Food Sensitivities & Leaky Gut: What's Really Going on?

Have you ever eaten something “healthy” and felt bloated, foggy, or fatigued afterward? Or noticed patterns of skin breakouts, joint pain, or brain fog that don’t seem connected—but keep showing up?

You’re not imagining it.

More people are discovering that food sensitivities—and the deeper issue of intestinal permeability, often called “leaky gut”—may be playing a hidden role in their symptoms.

At Way Integrative & Functional, I often work with patients who have been told “everything looks fine,” but still don’t feel well. This is where a functional medicine lens can help uncover what’s being missed.

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🌿 What Is Intestinal Permeability (aka Leaky Gut)?

Your gut lining is naturally semi-permeable—it lets nutrients in and keeps larger molecules out. But when that lining gets inflamed or damaged (from stress, infections, medications, processed foods, toxins, etc.), the tight junctions between cells loosen. This allows unwanted substances —like undigested food particles, bacteria, and toxins—to “leak” into the bloodstream.

The immune system sees these as foreign invaders and reacts. Over time, this can trigger low-grade inflammation, immune dysfunction, and food sensitivities.

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🍽 Food Sensitivities vs. Food Allergies

Let’s clear this up:

• Food allergies = immediate and potentially serious immune responses (like hives or anaphylaxis)

• Food sensitivities = delayed, non-life-threatening reactions that can still cause chronic symptoms

Common signs of food sensitivities may include:

• Bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea

• Brain fog and fatigue

• Joint or muscle pain

• Acne, eczema, or rashes

• Anxiety or mood swings

• Headaches or migraines

They may appear hours—or even a day—after eating the triggering food, which makes them tricky to identify.

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🔍 What Causes Leaky Gut?

There’s rarely one single cause. It’s usually a combination of stressors:

• Chronic stress or poor sleep

• Processed foods and refined sugar

• Excess alcohol

• Certain medications (like NSAIDs, antibiotics, PPIs)

• Gut infections or imbalances (like SIBO or candida)

• Environmental toxins or heavy metals

• Unaddressed food sensitivities themselves

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So What Can You Do?

This is where functional medicine shines: we don’t just suppress symptoms—we work to heal the gut and calm the immune system.

My approach often includes:

✅ A personalized elimination diet or targeted food sensitivity testing

✅ Gut-healing protocols: using nutrients like glutamine, omega-3s, and anti-inflammatory herbs

✅ Restoring balance with probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive support

✅ Stress support and nervous system regulation

✅ Gradual reintroduction of foods (not overly restrictive long term!)

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🧾 A Note on Testing

Not all food sensitivity tests are created equal. In some cases, an elimination diet can be just as (or more) insightful. I help patients interpret results in the context of their full story, labs, and symptoms—never in isolation.

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Your Gut Can Heal

Leaky gut and food sensitivities are not life sentences. With the right guidance and support, your digestive system—and your entire body—can find balance again.

If you’re experiencing symptoms that don’t seem to make sense, I’d love to help you investigate what your gut might be trying to tell you.

-Let’s find your way to healing, from the inside out.