The first time I heard the term “leaky gut” I thought, “ew, that sounds yucky! Is this the latest euphemism for diarrhea or something??”

Well, it’s not. Fortunately, it isn’t quite as gross as diarrhea… sort of.

Actually, depending on how you look at it, you might consider it to be even grosser!

OK, so, what is ‘leaky gut?’

Having a ‘leaky gut’ basically means that the lining of your intestines has become weakened. It has become hyper-permeable.

In other words, the stuff that should be leaving your body through your stool is seeping through or leaking into your body.

(You see how that could be considered a little bit yucky, too, eh?)

Your intestinal lining is an extraordinary network of cells, bacteria, enzymes, immune tissues and other signaling molecules. It is the interface between everything you put in your mouth and your blood stream. It must accurately decode and break down the proteins, fats, carbs so that they can be absorbed, but also keep out the fiber and other proteins that should not be absorbed.

It’s really quite amazing.

And we’re only just starting to understand all the intricacies.

So, what happens when your gut lining breaks down?

Tomorrow we’ll look at this a little further and discuss how this can happen and what symptoms might be associated.

Stay tuned!