Intestinal permeability

Intestinal permeability is like a fence that separates the inside of our body from the outside world. Just like how our house has a fence to keep strangers out, our intestines have a 'fence' too to keep bad things (like germs and harmful substances) from getting into our bodies.

Sometimes, this 'fence' can become weak or damaged which makes it easier for bad things to get through. When this happens, you might hear doctors talk about 'leaky gut'. It's like having holes in the fence that let things through that shouldn't be there.

When this happens, our body can become sick because the bad things that get through the fence can cause inflammation, reactions or infections which can make us feel poorly.

Doctors can treat this by looking at factors that might be damaging the 'fence'. Some of these are things like poor diet, stress, infections, or medications. Addressing these factors can help to fix the fence and make our bodies healthy again.