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Leaky gut, otherwise known as intestinal permeability, is a major underlying cause of many health issues including IBS, headaches, weight gain, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, anxiety, depression, autoimmune conditions, and allergies. These tips will help demystify leaky gut and empower you with steps to wellness.
WHAT IS LEAKY GUT?
Leaky gut happens in the small intestine, the section of your digestive system that lies between your stomach (the first stop in our food's transit through our bodies; this is where the food we eat is digested into a form our bodies can use), and large intestine (the final leg of our food's journey before the unusable parts are eliminated as feces). When it arrives at the small intestine, food should be thoroughly broken down so that only the nutrients are able to make their way through the walls of your small intestine and into your blood where they are circulated throughout your body.
The cells that make up the walls of the intestines replace themselves every 72 hours and are quite vulnerable to stress. So if you are under psychological stress or if your digestive tract is under stress-from exposure to medications, antibiotics, alcohol, or caffeine, for example-then the cells making up the intestinal walls are not as healthy as they should be. It is these unhealthy cells that can allow food that is not fully digested to "leak" through the intestinal wall and into the space underneath where your immune system is on guard for anything that shouldn't be there, like viruses and bacteria. If your immune system notices partially undigested proteins and food,...