Leaky Gut Syndrome: Symptoms, Treatments, and More - GoodRx (2024)

“Leaky gut syndrome” has become more popular in the mainstream press. From a scientific standpoint, leaky gut is not a disease. It means there’s damage to the intestinal lining. In theory, this can lead to leakage of intestinal contents (such as food particles or bacteria) into the bloodstream. This has been suggested as a possible cause of many different health conditions — from asthma to autoimmune conditions.

Much more research is needed to figure out what causes increased intestinal permeability, how to test for it, and most importantly,what it means for individuals and their health. Here’s what the science says so far.

What is leaky gut syndrome?

“Leaky gut” refers to increased intestinal permeability. In other words, the gut lining may let larger food particles, toxins, or bad bacteria pass through from the gut into the bloodstream. Here’s why that may be a problem.

The gut, or the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is an important part of the digestive system. It runs from the mouth to the anus, passing by the stomach, the small intestine, and the large intestine. A healthy gut should absorb water and nutrients through its intestinal lining. And it should provide a strong and protective barrier between the bloodstream and the toxins and bacteria that may enter the gut through the food you eat.

The theory is that this “leaky” lining could lead the blood, hormonal systems, and immune system to react and contribute to certain autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

Researchers are still trying to understand what damages the gut and how a damaged gut lining leads to disease. The gut-brain axis, for example, describes the complex pathways between the gut, the microbiome (the trillions of microbes that live there), and the brain. The gut not only absorbs nutrients, it also makes hormones, affects the immune system, and communicates with the brain. When the gut is not healthy, it can have many downstream effects.

To be sure, gut health is involved in many health conditions. And scientific understanding is just scratching the surface.

Leaky gut symptoms

Injury or damage to the intestinal lining can lead to a range of symptoms related to leaky gut.

Someone with leaky gut may have symptoms that include:

• Bloating

• Diarrhea

• Increased gas

• Fatigue

• Joint pain

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• Allergies

These symptoms are nonspecific, meaning they’re similar to many other digestive problems.

This means it can be difficult to find the underlying cause of such symptoms. This is especially true since, oftentimes, people with leaky gut may have already been diagnosed with other medical conditions, like inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, or SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).

There’s no good test for leaky gut at this time. So it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider about your health history and symptoms. This way you can make sure you’re getting the evaluations and testing you need and avoid missing other causes of your symptoms.

What causes leaky gut?

Researchers first studied leaky gut in diseases that directly affected the intestinal lining, like celiac disease or Crohn’s disease. In people with these conditions, the gut lining is damaged and isn’t working as it should.

But it’s possible that many people have a damaged intestinal lining — not just people with bowel conditions.

Leaky gut has been linked to other possible causes too, including:

• A diet high in saturated fats, sugar, and highly processed foods, often called the “Western diet,” affects the gut microbiome.

• Stress affects the gut through the gut-brain axis.

• Heavy endurance exercise, such as marathon running, can damage the intestinal lining.

• NSAID use can lead to inflammation and ulceration of the GI tract.

• Antibiotic use may affect the gut microbiome.

While these factors can affect the health of the gut lining, researchers don’t yet fully understand who is at risk for developing leaky gut and symptoms related to it. They also don’t yet have good ways of testing and tracking gut health over time or understanding which factors might most influence it.

How do you treat leaky gut?

If you think you could have leaky gut, the most important step is to find out the cause. There aren’t any specific tests that can diagnose leaky gut. Depending on your symptoms, your provider may recommend certain tests, or you may need to see a GI specialist. This is why it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider.

If leaky gut is associated with an existing medical condition, a good first step is to treat the underlying condition. Or, if leaky gut symptoms could be caused by medications you take or foods you eat, then making changes in those areas may help.

Can dietary changes help with leaky gut?

Yes, there may be dietary changes you can make that can improve the health of your microbiome and intestinal lining, which can help leaky gut. How helpful this is will depend on the underlying cause of your symptoms.

For example, if you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, avoiding foods with gluten can help heal your gut lining and improve your symptoms.

Diets that improve the health of your gut microbiome can also be helpful for leaky gut. This includes eating plans that are high in prebiotics and probiotics, which help make short-chain fatty acids that protect the gut lining. One example of such a diet is the Mediterranean diet.

Any diet rich in the following foods can help improve leaky gut:

• Vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and spinach

• Fruits, like berries, bananas, and oranges

• Fermented foods rich in probiotics, such as apple cider vinegar, some pickles, and yogurt

• Nuts and seeds

• Healthy fats, including fish, nuts, avocados, and olive oil

On the other hand, try to avoid or eat less of these:

• Processed foods and meats, including fast food and deli meats

• Desserts and baked goods, like cookies and pastries

• Refined grains, like white breads and crackers

• Sugary drinks

• Artificial sweeteners

Can supplements help with leaky gut?

Some supplements may help lessen symptoms of leaky gut. These may improve the gut microbiome and strengthen the gut lining.

Some early evidence shows that the following supplements may help improve gut health:

• Probiotics

• Fiber

• Zinc

• L-glutamine

• Collagen

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• Curcumin

While research on these supplements is limited, they could help and likely won’t hurt. As with all medications and supplements, it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider about what is right for you.

What’s the evidence for leaky gut?

There’s good evidence showing an association between leaky gut and some gastrointestinal conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), IBS, celiac disease, and SIBO. There’s also an emerging list of conditions that may not cause GI symptoms, but research suggests they could still be related to leaky gut.

Animal studies have associated leaky gut with health conditions, including allergies, mood symptoms, and autoimmune conditions. And some newer studies in people also show that leaky gut may be associated with health conditions outside of the gut.

Here are a few notable studies:

• Some children with food allergies or food hypersensitivity have increased intestinal permeability compared to kids who don’t have any food allergies.

• A 2018 study showed that people with anxiety or depression could have changes in their blood and stool associated with a leaky gut, even without any GI symptoms.

• Leaky gut syndrome may be associated with some types of autoimmune diseases. For example, a 2017 study showed that people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis had signs of a leaky gut when compared to people without the condition.

Other conditions that researchers have linked to leaky gut include:

• Eczema

• Parkinson’s disease

• Fibromyalgia

• Asthma

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

• Autism

• Type 1 diabetes

• HIV/AIDS

• Acute psychological stress

The research on this is limited, so it’s important not to jump to conclusions. These studies are small. Researchers also don’t know if leaky gut caused these conditions, is a symptom of them, or is just associated with them. And they don’t yet know who may be at more risk of the symptoms and complications of leaky gut

More research is needed to learn more about leaky gut and what exactly it means for your health.

While there’s no good way to test for leaky gut yet, there are ways to improve gut health. And, like most healthy life changes, these can benefit your overall health. Prioritize whole foods, plant-based foods, and lean meats. And cut back on all highly processed foods, high sugar foods, and alcohol.