Leaky gut syndrome is a condition where the intestinal lining is more permeable than normal, possibly leading to a variety of health issues including allergies.<\/p>\n

A healthy intestinal lining allows nutrients and minerals to pass from the intestine into the bloodstream.\u00a0 This is how we absorb energy and required nutrients from digested food.\u00a0 The wall of the intestine is like a filter, allowing smaller molecules to pass through but preventing ‘macro-molecules’ from passing through.\u00a0 One could describe it as a ‘somewhat leaky barrier’ – which is a good thing.\u00a0 However, if it becomes too leaky, it can allow larger than normal particles to pass thorough, such as undigested food particles, toxins, pathogens etc.While an overly leaky gut is recognized by medical science, the potential results (allergies, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease etc.) are not universally recognized as the results of this condition.<\/p>\n

The goal of this website it to provide information that helps you to feel better, especially if you suffer from an allergy. Because leaky gut syndrome may cause allergies and\/or make them worse, this article assumes that leaky gut syndrome can cause allergies and other deterioration in our health. I suggest that you also look at other potential causes because leaky gut may turn out to be less important than some scientists hypothesize, and because there is likely many factors that cause allergies and make them worse.<\/div>\n

The intestine is made of cells that seal to one another in a “tight junction” arrangement.\u00a0 Villi at the tips of these cells absorb desired nutrients into the bloodstream, and the tight junctions keep everything else out.<\/p>\n

You can think of leaky gut syndrome as some of the tight junctions becoming loose.\u00a0 Tiny gaps between cells allow unfiltered molecules and tiny particles of undigested food, yeast, bacteria etc into the bloodstream.<\/p>\n

While little is actually known about this process, it is assumed that these foreign objects in the bloodstream trigger the immune system to attack them, and in the process causing a whole host of problems for the body, including:<\/p>\n

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)<\/li>\n
Inflammatory bowel disease<\/li>\n
Type 1 diabetes<\/li>\n
Allergies (e.g. wheat allergy, gluten allergy)<\/li>\n
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)<\/li>\n
Asthma<\/li>\n
Atopic eczema<\/li>\n
Autism<\/li>\n
Acne<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This wide range of symptoms, which could easily be caused by so many other factors, makes leaky gut syndrome hard to diagnose.<\/p>\n
Leaky Gut Syndrome and Autism<\/h2>\n
According to a study by the Second University of Naples, 36.7% of patients with autism have higher than normal intestinal permeability (IPT, or leaky gut syndrome) compared to those without autism and who are not relatives of someone with autism.\u00a0 In the later case, 4.8% of subjects had a “leakier gut” than normal.\u00a0 21% of close relatives to people with autism had a leaky gut.\u00a0 It is worth taking a second look at causes and symptoms if you know any autistic people.\u00a0 One can imagine that if you feed the whole family poorly or expose them to toxins, the chances are some will have a leaky gut, and some of those may become autistic.<\/p>\n
The same study noted that autistics on a reported gluten-casein-free diet had “significantly lower” leak factor in their gut than those on an unrestricted diet.\u00a0 The study concludes that for autistics with high gut permeability values, a gluten-free diet will likely be helpful.<\/p>\n
Leaky Gut Syndrome Causes<\/h2>\n
Leaky gut syndrome may<\/em> be caused by the following, although there is probably not enough research to confirm this list, and it may not be complete:<\/p>\n