Glutamine For Gut Health
Glutamine helps to provide for an healthy gut and intestinal lining. Gut health is very important. Those with "leaky gut" known as intestinal permeability have greater chance of food allergies, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases.
For those with autoimmune conditions, it is vitally important to heal the gut. When the gut lining is too permeable (known as "leaky gut"), undigested protein can leak into the bloodstream when they should not. The immune system launches an immune response of inflammation against these particles. Over time, this stress the immune system and the body and increases levels of inflammation.
Glutamine is one of the nutrients that can help heal the gut.
Glutamine Amino Acid
Glutamine is a protein amino acid. Your body has the ability to produce this glutamine amino acid mainly by your muscles cells. And the cells in the intestines, kidneys, and immune cells are the most readily consumer of this important amino acid. [reference]
In Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrietn Solution: Nature's Answer to Drugs, he has a section titled "Glutamine: Master protein builder, gut restorer". There he writes ...
'Glutamine, the most abundant protein constituent in the body, may also be the most important. ... Glutamine maintains the structural integrity of the intestines to such an extent that it has been dubbed "intestinal permeability factor". ... It rapidly facilitates healing and restores the health of mucous membranes inside the colon.'
In her book, Digestive Wellness, Elizabeth Lipski writes that ...
"the cells of the small intestine depend on glutamine as their main fuel and for maintenance and repair." [page 47 of the 4th Edition]
In the book Digestive Health with Real Food, it writes ...
"L-glutamine is an amino acid found naturally in protein. What makes it special is that it is one of the preferred sources of fuel for the cells lining the insides of your intestines."
Glutamine from Foods
In her article about autoimmune problems, Dr. Terry Wahls writes ...
"Bone broth soup is filled with glutamine, the preferred fuel for the cells that line the bowels."
