FAQs: Commonly Asked Questions About IBS and Leaky Gut

I thought this would be a good opportunity to answer some common questions I receive about IBS and Leaky Gut.

Q: What is it and how does someone get IBS?
A: IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Whenever we hear ‘syndrome’ we know it is just a group of symptoms. In this case, that includes disabling symptoms like bloating, cramps and diarrhea. IBS can be caused by gut dysbiosis, where there is an overgrowth of the bad bacteria or fungus in the small intestine (SIBO or SIFO). SIBO and SIFO can cause major bloating after you eat, yeast infections and skin disorders like eczema. IBS can also be caused by a lack of digestive enzymes, stomach acid, bile production or food sensitivities. IBS can also be caused by parasites living in your gut! And often, nutritional deficiencies, like a zinc or magnesium deficiency, or a heavy metal toxicity can cause IBS.

Q: What is leaky gut?
A: Leaky gut is another term used for intestinal permeability. Essentially, this happens when our intestinal walls become compromised. The lining of our intestines is a single-cell wall that is meant to let amino acids, glucose and fatty acids through into our blood to be absorbed by our cells for energy. Things like gluten, medications (including antibiotics, over the counter pain medication and birth control) and environmental toxins like glyphosate to name a few, can start to break down the tight junctions between the cells that make up that lining.

Also, if we are feeding the ‘bad’ bacteria in our gut with sugar and starch and inflammatory processed oils like canola or vegetable oil instead of insoluble and soluble fiber, polyphenols, wild and grass-fed proteins and olive, avocado or coconut oils, those bacteria produce metabolites known as endotoxins that can also damage our intestinal wall lining.

Once the tight junctions are loose, those endotoxins plus undigested food particles can go directly into to the blood and mount an immune response because our body takes them as invaders. Over time, being in this chronic inflammatory state can lead to auto-immune disorders.

Q: I notice I need to run to the bathroom and get diarrhea when I eat out, especially at fast food places. Why is that?
A: With IBS, often times we aren’t absorbing our nutrients properly which means we don’t get enough key vitamins and minerals. This is due in part because there is damage to our villi in our small intestine, which are small, finger-like projections that have enzymes to help break down and make our food absorbable. Over time, the lack of nutrition can also affect your pancreas. If your pancreas isn't functioning optimally, it cannot produce the digestive enzymes needed to break down your food, including the highly-processed oils used in most restaurants today. And if we don’t break down fat, we can get loose stools (aka diarrhea).

Q: What is one thing I can do to help reverse IBS or Leaky Gut today?
A: I’ll be putting together some digital programs soon to help with reclaiming your digestive health. In the meantime, one thing you can do today is increase your plant intake and decrease (or eliminate for a few weeks at least) known inflammatory foods like dairy, sugar and gluten.

Our microbiome thrives on a diversity of plants, and lots of them, for that amazing soluble and insoluble fiber. That means we should aim to eat 7-9 cups of fruits and veggies every day. Mainly organic if possible, at least avoiding the Environmental Working Groups’s dirty dozen. And, make sure you are eating more than 30 different types of fruits and veggies each week. Of course, this may be a lot if you aren’t used to eating a lot of produce. If so, start slowly, cook your veggies and incorporate digestive enzymes before your meals to avoid major gas and bloating. After a few weeks, you’ll notice it getting easier to digest produce (not to mention, you’ll probably have more energy!).

This hack doesn’t mean you need to be vegan. However, if you are eating animal protein, be sure it is wild-caught fish or pasture-raised or grass-fed and grass-finished chicken and beef, etc. If we eat animal protein that was fed highly inflammatory GMO corn and soy plus antibiotics all its life, we take that in, leading to inflammation and further damage to our guts.

The healthier and stronger we make our good gut bacteria, the easier it is to repair leaky gut and reverse IBS.