An increasing number of Americans are experiencing the results of choosing a poor diet, toxic overload, chronic stress, and bacterial imbalance (microbiome). Now the prevalence of leaky gut has increased to levels that are epidemic. However, conventional western medicine is just now beginning to acknowledge the condition despite the fact that “intestinal permeability” has been discussed in the medical literature for more than 100 years.
Why is this important? Because a leaky gut is a red flag that you may have or develop an autoimmune disease.
What is leaky gut syndrome?
Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Over 2,000 years later, scientific research has proven that he was prescient in his assessment.
For over 30 years, several thousand studies have been published to date that discuss the growing field of knowledge about immunity, gut function, and how modern diets and lifestyles negatively contribute to overall health by damaging the digestive system. In medical literature, leaky gut is also referred to as “increased intestinal hyperpermeability.”
What happens when you have leaky gut?
The intestines are protected by a single layer of specialized epithelial cells that are linked together by tight junction (or TJ) proteins. Leaky gut symptoms are a consequence of intestinal TJ malfunction.
These TJ proteins are the protection between your intestines and your bloodstream. They control what passes into the bloodstream from your digestive system. Scientists have identified over 40 TJ proteins that play a key role in intestinal health.
TJ proteins perform precise work. They maintain the delicate balance between allowing nutrients to enter your bloodstream while preventing xenobiotics (disease-causing substances like toxins and bacteria) from passing out of your digestive system into the rest of your body.
In essence, the intestinal epithelial lining acts as a barrier that separates your body from harmful substances passing through your gut. In pathologic conditions, the permeability of the epithelial lining may be compromised allowing the passage of toxins, antigens, and bacteria in the lumen to enter the bloodstream creating a “leaky gut.”
Symptoms of leaky gut
The chronic condition of hyperpermeability may be linked to numerous symptoms and health conditions, including some autoimmune diseases. Some of the most prominent symptoms of this condition include:
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis)
- Small intestine bacterial overgrowth
- Celiac disease
- Esophageal and colorectal cancer
- Gastric ulcers
- Joint pain
- Infectious diarrhea
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Allergies
- Respiratory infections
- Acute inflammation conditions (sepsis, SIRS, multiple organ failure)
- Chronic inflammatory conditions (such as arthritis)
- Thyroid disorders
- Obesity-related metabolic diseases (fatty liver, type II diabetes, heart disease)
- Autoimmune diseases (such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes, Hashimoto’s and more)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Propensity toward weight gain or obesity
While leaky gut may not directly cause other conditions, people with leaky gut are more inclined to have a number of other health problems. The scientific evidence shows a strong correlation between increased hyperpermeability and other dysfunctions that occur simultaneously.
These other problems can develop due to gut dysfunction:
1. Inflammatory bowel disease
In 2012, scientists in Hungary found that elevated gut permeability is frequently localized to the colon in people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis. For 30 years, scientists have suggested that Crohn’s disease may be more of a risk for people with leaky gut.
A small study (observing 12 patients) found that zinc supplementation may help resolve the TJ dysfunction in these cases, although more research is needed, especially on a larger scale.
2. Food sensitivities
Some research suggests that intestinal hyperpermeability can cause the immune system to overproduce various antibodies, which may make some more susceptible to antigens in certain foods (especially gluten and dairy). In studies involving rats and human children, leaky gut and food allergies have been linked. Allergies are believed to be one of the most common symptoms.
3. Autoimmune disease
The key to understanding how leaky gut can cause autoimmune diseases is through research done on a protein called zonulin. Zonulin is involved in maintaining intercellular tight junctions and immune response balance. When the zonulin pathway is out of balance, intestinal autoimmune, neoplastic, and inflammatory disorders may occur.
Eating certain food allergens may trigger a harmful cascade. University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers found that gluten “activates zonulin signaling irrespective of the genetic expression of autoimmunity, leading to increased intestinal permeability to macromolecules.”
4. Nutrient malabsorption
Nutritional deficiencies may result from leaky gut, including vitamin B12, magnesium, and digestive enzymes. Those common nutrient deficiencies are one reason why many functional medicine practitioners prescribe whole-food multivitamins in addition to probiotics for people suffering from this condition.
5. Thyroid problems
One of the autoimmune diseases that leaky gut syndrome may directly affect is Hashimoto’s disease. Also known as “chronic thyroiditis,” this disorder frequently occurs with hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), impaired metabolism, fatigue, depression, weight gain and a host of other concerns.
6. Inflammatory skin conditions
The “gut-skin connection theory” describes how increased intestinal hyperpermeability can cause a slew of skin conditions, particularly acne and psoriasis. Creams and drugs with endless lists of (sometimes dangerous) side effects are often prescribed for these skin disorders. However, you may have more success by addressing a leaky gut first.
7. Mood issues and autism
Some studies show that intestinal permeability may contribute to various neurocognitive disorders. For example, the inflammatory response characteristic of intestinal hyperpermeability triggers the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other chemicals that may induce depression.
The authors of a study published in Nutritional Neuroscience said, “the vicious circle between immune system impairment and increasing dysbiosis that leads to leaky gut and neurochemical compounds and/or neurotoxic xenobiotics production and absorption.”
The authors also describe findings in other studies that suggest their theory that autism is linked to an imbalanced microbiome is correct.
Causes of leaky gut
Leaky gut occurs when certain tiny particles that are typically prevented from entering the bloodstream pass through larger openings in the gut lining due to dysfunction. There may also be abnormalities due to antimicrobial molecules, immunoglobulins and cytokine activities. Since most of your immune system is found inside your gut, this can cause significant problems.
The result may be autoimmune reactions and acute inflammation. Your immune response over-performs, leading to chronic inflammation that is the root of many diseases.
Some of the underlying causes of leaky gut include:
- Chronic stress
- Toxin overload
- Bacterial imbalance
- Genetic predisposition
- Poor diet
How to treat leaky gut
Treating a leaky gut means making several changes to diet and lifestyle. These include:
- Remove foods and factors that damage the gut.
- Replace these with healing foods that a part of an anti-inflammatory diet.
- Repair the gut with specific leaky gut supplements like butyric acid.
- Rebalance your microbiome with probiotics. This is crucial because bacteria in your microbiome are a major component of the intestinal barrier.
If you are experiencing gastrointestinal issues, begin by removing processed foods including those with added sugar, GMOs, refined oils, synthetic additives, and conventional dairy products.
A healing diet includes foods such as:
Fermented vegetables and other probiotics foods. Probiotics may help reverse leaky gut by enhancing the production of tight junction proteins that defend against intestinal permeability.
- Coconut products
- Sprouted seeds (like chia seeds, flaxseeds and hemp seeds)
- Bone broth
- Raw cultured dairy (like kefir, yogurt, amasai, butter and raw cheeses)
- Foods with omega-3 fatty acids, especially salmon and other wild-caught fish
- Herbs and spices
- Other nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods, like grass-fed beef, lamb, other fresh veggies, most fruits, apple cider vinegar, sea veggies and other superfoods
Final thoughts
Intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut syndrome, is caused
Leaky gut syndrome, also called intestinal permeability, is caused by a malfunction in the intestinal tight junctions in the digestive tract. When this occurs, inflammatory immune responses can occur resulting in many health problems.
Although no causal relationships have yet been firmly established, scientists suggest that it is linked to conditions including digestive disorders, depression, autism, celiac disease, joint pain, skin inflammation, autoimmune disease, and more.
Treat a leaky gut by removing foods and factors that damage the gut and replacing these with healing foods. In addition, repair the gut with specific supplements like butyric acid, and rebalance your microbiome with probiotics.