The leaky gut syndrome is generally not recognized by conventional physicians. If you ask your general physician if you have leaky gut, chances are you’ll get a funny look like he/she does not know what you’re talking about.

On the other hand, a functional medicine doctor may consider runny some tests to look for clues to confirm leaky gut or bacterial dysbiosis.

The leaky gut is the manifestation of the vicious cycle of allergy, malnutrition, bacterial dysbiosis and liver stress.

Each problem feeds into the next and the cycle just keep going and your symptoms continue to get worse.

Leaky gut, as the words suggest, is describing a “HOLEy” intestine.

By the way, leaky gut does have a fancier scientific name – “increased intestinal permeability” or “intestinal hyperpermeability”.

In a normal healthy intestine, the cells lining the intestinal walls are glued very tightly to each other. In fact, the joining point of the cells are called tight junction, so we’re reminded that they’re tight.

The intestine is the body’s first line of defense against the outside world. No matter how clean you wash your hands, utensils, cook your food or raw food. There’ll be unwanted guests being ingested the same time.

This is where our intestines save our lives everyday as our shining armor. The intestine wall is supposed to block out everything that is harmful to our body, and selectively allow what our body needs to pass through into the circulatory system or lymphatic system. Just like a bouncer at the club entrance. No entrance if you’re not on the VIP list.

For reasons we’ll discuss shortly, the intestine lining gets challenged and the integrity of the tight junction is being sabotaged, resulting in a compromised defense mechanism and the intestinal wall become less selective of what’s allowed to cross the barrier into the blood stream.

This can be dangerous, as we already mentioned, God knows what else is in the food we eat.

With the not-so-tight junction now, anything that can fit through the gap, will enter. That means, partially digested food now can get through without being thoroughly digested. Bacteria, virus and fungus can enter into the bloodstream. Toxins from liver and bile generated from the body.

The not-so-tight junction is now free for all.

When the intestine is exposed to all kinds of foreign substances, the immune system is activated, mast cells are deployed and histamine is released. This immune reaction makes the gut even leakier, then more undigested food past through, then more allergic reaction. And it keeps going, and going, and going…

Leaky gut also results in liver dysfunction and pancreatic insufficiency, which further impede food digestion and toxin accumulation, and making the gut more permeable, creating a vicious cycle of food allergy, malnutrition, gut bacteria imbalance and liver distress.

With damaged cell lining and pancreatic insufficiency, nutrients are not absorbed properly. As a result, malnutrition happens, which further aggravates the structure, integrity and function of the epithelial cells in the intestines.

Under normal conditions, intestinal epithelial cells dies and regenerate every three to six days. This is a very demanding task that requires lots of energy and nutrients. The malnutrition, which is the result of poor nutrient absorption from the leaky gut, would hider epithelial cell repair and regeneration. As a result, the intestinal wall continues to get weaker and weaker because the body cannot catch up with the demand to regenerate new cells.

With nutrients not being absorbed properly, the microbiota in the gut will be affected as well. You can imagine overgrowth of all kinds of bacterial, fungus, other organism out of proportion leading to bacterial dysbiosis. 

These guys are supposed to be living in harmony with each other and with our guts. When certain one species grow too fast, they overcrowds the other. Even if it’s the good bacteria that is growing too fast. Too much of a good thing is not always better.

This results in disruption of the intestinal harmony and with the now bigger organism population, we also have a waste control problem.

The liver in people with leaky gut has to work extra hard to remove the uninvited guests that enter the leaky gut, and get rid of the toxic waste generated in the crazy overpopulated gut microbiota.

The situation is putting the liver in stress.

Cytochrome P-450 oxidase is induced and the liver starts making more free radicals. The result is damaging to the liver cells. The liver dumps the toxic free radicals into the bile, which is excreted via the intestine.

The problem does not stop here. This is just the beginning.

While the toxic bile is traveling in the intestine towards the colon and hopefully, out of the body, some of the toxin is being reabsorbed back into the system. Remember from physiology class, our body normally reabsorbs some of the bile back.

Yikes…

Not only that, the toxic bile is damaging to the bile duct, intestinal wall and it can also reflux into the pancreas, affecting nutrient digestion.

This whole scenario just feeds further into the leaky gut, making the intestine more permeable to intruders.

And the cycle keeps going.

There is no definitive test for leaky gut.

When undigested food particles and waste seep into the bloodstream, the immune system responds with inflammation throughout the body, leading to a variety of tell-tale signs.

Common signs and symptoms of leaky gut in children include:

• Digestive system upset such as bloating, tummy pain, irregular bowel movements, constipation and diarrhea;
• Bedwetting, stool incontinence
  
• red ears or red rashes anywhere around the body, particularly around the mouth and cheeks.
• Food intolerances, food sensitivities or food allergies;
  
• Asthma, shortness of breath
  
• Frequent and recurrent colds and ear infections;
  
• Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and acne;
  
• Brain fog, headaches or poor cognitive function;
  
• Anger, anxiety, depression, mood swing
  

If you have one or more of the above symptoms, a leaky gut is very likely. 

The result in paradoxical malabsorption of nutrients meaning that your child is eating food, but not absorbing the nutrient from the food.

This explains why your child is always hungry even though they had just ate because they’re not getting the nutrients they need. 

Digestion issues, such as constipation, diarrhea, bedwetting, fecal incontinence, are very common among children with ADHD. 

A study of more than 700,000 children found that children with ADHD are three times more likely to have chronic constipation and six times more likely to have fecal incontinence than kids without ADHD.

The intestine needs a combination of both good and bad bacteria to do all its job correctly. When the intestinal gut balance is disrupted and out-of-balance, mental and physical health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and even cancer, can happen.

The intestines are host to over 1,000 different species of bacteria, known as the “gut microbiome.” Every individual has his or her own microbiome make-up, similar to DNA.

There are 3-4 pounds of bacteria living in your gut working diligently for you. These bacteria help digest and absorb nutrients and move food through your intestine. They also keep your intestine lining secure and intact to keep foreign intruders out of your system.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD are both early-onset neurodevelopmental disorders. They are both umbrella terms that cover a wide range of abnormal behaviors and developmental disorders.

ADHD is characterized by inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive behavior whereas the key symptoms of ASD include social deficits, communication deficits, and stereotypical behavior.

Children with ADHD and ASD also share similar behavioral symptoms such as anger outbursts, impulsivity, aggressiveness, agitation, and emotional meltdowns. Indeed, research shows that ASD and ADHD frequently exist together. 

Studies have shown that children with autism and ADHD experience more stomach and digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea, and sensitivity to foods six to eight times more often than children who are developing typically.

Aside from being painful and uncomfortable, gut issues have been shown to affect those with ASD profoundly. Digestive symptoms were found to be related to behavioral problems, including social withdrawal, irritability, and repetitive behaviors.

The treatment of leaky gut generally does not involve any big gun pharmaceuticals that are loaded with toxins and dangerous side effects.

To find the right treatment, we need to first understand the causes. Otherwise, we’re just keep putting bandaids on the symptoms.

Now that we have a better understanding of the etiology of leaky gut.

There are many possible causes of leaky gut. Definitely, anything that’s harmful to the intestines, such as chronic inflammation, food sensitivity, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) therapy, cytotoxic drugs and radiation or certain antibiotics, excessive alcohol consumption, or compromised immunity.

Children and adults with ADD/ADHD generally have a weak frontal lobe. The brain has many areas that are involved in gut function. This includes the frontal cortex, insular cortex, hypothalamus, and vagal motor nuclei. It is the vagal motor nuclei that work directly with the gut via nerve branches and chemical messengers. For nerves to function they have to be activated. One of the biggest activators of the vagal nerve and nuclei is the frontal lobe.

If the frontal lobe is weak it does not activate the vagal nuclei well and therefore the gut will not function well either. This will cause changes in gut motility, changes in the release of digestive enzymes, intestinal valve control, gallbladder function, pancreatic function, pain processing, and intestinal blood flow. 

What does that translate to? 

Poor nutrient breaks down, poor nutrient absorption, the potential for GERD, constipation, and leaky gut.

Other causes of leaky gut and corresponding digestive symptoms in kids with ADHD may also include the standard American Diet (SAD), candida or yeast overgrowth, and bacterial overgrowth.

The SAD consists of highly processed packaged foods, fast foods and processed foods that are stripped off of all the nutrients during the manufacturing process, and genetically modified grains and dairy products. The standard American diet is also high in refined sugar and processed oils, both of which induce systemic inflammation that results in leaky gut. Gluten and dairy are the two foods most kids crave and the two they are usually most sensitive to, which can cause many of their ADD/ADHD symptoms.

The SAD lacks nutrient-rich foods, such as fresh animal protein, raw nuts and seeds, and vegetables. 

One very inflammatory food is gluten (yes, gluten) due to how it has been hybridized and deaminated. There is scientific evidence that links gluten to leaky gut. The second most common inflammatory food includes dairy due to whey and casein. 

Does your child have frequent ear infections needing antibiotics? Does your child also crave sugar?

Frequent use of antibiotics for ear infection not only kills the bacteria that cause the infection, but it also kills the good bacteria living in the gut. This could potentially cause yeast and bacterial overgrowth.

Candida is a fungus, a form of yeast that lives in your mouth and intestines in small groups. Surprisingly, with all the bad reputation, candida, fungus, or yeast do have a few benefits.

It helps with the digestion and absorption of nutrients. It also makes some essential vitamins and nutrients for the human host, while the human host provides them with a lovely warm home in the intestines.

But when the good bacteria are wiped out by antibiotics or not fed well with a high fiber diet, or there’s too much sugar to feed the yeast, the gut’s delicate ecosystem is damaged leading to a leaky gut. Then, yeast and other harmful organisms take over.

Candida is an opportunistic fungus, which means it thrives or multiplies freely when the opportunity opens up, such as a high sugar diet. These little guys become trouble when there are too many of them.

Candida produces toxins that can leak from the gut into the brain and block the prefrontal cortex, which we now know is smaller in the ADHD brain. This results in hyperactivity, anger, irritability, moodiness, poor memory, poor attention, sleep problem, and inappropriate behaviors.

Children are particularly vulnerable to these kinds of insult because of their immature immune system.

Telltale signs of candida overgrowth are addictive behaviors towards sweets and sugar. Like the saying, “I’ll kill for a cookie,” and calms down completely after eating sugar.

Does your child also have persistent diarrhea that does not go away? Has your child been on antibiotics and/or stomach acid suppressants?

Your child’s aggressive behaviors may also be the result of a clostridium difficile infection.

A new study shows the potentially deadly diarrhea bug Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, is spreading among children in the community.

76% of new cases of C. diff infection are in children that had recently been prescribed antibiotics. 20% had taken stomach acid-reducing drugs, which is linked to increased risks for C. diff infection.

Don’t demand antibiotics if your doctor says your child doesn’t need them. Nearly 50% of antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed.

Studies also suggest the majority of people who take the popular class of stomach acid-reducing drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — including Aciphex, Dexilant, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, and Protonix — don’t need them.

If your child’s aggressive behaviors become worse when starting ADHD medications that boost dopamine, they may most likely have a c. diff infection. And that’s the leaky gut in ADHD…it’s imbalanced because of poor dietary choices, yeast overgrowth and possibly bacterial infection from improper use of antibiotics and stomach acid suppressant.

Now that we have more understanding of what leaky gut is and what the causes are, let’s explore the journey to healing.

Notice that I use the word “journey”…meaning healing is a process and will take time. There is no shortcut. 

Remember the vicious cycle of leaky gut did not happen overnight and so is the healing process.

Are you ready for a change for the better?

Here are the critical steps toward a healthy and happy gut.

We know the gut is very delicate and sensitive, and so the first order of business is to stop putting toxin in your body.

Translation: Change your diet.

1. Eat a Real Food Plant-based Diet

As Michael Pollan eloquently states “Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants” in his book “Omnivore’s Dilemma”.

Researches, studies, multiple counts of experiences point toward the beneficial effects of an anti-inflammatory real food plant-based diet.

2. Include omega-3 fatty acids and gamma-linolenic acid GLA

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are the substrates for prostaglandin synthesis. Fish oil has been shown to resolve intestinal mucosal injury and stops the systemic response to endotoxin. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) promotes the synthesis of E-series prostaglandins, which decrease permeability.

Our body can make GLA from linoleic acid via an enzymatic reaction catalyzed by deta-desaturase (D6D). However, this reaction is limiting and consumption of excessive vegetable oils may increase the free radical content of bile and exacerbates the effects of endotoxin.

EFAs should be consumed in the most concentrated and physiologically active form to avoid exposure to large quantities of polyunsaturated fatty acids from dietary oils.

Good dietary sources of GLA are evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, hemp seed oil and borage oil.

3. Bone broth is beneficial for leaky gut. A colleague buys “chicken feet” from Whole Foods and boils them with some vegetables for 24 hours in a slow cooker to get all the gelatin out of the bone. Just flavor with a little salt and you have a yummy broth for your tummy.

4. Insoluble fiber has been shown to decrease permeability. So eat a diet rich in insoluble fiber or supplement with pure cellulose or rice bran. An added benefit of rice bran is gamma oryzanol. It is an antioxidant in rice bran that has healing effects in gastric and duodenal ulceration.

Soluble fiber, on the other hand, increases permeability, and should be consumed in limited amount.

5. Chewing your food well may actually help to nourish your gut with salivary Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF). It is a polypeptide that stimulates growth and repair of epithelial tissue. It is found throughout your body, with high concentrations in salivary glands, prostate glands and in the duodenum.

6. Take a probiotics supplement containing Lactobacillus GG may help repopulate the good bacteria population that is the result of the leaky gut, and reverse bacterial dysbiosis.

7. Supplement your diet with glutamine, which is an important substrate for the maintenance of intestinal metabolism and integrity. Glutamine supplementation has been shown to reverse intestinal mucosal injury, resulting in less villous atrophy, increased mucosal healing and decreased passage of endotoxin through the gut wall.

8. Support your liver with glutathione (GSH), which is an important component of the antioxidant defense against free radical-induced tissue damage. Hepatic GSH is a key ingredient for reducing toxic oxygen metabolites and oxidized xenobiotics in the liver. When the liver is working overtime trying the get rid of the toxic waste in the leaky, the demand for glutathione is high because the liver is using it up very quickly. The most effective way to increase glutathione level in the liver is to supplement with its dietary precursors, cysteine or methionine, such as N-acetylcysteine. Flavonoids in milk thistle (silymarin) and in the dandelion root (taraxacum) also help to support the liver by protecting against reactive oxygen species.

9. An additional step to support and nurture your liver is to let it rest, as in stop ingesting more toxins from processed foods, fast foods, food colorings, food additives, pesticides, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, medications, legal drugs, etc.

NSAIDs are all your painkillers. They are known to cause GI bleeding. I know you need them to control your pain. Did you know most of your aches and pains are the result of systemic inflammation caused by all the toxins you put in your body?

That’s why I put this step last. Because when you start doing all the things listed above, your body is slowly healing itself and recovering, and the inflammation eventually stops and so will your aches and pain. And when that comes, you’ll not need your pain killer anymore.

10. Relaxation helps lower stress hormones. Activities like yoga, meditation, walk in nature, hiking, exercise, etc. These activities not only reduce your stress hormones, but they can also increase your feel-good hormone – endorphins.

When you follow these steps, your gut will start feeling better, aches and pain will disappear, brain fog will clear up, and ADHD symptoms will improve.

For adults old enough to buy alcohol:

11. And of course avoid alcohol even if it’s red wine.

Sorry…I know it’s confusing. One says red wine is good for you and another says alcohol is bad for you. If you have a leaky gut, alcohol is definitely bad for you. So sober up, at least until your leaky gut is under control.

And did you know…you can get the same resveratrol from a supplement and minus the alcohol and save your liver.

Ok, there you have it…

I hope you find this information helpful. Let me know what you think and comment below.

Remember ADHD does not doom your child to a life of under-achievement. You know your child is bright, full of potential, and deserves the best. In fact, many of the world’s most significant discoveries and inventions were made by people with ADHD.

I helped my crazy wild child who couldn’t read or write when she was little, overcome her learning difficulties and become a merit scholarship student majoring in premed at Loyola Chicago University.

So don’t give up; everything is possible.

If you’re just starting on this natural ADHD treatment journey and still in the research phase, check out my new book, Eat to Focus.