Glulten Sensitivity and Celiac Hepatitis

What follows is an excerpt from our book The Gluten Effect:

“A relatively new term, “celiac hepatitis” refers to a number of conditions wherein the liver is affected by gluten sensitivity. Celiac hepatitis does not simply mean that you have celiac disease, as any form of gluten sensitivity places one at risk for liver dysfunction. Liver changes can be mild, with abnormal blood testing and no symptoms, or the changes can be severe, with cirrhosis and liver failure. Predominantly liver dysfunction in gluten sensitivity is felt to be related to auto-immune mechanisms …, intestinal leakage with exposure to foreign proteins and infections, or antibody mimicry attacking the liver.”

“Despite sixteen percent of patients with autoimmune liver disease having gluten sensitivity, routine evaluation for this disorder is not prescribed.”

“Symptoms of celiac hepatitis can be vague at times. Fatigue may be the only symptom. Other symptoms can include lightheadedness, abdominal discomfort, joint pains, skin itchiness, nausea and vomiting. If liver dysfunction is more significant, anemia and a yellowing of the skin, called jaundice, can develop.”

“Several studies have assessed the occurrence of liver dysfunction in gluten sensitivity. Most of the time, symptoms are either mild or absent, and the most common abnormal finding is elevation of liver enzymes during routine blood testing, rather than symptoms.”

“In forty percent of people with gluten sensitivity, elevated liver enzymes are found during routine blood testing. In addition, all of these individuals respond to a gluten-free diet with normalization of liver enzymes within weeks to months. These findings have been repeatedly verified. It is therefore strongly recommended that all individuals with elevated liver enzymes be evaluated for gluten sensitivity.”

“Frustratingly, we usually find that patients who have elevated liver enzymes without severe symptoms are almost always told to just wait and see what happens at their next annual physical. The idea of waiting a year or more while gluten reactions continue to irreversibly damage the body is a practice we hope to change by increasing the medical profession’s awareness of gluten intolerance.”

I hope that this data helps you or someone you know.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
co-author of The Gluten Effect