ADVERTISING: Advertorial — The link between gut health and food sensitivities
Darcy Greenwald
It is estimated that more than 33 million Americans have food allergies and/or sensitivities, including almost six million children under age 18 — but that is likely a gross undercalculation. The most common food allergies include milk and dairy, eggs, fish and shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans, but people can be sensitive to just about anything. Since food allergies and sensitivities were almost unheard of 50 years ago, what is causing this modern epidemic?
Food sensitivities are directly linked to a condition called “leaky gut syndrome,” also referred to as intestinal hyperpermeability. The small intestine when stretched out is about the size of a tennis court and accomplishes the lion’s share of nutrient extraction and absorption from food. The epithelial cells that line the intestines are just one cell-layer thick and in a healthy gut are linked closely together with selectively permeable tight junctions. This is because when we are healthy only very small particles from the food and drink that we consume are allowed to pass through, such as water molecules, amino acids from protein, glucose from sugars and fatty acids from fats.
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