When we set off looking for answers to health questions, we’re usually best served by going straight to the cell. Understanding what takes place at the cellular level provides us with the insight necessary to give our patients the best possible help. It’s no surprise that our efforts to better understand Leaky Gut lead us back to an examination of the cells in the intestinal lining.
Of all the tissues in the body, the intestinal lining is the one where cellular activity is highest. It renews more rapidly than any other body tissue because of the rate that epithelial cells are shed. This is the process that drives tissue turnover, and when the process doesn’t take place as it should, we encounter the issues that lead to Leaky Gut.
What would cause this process to perform at less than an optimal level?
One of the sources is the protein zonulin. Zonulin levels need to be regulated because when they are too high, the structure of the intestinal walls can break down. This structure is damaged at the cellular level, because the space between cells expands, which lets molecules seep out of the intestine into the bloodstream.
The Natural Way To Support Leaky Gut
To restore the proper structure and separation between cells in the intestinal lining, the most targeted sources of nourishment are beta glucan polysaccharides, fatty acids, and polypeptide.
Adenosine and oleanolic acids also help. They support the mucous barrier function and the immune process. The mucosal surfaces are part of what creates the permeable barrier of protection, absorb nutrients, and secrete wastes. Providing nourishment for a healthy intestinal lining may be the single most important step to take when you’re helping patients support issues with Leaky Gut. This approach is ultimately what will provide the targeted nutritional support.
