No Grain, No Pain

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh bread …unless you are highly sensitive to gluten, a protein found in wheat and related proteins from barley and rye. Even a quick stroll past a bakery can trigger a reaction in some gluten-intolerant individuals.

“Gluten intolerance is a common, under-diagnosed and misunderstood condition,” says Alex Shikhman, M.D., Ph.D., FACR, CEO of the Institute for Specialized Medicine and medical director of Restorative Remedies. “Because the symptoms mimic so many other diseases and conditions, people can feel terrible for years without knowing why.”

The traditional Western diet, which includes large amounts of wheat and related grains, is a leading cause of gluten-intolerance that affects not only the gastrointestinal tract but the musculoskeletal system and the entire body. It has been estimated that approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population suffer from gluten-intolerance. The main troublemaker – gluten – is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin which represents the dominant component of wheat grain endosperm. Due to the lack of the appropriate enzymes in the human body, gluten cannot be completely digested. This results in the creation of a large amount of protein fragments (called peptides) which then interact with immune cells of genetically susceptible individuals and start a chain of inflammatory reactions.

There is a long list of conditions that have been associated with gluten-intolerance, including: celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel diseases, pancreatic insufficiency, auto-immune hepatitis and atrophic gastritis. The majority of individuals with gluten intolerance have problems with the absorption of vitamins and minerals despite the absence of clinically-visible inflammation in the intestinal wall. The most common problems include iron, zinc and copper deficiency, malabsorption of vitamins D and A, as well as folic acid deficiency. Most over-the-counter supplements are made with wheat and casein, and are therefore may trigger inflammatory reactions in gluten-intolerant sufferers.

Individuals with gluten intolerance can experience any number of symptoms (from gas and bloating to fatigue, arthritis and dry, itchy skin) soon after eating foods containing wheat or certain other grains. But few people connect a cup of flour to fibromyalgia.

Dr. Shikhman makes the connection. He has seen hundreds of patients whose chronic illnesses were eventually linked to gluten intolerance after years of unanswered questions and inconclusive testing.

“This is a complex diagnosis that is often not apparent until gluten is removed from the diet,” he explains. “It’s a misconception that everyone with gluten intolerance has celiac disease [a gastrointestinal disorder that causes damage to the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients].”

A person can test negative for celiac disease, following a blood test and bowel biopsy, for example, but still be gluten-sensitive. About one in five to ten people are gluten-intolerant, but only a small percentage of these individuals develop full-blown celiac disease.

“People walk around for years with inflammation in their bodies because they continue to consume gluten. This can cause pain and fatigue. It can also interfere with the blood flow to the brain, making it more difficult to concentrate,” Dr. Shikhman notes.

The solution may be simple – a gluten-free diet – but getting there is not always easy. The best place to start is with a specialist who can establish the diagnosis and guide the appropriate therapy.

In addition to celiac disease, the following disorders are frequently driven by gluten:

• Sjogren’s Syndrome: A condition found primarily in women, characterized by dry eyes and dry mouth
• Pseudogout: A gout-like condition, characterized by joint pain and inflammation and caused by calcium deposits in the joints
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis: A chronic condition characterized by extremely dry, itchy skin
• Psoriasis: A chronic inflammatory disease affecting skin and causing arthritis
• Osteoporosis: Bone density loss causing spine and hip fractures

Going Gluten-Free
There’s no question that a gluten-free diet poses a challenge. Wheat and other grains are everywhere! They are even in sources you would never suspect, such as soy sauce and ice cream.

You can learn to avoid glutens by reading labels when you shop for food and ordering wisely when you eat out. It may not be as hard as you think. As awareness increases, so, too, has the availability of gluten-free products.

Gluten-free substitutes:
Rice, corn, millet, quinoa, amaranth and potato

Grains for flour:
Sorghum, potato flour, teff, garbanzo bean flour, mesquite flour, tapioca flour and rice flour

“A lot of people crave gluten for the first few months, but then they eat some and feel just horrible, like a truck ran them over,” Dr. Shikhman says. “Once you really go gluten-free, you won’t want to go back.”

Restorative Remedies also offers a comprehensive line of all-natural, professional-grade, highly standardized food supplements with hand-picked ingredients created with the needs of those afflicted with gluten-intolerance in mind. All supplements are gluten- and dairy-free and packaged and tested in the United States in accordance with FDA requirements and GMP protocols using the strictest quality control procedures. For more information, please visit www.restorativeremedies.com.