Leaky Gut Quiz — erinlamb

We all get minor abdominal symptoms such as gas from time to time, as part of our regular bodily functions. Your abdominal symptoms may be related to something you’ve eaten, the way you ate or some stress in your life. If any of these symptoms persist longer than a few days for no obvious reason, or if they are impacting other aspects of your life, it would be wise to take a deeper look.

According to the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, studies show digestion trouble could affect as many as 13-20% of Canadians, and at any given time in your lifetime there is a 30% risk of developing IBS. Surprisingly, IBS seems to arise significantly more in women than in men in Western Countries. It has been found that men and women who ate identical diets saw different responses in their gut microbiota (University of Texas at Austin, 2014).

Some intriguing facts that could indicate why women typically experience more digestive issues than men:

  • On average, the female colon is about 10cm longer than the male colon, with more twists and turns.

  • Hormones play a role. During the luteal phase (after ovulation), women may see a slowing down of transit in their gut, which can lead to digestive upset and abnormal bowel movements.

The gut microbiome (totality of microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi, and their collective genetic material present in the gastrointestinal tract) plays a very important role in your health by helping control digestion, supporting your immune system, and improving other aspects of your health.

An imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in the intestines may contribute to weight gain, high blood sugar, allergies, digestive trouble and other disorders.

Picture this….The good bacteria line up like little solders along your gut lining protecting it, but when they are weakened or damaged due to stress, a highly processed diet, alcohol, poor digestive habits etc. the healthy gut lining can be compromised. This weakened gut lining is called leaky gut or intestinal permeability, and can lead to food sensitivity symptoms and many other health issues.