Gut damage, post-addiction depression and serotonin issues related to liver and gut damage are well-known obstacles in spite of managing to quit alcohol. However these health troubles are almost unbearable for many, because now the digestive and mood balancing biochemical markers really become obvious in daily life, when not numbing out from the mental and physical discomfort on the regular with alcohol.

Researchers are finding that L-Glutamine plays a critical role in healthy digestion and brain function.

Glutamine has been shown in studies to protect against mucosal breakdown in the gut. There are even studies looking into how glutamine can aid in reducing side-effects of chemotherapy treatments.

In a just released study out in Journal of Nutrition of Biochemistry, rats were administered alcohol, which caused damage (permeability) in the lining of the colon epithelial wall. After alcohol-induced intestinal damage was confirmed in the animals, they were given glutamine – an amino acid known to benefit gut permeability – which dose-dependently increased beneficial proteins that protect cells of the colon.

Glutamine has protective effects on intestinal mucosa by decreasing bacteremia and epithelial cell apoptosis, enhancing gut barrier function, and influencing gut immune response.

In addition, liver damage caused by alcohol was also reduced by glutamine supplementation.

What type of glutamine and How much is a typical dosage to repair gut and liver?

First off, you need to ensure the glutamine you are getting is the L-form. The best way to use this supplement is to slowly ramp the dosage up over a few weeks. This allows the body to grow comfortable and reduces the chances of overwhelm.

Based on the research and real-world application, the dosage you are trying to build up to is 5g to 40g a day. However, building up to therapeutic dosage should not be done without supervision from a healthcare practitioner.

Reference: J Nutr Biochem. 2016 Jan;27:16-26