At the center of using biomed interventions to treat autism spectrum disorders, and other disorders as well, is the concept that a person’s gut “leaks”. One of my readers asked me how this can be. In my non-scientific way, I had described this as food particles actually slipping into the bloodstream where the immune system attacked them, causing inflammation.

I was partially right.

Our GI tracts are designed to digest food, convert food into energy and allow certain vitamins and nutrients to cross through the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream on carrier proteins. If a “gut” becomes too permeable, more than just the nutrients attached to the proteins start crossing through the intestinal lining.

The intestinal tract has mucosa and microvilli designed to help keep the gut from becoming too permeable. However, if your GI tract becomes inflamed, this system starts to break down and larger food antigens enter your bloodstream.

In the bloodstream, these antigens are treated like any other invader by your immune system; they are attacked. And your body starts building antibodies against these foods. This is an oversimplification, but is how food allergies develop. This is also the reason that biomedical doctors believe that casein and gluten are problematic for many children, because their bodies are building up antibodies and their “allergic” reaction isn’t necessarily a traditional one…like hives or respiratory problems. But when your body is allergic to something, more inflammation is the result. And inflammation in the brain may be a huge part of autism from many of these children.

Meanwhile, the carrier proteins become damaged during all this, so the vitamins and minerals that your body does need don’t get properly transported across the gut lining anymore, leading to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

The other thing that happens is that inflammation of the gut causes changes in the immunoglobulin A, a protective coating of your intestinal wall. This allows bacteria, viruses, yeast and other nasty critters to more easily attack, and because of the weakening in the lining, they too, can more readily pass through the intestinal walls and spread throughout the body.

Leaky Gut Syndrome has been linked to several diseases, including Crohn’s Disease, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, colitis, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis.

More information:
What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Leaky Gut Syndrome, Using Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes in Autoimmune Disorders