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Leaky gut syndrome is a hypothetical, medically unrecognized condition.[1]
Unlike the scientific phenomenon of increased intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"),[1][2] claims for the existence of "leaky gut syndrome" as a distinct medical condition come mostly from nutritionists and practitioners of alternative medicine.[1][3][4] Proponents claim that a "leaky gut" causes chronic inflammation throughout the body that results in a wide range of conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and autism.[1][3] (As of 2021), there is little evidence to support this hypothesis.[1][5]
Stephen Barrett has described "leaky gut syndrome" as a fad diagnosis and says that its proponents use the alleged condition as an opportunity to sell a number of alternative-health remedies – including diets, herbal preparations, and dietary supplements.[4] In 2009, Seth Kalichman wrote that some pseudoscientists claim that the passage of proteins through a "leaky" gut is the cause of autism.[6] Evidence for claims that a leaky gut causes autism is weak and conflicting.[7]
Advocates tout various treatments for "leaky gut syndrome", such as dietary supplements, probiotics, herbal remedies, gluten-free foods, and low-FODMAP, low-sugar, or antifungal diets, but there is little evidence that the treatments offered are of benefit.[1] None have been adequately tested to determine whether they are safe and effective for this purpose.[3] The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not recommend the use of any special diets to manage the main symptoms of autism or leaky gut syndrome.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Leaky gut syndrome". NHS Choices. 26 February 2015. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leaky-gut-syndrome/.
- ↑ "Intestinal permeability--a new target for disease prevention and therapy.". BMC Gastroenterol 14: 189. 2014. doi:10.1186/s12876-014-0189-7. PMID 25407511.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Odenwald, Matthew A.; Turner, Jerrold R. (2013). "Intestinal Permeability Defects: Is It Time to Treat?". Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology 11 (9): 1075–83. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2013.07.001. PMID 23851019.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Barrett, Stephen (14 March 2009). "Be Wary of "Fad" Diagnoses". Quackwatch. http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/fad.html.
- ↑ Quigley EM (2016). "Leaky gut - concept or clinical entity?". Curr Opin Gastroenterol 32 (2): 74–9. doi:10.1097/MOG.0000000000000243. PMID 26760399.
- ↑ Kalichman, Seth C. (2009). Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy. Springer. p. 167. ISBN 9780387794761.
- ↑ "The bowel and beyond: the enteric nervous system in neurological disorders". Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 13 (9): 517–28. 2016. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2016.107. PMID 27435372.
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