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Intestinal Permeability

Leaky Gut Syndrome, the Cause of Inflammation.

Mar 30, 2009 Kristin Collins

Leaky Gut Syndrome is a term which refers to a compromised small intestinal wall which can cause an array of health problems.

If you have one of the following conditions, you may have a problem with the permeability of your small intestine:

Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Crohn's Disease
Irritable Bowel Disease
Coeliac Disease
Autism
Ulcerative Colitis
Malnutrition/Mal-absorption
Inflammatory Joint Disease
Food Allergies and Sensitivities

What is Intestinal Permeability?

The small intestine has the function of digestion, absorption and acts as a barrier to the absorption of toxic compounds and macromolecules.

To put it simply, there are some things that the intestine can absorb and things that it cannot and should not. This is where the leaky gut syndrome comes into play.

If your gut is compromised and letting through macromolecules or toxic compounds then this will cause a number of problems and symptoms.

What Causes a Compromised Permeability (Leaky Gut Syndrome)?

The intestine is subjected to a number of insults daily from things such as caffeine, alcohol, medicines and chemicals, stress and certain foods.

How Does a Leaky Gut Occur?

The leaky gut syndrome occurs as a result of these factors on the wall of the intestine. Between each cell in the wall of the intestine is a gap that allows certain substances through.

If this gap is larger then it should be, then the result is, substances such as toxic chemicals and undigested foods pass through the wall. The body's immune system then has to cope with the invasion of unwanted substances.

What Does a Leaky Gut Cause?

A leaky gut can cause any of the above mentioned conditions such as Crohn's disease, IBS and food allergies. When the body receives these undigested foods and toxic chemicals, it has to respond to the foreign body. The immune system is activated because the body accepts the substance as foreign and tries to rid the body of it's presence.

This is why a Leaky Gut causes an inflammatory response, it's the body's way of trying to get rid of the foreign body.

How Do I Get Tested?

Testing is easy and can be done at home. Your health practitioner will give you a test request form that you send off to the test kit supplier. The supplier will then send you a test kit that you may do in the privacy of your own home.

To test for intestinal permeability (Leaky Gut) it is as simple as drinking some fluid and catching the urine output. The fluid contains two sugars, mannitol and lactulose. Lactulose is only slightly absorbed, so if the test shows high amounts of lactulose, then you may have leaky gut syndrome.

Mannitol is readily absorbed and normal amounts should be seen. However, if there are low amounts of Mannitol, then this could indicate malabsorption

What Can I Do to Reverse the Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Factors that could be causing the increased permeability should be eliminated such as coffee or alcohol or offending substances. This could be a simple dietary change.

There are also supplements that you can take to help reverse this condition. A leaky gut syndrome may indicate some nutritional deficiencies such as amino acids and certain vitamins. Malabsorption may need a course of Probiotics.

If you think you may have Leaky Gut Syndrome, consult your health practitioner for more information. For more information on tests, click here.

The copyright of the article Intestinal Permeability in General Medicine is owned by Kristin Collins. Permission to republish Intestinal Permeability in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.