Sodium oleate damages the intestines because of its surface-active chemical properties, not because of how the body breaks it down. Oleic acid, which the body processes the same way, does not cause...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Sodium oleate acts like soap in the gut and breaks apart the protective lining, letting things leak through and hurt the tissue. Free oleic acid doesn’t act like soap, so it doesn’t hurt the gut—even though the body processes both the same way. When scientists change sodium oleate so it can’t act...
Most probable mechanism
Sodium oleate acts like soap in the gut, breaking apart the protective layer of cells that lines the intestine. This lets harmful substances leak through and causes damage. Free oleic acid doesn’t do this because it doesn’t act like soap, and when sodium oleate is changed to not act like soap, it also stops causing damage.
Sodium oleate reduces surface tension at the intestinal epithelial interface, disrupting lipid bilayers of cell membranes and tight junctions.
Disruption of epithelial integrity increases paracellular permeability, allowing luminal contents to penetrate the mucosal layer.
Intact epithelial barrier remains undisturbed when oleic acid is in free acid form or when sodium oleate is chemically neutralized.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Community contributions welcome
Satiety from fat? Adverse effects of intestinal infusion of sodium oleate.
Contradicting (0)
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Gold Standard Evidence Needed
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