The new found science behind leaky gut syndrome and how gluten is the suspect behind it all.

Leaky gut. A term which Naturopaths like myself use a lot! But with good reason, as we see the effects of leaky gut in our clinic rooms almost daily. If your gut is ‘leaky’ you will often have symptoms of digestive issues (think bloating, varied bowel motions etc), poor energy, food allergies and intolerances, skin issues, asthma, hay fever, arthritic conditions, the list goes on and on!

So what does the term leaky gut actually mean? Basically it means that instead of the intestinal wall being ‘tight’, various factors whether it be diet, stress or medications have caused the wall to loosen and this then enables toxins which are meant to be excreted, pass through the intestinal wall and into the blood stream. If this happens then the bodies immune system will often recognise the toxin as a threat and mount an immune response with lots of inflammation, but over time this mechanise can get confused, and then immune dysfunction may begin to occur, like hay fever and autoimmune conditions etc.

We often use the term ‘leaky gut’ because that is essentially what is happening, the things that are meant to be leaving the body are ‘leaked’ into the blood stream. But the correct term for leaky gut is actually intestinal permeability, meaning that the intestines have become permeable. While this has always been considered to be the case for many people it has been hard to explain the exact mechanism by which this occurs. Until now. New research is coming to light about a protein that the body produces called Zonulin. And this protein holds a lot of the answers from a biological perspective to back up many years of anecdotal evidence.

Zonulin has been found to affect the integrity of the intestinal tract by increasing the size of tight gap junctions which hold the intestinal tract together, in other words, zonulin essentially causes leaky gut to occur. Studies have been done which demonstrate that zonulin induced significant, but reversible intestinal permeability in the small intestine and the duodenal.

We then must look at what impacts zonulin production, as that will hold answers on a practical level for the everyday person. Studies have found the 2 things impact zonulin levels in a person.

Gut bacteria and gluten.

Gliadin is the protein found in gluten which appears to be the cause of the issue when it comes to increased zonulin production. Therefore the more gluten that is consumed in the diet the more zonulin is going to be increased, and the likelihood of intestinal permeably (leaky gut) occurring is increased.

Like wise, if the bodies beneficial gut bacteria isn't optimal then it can also impact zonulin levels. When bad bacteria out ways the good bacteria then the chances of zonulin being produced and impacting intestinal permeability are increased.

So what can be done to keep zonulin levels low?

We can keep zonulin levels to a minimum by targeting the 2 main triggers; gluten and bad gut bacteria. Reducing the amount of gluten being eaten is an easy first step. If you find yourself having cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and then pasta for dinner your gut is being made to produce zonulin all day, which can explain why people may wake up feeling good but by the end of the day are very bloated. Reducing your gluten load, by having gluten containing foods at only one meal a day will help to keep your zonulin levels low.

We can maintain our good gut bacteria levels by consuming a varied diet which is high in fibre, as well as consuming plenty of fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, tempeh etc. If you are placed on an antibiotic, making sure you replace the good bacteria with a probiotic and reducing the amount of refined foods that are being consumed.

Naturopathically thinking shows us that many chronic illnesses stem from the gut and this intestinal permeability. So helping to reduce zonulin levels will assist in maintaing a healthy digestive tract, and a healthy body as a whole.