# 'Leaky gut' leads to irritable bowels



## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

2004-03-31 'Leaky gut' leads to irritable bowels Tainted water tragedy yields new explanation for common intestinal condition A "leaky gut" could help explain why some people develop irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) after an intestinal infection, says a researcher who studied victims of the tainted water tragedy in Walkerton, Ont.Seven people died and more than 2,000 were sickened when the town's water supply was contaminated by E. coli bacteria in May 2000.Some residents continue to suffer from IBS, a condition characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation and bloating."One of the frustrating things with IBS is people can describe the symptoms, but clinicians struggle to find the source and explanation for these symptoms ... so patients feel they're dismissed," says Dr. John Marshall, an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton. "It can be a nuisance or quite disabling, and many people in Walkerton remain unwell."Marshall is the lead author of a new study that may help explain how those symptoms start.The study involved 132 Walkerton residents with IBS and 86 residents without the condition. Average age was 46 years and about 60 per cent were female.Nearly 36 per cent of IBS cases had abnormal intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut syndrome," a condition in which the lining of the intestines allows more bacteria, toxins and food to leak in and potentially irritate the deeper tissue layers. In comparison, less than 19 per cent of non-IBS participants had a leaky gut.Marshall says his findings represent only a small piece of the entire IBS puzzle, but he hopes they will provide the basis for future research in the Walkerton population.


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## gownowoften (Dec 5, 2003)

Dr Finsand has produced a 4 page pamphlet that explains how the xanthones found in MANGOSTEEN travel thru the gut ,reduce inflamation,kill bacteria,& eliminate parasites. He says "fortunately,the xanthones in the mangosteen fruit are the most powerful anti-inflammatory I have ever found. They reduce gut inflamation,& the diseases that soon follow." He points out that poor eating habits like drinking liquids 30 minutes either side of a meal dilutes the acid content of the stomach resulting in : 1. Inhibited breaking down of food that can be absorbed, 2. less acid which normally flows into the small intestine & keeps it almost bacteria free. He says "both points are important as they lead to inflammation of the gut lining.


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## badfoot (Oct 5, 1999)

I was under the impression that leaky gut was a theory and not a medically accepted condition. Has this changed?


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## gownowoften (Dec 5, 2003)

Leaky gut certainly does exist, I should know ,I had it for many years. It can affect just about every part of you, as your system can absorb toxins, bacteria, candida(fungus),putrifying food particles,& gases. Some of the symptoms are; C.F.S, Thyroid instability, sore throat,hoarseness,headaches,sore eyes,palpitations ,weight loss.,blurred vision, & general malaise, weakness with flu like symptoms. Yea ,all that on top of I,B,S, D & C. The mangosteen juice allows the gut wall to heal so you get less,& less symptoms.


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Bump to link with my Permeability post.Oh and take the "mangosteen poster" with a pinch of salt.


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Here the direct link posted from Mr.Roberts:http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi...36.2004.02284.xAlimentary Pharmacology & TherapeuticsVolume 20 Page 1317 - December 2004doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2004.02284.x Volume 20 Issue 11-12 Intestinal permeability in patients with irritable bowel syndrome after a waterborne outbreak of acute gastroenteritis in Walkerton, Ontario J. K. Marshall*, M. Thabane*, A. X. Gargâ€ , W. Clarkâ€ , J. Meddingsâ€¡ & S. M. Collins* for the WEL Investigatorsâ€ Summary Background: Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome is a common clinical phenomenon of uncertain aetiology.Aim: To test the association between intestinal permeability and irritable bowel syndrome symptoms 2 years after a large waterborne outbreak of bacterial gastroenteritis.Methods: Consecutive adults with Rome I irritable bowel syndrome and controls without irritable bowel syndrome attending a community clinic were enrolled. Intestinal permeability was measured as the ratio of fractional urinary excretions of lactulose and mannitol, and compared among cases vs. controls and predictors of abnormal intestinal permeability were assessed.Results: A total of 218 subjects (132 irritable bowel syndrome cases and 86 non-irritable bowel syndrome controls) completed the study protocol. About 27 (12%) had been diagnosed with the irritable bowel syndrome before the outbreak and 115 (53%) had been ill during the outbreak. Lactuloseâ€"mannitol ratios were increased among cases vs. controls (Mannâ€"Whitney mean rank 118.8 vs. 95.3, P = 0.007), and cases were more likely to have a ratio >0.020 (P = 0.007). Among cases, those with increased intestinal permeability were more likely to report increased stool frequency. Both irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and male gender, but not diarrhoeal illness during the outbreak, were significant predictors of abnormal permeability.Conclusions: *Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms are associated with a subtle increase in intestinal permeability * irrespective of prior gastroenteritis. This may improve understanding of the aetiology of both sporadic and post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome.


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