What is Leaky Gut?

The term leaky gut has gained some popularity lately, so let’s talk about what it really means…

Under normal and healthy circumstances, the intestinal lining is selectively permeable. Specialized pores in the intestinal epithelium and tight junctions between cells allow for specific molecules to pass through from the intestine to the bloodstream. When tight junctions are not tight enough, larger particles are able to leak through the intestinal lining, creating a “leaky gut”. These leaked pathogens and particles would normally stay inside the gut lumen and not cause much trouble, but in the presence of increased intestinal permeability they have access to the entire body via the bloodstream. Immune cells in the rest of the body mount an inflammatory response to such particles because they are recognized as foreign and dangerous.

Increased intestinal permeability has been linked to a number of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), mood disorders, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. (Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list of conditions that have been associated with gut health and function.)

So, we are left with the question: what comes first, leaky gut or chronic disease? While there are several diseases that do cause leaky gut, most of the research to date seems to indicate that leaky gut is more often a factor in the development of disease. If we can help keep our gut “leak-free”, we may be able to prevent further complications.

Referrences

1. Di Tommaso N, Gasbarrini A, Ponziani FR. Intestinal Barrier in Human Health and Disease. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23):12836. doi:10.3390/ijerph182312836

2. Abdelhamid L, Luo X. Retinoic Acid, Leaky Gut, and Autoimmune Diseases. Nutrients. 2018;10(8):1016. doi:10.3390/nu10081016