Diseases Associated With Leaky Gut
According to my investigations and observation, Leaky Gut is a part of the larger problem in the body where inflammation is a result of hyper-functional immune system. Leaky gut is happening in other diseases, or maybe it plays a central role in making these diseases chronic. Diseases associated with Leaky Gut have many similar symptoms and respond to the same treatments and interventions.
Celiac Disease.
Patients with celiac disease may have a very similar presentation, and it is possible that the changes in their gut is exactly the same as Leaky gut. Is it possible that this is the same disease, only some patients may have a different mutation? We believe it is possible, as patients with Celiac disease respond to exactly same treatments as leaky gut patients. And there is no definitive tests for one or another disease.
In a genetic form of celiac disease there are antibodies that can be caught on the blood analysis or biopsy, but they are not necessarily present. Genetic test can identify 2 common chromosome mutations, but there are up to 12 known genes involved and may be even more…
So, at the end – it is all the clinical response to the treatment that makes a difference. Celiac patients need to avoid all glutinous food for entire life, while patients with leaky gut can eat grains most of the time after recovery.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a parasitic infection (spirochetes) that starts after the missed tick bite. It is transmitted only by a certain tick (black legged tick) and is pandemic to certain areas only. If the tick was attached more than 24 hours, the parasite can infest the human blood and cause a significant disease that starts with a ‘bull’s eye” specific rash, but then can progress into a true infection. There is no evidence that chronic Lyme disease can develop if the tick was attached for less then 24 hours (some even say 48 hours is needed)
If not treated immediately with antibiotics, the disease may become systemic, or cause chronic dysfunction of the immune system and the whole body. I believe genetic factors are responsible for chronic condition. That is why most of the bites do not cause people any problems.
The most common complain of the chronic Lyme disease patients is chronic debilitating fatigue, which crosses over into a leaky gut presentation. Usually, titers for Lyme disease together with a strong history of a tick and rash in the past, can set a correct diagnosis. Eventually, the treatment is very similar to a leaky gut.
Diabetes
Diabetes is autoimmune disease affecting a pancreatic gland and its hormone glycogen, which creates problem for glucose to enter cells. The result of that is absolutely devastating for the body, causing problems in every organ. Of cause, leaky gut might be a contributor, or just develop by itself and make diabetes worse. Can leaky gut cause diabetes? Most likely yes, but no one knows their relationship.
Increasing evidence, both functional and morphological, supports the concept of increased intestinal permeability as a part of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in both humans and animal models of the disease. Often referred to as a “leaky gut”, its mechanistic impact on the pathogenesis of T1D remains unclear. Hypotheses that this defect influences immune responses against antigens (both self and non-self) predominate, yet others argue hyperglycemia and insulitis may contribute to increased gut permeability in T1D. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638168/
Gut microbiome
The gut microbiome participates in multiple metabolic processes in the human body and is mainly responsible for regulation of host metabolism. The alterations in function and composition of the gut microbiota have been known to be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases via induction of epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and regulation by noncoding RNAs.
Induced epigenetic modifications can also be regulated by metabolites produced by the gut microbiota including short-chain fatty acids, folates, biotin and trimethylamine-N-oxide. In addition, studies have elucidated the potential role of these microbial-produced metabolites in the pathophysiology of obesity and diabetes. Hence, this review focuses on the interactions between the gut microbiome and epigenetic processes in the regulation and development of obesity and diabetes, which may have potential as a novel preventive or therapeutic approach for several metabolic and other human diseases. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6974692/
Neurodevelopment disorders – Autism spectrum connection
New research points to a possible link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the gut microbiota as many autistic children have co-occurring gastrointestinal problems. A less integrative gut-blood-barrier is abundant in autistic individuals.
This explains the leakage of bacterial metabolites into the patients, triggering new body responses or an altered metabolism. Some other co-occurring symptoms such as mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress in cells, altered tight junctions in the blood-brain barrier and structural changes in the cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and cerebellum were also detected. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6539237/
Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory colitis, which is mostly genetic in nature, but the rest is unknown. Just like in Leaky gut, these patients benefit from diet modification and nutritional support. In both diseases there is significant auto-inflammatory component and many organs become involved. The true connection is unknown. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3777713/
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder of the gut that has bloating, cramps, diarrhea and constipation (at various degree) without a true identifiable cause. Well, this sounds very close to a leaky gut. And, after all, there is no significant difference in real life – just a matter of the diagnosis written in the medical chart.
Food Allergies
True food allergy is almost impossible to miss. All people who have true allergies identify their symptoms precisely in the relation to certain food intake. For example: “When I eat shrimp, my lips get itchy, face becomes red, and then I have vomiting and profuse diarrhea”.
All symptoms, although sound similar to the leaky gut, happen only when the culprit food is eaten. In a leaky gut people rarely know which food for sure is responsible, and sometimes they suspect 80% of foods to cause their symptoms. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707740/
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