what it's actually called: The Leaky Gut Theory of Why Animal Products Cause Inflammation
interestingly, esp. given past discussion of the liver in ms, and very recent mention of the liver by a new member:
Zinc and Liver Disease
http://ncp.sagepub.com/content/27/1/8.abstract
Zinc deficiency may manifest itself in many ways in liver disease, including skin lesions, poor wound healing/liver regeneration, altered mental status, or altered immune function.
Zinc supplementation has been documented to block/attenuate experimental ALD through multiple processes, including
stabilization of gut barrier function, decreasing endotoxemia, decreasing proinflammatory cytokine production, decreasing oxidative stress, and attenuating apoptotic hepatocyte death. Clinical trials in human liver disease are limited in size and quality, but it is clear that zinc supplementation reverses clinical signs of zinc deficiency in patients with liver disease. Some studies suggest improvement in liver function in both ALD and hepatitis C following zinc supplementation, and 1 study suggested improved fibrosis markers in hepatitis C patients. The dose of zinc used for treatment of liver disease is usually 50 mg of elemental zinc taken with a meal to decrease the potential side effect of nausea.
throwing this in for balance, since i have personal experience in carrying the plant-based diet torch too far into the extreme, with permanent consequences;
Copper-Zinc Imbalance: Unrecognized Consequence of Plant-Based Diets and a Contributor to Chronic Fatigue
http://www.westonaprice.org/metabolic-d ... -imbalance
...While Americans have been receiving a broad education on the nutritional value of plant foods, evidence has accumulated to indicate that diets that rely too heavily on plant food sources have special problems of their own. Those of us interested in traditional nutrition have become familiar with some of these, including fatty acid imbalances, B6 and B12 deficiencies, and untreated phytates in whole grains, legumes and nuts. As we continue to delve into these areas, the seriousness of these dietary imbalances continues to emerge...
i hit the right balance briefly at the start of 2010, wish i really knew exactly what i was doing then! i will have to go have a more indepth scout of correspondence, see if i can tease something out.