Gut health has become something of a hot topic in recent years, as more people become aware of the intestinal microbiome that makes up the bulk of our immune systems. The gut barrier is a semipermeable membrane that protects the body from harmful substances while allowing nutrients and water to pass through.
But for some people, damage to the gut lining allows toxins or disease-causing microbes into the bloodstream. This is medically known as increased intestinal permeability, but is also called a “leaky gut” by many.
If you suffer with increased intestinal permeability, larger molecules, chemicals, and microbes may pass through your gut barrier into your bloodstream, according to nutrition app ZOE, and this is associated with conditions like inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and celiac disease.
ZOE lists nine symptoms that may occur alongside increased intestinal permeability, or a leaky gut, including one you may notice at night – night sweats. You may also experience diarrhoea, increased gas, abdominal pain or discomfort, constipation, blood in your poop, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, and weight loss.
A ZOE article adds: “Medical tests may identify other issues along with a leaky gut, such as gut ulcers or dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is an imbalance of the “good” and “bad” bacteria that make up your gut microbiome.”
Risk factors, it adds, include a diet that is low in fibre and high in sugar and fat, excessive alcohol consumption, overuse of painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen, food allergies, high levels of blood fats and/or blood sugar, inflammatory gut diseases, insulin resistance, liver diseases, and obesity.
While there is no recommended treatment for leaky gut, as it is – not yet at least – recognised as an official diagnosis, ZOE explains that there are things you can do to reduce intestinal permeability and support your overall gut health.
This includes switching to a “Mediterranean diet”, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and eating more probiotics and fermented foods too. Getting plenty of sleep, exercising regularly, reducing stress, avoiding smoking, and only taking antibiotics when they are necessary will also boost your gut health.