Remedies

There are a number of nutrient deficiencies associated with Celiac and other autoimmune disorders. These occur not only BEFORE diagnosis, due to flattened villi and malabsorption, but AFTER diagnosis as well.  It’s up to us to choose healthy, naturally gluten-free foods (like fruits, veggies, lean protein and brown rice) in order to feel the best we can. Even then, we may still have deficiencies.

I was diagnosed about 5 years ago. Although I have experienced dramatic improvements in my health, sleep quality, and energy level, I have still been dealing with some “weird” symptoms that I wasn’t sure were going to go away. These include eye floaters (which I’ve noticed for about 2 years now), shakiness and rapid pulse especially during the first half of the day, and carbohydrate intolerance. (Eating high carb meals have been giving me headaches). So…. I was VERY excited when I heard that Gluten Free Works was going to be offering . I couldn’t wait to try it out.

When I got my results back, I was AMAZED at how many nutrient deficiencies I still had after being Gluten-Free for this many years. I came up deficient in:

VITAMIN A (this explained the eye floaters)
CHROMIUM (I had never heard of chromium before now, but this explained my problem with carbs. I have since read that a deficiency in Chromium leads to DIABETES… so I’m glad I figured this out now, rather than later ;)
SELENIUM (had never heard of that one either) Read More »

The impact of nutritional deficiencies on health should be common knowledge among the medical professional community. All doctors, nurses and other medical professionals should be able to quickly and accurately identify and diagnose functional nutritional deficiencies in patients and correct those deficiencies. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Medical teaching institutions do not focus on nutrition, so many medical professionals are not equipped to recognize the signs of nutritional deficiencies until the patient is extremely sick. In most cases, the patient is able to function, just not at his or her potential. He or she may have weight issues, skin, hair or digestive problems, anxiety or difficulty concentrating. This is called a functional nutrient deficiency.

Source: Buzzle.com

It’s a fact. Everyone produces gas. Ordinarily, most people produce about 1 to 3 pints of gas in a day. Gas is normally painless, creating a feeling of fullness until it is passed.

But sometimes pain is experienced, and when it does it can be either dull or sharp, leaving us feeling bloated or tender in places. It can be localized in one spot, or felt throughout the abdomen.

About 50% of people with celiac disease complain of chronic discomfort from gas at the time of diagnosis.

What is Gas?

The accumulation of gas in the digestive tract is called flatus, and having Read More »

Photo: Sheknows.com

I have always had a funky stomach. As a very young child I recall laying on my stomach on the living room floor trying to alleviate the horrible cramps and pains I used to get on a regular basis. Coming from a family full of tummy trouble, I thought it was normal and never complained. As a teenager the pains became worse and my Mom and I took a trip to the pediatrician to find out what was wrong. He said I had a spastic colon and that I needed to eat healthier and Read More »

 

Here's me at 1 year gluten-free

 This Holiday Season I am especially thankful for the health I now enjoy… it’s been a long journey these past 10 years or so…but I am so thankful for the knowledge I’ve gained about living a Gluten-Free lifestyle…the benefits that have come from it, and that after 10 years, I can finally say that I feel like “me” again. :) 
 
I’ve never really shared my entire experience, and normally don’t write posts that are too personal… but perhaps this can help someone out there who is wondering if they might have Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease… or someone who has been diagnosed  and wonders if it is really a “big deal” if they HAVE to go gluten-free or not. I can tell you from personal experience that it WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!! It changed mine… and here’s how: 

It all started back in junior high and high school. I just felt “tired” all the time. I can’t even tell you how many times a day someone would come up to me and say, “What’s wrong? You look tired.” I even remember someone saying to me once, “You look dead.” (ouch!) It seemed like maybe I was just depressed or Read More »

Colon cancer starts with colon polyps. Polyps are growths in the inner lining of your colon walls. They are formed when the inner lining is irritated or attacked by fecal matter toxins. When you have colon polyps, you dramatically increase your risk of getting colon cancer.

To prevent getting colon cancer you need to prevent getting polyps. If you have polyps then you need to prevent them from becoming cancerous.

Here are some ideas that you can use in preventing colon cancer whether you have or do not have polyps. Read More »

Dec. 5, 2007. Courtesy JAMA and Archives Journals and World Science staff

Honey. Photo: Andreas Praefcke

A bit of buck­wheat hon­ey beat the lead­ing over-the-coun­ter chil­dren’s cough rem­edy in re­liev­ing kids’ cough and as­so­ci­at­ed sleep trou­bles, a study has found.

 
But the re­search—though pub­lished in a re­spected med­i­cal jour­nal—was funded by the U.S. hon­ey in­dus­try. Its au­thors rec­om­mend­ed fur­ther stud­ies to con­firm the re­sults, while not­ing that safe­ty and ef­fi­cacy ques­tions have aris­en around over-the-coun­ter kids’ cough med­i­cines. “Cough is the rea­son for nearly three per­cent of all out­pa­tient vis­its in the Un­ited States, more than any oth­er symp­tom,” they wrote in the re­port. “It most com­monly oc­curs in con­junc­tion with an up­per res­pi­ra­to­ry tract in­fec­tion,” and of­ten dis­rupts sleep. Read More »

About 20% of people with untreated celiac disease have chronic constipation instead of the classic symptom of diarrhea. As the rate of diagnosis improves, constipation is becoming recognized as a common symptom of celiac disease.

Constipation is a common problem in the general population of the United States. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 4 million people have frequent constipation. It is one of the most common digestive complaints in the United States, resulting in about 2.5 million doctor visits and 92,000 hospitalizations annually, although most people treat themselves. This high rate of constipation results in annual laxative sales of over $735 million in this country.

This article will discuss the following topics:

1. How to recognize constipation.

2. Natural remedies that have been shown to help constipation.

3. How to induce a bowel movement.

WHAT IS CONSTIPATION?

Constipation involves problems with stool formation, consistency, and evacuation. It is characterized by one or more of these features:

· Hard, dry stool or soft, putty-like stool.

· Difficult defecation.

· Infrequent defecation, less than one bowel movement per day.

· A feeling of incomplete evacuation following bowel movement.

Constipation can give rise to many different ailments including indigestion, a white coated tongue, bad breath, gas, hemorrhoids, hernia, body odor, depression, fatigue, headache, insomnia, and varicose veins.

The three main causes of constipation are abnormal bowel motility, malabsorption and dysbiosis. Each one, or all three together can cause constipation.

1. Abnormal bowel motility is altered peristalsis, where food passes through the intestine too slowly, due to ineffective muscle action of the intestines. It may take the form of spastic colon or atonic colon.

· Spastic colon is characterized by a spasms, (irregular and excessive muscle contractions of the intestinal walls), so that the muscles resist stretching and thereby decrease the diameter of the inside of the intestine. This restricts the passage of food.

Hard, dry stools are produced as the colon absorbs too much water from the slowly advancing stool. Spasms can result from magnesium deficiency, chronic stress, lack of exercise, lack of water or lack of fiber in the diet.

Spastic constipation is associated with variable degrees of abdominal pain or distress, erratic frequency of bowel action, and variation in stool consistency. Read More »

Acid reflux affects millions of people every day.

Heartburn is the major symptom of acid in the esophagus, characterized by burning discomfort behind the breastbone (sternum). Findings in gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)  include esophagitis (reflux esophagitis) — inflammatory changes in the esophageal lining (mucosa) —, strictures, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), and chronic chest pain. Patients may have only one of those symptoms. Typical GERD symptoms include cough, hoarseness, voice changes, chronic ear ache, burning chest pains, nausea or sinusitis. GERD complications include stricture formation, Barrett’s esophagus, esophageal spasms, esophageal ulcers, and possibly even lead to esophageal cancer, especially in adults over 60 years old.

Occasional heartburn is common but does not necessarily mean one has GERD. Patients with heartburn symptoms more than once a week are at risk of developing GERD. A hiatal hernia is usually asymptomatic, but the presence of a hiatal hernia is a risk factor for developing GERD.

Here is some interesting information about acid reflux drugs. In 2006, over 100 million prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors (acid reflux drugs) were filled at a cost of $13.6 billion.  It is true that acid reflux drugs definitely help in the short term.  They reduce acid.

Unfortunately, the more powerful acid blockers (omeprazole, esomeprezole) can interfere with calcium adsorption and can aggravate preexisting hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesemia which are more common in celiac disease. [1]

They can also cause problems for people with cirrhosis. Use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in patients with cirrhosis was associated with a risk of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and Clostridium difficile-associated disease, according to two retrospective studies. [2]

Finally, long term use can also lead to Vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency is already a common deficiency among people with celiac disease. The medications work by blocking acid secretion from the parietal cells of the stomach, but these cells also make a substance called intrinsic factor, which is critical for vitamin B12 absorption. Because proton-pump inhibitors such as Prilosec also reduce intrinsic factor secretion, long-term use can lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency. [3] 

Vitamin B12 deficiency is serious because it can lead to neurologic disorders. The neurologic symptoms of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency include numbness and tingling of the arms and, more commonly, the legs, difficulty walking, memory loss, disorientation, and dementia with or without mood changes. Although the progression of neurologic complications is generally gradual, such symptoms are not always reversible with treatment of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency, especially if they have been present for a long time. [4]  

Here are some things what work well for acid reflux and won’t destroy your health:

Dietary Changes:

1) Maintain a 100% strict gluten-free diet.  The immune reaction to gluten starts in the mouth and works all the way through the gastrointestinal tract, so avoid it. 

2) Doctors also now suggest that heartburn sufferers keep a daily food diary, so they are better able to see what food triggers are present in their day-to-day life. Once a list of common triggers have been found, begin eliminating foods one by one. Common heartburn triggers include chocolate, fried and fatty foods, and spices.  [5]

3) While suffering heartburn, you’re advised to refrain from consuming alcohol, caffeine, over-the-counter pain relievers, and other stimulants, which change the acidity of the stomach, and irritate the lining of the stomach further. [5]

4) Decrease sugar intake.  Sugar causes acid reflux in some individuals. [5]5) Increase fiber. Consuming more fiber nutrient foods is another natural way to alleviate future suffering. Bulk foods help to absorb excess acid and gas, and allow your body to rid itself of toxins more quickly. For those who respond poorly to high fiber vegetables, fiber pills and beverages are an easy alternative. [5]

6) Drink more water. The more water you drink, the less likely you are to suffer the pains of heartburn. Drinking at least 8-glasses of water each day will rid the body of toxins and allow your body to expel acid naturally.

Remedies:

Here are some quick home remedies that can help. 

1) Baking soda – take a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and mix with 4 oz. of water.  Drink it.  Baking soda is a base and counteracts the acid almost immediately.  It also has another benefit in that it cuts the reaction of the gluten proteins that cause the reflux in the first place. (If you accidentally ingested gluten.) It works quickly and is about as cheap a remedy as you’ll find.

2) Alka Seltzer Gold – this is gluten-free and works quickly. 

3) Apple cider vinegar – this remedy was suggested Alisa Weeks,  a member of the Knoxville Celiac Support Group. “We use the apple cider vinegar with great success. We take about a teaspoonful with some juice.”

4) Food enzymes – which help to speed the digestive process often eliminate heartburn altogether. Papaya enzymes are sold in chewable capsule form, and are taken immediately following a meal with a full glass of water. Both ginger and digestive enzymes are not medically proven to help with symptoms. [5]

Sources:

[1] Robb-Nicholson C (2007). “By the way, doctor. I heard that taking a proton-pump inhibitor could cause hip fractures. I’ve been taking 20 mg of Prilosec every day for a year. Should I be concerned?”. Harvard women’s health watch 14 (7): 8. PMID 17396273.

[2] Bajaj JS, et al “Proton Pump Inhibitor Use is Associated with a High Risk of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis” Abstract 740 presented Nov. 4.

[3] http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/index.aspx?puid=f0ed5fe5-034e-4196-997b-f976c293a99c&p=1

[4] http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB12/

[5] http://heartburn.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=heartburn&cdn=health&tm=12&gps=89_111_1020_570&f=00&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//nhnh.essortment.com/heartburnhomer_rwel.htm