Barrier integrity & mucosal repair
One of 5 mechanistic pathways to 🦠 Gut health & digestion · 15 options
A single layer of epithelial cells separates you from several pounds of bacteria. Tight junctions, the mucus layer and rapid epithelial turnover maintain that separation; when they fail, bacterial products reach the immune system and drive inflammation well beyond the gut.
A failing barrier shows up as malabsorption first. Low iron, B12 and folate together on a reasonable diet is an absorption pattern — that combination is the finding, not any one of them.
hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)FerritinVitamin B12Folate, SerumVitamin D (25-Hydroxy)Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)🌱 Gut Health & Absorption covers these in one panel →
What engages this pathway
Ordered by how directly each one acts on the mechanism above — never by how much trial evidence exists. Each links to its full breakdown with dosing, half-life and vendor.
💉 BPC-157 (inj/oral)
The gut is where its preclinical evidence is strongest — protective against NSAID and alcohol damage, and accelerates healing of experimental colitis, fistulae and anastomoses in rodents. Oral dosing is mechanistically defensible here specifically, since it was isolated from gastric juice.
💉 Larazotide
A zonulin antagonist that directly tightens intercellular junctions. Reached phase-3 in coeliac disease — the most rigorous evidence that tightening the barrier pharmacologically is possible.
💉 KPV
Anti-inflammatory at the mucosa and stable enough orally to reach the colon.
💉 GLP-2
Directly trophic — increases villus height and crypt depth. Approved as teduglutide for short-bowel syndrome, which is proof the mechanism works in humans.
🧬 L-Glutamine
The enterocyte's preferred fuel. Best evidence in burns, critical illness and post-surgical recovery, where the demand genuinely outstrips supply.
🧬 Zinc Carnosine
Stabilises the gastric mucosa and reduces NSAID-induced small-intestinal permeability in controlled trials. The chelate delivers zinc to the damaged site rather than to the bloodstream.
🧬 Butyrate
The colonocyte's primary fuel and a direct regulator of tight-junction protein expression. Delivering it directly bypasses the need for a fibre-fermenting microbiome you may not have.
🧬 DGL Licorice
Increases mucus secretion and mucosal blood flow; the deglycyrrhizinated form removes the blood-pressure problem.
🧬 Slippery Elm
A demulcent that forms a mucilage layer over irritated mucosa. Mechanically sensible and symptomatic — there is no evidence it changes the underlying barrier, and traditional use is the bulk of the case.
🧬 Marshmallow Root
Same demulcent mechanism, traditionally paired with slippery elm.
🧬 Aloe Vera
Inner-leaf gel improved ulcerative colitis scores in a randomised trial. Whole-leaf contains anthraquinone laxatives and is a different product entirely.
🧬 Colostrum
Reduces exercise-induced intestinal permeability in athlete trials — a clean, measurable result.
🧬 Immunoglobulin (IgG) Concentrate
Binds luminal antigens and toxins, reducing the load on the barrier. Real trial evidence in IBS-D.
🧬 Gut Repair (EnteroMend)
A formulated blend across the same targets.
🧬 Vitamin A
Required for mucosal epithelial differentiation and secretory IgA production.
The other 4 routes to gut health & digestion
Pick the pathway that matches where you are actually stuck. An appetite drug does nothing for someone who already undereats.
Want the protocols behind these?
Dosing schedules, stacking, cycle timing and Coach Cam's notes live inside the Academy — plus the full interactive Vault.
Join the Academy — $10/mo →← Open this pathway in the interactive Vault
Frequently asked questions
A single layer of epithelial cells separates you from several pounds of bacteria. Tight junctions, the mucus layer and rapid epithelial turnover maintain that separation; when they fail, bacterial products reach the immune system and drive inflammation well beyond the gut.
15 options are mapped to this pathway in the Vault, including BPC-157 (inj/oral), Larazotide, KPV, GLP-2. They are grouped by the mechanism they act through rather than ranked by how much trial evidence exists — 10 carry clinical validation and 5 are mechanistic predictions.
A failing barrier shows up as malabsorption first. Low iron, B12 and folate together on a reasonable diet is an absorption pattern — that combination is the finding, not any one of them. The markers worth checking are hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein), Ferritin, Vitamin B12, Folate, Serum.
Unproven is not the same as ineffective. Of the 15 options on this pathway, 10 have clinical validation and 5 are graded theoretical — meaning the mechanism is sound but the specific human trial has not been run, which is true of a great deal of what works in this space. Nothing on this page is ordered by evidence tier, because sorting by trial count would bury the compounds you came looking for.