Leaky Gut / Intestinal Permeability and Enzymes

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Leaky Gut / Intestinal Permeability and Enzymes

 

_http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygut.htm_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygut.htm)

* _What is Leaky Gut_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygut.htm#1)

* _What Causes Leaky Gut_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygut.htm#2)

* _Problems of Having Leaky Gut_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygut.htm#3)

* _Fixing the Holes in the Boat_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygut.htm#4)

* _Is Malabsorption the Same as Leaky Gut_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygut.htm#5)

* _Link to Research_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygutresearch.htm)

What is Leaky Gut

The largest part of the immune system in our body is in the mucosal lining

in the gut. The immune system makes sure all those undesirable elements do not

get across into the bloodstream to begin with. The intestines are permeable

to a certain degree so the proper nutrients get through. Spots in the gut

wall open and close selectively to admit the good stuff as the contents of the

intestines pass by. Normally, only certain nutrients are absorbed if they are

sufficiently broken-down and in the right form. Everything else is

selectively blocked out. But when the pores are too big or the screening

process breaks

down, the intestines become hyperpermeable (overly permeable). Leaky gut

syndrome is a term used when the intestines become damaged, more openings

develop in the gut wall, and the wall becomes more ‘porous’ to the extent

that

some of the contents passing through the intestines are allowed to get into the

bloodstream when they should be kept out.

Not just food particles slip through. Pathogens, toxins, and other types of ‘

waste’ get through that should normally be screened out. Insufficiently

broken-down food particles or toxins may cause the liver to work much harder

trying to clean everything out. The liver may not be able to keep up with all

the

detoxification demands sent its way and the toxin load starts building up in

the body.

When the gut becomes hyperpermeable, all sorts of gunk can get through and

run loose in the body. When this happens, the immune system kicks into gear to

stop these invaders. Typically the immune system escorts the invaded out of

the body quickly. However, this task often falls to the liver, which may be

quite overworked and not able to do this immediately. If not removed right

away, the troublesome particles and complexes can migrate through the body and

settle in any of the different tissues they pass by. This leads to

inflammation in whatever part of the body they settle.

Now we have a new problem: inflammation. This puts even more pressure on the

immune system to cover even more ground in defending the body. With the

immune system running on ‘high’ on a regular basis, it may be spread thin

over a

wide array of territory defending the gut, cleaning the blood, fighting

inflammation, warding off pathogens, and so on. Many autoimmune conditions

start

this way. Which type of autoimmune condition a person ends up with may depend

on which part of the body the immune complexes settle into.

see _Autoimmune / Neuro Conditions_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionautoimmune.htm)

If you are having food sensitivities to more than a dozen foods, you may

very likely have a leaky gut. When the gut is injured in this way, any food

eaten may be a candidate to be insufficiently digested and absorbed leading to

food intolerances. If you find you are sensitive to a few foods, remove those,

then later notice some previously tolerated foods are now causeing problems,

consider a leaky gut. The core issue may not be the foods you are eating, but

simply that digestion is poor and the gut injured, so anything eaten (and

eaten frequently) may become problematic.

What Causes Leaky Gut?

Anyone can develop a leaky gut at any time in their lives. Several factors

can lead to leaky gut, either occurring individually or working together. Any

chemical or physical activity that stimulates the pores in the intestines and

keeps them open for too long can lead to increased permeability. Some common

sources follow.

Yeast – This is probably one of the primary causes of leaky gut.Yeasts are

single-celled organisms that usually reside in the mucosal lining. Yeast can

grow out of the single-cell form and into a fungal form. The fungal form grows

root-like tentacles (hyphae) that drill deep into the mucosal lining, poking

*holes* in the gut.

Excessive environment toxins –With the detoxification system overloaded or

dysfunctional, environment toxins from either inside or outside the body may

build up. They can irritate the intestinal lining. The constant inflammation

and immune system activity can create a more permeable gut wall.

Chronic stress – Stress suppresses the immune system and can alter

intestinal physiological function, increase gut permeability, and cause

inflammation.

A healthy immune system can easily block out typical pathogens, but a weak

one may be overrun. When the immune system is overactive for an extended

period of time, leaky gut can develop.

Inflammation – Anything causing inflammation may lead to leaky gut. This can

result from insufficiently broken-down food or infections of any kind. Maybe

the stomach just does not produce enough hydrochloric acid, resulting in

improper digestion. Larger particle sizes from any food can irritate the gut

lining. Yeast/bacteria/parasites/viruses can all cause inflammation. Besides

the

physical damage created by an imbalance of microbes in the gut, bacteria and

yeast give off many toxins.

see _Bacteria

_ (http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionbacteria.htm) see _Yeast_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionyeast.htm)

see _Viruses_ (http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionviruses.htm)

Medications – Medications, prescription and over-the-counter pain relievers

such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may also lead to increased permeability.

They are considered *hard* on the gastrointestinal lining. Aspirin reduces

the thickness of the mucosal lining in the gut, thus making it more susceptible

to yeast, inflammation, and irritation by food passing through the gut.

Diet – A diet high in sugar, refined flour and processed foods, complete

with their rainbow of artificial food colorings, flavorings, and preservatives

places a lot of stress on the immune system as well as the liver. Our bodies

see most of the artificial chemicals as pure toxins. The more you consume, the

more the body must process out. Most processed foods have less nutrition in

them as well. So, you use more energy and nutrients processing these foods

from your body and receive less energy from the food. A diet high in refined

sugar, flours, and artificial chemicals can actually cost you nutrients and

energy rather than supply them.

see _Feingold Program_ (http://www.enzymestuff.com/dietsfg.htm)

Zinc deficiency – Zinc is necessary in maintaining intestinal wall

integrity. Supplementing with zinc could contribute significantly to healing a

leaky

gut in about eight weeks (Sturniolo 2001). Zinc is also instrumental in a

maintaining a healthy immune system (Prasad 2002). The synthesis of serotonin

involves zinc. Since serotonin is also necessary for melatonin synthesis, a zinc

deficiency may result in low levels of both of these compounds, causing

problems with the sleep cycle, calming, and hyperness.

see _Serotonin_ (http://www.enzymestuff.com/serotonin.htm)

Problems of Having Leaky Gut

Leaky gut is a condition that can directly lead to many other specific

disease states, or indirectly aggravate or worsen other conditions. You may

have

leaky gut and not be aware of it. Many food intolerances and sensitivities are

a consequence of a leaky gut to some degree. You may just feel run down, out

of energy, have many food and chemical intolerances, or a multitude of other

seemingly unrelated problems. Symptoms of leaky gut syndrome may include:

• aggression • anxiety • asthma • atypical sensory reactions •

bed-wetting

• bladder infections • bloating or gas • chronic joint, muscle, or

abdominal pain • confusion • diarrhea or constipation • fatigue •

fevers of unknown

origin • fuzzy thinking or *brain fog* • indigestion • memory problems

•

migraines • mood swings • nervousness • poor exercise tolerance • poor

immunity • skin rashes

Besides particles being too large, escaping into the bloodstream, wandering

loose in the body, and causing havoc, there is another side to consider.

Because the food was not digested and absorbed properly, the person may

experience nutrient deficiencies. In one area, the nutrients are bound up in a

manner

the body does not recognize and hailing in the immune system to remove them.

Yet, in another location, the body is starving for those same nutrients. The

biological system is overworking unnecessarily in one area while shutting

down somewhere else because of insufficient raw materials.

Vitamin therapies may target some of these other systems starving for raw

materials. By supplying just the one or two specific raw materials, we may

temporarily fix that part, if the vitamin can even reach the intended area of

the

body, but the system as a whole is still malfunctioning. If the gut is not

absorbing food well, then the supplements may not be absorbed well either. A

better plan is to fix the hole in the boat (heal the gut).

see _Food Sensitivities_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionsensitivities.htm)

see _Sensory Integration_ (http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionsensory.htm)

Fixing the Holes in the Boat

Some of the solutions people pursue just address the superficial symptoms.

Often better and quicker results will be seen if healing the leaky gut

condition is part of the overall treatment program, rather than just focusing

on

treating the various diseases or symptoms that result from the injured gut.

There are several different paths to healing a leaky gut. Some of the primary

ones found by research are:

* digestive enzymes

* probiotics

* zinc

* oats/oatmeal (see study below)

There are other supplements such as essential fatty acids or aloe vera which

help some people.

Digestive enzymes may be extremely helpful with leaky gut situations because

they tackle the problem on several fronts. Enzymes break down the food

particles so they do not exist as larger particles that will physically

irritate

the gut lining or activate the immune system. Plant or microbe (fungal)-based

enzymes are especially effective because they do much of this breakdown in

the stomach before the food even enters the intestines, a good 60 to 90 minutes

before pancreatic enzymes emerge on the scene. Then, by breaking the food

down, enzymes are also freeing the individual vitamins, minerals, and other

nutrients so the body can use them as the raw materials it needs as well as

releasing the energy from your food. Normal biological processes can proceed.

Because your nutrition comes from food, you then do not have to supplement

extra

vitamins, minerals, and whatever else to make up for what you eliminated

through diet. Nutrition from whole foods is generally more effective than from

many supplements too.

Because enzymes can process the food particles down to their essential

forms, anything that does leak through the gut while it is healing is less

likely

to provoke a negative reaction. Enzymes work on the foods you do suspect as

well as those you don’t, or unknown sources. Food intolerances usually drop

off dramatically when enzyme use begins. Many people report improvements the

very first day of taking enzymes. However, because some food intolerances are

processed out of the body a few days later, it is very common to hear of

significant improvement by the end of the first week on enzymes.

Next, enzymes proactively support intestinal health. They can act as trash

collectors removing dead tissue, debris, chemicals, and toxins from the body.

This cleaning out allows the gut to heal faster. Another bonus is that

enzymes are effective at clearing out pathogens that may cause and contribute

to

damaging the gastrointestinal tract. Bacteria and parasites are made of

proteins, viruses have protein coatings or ‘films,’ and yeasts have outer

shells

consisting of cellulose and protein. Proteases and cellulases can help break

these intruders down, and then carry off the toxins and dead cells the

destroyed pathogens leave behind.

If the digestive enzymes themselves are absorbed into the bloodstream along

with the other things, this can be very beneficial. Enzymes, especially the

proteases that break down proteins, travel through the bloodstream cleaning

out any gunk, toxins, and waste that may be accumulating there. They

selectively latch onto toxins and escort them out of the body leaving the good

tissue

and red blood cells to carry on. This assistance in cleaning the blood helps

relieve the burden on the liver and the immune system. Enzymes help clear out

the traffic jams so everything can get back on schedule. Proteases are often

given in between meals for just this purpose. If you give proteases with

food, the enzymes will act on the food first, so giving them between meals

sends

them directly into the bloodstream to do cleanup. Substantial scientific

research has established that the bloodstream takes up enzymes intact where

they

work in this way (Leibow and Rothman 1975; Rothman, Liebow, and Isenman

(2002).

Another benefit of taking proteases between meals is to reduce inflammation.

Bromelain and papain (protease enzymes derived from pineapple and papaya)

have undergone study in great detail for this purpose and are found to be

incredibly effective at reducing inflammation. Proteases can reduce

inflammation

in the gut directly. Bromelain and papain are well-known agents for assisting

in healing gastric ulcers. Material leaking through the intestinal lining can

make its way to joints and aggravate them to the point of inflammation, or

add to inflammation already started. The proteases in the bloodstream break

down these sources of inflammation as they pass by in the bloodstream. Then the

debris is transported out of the body, freeing the immune system up to do

other things, and allowing you to enjoy your life without so much pain.

The nice thing about enzymes is they address the damaged gut, problematic

peptides, food intolerances, and nutrient deficiencies all at the same time.

You cover a lot of territory by taking just this one type of supplement.

A good probiotic will help restore the needed balance among the bacteria,

yeast, and other microorganisms. Out with the bad and in with the good. A

consistent supply of probiotics is like tending a lawn. You need to kill the

weeds, and then keep seeding with the *good* grasses. A healthy lawn will need

just a little maintenance. However, doing no maintenance will very soon give

you

a yard overrun with weeds again.

Is Malabsorption the Same as Leaky Gut?

Although you can have both conditions, and they are related, they are

technically different. Leaky gut can be caused by a variety of things and can

very

often lead to malabsorption. Leaky gut is the state where the protective gut

lining looses its integrity. It is less capable of properly selectively

screening out those elements that should be screened out, and allowing those

elements in that should be let in. So items that should be screened out gain

access in.

Malabsorption means *bad absorption of some type for some reason*. It

doesn*t indicate the cause though. Nutrients are not being absorbed properly.

You

might have leaky gut involved, but you can also have malabsorption without

leaky gut. If you have a pancreatic problems, poor stomach acid, various

diseases, or other causes, you might have an intact gut lining but for some

reason,

some nutrients are not being absorbed properly. This might be many nutrients

or only a few in particular.

What is nice about digestive enzymes is they can help both a leaky gut and

malabsorption at the same time.

Research

_Enzymes and Leaky gut/intestinal problems_

(http://www.enzymestuff.com/conditionleakygutresearch.htm)

Oats Healing the Gut

J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2001 Nov;299(2):442-8.

Preventing gut leakiness by oats supplementation ameliorates alcohol-induced

liver damage in rats. PMID: 11602653

Keshavarzian A, Choudhary S, Holmes EW, Yong S, Banan A, Jakate S, Fields

JZ.

Only 30% of alcoholics develop liver disease (ALD) suggesting that

additional factors are needed. Endotoxin is one such factor, but its etiology

is

unclear. Since the gut is the main source of endotoxin, we sought to determine

whether an increase in intestinal permeability (leaky gut) is required for

alcohol-induced endotoxemia and liver injury and whether the gut leakiness is

preventable. For 10 weeks, rats received by gavage increasing alcohol doses (to

8

g/kg/day) and either oats (10 g/kg) or chow b.i.d. Intestinal permeability

was then assessed by urinary excretion of lactulose and mannitol. Liver injury

was evaluated histologically, biochemically (liver fat content), and by

serum aminotransferase. Alcohol caused gut leakiness that was associated with

both endotoxemia and liver injury. Oats prevented these changes. We conclude

that chronic gavage of alcohol in rats is a simple experimental model that

mimics key aspects of ALD, including endotoxemia and liver injury, and can be

useful to study possible mechanisms of endotoxemia in ALD. Since preventing the

gut leakiness by oats also prevented the endotoxemia and ameliorated liver

damage in rat, our results suggest that alcohol-induced gut leakiness 1) may

cause alcohol-induced endotoxemia and liver injury and 2) may be the critical

cofactor in the 30% of alcoholics who develop ALD. Further studies are needed

to determine whether ALD in humans can be prevented by preventing

alcohol-induced gut leakiness, studies that should lead to the development of

useful

therapeutic agents for the prevention of ALD.