Malabsorption and Leaky Gut 243There is an important barrier mechanism which ensures the danger
is contained. The lining of the bowel is designed to be impenetrable to
this degraded matter and accepts molecules specially chosen for absorption.
There is also an important component of the immune system, right on site
in the wall of the intestine, called Peyer’s patches. These islands of lymphatic
tissue round up and overwhelm suspect immune material, before it breaks
free and enters the circulation. At times, this membrane protective layer
is overburdened, especially if our lifestyle is abusive, and may let through
some of the toxins. These enter the blood in the intestinal network of veins,
which is carried straight to the liver, where detoxification takes place.
A serious problem can arise once the impenetrability of the gut
mucosa is impaired. We call this “leaky gut syndrome” and a whole cascade
of problems can ensue, giving us yet another model of food allergy/
intolerance and toxic overload.
Food as recognizable food gets into the bloodstream and remains
identifiable by its immunological source. In other words, “wheat-ness” or
“pork-ness” of the food survives. This is then capable of setting up and
allergic reaction, to wheat or pork, or whatever culprit is to blame. Even this
wouldn’t be a problem, if the larger food molecules would only stay put: in
the lumen of the bowel.
But they don’t.
A vicious circle
As a result of increased permeability, the larger immunologically-active
molecules escape into the blood, set up immune complexes, and wreak
havoc. This results in an inflammatory process, which can affect all parts of
the body, including the gut. This in turn leads to further loss of integrity of
the gut wall and further leakage. Thus food allergy can become a cause of
the problem, as well as the result, and a kind of vicious circle is entered.
The liver tries to handle these extra-large molecules and remove
absorbed toxins, which should have remained behind in the bowel. When
this happens the liver is also overloaded, leading to compromise of the
cytochrome p-450 detox system (one of the main detox pathways), with
resultant escape of toxins, production of excess free radicals and loss of
nutritional essentials, such as glutathione and other sulphur-containing
amino acids. The liver has to dispose of toxins somewhere and usually this
ends up in the bile (most mercury, for example, is excreted into the bile).
“Toxic bile” in turn will injure the gut mucosa and a second vicious circle
is in progress. Toxic bile is also known to lead to chronic pancreatitis and