Did you know that 4.2 billion prescriptions were written for Americans in 2011? These figures are probably much higher in recent years due to rising health issues caused by poor diet, a lack of exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Leaky gut is a common condition that usually never gets diagnosed by a doctor. The signs of a leaky gut can often be confused with other health problems. If you don't treat the source of your leaky gut, then your symptoms will never go away.
This article is going to walk you through 10 symptoms of leaky gut that you shouldn't ignore and how you can cure your problems with a leaky gut diet.
Quick Answer: Leaky gut happens when the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, letting food particles and toxins pass into the bloodstream where they do not belong. Because the effects show up all over the body, the signs are easy to mistake for other issues. Common signs of a leaky gut include abdominal discomfort, food sensitivities, autoimmune flare-ups, brain fog, chronic fatigue, frequent illness, skin problems, and joint pain. Having more than one makes leaky gut more likely. Many people support gut-barrier health with dietary changes and a daily probiotic, which helps the gut microbiome stay balanced.
What Is Leaky Gut Exactly?
Leaky gut is when the lining of the small intestine is damaged, allowing food particles and toxins to slip into the bloodstream. Because those escapees travel through the body, leaky gut can cause symptoms that seem unrelated to digestion.
Leaky gut occurs when the walls of your small intestine are damaged, allowing food particles and toxins to leak outside of the digestive tract, into the bloodstream, where they don't belong. Leaky gut can cause many symptoms that you wouldn't necessarily think were traced back to your digestive health, which is why it can be difficult to diagnose.
How Do You Recognize the Signs of a Leaky Gut?
Because leaky gut is tough for doctors to diagnose, it helps to watch for patterns in how you feel. The signs below, especially several together, can point to a leaky gut.
Since doctors have a difficult time diagnosing leaky gut, your health may fall into your own hands. If you experience any of the following symptoms, making mindful, healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle can have you thriving again.
Can Leaky Gut Cause Abdominal Discomfort?
Yes. Frequent bloating, nausea, gas, constipation, or diarrhea, especially after many different foods, is a common sign your digestive system needs support.
If you feel bloated, nauseous, gassy, or have constipation or diarrhea, your digestive system is asking for help. Everyone can get a stomachache after they eat something fatty or spicy. However, if your abdominal pains occur often after you eat any kind of food, you may need leaky gut treatment.
Are Food Allergies a Sign of Leaky Gut?
Often, yes. An overworked immune system tied to a leaky gut can leave you prone to food sensitivities and allergies, most commonly to dairy and gluten.
An overworked immune system caused by a leaky gut can put you at risk for developing food allergies. Food sensitivities and food allergies are almost always a sign that you have a leaky gut. The most common intolerances are dairy and gluten.
Is Leaky Gut Linked to Autoimmune Issues?
There is a strong association. When toxins leak from the gut, the body can stay in a state of alarm that may confuse the immune system, which is frequently seen alongside autoimmune conditions.
When foreign bodies are introduced to the body, our immune systems attack and neutralize the threat.
When food leaks from the intestines, the body senses an “invader.” A continued state of alarm, caused by leaking toxins, can confuse the body into attacking itself.
If you suffer from Crohn's, Lupus, arthritis, Celiac, or other autoimmune diseases, it’s almost certain that you have a leaky gut.
Can Leaky Gut Cause Brain Fog?
It can. When a leaky gut drains the body of valuable resources, mental clarity can suffer, showing up as brain fog, trouble concentrating, memory lapses, and headaches.
When the body is losing valuable resources from a leaky gut, mental clarity can be affected. Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and headaches can all stem from a leaky gut.
Is Chronic Fatigue a Sign of Leaky Gut?
It may be. If your tiredness does not match how much sleep you are getting, something in your gut could be contributing.
If your fatigue doesn't match the amount of sleep you're getting each night, something could be happening inside your gut.
Does Leaky Gut Weaken Your Immune Health?
It can. Intestinal health is strongly linked to immune health, so when your digestive system struggles, you may find yourself getting sick more often.
Our bodies need a “Recommended Daily Allowance” dose of vitamins to fight off illnesses, allergies and more. If you get sick often, your immune system has likely been compromised, and a solution might just start with healing your gut.
As it turns out, intestinal health is strongly linked to immune system health. When your digestive systems suffer, your immune system weakens, too.
Can Leaky Gut Show Up as Skin Issues?
Yes. The skin often mirrors internal health, so issues like acne, psoriasis, or eczema can signal a problem in your gut.
Your skin is your largest organ. It's also the only external organ. Monitoring your skin health is also a great indicator of how healthy your internal organs are.
If you suffer from acne, psoriasis, or eczema, that’s a sign that you have an issue with you gut.
Is Joint Pain Related to Leaky Gut?
It can be. Leaky gut can drive inflammation that reaches the joints, and a constant inflammatory state takes a toll on both physical and mental wellbeing.
Leaky gut can create inflammation in the body, specifically effecting the joints. When leaking toxins extend to the joints, arthritis – among other ailments - can develop. Keeping your body in a constant inflammatory state will wreak havoc on your physical and mental wellbeing.
How Do You Support a Leaky Gut Naturally?
The most common natural approaches are a daily probiotic, an elimination diet to spot trigger foods, more anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric and ginger, plenty of fiber and water, and cutting back on refined sugar.
Although a leaky gut can make you feel miserable, there are plenty of natural treatments you can try. Many doctors would choose to prescribe antibiotics to treat these symptoms, which actually make your leaky gut worse.
Probiotics contain friendly, good-for-your-body bacteria that have been shown to improve the health of not only your gut microbiome, but your whole body health. Try taking a probiotic daily to see if your symptoms disappear.
Changing your diet can also work wonders for your gut health. Following an elimination diet can help you determine if you have certain food sensitivities or allergies that trigger your symptoms. If your symptoms are alleviated after eliminating certain foods like gluten, soy, meat, or dairy, you may want to consider permanently removing them from your diet for best results.
Increasing your intake of anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon can give you relief from joint pain and stomachaches. Eating plenty of fiber and drinking enough water will make your gut's job much easier. Avoiding refined sugars will also improve your digestive health.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leaky Gut
What is leaky gut?
Leaky gut, also called intestinal permeability, is when the walls of the small intestine become damaged and let food particles and toxins pass into the bloodstream. Because those particles travel through the body, the symptoms can be wide-ranging and hard to trace back to the gut.
What are the most common signs of a leaky gut?
Frequently reported signs include abdominal discomfort, food sensitivities, autoimmune issues, brain fog, chronic fatigue, frequent illness, skin problems like acne or eczema, and joint pain. Having several at once makes leaky gut more likely.
Why is leaky gut so hard to diagnose?
Its symptoms overlap with many other conditions, so doctors often address the individual symptoms rather than the underlying gut issue. That is why paying attention to patterns across symptoms can be helpful.
How can you support a healthy gut barrier naturally?
Common approaches include eating plenty of fiber, staying hydrated, reducing refined sugar, adding anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric and ginger, trying an elimination diet to spot triggers, and taking a daily probiotic to support a balanced microbiome.
Can probiotics help with leaky gut?
Probiotics supply beneficial bacteria that support the gut microbiome and overall gut health. Many people take a daily probiotic as part of a broader plan to support the gut barrier alongside diet and lifestyle changes.
Ready to Revitalize Your Health?
Now that you know the signs of a leaky gut that you need to watch out for, you can be more in control of your health. Just Thrive is here to help you on your journey to wellness. Our probiotics have been scientifically proven to begin healing leaky guts and other health problems.
If you have any questions about how our products can revolutionize your health, please contact us.
