Lipopolysaccharides: The Long Word Behind YourInflammation

By: Talia Sessel, APRN, FNP-C

Why gut barrier integrity may be the foundational marker your health optimization plan is

missing.

Lipopolysaccharides, LPS for short, aren’t a term most patients have heard of. But if

you’ve been dealing with unexplained inflammation, brain fog, or fatigue that no one can

quite pin down, this molecule may be more relevant to your case than you’d expect.

What LPS Actually Is

LPS comes from the outer membrane of certain gut bacteria. When your body breaks that

bacteria down, LPS is released into your system. Normally, a healthy gut lining keeps it

contained where it belongs.

The problem starts when the gut barrier is compromised, what’s commonly referred to as

“leaky gut” or gut barrier dysfunction. When that barrier isn’t intact, LPS leaks out into

general circulation. Your immune system recognizes it as a threat, tags it, and mounts an

inflammatory response.

In small amounts, your body can handle this without issue. But as LPS accumulates, it starts

to create real problems.

What LPS Accumulation Has Been Linked To

Research has connected elevated circulating LPS to several chronic issues, including:

• Brain fog

• Chronic fatigue

• Insulin resistance

• Broader metabolic dysfunction

This isn’t a rare or fringe issue, actually an estimated 60–70% of people have some degree of gut barrier dysfunction contributing to it. That statistic alone is why gut support isn’t a wellness add-on. It’s foundational to a lot of other markers of health.

Why This Matters If You “Feel Off”

If your sleep, routine, and habits all seem reasonable but you still don’t feel like yourself, it

might not be something obvious. It might be that your gut is quietly working against you

driving low-grade inflammation that shows up as fatigue, fog, or metabolic resistance

elsewhere in the body. That’s why getting the foundational levels right matters so much before layering on other interventions.

Our Approach at Etanah

At Etanah, the goal isn’t to manage symptoms individually, it’s to address the root

problem. When gut barrier integrity is part of the picture, that means looking at LPS and

inflammatory markers as part of a broader diagnostic strategy, not treating fatigue, brain

fog, or metabolic symptoms as separate, unrelated issues.

Source: Zeuthen LH, Douglas, et al. “Role of Lipopolysaccharide Cell Signaling in Chronic

[Inflammation].” Thousand Oaks, 2022 Feb.

If you’ve been feeling off and can’t pinpoint why, it might start in the gut. Schedule a

consultation to talk through a root-cause approach to your symptoms.