Hello! I have been a doctor for 22 years. My name is Georgy Olegovich Sapego. In this article, I'll talk about a leaky gut.
For a very long time, the idea of a leaky gut has been wandering around the world. Its meaning is that holes appear in the intestines through which toxins, microbes and pieces of undigested food enter the blood. And that from this then there will be various chronic diseases.
This is a silly mechanistic theory for those who have little understanding of the meaning of bowel movements. The problem is that in normal medicine there is a concept of increased permeability of the intestinal wall. So some people start to mix these two ideas and scare others with them.
I explain
Our intestines are not like an oilcloth tablecloth, which if cut with a knife, there will be an eternal hole. No. The barrier between the contents of our intestines and blood is very complex.
The gut should keep out nasty things like germs, toxins, and undigested food into the bloodstream. On the other hand, the intestines must absorb nutrients very quickly, which will not wait long, but will simply transit out.
This entire suction surface covers approximately 400 square meters. And poop is separated from the blood by only one layer of cells.
I am not kidding. There is only one layer of intestinal cells between the contents of the intestine and the blood vessels. These cells change every 5 days. Sometimes they fall off unevenly. Sometimes there really are holes. But it all ends in the worst case with a small inflammation in the intestinal wall.
We bathe in toxins
The intestinal wall is not a solid barrier. Toxins are constantly flowing from the intestines into the bloodstream. This is normal. This is how we live. It's just that a huge filter stands in the way of toxins - our liver.
If a person has some kind of serious liver disease, then the toxins go by and go straight to the head. From this a sick person quickly becomes a fool. This is called hepatic encephalopathy.
And we also discussed in the topic about fatty hepatosis how too much of any nasty thing can be absorbed from the intestine, and it is from this that hepatosis turns out. It is interesting. Check out the link below.
Barrier
Our intestinal barrier, dear comrades, is not very similar to oilcloth. It's not smooth and you can't just make holes in it.
In addition to one layer of cells, the intestinal wall is separated from the contents of the intestine by a thick layer of mucus, through which microbes usually cannot crawl.
Our hand-fed microbes also live there, which do not let harmful strangers.
There is also a whole sea of all kinds of chemistry, antibodies and other protective substances that neutralize the infection.
And between the contents of the intestine and the inner surface of the wall of blood vessels, there are many different pads that are saturated with all these protective substances.
And the intestines are constantly contracting. These movements are also considered a component of the barrier. Infection and toxins are very difficult to penetrate into the intestinal wall, because the intestinal contents whistle past and strive to exit. All the nasty stuff just doesn't have time to stick to the intestinal wall.
And a lot more complicated things.
Increased permeability
This is a known issue. If a person is completely sick, then different organs refuse him. Including the intestines. From there, an infection can enter the bloodstream, and there will be an infection.
If too many microbes grow in the intestines, they release toxins that the liver may not be able to handle. We discussed this in the article on bacterial overgrowth.
In general, a modern diet with a lot of fat and sugar increases intestinal permeability for all kinds of nasty things.
How to fix it
And here is the most interesting thing. There is no way to clog your intestinal wall with cunning dietary supplements or probiotics. All of the above problems are an indicator of the general level of health.
You need to stay healthy, not go to the hospital in serious condition and eat right. Then the intestinal barrier will remain strong.
So don't bother with leaky gut. Just live a healthy lifestyle and let your intestines do their normal work.
If you get sick, then do not self-medicate, but see a doctor.
Like and subscribe to my channel. Check out my articles on related topics:
Fatty hepatosis
There is no excess mucus in the intestines
Gut bacterial overgrowth
