How Does Food Induce Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Our food can induce a leaky gut in two ways :-


Allergic reaction to an offending food substance
Lectin damage

Food allergy causes a leaky via the following mechanisms:-

1) The offending food sparks off an allergic reaction in the gut lining

2) Increased permeability from this allergic response enables larger undigested food molecules to pass through

3) Alerted by these foreign invaders, the body's immune system begins to generate antibodies which attack the gut tissue in the process.

Many chemicals involved in the immune response are very corrosive, as their main purpose is to destroy the offending agent. However, if the reaction is excessive, these chemicals can damage the tissue in the area as well. This leads to further permeability of the GI tract, and a vicious cycle sets in.

We are most vulnerable to developing food allergies when we were infants. During this critical period of our development, our gut lining is still very flimsy and loosely connected. To get an idea of what an infant's gut lining looks like, think of cheese cloth.

Large undigested food particles can easily cross the intestinal lining and trigger an immune response. This is why babies should not be given solid food before they turn six months old, and only easily digestible food may be introduced between six months to one year of age. In my opinion, highly problematic foods like wheat, dairy and sugar should continue to be restricted from a child's diet until his immune system is fully developed after the onset of puberty. Although sugar is not an allergenic food, it does contribute to intestinal dybiosis which in turn leads to hyperpermeability.

The foods that commonly pose problems are - wheat, wheat germ, corn, cow's milk, beans, tomatoes and oranges.

Recent research also suggests that it is the lectins found in certain foods that triggers this allergic reaction. Lectins are sugar-binding proteins commonly found in nature in foods such as fruits, vegetables, and seafood, but especially grains, beans and seeds. They have the ability to attach to cells of our intestinal membrane and initiate in inflammatory response. Many food allergies are actually immune system reactions to lectins.

Most of the lectins found in food are destroyed by cooking and our digestive enzymes, but at least 5% of the lectins in our food are absorbed into the bloodstream. The effects of lectins on our health are really dependent on our blood types, though wheat is problematic for almost all blood types. The wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) found in wheat has been shown to interfere with protein digestion and increase gut permeability. Our gut is most vulnerable to the damage by WGA since our intestinal lining has more sugar receptors. You may refer to Dr Dadamo's website for a more complete food list for your specific blood type.