HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE A LEAKY GUT (& WHY IT’S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUT DURING MENOPAUSE)
“Leaky gut” is a popular topic in the health and wellness spheres these days. It’s been blamed for many symptoms and conditions that seem to be all-too-common. Allergies, food intolerances, hormone imbalances, joint pain, even autoimmune diseases can all be linked back to leaky gut.
But what exactly is leaky gut? What causes it? What kinds of issues are related to it? And most important of all, what can you eat for leaky gut to make your gut happy again?
So what is a leaky gut?
Simply put, your “gut” (a.k.a. “intestinal tract”) is a tube that makes up part of your digestive system. It’s not as simple as a hose or pipe; it’s an amazing tube made of live cells tightly bound together. Your gut helps your body absorb fluids and nutrients, digests your food, and houses billions of friendly gut microbes.
It’s also selective as to what it allows past its barrier. Your intestinal tract purposefully keeps some things from being absorbed, so they pass right on through to the other end to be eliminated as waste. You don’t want to absorb many harmful microbes or toxins into your body, right?
FUN FACT: About 70-80% of our immune system is housed around our gut, so it’s ready for foreign invaders.
Absorption of fluids and nutrients happens when they’re allowed through this cellular tube into the circulation. And this is great! As long as what’s being absorbed are fluids and nutrients. The blood and lymph then carry the nutrients to your liver, and then around to the rest of your body; this is so that all your cells, all the way to your toenails, get the nutrition they need to be healthy and grow.
How does a gut become ‘leaky’?
The gut can become leaky if the cells get damaged or if the bonds that hold the cells together get damaged. Leaky gut can be caused or worsened by a number of diet and lifestyle factors. Dietary factors like too much sugar or alcohol or even eating things that you’re intolerant to can all contribute to leaky gut.
Lifestyle factors like stress, lack of sleep, infections, and some medications can also be culprits in this area. Sometimes, if the balance of gut microbes inside the gut is thrown off, this can also contribute to a leaky gut.
Any contributing factors that alter the balance in your gut may cause our gut to become “permeable” or to leak. At this point incompletely digested nutrients, microbes (infectious or friendly), toxins, or waste products can more easily get into our bodies.
Scientifically speaking, a “leaky gut” is known as “intestinal permeability.” This means that our intestines are permeable and allow things through that they normally would keep out, ie. they “leak.”
As you can imagine, this is not a good thing.
What are the symptoms of a leaky gut?
Because so much of your immune system is around your gut, the immune cells quickly recognise a “foreign invader” and start their response. This is normal and a good thing if the gut is working properly and not allowing too many particles to “leak” in.
But when that happens too much, and the immune system starts responding, inflammation starts. Once the immune system starts responding it can lead to allergies, hormone imbalances, food intolerances, and even autoimmune diseases.
Because the first place affected is the gut, there are a number of symptoms right there. Things such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, constipation or diarrhoea. Not to mention that if foods, even healthy foods, aren’t properly digested, their nutrients aren’t properly absorbed. Poor absorption can lead to lack of essential vitamins and minerals for the optimal health of every cell in your body.
Symptoms can also occur on the skin. Acne, dry skin, itchiness, rashes, eczema, and hives can all be symptoms related to leaky gut. Even rosacea and psoriasis can be linked here due to their autoimmune component.
It’s possible that even some neurological symptoms are linked with leaky gut. For example, brain fog, fatigue, headaches, inability to sleep, and general moodiness can also be related.
In addition, a number of chronic inflammatory diseases are thought to be linked with a leaky gut. Things like Crohn’s, colitis, celiac disease, IBS, and MS. Even things like heart disease and stroke are possibilities.
And finally, hormones can be affected by gut imbalances. Inflammation brought about by a leaky gut can compromise our body’s ability to absorb nutrients, which can then lead to hormonal imbalances, exacerbating the hormonal changes you are already experiencing due to menopause. In short, if you don’t fix your leaky gut, you may experience increased menopausal symptoms.
What to eat for leaky gut
The general recommendation is to stop eating inflammatory foods and eat more gut-soothing foods.
In broad terms, incorporating a gut-soothing diet means cutting out grains, legumes, and dairy. Add to that list, food additives, alcohol, and refined sugars.
In their place, add in more green leafy and cruciferous veggies. These are full of nutrients and contain fibre to help feed your friendly gut microbes. You also want to add more sources of vitamin D which can come from fish and egg yolks, and also from the sun. Eat more probiotic foods like sauerkraut, dairy-free yogurt, and kombucha (fermented tea). Make sure you’re getting enough essential omega-3 fats found in seafood and seaweed. Finally, make sure you’re getting some coconut oil and bone broth. Coconut oil has special fats called MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), and bone broth has essential amino acids.
But…you may recall that earlier in this article, I mentioned that eating foods you’re intolerant to can also contribute to leaky gut. And the problem is that we don’t always know which foods we’re intolerant to, because unlike food allergies, symptoms of food intolerance can show up hours or even days after you’ve eaten a food that is the culprit.
In order to really understand what’s going on with your gut and body biochemistry; to ascertain which foods are causing inflammation and other symptoms in your body, you need to have a detailed blood analysis performed that is then analysed by a practitioner who specialises in this type of service. You then take the guesswork out of what to eat and really understand which foods are most healing for your body. And the great news is that once you improve your gut integrity and balance out your gut microbiome, reducing inflammation and recalibrating your hormones in the process, the so-called food intolerances are often no longer a problem.
Conclusion
Leaky gut, or “intestinal permeability” can happen when your gut gets damaged due to too much sugar and alcohol, or from eating foods you’re intolerant to. It can also be from stress, lack of sleep, or imbalance in your friendly gut microbes. The symptoms of leaky gut are vast – spanning from digestive woes to skin conditions, hormone-related symptoms and even autoimmune conditions.
It’s important to cut out problem foods and drinks and add in more gut-soothing foods to your diet. To ensure you know exactly which foods you should be eating, I recommend you work with a naturopath or nutritionist who specialises in blood analysis as the basis for creating a personalised nutrition plan that is specific to you and your body’s unique needs.
If you’d like to know more about blood analysis and personalised nutrition in order to improve your menopausal symptoms, please get in touch. You can book a free phone call with me here.
References:
https://www.thepaleomom.com/what-is-leaky-gut-and-how-can-it-cause/
https://www.thepaleomom.com/what-should-you-eat-to-heal-leaky-gut/
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-nutrition-gut-health
http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-leaky-gut-real#section3
https://www.dietvsdisease.org/leaky-gut-syndrome/