We know the intestine as the digestive organ that it is, but it is more than that. It is also a neurological (nervous system), endocrine (hormonal) and immune (defense) organ.
Its internal surface is about 200 m2 and this surface acts as a barrier that separates the interior of the intestine from its exterior. This intestinal barrier regulates the absorption of nutrients, signals molecules and prevents microorganisms, food residues and harmful substances from entering the circulation.
In the intestine we find this barrier mentioned above, the intestinal mucosa and the bacteria that live in our intestine - microbiota. In order to have a good digestion and absorption of the food we eat, but also to be in balance from a neurological, endocrine and immune point of view, it is essential that the intestinal barrier, intestinal mucosa and microbiota are well, in balance and healthy. However, given the lifestyle and food available today, it is very easy for this balance to be lost and for the invitation for disease to be made.
It is important to realize that since the industrial revolution, food has changed drastically: food started to be modified and highly processed, to face the hunger that existed in Europe. The diet has changed a lot in recent times, a change that is too fast for our bodies to keep up with. These changes did (and continue to do) affect our microbiota, the intestinal mucosa and the gastrointestinal barrier.
In addition to the drastic dietary alterations of the recent years, factors such as stress, alcohol, unbalanced and unhealthy food, heavy metals, antibiotics, among others, alter the intestinal barrier, causing intestinal permeability (the so-called “leaky gut”), allowing the passage of biomacromolecules and microorganisms for circulation, something that would not happen in balanced and healthy circumstances.
This intestinal permeability can lead to malabsorption of nutrients, affect the immune system, and can lead to food intolerances and allergies, as well as the development of inflammatory, metabolic, neurological diseases and mental disorders.
Its internal surface is about 200 m2 and this surface acts as a barrier that separates the interior of the intestine from its exterior. This intestinal barrier regulates the absorption of nutrients, signals molecules and prevents microorganisms, food residues and harmful substances from entering the circulation.
In the intestine we find this barrier mentioned above, the intestinal mucosa and the bacteria that live in our intestine - microbiota. In order to have a good digestion and absorption of the food we eat, but also to be in balance from a neurological, endocrine and immune point of view, it is essential that the intestinal barrier, intestinal mucosa and microbiota are well, in balance and healthy. However, given the lifestyle and food available today, it is very easy for this balance to be lost and for the invitation for disease to be made.
It is important to realize that since the industrial revolution, food has changed drastically: food started to be modified and highly processed, to face the hunger that existed in Europe. The diet has changed a lot in recent times, a change that is too fast for our bodies to keep up with. These changes did (and continue to do) affect our microbiota, the intestinal mucosa and the gastrointestinal barrier.
In addition to the drastic dietary alterations of the recent years, factors such as stress, alcohol, unbalanced and unhealthy food, heavy metals, antibiotics, among others, alter the intestinal barrier, causing intestinal permeability (the so-called “leaky gut”), allowing the passage of biomacromolecules and microorganisms for circulation, something that would not happen in balanced and healthy circumstances.
This intestinal permeability can lead to malabsorption of nutrients, affect the immune system, and can lead to food intolerances and allergies, as well as the development of inflammatory, metabolic, neurological diseases and mental disorders.
