WTF is Leaky Gut?
Zonulin, occludin, intestinal permeability… what it all means for your gut health and you!
Intestinal permeability — sometimes known as ‘leaky gut syndrome’ — is a unique situation wherein the gut barrier is literally leaking: tight junctions in the gut’s lining, which typically control the permeability of the small intestine, aren’t functioning properly, which may then let substances leak from your gut into the bloodstream. But why does it matter?
Imagine your intestines as the screen door of your house. The screen door has two properties: it has a permeable screen, and has a tight seal when it is shut. The integrity of both the screen and seal play important roles here — they both help keep unwanted guests like bugs and pests out of your home.
Your intestinal lining has the same goal and function: the seal and screen represent the integrity of the tight junctions between each cell of your intestinal lining, helping keep things where they belong.
Your gut barrier has two distinct functions.
First, it allows the good stuff (like vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients) to be absorbed into the body through the gut’s lining to be redistributed by the body.
Think of receiving a package at your door, opening it and delivering your new item to its designated place in your home. In the same way, your gut barrier allows nutrients into your bloodstream and assists in delivering them to their intended place within the body.
Second, your gut barrier keeps the bad stuff within the intestines. While allowing good nutrients into the body and bloodstream, our gut barrier also protects us from unwanted intruders like bacteria and toxins (these are eventually passed through the gut and into the toilet).
When you think of a hornet buzzing around your screen door, you hope the screen has no holes or tears and that door seal is intact, keeping the hornet outside where it belongs. In a healthy GI tract, harmful substances or “bad” bacteria wouldn’t be allowed to cross the gut wall, staying within the lumen of the gut (the interior of the gastrointestinal tract) to eventually pass in the stool. However, when the GI tract is compromised, the screen on the door can’t properly do its job.
Now for some fancy words…
Like the screen and seal of a door, zonulin and occludin are two specialized proteins that act as the gatekeepers of these tight junctions in the gut lining.
Zonulin acts like the screen on a door, keeping the hornet outside. Abusing our doormay tear the screen, creating an opening where a hornet may pass through the screen and into the home, now able to sting you anywhere. In our body, these tight junctions can be weakened by a number of things: certain foods, toxins, bacteria, and viruses, stress, and even some medications. When this junction weakening happens, unwanted toxins or undigested food particles can sneak through, causing a problem anywhere in your body.
Occludin, on the other hand, helps keep those tight junctions sealed shut, just as we want the screen door to have nice seal when closed. When occludin is working well, it ensures that only the right stuff gets through the GI tract’s lining, and keeps the bad stuff out, just like the screen door.
When zonulin and/or occludin test positive on your blood sample, they’re not doing their job properly. Like a torn screen or weakened seal, a ‘leak’ in your screen door may lead to more damage throughout your home. Increased presence of zonulin and occludin may indicate a ‘leaky gut,’ which could be allowing harmful substances to pass through the intestinal barrier and into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation and other health issues throughout your body.
Common symptoms of intestinal permeability
Fatty liver disease
Pain (abdominal?)
Difficulty losing weight
ADD/ADHD (correlated)
Persistent brain fog
Chronic fatigue
Headaches
Skin rash
Autoimmune disorders
Just like the screen door, we can repair your leaky gut and have you feeling better than ever. To learn more about what may be causing your leaky gut, or to discuss functional medicine and how it could benefit you or someone you know, call our office to schedule a complimentary consult or schedule your appointment today!