Leaky Gut Weight Gain

The lining of the small intestine is very important to good health. It provides a barrier between the bloodstream and the contents of the intestine.

Not everything that enters or lives in the intestine should enter the bloodstream. It is up to the cells of the intestinal lining to make this important decision. In a healthy gut, nothing is able to enter the bloodstream without the blessing of the intestinal lining.

In leaky gut syndrome, the intestinal lining isn’t 100% intact and undesirable substances can enter the blood through the intestine.

These substances can wreak havoc in the body in several ways, such as:

• The liver is overburdened. When toxic substances enter the body, the liver is tasked with eliminating those substances. You can’t live without your liver, so reducing its workload as much as possible is a good idea.
• The immune system is activated. A foreign substance in the body can stimulate an immune response. Unnecessary immune activity can be damaging to the human body.
• Inflammation occurs. Immune system activity can trigger inflammation. Inflammation is believed to be the cause of many serious diseases.
• Increased likelihood of food allergies and sensitivities. Leaky gut syndrome is one pathway that can create food allergies and sensitivities.

As you can see, leaky gut syndrome can cause a wide range of health problems, including digestive issues and autoimmune diseases.

Symptoms of a Leaky Gut

There are a wide variety of symptoms, which can make it challenging to identify leaky gut with a high degree of certainty.

These symptoms include:

• Regular bouts of bloating, diarrhea, gas, constipation, or digestive-related pain
• Asthma
• Seasonal allergies
• Rashes or other skin-related issues
• Multiple food sensitivities
• Auto-immune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis
• Brain fog
• Poor memory
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Anxiety, depression
• Difficulty concentrating

This is a pretty wide-ranging list of symptoms! If you have one or more of these symptoms, do you have leaky gut syndrome?

Maybe.

Let’s consider what contributes to leaky gut syndrome.

Causes of Leaky Gut

Most experts are in agreement that leaky gut can have several contributing causes.

These include:

• Stress
• Toxins and infections
• Food selection

What these factors have in common in that they create inflammation which many consider to be the primary cause of leaky gut.

The primary strategy for combating leaky gut is to remove the sources of inflammation.

Stress

Chronic stress is a significant contributor to leaky gut syndrome. Stress leads to inflammation. Stress can also inhibit the immune response, which permits various sources of inflammation to go unchecked.

The best ways to eliminate this contributing factor are to learn and practice relaxation techniques and to minimize the amount of stress in your life.

Toxins and Infections

The bacteria that normally occur in the gut can grow excessively under the right conditions and cause damage to the intestinal lining. Parasites are another type of infection that can damage the intestine.

These bacteria can create a variety of toxins and enzymes that corrupt the lining of the intestine and interfere with normal digestion.

Food Selection

Diet is considered to play the largest role in causing leaky gut.

There are several foods that are commonly considered to be problematic:

• Refined grains
• Refined sugars
• Artificial colorings
• Artificial flavorings
• Preservatives
• Processed foods
• Foods that result in sensitivities or stimulate the immune system. These foods vary from person to person.

The immune system in particular and the body as a whole don’t always recognize these things as food. These substances can trigger immune system activity, burden the liver, and lead to inflammation.

Some people are very sensitive to certain foods. One simple way to identify these foods is to do an elimination diet.

Leaky Gut Weight Gain

The reason why leaky gut causes weight gain is because once these food particles get into your bloodstream, they trigger an immune response in your body that makes it difficult for you to lose weight.

For example, if the food particles are normally supposed to be digested by certain enzymes in your intestines then when they are absorbed into your bloodstream they can trigger an inflammatory response which makes it hard for those enzymes to work properly so they cannot break down foods properly.

This makes it harder for you to digest foods properly which leads to poor digestion of food which can lead to digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea which can make it difficult for you to lose weight.

The Elimination Diet

An elimination diet is a short-term eating plan that helps you determine which foods are causing you to feel ill or have other symptoms. The goal is to identify the trigger food, so you can avoid it and feel better.

The idea behind an elimination diet is that your body reacts to certain foods in ways that cause symptoms like bloating, pain, and other uncomfortable physical reactions. These reactions can be caused by any number of things—from lactose intolerance to gluten sensitivity—but the elimination diet gives you a way of figuring out what’s going on without having to get tested for every possible food allergy or sensitivity.

To start an elimination diet, first figure out what your main symptoms are: headache? bloating? gas? constipation? Then choose two foods that cause those problems but don’t cause any other symptoms—for example, if bloating is a problem, choose milk and cheese as your two trigger foods.

Next, stop eating those two foods for at least seven days. During this time, keep track of how you feel without them: do your headaches go away? Is your stomach less bloated? Do you feel less gassy? If so, then congratulations! You’ve identified one or more trigger foods for yourself.

Contact Your Primary Care Doctor

If you think you might have leaky gut syndrome, contact your doctor. They can help you determine whether it’s something you should be concerned about, and whether or not it’s something they can treat.