Alessio Fasano, a gastroenterologist and leading expert on celiac and autoimmunity, has written a very accessible and short article on the subject. I can't find the entire article online, even though it's only a few pages long. Here is a link to the one I have in mind: Leaky gut and autoimmune diseases. - PubMed - NCBI. Think of it as a triangulation between genetic susceptibility, environmental triggers and the gut. As the abstract of the article states, "This new paradigm subverts traditional theories underlying the development of these diseases and suggests that these processes can be arrested if the interplay between genes and environmental triggers is prevented by re-establishing the zonulin-dependent intestinal barrier function."

What's interesting is that traditional medicine has thought this in one form or other for centuries going back to ancient China and Greece. Fasano's account is more detailed, nuanced and based on trials and conventional science, so it's a step forward. But what remains true is that intestinal permeability and zonulin deregulation are key to this terrible process.

I have SFN likely of autoimmune etiology, though still not certain, and I have had great results from healing my gut. Diet and supplementation aimed at healing my intestinal barrier, so leaky gut, has been the only thing helping me so far and allowing me to avoid meds entirely and to live relatively normal life, emphasis on 'relatively', since SFN takes a lot out of you. But perhaps in a few years time I'll be in a better place. Healing the damage I've done to my gut over many years will take many years itself.

Here's an article by him that I could locate: Zonulin, regulation of tight junctions, and autoimmune diseases

Good luck!

Hi David,

The links are really interesting reads, thank you. I'm always interested when the articles aren't trying to flog a book or diet.

Hi Joanna,

I'm glad to hear that. His work is very interesting and worth reading. Fasano is a conventional physician so unfortunately he doesn't focus on natural methods, so no diets or the like, but like most who know about autoimmunity, he does say no gluten for those dealing with an autoimmune disease. The diet for healing the gut or dealing with problems with intestinal permeability and so autoimmunity is pretty standard, since there's research indication what makes it worse and what better. You'll find numerous books and sites on the subject and you can find studies on PubMed. But they all pinpoint the same things to stay away from: grains, fairy, nightshades, nuts and seeds, alcohol, certain fats high in omega 6, etc. You can find good stuff that's based on research on the Paleo Mom's site, under autoimmune protocol, and the info is all there without needing to spend money and buy her book.

While it may not be possible to stop autoimmune processes, we might be able to reduce them some. And also with supplements we may be able to repair better. Cleaning up the diet will provide more nutrients for repair also and reduce inflammation.

I just read a thing on Yahoo about this:

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