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Is Leaky Gut really leaky?

Writer's picture: immunelineimmuneline

Updated: Apr 5, 2024

What Is Leaky gut (syndrome)?



Young women sick with Leaky Gut

Leaky gut became a popular and recognized term only few years ago. In a way, it came into limelight because a lot of patients started having symptoms and problems that did not fit into any existing disease or syndrome description.


These symptoms were similar and patients were connecting them to their diet or foods they eat. Almost all patients had gut dysfunction, so naturally people were seen by gastroenterologists. To add to enigma of the Leaky gut, even the endoscopy and biopsy of the gut was not giving the exact answer to the origin of the problem – the findings of non-specific inflammation were not binging up any specific diagnoses. The first to recognize this new syndrome were natural practitioners, and even they did not know for sure what was causing it.


Why the name “leaky gut”? indeed, one of the prominent changes that start other problems in the body is a disruption of the barrier that separates the inner body from the food that travels inside the intestines. In other words, the outside world together with food and drinks may become too close to unprotected internal system of the body. The breach of security, so to say, may then lead to immune system being overwhelmed and dysfunctional. Then toxins, pathogens and chemicals can easily enter our lymph and bloodstream and ruin the body. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6467570/ 

Laboratory analysis and imaging studies are usually of no help – most of them are normal or slightly abnormal, again shedding no light on the main cause.


One of the main problems associated with leaky gut was severe fatigue and autoimmune conditions. So many of these patients were seen by functional doctors and natural doctors, who found multiple tests and designed many effective treatments for this syndrome.

Another unique feature that is recognized by almost all patients is a negative response (even severe adverse effects) for any conventional medication offered to them in attempt to treat their multiple symptoms.


Causes


Gut inflammation scheme


What exactly happens in the gut that makes it leaky? The intestinal barrier is just like skin – both linings function to protect our body from the mechanical damage and harmful intrusions. On the other hand, they regulate the entry and leaving of certain fluids needed for our proper functioning – oils and sweat leaves the body through the skin, nutrients and water are absorbed into the body in the gut. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6790068/ 


The mechanism of food digestion is extremely complex and must function properly for us to get all the needed building blocks, vitamins and fluids. On top of the gut epithelium, there are two layers of mucus, the inner and outer layers, that cover the whole intestinal epithelial lining and provide physical protection to separate luminal microorganisms from the epithelium. Organized by its major component, a highly glycosylated gel-forming mucin MUC2, the mucus contains diverse molecules including IgA as well as enzymes and proteins, such as lactoferrin.


Any force that mechanically or chemically will disrupt the mucus and epithelial barrier of the gut will initiate the cascade that can be a start of an endless problem circle. Why would it not heal? Indeed, gut has fastest recovery time and regeneration. If the impact (let’s say you ate one strawberry covered in toxic pesticides and soaked with growth stimulants) is brief and in time and not very destructive, the gut self-heals while you sleep. The daily destruction of the cells producing mucin leads to exhausted repair mechanisms and inability to close defective area.


As we all know, in order to treat a disease well, one needs to know the cause of the problem. In the situation of the Leaky Gut, it seems that this syndrome can actually be an end point of a ‘series of unfortunate events”. Here are proposed reasons why leaky gut develops:

  1. Under-recognized food allergy and sensitivity

  2. Chemical damage from toxic substances used in food and agriculture industries

  3. Viral and bacterial infections that affect immune system

  4. CMV, Mononucleosis (kissing disease), flu, bacterial infection of the gut (E.Coli, shigella etc.), viral infection of the gut (hepatitis A, enterovirus, viral enterocolitis etc.)

  5. Immune abnormalities (IgA deficiency, mast cell activation, anti-thyroid antibodies)

  6. Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease

  7. Ulcerative colitis with multiple food allergy

  8. Severe stress or chronic stress, physical or emotional exhaustion https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33087757/ 

  9. Lifestyle – interrupted sleep pattern, unhealthy diet, substances abuse, and no exercise.

  10. Diet – predominance of fast food, pre-packaged, frozen and processed foods.


Risk Factors


Antibiotics can cause leaky gut

Risk factors of the Leaky gut have not been identified in research, but have been long suspected by the naturopathic practitioners and functional medicine. Everything that can damage cells can cause it:

  • Frequent or prolonged use of antibiotics

  • Alcohol and certain painkillers

  • Artificial food ingredients

  • Pesticides and herbicides used for grain growth

  • Exposure to heavy metals

  • Work in chemical industry

  • Fast food

  • Unhealthy habits

  • Absence of regular exercise

  • Stress and unhappiness

  • Genetic predisposition for autoimmune diseases


Symptoms


Here is a mystery of the Leaky gut – while the name clearly points to the intestines, almost every system in the body become affected. That poses a significant issue in setting up a right diagnosis. Later we will point just to a couple of diagnoses patients accumulate while searching for an answer to their misery. Although any symptom can come in the course of the Leaky Gut progression, there are still some complains that (when happening together) can point to Leaky Gut diagnosis:

  • Central nervous symptoms: “brain fog”, short term memory problems, concentration problems, irritability, uncontrolled anger, alternating anxiety/depression bouts, panic attacks. Peripheral neuropathy can present as tingles and numbness.

  • Gastrointestinal symptoms: Chronic diarrhea or constipation, Gas and bloating, Intense cravings for sugar and carbs

  • Skin problems: rashes, eczema, rosacea, molluscum contagiosum, acne, long healing of wounds, unusual skin infections, mouth ulcers

  • Autoimmune problems: Joint pain and arthritis, Thyroid conditions, Fibromyalgia

  • Systemic problems: chronic fatigue, chronic body pains, especially chronic low back pain, muscular weakness, absence of appetite, inability to sleep well

  • Urinary/reproductive: irritable bladder, interstitial cystitis, inability to conceive, miscarriages, impotence

  • Allergies and asthma: new onset of severe environmental allergy, bronchial spasm

  • Cardiac symptoms – arrhythmia, heart palpitations, blood pressure instability.

Vision problems

People who have leaky gut for a prolonged period of time have poor absorption of the minerals and vitamins. In addition to chronic inflammation these patients can develop vision problems that are caused by nutritional and allergy:

  • Allergic conjunctivitis

  • Blepharitis

  • Contact eyelid dermatitis

  • Cataract

  • Dry eye syndrome

  • Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)


Recently, low-grade inflammation, sustained by dysbiosis and a leaky gut, has been shown to contribute to the development of AMD. Given the ascertained influence of the gut microbiota in systemic low-grade inflammation and its potential modulation by macro- and micro-nutrients, a potential role of diet in AMD has been proposed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6267253/ 


Complications of leaky gut can be numerous, but surprisingly the worst is an adverse reaction to medications that can lead to severe problems in the body.

Many patients are completely unsatisfied and angry with the conventional healthcare. They continue searching for an explanation of their condition that, in a way can be described as “falling apart”. People develop fear of dying from some sort of enigmatic disease that conventional medicine fails to recognize.

 



Cartoon showing reasons for leaky gut



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