How to Transition from Inflammation to Repair (L-Glutamine, Zinc Carnosine, Tributyrin)

Introduction

When you're in the thick of an IBD flare, every thought is focused on calming the chaos. Reducing pain, getting rid of the blood and mucus, saying bye-bye to urgency, regaining control, and putting out the inflammatory fire. That's where all the energy goes. But what happens after the urgency fades

This in-between stage, not quite remission, but no longer in crisis, is where the real work begins. It’s where short-term relief starts to turn into long-term resilience. And if you're navigating Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease, this is a moment that deserves more attention than it usually gets.

We call it the REPAIR phase.

The lining of your gut doesn’t bounce back overnight. Even when symptoms settle, the barrier is still fragile, your immune system is still alert, and your microbial landscape is still out of balance. This is where targeted support, like L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, and tributyrin, becomes essential.

In this blog, we’ll unpack how to recognise the right time to transition, why gut lining repair deserves its own dedicated phase, and how the ingredients in the Proviscera REPAIR protocol help rebuild the foundation from the inside out.

From FLARE to REPAIR: What This Transition Really Means

Not Just a Break Between Flares

When symptoms start to ease, it’s easy to assume that healing is done. But for people with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn’s, the drop in urgency, blood, or pain doesn’t mean your gut is back to baseline. More often, it signals the beginning of a new phase where symptoms may be quieter, but the internal landscape is still fragile.

The REPAIR phase isn’t a return to normal, and it’s not quite remission. It’s a window of opportunity where inflammation is calming down, but the gut lining still needs help rebuilding, and the microbiome is far from balanced. Skip this stage, and you risk setting the stage for another flare. Support it well, and you lay the groundwork for a deeper, more stable recovery.

When Is It Time to Transition?

Everyone’s journey is different, but here are a few signs your body may be ready to move from FLARE to REPAIR:

• Stools are more formed (even if not fully normal)

• Bleeding has stopped or significantly reduced

• Urgency is easing, and you’re able to wait before needing the bathroom

• Appetite is returning, and you're tolerating food more consistently

• Fatigue is improving, even if slowly

This is typically the point where corticosteroids are being tapered, or where biologics or immunosuppressants have begun to take effect. It’s also where many people make the mistake of adding in harsh probiotics or diving back into “normal” foods too quickly, often triggering setbacks.

Transitioning thoughtfully means acknowledging that healing is still happening under the surface. It’s the difference between symptom management and deep recovery.

Why Gut Lining Repair Deserves Its Own Phase

The lining of your gut isn’t just a passive barrier; it’s an active, intelligent interface between your body and everything you ingest. In Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease, this lining becomes damaged, inflamed, and hyperpermeable. Once the acute inflammation starts to settle, that damage doesn’t simply reverse on its own.

Yet this stage often gets overlooked.

The Role of Intestinal Permeability in IBD

You may have heard the term “leaky gut”, a phrase that gets tossed around too often without clarity. But in the context of IBD, increased intestinal permeability is very real. It’s been documented in clinical studies and is directly linked to disease activity and immune dysfunction.

Here’s what’s happening:

• The epithelial cells that line the gut are held together by tight junctions.

• In a flare, inflammation disrupts those junctions, making the gut more permeable.

• This allows bacteria, toxins, and food particles to cross into the bloodstream, where they’re treated as threats.

• The immune system responds with more inflammation, creating a vicious cycle.
  
  

Even once the visible symptoms improve, those junctions can remain compromised. And unless the structure is actively supported, the gut stays in a state of low-grade vulnerability, one that makes it more likely for the next flare to take hold.

Learn more about Leaky Gut here: Cleveland Clinic Leaky Gut Syndrome

Why Repair Needs Targeted Support

You can’t fully rebuild a house with the fire still burning,  but once the flames die down, you also can’t expect the house to fix itself.

That’s why this middle phase exists. Your body needs:

• Raw materials for regeneration (like L-glutamine)

• Protection and reinforcement of the gut lining (like zinc carnosine)

• Tools to support microbial and epithelial recovery (like tributyrin)

It’s about reducing inflammation and restoring structure, creating an environment that’s resilient, not reactive.

In the next section, we’ll explore how each of these ingredients works and why they’re all included in the REPAIR phase of the Proviscera protocol.

The Science Behind the Three Pillars of REPAIR

Once the inflammation begins to settle, the next step is creating a terrain where healing can take place. That’s where the REPAIR phase comes in and where three ingredients rise to the top: L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, and tributyrin. Each has a distinct role in supporting the gut lining. Together, they offer a comprehensive approach to rebuilding one of the most delicate and critical systems in the body.

L-Glutamine: The Gut’s Favourite Fuel

L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, but under stress (like a flare), your natural stores become depleted, especially in the gut. That’s because the cells that make up your intestinal lining, called enterocytes, rely on glutamine as their preferred fuel source. Without enough of it, they struggle to regenerate and maintain tight junction integrity.

Research has shown that supplemental L-glutamine may help:

• Improve intestinal barrier function

• Reduce gut permeability

• Promote mucosal healing
  
  

It’s important to note that timing matters. L-glutamine works best once inflammation has started to subside, during or just after the FLARE phase, when absorption is more reliable and the gut lining is primed for rebuilding.

Zinc Carnosine: Repair with Protection

Zinc is a well-known mineral for tissue repair, and carnosine is a naturally occurring antioxidant with protective properties. When combined into a single compound, zinc L-carnosine, it delivers a unique benefit to the gut lining.

This formulation has been shown to:

• Reduce intestinal inflammation

• Accelerate mucosal healing

• Protect the stomach and intestines from further damage

Unlike basic zinc supplements, zinc carnosine adheres to mucosal surfaces and offers localised repair, making it especially useful in the gut. It’s been studied in the context of IBD-related permeability issues with promising results.

And because it’s well tolerated and gut-specific, zinc carnosine can be used alongside most medications.

The role of Zinc L-Carnosine in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal mucosal disease in humans: a review

Tributyrin: Butyrate, But Better

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced naturally by beneficial gut bacteria, and it plays a crucial role in keeping the colon healthy. But in IBD, the microbiome often lacks the bacteria needed to produce enough of it. That’s where tributyrin comes in.

Tributyrin is a pro-form of butyrate, more stable, better absorbed, and capable of reaching the colon intact. It supports:

• Anti-inflammatory signalling

• Tight junction integrity

• Energy supply for colonocytes (cells lining the colon)

• Microbiome balance and mucin production

Standard butyrate supplements are often poorly absorbed and have a strong, unpleasant smell. Tributyrin solves both problems, making it a preferred option in clinical and integrative gut healing protocols.

What the REPAIR Phase Looks Like in Practice

This is where long-term remission becomes possible.

REPAIR is about stabilising the internal terrain. That means giving your gut the right tools, in the right conditions, at the right time. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

The REPAIR Formula: Clinical Precision, Gut-Directed

Proviscera REPAIR is built for the delicate post-flare window, when inflammation is easing, but the gut is still fragile. Unlike the FLARE phase, where probiotics are avoided, REPAIR introduces them thoughtfully, alongside nutrients that strengthen the gut lining and reduce residual inflammation.

Each formula is dosed and designed for this specific moment in recovery:

Targeted Probiotic Support

The REPAIR probiotic contains four clinically selected strains, specifically chosen for IBD, leaky gut, and post-flare terrain. 

Strains per 7-capsule dose:

• Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum BL21 (10.5 billion CFUs)
  Foundational for reducing inflammation and supporting barrier function

• Bacillus subtilis BS31 (7 billion CFUs)
  Spore-based, hardy, rebalances the microbiome after disruption

• Weizmannia coagulans BC99 (7 billion CFUs)
  Supports microbial diversity and soothes bloating or irregularity

• Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Lp05 (7 billion CFUs)
  Strengthens mucosal integrity, reduces gut permeability

Each capsule is enteric-coated to ensure delivery past the stomach and into the small intestine and early colon, where healing and microbial repopulation begin.

Gut Lining + Anti-Inflammatory Support

Alongside these strains, REPAIR includes:

• L-glutamine fuels gut lining cells and supports mucosal regeneration

• Zinc carnosine protects and restores intestinal integrity

• Tributyrin reinforces tight junctions and nourishes colonocytes

• Curcumin (tapered dose) calms inflammatory signalling without overwhelming a stabilising gut

• Qing Dai (tapered dose) supports immune modulation via AhR pathways with reduced risk of side effects

• Boswellia serrata complements curcumin by targeting a different inflammatory pathway (5-LOX)

Together, this combination offers a multi-pronged approach to healing, addressing inflammation, gut barrier repair, and microbial balance in the precise dosages needed after a flare, based on emerging clinical evidence.

What to Eat (and Avoid) During This Phase

Your gut is stronger than it was during a flare, but still vulnerable. Here’s what tends to work best during REPAIR:

Gentle, anti-inflammatory foods
Well-cooked vegetables, peeled fruits, white rice, broths, soft protein

Fats and oils that support repair
Olive oil, ghee, avocado, and small amounts of nut butter

Consistent meal timing
Spacing meals and supplements can help absorption and reduce strain

Avoid:
Harsh raw fibres, ultra-processed foods, added sugars, alcohol, high FODMAPs (unless tolerated)

REPAIR isn’t the time for wide food reintroduction yet; that comes later. But this is the stage where the gut starts building back resilience and preparing for diversity.

Lifestyle Foundations That Support Healing

• Gentle movement: Think walking, light stretching, or short yoga flows

• Deep sleep: Crucial for tissue repair. Aim for 7–9 hours

• Stress support: Cortisol affects permeability. Tools like breathwork, journaling, or EFT can help

• Hydration: Crucial for healing, especially if stools are still loose

• Supplement timing: Take probiotics and nutrients on an empty stomach or away from large meals

The REPAIR phase is about structure, not speed. It’s where the groundwork is laid for long-term remission, with tools that are tailored to a gut in recovery, not a generic one-size-fits-all protocol.

Where This Fits in the Bigger Picture

Healing from IBD isn’t a straight line; it’s a phased process that needs to meet your body where it’s at. That’s why the Proviscera protocol is structured around stages of disease, not just symptoms. Each phase plays a distinct role in stabilising, rebuilding, and maintaining gut health over time.

Here’s how REPAIR fits in:

FLARE: First, Calm the Fire

When you’re in an active flare, the goal is to reduce inflammation fast. That’s where the Proviscera FLARE protocol comes in, with high-dose curcumin, Qing Dai, Boswellia, zinc carnosine, and omega-3s. It’s about calming immune overactivation and giving your gut a chance to stop the bleeding, urgency, and pain.

At this stage, we don’t include probiotics,  because during a flare, the terrain is too unstable and introducing live strains can do more harm than good.

REPAIR: Then, Rebuild the Foundation

Once symptoms start to ease, the opportunity opens to shift gears, from crisis control to recovery. That’s where Proviscera REPAIR begins.

REPAIR is unique because it supports all three corners of the Gut Health Triangle at once:

• Inflammation – gently reduced with ongoing support from curcumin, Qing Dai and Boswelia

• Leaky Gut / Gut Barrier Integrity – strengthened by L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, and tributyrin

• Microbiome Recovery – nourished through four carefully selected probiotic strains that are backed by research in IBD

It’s the first time in the protocol where probiotics are introduced, and only because the system is ready to receive them. The goal here isn’t flood-the-gut diversity. It’s targeted microbial support for a gut that’s stabilising, but not yet fully resilient.

CARE: Finally, Maintain and Protect

Once your lining is stronger, inflammation is under control, and you’ve started expanding your diet, it’s time for Proviscera CARE, the long-term phase.

CARE offers two daily capsules: one probiotic formula designed for microbial balance and immune support, and one anti-inflammatory formula with continued support for gut lining and immune modulation.

It’s designed to maintain remission, protect the gains you’ve made, and reduce the chance of setbacks. CARE is where you settle into balance, and where many people stay long-term.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Rush the Repair Phase

When symptoms settle, it’s tempting to move on. To eat more freely. To drop the supplements. To assume the worst is behind you.

But for people with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease, this is the moment where choices matter most. The transition from inflammation to repair is a window,  and how you support your gut during this phase can shape what happens next.

The gut lining doesn’t heal overnight. The microbiome doesn’t bounce back in a week. And low-grade inflammation can simmer quietly beneath the surface, waiting for the next trigger.

That’s why the REPAIR phase exists, not as a pause between flares, but as an active step toward long-term stability.

Proviscera REPAIR is designed with this in mind. It doesn’t overwhelm the system. It doesn’t skip steps. It works with your body, in the order your gut needs:

• L-glutamine to fuel regeneration

• Zinc carnosine to protect and reinforce

• Tributyrin to calm, restore, and nourish

• Curcumin, Qing Dai and Boswelia to calm inflammation

• Clinically selected probiotics to rebuild microbial balance — no more, no less

If you’re coming out of a flare, this is your moment to rebuild with intention. Take it seriously, move gently, and give your gut the support it deserves.

If you’ve recently come through a flare, this is your moment to transition wisely.
Talk to your healthcare provider, review your current protocol, and if the time is right, start your REPAIR phase today.

Learn more about Proviscera REPAIR or contact us at clinic@proviscera.com for personalised guidance.

FAQs

How do I know it’s time to move from FLARE to REPAIR?

When urgency eases, bleeding stops, and you’re tolerating food again. If you’re unsure, check in with your practitioner or take our quiz here.

Can I take REPAIR with my current medication?

Yes, REPAIR is designed to work alongside standard IBD treatments. Just check with your doctor first.

What makes the REPAIR probiotic different?

It contains four strains clinically relevant to IBD, selected for gentleness, resilience, and gut-lining support.

How long should I take REPAIR?

Usually 2–3 months post-flare. Some may need longer, depending on their flare history or medication tapering.

What if I still have symptoms?

REPAIR is for mild, lingering symptoms. If you’re still flaring hard, stick with FLARE a little longer.