A lady in her 40s came to the clinic for the first time. She works in a law firm and has suffered from some health problems in recent years. First of all, she often suffers from abdominal pain and diarrhea. Many living and eating habits need to be changed. For example, she has to avoid her favorite afternoon tea, desserts, raw fish, etc. The doctor diagnosed her with irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, the doctor discovered that she has fatty liver, high cholesterol and high blood sugar. If she is not careful, it will easily lead to liver cirrhosis and coronary heart disease.
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On the day of the consultation, she took an article from Havard Health Publications and Cleveland Clinic and asked me: “Professor Chen, do I suffer from ‘leaky gut syndrome’, which makes me appear so many health problems?”
What is “leaky gut syndrome”?
It is a new medical theory in recent years. Simply put, it means that there is leakage in the intestinal wall, allowing allergens, harmful bacteria and toxins to enter the body from the intestinal tract. These foreign substances stimulate chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, triggering irritable bowel syndrome and even inflammatory bowel disease. When these harmful substances flow through the body with the blood, they may affect multiple organs. Animal studies have found that leaky gut is closely related to fatty liver, diabetes, allergies, asthma, mood disorders and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Why is the gut wall leaky?
The intestinal wall of the human body is composed of cells to form a protective film covering an area of up to 4,000 square meters. Its main function is to prevent foreign harmful substances from invading the body. However, this protective film is not airtight. The gaps between cells are like entry customs, controlling beneficial and harmful substances from entering our blood. When these gaps are too large or pierced, the above-mentioned diseases may occur. Current research points out that many environmental factors may lead to intestinal leaks, such as high-sugar, high-fat, low-fiber foods, alcohol, food additives, emotional stress, and intestinal microecological imbalances can cause or aggravate intestinal leaks.
How to diagnose and treat?
Responding to the lady who came to the doctor that day, I explained to her that “leaky gut” is still a popular medical theory, and we still need a lot of clinical research to determine its role in many diseases. Although we can measure the presence and severity of intestinal leaks in the laboratory, these scientific techniques are not suitable for clinical diagnosis. Scientists are studying how to repair these abnormal cracks in the intestinal wall and improve health by reducing the leakiness of the intestinal wall. In any case, modern medicine has pointed out that intestinal health is not only to improve digestion, but also the key to preventing many diseases.
▲ Chen Jialiang, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, CUHK.
The full text was published in Chen Jialiang’s “President’s Doctor Weekly”, with the title drafted by TOPick editor.
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Author : Chan Ka Leung Dean, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK
