Leaky-Gut Syndrome May Play A Role In Arthritis

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Many agree intestinal tract is key player in the immune system.

Some researchers claim that leaky-gut syndrome, or increased intestinal

permeability, is implicated in dozens of diseases. The syndrome is the

result of the wall of the small intestine being damaged.

A healthy intestine allows only nutrients to pass into the bloodstream. When

the intestine is damaged, larger molecules such as incompletely digested

fats, proteins, starches, and even bacteria, also permeate the intestinal

wall.

The larger molecules, recognized by the body as foreign substances, can

trigger an immune response in other organs. Some researchers claim that

healing a leaky gut with strict diet and nutritional supplements can help

control conditions such as insomnia, obesity, bad breath, as well as a wide

range of diseases including asthma, eczema, and arthritis. Many researchers

agree that the intestinal tract is a key player in the immune system, but

whether or not the gut is the root of so many problems is still the subject

of hot debate.

The small intestine is a convoluted, 25-foot tube between the stomach and

the large intestine. Its lining is comprised of millions of villi, or

leaflike structures, which in turn are covered with millions of microvilli.

The villi and microvilli harbor bacteria and yeast, which normally maintain

a healthy balance and help to carry out the main function of the intestine

which is to break down food into nutrients which the body can use, and to

move along waste and harmful substances to the bowel. Most of the

potentially dangerous material a human encounters is in food, therefore the

gut's immune function is crucial. Researchers now estimate that more than

two thirds of all immune activity occurs in the gut.

In some people the wall of the gut seems to have been breached. Researchers

are unsure how these microscopic breaches occur but possible causes include

food allergies, excessive amounts of aspirin or ibuprofen, certain

antibiotics, excessive drinking, a compromised immune system, or a parasitic

infection.

Leaky-gut syndrome is not a disease itself but is thought to play a role in

other diseases. Allowing undigested food or bacteria into the bloodstream

causes the immune system to react. As this occurs the body reacts in a

number of ways such as rash, diarrhea, migraines, joint pain, and even

psychological symptoms. These problems can add up to a disorder which has no

obvious relation to the original cause.

Until a few decades ago, the theory was that unless a medical problem

directly affected the gut, it worked normally. Now physicians know that

trauma to other parts of the body causes the gut to react. One researcher,

Leo Galland M.D., estimates that the syndrome plays a role in 70 percent of

people with chronic fatigue syndrome, eight out of 10 aspirin or ibuprofen

users, most alcoholics, and anyone who is hospitalized. Galland also

believes that parasites that can lead to leaky-gut syndrome lurk in most

municipal water systems.

One common prescription for leaky-gut syndrome is an elimination diet. A

series of urine and blood tests is used to assess food allergies. Based on

the results of the tests, whole categories of food such as dairy products or

wheat products, are eliminated and added back over time as the patient is

monitored for reactions. Strict elimination diets should be used only under

close medical supervision, otherwise malnutrition can result.

The nutritional mainstay, fiber, may also play a role in healing problems of

the gut. A National Institute of Health funded study from Louisiana State

University indicated that rats who ate no fiber had abnormal intestinal

linings. Other research shows that glutamine, a nonessential amino acid,

also plays a role in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal wall.

To conclude from available research that leaky-gut syndrome is widespread,

treatable, and the cause of all sorts of problems is a jump scientists and

most doctors are unwilling to make. The gut and glutamine are definitely hot

areas of current and ongoing research. It is recognized though that care and

maintenance of the gut makes sense in any case.

REFERENCE:

Gut Reactions, by Marston, NEWSWEEK, November 17, 1997