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Understanding Leaky Gut Syndrome

There are several medical diagnoses that might politely be called controversial. Candida (yeast) overgrowth syndrome is one of these, but others include hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), chronic Lyme disease, and multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome. To this day, far too many doctors disbelieve the existence of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Leaky gut syndrome is another of these. I’d never heard of it in medical school or residency training, and when I asked the gastroenterologists I know professionally, they usually responded with something like “I read about it somewhere” and end it at that.

Leaky gut was first described in a South African medical journal and most of the articles about it come out of the UK.

In leaky gut, a trigger substance damages the lining of the small intestine, where most of our food is absorbed. As a result, excessively large molecules (macromolecules) from food “leak” through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream.

The immune system, always on the alert for invaders (like viruses or bacteria), reads these macromolecules as “the enemy” and creates antibodies to destroy them. The antibodies attach to the macromolecules, producing something called an antigen-antibody complex. This now quite-bulky complex lands in certain susceptible parts of the body and causes trouble. Deposited in the skin, you can get a rash like eczema; in your respiratory tract, sinus problems or even asthma; in your joints, pain and swelling. Plus a variety of general symptoms can occur, including fatigue, brain fog, chronic digestive issues, and weight gain from fluid retention.

The single most common trigger is an irritating food. Let’s say you’re sensitive to wheat. Every time you eat a wheat product, it irritates the lining of your intestine, leaks through, creates more antigen-antibody complexes, and as a consequence, more symptoms. Give up wheat for a week or so and you realize you’re feeling better. Other common trigger foods are dairy, egg, corn, soy, citrus, and various food additives and preservatives. Non-food triggers include alcohol, NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen, intestinal parasites, and candida.

If you suspect you have leaky gut syndrome, understand the problem is easily fixed once you identify your trigger. When you’re not busy irritating it, your intestinal lining is one of the fastest healing parts of your body.

In our next health tip: diagnosing and repairing your leaky gut.

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