Why Do More and More Foods Seem to Bother Me? Food Reactions and Leaky Gut

It used to be one food. Then two. Now it feels like half of what you eat leaves you bloated, achy or worn out, and the reactions don't even follow a pattern you can predict.

If that sounds familiar, the problem may not be the foods themselves. It may be the barrier they pass through.

Your gut lining is a security checkpoint

Your gut lining's job is to let fully digested food into your bloodstream and keep everything else out. About 70% of your immune system stands guard on the other side.

When the checkpoint gets leaky, partly digested food slips through. The immune system sees something that doesn't belong and reacts. Over time, it reacts to more and more foods, and the reactions get harder to predict. That's why this pattern can show up as aches and swelling throughout the body, not just in your gut.

You may have heard this called "leaky gut." The technical term is intestinal hyperpermeability: the gut lining letting through more than it should.

Allergy, sensitivity or intolerance?

• A food allergy is a fast immune reaction, usually within minutes, and can be dangerous.
• A food sensitivity is an immune-mediated response, but not an allergy. It's slower, and it can show up hours or days later as bloating, fatigue, aches, headaches or skin flare-ups.
• A food intolerance, like lactose intolerance, is a digestion problem, not an immune one.

Common reasons the gut lining gets leaky

• Frequent use of pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen
• Alcohol
• Ongoing stress
• Gut bacteria out of balance
• Low stomach acid
• Blood sugar swings
• Untreated celiac disease or gluten sensitivity

See a doctor promptly if you have:

• Call 911 for swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or widespread hives after eating
• Trouble swallowing, or food feeling stuck
• Joints that are red, hot and swollen, or swelling with fever
• Weight loss you can't explain
• Blood in your stool

Want to know where you stand?

These symptoms are one section of the Metabolic Assessment Form, the same questionnaire my functional medicine patients fill out.

Get the free Metabolic Assessment Form and a simple scoring sheet, and I'll walk you through one section a week by email, including what blood work can show and what you can try on your own.

To your health, Dr. Matt Wilding

This article is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk with your own healthcare provider before making changes to your care.