10 Causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome You Must
Get Under Control To Heal Your Body
A majority of chronic health conditions have one common denominator = Leaky Gut Syndrome! 80% of your immune system is located in your gastro-intestinal tract, when it breaks down, you become sick.
I suffered with LGS growing up. Until my early 20’s, everyone thought it was “normal” for me to feel the way I did. Back then, no one discussed LGS and the implications it has on your long-term health.
Now, we know better!
In the video below, I discuss what LGS is, what causes it (with more causes below) and how to fix it.
LGS causes system-wide inflammation which will break down the body, causing chronic health issues: autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, chronic pain, brain fog, food
Doesn’t make sense to heal the gut lining? You bet!
But First…
It is best to know why you have leaky gut in the first place. That way you’re not chasing down the wrong remedies.
10 Causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome That You Must Know
Although we understand the role of leaky gut in chronic health disorders, the underlying causes of leaky gut itself can be harder to pin down.
Here are the causes we know about:
- Foods – Many inflammatory foods damage the intestinal walls, leading to leaky gut. Gluten in particular is associated with leaky gut. Dairy, processed foods, excess sugar, and fast foods are other culprits.
- Alcohol – Alcohol is another common cause of leaky gut. All alcohol causes inflammation (some are worse than others). If you are wine drinker, make sure the winery producing the wine does NOT use pesticides/insecticides!
- Medications – Some medications cause leaky gut, including corticosteroids, antibiotics, antacids, and some medications for arthritis. It’s important to note some drugs have inflammatory fillers such as gluten.
- Infections – Certain infections, such H. pylori overgrowth (the bacteria that causes ulcers) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can cause leaky gut. Yeast, parasites, and viruses are other possibilities.
- Stress – Chronic stress raises stress hormones (cortisol), which damages the gut lining over time. Yes, stress makes us sick!
- Hormone imbalances – Hormones can cause leaky gut as the intestines depend on proper hormone levels for good function. Imbalances in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid hormones, and stress hormones all contribute to leaky gut.
- Crohn’s/Celiac Disease – Autoimmune conditions can lead to leaky gut. We often think in terms of leaky gut causing autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, or psoriasis. However, sometimes it’s the other way around. The constant inflammation of autoimmune disease can make the gut leaky. Or autoimmunity in the digestive tract can sabotage gut health. In these cases, managing autoimmunity is a strategy to improve leaky gut.
- GMO’s – Food processing changes the natural structure of foods in a way that makes them inflammatory to the gut. Examples include deamidating wheat to make it water soluble and the high-heat processing (glycation) of sugars. Additives such as gums (xanthan gum, carrageenan, etc.), food colorings, and artificial flavors are inflammatory for some people, too.
- Toxins – Our environment surrounds us with toxins, some of which have been shown to degrade the gut lining. Regularly taking glutathione, the body’s primary antioxidant, helps protect the body from toxins.
- Vitamin D – Sufficient vitamin D is vital to protecting the gut lining and a vitamin D deficiency can make the intestinal lining more vulnerable to damage.
These are some of the factors known to contribute to leaky gut. By understanding the cause of your leaky gut, you will have more success restoring health to your gut and managing your chronic health or autoimmune condition.
If you feel you may be suffering from LGS, contact me/staff and let’s set up a complimentary phone consultation to see if we should start digging deeper into your health condition.
