Colostrum for Gut Permeability ("Leaky Gut")
Bovine colostrum has not been shown to reliably reduce intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"). The human evidence is weak, comes almost entirely from athletes, relies on indirect lab markers, and points in conflicting directions.
Why this grade7-layer evidence engine
This claim is graded Weak (Tier C) because the trials are small, narrow, and contradictory. A 2024 meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (PMID 38361147) found only a small drop in urinary lactulose/rhamnose and lactulose/mannitol ratios, with extreme heterogeneity (I-squared 99%) and no change in the gut-injury marker I-FABP. A 2022 systematic review of athletes (PMID 35745242) found just 4 of 9 trials showed reduced permeability, one showed an increase, and one no change.
Individual trials disagree. A small RCT (PMID 28397754) normalized the lactulose/mannitol ratio and lowered stool zonulin in most participants, and another (PMID 29574607) blunted the post-exercise I-FABP rise. But a chronic-training RCT giving 60 g/day (PMID 22253980) made permeability markedly worse, raising the lactulose/rhamnose ratio about 251%. All endpoints are surrogate lab markers, not patient symptoms, and subjects were mostly exercising athletes rather than people with general 'leaky gut.'
Regulators and major clinics do not endorse it. The FDA called marketed 'Leaky Gut Syndrome' colostrum products unapproved new drugs, and EFSA rejected all related health claims. Cleveland Clinic says there is not enough information to recommend it and that 'leaky gut' is not a recognized diagnosis; Mayo Clinic and Harvard Health say benefit in humans remains unproven; and a 2024 AGA Gastroenterology article notes the label is often applied inappropriately.
Scoring transparency
All scores computed by a 7-layer evidence engine — fully auditable▸View the full decision path (audit trail)
- compute_raw_score — 加權公式: L2×0.30 + L3×0.25 + L5×0.25 + L11×0.10 + L1×0.10 = 0.427
- tier_from_score — 依分數區間映射至 tier letter
- apply_hec_rules — 高品質 SR/MA 顯示 positive (1 篇 > 0 negative)
- tier_strict_requirement_check — Tier 條件達標，未降階
- detect_disputes — 偵測到 0 個 hard + 0 個 soft dispute
- decide_status — 依 tier + dispute 結果決定 status