Leaky Gut Syndrome?
The health community is littered with fads and well-intentioned but often-harmful gimmicks like kombucha and the paleo diet. Curiously, though, there may be truth to leaky gut syndrome – a collection of digestive symptoms including gas and bloating, cramps and food sensitivities.
Wait a second. Doesn’t that sound like Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Well here’s the thing: your gut has a powerful, albeit mysterious effect on your well-being and quality of life. It’s so powerful in fact that it’s been called ‘your surrogate brain’ by Dr. Steven Lamm of The View. It’s the biggest organ of your immune system – and it’s clouded in too many unknowns to address leaky gut effectively.
We know it exists. But we don’t know enough leaky gut syndrome for diagnosis or a cure at this time.
Wait a second. Doesn’t that sound like Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Well here’s the thing: your gut has a powerful, albeit mysterious effect on your well-being and quality of life. It’s so powerful in fact that it’s been called ‘your surrogate brain’ by Dr. Steven Lamm of The View. It’s the biggest organ of your immune system – and it’s clouded in too many unknowns to address leaky gut effectively.
We know it exists. But we don’t know enough leaky gut syndrome for diagnosis or a cure at this time.
What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Leaky gut syndrome is a collection of symptoms linked to bad digestion. Our current understanding suggests it’s caused by intestinal permeability. That’s when tight junctions in your gut, which filter the molecules that pass through the small intestine don’t work properly. Molecules can pass from your intestine into you bloodstream when this happens. Hence the name, ‘leaky gut syndrome’.
This is a similar issue faced by people with Crohn’s and Celiac disease. But we don’t know what causes leaky gut or the ailments linked to it. Nor do we know if someone without Crohn’s or Celiac disease would get leaky gut syndrome in the first place – or when leaky gut syndrome would affect someone without certain types of drugs, radiation therapy or food allergies.
Leaky gut syndrome symptoms are not unique either. They’re shared with other gut-related ailments like IBS. Tests for leaky gut often fail to identify the cause of the problem, which can leave patients with leaky gut symptoms without a diagnosis or treatment.
And yet your concerns about leaky gut syndrome may be credible – especially if you have a history of Crohn’s or Celiac disease.
This is a similar issue faced by people with Crohn’s and Celiac disease. But we don’t know what causes leaky gut or the ailments linked to it. Nor do we know if someone without Crohn’s or Celiac disease would get leaky gut syndrome in the first place – or when leaky gut syndrome would affect someone without certain types of drugs, radiation therapy or food allergies.
Leaky gut syndrome symptoms are not unique either. They’re shared with other gut-related ailments like IBS. Tests for leaky gut often fail to identify the cause of the problem, which can leave patients with leaky gut symptoms without a diagnosis or treatment.
And yet your concerns about leaky gut syndrome may be credible – especially if you have a history of Crohn’s or Celiac disease.
