| Wheat Gluten - the Protein with Teeth |
12 Jan 2007 |
"Leaky Gut Syndrome"
How many people suffering headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, iron deficiency, depression, chronic tiredness, somewhat overweight, with a history of infertility or miscarriage have considered the possibility of Wheat (Gluten) sensitivity?
In people with Gluten intolerance, Gluten actually attacks the lining of the gut, tearing holes in it. The condition is known as "Leaky Gut Syndrome". No wonder it makes you feel tired and sick!
Gluten is a highly complex protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Gluten intolerance means you don't absorb nutrients properly, so you miss out on things like iron, calcium and vitamins.
But that's just the start. When your gut is 'leaky' certain other nasties like bacteria and allergens escape into the bloodstream. This is a direct conduit to every other part of the body - including the brain.
Symptoms of Gluten intolerance are often gastro-intestinal (GI) and include stomach bloating, cramping, flatulence and diarrhea. But the long term effects are more serious: anaemia, osteoporosis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), depression, dementia, obesity and bowel cancer.
See Health Risks.
Runs in the Family
We already know that Celiac Disease is a condition that is 'atopic' - it runs in the family. If you are Celiac then ~10% of your first degree relatives (parents, brothers, sisters, children) will be Celiac as well. This is a much higher proportion than in the general population.
Gluten Sensitivity Much More Common Than Celiac Disease
New evidence (2001 - see references below) indicates Gluten sensitivity goes much wider than just Celiac Disease. Gluten sensitivity affects 15% or 1 in 7 people.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) in up to 15% of people, is NOT the same as Celiac Disease (~ 1 in 130 people or less than 1%). The traditional test for Celiac Disease (CD) is a blood test (which is only a guide), then an intestinal biopsy: under anaesthetic the doctor takes a tissue sample from your intestine and sends it for testing.
Unfortunately many doctors still think 'Celiac Disease' when testing for Gluten sensitivity. When the blood test result turns out negative or inconclusive, the patient can be misled into thinking Gluten is not the problem.
There are now more sophisticated blood tests to look for NCGS, but generally in mainstream medicine in the US and Australia the new practice has not yet been integrated.
As a result Gluten intolerance is notoriously undiagnosed, misdiagnosed and and under-diagnosed.
Recent Research
Most doctors don't have time to read medical journals and catch up on new findings. So they can only apply the knowledge they learned 10, 20 or 30 years before, in medical school.
- With negative or inconclusive results the doctor may be dismissive of Gluten intolerance, even if you suggest it.
- How to find out? Do an Elimination Diet and know for sure. The Eliminaiton diet is accurate and simple and needs no drugs or therapies.
- If it turns out that eating Gluten free for a few weeks brings dramatically improved health then you would have to conclude you have Gluten intolerance, wouldn't you?
Gluten Sensitivity is Poorly Diagnosed
If you think you might be Gluten sensitive - you should see your doctor. Most Gluten intolerance is undiagnosed - resulting in serious but preventable diseases in many sufferers.
A common indicator is low iron or anemia. Most people just buy over-the-counter iron supplements and think that's all they need to do. But that's why many Gluten intolerant people are not diagnosed until later in life.
Eventually the long term anaemia causes other problems. And the body's ability to compensate diminishes with age. As a result some Gluten intolerance is diagnosed only after an emergency hospital admission of a middle-aged or elderly patient.
The immune system is involved
There is also the well known Celiac skin condition Dermatitis Herpetiformis, sustained itchy spots, but that is not present in all Gluten intolerant people.
Gluten intolerance causes lots of other symptoms like chronic fatigue, osteoporosis, depression and infertility. No wonder, with all these symptoms it is tricky to nail down!
Gluten is a protein and has recently been associated with classical allergy symptoms like skin rashes and respiratory problems (coughing, asthma).
- That means Gluten intolerance is definitely involved with the immune system, contrary to previous understanding.
Even doctors and health professionals agree that Gluten intolerance is poorly diagnosed.
But treatment is easy!
Whether you have Celiac Disease or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, treatment is the same: a Gluten-free diet. It is increasingly in the media - a good thing for two reasons.
- The disease and its impact on lifestyle are becoming better understood
- More gluten-free products are now available
However the research which forms today's knowledge is not entrenched. As recently as 1993 medical opinion was divided. The case study of Susanna Lohiniemi is interesting because the diagnosis eluded doctors for ten years.
Final Comment
So . . . the question is not: How many undiagnosed Celiacs are out there? But rather:
How many people suffering headaches, depression, iron deficiency, overweight, with a history of infertility or miscarriage have considered the possibility of Gluten intolerance? More links:FAQs Gluten intoleranceWant to find out if you are Gluten intolerant? Do the Detection DietMore info on eating Gluten-free
References- 1. An inappropriate immune response. Sollid, Ludvig M. and Knut E. Lundin: Lancet Volume 358, Supplement 1, 2001.
- 2. Association of adult coeliac disease with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: a case-control study in patients fulfilling ROME II criteria referred to secondary care. Sanders et al. Lancet 2001; Volume 358: 1504 -1508.
- 3. Tricky to find, hard to treat, impossible to cure. Susanna Lohiniemi: Lancet Volume 358, Supplement 1, 2001.
- 4.Swinson, Slavin , Coles and Booth Coeliac disease and malignancy The Lancet, Jan.1983.
- 5. Cordain L, Cereal Grains: Humanity's Double Edged Sword. World Review of Nutrition & Dietetics, 1999;84:19-73
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