“Leaky gut,” more accurately known as intestinal hyper-permeability, is one of the drivers of many health conditions and disease processes. While certainly not complete, our understanding of this condition has been growing over the past several decades. So, what is leaky gut and why should you care about it? In this article you’ll learn why the anatomy and function of the gut lining are so important, some of the various influences that can make the gut “leaky,” and symptoms/diseases associated with leaky gut.