RLS from low iron in celiac disease responds to a gluten-free diet

Low iron levels have been associated with increased severity of restless leg syndrome. The following medical case report discusses four patients with low iron and restless leg syndrome who were tested positive for celiac disease and placed on a gluten free diet. All four had improvement on the gluten free diet.

“Celiac disease as a Possible Cause for Low Serum Ferritin in Patients with Restless Legs Syndrome.”

Manchanda S, Davies CR, Picchietti D.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Medicine, 506 S. Mathews Avenue, Suite 190, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To describe celiac disease as a possible cause for low serum ferritin in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS). BACKGROUND: Low iron stores have been found to be a risk factor for RLS with serum ferritin levels less than 45-50ng/mL associated with increased severity of RLS. It has become routine clinical practice to test serum ferritin in the initial assessment of RLS. Celiac disease is a common genetic disorder that can cause iron deficiency.

METHODS: Consecutive case series of four patients with RLS and serum ferritin below 25ng/mL, who had positive screening tests for celiac disease. RESULTS: We report four patients who had serum ferritin <12ng/mL and positive screening tests for celiac disease. All had celiac disease confirmed by duodenal biopsy and response to a gluten-free diet. RLS symptoms improved in all four, with two able to discontinue RLS medication and two responding without medication.

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with RLS and low serum ferritin who do not have an obvious cause for iron deficiency, we suggest looking for celiac disease by simple, inexpensive serologic testing. Diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease is likely to improve the outcome for RLS, as well as identify individuals who are at risk for the significant long-term complications of celiac disease.

Source: Sleep Med. 2009 Jan 10. [Epub ahead of print] url: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19138881

Jenny Jones from Jenny Can Cook presents her foolproof recipe for hash browns. I’ll definitely dry out the shredded potatoes next time! Enjoy!

Here’s some fake news for you. Notice the headline. “Grain-Free Dog Food Warning.”

The news video discusses dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs.

Cardiomyopathy has nothing to do with grains or the lack thereof. (We discuss idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in our Gluten Free Works Health Guide.

The study mentioned in the article never even mentions grains as benefits or liabilities.

The study noted the true  cause of cardiomyopathy in dogs is Read More »

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a website were you could review and rate gluten-free companies?

There is! You can!

Now, you can share your experiences with other people in the gluten-free community!

Glutenfreeclassifieds.com is our new online directory where you can review and rate your favorite gluten-free companies.

Here is how you rate and review gluten-free companies.

Read More »

Candida albicans is a fungus present in our mouth at all times. It can cause a problem if it grows unchecked. This condition is called candida overgrowth or thrush.

This video describes the circumstances that causes it to grow and become a problem. A quick, simple remedy is provided that works.

A more in depth remedy that will help stop and correct candida albicans in the digestive system can be found in our Gluten Free Works Health Guide: Candida Albicans section.

You never have to worry about what to make for breakfast, lunch or dinner ever again.

Seriously.

Glutenfreeworks.com did the work for you.

It’s all in our 80 page e-cookbook and nutrition guide…

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cooking Made Easy!

There are dozens of recipes that cover Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, Beverages.

All the recipes are delicious and free of the following:

• No Gluten (No wheat, barley, rye or oats)
• No Cow Dairy (Only goat or sheep dairy are used and substitutions are offered.)
• No Sugar (No cane sugar or beet sugar)
• No Soy

Basic Pancakes and Waffles. So yummy!

The recipes are easy to master and the ingredients are easy to find.

You can get them in your local supermarket.

Sound good?

It gets better.

This is more than a cookbook.

Much more.

It is a nutrition and symptom guide.

Cleo J. Libonati, RN, BSN

Our co-founder, Cleo Libonati, RN, BSN wrote the book.

She happens to be Pennsylvania Dutch and an amazing cook.

She also graduated from University of Pennsylvania when the nursing program included nutrition.

Sections on Gluten and Dairy explain how they cause health problems in detail.

The section on Nutrient Deficiencies includes a chart of Symptoms matched to the deficiency that causes them.

All the recipes include a list of the nutrients the dish contains.

This way you can look up your symptoms, find out which deficiency is causing them and add the meals that will give you the nutrients YOU need.

We should have called it Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cooking and Nutrition Made Easy!

Most chronic health problems are due to inflammation and nutrient deficiencies.

Buckwheat Brownies

This book will help you decrease inflammation by cutting out gluten, dairy, sugar and soy while improving your nutrient levels.

We don’t just sell the book.

We use it.

Every week and most days.

Especially every time we want pizza. Or waffles. Or cake. Yum.

We use it when the symptom section shows us we need more zinc or calcium or vitamin A.

Did you know you could make a tasty Brazil Nut Risotto that contains Selenium, Vitamin K, Calcium, Copper, Magnesium, Magnanese. Vitamin A, Riboflavin and Iron?

You can. It’s on page 59.

Our Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream Recipe gives you iron and copper. That’s on page 63.

Tender Skillet Meatloaf

Of course we have the mainstays like Tender Skillet Meatloaf (Page 54), Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders (Page 50), Egg Fried Rice (Page 46) and Savory Chip Steak (Page 45), Breakfast Burritos (Page 40)and Peachy Pancakes and Waffles (Page 36).

You’ll also have the best bread recipe at your fingertips.

The book works.

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cooking Made Easy was made to give you an entire diet you can take forward for the rest of your life.

You can find it here…along with more details, photos of all the recipes and testimonials.

Best of health,

John

John Libonati, Publisher

Glutenfreeworks.com

Three Bakers Gluten Free Bakery is a new listing on Glutenfreeclassifieds.com. You can rate them, save their listing as a favorite or send them a private message!

From Three Bakers:

Our promise is simple to say but very hard to do: We promise to bake gluten-free products that are the best tasting and healthy.

If you’ve been living gluten-free for a while, you know it’s hard to find gluten-free products in conventional grocery stores, and really hard to find gluten-free products that are great tasting and healthy.

At Three Bakers all of our products are baked with a commitment to your health as well as your taste buds. Three Bakers products are: Read More »

Remember when the gluten-free diet was all the rage in the news?

Read More »

Dunkin Donuts has started offering a gluten-free fudge brownie in addition to its new line of under $2 menu items.

This is Dunkin Donuts’ first nationwide foray into the $2 billion gluten-free market. They previously tried gluten-free donuts, but the donuts were only available in a few stores.

The new fudge brownie is individually wrapped and now available at over 8,500 participating stores across the United States.

According to Dunkin’ Donuts’ U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Tony Weisman, “We know that the ‘Dunkin’ Run’ is a daily part of many of our guests’ lives as they keep themselves and their friends running, so we’re excited to launch a new menu offering fresh Read More »

A woman contacted me yesterday asking when the magazine she ordered for her mother in early May was going to arrive.

There was a problem…

We don’t sell a gluten-free magazine. We don’t sell any magazine for that matter.

I don’t know which company she used. She didn’t know either.

Now, there is a way for you to keep track of your favorite gluten-free companies.

Glutenfreeclassifieds.com makes it easy for you to create a list of your favorite companies.

Each listing has a little heart next to the title. Just click the little heart and the listing will be saved to your Favorites. Here is a video that shows you how it works!