Posted by bleauberry on November 7, 2009, at 5:15:27
In reply to Does glutamine help the GI tract?, posted by G-man885858 on November 6, 2009, at 21:11:36
I do not have the expertise of whether glutamine heals the gut or not, but it is a highly touted supplement for that purpose. I've read the scientific reasoning for that but I don't understand much of it.
My feeling is that no single substance is going to be fruitful, that it requires a comprehensive approach from various angles. Disease of any type is complex.
GI gut problems have, in my view, the primary cause being disbalanced flora...not enough good bacteria, too many bad ones, too much yeast/Candida, penetration of mutated yeast into gut linings. Glutamine won't fix those things. Though it probably will help healing once those things have been corrected.
GI gut issues also demand the necessity of discovering whether gluten and/or dairy are involved. Elimination diets or special lab tests can do that.
Yeast can be treated blindly. Just assume if there are gut problems, it is likely a top issue. Various herbs are strong against yeast...Oil or Oregano, Garlic supplements (the smelly ones, not the de-odored ones), Pau D'Arco tea, Grapefruit Seed Extract, and one of the most potent is Caprylic Acid. For meds, simple and cheap....Diflucan. Candida is tough to get rid of, sometimes weeks or months, so consistency in treatment is important.
And no matter what, a strong potency probiotic needs to be taken daily, along with healthy servings of yogurt. This helps rebalance flora and displace the bad guys so they don't have a place to reside.
Sugar is a big offender. Cut down on raw sugar totally. Avoid the 3 "S"s...sugar, sucrose, sucrolose. Avoid the artificial sweeteners, except for Stevia, which is good and healthy. Keep corn syrup to a minimum. Honey and maple syrup are ok in modesty. Most of the anti-sugar diets for Candida I believe are too extreme.
Antimicrobial herbs, probiotics, low sugar food choices, testing for gluten/dairy tolerance...these are the gut healing guns. Add glutamine later to help heal the actual tissue damage that might have happened.
Three other substances helpful are Licorice root extract, Aloe Vera juice, Marshmallow root. There are others as well.
Basically, glutamine alone? No. As a small part of a comprehensive plan? Yes.
Some gut problems, such as IBS, are immune system mediated, possibly explaining why they respond to oddball things such as immune system modulating herbs, anti-inflammatory herbs, and Low Dose Naltrexone.
poster:bleauberry
thread:924801
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091107/msgs/924821.html