Leaky gut has become very popular in recent years, for all the right reasons. With more and more studies on chronic disease, we are learning that leaky gut is not only correlated with, but at the center of many chronic diseases so fix your gut to fix autoimmunity.
FIX YOUR GUT TO FIX AUTOIMMUNITY
When I was diagnosed with autoimmunity, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), I was first told to take pain killers to relief the joint pain, and so I was thinking there was something wrong with my joints. But I quickly learned that RA is an autoimmune condition, meaning that my immune system attacks its own tissue. I spent years trying to figure out what was wrong with my immune system, while buying every anti-inflammatory, “immune boosting” supplement on Earth.
It was only when I started looking at autoimmunity as a consequence of permeable gut, that I was able to put my RA into remission; no drugs, just diet to fix your gut to fix your autoimmunity.
PALEOMEDICINA HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF CASE STUDIES ON LEAKY GUT
Paleomedicina, through their clinical experience (large number of case studies), demonstrates that the cause of autoimmune processes is abnormal intestinal permeability. They use gut permeability test to diagnose it, and normalize the gut with Paleo-ketogenic diet.
ALESSIO FASANO DISCOVERED ZONULIN
Another, globally recognized researcher, Alessio Fasano, came to very similar conclusions based on his research on celiac diseases and gluten intolerance. He discovered Zonulin, an ancient molecule that regulates the permeability of the intestine, or intestinal barrier, we call colloquially leaky gut. He also observed that gluten was stimulating the release of Zonulin.
ZONULIN REGULATES TIGHT JUNCTIONS
Zonulin, regulates tight junctions in our intestines. The basic structure of the gut lining is the mucus that sits on top of intestinal wall, which is made up of epithelial cells, joined together side by side by these tight junctions. You can think of tight junction as doors, that typically are closed, but when Zonulin is released, these junctions open, allowing toxins, undigested food particles, such as proteins breach the intestinal barrier and interact with the immune system.
HEALTHY INTESTINAL TRACT WILL ABSORB ONLY NUTRIENTS
Healthy intestinal tract will allow absorption of nutrients while not allowing entry of any toxins or indigested food particles such as gluten. If, however these tight junctions get opened too frequently, for too long, toxins, undigested proteins will get past the barrier, and cause the immune system to react. It will likely treat gluten or any other lectin, as an invader and make antibodies for it. Because these lectins structurally look a lot like human cells (molecular mimicry), these antibodies will also have affinity for our healthy cells. And this is the very mechanism of autoimmunity.
INTERESTING EFFECTS OF GLUTEN ON OUR GUTS
One other interesting thing about gluten is that it will cause the release of zonulin (therefore opening of the tight junctions) even in the people with healthy guts. It will be for a short period of time, a few minutes, whereas for people with gut issues, it can result with tight junctions being open for a few days. I tested this on myself time and time again. Gluten gives me some of the worst arthritic flare ups.
NOT EVERYBODY ENDS UP WITH AUTOIMMUNITY
Just about everybody have eaten gluten, some people eat it every day couple times a day, and don’t end up with autoimmune conditions.
There are three factors that can lead to autoimmunity:
- You have to be genetically predisposed,
- You have to be exposed to environmental factors (diet, toxins, etc.) and,
- These environmental factors will lead to a breach of the intestinal barrier and the response of the immune system.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Long before I found Paleomedicina, I figured out by trial and error that gluten was a huge trigger for my autoimmunity. Eliminating of other food groups made yet another improvement, and then finally I put it all together when I became Paleomedicina patient.
That said, gut health and immune system are extremely complex, and science scratched only the surface of them.
What I can say for sure is that when I started addressing my gut, was when my Rheumatoid Arthritis began to retreat.
Click to watch my YouTube video on this subject as well!
