Understanding What Drives Leaky Gut &
Why the Nervous System Matters

“Leaky gut” refers to increased intestinal permeability. It means the protective lining of the gut becomes less effective at acting as a barrier between the digestive tract and the bloodstream.

This is not a diagnosis on its own, but a functional pattern that can contribute to digestive symptoms, food sensitivities, inflammation, fatigue, skin issues, joint pain and immune activation.

Leaky gut reflects how digestion, the microbiome, immune function and nervous system regulation have interacted over time.

What Leaky Gut Really Is

A healthy gut lining is constantly renewing itself. It relies on good digestion, adequate nutrients, balanced microbes and calm immune signalling.

Intestinal permeability commonly increases when this environment is disrupted.

Common contributors include:

  • chronic stress and nervous system activation

  • dysbiosis or bacterial overgrowth

  • recurrent infections or food poisoning

  • long-term use of anti-inflammatory or acid-suppressing medication

  • alcohol excess

  • inflammatory diets

  • nutrient deficiencies, especially zinc, glutamine and vitamin A

  • chronic inflammation of the gut lining

  • autoimmune or inflammatory conditions

  • disrupted sleep

This is why leaky gut often overlaps with IBS, food sensitivities, autoimmune conditions, skin issues and chronic fatigue.

The Gut–Brain Axis

The gut lining is directly influenced by stress hormones and nervous system signalling.

When the body is in fight, flight, freeze or shutdown, blood flow to the gut changes, immune activity shifts and repair processes slow down. Over time, this can weaken the integrity of the gut barrier.

Many people notice symptoms began or worsened during periods of:

  • prolonged stress or burnout

  • emotional trauma

  • illness

  • major life disruption

  • long-term sleep deprivation

For some, increased permeability reflects not just physical strain, but a body that has been under threat for too long.

Why Common Leaky Gut Advice Falls Short

Supplements such as glutamine, collagen or zinc can be helpful, but they rarely address:

  • why inflammation persists

  • why microbial balance remains unstable

  • why digestion is impaired

  • or why stress signalling continues to disrupt repair

Without addressing these foundations, the gut lining struggles to fully recover.

What Actually Helps Long Term

Healing the gut barrier requires changing the environment in which it is trying to repair.

This often involves:

Reducing inflammation
Through targeted nutrition and trigger identification.

Balancing the microbiome
So beneficial bacteria can support gut lining health.

Supporting digestion
Improving stomach acid, enzyme output and bile flow.

Rebuilding key nutrients
Needed for tissue repair and immune regulation.

Regulating the nervous system
Lowering chronic stress hormones that interfere with healing.

Creating sustainable habits
Around sleep, eating, movement and recovery.

When these layers are supported together, the gut lining can gradually become more resilient and less reactive.

TLDR

What drives leaky gut
Increased intestinal permeability develops when digestion, microbial balance, immune activity, inflammation and nervous system regulation are disrupted.

The role of the nervous system
Stress states reduce blood flow to the gut and impair tissue repair, making barrier breakdown more likely and harder to reverse.

In short
Leaky gut is not just about the gut lining. It is a digestive–immune–microbiome–nervous system pattern. When these systems are supported together, healing becomes possible.

This is the Mind–Body–Biome approach.