| When I was growing up, food allergies were rare. | | | | five different physicians. Finally, I had an answer and |
| Some people could not have shellfish, but it was | | | | some relief from many of my symptoms, mainly the |
| unheard of to have a life threatening reaction to | | | | fatigue and depression. |
| peanuts. Today nut free schools are commonplace, | | | | I tell my story because it is the story of many |
| thousands of gluten-free products are showing up in | | | | Americans. Millions of Americans suffer from |
| local Wal-Marts, and everyone knows someone who | | | | autoimmune diseases, depression, fatigue, neurological |
| is avoiding sugar, dairy, soy or some other food that | | | | problems, mood disorders, poor digestion and/or |
| is common in the Standard American Diet (SAD). | | | | irritable bowel syndrome (what a diagnosis! - those |
| Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, | | | | who have it already know their bowels are irritable). |
| triticale, spelt, and/or cross contaminated in oats. | | | | The underlying problem is a food intolerance (or |
| Casein is the protein found in all animal dairy products. | | | | multiple food intolerances) leading to malabsorption of |
| Casein is also found in many processed foods. | | | | nutrients needed for cellular repair and maintenance. |
| Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that causes the | | | | At age 11, my anemia was a symptom of the food |
| body to attack the small intestines when wheat/rye | | | | intolerance. Because gluten intolerance is insidious in |
| barley and/or spelt products are consumed. These | | | | the ways it shows up, it is difficult to find unless you |
| grains contain the gluten protein. The journal | | | | know what to look for. Since it is not confined to the |
| Gastroenterology noted in 2005, "Celiac Disease is | | | | gut, testing for it can lead to false positives and false |
| one of the most common lifelong disorders | | | | negatives. |
| worldwide." Symptoms vary widely and can include: | | | | Modern conventional medicine continues to view |
| fatigue, mood disorders, diarrhea/constipation, poor | | | | gluten intolerance or celiac sprue as an intestinal |
| growth (in children), hair loss, neurological problems | | | | disease. Reviewing the studies regarding this issue, |
| (seizures, impaired concentration and/or memory), | | | | we find it is a systemic, inflammatory problem that |
| anemia, mouth ulcers, abdominal pain, bloating, | | | | can manifest itself in any part of the body. |
| infertility, anxiety, depression, bone pain, weakness, | | | | Health care practitioners who treat those who have |
| liver disorders and/or malnutrition issues such as | | | | autism will mandate a gluten and casein free diet as |
| osteoporosis. Many who suffer from autoimmune | | | | part of an overall treatment plan. Why? Wheat and |
| disorders have gluten intolerance without intestinal | | | | dairy are considered the staples of life - why take |
| symptoms. I gave up gluten, then reintroduced it a | | | | that away? There are many reasons why so many |
| few weeks later. Within hours it felt like I had been | | | | people cannot tolerate gluten and casein. Some can |
| hit by a truck. | | | | no longer break down the protein(s). Intestinal |
| At the age of 11, I became tired and very pale. I | | | | inflammation can ensue, causing a "leaky gut," a |
| was diagnosed with mononucleosis and severe | | | | permeable intestinal wall leaks out these undigested |
| anemia (a shortage of red blood cells), which almost | | | | proteins, and for those with autism, and possibly |
| required a blood transfusion. Diagnosis: none. | | | | other disorders of the brain, these peptides get |
| Treatment: take 6 iron tablets daily. After this | | | | lodged in the brain. Brain inflammation is found in |
| episode I had chronic strep infections almost every | | | | many with mood and neurological disorders. |
| two weeks for the next 7 years until I had my | | | | Alzheimer's has been characterized as a brain on fire. |
| tonsils removed at age 18. I had almost constant | | | | See a brain scan here: |
| antibiotic use during this time. In my 20's I discovered | | | | Some of the reasons these staples are wrecking |
| a goiter, had symptoms of low thyroid function | | | | havoc are: over consumption of gluten/flour |
| (hypothyroid) and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's | | | | products, premature introduction of grains into the |
| Disease, which is the leading cause of hypothyroidism | | | | infant diet, hybridization of wheat, artificial processing |
| in America. It is considered an autoimmune thyroid | | | | of flour, inappropriate preparation of grains, |
| disease which eventually results in malfunction of the | | | | pasteurization and homogenization of dairy products, |
| thyroid (which regulates metabolism, body | | | | all of which causes damage to the enzymes that |
| temperature, and generally making the whole body | | | | breaks down gluten or casein. |
| run the way it should). Then I started down a road | | | | There are long term consequences to gluten |
| of chronic fatigue, depression and a constant state | | | | intolerance, as it can over stimulate the immune |
| of feeling unwell. I have also had eczema every since | | | | system, causing systemic inflammation in the body. |
| I can remember, suffered from a terrible | | | | Intestinal lymphoma , autoimmune disorders and |
| premenstrual syndrome and started to have very | | | | premature death can result from a chronic state of |
| heavy, painful periods. | | | | inflammation if an affected individual continues to |
| Finally, 4 years ago, I saw a Denver gynecologist | | | | consume gluten despite having intolerance . This |
| who is an integrative doctor utilizing alternative and | | | | happens because so many people are undiagnosed or |
| conventional therapies with a focus on health. For | | | | misdiagnosed or fail to comply with a gluten free diet |
| those who don't know (men), women often use | | | | What's the solution? If you suspect that gluten and |
| gynecologists as their primary care physician. I told | | | | or casein (these two culprits tend to work together) |
| her about my mood issues, female troubles, poor | | | | are the cause of your ill health, I advocate a trial |
| thyroid and constant fatigue. She did a test for | | | | abstinence from both of these proteins. The |
| anti-gliandin antibodies (antibodies which indicate gluten | | | | abstinence period should last at least 3-4 months, and |
| intolerance) and they were sky-high. | | | | then reintroduce each one, separately. Gluten and |
| I finally had a diagnosis! Over the course of 20 years, | | | | casein are different from other food intolerances in |
| I had seen too many doctors to count. This is | | | | that they can have a lag time of up to 4 days to |
| common for those who are suffering from a gluten | | | | show any symptoms. If you find that abstaining from |
| and/or dairy intolerance. Multiple trips to different | | | | gluten improves your symptoms, you should continue |
| doctors, lots of testing, no results, no diagnosis and | | | | a gluten-free diet. offers a 4 week menu plan to help |
| no help. The median time for diagnosis is estimated | | | | get started with a gluten-free diet. |
| at between 8-11 years with a patient seeing at least | | | | |