What is the role of the intestine?
The intestine is an organ with naturally occurring pores in its walls , which allow essential nutrients from the food bolus to pass through them and into the rest of the body. It also represents a natural barrier against all harmful substances that can travel through our digestive tract, particularly through the food bolus, thus preventing them from passing into the rest of the body. A healthy intestine is therefore naturally permeable, but as in many cases: when it's too permeable, it's harmful.
Indeed, a healthy intestine allows particles smaller than 4 Å in radius to pass through, but if the permeability of the intestine increases, particles up to 10-15 Å in radius can pass through when they are not supposed to (Å being the unit of measurement for the size of these particles). A sustained increase in intestinal permeability will therefore have harmful effects: researchers agree that intestinal porosity, also called intestinal hyperpermeability , is a trigger for many chronic diseases, metabolic disorders and systemic diseases.
What causes leaky gut?
There are many causes of leaky gut ; many mechanisms could be involved. These include alcohol, stress , bacterial infection, undernutrition/malnutrition, biliary obstruction, immune deficiency, certain treatments such as prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gluten consumption despite diagnosed celiac disease, nutritional deficiencies, etc.
But the most common cause is surely intestinal dysbiosis , that is to say an imbalance in the composition of the intestinal flora , a phenomenon to which we are all more or less subject. Indeed, the loss of a part of our beneficial strains, in favor of the installation of harmful strains, modulates intestinal immune responses and increases the chances of developing hyperpermeability of the intestinal mucosa.
What are the symptoms of leaky gut?
Leaky gut is not something you can feel . It is therefore difficult to think about it when you experience symptoms, as these can also be linked to other diseases. However, here is a non-exhaustive list of some symptoms that have been identified with leaking gut :
- Intestinal problems: chronic diarrhea and constipation , gas , bloating
- Weakened immunity
- Headaches, memory loss, difficulty concentrating
- Chronic fatigue
- Skin problems: acne, eczema, etc.
- “Cravings”: irrepressible sugar cravings
- Mental disorders:depression , anxiety, ADHD
How do I know if I have leaky gut?
Diagnosing this syndrome is rather complicated, because we do not think about it directly when we feel the symptoms, and these are signs that we often try to treat directly without worrying about the cause at first (for example, we try to treat constipation when it occurs, without really dwelling on the causes of it).
However, the doctor may prescribe tests: a dosage of certain blood compounds, certain urinary compounds, tests associated with underlying pathologies, respiratory tests which allow the detection of dysbiosis or a defect in carbohydrate absorption, etc.
How to treat intestinal porosity?
If you experience some of these symptoms and are exposed to one or more risk factors, it is wise to consult a doctor for a diagnosis. He or she may prescribe targeted tests such as the measurement of certain blood compounds, certain urine compounds, tests associated with underlying pathologies, respiratory tests that can detect dysbiosis or a defect in carbohydrate absorption, etc.
After that, the treatments are varied, which allows a broad spectrum of action to relieve your intestinal porosity . Depending on the causes identified, an appropriate treatment will be prescribed.
1 - Consume foods rich in probiotics
To do this, consuming fermented foods such as kombucha, kefir, lacto-fermented vegetables, kimchi, sourdough bread, yogurts, and cheeses is very beneficial. Combined with a diet rich in prebiotic fiber, probiotics will have an even greater beneficial effect.
2 - Favor foods rich in polyphenols
It's also recommended to eat a diet rich in polyphenols, which relieve inflammation and help treat dysbiosis. They can be found in fruits and vegetables, but there are also other important sources: spices, herbs, and spices. It's a good idea to undergo a complete checkup for dietary deficiencies: addressing these deficiencies can help relieve the symptoms of leaky gut.
4 - Try the low FODMAP diet
In some cases associated with irritable bowel syndrome , the doctor may prescribe a low FODMAP diet in order to reduce digestive discomfort. Finally, if the syndrome is associated with celiac disease, it will be necessary to remove gluten from the diet, under the doctor's recommendation.
Sources:
[1] M. Campieri, C. Fiocchi and SB Hanauer. Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Clinical Case Approach to Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment , Springer, March 31, 2002, 356 p., p. 7
[2] Suzuki, “Regulation of intestinal epithelial permeability by tight junctions”, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences , vol. 70, no 4, February 1, 2013, p. 631–659
[3] O'Hara and Buret, “Mechanisms of intestinal tight junctional disruption during infection”, Frontiers in Bioscience , vol. 13, no 13, 2008, p. 7008–21
[4] Viljoen, M., Panzer, A., & Willemse, N. (2003). Gastrointestinal hyperpermeability: a review. East African medical journal , 80 (6), 324–330.
[5] Ghouzali, I., Lemaitre, C., Bahlouli, W., Azhar, S., Bôle-Feysot, C., Meleine, M., Ducrotté, P., Déchelotte, P., & Coëffier, M. (2017). Targeting immunoproteasome and glutamine supplementation prevent intestinal hyperpermeability. Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects , 1861 (1 Pt A), 3278–3288.
