Gluten Sensitivity -- Real or Imagined?

By James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

Today I want to talk about an issue that ties in with your gut health (the topic of my last article) -- gluten sensitivity, which is sometimes also referred to as gluten intolerance. Gluten as you may remember is the grain protein found in wheat, rye, and barley that causes gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and other seemingly unrelated symptoms such as headache, joint aches, depression, anxiety, and fatigue in sensitive individuals. All these symptoms arise as a result of an immune system reaction to gluten.

Many consumers have become increasingly aware of this issue and have been trying out gluten-free diets in such record numbers that the medical community has been questioning what in the world is going on that so many people think they are gluten intolerant.¹

The obvious answer is that maybe they really are. And the problem is that currently the only form of gluten sensitivity that is medically recognized is Celiac disease, an advanced form in which the immune cells cause damage to the intestinal villi. But the fact is, gluten sensitivity symptoms can range from a broad spectrum of fairly mild (but bad enough to affect a person's quality of life), to very severe, like that seen in Celiac disease.

The spike in individuals seeking gluten-free diets shows that we are seeing another legitimate medical condition (gluten-intolerance) in which mainstream medicine's diagnosis and treatment is inadequately dealing with people's actual symptoms and experiences. To put it another way, patients are currently ahead of their doctors in dealing with the reality of gluten intolerance.

I say this because the same scenario has occurred so many times in the past. Chronic fatigue is a good example. For years people were told it was all in their head until the medical community finally caught up.

Here are the seemingly unrelated circumstances that are in my opinion creating the perfect storm of gluten sensitivity in increasing numbers of people:

1. Antibiotics have been way over prescribed over the last few years. Antibiotics wipe out gut flora and that creates a whole series of events that allows the immune cells in the intestines to become overly reactive.

2. Recent research has revealed that up to one third of the U.S. population may have a gene that predisposes them to gluten intolerance.² This gene can be triggered by events like having surgery, catching a virus, or experiencing significant emotional stress -- factors that can affect gut flora and immunity. The gene can also be triggered by simply eating gluten.³ The length of time a person was breast fed also influences his or her risk.

3. Gluten is present in approximately 80% of our foods. This is not an official estimate, but if you look at the list of foods that contain gluten, about the only gluten-free foods are meats, fish, beans, fresh produce, and gluten-free grains like rice and quinoa.

With the milder symptoms of gluten sensitivity, physicians often don't think to have their patients tested for Celiac disease, and our experience at LMI is that it wouldn't matter if they did. That's because in order for gluten sensitivity to show up in the traditional blood tests or intestinal biopsies that are used to diagnose Celiac disease, the case has to be advanced.

Fortunately, thanks to a forward thinking gastroenterologist, Dr. Kenneth Fine, this scenario is changing. Dr. Fine discovered that it was possible for the body to make antibodies to gluten, and for them to be confined to the intestines, meaning they would not show up in the blood. Dr. Fine's discoveries explain why it is possible for people to have all the signs and symptoms of gluten sensitivity, but with the traditional tests coming up negative.

Dr. Fine also developed a method of testing that can find these antibodies in a stool sample. We are now using this testing for some of our patients at LMI. (For more information on the testing and gluten sensitivity, you can visit www.enterolab.com).

I know many of my patients feel better on a gluten-free diet so they don't consider it necessary to belabor the point with extensive testing, since the primary treatment is simply to avoid gluten-containing foods to the extent necessary to relieve your symptoms.

I have also made it a practice for years to recommend probiotics for anyone with digestive-related disorders like Celiac disease. Studies now validate that indeed probiotics have been found to accelerate healing in the intestines of Celiac patients when used along with a gluten-free diet.⁴

I believe we can view this milder gluten sensitivity as a way to identify Celiac disease in its early form, before it becomes an extremely debilitating autoimmune condition that can have further serious consequences. People with Celiac disease often go on to develop second and even third autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome. In addition, Celiac disease increases the risk of several types of cancer.⁵

If you have any of the signs of gluten intolerance, and feel better when avoiding gluten, don't let anyone make you think that it is imaginary. Avoiding gluten may be an inconvenience, but worth it if avoidance improves how you feel and prevents future problems. Taking a probiotic will further balance your immunity and help rebuild your gut health.

References

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/08glut.html.
2. https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/Faq_Result_Interpretation.htm.
3. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac.
4. Lindfors et al. Clin Exp Immunol. 2008 Apr 16.
5. http://www.celiac.com/articlerss/cat/3345.

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country. Dr. LaValle is the author of The Metabolic Code Diet: Unleashing the Power of Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss and Vitality and the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription.]

Cutting Edge Fitness: Put Your Money Where the Muscle Is! By Missy Hawthorne, RN, CSCS

"I'm gonna pump you up!" How can we forget this well known phrase from an unforgettable Saturday Night Live skit! We laugh at the memory of two over-inflated comedians flexing their biceps, when in fact pumping up is exactly what we should be doing!

By definition, strength training (or "pumping up") is the process of lifting progressively heavier resistance for the purpose of building strength, muscular endurance and size of skeletal muscle.¹

In the past, strength training wasn't fully appreciated for its importance in true fitness and health. Today that has really changed -- almost everyone knows they should be doing some strength training to preserve physical capacity and metabolic health. Not to mention it's a great way to sculpt your appearance. With strength training, you can also be very specific for injury prevention. However, I still find that strength training is not fully appreciated for how well it can help us preserve our health and physical independence as we age.

Muscle preservation is the key. For every decade you grow older, you will lose about 61/2 pounds of muscle, and muscle is our metabolically active tissue responsible for more than 25 percent of our calorie use.² Age-related muscle loss is a big reason people gain weight as they age, if they don't take measures to preserve their muscle.

Research indicates men and women both gain about 2-4 pounds of muscle and 40-60 percent more strength after only two months of regular strength training. Although your metabolism naturally decreases as you age, strength training can markedly delay this process.

Since there are as many ways to strength train as there are trainers, it can be confusing, especially for anyone who hasn't yet incorporated much strength training into their fitness routine. And sometimes even when we are more advanced in our fitness level, we can use a reminder of the fundamentals. I have a few pointers that have helped my clients.

Strength Training Guidelines²

• Select at least one exercise for each major muscle group: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Lower Back, Abdominals, Chest, Upper Back, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps and Neck.
• Train large muscle groups before small. For example, the legs are larger than the muscles of the arms and neck.
• Lift at a slow pace. As you begin a program, a reasonable recommendation is a 1- to 2-second lift followed by a 3- to 4-second lowering.
• Complete 8 to 12 repetitions with 70-80 percent of maximum safe muscle development.
• The key is progressive resistance. As a muscle group adapts to a given weight or a high number of reps (> 15) gradually increase the weight by five percent or less (2.5-5 lbs) and drop back to 8-10 reps.
• Warm-up prior to strength training. Eight to 10 minutes of light aerobic activity like walking on the treadmill or a stationary bike are easy options.
• Strength train every other day. Allow the muscles worked at least 24 hours to properly recover and synthesize protein to build muscle.

Preserving our muscle is the difference between being able or not being able to do very basic activities as you get older. And did I mention strength training can decrease blood pressure, increase bone density and even protect your memory and eyesight³ as you age? If I were a betting person, I'd put my money where the muscle is! Strength training is one of the best things you can do to protect your health as you age.

References

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/strength training.
2. Westcott, W. Personal Trainer Manual. Richard T. Cotton, Ed., pages 241-248.
3. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061031192307.htm.

[Ed. Note: Melissa Hawthorne, RN, BSN, CSCS is the owner of Priority Fitness Personal Training and Wellness. She is a Master Trainer for the Resist-a-ball Company, ISCA Personal Training, Kick-boxing, and Beamfit. Melissa serves as a fitness consultant for the LaValle Metabolic Institute. To learn more, click here.]

Healthy Nutrition: Coconuts -- Health Food or Foe? By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Remember the old song "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts?" (It still lives on You Tube, if you don't remember.) Coconut and coconut oil are becoming such increasingly popular foods, I think this silly song from the 1940s may make a comeback.

There are many claimed health benefits of coconuts and the oil made from them, but traditional medical advice is to avoid coconut oil because it is so high in saturated fat.

This fat is a blend of medium chain and long chain fats, and is very tolerant to high heats, meaning it won't promote free radical activity in your body. So coconut oil is great for cooking, but is it bad for cholesterol?

Medium chain fats seem to lower cholesterol while long chain fats seem to raise it, so studies on coconut oil not surprisingly are a mixed bag; some have shown that it lowers cholesterol, some that it raises it and some that it has no effect.¹

The confusion may have arisen because some of the older studies on coconut oil used hydrogenated coconut oil. (Hydrogenation destroys essential fatty acids in the oil and produces harmful trans fats in their place.)

In newer studies that have used virgin coconut oil, the results have been favorable, finding extremely beneficial effects on lipids like lowering total cholesterol, triglycerides, and oxidized LDL, while increasing beneficial HDL.² Newer studies have also shown virgin coconut oil can lower other heart disease risk factors like lipoprotein (a) levels and plasminogen activating factor, a substance in the blood that promotes clotting.³ These benefits are being observed despite coconut oil's saturated fat content.

Another claimed benefit of coconut oil is that it may aid weight loss, and indeed several studies using a purified form of the medium chain fats from coconut oil, called MCT oil, have found that it helped subjects lose fat weight specifically, while improving blood sugar and cholesterol levels.^4,5

In one of these studies, not only did the MCT group lose more body fat compared to a group who used olive oil in their diet, there was a lowering of cholesterol and blood pressure, and three subjects had complete reversal of metabolic syndrome, compared to two in the olive oil group.⁶

Another claim that is strongly supported by numerous studies is that coconuts are good for immunity. The primary fatty acid in coconuts, lauric acid, converts to a substance called monolaurin that has antifungal properties and is so effective against the yeast Candida that it is being evaluated as an alternative to the antifungal medication, fluconazole.⁷

In addition, monolaurin has been shown to have potent antiviral and antibacterial properties.⁸ Studies have shown that it is effective against viruses like the one that causes Epstein Barr and bacteria including H. pylori,⁹ the cause of ulcers and heart burn. Monolaurin is now available in supplement form. At LMI we use it with great results in our patients whose immune systems need a boost.

Overall, I believe the new evidence shows that coconuts and coconut oil can be eaten safely and in fact seem to have numerous health benefits. I know I have been making an effort to include more coconut products in my diet, plus I really enjoy them.

But as for that lovely bunch of coconuts, I buy the products that are already packaged and ready to go. Coconut oil is great for cooking and even for frying, but make sure to look for virgin oil, which is processed in such a way that the oil retains the healthy components.

Shredded coconut makes a great salad topping and can be used in trail mix blends; I just avoid the sweetened ones. And coconut milk can be used as a milk substitute in almost any application from baking to using it in your coffee for a different flavor twist.

References

1. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDN/is_/ai_94159012?tag=artBody;col1.
   
2. Nevin KG and Rajamohan T. Clin Biochem. 2004 Sep;37(9):830-5.
   
3. Muller H, et al. J Nutr. 2003 Nov;133(11):3422-7.
   
4. http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/27/5/547.
   
5. St.-Onge MP, et al. Obes Res. 2003 Mar;11(3):395-402.
   
6. http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/27/5/547.
   
7. Ogbolu Do, et al. J Med Food. 2007 Jun;10(2):384-87.
   
8. Arch Virol. 2001;146(4):777-90.
   
9. Preuss HG. et al. Mol Cell Biochem. 2005 Apr;272(1-2):29-34.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute. Laura and her husband, Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, ND have developed the powerful and life-changing Metabolic Code Diet - containing step-by-step, easy to follow recommendations for harnessing optimal metabolic energy and turning your body's chemical make up into a fat-burning furnace.]

Healthy Recipes: No Bake Chocolate Coconut Cookies By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

These simple but delicious cookies are reminiscent of the no-bake cookies you may have eaten as a child, but without the oatmeal. They're sure to satisfy your sweet tooth while providing some of the health benefits of both cocoa and coconuts, as long as you're sure to choose a low-sugar dark chocolate and unsweetened coconut.

Time to table: 30 minutes

Serves: 16

Healing Nutrient Spotlight: Source of iron and fiber

Ingredients*
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

* Choose organic ingredients for optimal nutrition.

Preparation
Place chocolate chips in top of double boiler or in a stainless steel or glass bowl that will fit on top of a saucepan of water. Heat the water to a slow simmer then place the chocolate chips in the container on top of the hot water. As the chips begin to melt, stir them rapidly to prevent the chocolate from burning. Lift the bowl off the pot of water and stir the coconut into the melted chocolate. Drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls onto an oiled cookie sheet and place into the refrigerator to set up. Makes 32 cookies, 2 per serving.

Nutrition
108 calories, 2 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 5 g sugar, 2 g fiber, .18 mg iron, 3 mg sodium.

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 01-27-09] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/