As someone else noted, proteins, or more accurately, peptide chains are not supposed to enter the bloodstream; only the broken down (denatured) amino acids should pass from the gut into the blood. Gluten is especially problematic because it is very difficult to denature. When the body identifies these peptide chains, it mounts an immune response to them. Because peptide chains resemble human tissue, the antigens will often attack the body as well (the thyroid is a frequent target), causing auto-immune diseases (all disease begins in the gut--and for babies it is the gut of the mother). often, these antigens will also mount an attack when the mother ingests cross-reactive foods as well. But, proteins are not the only problem for these babies as cytokines, endotoxins and other gut metabolites can pass through a leaky gut into the blood. 

Barbara Robertson's post is below. I have found clinically (and have validated my theories by reading a lot of dairy research) that fiber is essential for milk production. I always address low milk supply with diet and herbs. Rarely do any of my clients take drugs anymore. Magnesium gets bowels moving normally after birth with no need for anything else. 

This is why about 80% of my practice is focused on gut health and healing (an has been for many years) and why I finally put together a webinar for mothers on gut healing. IMO, all IBCLCs need this knowledge. Almost every mother I see has seen multiple other IBCLCs, some who have referred them to me, but most who have had no idea how to help them with miserable, fussy, colicky FTT babies with eczema, poor gut function, poor sleep, "high-needs" behavior etc. Gut healing is how we help them. And gut healing is how we help them make milk, too. Heal the mother, heal the baby. 
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, USA & France
Intuitive Parenting Network, LLC
 Some ideas I have been thinking hard about lately that I would love input on. I feel where I am that I am working in a vacuum.I have been thinking a lot recently about increasing breast milk production.I read an interesting article about cow lactation a few weeks ago (Thanks google alerts!) that said that when a mother cow is producing less milk they find her gut PH is low. The cow itself will choose to eat more alfalfa hay vs pellets, more fiber. The extra fiber raises the gut PH in the cow and her milk supply goes up.Hmm... One of the things I was thinking about is the Colase that mothers get all the time after having a baby. I can't believe this is good for gut health but I am not sure. It seems as though it would just make things slide through the gut and not promote good absorbtion of nutrients. I have been suggesting moms try lots of fiber instead of the Colase if they feel they can. This helps with edema as well. Have no idea if this will help but it will not hurt. Of course, all of these thoughts are for moms that are struggling with milk production.This lead me to conclude (I know, duh.) that gut health seems to be critical to milk production. I was thinking about Domperidone and that it is a stomach medicine (gut health?) and it has been proven to help with milk production. There was a good article in the JHL last year about this.Finally, the proteins. The more unhealthy your gut is, the leakier it is. In other words, things get into the blood stream that shouldn't be there. The gut should not have allowed them in. But our guts are not working well and all sorts of proteins get into the blood.I wonder if, ideally, far less protein would be in the  blood stream if our gut health was better. And what are the best, easiest ways to help mothers improve their gut health? And would this help milk production? According to the dairy industry it will.What do others think?Thank you!-- Barbara Robertson, MA, IBCLC, RLCThe Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arborbfcaa.com 





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