Gluten Intolerance Disorders

Symptoms, Disorders, Diseases, and Dysfunctions That May - Or May Not - Be Correlated to Gluten Intolerance

Here's what's actually going on:

The simple proteins gliadin, prolamine and glutenin, found in the complex gluten protein, cause an immune system response in people with autoimmune disease. This was once thought to be limited only to those with celiac disease (CD), but recent research indicates that all automimmune disorders appear to be related to immune system response to gluten.

This immune reaction creates inflammation in the intestines, 9or any bodily tissues where the gluten can be found), which in turn can damage the villi that line the interior of the intestines, and eventually leads to increased porosity of the intestinal walls (leaky gut syndrome).

With celiac disease, the immune system damages the villi directly, preventing proper absorption of digested food into the bloodstream.

Because of this damage, the intestines do not finish the job of digesting food and sending it into the bloodstream. So, people with CD suffer from malnutrition that comes from this malabsorption.

This vulnerability makes people with CD more susceptible than the general population to a large number of serious complications.

In addition to damaged villi, CD can lead to even more serious conditions: ingesting gluten creates an acute immune response, causing the body to release histamines and other hormones, including corticosteroids, interleukins, kinins, seratonin, prostaglandins, and adrenaline. This kind of immune response also occurs with the other autoimmune diseases as well.

This kind of chronic response to gluten can seriously damage the body, in many cases causing long-term systemic damage in persons who have gluten intolerance or an autoimmune condition.

If you have symptoms that have not been diagnosed, especially if you have a family history of any of the conditions below, get tested for celiac disease and non-celiac gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance is hereditary: If you or someone in your family is gluten intolerant, other family members likely are as well.

There has been precious little research done on non-celiac gluten intolerance, so really, we have more questions than answers.

This list, below, names the disorders which may have or do have a correlation to celiac disease, to gluten intolerance, and to autoimmune diseases. Some correlations are rather weak, however, so your personal risk for that condition may not be much greater than that of the general population. Still, it's good to be aware of relationships between conditions.

And remember, if you have one of these conditions but are not gluten intolerant, a gluten-free diet will likely not help you heal.

Disorders associated with gluten intolerance include:

Digestive Disorders

Bloating, Abdominal Pain, Acid Reflux, GERD, Heartburn, Indigestion, Colic in Infants, Stomach and Duodenal Ulcers

Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Bulimia, Anorexia Nervosa, Malabsorption, Malnutrition

Diarrhea, Steatorrhea (Fat in Stools), Undigested Food in Stools, Constipation, Nausea, Vomiting, Flatulence, Proctitis

Leaky Gut Syndrome, Damage to/Destruction of Intestinal Villi (Villous Atrophy), Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Diverticulosis

Colon/Intestinal Polyps, Colon Cancer, Intestinal Lymphoma

Diabetes - Type II, Asthma, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Functional Somatic Syndrome, Anemia, Secondary Immune Hemolytic Anemia, Fibromyalgia

Fluid Retention, Inflammation, Stunted Growth in Children, Failure to Thrive, Candidiasis, Increased Risk of Infections, Sleep Apnea

Multiple Sclerosis, Addison's Disease, Vasculitis, Polyglandular Autoimmune Syndrome, Type I Diabetes Mellitus (juvenile-onset), Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, Narcolepsy,

Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, Neuromyotonia, Ulcerative Colitis, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, Ideopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis,

Kawasaki Disease, Grave's Disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Polymyositis, Wegener's Granulomatosis, Myasthenia Gravis, Crohn's Disease, Pemphigus Vulgaris,

IGA Nephropathy, Goodpasture's Syndrome, Interstitial Cystitis, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Morphea, Pernicious Anemia, Temporal (Giant Cell) Arteritis

Collagen Vascular Disorders: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus), Polyarteritis Nodosa, Scleroderma, Dermatomyositis, Turner Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Cardiovascular Disorders

Atherosclerosis, Arteriosclerosis, Cardiac Insufficiency, Anemia-Related Heart Palpitations, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol/High Triglycerides (Hyperlipidemia), Temporal Arteritis (Arterial Inflammation)

Tissue-Specific Disorders

Gallstones and Gall Bladder Dysfunction, Duodenal Ulcers, Kidney Stones, Non-alcoholic Cirrhosis, Hepatitis, Chronic/Recurring Kidney Infections, Osteopenia and Osteoporosis, Childhood Osteomalacia, Bone Fractures, Joint Pain, Swelling and Stiffness, Especially in Hands, Juvenile Ideopathic Arthritis

Pancreatitis, Chronic Inflammation (Systemic or Localized), Depressed Immune System, Adrenal Exhaustion, Chronic Muscle Aching and Weakness, Thyroid Dysfunction, Pancreatic Insufficiency, Interstitial Cystitis, Sarcoidosis

Mouth Sores, Canker Sores, Decline in Dental Health, Tooth Discoloration and Decalcification, Thinning or Loss of Tooth Enamel, usually leading to increased incidence of dental caries, Abscesses, Tooth Loss, Bone Loss (in edentulous ridges)

Nasal Congestion, Catarrh, Sinus Infections/Sinusitis, Asthma, Sore Throats, Hoarseness

Increased Susceptibility to Tonsillitis, Inflammation or Infection of the Adenoids, Colds, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Emphysema, Lung Cancer.

Skin Disorders

Hives, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, Eczema, Easy Bruising, Scleroderma, Vitiligo, Psoriasis, Brittle/Peeling/Ridged Nails, Slow-Growing Hair, Hair Loss

Non-Digestive System Cancers

Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Adenocarcinoma, Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Bladder Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer

Neurological Disorders

Epilepsy, Depression, Irritability, Suicidal Behavior, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Encephalopathy, Ataxia

Autism, Aspberger's, ADD/ADHD, Cluster or Migraine Headaches, Memory Loss, Confusion, Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Vertigo, Brain Fog and Disorganized Thinking, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease

Down's Syndrome, Neuroendocrine Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, Peripheral Neuropathy, especially Tingling/Numbness/Burning Sensation in Feet, Legs, Arms and Hands, Vision Abnormalities, "Stiff Person" Syndrome

Female Hormonal/Pregnancy Disorders

Menstrual Irregularities, including: Excessively Heavy Bleeding, or conversely, Lack of Regular Periods, Late Menarche/Early Menopause, Early Menarche, Debilitating Pain, Migraines/Cluster/Tension Headaches, Irregular Cycles, Excessive Mood Swings, Premenstrual Syndrome, PIDS/Pelvic Pain

Vaginal Candida Albicans Overgrowth, Endometriosis, Ovarian Cysts, Fibrocystic Breast Disease, Uterine Fibroid Cysts, Miscarriages and Preterm Delivery, Extended or Excessive Morning Sickness, Congenital Malformation, Fetal Neural Tube Defects, Infertility (Both Sexes)

If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, but now live gluten-free, you've already reduced your chances of suffering from any of those disorders to the levels of the general population (except for any genetic factors or undiagnosed disorders you may have).

If you have been diagnosed with any of these conditions, but have not been formally diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, you need to get a diagnosis, and then follow up with a treatment plan for your disease--if you have one--and correlate it with your treatment plan for your other disorder.

Going gluten-free probably won't make your symptoms vanish, but it may improve both your prognosis and your health.

Even if you test negative for CD, however, going gluten-free under your physician's or nutritionist's guidance may reduce your symptoms and improve how you feel.

You can be gluten intolerant without having CD.

Plan to do a gluten challenge. While this test may give you a false negative, particularly if your symptoms are vague or you are asymptomatic, most challenges reveal hidden gluten intolerance. If you are sure you completely eliminated gluten, and you got a negative result, (that is to say, no changes,) but you still have symptoms, wait a few months and try the challenge again.

Remember this, too: The relationships between CD/gluten intolerance and at least some of the disorders listed above are tenuous, at best, and need more controlled testing to determine the exact nature of the correlation—-or to determine if a correlation actually exists at all.

Nevertheless, uncontrolled CD or gluten intolerance does ultimately lead to very serious complications, so don't take this disorder lightly.

If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, you must avoid all gluten, even if you suffer no symptoms.

Throw the thought, "Just one little bite won't hurt anything" right out the window.

Because of your body's reaction to gluten, you damage your body's systems each time you expose yourself to gluten. Even tiny amounts will cause damage.

If you have gluten intolerance, your sensitivity is not limited to gluten you eat. Any gluten can cause a problem in your system, no matter how it got there.

The same is true for celiac disease, but here's the thing:

It is thought that autoimmune disease causes the body to attack whatever bodily system harbors gluten. Since most gluten is eaten, the body's immune system attacks the villi in the intestines; however, when gluten is chronically found in other tissues, the immune system can and often does attack those tissues.

The Journal of Rheumatology and other peer-reviewed journals have published controlled studies about gluten and autoimmune diseases. If you have any information about valid research, please click the invitation link, above, and let us all know. Thanks!

We really are lucky: We can heal ourselves without chemicals, surgeries, poisons, or other dangerous modalities.

We can live large, live well, and live healthy, all while healing ourselves and preserving our good health.

Living Gluten-Free--and Loving It!

Doing a Gluten Challenge

Gluten Challenge Symptoms

High Triglycerides and Gluten Intolerance

High Cholesterol and Gluten Intolerance

Tooth Decay, Tooth Loss, and Other Dental Problems

Tests for Celiac Disease

The Autoimmune Diseases

Gluten Intolerance, Cysts, and Fibrocystic Breast Disease

Female Physiology, Menstrual Disorders, and Gluten Intolerance

Your Thyroid On Gluten

Eating Disorders and Gluten Intolerance: Is There a Connection?

Transdermal Gluten Absorption: Fact Or Myth?

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