The gastrointestinal (GI) system is the main thoroughfare through the human body,
with food and foreign materials entering one end and feces and foreign materials exiting.
At the same time, the GI system also provides a transitory route for an enormous mass
of microorganisms which piggyback the food we eat and the air we breathe. Food and microbial products are the main stimulants of the immune system and the main external regulators of various metabolic pathways in the human body. Accordingly, the composition of consumed food can influence the health of the musculoskeletal system and affect the body's inflammatory processes. Indeed, we are what we eat.

The typical Western diet includes large amounts of wheat and related grains such as rye and barley. We know that these same grains can trigger various diseases that affect not only the gastrointestinal tract but the entire body.

Gluten Intolerance: A Trigger for Many Health Problems

The troublemaker is gluten "a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin " which represents the dominant component of wheat grain endosperm.

Due to the lack of appropriate enzymes in the human body, gluten cannot be completely digested. This results in the creation of a large amount of protein fragments (called peptides) which then interact with immune cells of genetically susceptible individuals and start a chain of inflammatory reactions. It has been demonstrated that gluten fragments can penetrate from intestinal lumen into blood stream and even into breast milk, causing systemic effects.

The undesirable consequences of gluten consumption typically occur in genetically predisposed individuals. Several genes associated with gluten intolerance have been identified. The two main genes, HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8, encode proteins which are localized on the surface of immune cells (macrophages, lymphocytes, etc.) and serve as specific receptors for gluten fragments. Biochemical reaction between the gluten fragments and the receptors is the key event in the initiation of gluten-mediated inflammatory reactions. Not all individuals carrying the HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8 genes will eventually develop gluten intolerance. There are quite a few factors involved in this complex process including density of HLA DQ2 and 8 molecules on the membrane of immune cells, presence of particular subtypes of these molecules, activity of the enzymes modifying gluten fragments (transglutaminase is one of them) and presence of the modifying genes. One of the important modifying genes for gluten intolerance has been identified recently. This gene, called myosin IXB, is responsible for increased intestinal permeability (also known as "leaky gut syndrome") and has a strong association with inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

The vicious cycle of gluten intolerance is not limited to immunological and inflammatory disturbances, it also has a profound effect on various metabolic pathways and intestinal ecology.

The majority of individuals with gluten intolerance have problems with absorption of vitamins and minerals even in the absence of clinically visible inflammation in the intestinal wall. The most common problems include iron deficiency, zinc and copper deficiency, malabsorption of vitamins D and A as well as folic acid deficiency.

Changes in intestinal microflora associated with gluten intolerance result in disbacteriosis and candida (yeast) overgrowth.

Other problems associated with gluten intolerance include pancreatic insufficiency, and intolerance toward dairy products, soy proteins and egg albumin.

Gluten intolerance is a diverse condition with manifestations that range from mild intestinal discomfort and irritable bowel syndrome to life-threatening celiac disease and lymphomas. Quite a few patients with gluten intolerance have no gastrointestinal involvement and their problems have systemic character.

Conditions Associated with Gluten Intolerance

The list of conditions associated with gluten intolerance include but are not limited to:

Gastrointestinal diseases:

• Celiac disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Pancreatic insufficiency
• Autoimmune hepatitis
• Atrophic gastritis

• Sjogren syndrome
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Sacroiliitis and inflammatory low back pain
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Dermatomyositis
• Fibromyalgia
• Aphthous stomatitis

• Diabetes type I
• Thyroiditis
• Osteoporosis

• Pernicious anemia
• Iron-deficient anemia
• Lymphomas

• Dermatitis herpetiformis
  Keratosis pilaris

• Seizures
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Multiple sclerosis

Other Health Issues Related to Gluten Intolerance

Gluten intolerance can also affect cognitive processes. It has been demonstrated that gluten-derived peptides (gluteomorphin or gliadomorphin) specifically interact with certain brain cell nuclei. Furthermore, consumption of gluten can affect blood flow in the brain's frontal lobe.

The role of gluten intolerance has been hypothesized in the following cognitive and mental disorders:

• Autism
• Bipolar disorder
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• "Brain Fog"
• Schizophrenia

Obviously, not all patients with the aforementioned diseases have gluten intolerance. However, patients with these conditions should be aware that gluten may be a potential driving force behind their illness.
Treatment of gluten intolerance is a purely medical issue and we cannot discuss this topic under the scope of our website.

Products Addressing Gluten Intolerance

Restorative Remedies offer the following products, specially formulated from natural ingredients, to help clients deal with gluten intolerance:

• GLUTEN-BREAKING ENZYMES
• INTESTINAL BALANCE
• PREBIOTICS (microflora base)
• PROBIOTICS (microflora essentials)
• PANCREATIC DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
• CONCENTRATION AID (alpha-ketoglutaric acid)
• MULTIVITAMINS (gluten-free and casein-free)
• PYRIDOXAL-5™-PHOSPHATE
• BENFOTIAMINE
• VITAMIN D3
• VITAMIN B12 with folic acid
• ESTER-C
• CALCIUM CITRATE-MALATE
• MAGNESIUM CHELATE
• ZINC CHELATE
• IRON CHELATE

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