--- title: Health: Leaky Gut Syndrome Facts and Symptoms description: Symptoms include everything from bloating and abdominal pain to asthma and mood swings canonical: https://time.com/3960937/leaky-gut-syndrome/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-19T18:00:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:23.323Z article:section: Health og:title: What You Should Know About Leaky Gut Syndrome og:description: Symptoms include everything from bloating and pain to asthma and mood swings og:url: https://time.com/3960937/leaky-gut-syndrome/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9ccb49390ee14152/69885b2d3c16394ef0458dbc/woman-stomach-cramp-pain.jpg?branch=production&width=507&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 507 og:image:height: 285 og:image:alt: woman-stomach-cramp-pain og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What You Should Know About Leaky Gut Syndrome twitter:description: Symptoms include everything from bloating and pain to asthma and mood swings twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9ccb49390ee14152/69885b2d3c16394ef0458dbc/woman-stomach-cramp-pain.jpg?branch=production&width=507&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What You Should Know About Leaky Gut Syndrome > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Will I Gain Weight If I Eat Late? [Watch (HLS stream): Will I Gain Weight If I Eat Late?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/7xmYssP8.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2015-05-15. Will I Gain Weight If I Eat Late?_ by [Roshini Raj / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Roshini Raj / Health.com Contributor Jul 19, 2015 6:00 PM UTC  Pain or cramps in stomach Pain or cramps in stomach Getty Images by [Roshini Raj / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Roshini Raj / Health.com Contributor Jul 19, 2015 6:00 PM UTC **_What’s a leaky gut, and how do I know if I have one?_** “Leaky gut syndrome,” on its own, is a diagnosis that’s not recognized across the board by conventional medicine. The theory is that having a poor diet or ingesting too many antibiotics or painkillers can damage the mucosal barrier, the layer of cells lining your intestine. Normally, this barrier lets nutrients through but blocks larger molecules and germs from getting into your bloodstream. It’s thought that a porous, or “leaky,” intestinal lining can allow food particles or germs to pass into the blood, causing inflammation throughout your body. Symptoms of a leaky gut are said to include everything from bloating, gas and abdominal pain to recurrent vaginal infections, asthma and mood swings. Some experts even claim that leaky gut can put you at risk of serious conditions such as [migraines](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20841293,00.html), [rheumatoid arthritis](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20464354,00.html) and food [allergies](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20900096,00.html). Is it for real? There is evidence that having high “intestinal permeability” is involved in the development of certain autoimmune diseases, like Crohn’s and type 1 diabetes, in people who are already predisposed to these conditions. But it remains unclear whether intestinal permeability causes issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies or asthma—or if it’s just a symptom of them. In my experience, having a “leaky gut” is mostly a symptom of a disease, not a disease on its own. There are tests your doctor can perform to measure how well your intestines are absorbing nutrients and blocking the bad stuff. The most common one involves drinking a mixture of mannitol (a small sugar molecule) and lactulose (a large one) and then testing your urine for each over six hours. But these tests are time-consuming and expensive, and they don’t reveal anything that your doctor can use to recommend treatment. So, honestly, there is no point in getting them. Some alternative medicine practitioners recommend [supplements](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20565745,00.html) or home tests (which they conveniently sell on their websites), but ignore these. The best advice for keeping your gut and its lining healthy is to eat plenty of fiber and fermented foods like kefir, or take a probiotic supplement, and stay hydrated. [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2015/07/10/what-you-should-know-about-leaky-gut-syndrome/) _More from Health.com:_ * [13 Best Foods for Your Gut Health](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20918991,00.html?xid=time) * [15 Foods That Help You Poop](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20920856,00.html?xid=time) * [13 Things You Should Know About the Stomach Flu](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20568435,00.html?xid=time) ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME ## Transcript You're watching ever well, know more, live better.. [ MUSIC ] I've always heard that if you eat late at night, it turns to fat, and I don't want that to happen. So I try not to eat after seven. Weight loss plans often have all kinds of rules to remember. One we hear all the time is never eat past eight pm If you work late like me, or have a hectic schedule, that advice can be hard to swallow. But the latest research suggests, you may not have to. [ MUSIC ] A study involving female monkeys found that eating at night is not associated with weight gain. Ditto for surveys of humans which have turned up no link to nighttime meals and weight gain or obesity. The theory behind the advice is that our metabolism slows down during sleep, so calories consumed late in the evening aren't burned as readily. While that may be true, our bodies do continue to burn calories while we sleep. [ MUSIC ] More important than when we eat is how much we eat. In studies where late night eating was tied to weight gain... People often snacked, or ate additional meals at night. Obviously chowing down on pizza or ice cream all night can lead to extra pounds. But the reason is the calories, not the clock. There is one instance where the timing of meals does matter. Studies show that skipping breakfast is associated with weight gain. So start eating early and stop after dinner. That's timeless advice that can benefit us all. 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