A month back, Lauren and I worked with Dr. Peter Kozlowski to analyze our gut health. He told us all about the good and bad bacteria, the parasites that we had, and everything in between. One of the more important gut health markers that we looked at was secretory IgA. We have known that secretory IgA plays an important role in the gut’s immune system, but the details have been foggy…until now.
Researchers from University of Bern have constructed a model to test the function of secretory IgA, bringing light to it’s functions in the body. In their experiment, researchers succeeded in producing a sufficient amount of IgA antibodies specifically directed against a type of Escherichia coli bacteria, a typical intestinal bacterium. The antibodies recognized and bound a building block on the membrane of the microorganisms. Lead researcher Tim Rollenske, PhD explains, “This means that the immune system is apparently able to influence the benign intestinal bacteria through different approaches on a simultaneous basis.” Researcher go on to say, “…our experiment shows that IgA antibodies can fine-tune the balance between the human organism and the intestinal flora.”
My take? If you were wondering how your body detects and defends against itself, it is becoming more and more clear, emphasizing the need to take care of your own immune system and microbiota. It also shows why some people are more prone to illness than others when it comes to the first line of defense: your gut! If you have compromised secretory IgA, you have no control over what bacteria grow and don’t grow in your gut. How does one support the production of secretory IgA? The obvious interventions come to mind (sleep, proper nutrition, exercise, and stress management) but there is one supplement shown to improve secretory IgA production: l-glutamine. Available evidence suggests that glutamine increases the abundance of intestinal SIgA, probably through the intestinal microbiota, induction pathway (T-dependent and T-independent), IgA-secreting plasma cells, and even transport of intestinal SIgA.
I have been using glutamine in my own gut healing protocol. I take 5 grams 3 times per day, but you need to work with a licensed health professional before you start any protocols. Like I mentioned before, I work with Dr. Peter Kozlowski. Click below to learn more about Dr. Koz!