A leaky gut is when our intestinal lining develops holes that allow harmful substances to leak into our bloodstream. Our intestinal lining has t has two main jobs. The first is to digest food so that we can absorb nutrients and water into our bloodstream for distribution throughout the body. The second job is to act as a barrier, restricting the entry of harmful substances. In fact, our gastrointestinal tract contains a huge number of immune system cells that at as our first line of defense against toxins and infections.
The intestinal epithelium of our small intestine is formed from a single layer of columnar cells called enterocytes whose surfaces consist of multiple finger-like projections called villi. The villi maximize the absorptive surface of the enterocytes. The majority of nutrient absorption occurs through the small intestinal villi….