Leaky Gut- such a horrible and embarrassing sounding problem, and still largely unheard of by many people.  It is always a fun conversation when someone invites us to a BBQ or out to dinner and I have to tell them, "I'm sorry.  We have this thing.  Leaky Gut.  Have you heard about this before?" To which blank faces always ensue.  Really, I am tired of explaining myself.  I would just like to freely enjoy my time without eating other people's food, and without having to tell them why. I have never before been so acutely aware of just how much our social life revolves around food as I have been this past year.  Nevertheless, this is an important subject for people to know about.  It is a primary or contributing cause of an overwhelming number of our nation's health issues.
     Leaky Gut, in definition, is just as it sounds.  The walls of the small intestine become chronically inflamed and begin wearing thin.  This inhibits our body's ability to properly digest food and absorb nutrients, leading to nutrient deficiencies, IBS, GERD, or other digestive disorders.  If the inflammation continues, it will become so thin and worn that small holes appear.  At this point, everything we eat begins "leaking" out into our bloodstream, and with it, a continuous supply of bacteria, parasites and/or fungus that may inhabit our food or digestive tract and attach themselves to other organs within our bodies. This can lead to a number of health problems, including many psychiatric problems such as autism, depression, learning disabilities, schizophrenia, and anxiety.
     Once the food enters our bloodstream, our immune system senses something foreign and begins to attack.  The result is a chronically overloaded and over-active immune system, which can leave us susceptible to illness, asthma, allergies and other immunity issues.  The more often we eat a certain food, the more often that food enters our bloodstream, and the more aggressively our immune system is likely to attack.  
     The reaction from these immune attacks is what is referred to as "food sensitivities,"  not to be confused with food allergies, which are much more serious.  These sensitivities may result in pain and bloating, which is easy to distinguish, but they may also result in a number of immune symptoms, such as sinus congestion, asthma, eczema, psoriasis, hives, or chronic fatigue. 
     So, what causes Leaky Gut?  There is no one answer to this.  It may be a diet rich in chemical additives, pesticides, and preservatives that steadily inflame our digestive tract.  It may be medications.  It may be alcohol or drugs. It may be gluten.  It may be the opportunistic yeast, Candida Albicans.  Or it may be in response to slow and impaired digestion due to an abnormal gut flora- brought about by antibiotics, steroids, birth control pills, stress, or diets full of sugar and refined carbohydrates.  This is known as Gut Dysbiosis, and is a term you should familiarize yourself with, as it is not uncommon in our time.  For many people with leaky gut, it is a mixture of some or all of these put together, slowly deteriorating our digestive tracts over time.  Each person's journey is unique, making diagnosis difficult.
     The good news is, it is curable.  The bad news is, it takes a lot of willpower and perseverance.  The average time frame to heal a leaky gut is 1-2 years, with some people taking as long as 3 or 4.  However, it can be done at home, with a little research, intuition, and determination.  Or it can be done through a naturopathic or holistic doctor, for a fairly hefty fee.  I chose the home route, which I will continue to share with you for many blogs to come! 

Next up:  Our treatment methods for healing leaky gut syndrome.