Have you ever heard of leaky gut? It's a condition where the lining of your intestines becomes more permeable, allowing bacteria and toxins to enter your bloodstream. This can cause inflammation and affect your metabolism, leading to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
But how do you know if you have leaky gut? And what can you do to prevent or treat it? These are some of the questions that a team of researchers from the Netherlands tried to answer in a recent study published in the journal Metabolites.
The researchers analyzed data from over 10,000 adults who participated in the LifeLines Cohort Study, a large-scale project that tracks the health and lifestyle of people living in the northern part of the country. They measured several markers of leaky gut, such as zonulin, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), as well as indicators of metabolic health, such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels.
They found that higher levels of leaky gut markers were associated with worse metabolic health, especially in women and older adults. For example, women with high zonulin levels had a 40% higher risk of obesity and a 50% higher risk of diabetes than women with low zonulin levels. Older adults with high LBP levels had a 30% higher risk of hypertension and a 40% higher risk of high cholesterol than older adults with low LBP levels.
The researchers also looked at the potential factors that could influence leaky gut, such as diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and medication use. They found that some dietary patterns, such as eating more fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and whole grains, were linked to lower levels of leaky gut markers. On the other hand, eating more red meat, processed meat, sweets, and snacks was linked to higher levels of leaky gut markers. Smoking and alcohol consumption also increased the risk of leaky gut, while physical activity and some medications reduced it.
The study is one of the first to explore the relationship between leaky gut and metabolic health in a large population. It suggests that leaky gut is not only a consequence but also a cause of metabolic disorders. It also provides some clues on how to prevent or treat leaky gut by modifying your lifestyle and diet.
If you want to learn more about this fascinating topic, you can read the full paper here: Evaluating the Link Between Leaky Gut- Related Markers and Metabolic Health in a large Dutch Adult Population by Hashiko et al Published December 2021 in Metabolites journal. https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/11/12/1030
Recommended:
One of the best selling books on leaky gut and how it relates to systemic inflammation is **Eat Dirt: Why Leaky Gut May Be the Root Cause of Your Health Problems and 5 Surprising Steps to Cure It** by Dr. Josh Axe. In this book, Dr. Axe explains how modern food production and consumption have damaged our gut lining, allowing toxins and pathogens to enter our bloodstream and trigger inflammation. He also offers a five-step plan to heal the gut, restore balance, and improve overall health. Some of the steps include eating more fermented foods, avoiding gluten and dairy, and getting more exposure to dirt and nature.
Another best selling book on this topic is **The Microbiome Solution: A Radical New Way to Heal Your Body from the Inside Out** by Dr. Robynne Chutkan . This book reveals how many aspects of modern life, such as antibiotics, processed foods, and sanitizers, have disrupted our gut microbiome and contributed to various chronic diseases. Dr. Chutkan presents a three-step program to restore the gut flora, boost immunity, and prevent inflammation. The program involves avoiding antibiotics and chemicals, eating more whole foods and prebiotics, and embracing dirt and germs .
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