subject: Leaky Gut Disease: What Is It and How Did You Get It? [print this page] Leaky Gut Disease: What Is It and How Did You Get It?
If you experience any of the symptoms of Leaky Gut Disease, you probably spend more time thinking about your gut than you'd like.
Actually most people don't seem to really want to spend too much time thinking about their gut at all. But did you know that it's responsible for 80% of your immunity? It is the major point of entry for foreign antigens, and the only thing that prevents your entire system from being exposed to those potentially harmful substances is the mucosal barrier of your gut.
When that barrier is damaged, you experience Leaky Gut Disease or Syndrome. It isn't really a disease but rather a nickname for "increased intestinal permeability." Disease or no disease, Leaky Gut -- that increased intestinal permeability -- can leave you open to a wide variety of illness and symptoms. Symptoms that can include everything from acne and skin rashes to bloating and constipation, from fatigue and joint pain to indigestion and irritable bowel, from shortness of breath and poor memory to anxiety and recurring infections.
So how do you "get" Leaky Gut? Well, among other things, by living in the modern world.
One of the primary factors that can lead to Leaky Gut is a poor diet. When a diet is low in fiber, the transit time of food in the digestive system slows down and that allows the toxic by-products of digestion more time to irritate the gut's protective mucosal lining. When the lining is irritated and damaged, it can't perform its "barrier function" and prevent toxins from entering the blood stream. The highly processed foods of the modern diet are notoriously low in fiber as well as the nutrients the body needs for repairs. What's more, these "modern" foods contain high levels of additives, fats, and sugars (all of which can promote inflammation of the gut) and low levels of necessary nutrients such as zinc.
Another modern "culprit" is medicine. Many modern medicines - even ones you might take because of the conditions caused by Leaky Gut - can aggravate the situation. NSAIDs actively contribute to the damage of the mucosal lining. Birth control drugs and steroids promote the growth of fungi that can damage the mucosal lining. Even cancer treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy drugs can disrupt the digestion system.
Some other contributors to this syndrome are chronic stress, immune overload, environmental contaminants, gastrointestinal disease, bacteria, parasites, and yeasts, and excessive consumption of alcohol.
All of this may make you think that you just have to live with your condition: The causes of Leaky Gut Disease probably seem unavoidable. And many people feel they can manage their symptoms enough to "get by."
Unfortunately, as time goes by, not only does the damage to the gut's mucosal lining worsen, but the body's ability to absorb symptoms that may seem manageable in the early stages of Leaky Gut can worsen. If nothing is done to alleviate and reverse the damage that's been done, the body will become increasingly unable to manufacture the digestive enzymes it needs to absorb nutrients for growth and repair. What began as a few minor complaints can develop into a constantly worsening condition with symptoms that are increasingly difficult to live with.
The good news about Leaky Gut Disease is that it doesn't have to progress: There are many things you can do to help with your own healing... but that's another article.
