If you have done enough googling about digestive disorders like IBS/IBD or leaky gut, then you have probably read something about L-glutamine. Over the years I have seen L-glutamine mentioned here and there and even taken it in small amounts (mixed in with other supplements). But this month I am going all in on L-glutamine to see what kind of results I can get. If you don’t know by now then you will pretty quickly find out that I struggle with Ulcerative Colitis (a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease) and chronic Lyme Disease. I have been dealing with UC since 2013 and have had my fair share of ups and downs. I’ve tried a lot of supplements and health products over the years and it’s an uphill battle to say the least. However, I still hold on to hope and today (with my recently purchased L-glutamine) even more so.
What is L-glutamine?
Simply put, L-glutamine is an amino acid which is naturally produced by your body and can also be found in food (and supplements). Your body requires a handful of essential and nonessential amino acids to create certain proteins that you need to function (amino acids are basically the building blocks of proteins). L-glutamine is considered one of the nonessential amino acid and may be able to help with IBS/IBD and leaky gut. Since intestinal tissue uses L-glutamine to function properly, the idea is that L-glutamine could help reinforce the barrier (or tight junctions) of the intestinal wall. This is one of the main concerns for leaky gut victims which can lead to food sensitives and many IBS/IBD related symptoms. L-glutamine deficiency can be caused gastrointestinal issues (stress) including inflammatory bowel diseases like Chron’s and Colitis, so this seems like a kind of self-perpetuating problem once those levels drop.
The Approach
I purchased Dr. Amy Myers’ Leaky Gut Revive product and began my first dose on 1/6/2021. I decided on this product because I have been following Dr. Myers for several years and I trust her opinion and expertise. However, there are a lot of similar options out there (so do your research!). I will be taking one serving each day for 30 days which will last me the entire container (give or take 1 serving). I plan to provide weekly updates on my progress and symptom changes over the course of the month to see how effective the product can be. The substance is a powder and is easy to mix into drinks, smoothies, yogurt, etc.
There are a few other ingredients included such as marshmallow root powder, slippery elm, aloe vera leaf powder, deglycryrrhizinated licorice root, and larch arabinogalactan. I know from prior experience that marshmallow root, slippery elm (and others) are great for easing digestive distress so I am hoping to get from benefits from those as well. I wanted to be sure that whatever brand I was choosing was free from the common allergens I tend to avoid, so seeing the AIP friendly marker was a sigh of relief for me as well as the gluten free, dairy free, non-GMO, etc. related labels.
The only other supplement I will be taking at this time is my multivitamin. I am currently taking the Shaklee Vitalizer multivitamin, since my mom has been with Shaklee for 30+ years now and I trust her opinion on the effectiveness of the multi. During the length of the experiment my diet will remain consistent so there are no large disruptions or unknown variables thrown into the mix which might impair the results of my conclusion. I have high hopes for L-glutamine since its something I have never tried before (in higher doses). Now, without further ado let’s get started.
Week 1 – Results Summary
The first week of the experiment was an interesting ride for sure and the results were kind of surprising. Within the first 24 hours of taking dose number 1 I was noticing some significant differences (relatively speaking). I was basically in the middle of a flare when I started, intestinal ulcers were actively bleeding and I was having at least 5+ BMs a day with very high urgency and passing very loose stool (basically water). Feeling a bit run down from a couple of weeks of the current flare any signs of improvement were welcome. Over the course of the week I went from high frequency and high urgency to a much more sustainable bathroom schedule. Between days 1 and 2 stool went from completely unformed to some semblance of form to what I would call a half decent BM. As for bleeding, I could tell that inflammation and bleeding were significantly reduced. As the rest of the week continued I saw marginal improvements day to day and was even able to pull off a solid formed BM with NO BLEEDING by 1/11/21, but the most consistent gain was number of bathroom trips per day. Not having to sprint to the bathroom every couple of hours was a huge relief. The only con that I experienced in week 1 was mild cramping. I am thinking that this was mostly due to gas and intestinal movements but there was a definite uptick in cramping but it wasn’t too bad and didn’t last for long.
Overall, I am pretty happy with the product so far and will continue to document ups and downs throughout the next 3 weeks. I am not expecting a miracle but if the product can help bring some sort of stability to my routine I will consider it a stable and add in the next thing. Until next time, I hope this finds you in good health 🙂
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