Dear Friends,
Today we’re going to be discussing the digestive health issue coined as leaky gut syndrome.
Leaky gut is not a recognized medical condition and is a bit of a controversial topic.
What leaky gut refers to is poor or suboptimal function of the protective intestinal barrier that exists to help prevent unwanted or toxic substances from entering the bloodstream.
This barrier is a permeable wall, where tight junctions between cells control what leaves the intestines and enters the body.
When gaps between cells in the intestinal lining occur – and the junctions aren’t as tight as they should be – unwanted substances that otherwise wouldn’t enter the bloodstream make it through, at that’s what’s referred to as leaky gut.
The Leaky Gut Controversy
Much of the controversy stems from whether the function of this intestinal barrier is a cause of health problems, or just a consequence resulting from those problems.
Regardless of who is right – and I imagine it’s probably a little of both in terms of cause and effect – since maintaining good intestinal barrier function is associated with better health, most of us should be able to agree that improving tangible measures of good barrier function is a good thing.
Also noteworthy is that the intestinal barrier is the last line of defense as your body protects what gets into the bloodstream.
It’s a physical barrier, but you also have your immune system which protects you from threats.
On top of this there is another layer of protection on the interior of the physical intestinal wall.
Gut Bacteria Are Part of the Immune System Too
As you may know, maintaining a healthy balance of good bacteria versus less friendly bacteria is crucial for supporting many aspects of gut health including immune system function and a healthy inflammation response.
These bacteria make up the gut microbiome, and a healthy microbiome is also important for the health and normal function of the intestinal barrier that we’ve been discussing.
This is also a good reminder that the body works as a system, not a bunch of independent parts.
However, by supporting all the individual parts, we give ourselves the best chance of staying healthy and living well. That’s what it’s about, right?
Supplements That Help Protect Against Leaky Gut
When it comes to supplements, we know that probiotics and prebiotics support the gut microbiome and immune system function, but what about the intestinal barrier function?
My two favorite supplement ingredients have compelling scientific data indicating they support healthy intestinal barrier function.
The first is a novel fiber called Solnul. It’s what’s called a resistant starch (not digested).
Starch typically breaks down into sugar molecules such as glucose. Resistant starch is not broken down by digestive enzymes, it stays intact and functions as important dietary fiber.
Solnul offers many benefits you expect from dietary fiber like supporting regular, healthy bowel movements and acting as a prebiotic.
However, new science with Solnul indicates it also can support intestinal barrier function and help protect against leaky gut.
For example, a study found that those taking 3.5g of Solnul daily for 4 weeks experienced a significant decrease in histamine levels in the blood compared to a placebo group.
Histamine is an inflammatory agent, so typically your body limits the amount of histamine that gets absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal barrier.
The reduction in histamine in the blood is a good indication that Solnul was having a positive impact on the function of the intestinal barrier.
Promoting Akkermansia in The Gut
In addition, consuming Solnul also resulted in an increase in friendly Akkermansia bacteria in the gut.
Other types of probiotic bacteria, like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, are more well-known, but Akkermansia is now gaining lots of research attention, particularly for
its positive influence on many aspects of metabolic health.
Akkermansia also plays a role in the health of the intestinal barrier.
Having healthy amounts of Akkermansia available promotes the optimal thickness of a layer of mucus that’s on the inside of the intestinal wall - which is crucial to healthy intestinal barrier function.
Several research studies have indicated that reduced populations of Akkermansia are associated with poorer function of the intestinal barrier.
As a result, Solnul’s positive effect on promoting Akkermansia is a second indication that Solnul helps support intestinal barrier health function.
Note – you may be seeing supplements with Akkermansia being sold. Our view on these is we need more research and safety data before recommending these products, because too much Akkermansia may be undesirable, just like having too little is a bad thing.
We think supporting the body’s natural production is the better way to go at this point.
Novel Herbal Complex Can Provide Additional Support
The other supplement ingredient we recommend for helping to protect against leaky gut is the herbal complex called Digexin, which consists of okra and ashwagandha extracts.
Digexin offers a multitude of digestive and mood supporting benefits, and like Solnul, recent research indicates it too can help support the health of the intestinal barrier.
For example, supplementing with Digexin for 60 days, resulted in a significant decrease in zonulin compared to the placebo group, on average.
Zonulin is a protein that is believed to increase the permeability of the tight junctions between cells in the protective intestinal barrier.
As a result, a decrease in zonulin is an indicator of better intestinal barrier health.
Second, those taking Digexin experienced an improvement in blood levels of an enzyme called DAO (diamine oxidase).
Research indicates keeping DAO levels in a healthy range is correlated with better gut health and intestinal barrier function.
One of the things DAO does is help to degrade histamine – the inflammatory agent I mentioned earlier.
So Digexin is another great ingredient for supporting intestinal barrier function – and digestive health in general.
Both Solnul and Digexin Are In TrueDYB
We like Digexin and the Solnul fiber so much, we included both in our digestive health super formula, TrueDYB, which helps you “Digest Your Best.”
TrueDYB is formulated with 16 ingredients to support your digestive system from top to bottom.
This “All in One” formula is a strawberry/lemonade flavored drink mix, with the ingredients offering a long list of potential digestive and other health benefits.
TrueDYB is a relatively new item for us, but we believe it’s one of our most important products, because if your digestive health isn’t optimized, it affects the rest of your body and overall wellness.
I urge you to give TrueDYB a try - it’s like many supplements conveniently combined into 1 scoop of powder.
Yours for Good Health,
Carl Pradelli
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