If you’ve struggled for years with unexplained fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, or autoimmune symptoms, the answer might lie in your gut. Leaky gut (intestinal permeability) is increasingly recognized as a central player in chronic disease. In addition, food sensitivities and food intolerance can drive persistent inflammation and symptoms. At HealthfullyU, we integrate leaky gut treatment, food sensitivity tests, and food intolerance testing within our functional medicine framework to support profound healing.
In this article we’ll cover:
- What leaky gut is, and how it contributes to chronic illness
- The role of food sensitivity / intolerance in perpetuating inflammation
- How we apply food sensitivity tests in clinic
- Strategies for effective leaky gut treatment
What Is Leaky Gut, and Why It Matters
The intestinal lining is meant to be a selective barrier: it lets nutrients through but keeps harmful substances (microbes, undigested particles) out. In leaky gut, the tight junctions loosen, allowing unwanted compounds to enter the bloodstream. This triggers:
- Systemic inflammation
- Immune activation & autoimmunity
- Nutrient malabsorption
- Worsened detox burden
Many chronic illnesses, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, neurological conditions, Lyme disease, have been linked to gut barrier dysfunction.
Food Sensitivities & Intolerances: Hidden Triggers
Many people unknowingly eat foods that provoke immune responses (delayed, non-IgE-mediated) over time. These persistent irritants can drive inflammation and slow healing.
We distinguish:
- Food sensitivity tests: measure immune reactivity (e.g. IgG, IgA) to a wide panel of foods
- Food intolerance tests: identify reactions not mediated by the immune system, e.g. enzyme deficiencies, chemical reactions
When we map these reactions, we can create a dietary plan that removes the burden of hidden triggers and gives the gut a chance to recover.
How Our Clinic Approaches Gut Healing & Tests
In our functional medicine clinic, the process is:
- Baseline testing
- A food sensitivity test panel covering 100+ foods
- Food intolerance test if needed, for non-immune reactions
- Gut microbiome, stool analysis, intestinal permeability markers
- Elimination / Rotation diet protocol
- Remove reactive foods
- Reintroduce carefully, monitoring symptoms
- Gut repair & support
- Nutrients: L-glutamine, zinc, N-acetyl glucosamine, colostrum, etc.
- Anti-microbial if dysbiosis or overgrowth is present
- Probiotics / prebiotics
- Digestive enzymes
- Detox & immune support
- Help clear endotoxins, microbial byproducts
- Reduce toxic burden so inflammation lessens
- Retesting & monitoring
- Reassess sensitivity, permeability, microbial shifts after months
- Adjust diet, supplementation, and protocols accordingly
This stepwise, tested approach ensures your gut can heal without being overwhelmed.
Why Leaky Gut Treatment Is Crucial for Chronic Illness Recovery
Ignoring gut health is a common blind spot in chronic illness care. But when leaky gut persists:
- It perpetuates immune stress
- It feeds systemic inflammation
- It undermines detoxification
- It prevents full recovery even if infections are treated
By combining leaky gut treatment, food sensitivity tests, and integrative medicine strategies, we help patients break free from cycles of relapse and symptom recurrence.