While mainstream science recognizes the phenomemon of increased intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"),[1][2] claims for the existence of "leaky gut syndrome" as a distinct medical condition come mostly from nutritionists and from practitioners of alternative medicine.[1][3][4] Proponents claim that a "leaky gut" causes chronic inflammation throughout the body that results in a wide range of conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and autism.[1][3] As of 2016, there is little evidence to support the hypothesis that leaky gut syndrome directly causes this wide array of diseases.[1]