How to Heal Leaky Gut
If you’ve been Googling “IBS nutritionist”, “gut health support” or “why am I always bloated even though I eat healthy?” you’ve probably stumbled across the term “leaky gut.”
It sounds dramatic - like your intestines are springing holes (spoiler: they’re not literally leaking food into your abdomen). But the concept is real, it’s evidence-based, and it can be a huge driver of IBS symptoms, food sensitivities, skin flare-ups, and even low energy.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
What leaky gut actually is (without the scary myths)
What causes it in the first place
How it affects your immune system, digestion, and overall health
The long-term consequences of leaving it unchecked
How we can test for leaky gut (yes, you can actually measure this!)
The first steps of a healing protocol (and why you shouldn’t DIY it all from Instagram or ChatGPT)
What is leaky gut?
Your gut lining is like a very exclusive nightclub. The bouncers (tight junctions between intestinal cells) decide who gets in (nutrients, water) and who stays out (bacteria, toxins, large undigested food particles).
With leaky gut—also known as increased intestinal permeability—those bouncers get a bit slack. Microscopic gaps open up, allowing unwanted guests to sneak into your bloodstream. Your immune system spots them, panics, and mounts a response. Cue: inflammation, sensitivities, and symptoms that don’t seem to make sense.
What causes leaky gut?
Leaky gut rarely happens in isolation. It’s often a knock-on effect of modern stressors and imbalances, including:
Chronic stress: Cortisol changes gut barrier integrity. (Yes, stress really does “get to your gut.”)
Gut infections or dysbiosis: Bacterial overgrowths like SIBO, yeast overgrowth, or past food poisoning can weaken the gut lining.
Food triggers: Gluten is the classic one, but any poorly digested food can contribute.
Medications: Antibiotics, NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), and even the oral contraceptive pill can impact gut permeability.
Nutrient deficiencies: Lack of zinc, vitamin D, and omega-3s can all make repair harder.
the Effects on the Immune System
This is where things get interesting (and frustrating). A leaky gut doesn’t just cause tummy grumbles - it can set off immune chaos.
Food sensitivities: Ever feel like your “safe” foods suddenly cause bloating? That’s your immune system flagging even harmless foods as threats.
Allergies and intolerances: A hyper-vigilant immune system can tip into overreactive territory.
Skin conditions: Eczema, acne, rosacea - your skin often reflects what’s happening in your gut lining.
In short: what look like “random” symptoms in different parts of your body may actually trace back to a leaky gut.
How Leaky Gut Affects Digestion
If your gut lining is inflamed and hyper-permeable, digestion itself is compromised. You might experience:
Bloating after meals
IBS-style alternating constipation and diarrhoea
Food fears (“what can I even eat without reacting?”)
Fatigue after eating
And here’s the kicker: the worse your gut lining gets, the more dysbiosis (bacterial imbalance) can develop. It becomes a cycle - symptoms fuel more imbalance, fuelling more symptoms.
Long-Term Consequences of Ignoring Leaky Gut
This isn’t about scaremongering - it’s about awareness. Leaving leaky gut unresolved can lead to:
Chronic inflammation: Back pain? Joint Pain? Headaches? These are all common red flags from your body that you’ve got chronic inflammation
Autoimmune conditions: Research shows strong links with autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Coeliac disease)
Hormonal imbalances: Because inflammation disrupts everything from thyroid function to oestrogen balance
Mental health effects: Anxiety, low mood, and brain fog are often tied to gut permeability and inflammation. Remember - your gut bacteria are the main producers of serotonin, GABA, & dopamine.
Your gut isn’t just about digestion - it’s the foundation for your whole body’s health.
How We Assess for Leaky Gut
This is where I put on my functional testing hat. Rather than relying on guesswork or restrictive diets, we can run comprehensive stool testing that gives us an in-depth look at:
Markers of intestinal inflammation and permeability
Your gut microbiome balance (who’s thriving, who’s missing - we know which bacteria are associated with keeping your gut barrier nice and healthy)
Digestive capacity (enzymes, stomach acid, bile)
Potential pathogens or bacterial/yeast overgrowths fuelling the issue
With this data, we can see whether a leaky gut is driving your symptoms, and put a plan in place to heal it.
Healing Leaky gut: The Protocol
The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all “leaky gut diet” or magic supplement. Anyone who says otherwise is oversimplifying.
When I work with clients, I use a phased approach, typically along the lines of:
Remove triggers: Identifying and minimising foods, stressors, or pathogens irritating the gut lining. This might require food sensitivity testing to see which foods are causing you immune chaos.
Replace & support digestion: Helping your body break food down properly so it doesn’t overload the gut barrier.
Repair: Using targeted nutrients and therapeutic foods to heal the lining.
Rebalance: Supporting the microbiome to maintain long-term resilience.
The details of each step are highly individual. For one client, it might involve antimicrobial herbs and stress regulation; for another, it could be more about hormone balance and nutrient replenishment.
That’s why DIY protocols often fall flat—you need the full picture to know where to start.
Your Next Step: Don’t Guess, Test
If you’ve been battling bloating, IBS symptoms, unexplained skin flares, or food reactions, leaky gut could be the root cause. But the only way to know - and heal effectively - is to get proper testing and a personalised protocol.
Curious where you stand?
Download my free IBS Root Cause Quiz to begin exploring what might be driving your symptoms.
Or, book a free Discovery Call with me to find out how I can hold your hand through one-to-one support, testing, and a tailored gut-healing plan to help you feel confident in your body again.
