At Ascend, gut issues come up a lot. Whether it’s bloating, inflammation, food sensitivities, or fatigue—gut health is often a hidden root cause.

And while “leaky gut” gets thrown around online, it’s a real issue we see regularly in our clients.

So, here’s a breakdown of what it actually is, how it happens, and how we treat it—the Ascend way.

What Is Leaky Gut?

Leaky gut is when the tight junctions in your intestinal lining break down. These junctions are designed to only allow small, usable molecules—like amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids—into your bloodstream.

When the junctions become too loose, larger particles sneak through. The immune system sees these as threats and kicks off a constant low-grade immune response.

This leads to systemic inflammation, which can affect everything from your joints to your brain.

It’s been strongly linked to:

• Autoimmune issues like rheumatoid arthritis

• Chronic inflammation and water retention

• Multiple food sensitivities

• Poor recovery and fatigue

What Causes Leaky Gut?

It’s rarely one thing. Instead, it’s usually a build-up of factors over time. Common contributors include:

• Overuse of antibiotics or NSAIDs

• High levels of chronic stress

• Poor sleep

• Processed or inflammatory foods (gluten, sugar, additives)

• Dysbiosis (imbalanced gut bacteria)

We don’t believe in demonizing single foods—but in certain people, in certain contexts, some foods contribute more than others.

The Real Problem: Dysbiosis

One of the big triggers we see is gut dysbiosis—an imbalance between good and bad gut bacteria. Antibiotics, poor diet, and stress can feed the wrong bacteria, which increases fermentation and waste products that damage your gut lining even further.

How We Treat Leaky Gut at Ascend

We don’t throw a supplement at the issue and hope for the best. Our approach is layered, personalized, and root-cause focused:

1. Stress + Sleep First

We start by managing the stress response. Chronic stress stops healing—so we help our clients restore better recovery and nervous system balance.

2. Elimination Diet

Instead of relying on unreliable food sensitivity tests, we use elimination and reintroduction protocols to identify what’s actually causing a reaction.

3. Gut Healing Nutrients

We support the gut lining with compounds like:

• Glutamine

• Zinc carnosine

• Collagen peptides

These help repair the gut wall and reinforce tight junctions.

4. Address Dysbiosis

This means using:

• Antimicrobial agents (if needed)

• Probiotics to support good bacteria

• Prebiotic-rich, micronutrient-dense foods

We rebuild a healthier microbiome and reinforce the integrity of the gut lining over time.

If you suspect gut issues are holding you back—from better recovery, energy, or overall health—reach out.

We’ll help you figure out what’s really going on.