Alcohol and Leaky Gut Syndrome
Alcohol is viewed as one of the main causes of leaky gut syndrome. It
is already accepted that alcohol can have a toxic effect on almost
every organ in the body. It is now suggested that alcohol causes
intestinal permeability. This is believed to occur because alcohol
suppresses the production of prostaglandins. These hormonal substances
are needed because they are able to moderate inflammation. If
prostaglandins are in low supply then it allows inflammation to cause
more damage inside the gut. Another mechanism by which alcohol
exacerbates leaky gut syndrome is that it prevents some important
nutrients from being transported from the intestine into the blood.
