Leaky Gut Syndrome: An Interplay Between Nutrients and Dysbiosis

The gut microbiota (GM) is directly related to health and disease. In this context, disturbances resulting from excessive stress, unbalanced diet, alcohol abuse, and antibiotic use, among other factors, can contribute to microbiota imbalance, with significant impacts on host health. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the literature on the influence of diet on dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability over the past five years.

Diet can be considered one of the main modulating factors of GM, impacting its composition and functionality. Excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates, saturated fats, and processed foods appears to be directly linked to dysbiosis, which can lead to intestinal hyperpermeability and leaky gut syndrome. On the other hand, diets primarily composed of food groups such as nuts, vegetables, fruits, fish, and poultry in moderate quantities, along with limited consumption of red and processed meats, are associated with a more diverse, healthier, and beneficial GM for the host. It is worth noticing that the use of prebiotics and probiotics, omega-3 supplementation, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins A, B, C, D, and E can positively modulate the intestinal microbiota by altering its metabolic activity, microbial composition, and improve intestinal barrier function. This review points to a new perspective regarding individualized dietary intervention and the need to integrate it into several aspects of cellular biology, biochemistry, and microbiology to prescribe more effective diets and thus contribute to patients' comprehensive health.