This blog was written by Chelsea, our on-staff Holistic Nutritionist! Book sessions with Chelsea over on our registration site at https://reconline.yorkulions.ca/
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Fatigue is one of those symptoms that doesn't obviously relate back to the gut, like bloating or IBS symptoms would. Yet it's one of the more common symptoms my clients and community struggle with daily.
Fatigue is a massive complaint among so many, even when “I’m doing everything right”.
There are MANY things that can contribute to fatigue.
Here are a few:
· Epstein Barr virus
· poor sleep
· low B12 and low iron
· low protein intake
· a lack of exercise
· imbalanced blood sugar levels
· metabolic dysfunction
· hormonal imbalances
· imbalanced circadian rhythm
· inflammatory conditions
Today, however, we're going to dive into 5 different ways that your gut might be contributing to your low energy levels and contributing to your fatigue.
1. Low Stomach Acid
Low stomach acid levels (aka hypochlorhydria) can contribute to feeling fatigue and low energy for a couple of reasons.
One reason is that stomach acid is required for the release of something called intrinsic factors. This is released from the parietal cells that make up our stomach lining. The intrinsic factor acts as a chauffeur for vitamin B12, which is absorbed in the last part of the small intestine (the ileum).
B12 is required for energy production in the body (one of the first signs of a B12 deficiency is fatigue!). Without stomach acid, intrinsic factors can’t "carry" B12 to the location where it's absorbed in the small intestine, which could lead to B12 deficiency, and therefore, low energy levels.
Another reason is that stomach acid is required for the conversion of an enzyme that is required for protein breakdown (pepsinogen to pepsin). When proteins are broken down into their simplest parts — we are left with amino acids.
Certain amino acids are an important part of energy production in the body. If you aren't breaking down proteins adequately and aren't able to absorb enough amino acids and we can start to see energy levels suffer. Remember, you aren’t what you eat. You are what you absorb.
2. Intestinal permeability (aka "leaky gut")
When intestinal permeability increases, there is a less stable barrier between the contents of your intestine and your bloodstream. This means particles of undigested food or toxic metabolites from pathogenic ("bad") bacteria can enter the bloodstream — which the immune system recognizes as foreign and as something threatening.
As the immune system does not recognize these substances, it kicks into gear and can lead to inflammation in the gut, as well as systemically.
Chronic inflammation can keep the body in its stress response (our fight-or-flight mode), which can lead to fatigue over time.
3. Parasites
Parasites are organisms that live on, or within a host, and get their nourishment (or food!) at the expense of the host (us!). Basically, these bugs can set up shop inside of us, depriving us of important nutrients.
Some major clues that could point to parasites are things like low iron, food cravings, disturbed or poor sleep, etc.
If we are low in nutrients due to parasites, the malabsorption of various nutrients required to produce energy might be unavailable, leaving us tired.
Low iron levels, specifically, can contribute to fatigue. Iron is required by all our cells to produce something called hemoglobin, so they can carry oxygen. Without enough of this, we can start to experience fatigue.
Likewise, disturbed sleep due to parasites can absolutely contribute to low energy and fatigue over time.
Stomach acid is your body's primary line of defense against parasites, so it's important to keep digestion healthy to prevent future infestations!
4. Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis is when there is an imbalance in the gut microbiome — specifically, if there are too few "beneficial" microorganisms, or too many "pathogenic" or "bad" microorganisms, compared to our beneficial bugs. Ideally, we want a healthy ratio of "good" to "bad" bugs, where we have more of the beneficial bacteria, which provide us, as the host, with a variety of health benefits.
Imbalances in this ratio can cause several different issues that can contribute to fatigue. Dysbiosis can contribute to a leaky gut (see above), degrade the mucosal layer, contribute to inflammation, and send our GI immune system into overdrive.
This chemical stress on the body can lead to fatigue, as it chronically fights this infection, and experiences chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammation impacts our cells' energy availability, which can lead to low energy!). Bringing the gut microbiome back to balance through nutrition, and potentially seeking help from a professional to get a better idea of what specifically is imbalanced, can help resolve this.
5. Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities involve IgG or IgM antibodies (it is immune-mediated) and can take up to three days to cause a reaction after eating the food eaten. Reactions often include symptoms that are not obviously related to digestion, like headaches, joint pain, skin issues, and fatigue.
Food sensitivities can contribute to inflammation systemically. As mentioned above, Inflammation is a stressor on the body and can initiate the stress response. Low-grade, chronic inflammation due to food sensitivities can lead to fatigue because your body will be continuously initiating the stress response, and secreting cortisol, which can eventually lead to fatigue and low energy.
If you're struggling with low energy, or even more chronic fatigue, and haven't been able to get to the bottom of it — it could warrant looking into your gut to see if it's at the root!
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