📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The gut is one of the most important yet often ignored organs in the human body. Its health gets further compromised due to hectic lifestyles and erratic eating habits. But did you know that your gut can leak if you do not take good care of it? Dr Surakshit TK, Consultant, Gastroenterology & Hepatobiliary Sciences, Fortis Escorts, Okhla, New Delhi, explained that a layer of epithelium — which absorbs all the digestive nutrients — lines the gut. “But when the permeability of this layer increases, larger toxins — which are either ingested or generated by the intestinal bacterial flora — enter the circulation and trigger inflammation within the body, which leads to a leaky gut and the development of several common chronic disorders,” he told indianexpress.com.
Causes
A leaky gut can be genetic or because of a poor lifestyle, too. “While genetic predisposition and increased sensitivity to changes in the digestive system is responsible for leaky gut, lifestyle changes may be the main driver of gut inflammation,” said Dr Surakshit.
Along the same lines, Rashi Choudhary, a nutritionist, took to Instagram to share that having junk food and gluten daily can be a cause of leaky gut. Other factors include “having dairy with every meal, refined sugar, alcohol, infection, viruses, bacterial growth, and not taking enough time to relax.”
Agreed Dr. Surakshit and said, “A diet, which is low in fiber and high in sugar and saturated fats, may trigger this process. Other causes include alcohol use, pain killers like ibuprofen, naproxen, and stress.”
Symptoms
The expert explained that the symptoms may vary, according to the disease. Common symptoms include “bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, abdominal cramps and sometimes mental irritability with disturbed quality of life,” Dr. Surakshit said.
He explained that the older epithelial cells are replaced with new cells within three to five days. “When the tight bonding between these intestinal cells weakens, there is increased permeability,” he added.
Impact
Having a leaky gut can lead to a host of chronic health issues. Dr Surakshit told indianexpress.com. “Leaky gut can lead to nutritional deficiencies and may also increase the chances of developing infections and conditions related to the overgrowth of pathogens,” he added. It can also cause “gastrointestinal conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome,” as well.
He added that recent studies show that leaky gut plays a role in autoimmune diseases like “lupus, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, allergies, asthma, obesity, and even mental illness – depression, Alzheimer’s disease.”
Treatment
Unfortunately, there are no medications. One must make lifestyle changes like “consuming a high fiber, low sugar, and a plant-based diet, along with regular exercise and avoiding stress” to alleviate the symptoms.
“Pre and probiotics also play a role in helping restore a leaky gut,” he added.
Dr Surakshit advised that “processed food, excess alcohol and over-the-counter pain killers which may damage the gut,” must be avoided. “We are, what we eat. Hence it is important to follow a healthy and balanced diet to maintain normal gut microbiota and prevent leaky gut,” he said.
📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!
