If you google search the term “Leaky Gut”, you will find an endless number of blogs bringing awareness to the health concern and advising what you should do about it, alongside a smattering of articles debunking its validity and explaining that it doesn’t exist. I see two problems with these articles.
The first is just a nuance related to nomenclature and vocabulary: “Leaky Gut” is just the layperson term to describe “increased intestinal permeability”. Increased intestinal permeability is a well-documented phenomena that occurs when the cells lining the digestive tract become less tightly bound to one another and this gap allows larger molecules to pass through. Often these molecules can trigger an unwanted immune response. Moreover, lots of evidence exists to show that increased intestinal permeability occurs with various infections, as a result of medication usage or simply due to poor diet. So, the actual debate should not be about whether it exists but rather if it is clinically useful to guide treatments, diets or testing recommendations.
The second problem is that, in many cases, the digestive concerns are not because of leaky gut. If you start searching for answers online, chances are someone is going to tell you that you have leaky gut and that is what needs to be addressed to fix your symptoms.
It would be more accurate to say that leaky gut is a symptom, sign or side effect of a digestive problem rather than the problem itself. Fixing the underlying problem may fix the leaky gut – not the other way around.
There are many reasons why your digestion could be irregular or “off”. Here are some common examples, written in an oversimplified and non-medical manner to illustrate my point that different underlying causes require different solutions:
- Heartburn: This can be as a result of too much acid, not enough acid or a poor esophageal closure as it enters the stomach. Soothing herbs, acid-blockers and
- Too much bad bacteria: in this case, you may need antibiotics or antimicrobials to kill off the bad bugs
- Not enough good bacteria: in this case, you may need prebiotics (more fibre!) and probiotics (supplements or foods such as kefir, yogurt and kombucha)
- Food sensitivities or allergies: eliminating specific foods may be the key toward stopping your gas, bloating or irritable bowel syndrome. It may be because you can’t breakdown the sugar or because your immune system reacts to the protein/peptide component in the same food.
- Lack of digestive enzymes: either supplemental enzymes (or bitter herbs/foods to stimulate the body’s own enzymes) are needed to help break down the foods once they hit the stomach.
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO): not only do you have to kill off the bacteria located in the upper intestines, but you need to get the bowels moving again, as SIBO is largely a result of sluggish bowels.
This is a non-inclusive list, but hopefully it illustrates my point: these circumstances may all present with overlapping symptoms but it does mean you need to treat your “leaky gut”, despite what the internet tells you! In the end, dealing with a qualified and well-experienced practitioner to help guide you through your symptoms and possible treatments may help to improve your gut health sooner. Ideally, targeted lab testing is best to determine the underlying issue first before treating, although even most lab tests have downfalls. To learn more, read about the GI360 lab test by Doctors Data that Sprout Wellness offers.
In Health,
Dr Colin O’Brien, ND
Leave a Reply