July 29, 2025
If you feel bloated, foggy, or tired and conventional doctors tell you everything looks “normal,” you’re not alone. Many of our guests (we call our patients guests) arrive at Hotze Health & Wellness Center with symptoms no one has been able to explain. A common question we help guests answer is this: What exactly is leaky gut, and why does it matter?
Leaky gut, known medically as increased intestinal permeability, is a condition where the lining of your small intestine becomes compromised. When this happens, particles like toxins, microbes, and undigested food proteins can escape into your bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation and immune responses.
Your small intestine is lined with cells that form tight junctions. These act like a security system, letting nutrients in and keeping harmful substances out. When inflammation, infections, or certain medications disrupt these junctions, the barrier becomes too permeable.
This breakdown can allow foreign particles to enter your bloodstream, confusing your immune system and leading to widespread symptoms that often feel disconnected but are deeply linked to gut health.
Many triggers can contribute to a leaky gut. One of the most well-documented is gluten. Research shows that gluten can increase zonulin production, a protein that regulates tight junctions in the intestinal lining. When zonulin is elevated, the gut barrier becomes more permeable, regardless of whether someone has celiac disease. This means that gluten can contribute to leaky gut in everyone, not just in those with diagnosed gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Because of this, gluten is one of the first foods we recommend removing.
In addition to gluten, other factors may contribute to damage over time:
Once the gut barrier is compromised, inflammation tends to spread. This can manifest in ways that seem unrelated to digestion:
At our center, we see how guests experience profound relief once we begin supporting gut integrity and addressing root causes.
Symptoms of leaky gut often mimic other conditions, which is why it’s commonly overlooked. Here are five signs that may indicate your gut barrier is compromised:
If you recognize these signs and haven’t found answers elsewhere, your gut health may be the missing link. You might notice:
If you’ve been told it’s “just your age” or “nothing is wrong,” but your body says otherwise, leaky gut may be the missing link.
Did you know 70% of your immune system resides in your gut?
When your intestinal lining is intact, it trains your immune cells to tolerate good bacteria and neutralize pathogens. But when that barrier leaks, your immune system may react to everything—even the food you eat—resulting in a heightened, chronic inflammatory response.
This chronic inflammation may contribute to other imbalances. Over time, it can drain your energy, impair focus, and interfere with your hormone system.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, there is hope. Many of our guests experience noticeable improvements when we take a step-by-step approach tailored to their needs. We focus on removing triggers, restoring nutrients, and rebuilding the gut’s natural defenses.
Eliminate common triggers like sugar, alcohol, gluten, and processed foods. Many of our guests benefit from a yeast-free eating plan as a first step. It’s one of the cornerstones of our nutritional philosophy.
Certain nutrients are known to help maintain gut integrity:
We customize supplementation based on guests’ history and symptoms.
Good bacteria support digestion, immune balance, and gut lining health. We encourage our guests to consume high-quality probiotics and fermented foods.
One of our favorite tools? Our healthy probiotic yogurt recipe. It’s easy to make at home and gives your gut a daily dose of beneficial bacteria. Click HERE for the recipe.
High cortisol damages the gut barrier. That’s why we teach stress-reduction strategies like deep breathing, prayer, journaling, and walking in nature. Addressing adrenal fatigue is also a priority in our programs.
You may need support with enzymes or bile flow, especially if you’ve had your gallbladder removed or take acid blockers. We evaluate digestive function and supplement accordingly.
At Hotze Health & Wellness Center, we don’t rely solely on lab testing to evaluate gut health. Instead of looking only at blood work, we focus primarily on your history and symptoms. Your story matters. We take the time to understand your lifestyle, stressors, diet, and how your symptoms developed.
This helps us uncover patterns that traditional labs often overlook. While stool analysis or food sensitivity panels may be used in select cases, our foundation is built on listening and treating the whole person.
We don’t just treat test results—we treat you.
Gut health is the starting point for nearly every guest we serve. Whether you’re struggling with fatigue, allergies, weight gain, or skin issues, we always ask, “How’s your gut?”
We’ve found that when we restore gut integrity, many other symptoms begin to shift. It’s not about masking problems—it’s about removing the root irritants and supporting the body’s God-given ability to heal.
You don’t need another prescription. You need someone to listen, uncover the cause, and help your body regain balance.
If you’ve been told there’s nothing wrong but still don’t feel well, we’d love to hear your story. Many of our guests come to us after years of unanswered questions. They find relief when we finally address what others missed.
📞 Schedule your complimentary wellness consultation or call 281-698-8698.
Let’s uncover what your gut is trying to tell you.
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Since 1989, Hotze Health & Wellness Center has helped over 33,000 patients get their lives back using bioidentical hormones that restore hormones to optimal levels, strengthen immune systems, and increase energy levels. Our treatment regimen addresses the root cause of hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, allergies, and candida.
Led by best-selling author, radio host and leading natural health expert, Steven F. Hotze, M.D., our medical team has over 100 years’ combined medical experience backed by a staff of nearly 100 caring professionals who provide an environment of hope and extraordinary hospitality for each of our patients, who we call our guests. It is our deepest desire to help you obtain and maintain health and wellness naturally so that you may enjoy a better quality of life, pure and simple.
Do you want to live a healthy, happy, purpose-driven life? Do you want to restore your health so that your loss of energy, weight gain, joint pain, depression and lack of drive or motivation won’t hold you back from achieving your personal and professional goals?
Dr. Steven Hotze wants that for you, too. In fact, in his powerful and passionate video entitled, “What I Believe”, Dr. Hotze shares how his Christian worldview and pivotal experiences have ignited a deep desire to offer the message of hope and optimal health to all who need to hear it.
At Hotze Health & Wellness Center, our doctors are changing the way women and men are treated through the use of bioidentical hormones. Our natural treatments have helped over 33,000 individuals with hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, allergies, candida, detoxification and nutritional deficiencies.
Meet our doctors"At 36, I felt like I was 90 – exhausted, depressed, and cold all the time, and now I have a life of energy, focus, restored libido, and a renewed desire to be present with my family!”
Holistic, functional medicine doctors in Houston, Texas specializing in bioidentical hormones, hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, allergies and LDI treatment, candida, detoxification, nutritional deficiencies, longevity and aesthetics.
© Braidwood Management, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information on this website is provided for educational purposes only, and does not constitute any medical advice. By using this website you fully waive all legal claims based on any information contained herein, and fully agree to this disclaimer.
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