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By Anil Minocha MD, author of Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
Gut has to perform multiple complex functions including digestion, absorption and fighting off harmful stimuli. A single layer of cells separates the body from trillions of bacteria and other potentially harmful substances in the intestinal lumen. Intestinal is a semipermeable barrier that allows for absorption of nutrients while wards of harmful stimuli. This gut barrier is complex, and is size and charge specific.
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
The intestinal barrier is not fixed, rather it is dynamic anatomic and functional structure and keeps adjusting itself and its permeability based on circumstances.
Composition of intestinal barrier
The intestinal barrier is made up of variouys components, wherein Tight Junctions play a sentinel role of sealing the gaps between the intestinal cells. Tight junctions contain various proteins regulated by zonulin that allows for opening and closing of tight junctions between intestinal cells as needed.
Significance of intestinal barrier
Optimal health requires that this intestinal barrier continue to function constantly 24/7 against potentially noxious stimuli like bad bacteria, large semi-digested allergenic foods as well as toxins. Imperfections can occur either transiently or for sustained periods.
Causes of intestinal hyperpermeability or leaky gut syndrome
Leaky gut or increased intestinal permeability may occur to to a wide variety of causes. The role of gut bacteria, inflammation and genetic predisposition is intertwined in increasing permeability or leakiness. Life style and environmental factors play an important role:
- Drugs like NSAIDs (aspirin type medications), antbiotics, oral iron
- Dysbiosis (unhealthy balance of good versus bad bacteria in gut)
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
- Infections even as simple as viral infection or gastroenteritis
- Emotional stress
- Allergenic diet for example gluten in susceptible subjects
- Unhealthy cooking practices (Fried food more than roatsed food more than boiled food)
- Unhealthy food additives and preservatives
- Alcoholism
- Toxins
- Ischemia (low blood supply to gut)
- Chemo- and radiation therapy
- Sustained rigorous exercise
Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
Diseases associated with leaky gut syndrome and/or abnormalities (leakiness) of Tight Junctions
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Inflammatory bowel disease (Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)
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Chemotherapy induced mucositis |
Chronic fatigue syndrome |
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Irritable bowel syndrome |
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Infections in liver cirrhosis
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Collagenous colitis |
Depression
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Eczema |
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Intestinal infections |
Asthma |
Sepsis and multi-organ failure
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Food allergies |
NSAID (Aspirin like drugs) induced gut injury
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Schizophrenia |
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Multiple sclerosis |
Ankylosing spondylitis |
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy |
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Why is everyone not affected? Why do different diseases occur in different people?
The reasons for multiple diverse manifestations of leaky gut are manifold and include the gut bacteria and the genetic predisposition along with the complex environmental factors involved.
If the genetic predisposition is high and so is the imbalance of bad versus good gut bacteria on top of sum total of environmental stimuli (stress, bad and/or allergenic diet, antibiotics etc), the disease is more likely to occur. Conversely, if genetic predisposition is low and the person has a healthy lifestyle, the likelihood of disease is low.
Based on the same reasons above, the manifestations may be different. For example, if exorphins (large semi-digested large proteins particles) are absorbed and can interact with receptors in brain, nervous system manifestations ensue.
Absorption of antigenic foreign substances can induce an immune defense in the form of antibody response. These antibodies may then sometimes recognize body's own tissues as foreign and can start destroying these tissues causing an autoimmune disease. 
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Select citations for Leaky gut
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
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