Leaky Gut and IBS: Why Your Digestive Symptoms Aren’t Random
Digestive symptoms are some of the most common and persistent complaints I see in practice. They can show up after a virus, a course of antibiotics, a period of intense stress, or sometimes with no obvious trigger at all. For many people, the discomfort becomes so familiar that it begins to feel “normal.” Whether it is loose stools, chronic constipation, or unpredictable bowel habits, these patterns begin to define daily life.
The diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is often the label we give when disease has been ruled out, but that label doesn’t explain why the symptoms are happening. It also doesn’t give patients a clear path forward in treatment. In the naturopathic and functional medicine world, our goal is to take a multifaceted approach so you do not have to live with these symptoms forever.
Digestive Dysfunction 101: What Does It Really Look Like?
When someone talks about IBS, they’re usually describing a pattern of symptoms that includes:
Persistent diarrhea, constipation, or alternation between both
Abdominal discomfort or pain
Bloating and gas
Urgency or incomplete emptying
You might have IBS-D (predominant diarrhea), IBS-C (predominant constipation), or IBS-M (mixed). But these categories are still just patterns, not root causes. Digestive dysfunction often reflects how well the system is working. It is rarely “just stress,” and more often is the “perfect storm” that leads to symptoms. These symptoms are the sign that your system needs support.
The Gut Doesn’t Work Alone: The Gut–Brain Connection
Your digestive system is in constant dialogue with your nervous system through the vagus nerve. This is the main conduit of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is where we get the term “rest and digest”. This vagus nerve serves as a two-way communication highway between your brain and your gut.
When your nervous system is calm and in balance:
Your stomach produces acid and enzymes at the right time
Food moves through the intestines with coordinated rhythm
Sensations from the gut are interpreted accurately
But when your nervous system is in a heightened state, in a chronic fight or flight, that communication becomes disrupted. Often this is from stress, overwhelm, anxiety, or long periods of burnout. The result can be:
Faster transit time → diarrhea
Slower motility → constipation
Heightened sensitivity → more pain and urgency
Altered microbiome communication
This gut-brain axis means your emotions, stress load, sleep, and nervous system literally affect how your gut works. It also means that supporting your nervous system is foundational.
Leaky Gut: What It Is and Why It Matters
You might have heard the term “leaky gut”, which is basically increased intestinal permeability. Ideally, the lining of your small intestine is meant to let nutrients pass through while keeping larger particles and microbes contained. But when this barrier is disrupted, the cellular barrier becomes “leaky”, allowing larger molecules to cross into the bloodstream and trigger immune activation and inflammation.
This can contribute to:
Food sensitivities
Systemic inflammation
Skin issues
Fatigue and mood symptoms
Ongoing digestive dysfunction
Leaky gut is not a diagnosis in itself, but it’s often a piece of the puzzle for people with chronic IBS symptoms. It arises from a combination of:
Stress and nervous system dysregulation
Microbiome imbalance
Prior infections or immune challenges
Inflammatory diet patterns
Healing the barrier is a key component because it provides the environment needed for the gut to do its job.
Why Restricting Food Isn’t Always the Answer
If you’ve tried every elimination diet under the sun (low-FODMAP, gluten-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free, etc and you still struggle, you’re not alone. These short term food strategies can help calm symptoms, but long-term restriction often narrows your diet and increases fear around eating. But food diversity is important!
Our goal is resilience, not restriction.
A resilient gut can:
Process a wider array of foods without reaction
Communicate more effectively with the nervous system
Maintain balanced motility
Keep the barrier intact
Short-term tools can help you get out of a flare, but long-term digestive health comes from restoring function and capacity.
A Functional Framework for Supporting Digestive Health
There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but for many people with chronic diarrhea, constipation, or IBS patterns, care includes:
Support the Nervous System
Assess Motility and Microbial Balance
Restore the Gut Lining
Rebuild Food Tolerance
Identify Underlying Contributors
Sometimes we can take a symptoms based approach, and other times, testing the microbiome and digestive health markers can be very useful. In my practice, I often use GI-Map for adults and Tiny Health with children.
Moving From “Just IBS” to Lasting Change
Many patients I see have heard, “Your tests are normal,” or “It’s just IBS.” Functional digestive dysfunction, including diarrhea, constipation, and unpredictable symptoms, is often labeled instead of understood. But normal tests don’t mean normal function.
There is a way forward that doesn’t rely on endless restriction, temporary fixes, or managing symptoms.
When we support the nervous system, nourish the gut lining, balance microbial communities, and build resilience rather than restriction, people finally start to feel like themselves again.
About the Author
Dr. Hannah is a naturopathic doctor providing whole body adjunctive healthcare to families in Maine. She believes every patient has their own unique health journey, which influences her personalized treatment approach. She has a passion for helping women, mothers and families heal and thrive, all while uncovering the root cause of whatever ails them. Her goal is to empower and guide her patients on the path towards healing the mind, body and soul through natural methods of healing. Dr. Hannah sees patients locally in both Brewer, Maine and Portland, Maine. Through telehealth, she is happy to serve the people of Lewiston, Ellsworth, and all the towns in between!
Disclaimer
The information provided on or through this website is for educational and informational purposes only. This information is not a substitution for proper and personalized medical diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or trusted healthcare provider before making an adjustments or changes to your healthcare regimen. Natural medicine is not inherently harmless, and therefore it is important to speak with your healthcare providers for personalized medical advice.