Why do I assess gut health in each and every client that I work with? Because good health begins in the gut. If your gut is healthy and in balance, you whole body will be healthy and in balance. All disease is somehow related to the health of your gut; it is all interconnected – think of a spider web, with your gut health in the center connecting out to every other system and organ in your body.
By focusing on the health of your gut, rebalancing the flora and supporting digestion, most other conditions in the body will come into balance.
If you don’t have gut symptoms or a digestive condition, you have a healthy gut, right? Maybe not!
What does heart disease, high cholesterol, depression, brain fog, eczema/psoriasis and other skin conditions, metabolic problems like obesity and diabetes and allergies, asthma and autoimmune conditions (including those affecting the thyroid (Hashimoto’s) or joints (rheumatoid arthritis)…etc., have in common? They all started in the gut. Leaky gut and an imbalance in gut flora may manifest as digestive troubles in some people, in many people it does not. It is simply the gateway to other chronic inflammatory conditions.
This is a crucial point to understand: you don’t have to have gut symptom to have an imbalanced gut or a leaky gut.
"Reading a great post from CLR"
↑ Tweet ThisCommon causes of leaky gut
- Inflammation (from any source, internal (infection), external (stress, anxiety)) – especially chronic infections
- Dysbiosis: parasites, yeast overgrowth, imbalance in gut flora
- Medications: Antibiotics, Steroids, (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen and Motrin
- Food Allergies
The barrier that lines your GI tract, that is meant to protect you from the outside world and foreign invaders, is one cell layer deep. Even minor inflammation (yes, just a little bit of stress – when chronic) can impair the functionality of this barrier. Once intact particles start to cross the border and enter the blood stream, your body will mount and immune response. This event causes a cascade of signals which evokes inflammation, a buildup of inflammatory markers and more inflammation.
Here’s the take home message: Leaky gut and an imbalance in gut flora are common because of a modern lifestyle. If you have a leaky gut, you probably have an imbalance in gut flora, and vice versa. And when your gut flora and gut barrier are impaired, then you also have inflammation. Inflammation is at the root of all conditions and disease.
To adequately address all of these health conditions, you must rebuild healthy gut flora and restore the integrity of your intestinal barrier. This is true, whether you experience digestive issues or not.
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Comments
from 9 people
If zonulin levels were 0, then you do not have leaky gut. This is great. You can still have dysbiosis and histamine issues without a leaky gut.
Warmly
Angela
Angela
Correction to my last comment - "HOWEVER (this is where I am confused) my leaky gut test results showed "0 ng/ml" on a 0-20 scale (so no leaky gut???) " ---> I am referring to my zonulin levels
and also I meant "DAO- Diamine Oxidase" not "DOA"
Whoops, sorry!
Allie
Hi Allie,
I would still work to target the dysbiosis that was identified, then work on gut healing (leaky gut or not) and immune modulation. I would do further investigation with calprotectin and lactoferrin to make sure that there isn't a inflammatory bowel disease that is present. Also work to reduce histamine in the foods you are eating while you work through this, so you reduce the overall load of histamine in your gut.
Hope this helps!
Angela
Angela
Hi Angela,
So glad I stumbled upon your blog tonight! I have been struggling health wise for the last several years (gastrointestinal and hormonally) and even with the switch to a more primal diet and natural lifestyle I am still very sick. I have just gotten back 3 tests ("Dunwoody Gut Triad") which is a intestinal permeability test, 3 day stool test (w/ parasitology), and food sensitivity test panel. I know that the food sensitivity panel is not the best marker but I did have quite a few reactions to foods i frequently eat and also foods I KNOW my body doesn't do well with. My stool test shows 1+ lactobacillus spp. and NG (no growth) bifidobacterium spp. as well as some imbalances and dysbiosis of 3+ Klebsiella oxytoca. It also showed EXTREMELY high sIgA of 764 on a 51-204 scale! My lactoferrin and calprotectin are elevated too indicating GI inflammation. HOWEVER (this is where I am confused) my leaky gut test results showed "0 ng/ml" on a 0-20 scale (so no leaky gut???) and VERY HIGH histamine levels ("3.3 ng/ml" on a 0.1-3.1 scale).. my DOA levels were in a normal range but the DOA/Histamine ratio was obviously a low ratio… Sorry for such a detailed and long message but I am desperate for some answers at this point and I am just wondering what your thoughts are on these results… have you seen anything similar with any of your patients? My Dr. originally thought I might have some autoimmunity going on before I had these done.. Haven't gone over these results with him yet… I am grateful for any advice/knowledge you are willing to share with me!!
- Allie
Allie
Hi Kim - I am so sorry to hear about what you are going through! I would find a health care provider who will run a digestive stool analysis x 3 (day collection) plus parasitology and start to look at what is going on with your gut. I prefer Doctor's Data (name of lab) test. From your symptoms and very brief history offered, I would get assessed for Candida - this test I mentioned will do this. If you can't find a practitioner in your area, please reach out to me. I work long distance. Best of luck to you...
Angela
Angela
Hi Angela, I have been sick for 4 years . After three botched rhinoplasties and endless amounts of antibiotics taken . My stomach is a mess . I can't eat anything . Carbs or anything with sugar , gluten , dairy, tomatoes , ect . My face starts to swell and I look terrible .. My stomach is always in pain . I had every X-ray or test done and it's all neg . I use to be an outgoing person that had a great life . I'm depressed because I have tried everything . Probiotics make me feel so sick . Drs think it's in my mind . Please can you give me some advise
Kim
Thanks angela for taking time to reply me. Your information is really going to help me.
raman sidhu
Hi Raman,
Food sensitivities are important to address - in light of the autoimmune condition, they are even more important to address. "Spices" seems a little broad of a category. Were these defined clearly on the lab report? I would add to your list, to remove gluten (even though there isn't a lab reaction identifying this, gluten has been proven to increase leaky gut and further inflammation). I would remove the known food sensitivities, and at the same time instigate a gut healing protocol - likely containing glutamine, probiotics... etc. I like Mediclear or PaleoCleanse and also Intestinal Repair Complex by Biogenesis.
Work on 7-8 hours of restorative sleep and work on your stress levels. These are all factors that influence RA. To rebalance your health, work on getting into a routine with your whole foods eating, eating at specific times each day and doubling down on the lifestyle factors.
Consider a green smoothie with gut healing supplement for breakfast, whole foods soup for lunch and protein/ stir-fry dinner with coconut oil, avocado... focus on healthy fats and remove other vegetable seed fats. I focus a lot on gut healing and health in the CLR system. There are 700+ gluten free recipes and most of them are dairy free. This sounds like a good resource for you.
Warmly,
Angela
Angela
Hi angela
i am suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and i was recently diagnosed with food allergies from dairy products, spices, onion, tomatoes, beans. I surely have leaky gut but really don't know how to treat it. Could you please provide some information on how to treat it.
raman sidhu
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