Click’s Magazine Health Disorders – Celiac Disease

Heath Disorders – Are you ignoring yourself?

Not feeling quite right? It’s worth getting yourself checked out, as these women discovered.

From the time she was 11 years old, Yael Goodman was plagued by headaches, stomach problems, anemia, fatigue and drastic weight loss. “Everything made me sick, but I never knew why. I almost drove myself crazy trying to figure it out. I was so anemic that doctors put me on intravenous iron drips a few times – which made me feel like a million bucks briefly, but then I’d just crash again because my body wasn’t able to absorb anything.”

Sufferers can improve their health by switching to a gluten-free die

Yael went to see neurologists, endocrinologists and gastroenterologists, and was tested for almost every disorder imaginable. She was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland – which runs in her family – and fibromyalgia, which can only be identified on the basis of a cluster of symptoms and not by any test. But Yael continued to struggle with her health. Eventually a new GP referred Yael to a hematologist (blood specialist). “He realised there was something else going on and tested me for celiac disease. My blood showed skyhigh levels of both indicators for the disease,” says Yael. “Celiac disease is a chronic digestive disorder caused by hereditary intolerance to gluten,” explains nutritionist Megan Perry. “When a person with celiac disease consumes gluten, the body responds by launching an attack on the immune system.” South African statistics are unavailable, but according to the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness, the illness affects roughly one in 133 Americans of all races, genders and income brackets, and is misdiagnosed in up to 95 percent of cases. Like Megan, most medical experts believe celiac has a genetic base and is present from birth, though symptoms frequently only become apparent at a later stage. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye, and their associated flours. In celiac sufferers, gluten wreaks havoc with minute protrusions on the lining of the small intestine, which facilitate food absorption.

Over time, continued gluten consumption leads to the complete destruction of the villi, rendering sufferers unable to either tolerate foods or absorb any of the nutrients they contain. A gastroscopy confirmed that Yael’s small intestinal lining was severely damaged. “The celiac diagnosis changed my life,” says Yael. “It takes time for the stomach lining to heal after being constantly ‘assaulted’ by gluten, but I noticed changes almost immediately and within three to six months, most symptoms had either drastically improved or totally disappeared.” The disease can never be cured, but sufferers can improve – or eliminate — their health problems by switching to a glutenfree diet.

“A good-quality probiotic, glutathione, Vitamin K and Vitamin C are also beneficial in the healing of the intestinal lining,” says Megan.

Though Yael’s initial reaction to the diagnosis was, “What am I going to eat?” she has discovered plenty of alternatives to gluten-based foodstuffs: fish, meat, potatoes, seeds, pulses, nuts, fruit, vegetables, rice, corn. It’s even possible to eat certain chocolates and ice-creams — provided they don’t contain wafer or anything else made with flour. “A huge number of foods contain ‘hidden flour’ in sauces, batter, seasoning and so on, so you have to be careful,” she warns.

Useful contacts Yael’s blog: www.living-withceliac.com
Lucille Cholerton, specialist in gluten sensitivity: lucoll@mweb.co.za
www.allergysa.co.za
info@SimplyNutrition. co.za

by Cindy Tilney. Clicks Clubcard Magazine Issue 4 2012.

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