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Leaky Gut Test UK

Do you experience symptoms including multiple food intolerances that have developed for no apparent reason? Do you experience bloating, digestive issues after eating certain foods?

This may be due to a condition known as Leaky gut or more scientifically as Intestinal Permeability.

 

What is Leaky Gut?

Leaky gut, also known as increased intestinal permeability, is a condition where the lining of the intestines becomes more porous than usual. [Source: PubMed]

The lining of your intestines sprawls across more than 4,000 square feet of surface area.

Functioning optimally, this lining serves as a barrier, regulating what substances enter the bloodstream.

However, a compromised gut lining can develop significant gaps, enabling partially digested food, toxins, and pathogens to penetrate into the underlying tissues.

This leakage can trigger inflammation throughout the body and may contribute to various health issues, including digestive problems, food sensitivities, autoimmune disorders, and other chronic conditions.  Source: PubMed

 

What are the symptoms of Leaky Gut?

Some of the symptoms of leaky gut include:

 

  • Constipation
  • Diarrhoea
  • Flatulence
  • Bloating
  • Abdominal pain
  • Difficulty tolerating foods
  • Skin issues
  • Fatigue and Brain fog
  • Asthma
  • Depression
  • food allergies and sensitivities
  • Headaches
  • autoimmune diseases such as lupus, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis
  • chronic fatigue syndrome
  • fibromyalgia
  • arthritis, 
  • acne,
  • obesity
  • mental illnesses.

 

 

What causes Leaky gut?

 

Imbalance in Gut Microbiota:

When the balance of bacteria in the gut gets disrupted (known as dysbiosis), it can lead to inflammation and damage to the intestinal barrier. This imbalance can be caused by various factors like antibiotics, diet, aging, genetics, and stress.

 

Infections such as Helicobacter Pylori:

Certain infections, such as Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, can change how permeable the intestines are. Even viruses that infect bacteria (bacteriophages) might play a role. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that can infect the stomach lining. When H. pylori bacteria infect the stomach, they can cause inflammation and damage to the stomach lining, leading to conditions like gastritis and ulcers.

 

The link with H. pylori and intestinal permeability is that the infection can sometimes affect the tight junctions between cells in the stomach and intestines, making them more permeable. This increased permeability can allow harmful substances produced by H. pylori, such as toxins, to pass through the gut barrier and enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to systemic effects and further complications.

 

 

Diet:

A diet high in sugars, saturated fats, processed foods, and low in fibre, is believed to initiate increased intestinal permeability.

 

Stress:

Psychological stress and physical stressors like endurance exercise can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria and contribute to gut permeability.

 

Medications:

Certain medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics, can affect the gut lining and increase permeability.

 

Alcohol:

Heavy alcohol use is associated with disruption of the gut barrier.

 

Other Factors:

Pregnancy and dietary components like emulsifiers in foods and bile acids may also play a role in increasing intestinal permeability.

 

Source PubMed

 

 

What are the most reliable tests for Leaky Gut Syndrome?

There are several tests that can be conducted to test for Leaky Gut syndrome. These include stool, urine and blood tests. Please scroll down below to read more about Leaky Gut tests. You can also contact us by phone, or email.

 

Our most comprehensive Test for Leaky Gut is a GI-MAP test

Stool tests- Zonulin- GI MAP

£355

This comprehensive stool test will also examine Zonulin as well a number of pathogens including candida, parasites and bacteria and Helicobacter Pylori.

These markers may o be underlying causes of Intestinal Permeability.

Zonulin can be conducted as a stand-alone or as part of our comprehensive GI MAP stool test.

You can order the GI-MAP with Zonulin test by clicking  here

 

 

Blood Tests for Leaky Gut  £345

 If you would like to order this test please contact us

The Advanced Intestinal Barrier Assessment is a comprehensive blood test if you think you might have Intestinal Permeability and want to find out what might be causing it. It is an extremely thorough test and checks for a combination of markers that may be linked to Leaky gut.  The markers that will be covered in the test are listed below:

 

  • Zonulin
  • Histamine
  • Diamine oxidase (DAO)
  • Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) IgA, IgG, IgM

 

What is the link between Zonulin and Intestinal Permeability?

Zonulin is a protein that plays a crucial role in regulating the tight junctions between cells lining the intestines. These tight junctions act as gatekeepers, controlling the passage of substances through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. If your levels of zonulin become elevated, it can lead to increased intestinal permeability.

Histamine Intolerance: Individuals with leaky gut may also experience histamine intolerance. When the gut lining is compromised, it can lead to impaired metabolism of histamine. This means the body may not be able to break down histamine properly, leading to an accumulation of histamine and associated symptoms such as headaches, digestive issues, skin problems, and more.

 

Diamine oxidase (DAO)

Diamine Metabolism: DAO is responsible for breaking down histamine in the gut. When DAO levels are insufficient, histamine can accumulate in the body, contributing to symptoms associated with histamine intolerance. In the context of leaky gut, where the intestinal barrier is compromised, the absorption of histamine and other substances increases. If DAO levels are low, the ability to metabolize this increased histamine load may be impaired, exacerbating symptoms related to histamine intolerance.

 

 

 

Zonulin Stand-alone  £100

 If you would like to order this test please contact us

If you would like to test for  zonulin as a standalone  levels can also be assessed via a stool test.

Blood Zonulin £120

 If you would like to order this test please contact us

If you would like to test for Zonulin in the blood, we can refer you to get a blood draw.

We offer a test calle enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It measures  zonulin in your blood.  If your zonulin levels are higher than normal , it could mean you have a leaky gut.

Dr. Alessio Fasano’s  research has indicated that the ingestion of gluten will cause the release of zonulin.

 

 

How is Leaky Gut treated?

Supplements including Proboitics, Vitamin A and D, Zinc , short-chain fatty acids, methionine, glutamine, and probiotics may help restore intestinal permeability.

In addition following a healthy anti-inflammatory diet has been shown to help as well as following the Low-Fodmap diet.

 

 

How can I book a consultation?

 

If you would like to book a consultation, please contact us on 0345 1297996. During the consultation we will review your symptoms, recommend appropriate tests and give you detailed dietary and supplement advice to restore and repair your Gut Lining.

 

Do Doctors recognise leaky gut?

Scientific research does indicate that there is a correlation between increased intestinal permeability, ‘leaky gut’, and Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.

However, it is unlikely that your GP will provide leaky gut tests on the NHS.

 

 

Leaky Gut Tests

Have any questions? Call us now!

0345 1297996

FAQ

What are the symptoms of Leaky Gut?

Leaky Gut Symptoms

The main symptoms include:

Digestive problems including:

Bloating

Gas

Constipation

Diarrhoea

Food Intolerances- Developing multiple food sensitivities or intolerances to certain foods that were previously well-tolerated could signal a leaky gut.

Chronic fatigue: Feeling persistently tired or exhausted despite adequate rest and sleep might be linked to leaky gut syndrome.

Skin problems:  Acne, Eczema, Rashes

Autoimmune conditions: Joint pain, muscle aches, or inflammation might be connected to leaky gut.

Mood disturbances: Mood swings, anxiety, depression, or difficulty concentrating

What causes Leaky Gut?

Several factors are believed to contribute to the development of leaky gut, including:

Diet: A diet high in sugars, saturated fats, processed foods, and low in fibre  is thought to initiate the process of increased intestinal permeability.

Stress: Psychological stress as well as physical stressors such as endurance exercise can disrupt the balance of the gut microbiota and contribute to gut permeability.

Medications: Certain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics, can affect the gut lining and increase permeability.

Alcohol: Heavy alcohol use is also associated with disruption of the gut barrier.

Other factors: Pregnancy and certain dietary components like emulsifiers and bile acids may also contribute to increased intestinal permeability.

There may also be links with Candida overgrowth, SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth  or intestinal parasites

 

 

Does Candida Overgrowth cause Leaky Gut?

Candida may damage the integrity of your gut lining, this may cause, pathogens such as bacteria and undigested food particles to enter the blood stream leading to leaky gut.

How can I treat Leaky Gut?

You will need to talk to a skilled professional who can best advise you on underlying causes supplements and diet.  You can call us on 0345 1297996.

You may be advised  to follow a strict diet and eliminate all inflammatory foods. You may  also need to take some  some probiotics and supplements to help heal the Gut-barrier.  It is recommended that you seek help from a qualified nutritionist. If you would like to book a consultation with a specialist please  contact us