Leaky Gut Syndrome
The food choices that you make on a daily basis are the most powerful tools you have at your disposal to lose fat, improve your strength, and stay healthy. If you eat correctly, you can save countless hours in the gym, thousands of dollars in supplements, and still make superior progress.
The Science of Nutrient Absorption
Everything that you ingest, unless it is a pure fat, like fish oil, or a pure carbohydrate, like the glucose that you get at the hospital, has a unique amino acid structure. That amino acid structure is the body’s unique identifier for that particular food.
After the initial process of digestion concludes in the stomach, food enters the small intestine, or gut, where enzymes and probiotics further break down the food into smaller molecules. These molecules are eventually absorbed through the semi-permeable membrane of the intestinal wall. These food molecules then pass into the bloodstream and are circulated through the body and absorbed by your cells. Eighty-five percent of your nutrients are assimilated this way.
When there is a disruption of intestinal health, digestive efficiency becomes severely compromised. As digestion worsens, nutritional deficiencies begin to develop due to the poor absorption of nutrients. The worse the nutritional status gets, the harder it becomes to make physical progress. Left unchecked, this digestive problem can become a serious problem called leaky gut syndrome.
The Symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome
There are several symptoms of leaky gut syndrome. These include:
- Indigestion: gas, bloating, or abdominal pain
- Chronic joint or muscle pain
- Drowsiness, brain fog or mental confusion
- Increased weight around the middle
- Decreased energy
- Mood swings or nervousness
- Poor immunity or recurrent infections
- Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – diarrhea, constipation, or both.
The Causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome
Leaky gut syndrome occurs when the lining of the small intestine becomes inflamed. The inflammation causes the cells of the intestine – desmosomes – to atrophy. As the desmosomes shrink, the space between the cellular walls increases. This phenomenon allows slightly larger molecules than are normal to pass through the intestinal lining.
As these larger-than-normal molecules pass into the bloodstream, the body produces an immune reaction. This response creates an increase in white blood cell count. The resulting oxidation causes inflammation to increase throughout the body.
Inflammation of the intestinal lining may originate from any of the following causes:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), ie., aspirin, ibuprofen
- Antibiotics, which lead to the overgrowth of abnormal flora
- Abuse of alcohol or caffeine
- Corticosteroids, ie. prednisone
- Prescription hormones like birth control pills
- Diets high in refined carbohydrates
- Lack of variety in the diet, leading to nutritional deficiencies and the exhaustion of enzymes
- Foods contaminated by parasites or bacteria
- Chemicals in processed food – dyes, preservatives, peroxidized fats
- Mold and fungus in stored grains, fruit and refined carbohydrates.
Continue reading to learn about healing the gut.
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