腹脹,痙攣,偏頭痛?你的腸道可能出了問題大綱

Bloating, cramps, migraines? You could have a bowel condition

腹脹，痙攣，偏頭痛？你的腸道可能出了問題

You may have heard someone complaining about having a 'leaky gut' before but never thought too much about what it actually is. But, if you're suffering from digestion issues, cramps, gas or even migraines and tiredness then it may be worth looking into.

你可能聽別人抱怨過“腸漏症”，但卻從未對其進行深究。但如果你患有消化問題、痙攣、脹氣，甚至是偏頭痛，總是感到很累，那或許值得研究。

The term essentially means an increase in the permeability – or penetrability – of the gut wall. 'Inside our gut, we have a lining that forms a tight barrier. This controls what substances enter the bloodstream,' explains Berta Corbera, nutritionist on behalf of Probio7.

腸漏症指的是腸壁更易滲漏。“在腸道內部，腸壁形成了一道牢固的屏障，控制進入血液的物質，”Probio7的代表營養師伯塔·科爾韋拉（Berta Corbera）解釋道。

'When this barrier is compromised it allows partially undigested food, toxins and pathogens (bacteria) – which would not normally be absorbed – to enter into our bloodstream.' It's still not widely recognised as a medical term, but the NHS says some medications and certain conditions can cause a gut to become 'leaky' – though the individual symptoms aren't agreed upon by all experts.

“當這道屏障受到破壞時，部分未消化的食物、毒素和病原體（細菌）——通常情況下不會被吸收——就會進入我們的血液。”目前，腸漏症尚未被廣泛認可爲醫學術語，但英國國民醫療系統表示，某些藥物和特定症狀會導致腸道‘滲漏’——儘管並不是所有的專家都同意這些症狀。

The symptoms

症狀

Sufferers will typically experience varying degrees of bloating, gas and cramps. However, some experts say it can lead to more severe health issues. 'It's thought to be able to cause a whole host of other problems like food allergies and intolerances, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome and inflammatory conditions such as asthma and eczema,' says Berta.

通常，患者會出現不同程度的腹脹、脹氣和痙攣。然而，有些專家表示，這可能會導致更嚴重的問題。“據說它會導致一系列其它問題，比如食物過敏和食物不耐受症、偏頭痛、慢性疲勞綜合症和哮喘、溼疹等炎症，”伯塔說道。

A leaky gut and food sensitivities

腸漏症和食物過敏

The undigested food and bacteria getting through the compromised gut lining can trigger an immune response, which some experts say can result in sensitivities or intolerances to certain foods. 'It's been suggested Crohn's and Coeliac disease can arise or be made worse by leaky gut for this reason,' explains Berta.

未消化的食物和細菌流經受損腸壁會引發免疫反應，有些專家表示，這反過來會導致對特定食物過敏或不耐受。“有人認爲，這會進一步導致克羅恩病或腹腔疾病，或加重原有疾病，”伯塔解釋道。

Common causes

常見誘因

Some people are just unlucky enough to have a predisposition to a leaky gut – regardless of age or gender – but lifestyle factors could also be to blame. 'Sometimes an overgrowth of yeast (candida) in the bowel – which can build up when our immune systems get compromised due to illness – can cause it,' Berta says.

有些腸漏症患者只是運氣不好——無關年齡或性別——但生活方式可能是誘因之一。“有時，腸道中的酵母菌（念珠菌）會過度生長——當我們的免疫系統因爲生病受損時就會出現這一情況——從而導致腸道滲漏，”伯塔說道。

However, the NHS advises some practitioners believe a poor diet, heavy drinking, stress and overusing antibiotics can either weaken your gut's lining or cause the unhealthy overgrowth of yeast or bacteria that can trigger symptoms.

然而，英國國民醫療系統建議，有些從業者認爲不良飲食、過度飲酒、壓力和過度使用抗生素可能會削弱腸壁，也有可能導致酵母菌或細菌的非健康性過度生長，從而引發這些症狀。