Health Net

Celiac disease, also known as gluten sensitive enteropathy is very common but frequently missed. It is an autoimmune disease of intestinal damage due to gluten in people who are genetically predisposed. Classic Celiac disease is diagnosed by abnormal blood tests and an abnormal appearing intestine on biopsy and symptoms that resolve with a gluten free diet.

Several blood tests exist for Celiac disease. They have varying degrees of accuracy. Some are more sensitive, meaning they will be positive in milder forms of the disease but are not specific, meaning a positive test may not indicate Celiac disease. Others are felt to be very specific, meaning that when they are positive, it is almost certain you have the disease.

The most specific tests are tests for Celiac disease endomysial antibodies (EMA) and tissue transglutaminase antibody (tTG) tests. These two tests are IgA based tests and can be negative if you are deficient in the immunoglobin IgA, which occurs in 10-20% of people with Celiac. When either EMA or tTG are positive Celiac disease is very likely and usually the intestine biopsy is positive. Recent studies indicate that the tTG may only be positive in 40% of true Celiacs when mild degrees of intestine damage are present on biopsy. Seronegative Celiac, meaning the blood tests are negative but the biopsy is positive, may occur in up to 20% of Celiacs.

Antibodies for gliadin (AGA), the toxic fraction of gluten are considered very sensitive but not specific for Celiac disease. Newer assays for AGA antibodies for gluten that has undergone a chemical change called deamidation appear to be more specific for Celiac disease (Gliadin II, Inova) than the older gliadin tests. They also may be as or more accurate than EMA and tTG antibody tests but are not yet widely available.

The most distressing problem for people with lesser forms of gluten intolerance who have blood tests and/or biopsies that are normal or borderline yet respond to a gluten free diet is either not being taken seriously or knowing for sure if they are sensitive to gluten. For these individuals stool antibody testing for antigliadin and tTG have been helpful. Such stool testing has been performed in research labs and published in a few studies but are only recently available through the commercial lab, Enterolab. Founded by a former Baylor research gastroenterologist, Dr Ken Fine, the tests are available to people online without a doctors order but are not generally covered by insurance. Dr. Fine, who patented the test, has yet to publish the results of his findings in a peer reviewed journal so his tests are not widely accepted. However, his unpublished data and the clinical experience of some of us who have used his test have indicated the tests are very sensitive for signs of gluten sensitivity. He reports that they are 100% sensitive for Celiac disease and highly sensitive for gluten sensitivity of lesser degrees. In the presence of symptoms, that reverse on a gluten-free diet, abnormal stool antibody levels can be found in most people before blood tests or biopsies become abnormal.

Small intestine biopsies during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy are considered the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of Celiac disease. However, recent studies have demonstrated that some people with gluten sensitivity, especially relatives of Celiacs with little or no symptoms, have changes from gluten injury to the intestine that can not be seen with normal microscope examination. They can only be seen with special stains not routinely done or with a research electron microscope. The special stains are known as immunohistochemistry stains. They stain specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes in the intestinal lining tips or villi. When these lymphocytes are increased it is known as intraepithelial lymphocytosis or increased IELs and it is the earliest sign of gluten induced injury or irritation. Electron microscopy also reveals very early ultrastructural changes in some individuals when blood tests and standard biopsy examination are normal. When people who have these changes are offered the option of a gluten-free diet they usually responded favorably. In contrast, those who continue to eat gluten often later developed classic Celiac disease.

What these studies suggest is that a “normal small intestine biopsy” may exclude Celiac disease as defined by strict criteria but it is not a gold standard for detecting gluten sensitivity. This fact is appreciated by many individuals who have respond to a gluten-free diet they start based on their symptoms, family history, suggestive blood test or stool antibody test(s).

Another source of confusion is in the genetics of Celiac and gluten sensitivity. Testing for specific blood type patterns on white blood cells known as HLA DQ2 and DQ8 is increasingly being employed to determine if a person carries either of the two gene pattern present in 95-98% of Celiacs and predisposing them to the development of Celiac disease. Some use the absence of these two patterns as a way of excluding the possibility of Celiac disease and the need for testing or gluten-free diet. However, there are rare reports of documented Celiac disease in people who are DQ2 and DQ8 negative. Moreover, recent studies indicate other DQ patterns may be associated with gluten sensitivity though unlikely to predispose to classic Celiac disease.

Testing for all the DQ patterns is advocated by Dr. Fine, based on his experience with stool antibody test results. He reports that other DQ types are associated with elevated levels of gliadin and tTG in the stool and symptoms that respond to a gluten-free diet. According to his unpublished data, all the DQ types except DQ4 are associated with a risk of intolerance to gluten. Therefore, testing for all the DQ types allows a person to determine if they carry one of the two high risk gene types for Celiac disease or any of the other “minor DQ” genes Fine has found associated with gluten sensitivity.

Enterolab’s stool testing for gliadin antibodies and tissue transglutaminase antibodies, though not widely accepted, have gained favor in the lay public’s opinion as an option for determining sensitivity to gluten either despite negative blood tests and/or biopsies or in place of the more invasive tests. Most doctors still recommend the accepted blood tests and small bowel biopsy for confirmation of Celiac. Though the reports in the lay community are overwhelmingly positive they have not been subjected to peer review in the medical community pending Dr. Fine publishing his data or other researchers reproducing his results.

However, doctors open to the broader problem of gluten sensitivity are reporting these tests helpful in many patients suspected of gluten intolerance. Especially when someone has symptoms consistent with gluten sensitivity but has negative or inconclusive blood tests and/or biopsies these tests may be very helpful though some are not certain how to interpret the tests. The national Celiac organizations are uncertain about how to comment on their application without published research though a recent article in the British Medical Journal did show stool tests highly specific for Celiac. Dr. Fine has publicly commented that his unpublished data demonstrates those with abnormal stool tests indicating gluten sensitivity overwhelmingly respond favorably to a gluten free diet with improvement of symptoms and general quality of life.

Another problem is that there are not universally agreed upon definitions for gluten sensitivity or intolerance. This becomes especially difficult for those who do not meet strict criteria for Celiac disease yet may have abnormal tests and/or symptoms that respond to a gluten-free diet. Those individuals become confused when they try to find information but do not have a formal diagnosis of Celiac disease. Consensus in the medical community on definitions and more research in this area is greatly needed.

The few doctors who appreciate the spectrum of gluten intolerance or sensitivity are outnumbered by the medical majority that continue to insist on strict criteria for diagnosis for Celiac disease before recommending a gluten-free diet. Doctors either unfamiliar with the limitations of the tests as documented by Celiac research or who insist on the strict criteria for Celiac being the only indication for recommending a gluten free diet unfortunately may confuse or frustrate gluten sensitive individuals. Some of these people then seek answers on the internet or from alternative practitioners. Many have their diagnosis missed, challenged, dismissed, or are misinformed. As a result they fail to benefit from the health benefits of a gluten-free diet because they are advised that it is not required based on normal blood tests and/or normal biopsies. In the meantime, Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity continue to be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

For more information visit http://www.thefooddoc.com

Dr. Scot Lewey is a physician who is specialty trained and board certified in the field of gastroenterology (diseases of the digestive system) who practices his specialty in Colorado. He is the physician advisor to the local Celiac Sprue support group and is a published author and researcher who is developing a web based educational program for people suffering from food intolerances, http://www.thefooddoc.com

One of the most important points of the pH miracle diet is that cancer can be prevented and reversed by applying the principles of the diet. Although these statements have caused some controversy in the world of health and wellness, many people credit the use of the pH miracle diet in reversing their cancer and improving their overall level of health.

According to Dr. Robert Young, the creator of the pH miracle diet, cancer is not a sickness or a disease as commonly thought. It is an effect of the metabolic acids that are built up in the blood and then released into the tissues. Cancer, according to Dr. Young, is actually an acidic liquid that spills into the cells, tissues and organs. It is not a mutation of the cells.

No condition happens without a cause. There are clear and direct causes for cancer, and as the pH miracle diet books show, the cause for cancer lies in over acidity. Diseases like cancer are due to systemic acidosis, which is extremely low pH (below 7.4). Any pH below 7.0 is considered acidic, and the lower the pH is the higher the acidity level in a person’s body is.

At the cellular level, your cells consume the food that you eat and produce metabolic acids. Those acids are normally expelled by the body through sweat or urine. When you consume a vast amount of acidic foods and lead a lifestyle that produces even more acidity, your body does not know what to do with the rest of the acid waste. When you eat highly acidic foods on a regular basis, your body simply does not have enough energy to get rid of the excess acids. They collect in the body, and create disruptions at the cellular level.

Metabolic acids are first kept in the blood and then they are kept in the tissues. When acid is kept in the tissue, it causes sickness, disease and cancerous tissues. Cancer is the acidic liquid from metabolism that pools in the body. It affects the cells around it and, like a rotten apple in a barrel, the effects spread from cell to cell causing disease. Cancer is not made of mutated cells. The cells themselves do not change form but they are limited in their function due to the presence of excess metabolic acid. There is no such thing as “cancer cells”; the cells are actually normal cells that have become highly acidic.

One of the most surprising parts of the relationship between pH and cancer is that tumors are in fact trying to help the body. They form in areas where the metabolic acid is becoming rampant and effecting cellular function. Tumors are your body’s attempt to prevent the spreading of the acidic cells to other parts of the body. The tumor is actually a signpost to where your body is collecting excess metabolic acid. Some people are genetically predisposed to collect metabolic acid in certain places. This is why some families have a history of, for example, breast cancer.

The tumors themselves are not the problem, but are just signs of what is going wrong in that part of the body. When cancer metastasizes, it is a sign of the acidic condition moving to other cells and making them acidic as well.

Cancer is not something that people get out of the blue. Cancer forming in the body is a sign of the choices that we make in what we eat, what we drink and how we live. An alkaline lifestyle that focuses on an alkaline diet and other calming behaviors will be much less likely to produce cancer, if it does at all. An acidic lifestyle and diet will be full of the pains of the build up of metabolic acid which can, in extremes, lead to cancer.

That is exciting news because it means that cancer is preventable and treatable. A cancer patient can start taking steps toward reversing the effects of cancer and preventing the spread of it. His or her alkaline centered diet may be more aggressive than someone’s who is just trying to get better overall health. However, by applying the principles of the pH miracle diet they can effectively reduce, control and eliminate cancer from their bodies.

It’s important to maintain a healthy weight. Eating healthy will not only help in the struggle to lose weight, it’s also the way to keep the pounds off once they are lost.

A healthy weight isn’t being so tiny that you will blow away if a strong wind comes along. And all human bodies were not created equal. Rather than try to look like someone else, work towards looking like what is right for your body type.

We all have our favorite snacks. Unfortunately our favorite snacks usually aren’t at all healthy for us. If we take in more calories than we burn off in the form of exercise, we gain weight.

Some ideas and tips that can help to lose weight and keep it off are:

Stop frying foods. As delicious as fried foods are, they are loaded with fat and calories. Bake foods, or use a nonstick skillet to grill foods in. Olive oil adds a delicious taste to grilled foods such as chicken and beef.

Lay off the butter. Choose a low fat or fat free margarine or spread instead of butter. While butter is obviously very tasty, the fat content is out of this world. Using a fat free or low fat spread will save a lot of calorie intake.

Drink a glass of water before you eat. Drinking a glass of water will help to fill you up and you will eat less. Drink water throughout the day, and make soda a special treat if you must have it.

Soda is good, but unfortunately it’s loaded with empty calories. The high sugar content is one of the biggest ways we gain weight. Drinking flavored water or just regular water, diet drinks, and sugar free drinks will help to lose weight much more quickly and to keep it off.

Buy smaller plates. If you have a large dinner plate, you will no doubt fill it up when you eat a meal. A smaller plate will hold less, but still look filled when you eat. Since the plate is smaller and you eat less, you will lose weight. Don’t go back for seconds!

Make a habit of eating more veggies. You can eat more leafy green and yellow vegetables and be filled up, and intake fewer calories at the same time. Eating more veggies will help to lose weight. Steamed vegetables are absolutely delicious and healthier too.

Avoid meals and foods that are premade. These are usually loaded in calories. Items like lunch meats are high in calories. Preparing fresh foods where you control what ingredients go into the meal often results in less calories, also aiding in your weight loss goal.

White meat is healthier than red meat. Limit red meat intake such as beef, and eat more chicken, fish, and turkey. These contain fewer fat and therefore fewer calories. Grilled white meats can be prepared into many yummy meals.

Avoid snacking during the day when possible. If you must snack, snack on healthy foods, such as fresh fruits or veggie sticks. Foods like cold carrot sticks and celery sticks make a refreshing snack on a warm day. A low fat or fat free dressing makes a great dip.

Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals usually only has you making up for the skipped meal by eating entirely too much when do eat. This said, eat only when you are hungry. Don’t eat just because it’s time to eat. But do adjust your eating schedule to your hunger schedule. Eat when you need to eat and on a regular basis, but eat when your body tells you it’s mealtime, not when the clock on the wall says it’s time to eat.

Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. Not only do you end up spending more money, you often buy things that are not healthy and that will just add weight. Eat before shopping, and buy healthy foods. Leave the sugar loaded snacks on the shelves.

Best Weight-Loss Tips

Selective eating… you are to undergo such a phase when you are allergic to some kinds of food and beverages. A food allergy is the body’s immunologic reaction due to the presence of food protein.

Nowadays, there are several reading materials to help you understand the things you need to know about food allergy. One such example is the book called “5 Years without Food: The Food Allergy Survival Guide: How to Overcome Your Food Allergies and Recover Good Healthy.” The book discusses overview of food allergy as well as the foods which you can and cannot eat and its alternatives. Additionally, you will also learn some necessary food allergy treatment from the book. Furthermore, “a personal testimonial” from the author makes the book credible as reviewed by readers.

Aside from the information which can be derived from the book, here are some helpful additional ideas you might want to add in your collection of thoughts.

Commonly, adults are allergic to foods such as eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish and fish. Kids, on the other hand, are inflicted with allergies to peanuts, milk and eggs. If you are aware that you have food allergy, what you need to undertake is to be well-informed about the allergy you have. By doing so, you will be able to overcome and recover from such allergy.

Some types of food allergies will be discussed for further reference:

Egg Allergy

An individual afflicted with the said allergy is hypersensitive to foods containing substance from eggs – the white or the yolk.

For some time, you are restricted to consume foods containing eggs. These days, there are egg substitutes which you can use such as tapioca and starch from potatoes. Apple sauce can also be an alternative.

Nut Allergy

People who are oversensitive to tree nuts end up experiencing allergic attacks. Nut allergy should not be interchanged with peanut allergy. It is different from the latter since tree nuts are considered fruits that are dry.

Types of food prepared from soy nuts are considered to be a good alternative in the absence of tree nuts in your diet. A soy nut is not necessarily a nut; it is a soybean which undergoes the process of soaking and baking to achieve its crisp end result.

Milk Allergy

There are individuals who upon ingestion of proteins from a cow’s milk develop an allergic reaction. When this happens, such individuals are considered to be allergic in milk.

To obtain optimum result from milk allergy treatment, you need to completely avoid milk allergens. In order for you to fill in nutritional gap from milk, you can choose to include soy milk or rice milk in your diet.

Seafood Allergy

If you are hypersensitive to foods such as shellfish or flaky fish then you are most likely allergic to seafood.

The only way to avoid allergic attacks is prevention from eating shellfish and fish which you are allergic into. Moreover, you also need to be careful on selecting pre-packaged foods for its labeling may not declare that it contains seafood ingredients such as shellfish or fish.

There is a reason for you to undergo selective eating. It will make you overcome the allergic reaction which is happening into your system. Moreover, it will help you recover and survive. To some extent, it will help you cease your food allergy. Selective eating may vary. Some food allergies are treated on a short-term; others are not treated in their lifetime.

The teen years are hard ones, emotionally and physically. Your body is changing from a child into an adult, sending the body into a seven year battle with itself. You’ve got so many new things to deal with, learn about, experience, control, and stay away from.It’s tough being a teenager.

You shouldn’t have to worry about weight on top of everything else. Unfortunately, many teens are worried about weight. But the question is, why are teens worried about their weight? Is it peer pressure? Those TV commercials and ads we all see with tiny thin, to die for, model bodies? Mom and Dad telling us we’re overweight and need to loose a few pounds? A new boyfriend or girlfriend that we want to impress? Or our own self-image of ourselves?

Guys, let me let you in on a secret. Thin is not in! While it is not healthy to be grossly overweight, like 100 pounds overweight or more, there is nothing at all wrong with having a bit of substance to your body. I can hear them gasping now, as they read this. (Grin)

You’ve heard the saying that everyone is not created equally. This is true for our bodies, too! There is entirely too much emphasis placed on being thin and tiny. TV, film, and advertisements have only added to the myth that thin is in.

If you look around you on a normal day, you’ll see that most people are not the model type. Most people have normal bodies, with different shapes and weights. Most people are not thin! Join the real world and be yourself.

So you’re jealous of the drop dead gorgeous blond that’s dating that hot guy. You think to yourself, if only you were that thin. You weigh yourself, and are shocked to find you’re 20 pounds over what the books say should be your ideal weight for your height. Baloney!

Let me assure you of one thing. Weight is not where it’s at. I firmly believe in a person taking care of their body, and not being grossly overweight. That’s not healthy. But if someone is only looking at the outside of you, and not the inside, pass them by. The real you is on the inside, not what you look like on the outside!

You’ve heard of genetics, right? Okay, genetics play a very important role in how you look, including your weight. Now while this is not always the case, it does play a part. If you have a family on both sides that are big boned, heavy set, chances are you’re going to come out that way too. If you have both heavy set, big boned people, and small, thin people in the family tree, you could take after either side, or be somewhere in the middle. In other words, DNA determines it.

Okay, so you’re a few pounds overweight and still want to loose the extra pounds. What do you do? What’s stopping your body from shedding those pounds? The answer depends on a lot of things.

First of all, do you exercise at all? If you walk to class, you do. If you sweep a floor, you do. Anything you do that is moving your body is exercise and will burn calories.

What are you eating and drinking, and how much? Are you taking pills to loose weight? Get rid of those! Are you skipping meals? Eat! When you go without eating, you are tricking your body into thinking it is starving, and it goes into action to prevent starvation, and stops burning off fat and calories. The worse thing a person that is overweight can do is not eat. Sure, you’ll loose a few pounds to start. But you’re losing water and fluid, not fat.

You want to eat good, healthy meals and snacks. Take vitamins. If you eat something sweet, eat a very tiny amount. Eat more vegetables and low fat foods. Cut out the soft drinks, the processed foods, a lot of bread. You’d be surprised at people that say they want to loose weight, yet the whole time they are saying this, they are drinking a soda and eating a hamburger!

Even if you do not need or want to loose weight, teens need to eat right. Their bodies are changing into adults. Girls especially needs plenty of calcium and iron. People today eat so much junk food. Junk food should be something we eat sometimes, not everyday.

Regardless what shape your body is, unless you are very much overweight, like 100 pounds or more, don’t worry so much about your weight. Weight does not define who you are! Your personality does! Be yourself, whether that’s a naturally thin person or a naturally shapely person. Love yourself! Don’t strive to have another person’s body. Strive to love your body and take care of it, feeding it healthy foods and the occasional not so healthy food.

The most important thing to remember is that if we all looked alike, it would surely be a boring world. Be your unique self!