| COELIAC DISEASE (Celiac Sprue, Gluten Intolerance) | | | | 90% of the intestine can be damaged, resulting in a |
| SYMPTOMS | | | | significant reduction (as much as 70%) of the |
| Diarrhea, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies such | | | | absorptive surfaces. But there is evidence that partial |
| as anemia. Other symptoms include frequently pale | | | | repair to those walls can be made within several |
| and/or light-yellow, foul-smelling stools that float; fatigue; | | | | months, if you permanently part company with the |
| depression; abdominal swelling; muscle cramps; | | | | offending foods. |
| wasting; and bone and/or joint pain. Diarrhea is the | | | | TREATMENT |
| most commonly observed symptom. | | | | • You will want to avoid the gluten foods, |
| Infants and children may show vomiting; stunted | | | | which are wheat, oats, rye, and barley. |
| growth; intense burning sensation of the skin; and a red, | | | | • The follow grains do not have gluten: corn, |
| itchy skin rash. Ulcers may develop in the mouth. The | | | | millet, and rice. Soybeans, quince, and amaranth are |
| child may look anemic and undernourished. Babies may | | | | also okay. Buckwheat is okay for some celiacs, but |
| lose weight or gain it more slowly, and do not seem to | | | | not for others. |
| be thriving well. The disease can begin in the first few | | | | • All grains fed to babies (and adults too) |
| months of life. | | | | should be cooked for 2-3 hours, if the preparation is |
| CAUSES | | | | done by boiling at 212o F. |
| Celiac disease affects the small intestine. There are | | | | • Do not eat products containing cow's milk. |
| abnormalities in the intestinal lining, due to a permanent | | | | Breast-feed the child, to avoid using cow's milk. |
| intolerance to gluten. Gluten is in wheat, rye, barley, and | | | | • Do not overeat sugar or white-flour |
| oats. (Corn, rice, millet, soybeans, quinoa, and amaranth | | | | products. |
| do not contain gluten. There seems to be a little | | | | • Eat a nourishing diet, including fresh fruit and |
| uncertainty about buckwheat.) The protein, gliaden, is | | | | vegetables, and vegetable juices. Fiber is important in |
| thought to be the toxic part of the gluten. It interacts | | | | the diet of celiacs. |
| with the lining of the intestines, causing the tiny | | | | • Allisatin, found in garlic, is said to help treat |
| absorptive fingers which jut from it (the villi) to flatten | | | | celiac disease. |
| and atrophy. As a result, nutrients are not absorbed | | | | • Ripe bananas are tolerated well, and help |
| (including vitamins A, D, and K) and the disease | | | | control the diarrhea. |
| symptoms appear. Unfortunately, many physicians and | | | | • Avoid processed, fried, and junk food. Do |
| the food industries recommend that grains be | | | | not eat sugary foods, chocolate, and processed foods. |
| introduced into the diet of the infant when they are | | | | • Read the labels, and watch for "hidden" |
| less than a year old. This can prompt celiac disease to | | | | gluten or cow's milk ingredients in bottles and |
| first appear then or even decades later. | | | | packages. Some of these are malt, modified food |
| This is important! Tell every expectant mother not to | | | | starch, some soy sauces, garin vinegars, binders, fillers, |
| feed her child grains until it is at least a year old. | | | | excipients, and "natural flavorings." Almost all |
| Removing gluten from the diet of a celiac produces a | | | | commercial breads, bread mixes, crackers, etc., contain |
| marked change; whether an infant, child, or adult, the | | | | gluten. It is often found in commercially prepared |
| person starts feeling better again. But he must not | | | | puddings, candies, cookies, cakes, ice cream, salad |
| return to gluten foods. Some infants do not tolerate | | | | dressings, luncheon meats, frankfurters, canned chili, |
| cow's milk protein, and react to it with celiac | | | | macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, bread stuffings, and |
| symptoms, even before gluten is given to them. So | | | | anything thickened with flour (soups, vegetables, bottled |
| remove that also from them. Celiac disease is often | | | | meat sauces, gravies, flavoring syrups, sauces, cocoa |
| misdiagnosed as spastic colon, irritable bowel | | | | mixes. |
| syndrome, or something else which affects the | | | | • Only eat homemade desserts. |
| intestines. | | | | • Frozen, fresh, or canned vegetable and |
| Yet, if left untreated, celiac disease can be quite | | | | vegetable juices are all right. |
| serious. It can lead to pancreatic disease, infertility, | | | | • Breads and cereals made from rice, millet, |
| miscarriages, internal hemorrhaging, bone disease, | | | | soybean, corn, or potato starch are okay. |
| gynecological disorders, nervous system damage, | | | | • Do not eat meat. |
| intestinal lymphoma, and many more. For example, | | | | • Avoid tobacco, tea, coffee, and alcohol. |
| anemia is common, due to poor absorption of folic acid, | | | | • Helpful herbs include aloe vera, burdock, pau |
| iron, and vitamins B12 and K. Scarring of the intestinal | | | | d'arco, psyllium, saffron, slippery elm, and alfalfa. |
| lining can progress so far that, by the age of 45 to 50, | | | | |