Atopic disease is a group of allergic disorders such as asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis/hay fever.  These disorders are common, affecting 10% of adults and 20% of children.  It has been long thought that gut disorders play a role in atopic disorders.  Research has demonstrated that “leakiness” of the gut barrier is an important trigger of atopic disorder. (1) 

A leaky gut barrier allows bacterial toxins called lipopolysaccharides (LPS) into the system causing overactivation of the immune system which can cause atopic reactions. 

The diagram shows a leaky gut barrier where the junctional proteins that hold cells together are broken, allowing molecules in the gut to enter the immune layer triggering immune activation. 

An important question then becomes, what causes the gut barrier to become leaky?  Perhaps the most common cause is a sensitivity reaction to food peptides, particularly those in gluten. A new study examining the role of gluten/wheat sensitivity in atopic disease has supported this point. (2)

This study compared the rates of the presence of food sensitivities and atopic disorders in three gut disorders – non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), celiac disease (CD) and irritable bowel syndrome/functional dyspepsia (IBS/FD).

  All three conditions cause the gut barrier to leak, allowing a gut triggered immune reaction to now spread throughout the body and result in atopic disorders. Those with non-celiac wheat sensitivity had the highest prevalence with 32.8% or 1 in 3 to develop atopic disorders.  Remember that 10% of adults have these disorders so this is 3 times higher.

The study also looked at how many in each group had multiple food sensitivities. 

Of those with non-celiac wheat sensitivity, 39.8% had multiple food sensitivities.  Food sensitivities such as wheat/gluten peptides tend to eventually lead to reactions against other foods.  Gluten peptide contains 290 amino acids.  Smaller segments of this large gluten peptide, perhaps only 8-10 amino acids, are also in other food peptides such as casein in dairy.  Over time, the same the immune cells that react to gluten start to see other food peptides with shared smaller segments as “also gluten” triggering reactions to them.

The common cross reactors with gluten include dairy, oat, brewers and bakers’ yeast, millet, soy, corn, rice and potato.  In many cases of atopic disease triggered by a leaky gut barrier in response to gluten, will not resolve without avoidance of these cross reactors.

 In addition to removing the triggers to a leaky gut barrier, curcumin can be used to speed repair. (3)  It is also the best natural anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help rebalance the immune reaction in the area of atopic disease such as in the skin in eczema.

1. Rios-Carlos et al.  Unraveling the gut-skin axis in atopic dermatitis: exploiting insights for therapeutic strategies. Gut Microbes. 2024;16(1):2430420.
2. Seidita et al.  Atopy and Other Sensitivities in Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity: Is There an Associated Hypersensitivity Background?  Nutrients, 2026;18:609.
3. Wang et al.  Curcumin improves intestinal barrier function: modulation of intracellular signaling, and organization of tight junctions. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2017;312(4):C438-C445.
4. Mo et al.  Advancements in Dermatological Applications of Curcumin: Clinical Efficacy and Mechanistic Insights in the Management of Skin Disorders. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol, 2024;17:1083-1092.