Leaky Gut Triggers

Leaky Gut Triggers Hi, I’m Dr. Marie Starling As your Denver Functional Medicine specialist, we help people like you reach their full potential. I specialize in adjunctive care for internal disorders, autoimmune conditions, IBS, thyroid symptoms, diabetes, and other complex health issues. By: Mary Beth Gudewicz CNTP, MNT You may have heard the term “leaky gut” used at The Healing Center Denver as a diagnosis and still don’t understand what it truly means. It sounds like a catch term about conditions that people can’t really give you a clear picture. So let me break it down for you. Leaky gut, by definition, is “increased intestinal permeability or intestinal hyper permeability that happens when tight junctions in the gut, which control what passes through the lining of the small intestine, don’t work properly. This leads to substances leaking into the bloodstream”.[1] We have this barrier for a reason. It is designed to protect the internal environment and to filter nutrients and other biological substances. When this barrier is compromised, undigested proteins, fats, bacteria, toxins, and waste that is not normally absorbed can leak out of the intestines and into the blood stream. [2] This increases inflammation in the body leading to an autoimmune reaction. Some symptoms you may experience are abdominal bloating, excessive gas and cramps, fatigue, food sensitivities, joint pain, skin rashes and autoimmunity. [3] So what leads to leaky gut? Let’s explore the triggers and some ways to start healing your gut. Triggers for leaky gut include: Chronic stress Illness Antibiotic use Blood sugar dysregulation such as hypoglycemia Exposure to environmental toxins such as chemicals and pesticides Hormone changes such as pregnancy...