Leeky Gut

[MamaOnAMission]

I have always wondered if my child had an endoscopy what they would be able to see. Can leaky gut be seen. What else could they see that would help these children???

[ThinkGutBacteria]

Not specifically. They can see inflammed intestines and things like celiac, Crohn's, and ulcerative colitis, of course--all of which have what's called intestinal barrier dysfunction (technical term for leaky gut).

 

In the lab, leaky gut is often measured by "transepithelial electrical resistance" if you wanted to look that up. Inflammation of the GI tract from bacterial or fungal toxins erode "tight junctions" between the gut's epithelial cells which lets substances like bacteria, bile salts, and enzymes into the underlying tissue and bloodstream of the host.

 

In science talk: "Tight junctions establish a polarity of the epithelial cell layer by forming a seal between adjacent epithelial cells, thereby separating the luminal compartment from the basolateral surface (11)."

 

Treatment with probiotic bacteria, prebiotics, breast milk, a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate, and probably other things like tea may prevent or reverse increased permeability of the epithelium and block pathogens. But now we're getting into terms like "gut-brain axis," which describes the concept where bacterial (or their products) act through the vagus nerve to affect behavior.

[norcalmom]

There is a test called " Intestinal Permeability Test" - it was on Dr Oz last week. You drink a "sugar water" with two different size sugar molecules - and if the larger ones penetrate your gut and get into your urine - they show up in your urine. It was presented by a integrative gastroenterologist.

 

The first part of the show was a bout a mom with son that had RA, and although she used both traditional treatment and diet - she says HER gut says it was the diet that basically cured him.

 

It was a great show. The mom was/is an ivestigative reporter, and she started with the standard treatments, and decided to wait to increase he DS methyltrexate does until she did a full 6 weeks of the diet (agains docs order - who wanted to increase does bcs things were not improving after 4 weeks) - she said on 6 weeks to the day - he got out of bed and said his knees didn't hurt (for 1st time in months)..and bounded off to play with his brother.

 

The mom had a great quote - " Desperation has a way of opening your mind".

[MamaOnAMission]

It this " Intestinal Permeability Test" the same as fructose malapsorbtion test??? My girl had this fructose test and flew around the neighborhood like a she was on speed. G.I. doctor said he never seen anything course through someones system so fast. I can't remember if it were urine, but I remember her breathing into a tube to measure levels absorption.