Leaky Gut Syndrome

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” Gandhi

The human gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all the human cells in the entire body, with over 400 known diverse bacterial species. In fact, you could say that we’re more bacterial than we are human. The gut flora plays a huge role in human health and disease. Among other things, the gut flora promotes normal gastrointestinal function, provides protection from infection, regulates metabolism and comprises more than 75% of our immune system.

Indigestion and intestine malabsorption leads to Leaky Gut Syndrome. Along the lining of healthy intestines cells are sealed together. These junctions are the gatekeepers that allow particles from the gut’s interior to move into the body’s circulatory system. When your intestinal lining is compromised, particles can “leak” inappropriately through these cells and their junctions, and pass into the bloodstream or lymphatic system. These particles may be incompletely digested chunks of food, or microbes, or wastes, toxins, and even antigens and pathogens. The leaking of these particles alerts your body that something is wrong, and your immune system tries to come to the rescue by igniting inflammation.

As inflammation increases, the layer of beneficial bacterial colonies lining the intestines decreases, which only makes the problem worse. I have two major concerns with leaky gut: one is the inability to digest and absorb food and nutrients properly. And the other is a compromised immune system, which is the source of most of the symptoms people feel with leaky gut.