fighting off an infection, and the same is true for leaky gut. The immune system is busy fighting invading cells in the bloodstream. And the inflammation sends out cells called cytokines, which are linked to excessive fatigue. As you eat, the walls in the intestine are continuously letting foreign cells into your bloodstream, which means that your immune system never gets a chance to rest. If you are fighting off other infections or bacteria as well, the immune system is pulling double duty, which taxes the whole body and makes you tired all the time.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]4. Cravings For Sugar Or Carbs
Cravings for sugar or carbs is a very common symptom of leaky gut for a couple of reasons. The body uses carbs and sugar for fast-burning energy, which is why “sugar highs” happen. If you are feeling excessive fatigue as a symptom of leaky gut, your body may crave an easy sugar fix just to get through your daily life. In addition to being low on energy, the body’s immune system is busy killing cells in the bloodstream, which exposes other parts of the body to infections and problems. One common problem is Candida overgrowth, which is a yeast found in all intestines. But when it is allowed to grow out of control due to poor immunity, it becomes a big problem. Candida feeds on sugars and carbs, so it will trigger cravings in your body just to keep surviving and growing. This is why avoiding sugars and carbs is important in healing leaky gut.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]5. Arthritis Or Joint Pain
Because leaky gut triggers immunity response around the entire body, a common side-effect is inflammation around the entire body, even parts that seemingly have nothing to do with the gut. Inflammation commonly happens in the bones and joints, which lead to stiffness, joint pain and even arthritis. Leaky gut also sometimes leads to auto-immune disease, which damages or lowers functioning of body parts over time because they are not getting the protection that they need. This can degenerate the joints and skeletal system, leading to swelling, Arthritis or joint pain. If you are experiencing more stiffness or pain, it may be a sign to look inward at your gut.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]6. Depression Or Anxiety
As mentioned in number 2, the brain and the gut send messages to each other through nerves. Not only can inflammation in the gut cause headaches, brain fog, and memory loss, but it could also lead to episodes of depression or anxiety. The brain and the gut send messengers to each other called neurotransmitters, which relay important messages about danger, stress and anti-stress through the body. Inflammation and a gut going through a lot of distress will send stress messages to the brain and vice-versa. This leads to feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine not being produced enough, or cleaned up from the brain too quickly. A lack of these chemicals leads to episodes of depression, anxiety, or both in some cases.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]7. Chronic Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a common symptom of intestinal inflammation, and can be a symptom of many different issues. Diarrhea itself is a sign that the intestines are not breaking down food properly and absorbing the much-needed nutrients from it. If you are experiencing diarrhea all the time, your body is not getting the nutrients it needs from your food and it should be addressed as soon as possible. In leaky gut, the intestinal walls are inflamed and have holes. They are under so much distress that they cannot function properly and do their job of digesting food, which results in chronic diarrhea. While diarrhea by itself may go away over time, chronic diarrhea that never gets better is a big cause for concern.
