What Is A Leaky Gut?

Article At A Glance:

• The gut-brain axis means that the gut and the brain communicate with each other and that one profoundly affects the other.
• Healing the gut of children with autism lead to improved behavioral and social outcomes
• A leaky gut is ineffective at filtering out food particles, which leads to inflammation and compromised immunity.

We’ve often discussed the gut-brain axis, a significant scientific discovery that the gut (stomach and intestines) and the brain communicate with each other through the endocrine system. Hormones get released in the bloodstream, and the nervous system triggers signals in the brain that “talk” to the gut.

The gut-brain connection is one of the hottest topics in the health world right now because it means that changes in the gut directly impact what happens in the brain. This is especially relevant for children with autism because gut dysfunction (which is very common) can negatively affect the brain and lead to behavioral and social challenges. The goal is to heal the gut to improve kids’ overall health.

Leaky Gut

A healthy gut acts like a cheesecloth, allowing nutrients to pass through into the bloodstream while filtering out unprocessed food particles, toxins, and pathogens. It has tight junctions in the cells to keep the bad stuff out and let the good things in.

However, a leaky gut is ineffective in blocking food particles from entering the bloodstream. As a result, the body detects a threat and attacks the invaders the same way it would a virus or a bacterial infection. This leads to inflammation, compromised immunity, and even nutrient deficiency since your body is too busy fighting the perceived threat to digest vital nutrients correctly.

The gut biome affects the endocrine system, the immune system, the nervous system, and the metabolic system, and a leaky gut can cause major havoc for the body overall. However, high-quality, toxin-free foods and proper supplementation make good gut health possible.