Learn more about the signs of leaky gut, how it is at the root of most autoimmune diseases, and how it’s treated.

Leaky gut can be difficult to diagnose. That’s because many symptoms of leaky gut – like painful indigestion, diarrhea, gas and bloating from meals, brain fog, low energy and even common skin conditions like rashes – are often considered “normal” by many doctors.

Over time, however, persistent gastrointestinal upset, constant gas and bloating, and chronic low energy can all be signs of a leaky gut. And if left untreated, leaky gut can eventually lead to the development of autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, hypothyroidism, lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and more.

Each of us has a community of bacteria living inside our gut called the microbiome. And your microbiome is made up of both “good” and “bad” bacteria. These so-called “good bacteria” have three main jobs: help you digest your food, manufacture important nutrients, and tell your immune system and brain what’s going on inside your gut.

However, over the past 50-100 years, humans in the industrialized world have begun eating more and more of the wrong foods – foods that their gut bacteria (especially their beneficial gut bacteria or “gut buddies” as Dr. Gundry calls them) have trouble digesting. One particularly harmful food, sugar, acts like fuel for the harmful bacteria living inside of our gut.

According to Dr. Steven Gundry, a cardiothoracic surgeon and New York Times best-selling author, another cause of intestinal permeability is lectins. Lectins are a type of plant protein that helps defend plants from getting eaten. These plant proteins can force apart the tight junctions between the cells lining your intestinal walls by attaching themselves to your gut lining.

In other words, lectin-containing nightshade plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants, and even goji berries can actually cause intestinal permeability – especially in people who already have a weakened immune system or an unbalanced gut microbiome.

Not only that, but environmental factors can also play a role in destabilizing the gut microbiome and causing intestinal permeability. For example, the common weed killer glyphosate (with over 280 million pounds applied annually to nearly 300 million acres of farmland in the U.S. alone²) has now been shown to affect the human microbiome.³ Additionally, common over-the-counter medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) can affect both gut permeability and the composition of the microbiome.^4-5

When the wrong molecules or even bacteria get across the border of your gut wall, your immune system kicks into high gear. Normally, this is really important since your immune system can call in “reinforcements” – inflammatory hormones called cytokines.

These cytokines can save your life from a bacterial infection and help you heal when you have an injury.

The problem starts when your immune system starts responding to every little thing – including environmental triggers or food allergies. Think of it like an overactive security alarm system. You’re grateful when it alerts you to the presence of a thief, but you’re annoyed when it goes off every time a fly enters your home.

That’s exactly what happens when you have a leaky gut. Your immune system begins responding to everything that gets through your porous gut wall. This leads to chronic inflammation.

Now, what does this all have to do with common autoimmune diseases like arthritis, hypothyroidism, and irritable bowel disease? Well, the zonulin gene sits on a certain chromosome linked to many autoimmune diseases, certain types of cancer, and diseases of the nervous system like multiple sclerosis. In other words, there’s a clear connection between a leaky gut and the formation of autoimmune diseases.

So while genetics and your environment can play a role in whether you develop autoimmune diseases, a leaky gut is the crucial third ingredient. This is why it’s so important to keep your gut wall strong. And unlike your genetics, and often unlike your environment, you can fix a leaky gut with the foods you eat and more importantly, the foods you don’t eat.