Leaky gut/intestinal permeability questions

[celiacinrecovery]

From additional reading and diet adjustment I suspect that I'm dealing with some lingering leaky gut/intestinal permeability issues.

I've done as much reading as I can on the subject but it seems difficult to sort out the good information from the quacks when it comes to leaky gut/intestinal permeability.

I've read conflicting opinions regarding nightshades, and potatoes in particular. Some say that they're all bad, but it seems that when it comes to potatoes they're particularly bad when fried because it concentrates the glycoalkaloids. (See this study.) Unfortunately, I eat a lot of fried potatoes ... they're one of my remaining comfort foods.  So I'm going to try removing fried potatoes from my diet for the next 6 weeks, and will observe if some of my lingering issues clear up.

A few questions for those in the know:

1. What are some reliable sources online regarding leaky gut/intestinal permeability?
2. While I intend to remove fried potatoes, should I be okay having small amounts of mashed potatoes each day or every other day? Or should I wait for my stomach to heal before this? (I'd like to continue eating some, even if its every other day, due to their nutrition and my already restricted diet.)
3. I'm doing everything I can think of to improve my stomach. I've stopped taking dapsone, take a quality daily probiotic, drink homemade kombucha, eat homemade sauerkraut, cut out anything with gluten, cut out packaged foods, use high quality coconut oil, use a little apple cider vinegar each day, etc. I'm feeling much better. In ideal circumstances, how long does it take to heal intestinal permeability?

[trents]

What makes you think you are still dealing with leaky  gut/permeability issues?

[celiacinrecovery]

35 minutes ago, trents said:

What makes you think you are still dealing with leaky  gut/permeability issues?

I've been strictly gluten free for a long time. I've resolved the issues related to DH. But I still have a number of symptoms that line-up with leaky gut. For example, if I have dairy or processed foods that are certified gluten free I break out. For the longest time I suspected this was due to cross-contamination or something similar, but at this point I suspect leaky gut could be the culprit.

I could be wrong, but I'm going to focus on this for now to see if it makes a difference.

[GFinDC]

Hi C.I.R.

I agree with your idea of eliminating potatoes from your diet as a test.  You might want to go ahead and eliminate the other common nightshades veggies too.  That would mean taking out tomatoes, hot peppers and eggplant also.   All nightshades have alkaloids that can impact our health.  If you do switch to a nightshade free diet, stick with it for a month or 2 at least to see results.

Regarding intestinal permeability, the study you linked talks about genetically susceptible animals having a reaction to nightshade alkaloids.  The same kind of thing is present in people with celiac disease.  We have an increased intestinal permeability genetically.  That is something that Dr. Alessio Fassano was working on developing a drug treatment to tackle.  I think that project was not completely successful though.  The drug/supplement was supposed to reduce gut permeability in genetically affected people (like us).

There is no cure for leaky gut.  Since it is a genetic issue and we don't have a gene altering technique for it.  Supplements/drugs may be able to reduce the leaky gut affect but won't eliminate it IMHO.  Avoiding foods that make it worse is a smart thing to do.

Thanks for the article link.   A lot of people with celiac would probably do well to eliminate nightshades.

Edited January 7, 2021 by GFinDC

[celiacinrecovery]

51 minutes ago, GFinDC said:

Hi C.I.R.

I agree with your idea of eliminating potatoes from your diet as a test.  You might want to go ahead and eliminate the other common nightshades veggies too.  That would mean taking out tomatoes, hot peppers and eggplant also.   All nightshades have alkaloids that can impact our health.  If you do switch to a nightshade free diet, stick with it for a month or 2 at least to see results.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I figure I'll try it for a month or two.

The study notes that the glycoalkaloids are concentrated when frying, so while they're present in potatoes at all times, they're particularly bad when fried. I've also read that they're largely in the skin of the potato. I'll cut out all nightshades for my one or two month experiment, but I'll keep the possibility of mashed potatoes down the line as an incentive. Does anyone have any insight into this?

[GFinDC]

45 minutes ago, celiacinrecovery said:

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I figure I'll try it for a month or two.

The study notes that the glycoalkaloids are concentrated when frying, so while they're present in potatoes at all times, they're particularly bad when fried. I've also read that they're largely in the skin of the potato. I'll cut out all nightshades for my one or two month experiment, but I'll keep the possibility of mashed potatoes down the line as an incentive. Does anyone have any insight into this?

I think you are asking if the mashed potatoes are not a problem?  I'd say they are a problem, as they are nightshades and have at least some of the alkaloids in them.  You are right, the potatoes skins are the main problem, and especially the green eyes of potatoes.   The green eyes can make anyone sick, not just people with celiac disease.

You can switch to sweet potatoes or yams as an alternate food.  Sweet potatoes are a different plant family and don't have the poisonous alkaloids in them.

Many gluten-free processed foods use potato starch and should be avoided also.

Edited January 7, 2021 by GFinDC

[DJFL77I]

why dont you eat sweet potatoes..

and sweet potato chips