I’m not saying that gluten is the only thing that damages the gut. Nor that bone broth is the only thing that heals the gut. But they are just one of the many things.
Most (if not nearly all) people with autoimmune diseases have a “leaky gut” and food sensitivity. Some say that this increased intestinal permeability (which is a sub-optimal condition) is a pre-requiste for developing autoimmune. Having food sensitivity is an indication that one has leaky gut.[reference] This is because undigested food products was able to leak from gut to blood stream (where it is not supposed to be), triggering the immune system to attack it. Unfortunately for those with autoimmune, when the immune system attacks the unwanted food particles, it makes collateral damage (through molecular mimicry) to healthy tissues. Which healthy tissue happens to be attacked determines which autoimmune disease one gets.
What causes a leaky gut?
There are a multitude of causes that people will cite, ranging from gluten, hidden infections, toxins, EMF, pesticides, antibiotics, stress (including excessive strenuous exercise), etc. But here we will focus on gluten.
Many people with autoimmune and food sensitivity have already been told by their health care professional to avoid gluten and here is why.
Dr. Vikki Petersen writes that Zonulin increases intestinal permeability and the two things that trigger zonulin is gluten and infections.
As far as I’m concerned, anyone with leaky gut, digestive issues, food sensitivity, or autoimmune conditions, should avoid gluten and conventional dairy. They among corn and soy are the most difficult to digest food substances.
What Heals a Leaky Gut?
If you read the blogosphere of the Paleo or Autoimmune crowd, you will find that most of them advocate the benefits of bone broth. Keep in mind this is not the can broth you find in your supermarket. These are therapeutic bone broth which takes about 18 hours of simmering of raw (preferably organic) bones of beef and/or chicken. Make sure there is no meat on the bones (meat proteins should not be boiled for more than 2 hours). Personally, I tend avoid pork products because of increase risk of parasite transmission from pork to humans [reference]. Although when you boil bones for 18 hours, that risk is nearly nill.
One of the therapeutic key ingredient in bone broth is the amino acid glutamine, which the lining of the gut needs to have to rebuild.
Other ways to heal leaky gut are as follows.
Dr. Axes lists some ways to heal leaky gut. One food product he mentions is “bone broth”. One supplement that he mentions is “L-Glutamine”. While he does also mentions “raw cultured dairy”; this is different from the conventional dairy found in most supermarkets (which you should avoid).
He also wrote on GreenMedInfo that gluten, conventional cow milk, and sugar damages intestinal wall linings.
Dr. Tom Obrien says probiotics, vitamin D, glutamine, omega 3, curcumin, and colostrum helps heals the gut.
Where to Get Bone Broth
Web search your metropolitan area. More and more places are popping up.