The membrane of the human intestine, also called the epithelium, is mainly characterized by being semi-permeable . That is, the intestinal wall basically functions as a selective barrier that allows the passage and absorption of nutrients , while blocking the way to those other substances that can be harmful to the body . In short, the gut has to be permeable, but up to a point. In fact, with age and blindness, this permeability increases and sometimes gives rise to the so-called intestinal permeability syndrome or increased intestinal permeability ( leaky gut syndrome or leaky gut syndrome). When this permeability is disturbed more than necessary, it can lead to various autoimmune and inflammatory pathologies.
In recent times, due to a combination of factors, such as the rhythm of life, stress, the intake of foods that contain heavy metals and antibiotics, which inflame the intestinal wall, it becomes even weaker and allows the passage of toxic substances that would normally be rejected. When they pass through the epithelium, they enter the bloodstream, affect the hormonal, immune, nervous, respiratory or reproductive systems , and cause symptoms such as migraines, arthritis, fatigue, abdominal swelling, diarrhea, skin lesions, urinary and vaginal infections, among others. . On many occasions, dysbiosis or imbalance of the intestinal microbiota can be both a cause and an effect of damage to the intestinal barrier.
Well, a recent study by the Kapahi lab at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging , in California (United States), has found that flies that eat a Spartan diet are much better protected against intestinal permeability and systemic inflammation associated with it during old age. In contrast, flies that followed highly protein nutrition, such as the so-called Atkins diet, based on the consumption of meat and other protein sources, tended to become prone to increased intestinal permeability and to suffer associated ailments, such as irritable bowel syndrome. .
Researchers in Kapahi’s lab have found that losses in the intestinal barrier are caused by an increase in intestinal epithelial cell mortality that occurs with aging . “We believe that problems derived from intestinal permeability include chronic inflammation, metabolic diseases and even some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” says Pankaj Kapahi, the study’s lead author. In his opinion, “a dietary restriction could help prevent this decline in humans, opening up a new field of research that could improve health and longevity.”
