Researchers have found that glutamine helps maintain the proper permeability of the small intestines. Without glutamine, the villi (the part of the small intestines that allow nutrients in) become too porous. Molecules enter that body that normally would be too large to breach the intestinal wall. That results in substances being allowed into the bloodstream that can cause allergic reactions and other problematic responses. On the other hand, glutamine helps the lining allow the proper nutrients into the body while barring the entry of allergens.

Along with allergens, when your intestinal tract is damaged or stressed, microbes and the toxins they secrete can also find their way through the intestinal walls and lead to infection. Here, too, glutamine helps keep these nasty substances out by aiding in creating a barrier that protects the body. In addition, the cells of the intestinal walls that are responsible for choosing which nutrients are permitted into the body are fueled by glutamine.

Researchers have found that besides feeding the cells in the intestines and helping put up barriers to pathogens, glutamine helps boost the growth of probiotics, which in turn also help defend the intestinal walls against pathogenic invasion. When researchers gave glutamine to people with ulcerative colitis, they found that it reduced intestinal inflammation – and their probiotic bacteria flourished as well. It works best one or two hours before or after meals because acids destroy its activity. Famed nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D. recommends taking 500 – 1,000 mg at least twenty minutes before meals.

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