Leaky Gut
Is it the cause of disease or the result of it?
Leaky gut (scientific name: increased intestinal permeability) means that the lining of your intestines becomes more porous than it should be.
Normally, your intestinal wall acts like a very selective gate — it lets nutrients into your bloodstream but keeps out harmful things like toxins, bacteria, and undigested food particles. The wall is made up of cells tightly joined together by structures called tight junctions.
When someone has “leaky gut,” those tight junctions loosen. This allows unwanted substances to “leak” into the bloodstream. Once there, they can trigger inflammation and possibly even immune system reactions — which some scientists believe might contribute to problems like allergies, autoimmune diseases, brain fog, and chronic fatigue.
Causes of leaky gut might include:
- Chronic stress
- Poor diet (especially lots of sugar, alcohol, processed foods)
- Infections (like bacterial overgrowth)
- Certain medications (like NSAIDs or antibiotics)
- Chronic diseases (like celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease)
However, it’s important to know: while leaky gut is a real biological process, it’s still a bit controversial. Some doctors believe it causes diseases; others think it’s just a symptom of diseases, not the root cause.
#Probiotics Chronic Diseases #Leaky Gut #Tight Junction