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Gluten and Its Association With Illness
Vitamin D Importance
In Prevention and Treatment of Illness
Allergies & Sensitivities: LDA (Ultra Low
Dose Enzyme Activated Immunotherapy)
Post Traumatic Environmental Stress Disorder
Peace of
Mind: Holistic Approaches to Anxiety and ADD
Bipolar Disorder Can Be Treated With Medication
and Naturally
ALLERGY REDUCTION:
Improving Mood and Energy
Hidden Factors Behind Your
Persistent Illness
Adult
ADD:
To Medicate or Go Natural
Cancer
–
Finding Your Best Advisor
Overweight - The Risk and the Remedy
Loss
of Sexual Interest
Approaches in Helping Bipolar Sufferers
Help
for Panic and Anxiety Sufferer
Seasonal
Affective Disorder: The Winter Blues
Depression
Relief Speeds Health Recovery
Amino Acids
& Other Considerations in Depression Evaluation
Integrative Medicine & Psychiatry
Blood
Pressure -
A Wake up Call
Addictions
- Breaking the Cycle
Suboxone: For Opiate Dependence
(for Western North Carolina Residents Only)
Spirituality:
The Core of
Healing in Integrative Psychiatry
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Gluten and Its Association With Illness
By Ronald R. Parks, MD
It has been estimated that 8% of the population in the
United States has some form of auto-immunity, and probably a
much larger percentage has some form of environmentally
related sensitivity illness. Autoimmune disorders occur ten
times more commonly in gluten caused celiac disease than in
the general population. In people with gluten triggered celiac
disease, the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease was
increased by 60%.
In people with autoimmune disease or severe gluten
intolerance, there could be an association or increase risk of
conditions: as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's
thyroiditis, primary biliary cirrhosis, type 1 diabetes and
possibly many other inflammatory related illnesses -- which
could include heart disease, cancer, skin disorders, and
mental illness as depression and schizophrenia.
It is being found that celiac disease is just the tip of the
iceberg, representing a much smaller percentage of the many
diseases occurring outside of the bowel where there is the
need to suspect gluten sensitivity. This has led to the
association of gluten intolerance and triggered auto-immunity
to many other conditions that occurred even in the absence of
any bowel or celiac problems. This includes the many varieties
of autoimmune disorders; and behavioral, emotional, learning,
developmental, psychiatric, neurological, cognitive
dysfunctions and constitutional problems -- such as diabetes
mellitus type I, dermatitis herpetiformis, alopecia, Sjögren's
syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis, auto immune
hepatitis, psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome and microscopic
colitis.
It is felt that a number of autoimmune diseases or
inflammatory conditions can be triggered by gluten in the
diet. One example would be the common cause of hypothyroidism,
Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is felt to be an autoimmune
disease with gluten as a trigger -- thyroid autoimmune disease
is one of the most frequent autoimmune diseases in our
population. Celiac disease is the autoimmune condition that
affects our intestines, destroying the absorptive micro-villi,
which leads to malabsorption of food, diarrhea and severe
related health problems -- when gluten is removed from the
diet, this condition generally completely resolves.
Wheat, barley and rye are the main grains that contain gluten.
Oats often are exposed to, or contaminated by, other gluten
grains; only oats that are labeled as gluten free are safe for
gluten intolerant people. Dairy and foods with added yeast can
sometimes be a problem for gluten intolerant people. Gluten
can be a contaminant in many of the foods we eat, especially
processed foods. It is important to read food labels and to be
careful with processed foods if you need to avoid gluten. Due
to many factors which have led to the deterioration in modern
grains -- that have come about from hybridization or genetic
modification, and possibly other factors as compared to the
original ancient grains -- the gluten proteins in many people
can cause sensitivity, autoimmune disease, celiac disease and
a number of inflammatory related illnesses that are common in
our population.
Widespread problems with gluten are felt to be related to
these facts: more wheat is being eaten than ever, hybridized
wheat contains more gluten than previous generations of
grains, immune stimulation from many other sources in our
modern society are additive, and other digestive issues along
with gluten increase food sensitivities.
Implementation of a gluten-free diet can result in significant
improvement or reversal in a number of common illnesses and
diseases. A gluten-free diet is difficult as gluten is in most
processed foods, foods that aren't labeled correctly,
restaurant meals prepared by others, medications, supplements,
hygiene products, inhaled flour and cross-contamination of
grains. Although it is a challenge, it is a must -- if you are
identified as being gluten reactive -- to be on an
anti-inflammatory diet to avoid severe progressive and
possibly life-threatening illness.
If there are suspected problems with soy, corn, eggs, other
grains, legumes, night shades or other foods; screening or
testing can be done to see if sensitivity or reactivity to
these also exists and elimination of offenders can be done as
necessary. The diet would then be centered around the non-acid
fruits, vegetables, soaked nuts, seeds, healthy vegetable
fats, healthy lean meats such as salmon or turkey, and foods
eaten in a natural state as much as possible, avoiding
processed food, any foods that contain gluten grains or other
foods to which you have been shown to be sensitive.
In his review, Kenneth D. Fine, MD, reported that historically
it was felt that the health consequences of eating grain has
led to people becoming shorter, osteopenic and arthritic; that
grass -- especially wheat -- is poorly digested by the human
gut as indigestible peptides, which are small protein units,
causing immune problems that lead to gut inflammation, celiac
disease, systemic auto immunity and autoimmune diseases. Many
gluten triggered illnesses do not show up in the gut; even if
bowel symptoms are present, a small bowel biopsy by a
gastroenterologist will often fail to show the abnormalities
found in celiac disease, resulting in patients being told that
they do not have a gluten problem.
Gluten sensitivity genes are common in the population and most
people presenting with medical problems should be screened,
including those who have female infertility, peripheral
neuropathy, seizure disorders, autism, diabetes mellitus type
I and possibly type II, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's
syndrome, lupus, asthma, osteoporosis, iron deficiency,
digestive or intestinal problems as recurrent diarrhea or
irritable bowel syndrome, alcoholism, any autoimmune disease
including autoimmune thyroid disease, or any psychiatric
illness as depression.
As reactivity to gluten is common in our population, it is
very worthwhile to screen for antibodies to gluten or do
genetic testing to show predisposition for gluten reactivity;
genetic testing is available by doing a cheek swab. In
conditions that haven't responded to usual measures or
interventions, it is very well worth screening for gluten
reactivity using blood or stool tests to search for antibodies
if you have suspected gluten sensitivity. With positive tests,
especially if you detect antibodies early, you can proceed
toward interventions by eliminating dietary gluten, preventing
years of clinical illness due to gluten related conditions
from occurring.
With proper education and perseverance, one can be successful
with a gluten-free anti-inflammatory diet.
This material came from part of a lecture by Tom O'Brien, DC,
CC and DACBN whose web site is
www.theDr.com, and also from part of a second
presentation by Kenneth D. Fine, M. D. who is the founder
director of the Intestinal Health Institute and director of
enterolab.com. Clinical Laboratory in Dallas, Texas. For
a summary about gluten and gluten testing go to his web site
EnteroLab.com.
For more information check out
Intestinal Health Institute;
www.EnteroLab.com, and
www.finerhealth.com.
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