Gut inflammation is something I often see in the clinic. There are several common causes of gut inflammation, including leaky gut, intestinal bugs, medications, and lifestyle factors.
I’ve done several videos on leaky gut that are available on YouTube. A leaky gut occurs when the gap between intestinal wall cells get bigger than normal.
If we use the analogy of a garden, alcohol is like pouring gasoline on the plants. You might get away with a few drops of gasoline here or there on a couple of weeds to kill them, but if you’re going to be pouring gas on the lawn all the time, you’re going to end up wiping it all out.
Antibiotics, on the other hand, are like napalm. You’re going to destroy the weeds and the plants you want to keep.
One of the best ways of determining what is causing leaky gut is a comprehensive stool analysis (CSA). The CSA will let you know if your problem is Candida, harmful bacteria, too little beneficial bacteria, a parasite like Blastocystis, or a combination. A CSA is a good starting point if you have a dysfunctional gut.
Further readings:
- Everything You Need To Know About Abnormal Fatigue & Tiredness
- Frequently Asked Questions #18
- The Connection Between Candida Yeast And Addictive Behavioral Patterns
- Functional vs Conventional Laboratory Testing for Candida
- Avoid These 10 Mistakes If You Have An Autoimmune Condition
Some people do permeability tests. I don’t tend to do those anymore because, in my opinion, most people have leaky gut to some degree. A permeability test will tell you what you already know, your gut is leaky, but it wont’ tell you WHY it is leaky.
Bacteria associated with gut inflammation include klebsiella, pseudomonas, and Citrobacter. Those are the three key species that I regularly see in stool tests in people with gut inflammation. The problems these clients have get even worse when there is a positive yeast culture in the stool, especially if the level is over one plus. If we get a two or three plus Candida and elevated harmful bacteria, there is often also a low beneficial bacteria count.
If you are regularly in the “fight or flight” mode, the high cortisol and adrenaline levels will contribute to gut inflammation. Stress, whether it’s short term/high grade or long-term/low grade, will invariably lead to inflammatory problems throughout the body, including in the digestive system.
Sleep disturbance also leads to inflammation, including in the gut.
Regular pharmaceutical medications are linked to gut inflammation. Pain drugs are some of the worst ones to take for digestive health because they tend to be used chronically.
If you are concerned about the possibility of gut inflammation, see your healthcare provider. Your doctor can do some blood tests for inflammatory markers such as c-reactive protein.
Be sure to watch my videos on foods to eat to avoid gut inflammation and how lifestyle can impact gut inflammation.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29097438
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31891285
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30060746
