Subscriber Newsletter July 14, 2015

Welcome to the Gluten Free Works Health Guide Newsletter!Today’s issue concerns how gluten can damage various body systems and why symptoms that may seem non-gluten related may in fact be caused by gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. The Tip shows you how to identify what is causing problems in different body systems.

Please email us questions or topic suggestions at info@glutenfreeworks.com.

Thank You!

-John Libonati, Publisher
Gluten Free Works Health Guide

How Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity and Affect Different Body Systems 

“What are your symptoms? Diarrhea? Oh, I don’t have that. Migraines? I never get them. I guess I don’t have a problem with gluten after all. Man, my joints are killing me…and I’m tired all the time.”

It is crucially important to understand that gluten sensitivity and celiac disease affect people differently and can affect every and any body system.

One person can experience neurological symptoms. Another will suffer from gastrointestinal problems. A third person will have both or something altogether different, like anemia or fatty liver disease.

How is this possible? Symptoms are due to the direct damage from gluten on structures or functions, inflammation, or nutritional deficiencies.

Gluten can directly damage organs. It can penetrate the blood brain barrier and cause neurological dysfunction. It can penetrate the lining of the small intestine and travel throughout the body causing local and systemic immune reactions and damaging organs it contacts.

Most symptoms result from nutritional deficiencies. Which nutrient is failing to be absorbed depends on which part of the gastrointestinal tract is damaged. Each person is different, so one person may not absorb vitamin D. Another may not absorb B vitamins. They will have different symptoms, but both are malabsorbing.

In many cases, people will suffer from symptoms in multiple body systems, but not realize a  single cause is to blame. Different specialists will treat each of their skin, eye and hair problems individually, while the underlying nutritional deficiency goes untreated.

Tip: When identifying illnesses or health problems in yourself or others, consider that gluten may be directly or indirectly causing the problems, even if they are not “typical” to celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. While the symptoms may indeed have other causes, it does no harm to rule gluten out early and may result in a quick diagnosis and prompt recovery. Then, consider whether different symptoms in different parts of the body may have the same cause. Look up your symptoms in the Health Guide. Determine whether a certain issue or deficiency may be causing or influencing the health problems.

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Body Systems Affected by Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease can affect any and all body systems. Click on the images below to see the symptoms of each body system.

Blood System This category comprises disorders of blood including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, coagulation factors, blood proteins, enzymes, antibodies, hormones, and nutritional components including minerals, vitamins, and lipids. … Read More » Children This category comprises disorders that develop in childhood. … Read More » Female Reproductive System Disorders of the female reproductive system cause damage to tissues and/or dysfunction of its organs: ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, and breast. … Read More » Immune System This category comprises disorders of the immune system that cause damage to tissues and/or impairment of its protective function against invading organisms. The immune system includes proteins such as interferons, chemicals such as histamine, white blood cells including phagocytes and leukocytes, and immunoglobulins (antibodies). … Read More » Male Reproductive System This category comprises disorders of the male reproductive system that cause damage to tissues and/or dysfunction of its organs: testes (testicles), scrotum, sperm, ducts and penis. Proper function of these organs and cells are essential for normal reproductive ability. … Read More »   Pulmonary System This category comprises disorders of the pulmonary system that cause damage to tissues and/or dysfunction of its organs. The upper airway includes the mouth, nose, pharynx and larynx. The lower airway, called the pulmonary tree, includes these passageways: trachea, bronchi and bronchioles that carry air in and out of the lungs and end at the alveoli (air sacs where oxygen is absorbed from inhaled air and carbon dioxide from blood is exhaled.) … Read More »   Body Composition This category comprises disorders of body composition that affect the balance of fat and lean tissues. … Read More » Chromosomes This category comprises disorders of chromosomes that develop from defects before or during conception. … Read More » Fetus This category comprises disorders that develop in the fetus during gestation. … Read More » Integumentary System This category comprises disorders of the integumentary system that cause damage to skin, nails and hair and/or impaired function. … Read More » Nervous System This category comprises disorders of the nervous system that cause damage to tissues and/or dysfunction of its organs: nerve cells, chemical production (neurotransmitters), cerebrum, cerebellum, hypothalmus, spinal column, nerve roots, and peripheral nerve fibers. … Read More » Sensory Sytstem This category comprises disorders affecting vision, smell, and taste. Read More » Skeletal System This category comprises disorders of the skeletal system that cause damage to bone tissues and/or impair function of bones to protect and support the body, provide structure for movement, act as a reservoir for minerals, and provide for blood production. Parts of the skeleton include the skull, long bones of arms and legs, sternum, ribs, pelvis, and vertebrae of the spine. … Read More »   Cardiovascular System This category comprises disorders of the cardiovascular system that cause damage to tissues and/or dysfunction of its organs: the heart and blood vessels. … Read More » Glandular System Disorders of the digestive This category comprises disorders of the glandular system that cause damage to tissues and/or dysfunction of its glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream: adrenal, ovary, pancreas, parathyroid, pineal, pituitary, testicle, thymus, and thyroid. … Read More » Digestive System Disorders of the digestive system cause damage to tissues and/or dysfunction of the organs that make up the digestive system: the mouth including salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, sigmoid colon, rectum and anus. Organs that help with digestion but are not part of the digestive tract are the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. … Read More » Lymphatic System This category comprises disorders of the the lymphatic system that involve lymph vessels, lymph, lymph nodes, lymphocytes, and lymph organs. … Read More » Pregnancy and Birth This category comprises disorders that develop in the mother during pregnancy or birth that affect the health of the baby. For example, iron deficiency in the mother impacts how well the baby will receive oxygen through the placenta and the iron needed for its own blood development. … Read More » Urinary System This category comprises disorders of the urinary system that cause damage to tissues and/or impair its function to cleanse the blood and remove waste via urine. Organs include the kidneys which filter blood, ureters which carry urine to the bladder, the bladder which store urine temporarily until full, the urethra which passes urine from the bladder out of the body through the urinary sphincter. Read More »

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