Bottom Line Health
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| Surprising Cause of Illness
More than 2 million Americans may have a gluten intolerance, a condition that is also known as celiac disease. Most of them don't even know they have it. When such a person eats gluten—found in wheat, rye and barley—the small intestine becomes inflamed and nutrients are not absorbed properly. Classic symptoms include itchy skin rash, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and other intestinal problems.
But: Some celiac disease patients have anemia, headaches, hair loss, joint pain, liver inflammation and/or seizures. These people should be tested for a gluten intolerance. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Celiac disease is the most dramatic example of gluten intolerance, but many people are gluten sensitive without having full-blown celiac disease. Unfortunately, barley, oats, rye, and wheat are all gluten-containing grains (though wheat is by far " the worst offender). The second group needing to be careful are those suffering from uric acid-related problems (i.e., gout and kidney stones); oats contain purines, which are substances that break down to uric acid in the body. |
Jack Challem
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 Second, people without a genetic predisposition for gluten intolerance may develop symptoms of celiac disease. The latter situation might be partly explained by the presence of another family of proteins, called lectins, found in wheat and many other grains, which can also trigger abnormal autoimmune reactions. For example, lectin sensitivity has been found in some causes of rheumatoid arthritis.
The Gene Connection
Celiac disease and other forms of gluten intolerance serve as good illustrations of how genes and diet interact. |
| Unfortunately, the estimated prevalence of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten intolerance is confounded by two factors. First, many people who carry the genes for celiac disease do not develop any signs or symptoms of the disease, which suggests that other unidentified genes or environmental factors may be involved. Second, people without a genetic predisposition for gluten intolerance may develop symptoms of celiac disease. |
Bottom Line Health
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| These people should be tested for a gluten intolerance.
Thomas Brunoski, MD, specialist in food and environmental allergies and nutritional medicine, Westport, CT.
Nutritional Deficiencies: Is Your Body Starving?
C. Leigh Broadhurst, PhD, research scientist, University of Maryland, College Park, and research geochem-ist, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture.
Because of all the processed food now consumed in the US, getting the necessary nutrients from our diet has become increasingly difficult. |
Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
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 Intestinal biopsies performed on the patients who improved showed evidence of celiac disease (moderate or severe atrophy of the lining of the jejunum), an intestinal disorder caused by gluten intolerance.1 Other investigators have also found an association between gluten intolerance and psoriasis.2
I typically advise patients with psoriasis to follow an allergy-elimination diet, followed by individual food tests. While gluten grains are a factor for some patients, other foods may be involved, as well. One of the elimination diets I have used in my practice is ptesented in appendix A. |
Marshall Editions
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 NOTE: Celiac disease—or gluten intolerance (see p. 332)—is a bowel disease suffered by around one in 1,000 people. It is an extreme form of wheat intolerance that occurs when the intestine finds it difficult to absorb gluten found in wheat, barley, oats, and rye.
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT GOAL
• Bloating and discomfort in the stomach
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Dry skin and rashes
• Mood swings
Treatment includes maintaining a wheat-free diet to eliminate the occurrence of symptoms. Ask your physician or consult with a dietician for more information. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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 Many patients who have IBS-like symptoms may indeed have celiac disease (also known as gluten intolerance or gluten allergy). Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains. gluten intolerance can be diagnosed with specific tests performed in a physician's office. If gluten intolerance is the cause of symptoms, a diet free of gluten is often the prescribed treatment. All foods containing wheat, rye, or barley must be avoided. Avoiding products with oats should also be considered. Specially manufactured substitute foods are available, including gluten-free bread, flour, and pasta. |
Marshall Editions
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| Diarrhea can also be a symptom of an intolerance to food, such as lactose and gluten intolerance. Children can get diarrhea from having too much fruit, fruit juice, or cold foods and drinks.
• Unpleasant-smelling stools
• Stomach cramps
• Bloating and flatulence
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Dehydration—symptoms include small amounts of dark urine, drowsiness, and thirst. |
Peter h. Fraser and Harry Massey
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 Frieden used Total Body Modification and helped us deal with nutritional issues, with what turned out to be a gluten intolerance. We immediately started Mark on a gluten-free diet. He also had a NES scan and started on the Infoceuticals.
"There has been incredible improvement in his health and behavior. Since Mark has been on NES over the past year, he has begun to read at sixth- or seventh-grade level, and he is on track with all his other subjects and is taking riding lessons and guitar lessons. |
Tom Bohager
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 Malabsorption syndrome can exist without an underlying cause, but it is often associated with other disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, lactose intolerance, and gluten intolerance (sprue, Crohn's disease; see inflammatory bowel disease).
The most common symptoms of this syndrome are anemia, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal cramping, edema (fluid retention), weight loss, muscle cramping, fatigue, and weakness. |
Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey
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 An alternate theory is that children with ASD have an increased incidence of GI disorders such as gluten intolerance [71] because of autoimmune responses [77], as histopathologies of children with ASD have shown an irregular immune response [78]. Inflammation of the GI tract resulting from exposure to irritants is uncomfortable or even painful. Because of a limited ability to communicate, the child with ASD may not be able to make known his or her discomfort, which may worsen behavioral symptoms. |
Antoinette Saville and Antony J. Haynes
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 Celiac Disease and Mental Health
Interestingly, many people with celiac disease also suffer bipolar disorder, highlighting the connection not only between the intestines and the brain but between gluten intolerance and brain functioning.
Symptoms associated with gluten intolerance (rather than celiac disease) include altered behavior, depression, irritability, and a short attention span.
An Inherited Disposition
It would appear that celiac disease is at least partly an inherited disposition, because it runs in families. |
Mark Sircus
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 People with fibromyalgia often have conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, gluten intolerance, or other problems that might limit absorption. Excess amounts of certain substances, such as fructose, may interfere with magnesium absorption. Phosphate can bind to magnesium in the gut, creating magnesium phosphate, an insoluble salt that can't be utilized. Many forms of oral magnesium supplements are hard to assimilate. The most common, magnesium oxide and citrate, happen to be the worst to assimilate, which is why both have a strong laxative effect. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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 CELIAC DISEASE: Sorghum lacks gluten-containing proteins typically found in wheat, rye, and barley, and is therefore considered safe for those diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Tips for Using Sorghum
SELECTION AND STORAGE:
• Sorghum can be purchased in grain, flour, syrup, and sugar form. Sorghum can also be found in certain types of cereals.
• Store sorghum flour in an airtight container. It can be kept in the refrigerator for months. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 People with gluten intolerance or celiac disease may tolerate these better.
Synthetic fats: margarine, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, vegetable shortening, and olestra and otherfatsubstitutes. High levels of saturated fats.
When cooking or baking: moderate amounts of healthy monounsaturated fats (olive oil or canola oil) and saturated fats (organic butter or coconut oil). If not heated: unsaturated oils (corn, safflower, soy, and flaxseed oil). Always use cold-pressed oils that are fresh; rancid oils can be harmful.
Commercial nuts and seeds with added oil, sugar, or salt. |
Kelly Harford, M.C., C.N.C.
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 Healthy Healing
Low energy is a very common symptom of gluten intolerance, and it can lead to excessive need for caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants.
Some of my clients also often complain that they continue to feel hungry even after big meals and just keep on eating.
They never feel full because their gluten-damaged intestines aren't absorbing food very well.
Julia Ross The Diet Cure insoluble plant proteins found in many grains. Great stuff for binding paper mache, not so good for the intestines or any other part of the digestive and eliminative tract. |
Antoinette Saville and Antony J. Haynes
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| A positive result in this test also gives an indication of an inherited susceptibility to gluten intolerance. Other blood tests can be used to identify deficiencies of iron, vitamins such as folic acid, or minerals such as calcium. Such blood tests are useful for screening relatives or to ascertain whether a gluten sensitivity may be the cause of symptoms or of nutrient deficiency. These tests do not make the diagnosis, but indicate the advisability of a biopsy test. |
Jack Challem
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| The Gene Connection
Celiac disease and other forms of gluten intolerance serve as good illustrations of how genes and diet interact. Many thousands of years ago, the HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 genes, which predispose a person toward celiac disease, were relatively common among humans. During most of human evolution, these genes posed no disadvantage, because people rarely if ever consumed grains. This situation changed approximately ten thousand years ago, when people began cultivating gluten-containing grains. |
Mary-Ann Shearer
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 The digestive tract is controlled by the endocrine system and many things such as caffeine, alcohol, gluten intolerance, stress, cigarettes, contraceptive pills, artificial sweeteners, etc., can upset this system and this could result in digestive disorders or malfunction. A common problem is leaky gut, a syndrome caused by you not digesting proteins properly. (See chapter four.) This is the main reason why proper food-combining alleviates so many allergies. |
| Gluten is known to cause weight loss in people suffering from celiac disease, which is a form of gluten intolerance, and weight gain in those with a tendency to be overweight.
If you still battle to gain weight after following these suggestions, console yourself with the fact that thinner people generally age slower and live a longer, healthier life and experience less strain on joints and organs.
Remember to focus on getting well and staying healthy and try not to be distracted by either weight gain or weight loss. |
| You also need to cut down on or remove:
• Caffeine
• Salt
• Gluten (wheat, oats, rye, and barley—if gluten intolerance is suspected, remember there is no gluten in the sprouted leaves of grains such as barley)
• Processed food such as refined sugar and flour
• Any substance that upsets the endocrine system and that could indirectly cause osteoporosis. |
| I have found osteoporosis is often a symptom of gluten intolerance and it is best to avoid these foods. You can still eat a variety of carbohydrates that are gluten-free such as potatoes, corn, millet, quinoa, yams, and rice. Smoking cigarettes and coffee and tea consumption are also known to contribute to calcium loss. Try to reduce your salt intake by using natural herb or vegetable salts and seasonings. Some of these so-called health salts are still very salty. They are white in color with a few specks of herbs; the seasonings should be full of herbs and spices. |
Jack Challem
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| What You Can Do
Celiac disease and more generalized gluten intolerance represent a widespread genetic incompatibility with commonly consumed gluten-containing grains. The irony is that they are the principal source of dietary carbohydrates in the United States, Europe, South America, and many other parts of the world.
There are no drugs to treat celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Rather, the treatment is entirely dietary. Like it or not, people with celiac disease must avoid all gluten-containing foods for the rest of their lives. |
| It may be worthwhile as well to avoid dairy products, because lactose intolerance and sensitivity to casein (a protein found in dairy products) is often associated with gluten intolerance.
Because of the dietary restrictions, many people diagnosed with celiac disease become resentful or depressed when they cannot continue to consume processed foods, fast foods, or junk foods with abandon—and suffer the same risk of obesity and diabetes as the rest of the population. |
| A positive test for anti-tTG indicates gluten intolerance, the cause of celiac disease.
• Aspartate Aminotransferase. An extremely sensitive test to assess functional vitamin B6 levels. It measures the activity of an enzyme dependent on B6, instead of just measuring the vitamin.
• BRCA1 and BRCA2. Mutations in these genes are associated with an increased risk of breast and cervical cancer.
• C-Reactive Protein. The "high-sensitivity" CRP test reflects your body's level of inflammation, which is involved in most disease processes. A high-sensitivity CRP level of 3. |
Antoinette Saville and Antony J. Haynes
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| Symptoms associated with gluten intolerance (rather than celiac disease) include altered behavior, depression, irritability, and a short attention span.
An Inherited Disposition
It would appear that celiac disease is at least partly an inherited disposition, because it runs in families. It is a condition that does not have to be present at birth to later reveal itself. One belief is that celiac disease is a manifestation of humans' inability to adapt to wheat, which has only been available to humanity over the past 10,000 years - the blink of an eye in evolutionary terms. |
Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
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| Other investigators have also found an association between gluten intolerance and psoriasis.2
I typically advise patients with psoriasis to follow an allergy-elimination diet, followed by individual food tests. While gluten grains are a factor for some patients, other foods may be involved, as well. One of the elimination diets I have used in my practice is ptesented in appendix A. Some doctors use other tests for allergy and sensitivity, as well as desensitization techniques. The reliability and effectiveness of some of these methods is controversial (see chapter 3 for additional discussion). |
Antoinette Saville and Antony J. Haynes
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| I have had a gluten intolerance for years, as measured on more than one occasion with lab tests. To this day I am unable to eat wheat without experiencing unpleasant symptoms. I also have a soy intolerance, this one tested by IgG analysis, that causes sinusitis which only resolves when soy is avoided and which re-emerges when soy is eaten again. I could have figured out what the foods were by observation if I had known what to look for! |
by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
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| SAFETY
Rye contains gluten and should be avoided by individuals with gluten intolerance.
Spelt
Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a distant elder cousin of modern wheat. It is a grass-derived grain that, unlike other alternative grains, can be used alone to produce loaves of bread, pasta, and other baked goods with a familiar wheatlike taste and texture. Yet spelt differs from wheat in a number of important ways. Modern strains of wheat have been bred for loose husks that are easily dislodged during the threshing or harvesting process, but spelt retains its sturdy protective envelope. |
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