7 Things You Need To Know About Leaky Gut

I used to hear the term leaky gut and felt like it was one of those health words that gets tossed around without anyone really explaining it.

But it’s actually much simpler than it sounds. Ancient systems like Ayurveda talked about gut health thousands of years ago, and even Hippocrates said all disease begins in the gut. Now everyone is finally talking about it, but most people still don’t know what it really means.

Most of us never learned how the gut works, so when something feels off, it is easy to get confused. My stomach hurts. My skin is acting up. I feel anxious for no reason. My energy is low. Is it food? Is it stress? Is it hormones?

So in this post, I will explain what leaky gut is in a way that is easy for you to understand and make sense of. Let’s get into it!

? Before we get started:
Be sure to grab access to my Free Wellness Library. It’s packed with e-books, gut health checklists, food trackers, and practical resources to help you feel better faster. You can get your free access below!

7 Things To Know About Leaky Gut

1. What Your Gut Actually Does

Your food moves from your esophagus to your stomach. Light foods pass through quicker, heavier meals take a couple of hours. Then everything moves into your small intestine, which is about 20 to 23 feet long and sits around your belly button.

After that, food enters the large intestine, which is about 5 or 6 feet long and wraps around your abdomen.

Your small intestine is covered in tiny villi and microvilli. If you flattened them out, they would cover a tennis court. This is how your body absorbs nutrients.

Related:
Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the Digestive System

2. What Leaky Gut Means

Your gut lining has tiny openings called tight junctions. They let small, broken-down nutrients pass into your bloodstream.

Leaky gut happens when those openings widen and let larger particles through. These are usually bigger pieces of protein that did not finish breaking down.

Your immune system sees these as a threat and reacts, which creates inflammation.

3. What Causes Leaky Gut

Here are many of the common causes of leaky gut:

• Antibiotics
• C-section birth
• Not being breastfed
• Birth control
• NSAIDs like Advil
• Surgeries
• Chlorinated tap water
• Stress
• Poor food combining
• Overgrowth of bacteria, yeast, fungi, or candida
• Large intestine bacteria moving into the small intestine

When good bacteria disappear, not so good bacteria grow fast.

4. How It Affects Digestion

Leaky gut can lead to inflammation in the gut wall. This can show up as:

• IBS
• Crohn’s
• Colitis
• Celiac disease

These conditions often appear when the immune system keeps reacting to particles coming through the gut lining.

5. How It Shows Up On Your Skin And Mood

This is the part that catches people off guard. Your gut is connected to much more than digestion.

Skin symptoms:

• Acne
• Eczema
• Psoriasis

Mood and brain symptoms:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Learning issues
• ADD
• Autism
• Executive function disorders

About 80 percent of serotonin is made in the gut. If the gut lining is damaged, the body cannot make enough serotonin. Low serotonin affects mood and also makes it harder to produce melatonin, which means sleep can get disrupted too.

So if you have mood changes or sleep issues, and you also have gut symptoms, they may be connected.

6. How It Impacts Your Immune System

When larger particles slip through the gut lining, the immune system reacts. If this happens often, the immune system can stay activated all the time. Over time, this can show up as:

• Hashimoto’s
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Type 1 diabetes
• Food allergies
• Environmental allergies
• Asthma

All of these involve the immune system being triggered by things it believes should not be in the body.

7. Functional Lab Tests That Can Help

As an Integrative Health Practitioner, there are at-home functional labs that I recommend to help people understand what is happening inside the gut.

• Organic Acids Test
• Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

These two tests together tell you more about your body than bloodwork.

Quick Recap

✅ Your gut is long, complex, and houses most of your immune system.
✅ Leaky gut happens when the gut lining becomes too open.
✅ Everyday things like antibiotics, NSAIDs, chlorine, and stress can damage the gut.
✅ Digestive issues are only one part of leaky gut.
✅ Skin issues, mood changes, allergies, and autoimmune reactions can all be connected.
✅ Most serotonin is made in the gut.
✅ Functional tests can help you learn what is going on inside your body.

Final Thoughts

Leaky gut can feel confusing when you are dealing with symptoms that do not seem connected, but once you understand what is happening in the gut, everything starts to make more sense. Your gut plays a big role in digestion, mood, immunity, and energy, and the good news is that it can heal with the right support. Small steps really do add up.

Now, I’d love to hear from you! What is one gut symptom you want more clarity on right now? Let me know in the comments below.

? Still dealing with bloating, fatigue, or gut issues no matter what you try?

If you’ve been chasing symptoms and nothing seems to stick, it’s time to look deeper. I’d love to help you uncover the root cause of your digestive issues so you can finally get the answers you’ve been looking for.

? To get started, learn how private coaching and functional lab testing can help support your gut-healing journey.

Additional Resources

• How to Repair Leaky Gut Naturally in 4 Simple Steps
• How to Heal Your Gut by Calming Stress and Histamines
• 5 Hidden Causes of Leaky Gut Hurting Your Immunity
• Here is Why All Disease Begins in the Gut
• Gut Health 101: Everything You Need to Know

? Like this and want to save it for later? Tap the Pinterest Pin button below—it’s an easy way to keep it on hand when you need it.

Join the community and gain instant access to

our free wellness library of e-books, worksheets, and resources.

SEND IT MY WAY!

Built with Kit