Celiac disease

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 »

Health Alert – Microbes Matter – Probiotics a.k.a. Good Bacteria in Your Gut

Strange as it seems, our well-being is uniquely tied to the condition of our colon, which is commonly unhealthy at diagnosis of celiac disease. To keep our colon healthy, we need to understand what happens there on a microscopic level.  Hundreds of varieties of intestinal microbe populations called “flora” live there, numbering in the billions.  To put these numbers into focus, dead bacteria make up about a third of each bowel movement.  Our resident microbes, whether beneficial or harmful, play a decisive role in nourishing or damaging the cells that form the intestinal lining.  Probiotic and prebiotic foods and supplements restore and feed our friendly microbes.

Probiotic flora inhibit colonization of pathogens by physically preventing them from adhering to the gut lining.  Other important functions are:

• Produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA)s.  SCFAs are important and necessary energy byproducts formed during fermentation of undigested carbohydrates in the colon by flora.  SCFAs nourish the colonocytes, the cells that line the colon. They also help absorb salts and water from stool.

• Produce a form of vitamin K and appreciable amounts of biotin.

• Reduce the presence of putrefactive enzymes.

• Protect against toxic substances.

• Contribute to normal bowel movements.

For these reasons, we need to use probiotics and prebiotics every day to improve our overall health and specifically our intestinal health.  This is especially important if fatigue, weakness, achiness, depression, foggy thinking and digestive problems continue while maintaining a gluten-free diet. 

(This Health Alert was taken from information found in Issue #9 – Microbes Matter of the Gluten Free Gazette.)  Celiac disease is a hereditary, auto-immune disorder estimated to affect 1% of the human population (3 million in the

Dr. Joseph Murray of the Mayo Clinic explains his landmark study that tested blood samples from 50 years ago and compared them to people of the same ages today. The results: 1. Celiac disease is 5 times more prevalent than it was 50 years ago, 2. People with untreated celiac disease are 4 times more likely to die prematurely than the general population. This breaking information shows us that the rate of celiac disease is rising and people must be identified and diagnosed to insure good health. – John Libonati, Editor. Glutenfreeworks.com

“I only cheat once in awhile. You know, like twice a week…”

Photo: Suite101.com

If you have celiac disease, you damage your body EVERY TIME you ingest gluten. That may sound bad, but it gets worse.

You can DIE from celiac disease in a variety of ways. None of them are fun. Some take longer than others. Some may not kill you per se, but rather they may stop you from enjoying life, make you suffer from chronic pain or limit your potential.

Celiac disease is a deadly serious condition caused by eating what is essentially a poison to susceptible people – gluten proteins in wheat, barley, rye and oats.

Here are just 6 examples how celiac disease from gluten ingestion can kill you: Read More »

Finding out you have Celiac Disease is a big transition. Often it’s a good one that leads to feeling great, yet initially it’s a lot of information to take in at once to understand what you need to do for your health. Much of it is because we’re been eating one way for 15, 30, 50 or more years and it can be overwhelming to to instantly unlearn everything we’ve done and change overnight. Wouldn’t life be easier if you could take a doctor or dietitian home as a portable reminder of the basics? And so the Celiac Disease Video Project was born.

See below for videos of Dr. John Snyder, Chief of the Department of Gastroenterology at CNMC in DC, Dr. Gary Kaplan, Medical Director of Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist discussing testing, diagnosis and follow-up, eating a gluten-free diet and a short segment on when it’s not Celiac. Though there are an increasing number of videos out there on people’s stories of diagnosis and ways to make a gluten-free pie, this is the first of its kind to do a run-down of the medical and diet basics by healthcare professionals. The Celiac Sprue Association has been kind enough to support the project. Read More »

This is a Celiac Disease Awareness Month Public Service Announcement.

Although doctors have traditionally thought celiac disease to be a childhood disease, it can affect anyone and first present symptoms at any age.

Be sure to visit the Gluten Free Works Health Guide for everything you need to understand your symptoms and regain your health! This message was brought to you by our sponsors, Bard’s Beer and Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties!

This is a Celiac Disease Awareness Month Public Service Announcement.

Celiac disease affects 1% of the worldwide population. In the United States, it is estimated up to 17% of people with celiac disease are diagnosed. The rest are sick, but have no idea what is causing their problems.

This public service announcement is brought to you by Better Batter Gluten Free Mixes and The Gluten Free Extravaganza. Be sure to visit the Gluten Free Extravaganza Website where we are giving away 100s of prizes all month!

This is a Celiac Disease Awareness Month Public Service Announcement.

Many people, including doctors, believe that the blood tests for celiac disease are pass/fail, and that if you have a negative result you can never in the future have a positive result. This is wrong. See how all the celiac disease tests work on our Diagnosis page.

This message was brought to you by our  Gluten Free Extravaganza sponsors, Kay’s Naturals, Better Batter, Bard’s Beer and Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties!

This is a Celiac Disease Awareness Month public service announcement.

Pass it on! Celiac disease diagnosis can take years. Not because tests don’t exist, but rather because doctors do not consider celiac disease when looking at your symptoms. Frequently, a symptom of celiac disease will receive the diagnosis, leaving the underlying cause untreated. Request to be tested if your symptoms match any on this symptom list.

Be sure to visit the Gluten Free Extravaganza Website where we are giving away 100s of prizes all month! This message was brought to you by our sponsor, Kay’s Naturals. Visit Kay’s Naturals to see all their gluten-free, protein rich snacks and cereals.

This is a Celiac Disease Awareness Month Public Service Announcement.

Be sure to visit the Gluten Free Extravaganza Website where we are giving away 100s of prizes all month! This message was brought to you by our sponsor, Better Batter! Visit Better Batter’s website to view all of their scrumptious baking mixes!