Celiac Disease...

Celiac disease is caused by an intestinal allergy to a protein-gliadin found in four grains - rye, barley, oats, and especially wheat. It is commonly referred to as a gluten allergy. In its most severe form - celiac disease, the patient suffers from cramps, bloating, and diarrhea after eating gluten- containing foods. This inflammation can be seen on both x-ray and endoscopy. The only treatment is avoiding gluten -containing foods which are not so easy, because gluten is a popular additive and thickener used in the food industry.

Although most doctors do not recognize anything but the full blown celiac disease, to the contrary, scientific studies in my office show that many people who are sensitive to gluten will have other symptoms such as rashes, unexplained neurological symptoms, dermatitis and arthritis. Because gluten causes an allergic inflammatory reaction in the small bowel, this can reduce the absorption of many other nutrients leading to certain types of nutritional and vitamin deficiencies. Gluten sensitivity is therefore a “GI allergy” which can cause symptoms in distant organs due to nutritional deficiencies. Various types of blood tests are available for diagnoses, some of which are more reliable than others; it is estimated that it generally takes over five years of doctor visits before this diagnosis is made. The proper treatment for gluten sensitivity is not only avoiding the offending grain, but also replacing the deficient nutrients.