The Effects of GLUTEN (and its affiliated band of prolamins)…
Think you don’t – or can’t – have Celiac Disease or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) because you don’t have gastrointestinal symptoms? Think again…
Celiac Disease affects an estimated 1 in 133 individuals, of which only 1% have been diagnosed – 99% suffering with Celiac Disease have not been formally diagnosed with the condition. Estimates for NCGS are as high as 37% of the population and may be even higher. There is no routine conventional test available for NCGS (covered by insurance) and so the majority will remain undiagnosed.
In conventional medicine we view Celiac Disease as the only gluten-related disorder which, therefore, has to have GI symptoms (since it is an intestinal autoimmune disorder) and is managed by a gastroenterologist (gut specialist) – they perform an antibody test and perform an intestinal biopsy (the “gold standard”). If these are normal then you “do not” have Celiac. The problem is that the testing is not 100% sensitive (misses some cases). Additionally, a large percentage of people with Celiac Disease (~30%) don’t have GI symptoms as their primary abnormality. They never get tested. To add to this, conventional medicine does not accept that NCGS even exists…. If you don’t have Celiac then you don’t have an issue with Gluten. Nothing could be further from the truth but this is how it is within our dogmatic world of conventionality.
Ever experience: brain fog, migraine headaches, vague joint and muscle aches, sporadic rashes, unexplained muscle fatigue, mouth sores, acid reflux, swollen hands & feet, unexplained back pain, anxiety, irritability, difficulty with memory, acne, hair loss, palpitations,…? Then you may have it.
Do you suffer with any of these? Are you interested in answers? Contact us.
Do you suffer from an autoimmune condition? Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Grave’s Disease,…? You may have it.
This is not to suggest that Gluten is the root cause of 100% all of these things and many others… It is not. But to suggest that it is absolutely NOT the cause [100% of the time] is also a big mistake. There are many potential root causes for every chronic condition and they need to be addressed. That is the premise of Functional Medicine – trying to identify the root causes and addressing them to enable cure or amelioration of disease.
Even if Gluten is not the primary cause of a condition (such as Type2 Diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Stroke, seizures, autoimmunity, hypothyroid, ADHD, Autism, asthma, obesity, hormonal imbalances, eczema, psoriasis, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, …..) it may be serving a key role, much like a gateway drug, that allows for other proteins to stimulate the immune system – through the process of increased intestinal permeability (aka Leaky Gut) and contribute to the systemic inflammation that leads to these diseases.
The absolute best test for Gluten Related Disorders is the Elimination Diet. It is as near to perfect as a test can be and it is free. True, it is not as simple as having some blood drawn, but it is much more accurate and can allow for some major healing to take place in the process.
I am acutely aware of the stigma associated with Gluten Free diets and the difficulties that many [most] can have with giving up their beloved bread, pasta & cereal — and let’s not neglect cookies, cakes, donuts, bagels, muffins, scones, crackers, pie, and so on. These are the tip of the iceberg, since wheat flour has been infiltrated into everything. I am also intimately familiar with the look on restaurant server’s faces, and the rolling of the eyes, when I tell them that I a have a “gluten allergy”. Living in my conventional medicine world (in the ER) I have to be cognizant of what my colleagues believe, but that doesn’t mean I need to agree with them.
Do you suffer with any of these? Are you interested in answers? Contact us.
About Johnny Gomes, DO
I am a board certified emergency medicine specialist. I live in Western North Carolina. My clinical area of interest is in obtaining wellness through lifestyle modification, including nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction techniques. I have recently become frustrated with the standard way of doing things in healthcare, and in managing chronic conditions in my acute care practice. I felt that it was time for a change, where I could do the most good for people, rather than just maintaining the status quo.
