Celiac Sprue, More widespread than imagined
So what does that mean???
It means many people cannot eat food products that contain gluten. Food like wheat, oats, barley & rye. This stuff is hidden in many processed and restaurant foods. The only cure is the elimination of gluten from your diet, 100% elimination.
But recent studies indicate this issue is far more widespread than anyone thought. In fact, a large number of people with certain diseases very likely have celiac sprue and DON'T KNOW IT because they are not showing obvious symptoms. There is a definite blood test today. More and more people are being tested.
Dr. Pruessner is incorrect on one point. This is not restricted to Europeans as long thought. It is widespread around the world. It is even common in Asia.
If you have certain digestive issues or showing symptoms of certain diseases you may actually have celiac sprue.
Celiac Sprue
is a hereditary disease. It has
nothing to do with age. Some
people cannot tolerate the
protein called gluten. And they
pass the gene down to the next
generation. Babies can have it.
So can teenagers and adults. Not
all people show the same
symptoms, yet they still have
it.
How common is this?
It is now estimated that as many
as 1 person out of 133 has
celiac sprue.
Women comprise approximately 75
percent of newly diagnosed adult
celiac disease cases.
People with this, who have long
term exposure to gluten, can
seriously damage their health.
Your body cannot digest gluten.
The existence of gluten in your
digestive system totally messes up your
digestion of food, period.
You do not get nutrients from
eating. Lack of vital nutrients
will cause all kinds of
additional health
issues.
Studies show that certain
aliments like: Diabetes Type I,
Osteopenia, Seizures, Hepatic
Disease, Thyroid Disease, Down
Syndrome, Diarrhea, Anemia, Bone
pain, Amenorrhea, infertility,
impotence, night blindness to
name a few have a direct
relationship to celiac sprue.
Studies show that people with
the above symptoms have a much
higher rate of celiac sprue.
They have a as much as 6X or
600% higher rate of celiac sprue
than what is expected in a
normal population. Bottom line
is celiac sprue interferes with
your digestion. Long term lack
of nutrition causes diseases.
In the mid-1960s, adult celiac
disease was also noted to be
associated with numerous
neurological disorders, including
epilepsy, cerebral
calcifications, and peripheral
neuropathy(3)
Celiac Spruces is associated
with:(3)
 | Osteoporosis |
| Lymphoma and Bowel Adenocarinoma |
| Type 1 diabetes mellitus |
| Autoimmune thyroid disease |
| Rheumatoid arthritis |
| Systemic lupus erythematosus |
| Autoimmune hepatitis |
| Autoimmune Addison's disease |
| Recurrent aphthous ulcerations |
| Sjögren's syndrome |
| Sarcoidosis |
| Vitiligo or alopecia areata |
| IgA deficiency |
| Psoriasis |
| Anemia is the most common manifestation of celiac disease |
SILENT CELIAC DISEASE
Many researchers feel that the numbers of people with celiac sprue are much higher than what is evident. Tests are not given unless a person shows a symptom. Tests should be given if a person has: a family history of celiac disease, personal history of thyroid disease or type I diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, anemia (especially iron deficiency), chronic diarrhea, chronic fatigue, unexplained weight loss, short stature, epilepsy, infertility,18 or unexplained elevation of transaminase levels. Asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic patients are still at risk for complications of celiac disease. (3)
So people can have celiac sprue, be reacting to gluten, have messed up digestion, losing nutrients and NOT be showing obvious symptoms. You could have this condition, your health be slipping away and no one knows what is causing it. And the cause could very well be your body cannot digest or deal with gluten in the bread you are eating.
So how do you know if you have Celiac Sprue?
There are obvious symptoms. I was diagnosed with spastic colitis right out of college. Years later I found out by accident that was a symptom of celiac sprue.
Obvious Symptoms:
| Common Diarrhea - this is not a normal reaction to eating food. |
| Common constipation - see above |
| Flatulence, borborygmi, abdominal distention, foul-smelling stools |
| Bulky, greasy stools |
If you have the good luck to be experiencing any of these, pay attention to when it occurs. You ate what and what happened?
There are blood and biopsy tests that you can take to confirm it. Ask your doctor. But in doubt, simply pay attention to what you eat. Try eliminating foods with gluten and watch the results. In fact, you should do that with all your food. Gas, loose stools, constipation, stinky bowel movements, etc. are not normal reactions to eating. People that eat healthy foods DO NOT HAVE THESE SYMPTOMS. You have them because you are eating unhealthy foods and you are not digesting it. And you might have celiac sprue.
The Treatment
The treatment for celiac sprue is the removal of gluten and related proteins from the diet. Complete elimination of dietary gluten generally results in rapid and complete healing of small-bowel inflammation. So if you have it, the ONLY thing you can do it STOP EATING GLUTEN!
Due to the lack of being able to digest foods properly, quality supplements are a must for someone with celiac sprue. Your body has suffered from poor digestion and needs some help to get back to where is should be. Choose a high quality, pharmaceutical grade supplement that is not based on the minimal RDA standards.
One last note: Celiac sprue is not an allergy! It is not a disease. You cannot take any drug to fix this problem. Your body can't digest or tolerate gluten. Either you have it or you don't. If you've got it, you have to ELIMINATE all forms of gluten or your body will suffer. You have to read labels. You have to learn to eat differently. You have to take it very seriously. You have to change your lifestyle and what you eat.
I am quite familiar with this having be aware I have it for almost 30 years. Feel free to ask me questions.
================
Detecting Celiac Disease in Your Patients
HAROLD T. PRUESSNER, M.D., University of Texas Medical School at Houston view link
What is Celiac Disease?
American Family of Physicians view link
(3)Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathy (Celiac Disease): More Common Than You Think
American Family Physicians view link
Doctors have
always labeled celiac disease as
a rare food allergy that, while
a serious condition for those
afflicted, it is generally not
something the rest of us need to
worry about.
Well, it seems that the
underlying problem that causes
celiac disease -- an autoimmune
condition caused by gluten
intolerance -- isn't so much
rare as it is undiagnosed. Some
researchers postulate that
individuals often have symptoms
for as many as 11 years before
they are diagnosed correctly.
Worse, they believe that only
2.5 percent of those who have
some form of gluten intolerance
ever get diagnosed at all.
This is sad, considering how
serious the health consequences
can be -- and that the condition
can often be completely
rectified through diet.
Untreated, gluten sensitivity
can result in a long list of
disorders, including many
cancers, autoimmune disorders,
neurological diseases, chronic
pain syndromes, and even
psychiatric and other brain
disorders. The classic symptoms
of celiac disease include
diarrhea, weight loss, and
malnutrition. However, digestive
symptoms are not the only
symptoms celiac can cause.
Neurological disorders
associated with the disease
include sporadic and progressive
cerebellar ataxia, cerebral
atrophy and dementia, cerebral
vasculitis, myopathy, peripheral
neuropathy, and epilepsy.
If you suspect that you or
anyone in your family might have
celiac disease, or a
gluten-sensitivity, you can ask
your doctor to perform a tTG or
tissue transgluminase test. Keep
in mind that if you have already
eliminated wheat or gluten
products from your diet, this
test will come up negative, even
if you have the sensitivity. But
if you have consumed any wheat
products and have the
sensitivity, this test will do a
better job of picking it up than
previous tests.
If you do have celiac disease or
gluten-intolerance, eliminating
grains and grain products (like
rice, pasta, bread, etc.) from
your diet can go a long way in
helping you feel better
--sometimes even better than you
can imagine. You will be
surprised what you have learned
to accept.
Many people who have this
disease report that they were so
accustomed to their low level of
health, they almost didn't know
they had a problem -- until they
went gluten-free. Suddenly, they
transform into healthy people,
full of energy.
Co-author of the book
Dangerous Grains, Ron Hoggan,
reports that he didn't realize
until he eliminated gluten
grains from his diet how
uncomfortable and chronically
ill he had been for much of his
life.
To learn more about gluten
sensitivity, check out Dr.
Wright's article on this topic
from the March 2002 issue of
Nutrition & Healing.
(Subscribers can download it for
free at
www.wrightnewsletter.com).
Or check your local library or
bookstore for a copy of
Dangerous Grains by James
Braly and Ron Hoggan.
Being aware of this condition
and knowing what signs to look
for may just keep you or someone
you know from becoming one of
those "undiagnosed" statistics.
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor,
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
Braly, James, M.D. and Ron
Hoggan, M.A. Dangerous
Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains
May Be Hazardous to Your Health.
New York: Avery Publishing
Group, 2002
Pazianas M, Butcher GP, et al.
"Calcium absorption and bone
mineral density in celiacs after
long term treatment with
gluten-free diet and adequate
calcium intake." Osteoporos Int.
2004: published online 6/17/04
Goggins M, et al. "Celiac
Disease and Other Nutrient
Related Injuries to the
Gastrointestinal Tract."
American Journal of
Gastroenterology 1994; 89(8):
S2-S13.
Pratesi R, Gandolfi L, et al.
"Is the prevalence of celiac
disease increased among
epileptic patients?" Arq
Neuropsiquiatr. 2003 Jun;
61(2B): 330-334
Gluten-Free
Diet
Jackson Siegelbaum
Gastroenterology
view link
This is an excellent page
discussing what celiac sprue is,
what food contain gluten and
what ones don't. Also has a list
of groups, and references for
more assistance. Well done. I
recommend this page.
====
Is Rice Really Gluten Free
The Gluten Free Kitchen
view link
The concern is not the rice but
the coatings the manufacturers
put on the rice to enhance its
nutrition.
============
Gluten-free Diet
Diagnose Me
view link
Another great page on this topic
==========
The Gluten-Free Diet
Vegetarian Society
view link
Another great page
=====
The Coeliac Society
view link
Celiac Sprue
is genetic. If you have it now
you have had it all your life.
It will mess up your digestive
system. If you have had Celiac
Sprue for years and have only
just now started to remove
gluten, damage has likely been
done. How serious damage is hard
to say. The point of bringing
this up is if it took you years
to get to this point, you are
not going to heal the damage in
a few weeks.
And on top of that, eating
gluten has inhibited your ability
to digest your foods for years.
You probably have other things
going on in addition to a
damaged colon.
What to do?
Healing your body
Be kind and careful with your
body. It needs to heal.
| Be very wise with the foods that you are eating. |
| Feed your cells with a quality multi daily supplements preferably pharmaceutical grade not off the shelf. |
| Read all ingredients. Gluten hides in processed food. |
| Be real careful in restaurants. When in doubt don't eat the food. The longer you go without gluten the more sensitive you will become to it if and when you accidentally eat it. And you must avoid it. |
| No Milk products. Messes up your digestion of other foods and you likely can't digest it anyway. |
| Right now be careful with
complex carbs like grains that
are hard to digest. You need
carbs though. One source I have
suggests "When bowel is
irritated - eat only Chongee
rice - very soothing and offers
nutrition - it is known as the
"Chinese IV" - 1 cup rice to 12
cups water - leave in slow
cooker for 4-6 hours. When bowel can accept something a little stronger (not having blood or diarrhea anymore) try other non-gluten grains - also cooked in slow cooker till very, very "tame" - VERY low residue! Can also try millet this way - remember it must be cooked for HOURS so as not to irritate – yet still offer some fiber. Drink nothing cold. NO SUGAR!!! Sip on hot water all day. As your bowel heals (gradually, of course) you can move up to a plate of very, very steamed vegetables and perhaps, even a baked apple (very mushy) with NO skin!" - Alternative Solutions for healing the Colon |
| Lots of water filtered is best |
| I might shy away from meat or eat it infrequently for awhile to give your system a rest. It takes 8 hours to digest meat. 4 hours for carbs. |
| Eat simply. No processed foods. |
| Lots of fruit especially in the morning. Eat it by itself. Do not mix fruit. Not all fruit does well with other fruit. Melons are the perfect food but eat it entirely by itself. (Read about Food Combining) |
| Look up Food Combining. You don't want to have your food fighting as you try to heal your colon. |
| When your body can tolerate it make sure you are getting adequate fiber. Few Americans get enough fiber. I might hold off on adding any until you feel your body is healed. It is also likely your digestive system has a lot of bad things in it since your digestion has been hindered for so long. It may need cleaning. I find that a fiber like psyllium works for me, although I now use fresh ground flax seed. |
| Pay attention to your Bowel
Movement's.
They are a reflection of what is
going on with your digestion. "The stool tells you a lot about your colon health. If it's dark brown in color, and it sinks, and it stinks, that's not good. And don't feel bad, that's the way most people are. What you want to see is light brown color, which means it's full of fresh bile from the liver, very mild odor, and a stool that floats. We're talking low-density here folks. The more compaction you have the darker the color and the faster it sinks. Compaction is not good. Also, moving bowels should be SIMPLE. " |
