Is Bread Making You Sick?

I can’t imagine giving up my favorite loaf of whole wheat bread. It’s made by a little family-owned bakery just down the street and simply walking through the door can send you into fragrant, yeasty dreams.

But many people are slowly discovering that the delicious, nutritious “staff of life” may actually be doing them more harm than good.

Wheat is a common allergen and contains more than 80 different components that can cause a negative reaction. For some people, wheat can bring on a classic food-allergy reaction – a rash or headache immediately after eating it. But most wheat-sensitive people have more subtle, delayed reactions, such as postnasal drip, sinus congestion or joint aches one to three days after eating wheat.

Ironically, some people with wheat sensitivities actually crave bread, bagels and pasta. The reason is that wheat products contain opioids, substances with amino-acid sequences very similar to those in narcotics. These substances can set the stage for addictions, overeating and binge eating in people with an undetected wheat sensitivity.

But wheat may not be the only culprit. If you find that you react badly to any food containing gluten (including barley, oats and spelt), you may have a sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in most cereal grains. Gluten sensitivity can cause a range of symptoms, including middle-ear disease, chronic inflammatory joint disease, asthma, some types of hyperactivity or depression, and some cases,a gluten-dependent skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis.

What if you’re more than just sensitive? Severe reactions may signal that you have a hereditary intolerance to gluten – a condition known as celiac disease.

The celiac conundrum

Celiac disease is characterized by bloating, diarrhea, acute abdominal pain, fatty stools and often weight loss. What happens is that the body reacts to gluten as if it were an antigen and launches an immune system attack. As a result, the lining of the small intestines becomes swollen, damaging the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients.

Until recently, celiac disease was thought to be very rare, occurring in only one in every 4,850 Americans. But recent research and newly developed blood-screening tests have led to some pretty shocking revelations. The fact is, celiac disease is very common: One in every 111 healthy adults suffers from the condition – and ignoring it could lead to intestinal damage and malnutrition.

Determining if you have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease is important because an undiagnosed celiac who continues to eat gluten has a greatly increased risk for intestinal lymphoma and autoimmune diseases. In addition, people who have gluten sensitivity can develop celiac disease in the future.

Give it up!

To determine if wheat sensitivity is the cause of persistent symptoms, eliminate wheat from your diet and track improvements. You can also ask your doctor to perform a blood test for immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies to wheat.

If the results are positive, the first step in tackling either a wheat sensitivity or celiac disease is to avoid all foods containing gluten – which is easier said than done. Gluten isn’t just found in baked goods and pasta. Hidden sources include hydrolyzed vegetable protein, modified food starch, some soy sauces, grain vinegars, binders, fillers and “natural flavorings.” So reading labels is essential.

The same holds true in the drugstore, since over-the-counter and prescription drugs can also contain fillers made with gluten. If you suspect a drug contains gluten, call the manufacturer’s 800 number and ask them.

Supplements also play a critical role in treating the disease since nutrients are poorly absorbed as a result of the intestinal inflammation. The B vitamins are particularly important, especially B-6. Many of the symptoms of celiac disease are directly related to a lack of B-6.

People with celiac disease are also often deficient in vitamin K. In one study, 37 patients were randomly divided into two groups – with one group taking vitamin K supplements and the other acting as controls. After just 15 days, those in the vitamin K group had returned to a non-deficient state. One easy way to normalize your vitamin K levels is by taking 2,000 to 3,000 mg. of alfalfa a day.

One last thing . . .

One of the best ways to help heal the damage done by either gluten sensitivity or celiac disease is by increasing your intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Not only have Japanese researchers found that EFAs help repair intestinal mucosa, they also help promote healthy villi (the tiny hairs inside the intestines that absorb nutrients).

While fish is a good source of omega-3s (especially salmon, tuna and trout), it’s hard to get sufficient amounts to combat the disease. A better option is to take either a fish oil or flaxseed oil supplement every day.

Glutathione can also help restore villi and kick-start the detoxification process in the intestines. Detoxing your intestines is an important step in treating celiac disease since toxicity may be a contributing factor for celiac-related lymphoma.

Fortunately, if diagnosed early and addressed before it has a chance to do serious damage, celiac disease is relatively easy to treat. But don’t rely on self diagnosis. Make sure you get tested before this relatively common disase leads to more serious problems.

This just in . . .

Osteoarthritis affects nearly half of all adults over the age of 65. Maybe you’re one of them. And, if it’s severe, maybe you’ve been told that surgery is the only answer. But, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, surgery may not be the last word in treating arthritis.

In the study, 165 patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee were randomly selected for either arthroscopic surgery or a placebo surgery. The patients were assessed for pain reduction and given an objective test for walking and stair climbing over a 24-month period. Once all was said and done, the researchers concluded that the actual surgery was no better than the placebo!

A safer – and cheaper – alternative may be two supplements you’ve probably heard of – glucosamine and chrondroitin. Studies show that glucosamine sulfate, a major compound in cartilage, decreases joint pain and improves joint mobility. And chondroitin sulfate coats tissues and may relieve inflammation. In some cases, the combination of the two even stimulates the regeneration of cartilage.

Many supplements contain both compounds, making it a convenient remedy. But don’t expect instant results. It may take six months or more to see improvement.

References:

Bottaro G, et al. “Effect of the therapy with vitamin K on coagulation factors in celiac disease in children.” Medical and surgical pediatrics. 1986;8:551-554.

Moseley JB, et al. “A controlled trial of arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee.” New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;347:81-88.

Wahab PJ, et al. “Glutathione S-transferases in small intestinal mucosa of patients with coeliac disease.” Japanese Journal of Cancer Research. 2001;92:279-284.

Yamashiro Y, et al. “The regulation of intestinal hypersensitivity reactions to ovalbumin by omega-3 fatty acid enriched diet: studies of IEL and LPL in mucosal damage.” Acta paediatrica Japonica. 1994;36:550-556.