<<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)