Leaky gut syndrome

Leaky gut, an unusual phenomenon that has been gaining attention lately among natural health enthusiasts. Discovered by Dr Alessio Fasano, the current director of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center in Boston, the leaky gut syndrome shattered the beliefs of numerous experts who believed that the lining of a gut was just a wall of densely packed cells. Minute nutrient particles managed to squeeze between those cells and enter the bloodstream whereas larger food molecules and bacteria were turned away. 

After spending nearly three decades studying about the gut and its role in the human body, Dr Fasano and his team discovered "zonulin", a gut protein. Zonulin regulates the numerous openings between the cell walls in the intestine. Further analysis and research led to another breakthrough known as "paradigm shift", wherein zonulin acts as a door opener that widens or tightens the openings between the cell walls. 

The digestive system in a human body plays an important role in keeping harmful substances at bay. Acting as barriers, the walls of the intestines control what enters the bloodstream. Tight junctions, the small gaps in the intestinal wall, allow nutrients and water to pass through and also block harmful substances from entering it. When these junctions become loose, toxins and harmful bacteria pass freely from the gut into the bloodstream, causing widespread inflammation and eventually trigger a reaction from the immune system. This phenomenon is commonly known as the leaky gut syndrome. 

The various symptoms of the leaky gut syndrome include fatigue, skin problems, food sensitivities, digestive issues and bloating. However, despite the symptoms, various medical experts still deny the existence of the leaky gut syndrome as it is not a recognized medical diagnosis. 

A few factors believed to play a role in contributing to the leaky gut syndrome are excessive sugar and alcohol intake, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, nutrient deficiency, inflammation, stress, poor gut health and yeast overgrowth. 

Medical experts reveal that there is no standard treatment for leaky gut as many doctors do not consider it to be legitimate. However, they have suggested a few changes in diet and lifestyle that improves the gut health. Consuming more probiotics, eating prebiotic rich foods like grains, reducing the amount of meat and diary products consumed on daily basis, avoiding sugar and artificial sweeteners, proper sleep schedule, reducing the intake of antibiotics and frequent exercise increases a person's gut health.