Can Leaky Gut Cause Lupus?
Leaky gut syndrome sure seems to be getting a bad wrap and a long one at that. Our gut health plays such an important and essential role in our overall health and well-being. It’s no surprise that conditions such as leaky gut and SIBO or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth have such an effect on other conditions and illnesses. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, lupus affects an estimated 5-million people worldwide!
According to one study, they compared the gut bacteria from lupus patients with bacteria from healthy patients and found that people with lupus had five times the amount of a bacteria known as Ruminococcus gnavus. Our microbiome is the trillions of beneficial bacteria that coexists within the human digestive tract and elsewhere in the body.
Lupus can be fatal in some cases and the main cause of the disease is still unknown although it is believed that genetics might play a role in it. Study results show that lupus flares range from instances of skin rash and joint pain to severe kidney dysfunction that requires dialysis treatment. The study was closely tracked and in lupus patients a major increase in R. gnavus bacterial growth in the gut, alongside the presence in the blood samples of immune proteins or antibodies that were specifically shaped to attach to the bacteria present. Patients that took part in the study with kidney flares has especially high levels of natural antibodies to the Ruminococcus gnavus bacteria.
Dealing with a leaky gut or leaky gut syndrome can be a real roller coaster ride, one that most people don’t ever want to go on again. The beneficial bacteria that is supposed to stay inside of our gut has a chance to leak out when there is damage done to the intestinal wall lining. Pharmaceutical medications, painkillers containing NSAIDs, surgery, and a pre-existing condition could all be possible causes of leaky gut. As the bacteria begins to flow through the bloodstream finding new homes it wreaks havoc on our entire body. People dealing with autoimmune disorders have a higher chance of dealing with a leaky gut and the effects of a leaky gut than healthy people dealing with gut issues.
One of the best things to do when you’re dealing with a dual medical issue is to treat them both. Natural leaky gut treatment will help relieve leaky gut symptoms, as well as, repair the damage that’s been done. If you have an autoimmune disease such as lupus, talk to your doctor about the possibility of leaky gut and how to get it treated for you. Our gut health affects our whole health so make sure you’ve got a happy and healthy gut.