Do You Have a Leaky Gut?

The very words “leaky gut” sounds scary, I know.

In fact, for most of us the first time you heard those words, you probably recoiled in horror.

“Leaky gut? No way – not me!”

Well, guess what?

The very fact that you have Celiac Disease, non-Celiac gluten-sensitivity or multiple food sensitivities means you probably do.

It’s actually that simple.

And it’s also very common.

The medical term for leaky gut is “intestinal permeability”.

What that means, quite simply, is that over-sized molecules of undigested food particles are leaking through your gut wall into the bloodstream – wreaking havoc along the way.

(And the reason why, is because those all-important villi that line the digestive tract, aren’t able to do their job).

Of course, this is when you immune system kicks into overdrive,  in an effort to vanquish the unwelcome intruder.

An important note, here:  this does not mean that your immune system has gone haywire – quite the contrary.

In fact, it’s the job of your Immune System to protect you from anything that doesn’t belong in your body.

So in that sense, it’s simply doing what it’s designed to do.

Before you dismiss this as “trivial” or “unlikely” – keep in mind that a Leaky Gut is a key part of what’s referred to as the 3-legged stool – the other two legs being your genetics, and your environment.

And that goes for both your internal and external environments.

In other words, there are many factors that can lead to a leaky gut, with diet and lifestyle at the top of the list, along with your living environment, your stress levels – and even your microbiome.

(That’s another word you’re likely to hear more often, as scientists gain a better understanding of the role your intestinal bacteria plays in your overall health).

And again, not to beat you over the head with this or anything, but let me repeat what I said earlier:

The very fact that you have Celiac Disease, non-Celiac gluten-sensitivity or multiple food sensitivities means you almost certainly have a leaky gut.

It goes with the territory, so to speak.

But it certainly doesn’t mean you’re doomed.

On the contrary, there are lots of things you can do to improve the health of your gut and turn things around.

It begins with a thorough review of your diet, and also your lifestyle – backing things up so to speak, in order to better understand why you might be having these issues in the first place.

The thing is, you could be eating the best diet in the world – but it won’t do you a lick of good as long as your internal environment isn’t in tip top shape.

I had to learn that the hard way.

And yes, I’m still learning – it’s an on-going process, after all.