What is leaky gut and how do I know if I have it?

Leaky gut, also called increased intestinal permeability, happens when the gut’s tight junctions loosen and let larger particles slip through, which can provoke immune reactions and inflammation. Clues include bloating, food reactions, skin flares, brain fog, and fatigue. Testing can help, yet a careful history and a targeted plan often guide next steps best.

What “leaky gut” really means

Your intestinal lining is a smart filter. It absorbs nutrients while keeping microbes and toxins out of your bloodstream. When that filter is stressed by diet, infections, medications like frequent NSAIDs, alcohol, or chronic stress, the junctions between cells can loosen. This permeability may allow fragments of food, bacteria, or toxins to cross the barrier and rile up the immune system, creating body wide symptoms.

As a functional medicine practitioner, I look at “why the filter is leaky” rather than chasing single symptoms. The goal is to calm the immune system by restoring barrier integrity, digestion, and microbial balance.

Signs you might be dealing with intestinal permeability issues

People do not all present the same way, but common patterns include:

  • Digestive shifts, bloating, gas, irregularity, or food reactions.
  • Skin changes, eczema, rashes, acne that flare after certain foods.
  • Brain fog, low energy, headaches, or mood swings.
  • Immune patterns, seasonal allergies that worsened, autoimmune diagnoses, or “I catch every bug.”

Important note, these clues are suggestive, not diagnostic. Other conditions can look similar, which is why a structured evaluation matters.

How I identify leaky gut without guesswork

At Dr. Kenny’s clinic we start with your health story, timeline, meds, and diet patterns. If testing is indicated, we may use:

  • Functional stool testing to assess digestion, microbes, inflammation, and markers that reflect barrier stress.
  • Targeted blood work for related drivers, for example fasting insulin, ferritin, omega-3 index, nutrients that influence repair.
  • Select permeability markers like fecal calprotectin or zonulin when appropriate, keeping in mind that some markers are still debated in the literature.

I share results in plain language and map them to a stepwise plan so you are not collecting supplements without a strategy.

The leaky gut repair roadmap, simple and sequenced

Healing a leaky barrier takes more than one powder. We follow a clear order so your system is supported, not overwhelmed:

  1. Remove irritants, reduce alcohol and ultra processed foods, consider a short trial away from likely culprits like excess sugars or poorly tolerated gluten, and address stress resilience and gut infections if present.
  2. Rebalance digestion and microbes, personalized probiotic or antimicrobial support only when your testing and history suggest it, and always at tolerable doses.
  3. Repair the lining, nutrient dense meals, polyphenol rich plants, zinc carnosine, glutamine, collagen or gelatin rich foods as appropriate, plus sleep, stress rhythm, and gentle movement to calm the gut brain axis.

As your Root Cause Health Detective, I track objective markers and how you feel, better stools, steadier energy, clearer skin. We adjust one variable at a time, so you can see what truly helps.

When to seek help for leaky gut

If you keep “doing everything right” but still feel puffy, foggy, or reactive to foods, it is time to stop guessing. A structured, compassionate plan can shorten the trial-and-error phase and help you rebuild a resilient gut barrier.

Additional Resources:

Ready to investigate your symptoms with a clear, stepwise plan?

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Answered by Dr. Kenny Mittelstadt, DACM, DC, IFMCP
Certified functional medicine practitioner specializing in advanced lab testing and personalized healing protocols to uncover root causes of health roadblocks.

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