“Leaky gut” is a popular name for increased intestinal permeability: a gut lining that lets through more than it should. It is not a recognized medical diagnosis. Cleveland Clinic calls leaky gut syndrome “a hypothetical condition” and notes that there is “no standard test to measure intestinal permeability directly in patients.”1 If your digestion has been troubling you, start with your own doctor. The specialist Cleveland Clinic points to is a gastroenterologist.1
What is known
- Increased permeability is real. It is “a recognized feature of several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases,” including inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease.1
- Everyone has some. Harvard Health puts it this way: “We all have some degree of leaky gut.”2
- It appears alongside other conditions. Some studies show an association with other autoimmune diseases and several other conditions.2
What is not known
- Whether it causes those conditions. Harvard Health: “we do not yet have clinical studies in humans showing such a cause and effect.”2
- How to measure it in an ordinary appointment. The tests that exist are mostly still used in research.1
- Whether a product can repair it. Cleveland Clinic’s statement is that “the only known cure for a leaky gut is to treat the underlying condition that causes it.”1 That is a job for a doctor.
Which doctor to see, and when
Start with your own doctor. Bloating, gas, loose stools, cramping and food reactions have many possible causes, and several of them need a medical workup. Cleveland Clinic’s advice is that “a qualified gastroenterologist can help you sort through the possible causes of your specific symptoms.”1
See a doctor promptly, before trying any diet, if you have unexplained weight loss, blood in your stool, symptoms that wake you at night, or a family history of bowel disease.
Where food and daily habits fit
Both sources point in the same direction on eating. Harvard Health’s advice is to “eat a nutritious, unprocessed diet” that includes “foods that help quell inflammation.”2 Cleveland Clinic suggests a balanced diet with less fat and sugar, and mentions a short-term low FODMAP diet as one option.1
These are ordinary, sound changes, and they are worth making whether or not the gut lining is involved:
- A plain list of the foods to favor is in Anti-Inflammatory Foods: A Plain List.
- How a short elimination diet is meant to work, and end, is in The Low FODMAP Diet: The Three Steps.
- Why the state you eat in matters is in Why Stress Shows Up in Your Gut.
Be careful what you buy
A test sold as a leaky gut diagnosis is selling certainty the science does not have. The same goes for a supplement plan that promises to “heal” it in a set number of weeks. Neither claim is supported by the sources on this page.
Where a nutritional therapy practitioner fits
A nutritional therapy practitioner does not diagnose or treat leaky gut, or any other condition. The work is on food and daily habits: what you eat, when and how you eat it, and how to keep your diet as wide as your digestion allows. It runs alongside your medical care, and a good practitioner sends you back to your doctor when something needs one.
Maria Zilka sees clients in person in Beaverton, Oregon, and by secure video. Read more about gut health and digestion, or request an appointment.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic, “Leaky Gut Syndrome”. my.clevelandclinic.org
- Harvard Health Publishing, “Leaky gut: What is it, and what does it mean for you?”. health.harvard.edu
This article is for education and is not medical advice. Maria is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, not a physician. If you have symptoms that worry you, please talk with your medical provider.
Maria Zilka, NTP
Maria has practiced nutritional therapy for more than fifteen years. Her work centers on the nervous system, digestion and chronic inflammation. She sees clients in person in Beaverton, Oregon, and by secure video. More about Maria
