[Effects of Glutamine] Leaky Intestine? 3 Reasons Why You Should Pay Attention to Glutamine

Dec 03, 2023KimSunhyo

[Effects of Glutamine] Leaky Intestine? 3 Reasons

Why You Should Pay Attention to Glutamine

Glutamine

Iron Defense Against Leaky Intestine, Pay Attention to Glutamine

This content is health information about ingredients and not directly related to a specific product.

Effects of Glutamine

1. Essential for intestinal mucosal function
2. Improves condition after surgery
3. Improves recovery and reduces muscle soreness after exercise

Hello, I am Jinny, a pharmacist.

You may have experienced digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, loose stools, or constipation at least once in your life. If symptoms such as fatigue or loss of appetite are accompanied by no specific disease, at the same time, you should suspect ‘leaky gut syndrome’.

Originally, the intestinal tract is supposed to function as a defensive barrier that blocks the entry of harmful substances such as toxins and pathogens. However, when the bond between intestinal mucosal cells becomes weak due to any damage, polymer substances can penetrate through them. This clinical phenomenon is called leaky gut syndrome. In this condition, harmful substances can enter and cause various inflammations or autoimmune diseases.

Therefore, you need to be careful about consuming drugs, alcohol, or spicy foods, which are major causes, and help the weakened intestinal mucosa to reconnect strongly. Today, we will learn about an ingredient called ‘glutamine’, which has been shown in numerous research reports to contribute to keeping the intestinal mucosa healthy.

1. Essential for Intestinal Mucosal Function

Although it may be an unfamiliar ingredient to the general public, glutamine has already been studied in various studies for its actions in the body related to the intestinal mucosa.

Regarding this, a paper published in J Epithel Biol Pharmacol in 2012 summarizes previous research on glutamine as follows.

“Several clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated the importance of glutamine as a dietary supplement in maintaining gastrointestinal mucosal function and preventing permeation of bacteria and toxins during parenteral nutrition, sepsis, infection, radiation and various other catabolic stress conditions. Therefore, glutamine is an essential nutrient for the growth and differentiation of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells, mucosal integrity, and barrier function.”

Reference : Rao R, Samak G (2012). Role of Glutamine in Protection of Intestinal Epithelial Tight Junctions. J Epithel Biol Pharmacol. (Suppl 1-M7):47-54..

2. Improves Condition After Surgery

Glutamine is a type of amino acid that is most abundant in the blood, and is one of the non-essential amino acids that can be synthesized in the body. Nevertheless, it can be deficient in stressful situations such as diseases such as cancer, major surgery, or trauma, so supplementation is necessary.

In 2009, a paper was published in Chin Med Sci which studied whether supplementing glutamine in patients who underwent abdominal surgery could improve various clinical outcomes, including post-operative glutathione levels and immune function.

“Supplementation with TPN (total parenteral nutrition) rich in glutamine (GLN) has a tendency to reduce the incidence of infectious complications and shorten the length of hospital stay, as well as GSH (glutathione) levels in postoperative plasma and RBC (red blood cells) in abdominal surgery patients. It has a beneficial effect on the (glutathione)/GSSH (glutathione disulfide) ratio, albumin levels, and maintenance of antioxidant capacity.””

Reference : Fan YP, Yu JC, Kang WM, Zhang Q (2009). Effects of glutamine supplementation on patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Chin Med Sci J. 24(1):55-9.

3. Improves Recovery and Reduces Muscle Soreness After Exercise

In fact, glutamine accounts for 60% of the amino acids found in muscle tissue, and along with arginine, it is the main ingredient in a workout booster loved by those who enjoy exercising.

In 2015, a paper was published in Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab that studied the effects of glutamine intake on recovery speed and muscle soreness immediately after exercise.

“L-Glutamine supplementation led to faster recovery of maximal torque and reduced muscle soreness during eccentric exercise.”

Reference : Legault Z, Bagnall N, Kimmerly DS (2015). The Influence of Oral L-Glutamine Supplementation on Muscle Strength Recovery and Soreness Following Unilateral Knee Extension Eccentric Exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 25(5):417-26.

Today, we learned about glutamine’s actions in the body through various papers. As a sudden cold weather is predicted starting this week, you should prepare in advance.

I hope you have a healthy day both physically and mentally. This was Jinny.

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