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Gluten is really bad...?



 
 
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Old July 19th, 2005, 06:54 AM
mattbma
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Default Gluten is really bad...?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, oats and barley.

What damage can it do?

In persons sensitive to it, a process of an auto-immune reaction
causes flattening and shrinkage of the microscopic finger-like
projections in the small intestine called villi. The purpose of the
villi is to absorb nutrients from food, and by a process of enzyme
activity, digest and break down food particles to a soft consistency
so that they can pass through the digestive tract in a texture that
makes elimination of waste products easy. When the villi are
flattened, digestion of food is impaired, and the full spectrum of
vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, enzymes, fats and
water are not absorbed properly.

The Coeliac Condition is hereditary, passed down through the
generations, and one has to look to parents and grandparents,
children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters for symptoms. If one
person in a family is diagnosed there is a 10% chance that other
members will be sufferers. What does make it very tricky to diagnose
is that every member of the same family may have different symptoms.
If one is not diagnosed as a baby, one can suffer minor symptoms all
one's life, without realising the underlying cause. This is because
there are so many over-the-counter remedies for all sorts of
symptoms, and we all tend to treat our minor symptoms with any number
of over-the-counter remedies because we do not wish to bother a
doctor. Also, we eat such a varied diet that the symptoms can be
"masked" for years. It is often only when people have tried an
elimination diet that they have discovered their food intolerances.

In the past, doctors have only recognized the condition in people
suffering from chronic diarrhoea and severe weight loss. But this has
now changed. According to research done both in USA and UK in the
last 10 to 15 years, gluten could be at the root of any of the
following GROUPS of symptoms.

Upper respiratory tract problems like sinusitis, "allergy", "glue ear"
in babies, asthma, bronchitis, post-nasal drip, headaches and
migraine.
Symptoms related to malabsorption of nutrients like anaemia and
fatigue (lack of iron or folic acid), osteoporosis, insomnia (lack of
calcium), skin complaints like eczema, urticaria, psoriasis,
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (lack of vit A), mouth ulcers, irritability,
nervous system complaints (lack of B vitamins), underweight or
overweight (imbalance of utilization of carbohydrates), poor growth
in children and babies (lack of absorption of all nutrients and
impairment of growth hormone), infertility (hormone production
impaired because of malabsorption of other nutrients), thyroid
imbalance, pancreatic problems, diabetes.
Bowel complaints: diarrhoea, constipation, bloating and distention,
spastic colon, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, stomach cramps,
stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, IBS, lactose intolerance, gall
bladder problems, bowel cancer, stomach cancer, lymphoma.
Auto Immune System problems: Rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, Crohn's
disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, muscular dystrophy,
Sjogren's syndrome (when the lymphocytes attack the body's moisture
producing glands), Addison's disease, Pernicious anaemia (the
lymphocytes attack the lining of the stomach where a chemical called
intrinsic factor is produced, which is needed for the production of
Vit B 12).
Diseases of the nervous system: Motor neurone disease, some of the
epilepsies, tingling and numbness in the extremities, and, I believe,
stammering and stuttering in children and adults (the myelin sheeth
on nerve endings is impaired) - lack of the B vitamins.
Problems that affect the mind: depression, behavioural problems in
children, ME, ADD, ADHD, Alzheimers disease, Schizophrenia. (A
Japanese Professor has discovered that there are no less than 13
opioid reactions that can occur from just 1 molecule of gluten - that
is, mind-bending addictive reactions).
Genetic problems like Down's Syndrome, Diabetes Type 1 (Mellitus),
amongst others.
What are the tests for this condition?

The tests are very new in South Africa. They only became available in
October 1998. They are the IgA and IgG antibody tests for gluten or
gliadin, which is the fraction of the gluten molecule which causes
the problem. All Pathology Laboratories know about these tests. They
collect the blood sample and send it to either Johannesburg, Pretoria
or Cape Town. The tests are available on ALL medical aids.

The tests have only been available fairly recently overseas as well,
but what is so interesting is that since the introduction of these
tests, more than 90 people per week in UK are being diagnosed now. It
must be strongly emphasized that anyone who is suspicious that they
may have one or more symptoms, must go to their doctors immediately
for the blood tests. Nobody should eliminate gluten before the tests
otherwise the results will be inconclusive.

In Holland and in Italy, children of 2 years old and 6 years old
respectively are AUTOMATICALLY tested for gluten enteropathy. In
Italy, too, all pregnant women are ROUTINELY screened for gluten
enteropathy. These countries are now finding statistically that
instead of 1 in 2000 being sufferers, there are 1 in 200. It is a
condition that is far more prevalent than doctors realize. At the
Pretoria Technikon there was a study done in 1994 in the Dept of
Naturopathic Medicine, where, out of 800 volunteers who suffered from
"allergies", 287 were found to be gluten intolerant. My guess is that
if the blood tests were introduced into South Africa, we would have a
similar finding here amongst ALL population groups, and there would
be huge savings in medical bills as many diseases would be lessened,
in later years. I recommend that before anyone is told to have
surgery for tonsilitis, nasal problems, arthritis in any joint, bowel
disease, gall bladder, kidney problems, liver disease, thyroid
disease, or pancreatitis, or cancer, they should FIRST be screened
for the coeliac condition, or gluten enteropathy.

In the past it was thought that the Irish were the most prone to this
condition, but it has now been established that if your historical
heritage is from UK, Wales, Scotland, the Nordic countries, Poland
(Polish Jewish), Italy, South East Asia (Indians), and also the black
people from Africa, you could be prone to it. The theory behind this
is that in their historical past, all these nationalities ate a
staple diet of either potatoes, rice, corn or millet (sorghum) and
when wheat and other grains began to be cultivated, that was when the
problems started. Dr Joe Murray from the Coeliac Clinic at the
University of Iowa says that basically gluten-sensitive people lack
an enzyme which he calls glutaminase that digests the protein gluten.
He says it is also an auto-immune reaction whereby the lymphocytes
(which normally attack foreign invaders in our bodies) start to
attack the body's own tissue, in this case, the villi, causing
inflammation etc.

Another point to consider in this condition is the fact that once the
intestines are in an unhealthy state, it paves the way for other
invaders or infections like Candida Albicans (a fungus or yeast) and
Giardia Lamblia (a type of parasite). Everyone has Candida inside
them, but it is when there is an overgrowth that problems can arise.
If anyone suffers from Candidiasis, they must really look into the
possibility that they may be suffering from a food intolerance like
gluten as well. And conversely, if you are a Coeliac, you must be
aware that you may also be suffering from Candidiasis. An excellent
book to read on this subject is "The Complete Guide to Food Allergy
and Food Intolerance" by Dr Jonathen Brostoff and Linda Gamlin,
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd., 2, Soho Square, London, W1V
5DE. Also "Candida Albicans" by Jill Jacobs. Your local library will
have more on this topic.

What is the GOOD news about this condition?

The good news is that the damage is reversible. The sufferer changes
to a strict gluten free diet. Vitamin supplementation may be
necessary depending on the types of symptoms suffered. As soon as the
gluten free diet is introduced, the villi in the small intestine
start to regrow and can then start digesting food and absorbing
nutrients again. The diet is a diet for life. In the old days (prior
to 1970) it was thought that one would grow out of it. But that idea
is no longer valid. It is now recognized that one must adhere to the
diet for life if one wants optimum health, and to prevent serious
complications later in life like lymphoma or bowel cancer.

How long does it take for symptoms to disappear?

In my own experience and those who come to my support group, it has
been found that sinusitis and upper respiratory problems, like post
nasal drip etc. disappear within 2 to 3 weeks. Arthritis takes about
4 to 5 months, but it will ease within about 3 weeks. Constipation
takes about 2 to 3 months. Diarrhoea eases very quickly, within about
2 weeks. Headaches and migraine ease very quickly, within about 2
weeks. Anaemia and osteoporosis take longer. Tests every 6 months
would be advisable. Bone density does increase but it is advisable to
have regular bone densitometry examinations. Dermatitis Herpetiformis
can take up to 2 years to heal, because deposits remain for a long
time subcutaneously until they eventually drain away in the lymph
drainage system. Aerobic exercise like brisk walking is of major help
in this process. The depression, irritability and behavioural
problems ease within 2 to 3 weeks.


matt


 




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