As temperatures in the UK soar, research from Kent found a simple nutritional supplement could be the solution for those at risk of heat stroke.
The health food product, zinc carnosine, may also have value for athletes – such as those competing in the Rio Olympics next month – and prevent heat stroke in military personnel, according to research.
Dr Glen Davison, senior lecturer in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, said the findings from this study are important because they provide information on how exercise and increases in body temperature influence the gut.
‘Leaky gut’ is a condition where the thin mucosal barrier of the gut, which plays a role in absorbing nutrients and preventing large molecules and germs from the gut entering the blood stream, becomes less effective. It is a particular problem for those exercising at their peak in hot and humid conditions and can potentially lead to ‘heat stroke’.
The research team from the University of Kent, as well as Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, the University of Leicester and Aberystwyth University, publish their findings in the 1 August 2016 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Dr Davison says their findings are exciting and underpinned by a thorough clinical trial supported by cell culture experiments. They used a human trial that allowed them to see effects that are real-to-life and have practical implications for people who may be exposed to such stressors. Exercise caused an increase in body temperature and increased intestinal permeability (‘leaky gut’).
The results showed that zinc carnosine improved the performance of the mucosal barrier of the gut, reduced ‘gut leakiness’ and that this improvement was enhanced when supplemented with bovine colostrum. Both are readily available from health food suppliers and the research team concluded that zinc carnosine taken alone or with bovine colostrum may have value for those affected by ‘leaky gut’.