Leaky gut syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is a diagnostic entity popular in various branches of alternative medicine. Its proponents hypothesize that damage to the bowel lining, caused by antibiotics, toxins, poor diet, parasites or infection (e.g. with the yeast Candida albicans) can lead to increased permeability of the gut wall to toxins, microbes, undigested food, waste or larger than normal macromolecules. Some versions posit that these substances affect the body directly, while others postulate an immune reaction to these substances. While many practitioners maintain that leaky gut syndrome is a bona fide medical condition, the area of "gut problems" lies between conventional and alternative medicine, including other diagnostic titles such as Small bowel bacterial overgrowth syndrome or small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and "yeast syndrome" or systemic candidiasis, remains controversial and scientifically unsettled.

The concept of increased gut permeability itself is well recognised in various conditions, such as hepatic encephalopathy. It has been discovered that Zonulin regulates intestinal permeability.

Dr. Alessio Fasano is currently partnered with http://www.albatherapeutics.com/ in the development of the drug AT-1001 that regulates permeability. The drug is being fast-tracked and trials are currently underway. Fasano's research has found that intestinal permeability and overproduction of zonulin is present in almost all autoimmune diseases.

Athough experts differ on the causes of leaky gut (candida, antibiotics, bacterial infections, chemotherapy, poor diet, gluten grains) leaky gut is no longer considered "alternative medicine".