Leaky Gut and Candida

Leaky gut is a common term for increased intestinal permeability. Larger molecules cross the gut barrier and increase the toxic load on the body. It also sets up the body for acquisition of food allergies/sensitivities. Toxins produced by poor intestinal flora can cause leaky gut. Polyunsaturated oils, pesticides, and heavy metals also help set up leaky gut.

Clostridia is a very common intestinal bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics. It may take over the intestinal environment after a person has been on antibiotics. This bacteria loosens the tight junctions in the intestinal lining. This contributes to leaky gut. Toxins from influenza and vesicular stomatitis viruses also loosen the tight junctions in the intestinal lining. The common parasites called Giardia and Blastocystis hominis also loosen these junctions. Enzymes from yeast digest the lining of the intestine.

Besides toxins generated in the gut by pathogens, there are poisons from outside the body that contribute to leaky gut. Some organophosphate pesticides increase the conversion of tryptophan into IAG (Indolyl Acryloyl Glycine). IAG can increase gut permeability. Mercury causes the kidneys to dump sulfates. Sulfates are needed to create a tight barrier in the gut. Pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, cadmium, lead, mercury, and fluoride interfere with your immune system. These substances also inactivate the DPP IV enzyme in the intestines. This enzyme is important for your immune system. DPP IV also helps you digest the type of protein found in gelatin, and this protein helps your body repair leaky gut.

Leaky gut can be caused by excess calcium entering the cells that line the gut. Anything that interferes with metabolism or increases oxidative stress will cause cells to take up more calcium. A prime example of this type of poison is excessive polyunsaturated oils in the diet. They suppress the immune system, interfere with metabolism and contribute to oxidative stress. In this manner, polyunsaturated oils increase intestinal permeability. They can cause leaky gut.

If you put rats on a diet without any polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (EFA oils), then these rats react very differently to gut toxins. When exposed to toxins created by gut bacteria, these rats experience less intestinal permeability, less hypoglycemia, and much fewer deaths. These rats survive the onslaught with less liver, stomach, and small intestinal damage than rats given EFA oils. In other experiments, rats deficient in EFA oils were exposed to various other toxins. They had less lung, kidney, pancreas, and colon damage than rats given EFA oils.

Everyone puts the blame on antibiotics for the increased incidence of leaky gut and the yeast syndrome in our society. However, look at the greater number of chemicals to which we are exposed, and look at all the additional polyunsaturated oils in our diet. These are also feeding this epidemic.

References

1.    Fratkin J, OMD, “Leaky Gut Syndrome” Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory Newsletter, 1999
2.    Fasano A, “Regulation of intercellular tight junctions by zonula occludens toxin and its eukaryotic analogue zonulin” Ann N Y Acad Sci 2000;915:214-22
3.    Dagci H, Ustun S, Taner MS, Galip E, Ferit K, Budak S. Protozoon infections and intestinal permeability. Acta Tropica 2002;81:1-5
4.    Di Prisco MC, Hagel I, Lynch NR, Jimenez JC, Rojas R, Gil M, Mata E, “Association between giardiasis and allergy.” Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1998 Sep;81(3):261-5
5.    Naoki Unno 1 MD, PhD Mitchell P. Fink 2 3 MD, “Nutritional, Physiologic, and Pathophysiologic Considerations of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Intestinal Epithelial Hyperpermeability Mechanisms and Relevance to Disease,” Gastroenterology Clinics Volume 27 • Number 2 • June 1998
6.    Cook JA, Wise WC, Knapp DR, Halushka PV. “Essential fatty acid deficient rats: a new model for evaluating arachidonate metabolism in shock.” Adv Shock Res 1981;6:93-105;
7.    Li EJ, Cook JA, Spicer KM, Wise WC, Rokach J, Halushka PV “Resistance of essential fatty acid-deficient rats to endotoxin-induced increases in vascular permeability.” Circ Shock 1990 Jun;31(2):159-170
8.    Autore G, Cicala C, Cirino G, Maiello FM, Mascolo N, Capasso F, “Essential fatty acid-deficient diet modifies PAF levels in stomach and duodenum of endotoxin-treated rats.” J Lipid Mediat Cell Signal 1994 Mar;9(2):145-53
9.    Ball HA, Cook JA, Spicer KM, Wise WC, Halushka PV, “Essential fatty acid-deficient rats are resistant to oleic acid-induced pulmonary injury.” J Appl Physiol 1989 Aug;67(2):811-6;
10.    Morganroth ML, Schoeneich SO, Till GO, Pickett W, Ward PA, “Lung injury caused by cobra venom factor is reduced in rats raised on an essential fatty acid-deficient diet.” Am J Physiol 1989 Oct;257(4 Pt 2):H1192-9;
11.    Diamond JR, Pesek I, Ruggieri S, Karnovsky MJ, “Essential fatty acid deficiency during acute puromycin nephrosis ameliorates late renal injury.” Am J Physiol 1989 Nov;257(5 Pt 2):F798-807;
12.    Harris KP, Lefkowith JB, Klahr S, Schreiner GF, “Essential fatty acid deficiency ameliorates acute renal dysfunction in the rat after the administration of the aminonucleoside of puromycin.” J Clin Invest 1990 Oct;86(4):1115-23;
13.    Takahashi K, Kato T, Schreiner GF, Ebert J, Badr KF, “Essential fatty acid deficiency normalizes function and histology in rat nephrotoxic nephritis.”, Kidney Int 1992 May;41(5):1245-53;
14.    Urrutia RA, Rivolta CM, Valentich MA, Monis B “A Feulgen microspectrophotometric study of the DNA content of essential fatty acid-deficient rat pancreas treated with nitrosomethylurea.” Cell Mol Biol 1990;36(5):547-55;
15.    Mascolo N, Izzo AA, Autore G, Maiello FM, Di Carlo G, Capasso F, “Acetic acid-induced colitis in normal and essential fatty acid deficient rats.” J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1995 Jan;272(1):469-75
16.    Peat R, Raymond Peat’s Newsletters contain a lot of information about polyunsaturated oils. He is the source of these references on oils.