The mucosal barrier is the lining of the digestive tract. It starts at your mouth and extends to your anus. “Mucosa” is the moist inner lining in which it creates a barrier of mucus between the contents of the digestive tract and the bloodstream.
If there is any loss of function in the mucosal barrier, specifically in the stomach and intestines: it can cause a host of issues like poor nutrient absorption and subsequent fatigue, and worse.
The digestive tract mucosal barrier is like a second skin. It facilitates digestion and assimilation, and it should not permit large or offensive particles, such as pathogens, antigens, immune complexes – into the bloodstream. It’s critical for digestion, energy production, and immune function.
Within the digestive tract mucosal barrier, we have a single layer of cells, called enterocytes, held together very closely. Within the enterocytes, there are finger-like projections called villi, on which there are microvilli. On the microvilli are the cells that take up nutrients, called goblet cells and epithelial cells. These are also held together very closely. Tight junctions prevent the passage of molecules through the space between the cells.