My Intestinal Permeability Test Results During Eczema & Psoriasis Flare
If you're trying to heal eczema or psoriasis at the root cause level, you might have heard about "leaky gut" being the root cause of the condition. Since I have severe eczema and psoriasis, and I've been adapting my eczema healing protocol to address potential gut issues, I decided to get tested for intestinal permeability.
I ran the Genova Diagnostics Intestinal Permeability Assessment. It's a urine test that can be an indicator of gut issues. The theory I'm testing is that gut issues may be contributing to my eczema and psoriasis flares.
Note: the drink solution for this test bothered my stomach. I had mild diarrhea 1-2 hours after drinking it, so I'm not sure if that affected the results. Research showed the results should still be valid, but I wanted to mention it.
My Intestinal Permeability Results
Test: Genova Diagnostics – Intestinal Permeability (Urine)
Collected: February 8, 2026
Reported: February 16, 2026
| Marker | My Result | Reference Range | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lactulose Percent Recovery | 0.52% | ≤ 1.50% | ✅ Within range |
| Mannitol Percent Recovery | 8% | 4–27% | ✅ Within range |
| Lactulose/Mannitol Ratio | 0.06 | ≤ 0.10 | ✅ Within range |
What These Markers Mean
Lactulose
Lactulose is a larger sugar molecule. It should not easily pass through a healthy gut lining.
- Elevated lactulose → suggests increased paracellular permeability ("between the cells")
- Mine: 0.52% (well below the upper limit)
No red flag here.
Mannitol
Mannitol is smaller and should be absorbed in a healthy intestine.
- Low mannitol → may suggest malabsorption
- High mannitol → may suggest increased transcellular permeability
- Mine: 8%, comfortably within range
This suggests normal absorption.
Lactulose/Mannitol Ratio
This ratio is often used in research to assess increased intestinal permeability.
- Elevated ratio → suggests “leaky gut”
- Mine: 0.06, well below the 0.10 cutoff
From a conventional interpretation:
There is no laboratory evidence of increased intestinal permeability.
So… Does This Mean My Gut Is Fine?
No, it's just another data point for my overall picture.
This test measures intestinal permeability.
It does not measure overall gut health.
It tells me (as long as the mild diarrhea didn't mess with the results):
- My gut barrier may not be severely compromised.
- I likely do not have dramatic tight-junction breakdown.
- Full-blown structural “leaky gut” may not be the primary driver.
But it does not rule out:
- Dysbiosis (microbial imbalance)
- SIBO
- Fungal overgrowth
- Elevated endotoxin (LPS)
- Secretory IgA issues
- Histamine-producing bacteria
- Immune dysregulation
- Bile acid dysfunction
- Motility problems
- Food-triggered immune activation
Intestinal permeability is one layer of the system.
Why This Actually Helps Me
My numbers don't suggest catastrophic barrier failure. Or at least, if I take a stool test that confirms this then I'll have confidence that my gut isn't incredibly "leaky."
A stool test should confirm this and help me narrow down the gut dysfunction that I need to focus on.
The lactulose/mannitol test does not measure:
- Microbiome composition
- Candida
- Parasites
- Short-chain fatty acids
- Calprotectin
- Secretory IgA
- Beta-glucuronidase
- Zonulin directly
- Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
- Bile acid metabolism
That's why my next step is comprehensive stool testing.
If the gut is involved in my eczema and psoriasis (which I still strongly suspect), the issue may be ecological — not structural. Or it could be structural but not severe enough to show up on this test (maybe it will show up on the stool test).
What's Next For Me
To narrow in on the gut theory, I'm going to get a comprehensive stool analysis. I also got a hair mineral analysis test, which can provide other key insights that might trace back to my gut.