When I first began writing and educating patients about Leaky Gut Syndrome and its connection to chronic disease (25+ years ago), it was not a well-known condition. I first wrote about it in The Detox Solution: The Missing Link to Radiant Health, Abundant Energy, Ideal Weight, and Peace of Mind. I had been observing it in patients for years and it made sense from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective. I was compelled to find current research on the subject. Thanks to pioneers such as one of my master teachers, Dr. Jeffrey Bland, the “father” of Functional Medicine, I was able to find information and solutions to help my patients.
In those days, the term “Leaky Gut” sounded like a humorous, made-up condition, the idea of a gut-brain connection was considered “out there”, and research on beneficial bacteria, candida overgrowth, and the microbiome was nearly non-existent. Although Chinese medicine had emphasized the gut-brain connection for thousands of years, these concepts were still emerging in the Western world.
Thankfully times have changed, and the very real condition of Leaky Gut Syndrome and the importance of the gut-brain connection have hit the mainstream.
But, despite all the information and research swirling around, one root cause of Leaky Gut has remained largely unrecognized.