<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Hi all--
Here's a summary of the responses to my request for information on leaky
gut. Thanks to everyone who replied.
From Bob:
>To wit: a small percentage of what you eat does NOT get
>digested before entering the blood stream -- this means that
>proteins, for example, are not ALL broken down into amino
>acids before being absorbed. This is true for NORMAL
>people.
>
>I would think that for people with inflammation and CD,
>this would increase.
>
>It's bad, because undigested stuff causes all sorts of
>allergic and other reactions.
From Roy:
>Have you looked at the Diseases Which Resemble Celiac Disease and Related
>Disorders pages of Scott Adams' website (http://www.celiac.com/)?
From Don:
>Leaky or permeable gut refers to a condition where not only are nutrients
>improperly absorbed, but certain large chemical molecules in food penetrate
>the intestinal wall and leak into the bloodstream. This could be the way in
>which improperly digested peptides then cross the blood-brain barrier.
>Other reactions are due to the formation of antibodies. Leaky gut can
>happen due to the gut being damaged, even slightly, for various reasons,
>including celiac disease. To test for leaky gut one drinks a sugar solution
>and collects urine. If a certain sugar makes it into the urine, the
>integrity of the intestine is in question.
From David:
>Normally, there is an intact membrane functioning between the small intestine
>and the bloodstream. Typically, the GI system breaks down contents of the
>intestines, and the membrane prevents them from being absorbed into the
>bloodstream until they are in proper form. However, if the integrity of the
>membrane is impaired (inflamation....), then occassional whole particles escape
>from the GI tract into the bloodstream before they are properly broken down.
>This condition is called "leaky gutt". It is the same thing as impaired
>permeability.
>
>To add to that, when whole food particles are absorbed into the bloodstream
>before properly broken down into thier proper components (normal condition),
>the immune system becomes charged up against these "foreign protiens". The
>immune system can then make antibodies against them, resulting in other food
>sensitivities (an IgG type).
>
>Many things can cause "leaky gutt". Effectively, anything that can cause
>inflamation of the lining of the intestinal tract could potentially cause
>"leaky gutt". This includes celiac disease, other food allergies,
>sensitivities and intolerances, infections and even altered intestinal flora
>from drugs like broad spectrum antibiotics. Of course, there are other
>possibilities, these are just the most common.
--Stephanie (Colorado)
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