The SECRET Cause of Leaky Gut Syndrome

If you suspect you have Leaky Gut Syndrome or some other intestinal permeability issue, this gut-healing secret is for YOU. But first…

Sorry to hear you’re dealing with gut issues. I realise how uncomfortable it can be and that, sometimes, it feels like the healing journey may never end.

However, there is hope – I promise!

Healing is possible in 6 months or so if you understand what’s really causing the problem.

While this cause is not really a secret, it isn’t well understood by many practitioners. And that’s why you may only be discovering this potentially life-changing information today.

So, what’s the ‘secret’ cause of leaky gut syndrome and other intestinal permeability conditions?

Histamine.

You see, when your body is exposed to foreign particles, it releases histamine to protect itself. This increases capillary permeability so that your immune system’s white blood cells can enter tissues and attack the foreign agent.

This inflammatory process is triggered by pathogens, like bacteria and viruses; however, it’s also possible for food intolerances and environmental agents to activate it.

Usually, a histamine-digesting enzyme called Diamine Oxidase (DAO) deals with histamine in the gut. If your intestinal lining is damaged though, or you have a deficiency of DAO, your ability to process histamine drops, which increases intestinal permeability and further damages the gut by allowing bacteria, food proteins, and toxins to deleteriously move between your intestines and the bloodstream.

In the long term, this leads to bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, flatulence, increased food intolerances, malabsorption, and nutritional deficiencies – all of which further damage the digestive lining. Untreated, can this result in a diagnosis of:

• Leaky Gut Syndrome
• Coeliac Disease
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or
• Small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Histamine doesn’t only impact digestion though.

Some people with histamine issues feel like their digestion is fine – but have one (or many) other symptoms that suggest a haywire histamine process is occurring, such as:

• joint pain
• headaches
• fatigue
• rashes
• itchy skin
• poor immunity
• nasal congestion
• depression or anxiety.

Understanding The Secret Fix

If you’re struggling to heal any of the above symptoms/conditions, it’s possible you have histamine intolerance and don’t even know it. 

Histamine intolerance relates to the excessive production of histamine in the body, or an inability to properly break it down.

As mentioned earlier, DAO is responsible for breaking down histamine, and it’s naturally produced in your kidneys, thymus gland and intestinal lining. However, if you have gut issues, your intestines may struggle to:

a)    produce enough DAO

b)    properly digest histamine during digestion.

Unfortunately, histamine intolerance is often misdiagnosed as a food intolerance. I understand why this happens, as symptoms can be similar; however, if you remove sensitive foods from your diet and still feel unwell, it’s fair to say histamine intolerance could be an issue.

One secret way to see if histamine intolerance is worth investigating is to notice how you react to a bug bite. If the area surrounding the bite swells excessively, or you get itchier than most people, your histamine may not be processing properly.

If you’re resonating with this story so far, it’s important to know that histamine intolerance can be genetic or acquired. But as we know, genetics are expressed in a process called epigenetics, and just because you have a gene for something does not mean it has to happen or is permanent. If it’s genetic, you can use the same neuroplasticity and lifestyle changes to improve your epigenetic expression as with acquired histamine intolerance (one of my clinical tools).

Acquired histamine intolerance is a little different though, as it develops through dietary and lifestyle factors. While many factors influence histamine, here are 4 common triggers you need to know if healing your leaky gut is a priority.

1. Medications – Some pharmaceutical drugs prevent DAO production, while others block its ability to function. Common medications that do this are antibiotics, anti-depressants, ibuprofen and aspirin.
2. Food Intolerances – When you eat food you’re intolerant to, your body releases histamine to deal with them. Eat them often and your gut becomes flooded with histamine, inflamed and full of harmful toxins… which creates the perfect breeding ground for leaky gut syndrome. Following my Low Histamine Food Guide can help you clean up your diet and gut health. You can sign up for it here
3. Alcohol – Just one drink of alcohol will increase your histamine levels. Not only does alcohol impact histamine in your brain (hello brain fog!), it also blocks DAO in your gut.
4. Stress – If you are experiencing a lot of stress, in the past or present, this can prevent your gut getting the blood and nutrients it needs. Self-care strategies to address stress and get out of that fight flight mode are an important component to healing.

Final Thoughts

As a Functional Nutritional Medicine Practitioner, I assure you that understanding what’s going on in your gut can mean the difference between healing in 6 months or healing in 6 years.

If your healing time is much longer than you expected, I recommend you speak with a professional about Histamine Intolerance to see if it’s the secret fix you’ve been searching for.

References

Bischoff, S.C., Barbara, G., Buurman, W. et al. Intestinal permeability – a new target for disease prevention and therapy. BMC Gastroenterol (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-014-0189-7

Maintz, L., Novak, N., Histamine and histamine intolerance, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007),  https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.5.1185

Smolinska, S., Jutel, M., Crameri, R., O’Mahony, L., Histamine and gut mucosal immune regulation. Allergy (2013); DOI: 10.1111/all.12330