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Infertility, Male: definition

Inability to either produce sperm or to produce viable sperm or mobile sperm resulting in prohibiting fertilization of the female ovum. Malnutrition is a major cause. Click for full description.

Hyperprolactinemia: definition

Elevated level of prolactin hormone in blood signifies too much prolactin, which  is produced by the anterior pituitary gland and causes impaired estrogen production in females and impaired androgen production in males.

Hypertension, Reversible: definition

Sustained elevated arterial blood pressure resulting from impaired absorption of essential co-factors for normal homocysteine metabolism (folate, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6)  that resolves with normalization of homocysteine levels.

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?

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 [↩]

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 [↩]