through the courtesy of the Cenova Diagnostic Lab]
It has been my experience, after being in clinical practice for nearly half a century, that in many cases, it is what the patient stays away from that brings about a healing. I am convinced that this is the case when it comes to hyperpermeable intestinal damage—or the Leaky Gut.
What Causes the Gut to Leak?
We have listed many aspects of LGS, from what happens when the gut leaks, signs and symptoms, definitions, etc. That is all well and good—but one aspect of the condition remains which must be understood. What causes the pinholes to occur in the first place? The leaky gut may be the cause of the various diseases, but what causes the leaky gut?
There is a very helpful Web site, www.candidafree.net, maintained by Mark and Alyson Cobb. On their site, they inform us of a Dr. William Cowden, a physician who studied the underlying cause of many diseases, who determined that a major etiology of many diseases is an overgrowth of candida albicans, or simply candida.
Here’s how it works. A yeast build-up forms within the folds of the small intestine. Since these are very prolific, they will continue to grow within the villi and microvilli of the intestinal walls. It is true that yeast is normally found in the intestines, but when they are allowed to grow undisturbed, the yeast begins to morph and forms a fungus deep in the folds of the intestines. They make a “home” there so to speak, and settle in. The fungus then forms roots, like a plant, called rhizoids. These rhizoids eventually actually penetrate the intestinal walls, and in so doing, they form the holes which characterize the leaky gut—thus the yeast/fungal overgrowth of candida. The rhizoids continue their growth through the walls of the intestine in their quest for blood and the glucose it contains, which is needed to feed the yeast. This process is not unlike the roots of a tree that grow deep in the ground, much longer and more extended than the tree itself, in search of water. The result is the Leaky Gut Syndrome. Therefore, the most effective way to control, alleviate or even cure the disease is to destroy the yeast overgrowth or flush it out of the system.
The Cause of the Perforations—The Yeast-Fungi-Mold Connection
We have learned that the fungus formed by yeast overgrowth is one of the major causes of the breakdown of the intestinal wall as mentioned earlier. The fungus grows roots that eventually penetrate the intestinal walls, thereby forming the holes that allow the toxic elements of bacteria, viruses, undigested protein, acids, and numerous other waste products to gain passage through the natural barrier and enter the lymphatic system.
Fig. P5—Cross-section of Intestinal Villi from Gray’s Anatomy This demonstrates the many crevasses where yeast may collect and continue to grow undisturbed.
Gray’s Anatomy (26th ed. Philadelphia, Lea and Febiger, 1954.
30th Ed., Pub. 1985, Carmine D. Clemente, Ed.)
The lymphatic system dumps into the blood circulatory system primarily through the thoracic duct, the lymphatic system’s main trunk which lies along the spine, and enters a large vein on the left, close to the heart, thus establishing the pollution of the blood stream.
We are dealing with infected or polluted blood and lymph. Blood, as you well know, goes everywhere. In fact, if any organ or cell is deprived of blood, that organ or cell malfunctions, deteriorates, and eventually dies. By everywhere I mean exactly that—from the largest organ of the body, the skin, which in the average adult measures about eighteen square feet, to the tiniest microcells of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of every description can soon become apparent, thus the reason for the many seemingly different diseases previously listed as having an inflamed, damaged, or leaky gut as their origin.
Please understand, I am not implying that all diseases are caused by a leaky gut. What I am saying is that it can be a major basic underlying cause of many, especially the chronic degenerative diseases. Perhaps more important is the fact that it is rarely taken into consideration by the attending physician. He/she will run every test imaginable to assess the cause of the patient’s problem—from blood tests, x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, isotrophic testing, sound, and mental evaluation, etc., etc., etc. But how often does a physician order a simple, inexpensive Intestinal Permeability test (lactulose/mannitol challenge)? The answer is hardly ever! And if the doctor has never heard of the test, he cannot order it. (More on this test is featured later.)
In my opinion, any physician who orders such a test when LGS is suspected is doing his patient a great service. Even if it comes back negative, at least it will give the attending doctor an indication of what may be ruled out.
I end this section with a quote from the works of Edgar Cayce when he was asked if there was an absolute cure for psoriasis (which was due to a leaky gut). His answer was:
Most of this is found in diet. There is a cure. It requires patience, persistence, and right thinking also.
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In my opinion, this short passage is Cayce’s great gift to all psoriasis and eczema patients everywhere and may very well apply to all cases in which a leaky gut is found to be the origin. In a few words he gives the answer to its remedy “most of this is found in diet.” He offers hope that “there is a cure,” and then adds what it will cost: “patience, persistence” and to top it off, “right thinking.”
Simple? Undoubtedly! Easy? Not necessarily! The attitude of the patient and those around him plays a significant role. It is not easy to change a lifestyle, especially as it relates to diet. Then there are others who would welcome a diet designed to rid their body of this devastating disease. It all goes back to priorities. “Do you want to get rid of the problem, or don’t you?” is a question I ask of patients, new ones in particular. Their answer to that one question will determine their future.
Specific Causes
After many years of research and observation, the scientific community has come up with a number of potential irritants that may play a role in developing a damaged intestinal inner wall. The following are a few that are listed in the Functional Assessment Resource Manual of the Genova (formerly Great Smokies) Diagnostic Laboratory:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)
HIV infection
Intestinal Infection
Maldigestion / Malabsorption
Alcoholism
Aging
Deficient SLGA
Giardiasis
Ingestion of allergic foods
Ingestion of offending chemicals
Trauma and endotoxins
(Ball, Runkel and Holmes, 1999, pG-31)
Having dealt with the subject for many years, I feel compelled to add my “two cents worth” to this list of substances that cause damage to the intestinal mucosa.
