Gluten-Free Diet: a Cure for Some, a Fad for Most

Having suffered for almost 10 years before finding the culprit (Celiac Disese), I'm certainly happy to see it being mentioned anywhere, for no other reason than to spread awareness.

I agree with the first poster though, and do wish that this article had focused more on the 'cure' side of this rather than the 'fad' side.

To the poster that thinks this is a made up disease, I'm guessing you have never suffered from it or even known anyone that did. Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disease, and simply increasing your raw veggie/fruit intake will not help it. Someone dx'd with Celiac Disease MUST cut out all gluten, or risk extensive damage not only in the intestines, but everywhere in the body. This is a systemic disease, that can affect not only your gut but everywhere. Celiac's are already at risk for other autoimmune diesases, and by not adhering to a strict gluten free diet, lymphoma is a very REAL possibility down the road.

I hope to see more and more mentions of Celiac Disease in the media. I just hope that more people do their research before writing their articles.

Crystal of TX 9:10AM November 03, 2008

"There's no such animal as coeliac disease - it just means that doctors have discovered your intestines have some type of deviation from normal - likely due to the unhealthy low fiber high fat high sugar high meat western diet.

The cure is simply to eat a lot of raw vegetables and fruit, juicing - that's all folks."

Unfortunately, that philosophy is what has hindered people who have truly developed this autoimmune disease. I did not develop it from that particular type of diet. Quite the contrary.

I was treating a child whose mother decided to bring his sister into my office with him because her daycare would not allow her there. She had "Coxsackie Virus" - fairly common in children, but much less common in adults. Because she chose to allow this child to "play" with all my therapy "toys" I had for use with my pediatric patients - despite my continued admonishments to the contrary - I had a rather large "dirty bin" of toys to disinfect. I did this after anyone used any equipment at my clinic. I did not want my PT clinic to be a viral "harbor".

Somewhere between transferring these items to the sink area and to disinfecting them, I must have rubbed my eyes - and I caught this virus. I was incredibly ill, and then developed a very large list of secondary infections.

Because my body had to fight so incredibly hard to fend off this illness, it appears that it somewhat "opened pandora's box" with regard to my genetic background. I developed a host of autoimmune diseases: Psoriatic Arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and Neurological Celiac disease - among others.

I am a 6'1" female. At the time, I weighed 140 lbs., I was 11% body fat, and my cholesterol level was 98 -- a high HDL level, a very low LDL level a triclyceride level that was incredibly low. I ate a high fiber, low fat diet consisting mostly of fruits, vegetables and legumes. I ate very little meat and my sugar intake - particularly refined sugar - was almost nil.

If you will look at my previous post and actually RESEARCH the link I provided, along with the works cited, you will find very valid, reproducible and very much reproduced studies. These were performed using strict research criteria by many different physicians and researchers with entirely different populations provided. The results of these research studies provide irrefutable proof that Celiac disease - an autoimmune - disease process - does exist. Additionally, because it is an autoimmune regulated disease process, it is possible to CONTROL it in order to diminish its effects. To date, however, there is no "cure".

Lynne G. Wagner, PT of KY 12:15AM November 03, 2008

My husband was wasting away, eating over 4000 calories a day to stay awake. I used my Holistic Health Handbook to help me determine that he had sprue, and then I had to fight his doctors to get the correct tests run; the sampling of the small intestine villae and blood work.

He has some residual effects on his muscles, and a tendency to nod off a bit, but he is a fine and healthy man now.

FYI: You can not be on a gluten free diet and get a correct test result.

Even "modified food starch" contains wheat. Hidden in processed foods, this additive is also in many restaurant foods and even salad dressings!

Gluten-free products are certainly filling the shelves but they are very pricy. Best to stick with the basics; corn tortillas, fresh vegetables and lean protein. I have learned to prepare all my former wheat-filled foods without gluten.

Instead I use rice flour, cornstarch, and xanthan gum, to name a few wheat replacements.

Man has been eating wheat for only 10,000 years. Certain groups of humans never had access to it until a few hundred years ago. Naturally some humans will be sensitive to or intolerant of it.

Laurie in San Diego of CA 11:43AM November 02, 2008

Perhaps neither the writer nor the editor has had manifestations of either celiac disease nor "gluten sensitivity". I am hoping that is the case. I am also hoping that this disease, particularly in the way in which it has manifested itself in MY body, never touches the lives of them or anyone they love.

The cerebellum of the brain is somewhat like the "Grand Central Station" of the body. By and large, all neurological pathways cross through it. Because of the autoimmune regulated response I developed to Gliadin, antigliadin antibodies DID destroy an evidently fair amount of proteins on the Perkinje cells of my cerebellum. This has caused such severe ataxia that I have had falls which are too numerous to count, multiple fractures - including two vertebrae fractured anteriorly due to falling backward and landing over an exposed root and have been the outwardly spoken jokes and comments about me being "drunk in public" . . . that, of course, is when I can actually walk well enough to not necessitate being restricted to a wheelchair. This happens approximately once every two to three weeks, despite DAILY exercises to increase the ability of my brain to compensate for - and hopefully re-route - the decreased cerebellar function.

Where might you ask did I "discover" these exercises? I am a licensed Physical Therapist. I can no longer practice - and actually had to CLOSE my thriving personal practice - because I am unable to walk a mere 15 feet without deviating from my course so significantly that I require assistance. I am far worse off than 90% of the patients I have treated. This includes the patients I treated when I worked in one of the our local hospitals.

For you, Mr. Voiland and your editor, I suggest you read this link, then research the works cited following it:

http://pn.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/4/2/124.pdf

Perhaps you will gain a greater understanding about celiac disease and "gluten sensitivity".

Lynne Wagner of KY 12:38PM November 01, 2008