How Do I Know If I Have a Leaky Gut? Read This to Find Out
Insteading of going down the Dr. Google rabbit hole searching how to know if you have a leaky gut, consult this simple guide to leaky gut syndrome instead.
Struggling with poor digestion, skin inflammation, fatigue, brain fog, and/or autoimmunity? If so, you may have leaky gut syndrome—an ugly name with even uglier symptoms and side effects.
If you haven’t been able to get to the root of your digestive issues and overlapping wellness concerns, it’s worth learning more about this health condition, which isn’t fully recognized by conventional medicine but very well should be.
In this article, we’ll explore the basics of leaky gut syndrome, including:
what it is
what causes it
signs and symptoms of leaky gut
how to know if you have leaky gut
how to heal leaky gut for good (with the best treatment plan)
What is a leaky gut?
Leaky gut syndrome is also known as intestinal permeability. Simply put, your digestive tract not only breaks down the food you eat, but also forms a protective barrier from harmful substances that can wreak havoc on your body if they enter your bloodstream.
When you have a leaky gut, the tight junctions in the intestines loosen up. As a result, their defensive powers to keep bacteria, toxic waste, and undigested food particles are compromised. Once these particles enter your bloodstream, your body interprets them as pathogens, setting off an autoimmune response that can manifest via symptoms that include digestive distress—but also much more.
What causes leaky gut?
There are several causes of and overlapping factors that contribute to leaky gut syndrome, which include:
an unbalanced diet that’s low in fiber and other essential nutrients, and includes an excess of sugar, processed foods, alcohol, and your own unique dietary triggers
certain medications like antibiotics, pain relievers, steroids, and antacids
vitamin deficiencies
stress, trauma, and other emotional/mental health disturbances
gut imbalances and infections such as SIBO and candida overgrowth
Research also shows that there several chronic diseases are linked to intestinal permeability, such as:
celiac disease
diabetes
respiratory infections
arthritis and other inflammatory diseases
additional functional GI diseases
9 signs and symptoms of leaky gut
Of course, while you’ll need to consult a gut health expert and get appropriate functional tests done to know for certain if you have leaky gut, here are the primary tell-tale signs and symptoms to be aware of:
you have diagnosed autoimmune disorder (such as lupus, a thyroid disorder, or Crohn’s disease)
you have a history of food sensitivities
you can no longer tolerate foods you once could eat and digest with ease
you have inflammatory skin conditions (including acne, eczema, and rashes)
you regularly struggle with fatigue and brain fog
you suffer from joint pain
you have hormonal imbalances
you have a history of mood imbalances (including depression and anxiety)
you suffer from digestive distress (including bloating and diarrhea)
How do I know if I have leaky gut?
You can’t determine that you have leaky gut syndrome from the signs I shared alone. However, these signs of leaky gut are good indicators signaling that it’s worth getting functional testing done to determine if you do in fact have it—or if the symptoms you’re experiencing can be attributed to a different health condition and other factors.
With that said, here are surefire ways to know if you have a leaky gut.
High zonulin levels
Above all, your best bet to know if you have leaky gut syndrome is to get stool testing done and assess your zonulin levels. Zonulin is a protein that “has been shown to induce a significant and reversible increase in gastroduodenal and small intestinal permeability.”
In other words, high zonulin levels signals increased intestinal permeability, thus pointing to a leaky gut. (Elevated zonulin levels are also found in other diseases, including celiac disease and obesity.)
In addition, stool testing can help you identify inflammatory bacteria that can lead to permeability—as well as yeast and parasites that also contribute to gut imbalances. (Read: Stool tests are essential if you suspect you have a leaky gut and want to know for certain. And even if you don’t have it, stool testing zeroes in on what else is going on in your gut so you can start the best plan for healing.)
Food sensitivities
As we saw above, dietary triggers can also cause leaky gut syndrome. While there are some common offenders like gluten, wheat, corn, soy—as well as the likes of sugar, processed foods, and alcohol—I don’t recommend going on an elimination diet or other restrictive dietary regimens to discover what these are. I know, I know—many dietitians and other health professionals often recommend starting an elimination diet so you can keep track of what foods may be causing reactivity… but the keyword there is may.
As I’ve learned from years of experience as a functional dietitian and working with hundreds of clients with digestive issues (including leaky gut syndrome), elimination diets aren’t the best way to determine your food sensitivities and triggers. In fact, given their restrictive nature, they often cut out not only foods that you aren’t sensitive to, but also major food groups/items that you need in a balanced diet. Add to that the time commitment, confusion, and general uncertainty of elimination diets, and you could be looking at even more stress and greater digestive distress than you had to begin with. No thanks!
For that reason, I highly recommend getting functional testing done to discover your unique dietary triggers. Armed with this knowledge that’s unique to your own biochemistry at this point in time, you’ll take out the guesswork, gain the clarity you need to cook meals and eat with confidence, and also begin to heal your leaky gut—not to mention improve your health status and well-being across the board.
How to heal leaky gut
To reiterate, if you notice signs of leaky gut, you’ll need to:
Get functional/stool tests and gauge zonulin levels to discover if you have it
Find out your unique dietary triggers and cut them out strategically
Restore your gut
On the last point of gut restoration, this is a three-part process that entails:
Making the right food choices
Balancing and boosting microbiome diversity
Improving nervous system resilience
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you absolutely need to address each three of these pillars in order to successfully fix your digestive issues and heal leaky gut.
Your leaky gut symptoms won’t improve if you eat healthy, balanced meals free from your triggers yet still have excess stress hormones circulating in your body.
And even if you are lucky to lead a relatively stress-free life, you can’t eliminate the signs of leaky gut if your gut bacteria are imbalanced.
And of course, you won’t heal your leaky gut if you take your probiotics, load up on fermented foods, and slay your self-care game like a boss if you continue to consume your dietary triggers and eat inflammatory foods.
It’s essential to take a holistic, functional approach with any digestive distress you may experience—whether or not that’s leaky gut syndrome.
With that all said, if you’re ready to experience lasting relief and full healing, be sure to book a FREE 30-minute health audit with me so I can hear more about your concerns, you can learn more about my proven gut restoration method, and we can see if we’re a good fit to heal your gut for good. Armed with functional testing and the tools you need to improve your digestion for relief you never thought possible, leaky gut won’t stand a chance.