It isn't Rare, It's Undiagnosed
The Silent Disease
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor,
Nutrition & Healing
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
