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Vitamin K Deficiency

Kale For Vitamin K.
Kale For Vitamin K.

What Is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K is a family of fat-soluble vitamins, called K vitamers, that exists in three forms:

  • K1 is a natural form found in plants (phylloquinone);
  • K2, found in some animal foods, is synthesized in the intestine (menaquinone); and
  • K3, is a synthetic form that must be activated in the liver (menadione).

Vitamin K is essential for the formation of clotting factors in blood and bone proteins and serves as a cofactor in the production of  proteins that regulate blood clotting.

Q: What are the clotting factors that require vitamin K in the regulation of blood clotting?

A: The clotting factors that require vitamin K in the regulation of  blood clotting are factors II, VII, IX, and X.   Low coagulation factors on blood assay indicate an altered secondary coagulation disorder that is characterized by impaired clot formation.

Each coagulation factor must be present in sufficient quantity in order for normal clotting to occur.

What Is Vitamin K Deficiency In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Linoleic Acid (LA) Deficiency

nutsWhat Is Linoleic Acid?

Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 fatty acid that comes from plant sources. Essential means the body must have it to maintain health and life sustaining functions. Omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated.

Among its many vital roles in the body, linoleic acid composition of intestinal membranes is important for epithelial cell function and disturbances may contribute to the pathophysiology of celiac disease.1

Q: What are epithelial cells?

A: Epithelial cells make up the surface mucosa of the digestive tract and also the respiratory tract, urinary tract and genital tract.

Linoleic acid is an important building material for the eicosanoids, a large group of highly bioactive hormone-like substances including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes that are involved in blood clotting, inflammation, and vasoconstriction.2

What Is Linoleic Acid Deficiency in Celiac Disease?

Sources:
  1. Steel DM, Ryd W, Ascher H, Strandvik B. Abnormal fatty acid pattern in intestinal mucosa of children with celiac disease is not reflected in serum phospholipids. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2006 Sep; 43(3):318-23. [↩]
  2. Richardson AJ. The importance of omega-3 fatty acids for behavior, cognition, and mood. Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition. 2003; 47(2):92-8 [↩]

Glucose Deficiency

DSCN2943aWhat Is Glucose?

Glucose is the most important simple sugar in human metabolism because it is the primary source of energy for most cells of the body and is particularly required by the brain.

Q: Where does glucose get energy?

A: The energy in glucose originally comes from the sun. Plants capture and bind the sun’s energy by means of photosynthesis. We eat the plants directly or indirectly by eating food from animals  that have eaten plants.

Energy from glucose is obtained in the body from its reaction with oxygen (oxidation) that occurs in power producing mitochondria within cells.1

Humans cannot live without an adequate supply of glucose to the body.

What Is Glucose Deficiency In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/organic/sugar.html accessed 11 14 12 [↩]

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Amino Acid: definition

Brain scan showing changes in multiple sclerosis over a month. Courtesy Wikimedia
Brain scan showing changes in multiple sclerosis by month over a year’s time. Courtesy Wikimedia

What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

M ultiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by patchy inflammation of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells that produces multiple and varied neurologic symptoms and signs due to demyelination.

Q: What does demyelination mean.

A: Demyelination means there is damage to the myelin sheath which is a fatty substance that surrounds and protects nerve cells much like a the covering of a lamp cord keeps the electricity flowing within it from the plug to the light bulb. This damage impairs transmission of nerve impulses between the brain and body.

In the process of demyelination, T-lymphocyte cells that are activated and potentially autoimmune cross the blood-brain barrier and produce inflammatory plaques and axonal tissue loss in the brain, spinal cord or optic (vision) nerves. The end result is the accumulation of gliosis (scarring) and demyelination of areas in the central nervous system.1

The course of multiple sclerosis is unpredictable and slowly progressive, usually with  exacerbations (worse symptoms) and remissions (relief of symptoms).

Multiple sclerosis affects about 1 ‰ of the population worldwide.

What Is Multiple Sclerosis In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. Rodrigo L, Hernández-Lahoz C, Fuentes D, Alvarez N, López-Vázquez A, González S. Prevalence of celiac disease in multiple sclerosis. BMC Neurol. 2011 Mar 7;11:31. doi: 10.1186/1471-2377-11-31. [↩]

Ampulla Of Vater: definition

CT scan showing brain calcifications. Courtesy Wikimedia
CT scan showing brain calcifications. Courtesy Wikimedia

What Is Occipital Lobe Epilepsy With Cerebral Calcifications?

O ccipital lobe epilepsy with cerebral calcifications is a seizure disorder that develops from calcium deposits in the brain.

This condition is characterized by repetitive abnormal electrical discharges within the brain that may manifest as paroxysmal, or sudden recurrence of, visual disturbances.

Q: Where is the occipital lobe?

A: The occipital lobe is one of four lobes of the cerebrum, or upper brain. It comprises the lower rear portion of the cerebrum and mainly processes visual images coming to  it from the eyes through the optic nerve.

In this image of the left side of the brain, the occipital lobe is pink. From Wikimedia.                                                                                      Drawing shows the 4 lobes of the human brain on the left side. The occipital lobe is pink. Courtesy Wikimedia

What Is Occipital Lobe Epilepsy With Cerebral Calcifications In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Amebiasis: definition

Image of migraine. Courtesy wikimedia.
Image of Migraine Development. Courtesy wikimedia.

What Is Migraine?

M igraine is a neurologic disorder characterized by reduced cerebral blood flow that causes a severe headache. The pain is usually on one side of the head, pulsates, and is aggravated by bodily exertion that increases blood pressure.

The type of migraine can be classic with an aura or non-classic without an aura.

Classic migraine begins with an aura that develops over minutes and may last up to an hour before, during, or after the headache. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision.

Q: What does the aura signify?

A: According to the International Headache Society, an aura signifies an area of brain dysfunction. An aura is different from a trigger. A trigger brings on a migraine while an aura is a response to decreased blood flow.

A study investigating what triggers a migraine found these statistics in 1027 participants of whom 75.9% reported triggers (40.4% infrequently, 26.7% frequently and 8.8% very frequently).

The trigger frequencies were stress (79.7%), hormones in women (65.1%), not eating (57.3%), weather (53.2%), sleep disturbance (49.8%), perfume or odour (43.7%), neck pain (38.4%), light(s) (38.1%), alcohol (37.8%), smoke (35.7%), sleeping late (32.0%), heat (30.3%), food (26.9%), exercise (22.1%) and sexual activity (5.2%).1

Migraine affects about 12% of the U.S. general popululation. It is three times more common in women than in men.

What Is Migraine In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. Kelman L. The triggers or precipitants of the acute migraine attack. Cephalalgia. 2007 May;27(5):394-402. Epub 2007 Mar 30. [↩]

Alactasia: definition

headache gluten celiac disease symptomWhat Is Headache Or Emicrania?

E micrania is a headache resulting from stimulation of, or traction of, or pressure on any of the pain sensitive structures of the head characterized by pain felt anywhere in the head.

In addition to gluten sensitivity and nutritional deficiencies, there are many causes of headache including cardiac, cerebral, vascular, psychiatric, metabolic, and neurologic diseases. Recent studies have highlighted that obesity is significantly associated with headache and disability in adults. This rule also applies to children.1

What Is Headache In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. Laino D, Vitaliti G, Parisi P,   et. al. Headache, migraine and obesity: an overview on plausible links. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2016 Apr-Jun;30(2):333-8. [↩]

Allele: definition

Chronic FatigueWhat Is Chronic Fatigue?

C hronic fatigue or lassitude is a state of weariness not relieved by rest and the inability to do normal physical or mental work.

Q: What are causes of chronic fatigue?

A: Chronic fatigue can be a feature of many disorders including nutritional problems like poor diet or malabsorption, sleep problems, systemic conditions like anemia or heart disease, respiratory disorders like COPD or asthma, infectious disease like tuberculosis, endocrine disorders like diabetes, autoimmune disease like thyroid disease, and cancer.

Fatigue greatly reduces quality of life in all aspects including the desire and ability to socialize and find fullfillment in new and interesting ways.

What Is Chronic Fatigue In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Allergy: definition

What Is Chronic Syndrome Fatigue? C hronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating illness characterized by persistent or relapsing overwhelming and incapacitating fatigue not relieved by rest, having a definite onset and often accompanied by numerous…