The Gluten Doctors

The Inside Scoop on Gluten Intolerance

2011-11-30T10:39:00.000-08:00

I think it’s good to occasionally step back and focus on the basics of gluten intolerance. [Note: I use ‘gluten intolerance’ as an umbrella term that includes both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.] Sometimes I get so caught up in writing about the latest research that I forget that every hour of every day a newly diagnosed individual is needing information on the basics - what gluten intolerance means and how they should begin the process of instituting a gluten-free diet.

This blog, the Gluten Doctors, was my first blog and one that I began after writing my book, “The Gluten Effect”. I wrote the book to embrace a disorder that was being completely ignored by the celiac community – gluten sensitivity.

Fortunately after only a few months of the publishing date of “The Gluten Effect”, major researchers in the field began to publicly agree that gluten sensitivity was a very real condition and one that warranted the attention of researchers and clinicians alike.

Let’s discuss those basics:

What is Gluten Intolerance?

As mentioned above gluten intolerance is an embracive term that includes both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease has had many faces since it was first described by a medical doctor Samuel Gee in 1887. Initially it was thought to be purely a digestive problem, akin to indigestion.

It was later realized to be an autoimmune disease and small intestine destruction was considered the hallmark of the disease.

Knowledge further advanced and it was realized that celiac was more a disease of the immune system that affected most every part of the human body. From the heart to the lungs, from the liver to the brain, there is no system of the body that gluten doesn’t touch.

We now realize that celiac disease affects the nervous system more so than the digestive tract and that many so afflicted have absolutely no digestive complaints whatsoever – yet they still have celiac disease.

This last sentence would be a surprise, and in fact would be refuted, by many clinicians in this country today. They would be wrong but that wouldn’t make them any less emphatic about it. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to hear from people who ‘know’ they are gluten intolerant but are told by their doctor that if they have no digestive complaints they have no need to even be tested for the condition.

Classic celiac disease, as described so many years ago, consists of a profile that many clinicians, including gastroenterologists, embrace as ‘gospel’. This classic picture would present with an underweight patient with chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating.

Classic celiac disease exists, but it in no way describes the majority of cases – quite the contrary.

Celiac disease affects 1% of the population and it rises to about 4% with increased age.

How do you know if you have celiac disease? Good question. I wish I could tell you there was an absolute fool-proof test. Most recent research has this to say:

A highly positive tTG test with a positive AGA test (both blood tests) are highly correlative with celiac disease.

Do you have to have a positive intestinal biopsy to ‘confirm’ the blood tests? Many clinicians would say ‘yes’ and they would be wrong. Why? You can definitely have celiac disease and have a negative biopsy. To say otherwise is condemning many celiac sufferers to a shortened, unhealthy lifespan.

[I can see the comments coming in already. I know, you’ve been told otherwise. It is incorrect.]

So what does one do if they get a negative test but they are suspicious of being gluten intolerant? I have two suggestions:

1. Try a gluten-free diet for 30 days and see how you feel. [Feeling better is a valid test in itself.] Do remember that this is a zero tolerance policy so educate yourself first and then begin. There’s no point in a ‘mostly gluten free’ approach – it’s got to be as perfect as possible.

2. Get a genetic test to see if you carry the genes for celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Either one makes for a lifelong gluten-free diet in your future, but I think it’s good to know for yourself as well as for other members of the family, which, if either, is positive. I’ve heard researchers state that there are likely more genes that code for gluten intolerance than we know about, but the genetic test available is still a good place to start.

Symptoms Associated with Celiac Disease

There are over 300 symptoms and conditions associated with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. I will include some of the most common ones below to give you an idea if you or someone you care about potentially falls into this category:

· Fatigue

· Infertility

· Obesity

· Diabetes

· Depression

· Rheumatoid arthritis

· Anxiety

· Thyroid disease

· Gas/bloating

· Liver disease

· Diarrhea/constipation

· Cancer

· Headaches/migraines

· ADD/ADHD

· Acid reflux

· Autism

· Brain fog/Poor memory

· Stunted growth

· Hormonal imbalance

· Osteoporasis

What is Gluten Sensitivity? How is it Different from Celiac Disease?

Gluten sensitivity is very similar to celiac disease. They are both genetic conditions, they both are known to affect most systems of the body, and both require a lifelong gluten-free diet.

The estimation of incidence of gluten sensitivity is much higher than celiac disease - 10% of the population. This is new research in an area that is in its infancy. Personally I feel that the incidence is likely much higher, perhaps up to 30% or more of the population. This personal estimate is based on my clinical experience and it is shared by others in the field. But I am not a researcher.

There is some thought that gluten sensitivity is less serious than celiac disease. This is not true. Both conditions can shorten life expectancy and create hundreds of different symptoms and conditions. Celiac disease is, in itself, an autoimmune disease and gluten sensitivity is not. Some extrapolate this to mean that gluten sensitivity cannot be a causative factor in creating autoimmune disease. I have not found this to be the case. In fact we have, here at the clinic, seen amazing improvements and sometimes reversals, of autoimmune diseases in patients who were gluten sensitive but who did not suffer from celiac disease. Once again this is my clinical experience, there is not much if any research in this area.

How do you Test for Gluten Sensitivity?

There are tests that exist for gluten sensitivity, although they are not ‘recognized’ currently. Does that mean they do not work? Not at all. I am quite pleased with the results of the testing I use. I find they correlate quite well with patient symptoms and improvement once a gluten-free diet is instituted.

The opinion that no ‘accepted’ gluten sensitivity test exists is simply a function of how new the field is. As mentioned earlier, it’s only been two years since general acceptance of the existence of gluten sensitivity occurred.

So what should you do if you suspect gluten sensitivity? I am happy to share with you the labs that I use and genetic testing is available as well. Ultimately the 30 day elimination diet is something I always include, regardless of what testing is done because I trust that as a valid test. I typically run the blood test and back it up with the 30 day elimination diet. The lab testing is not perfect, none of them are, but the body will tell you what it thinks of gluten if you eliminate it completely from your diet for 30 days.

If I am Gluten Intolerant How Do I Get Started?

      1.       You must educate yourself. I mentioned this is the first blog I ever created. Since then I have merged my website, blogs and you tube videos to act as a comprehensive resource. My ‘gluten sensitivity and celiac’ blog is at this address: http://www.healthnowmedical.com/category/gluten-intolerance-celiac/ you can also go to this page (http://www.healthnowmedical.com/am-i-gluten-sensitive/gluten-foods/) to learn the foods that are safe and unsafe when embarking on a gluten free diet.

      2.       Be patient. It is not easy to change your diet so radically and the change will likely not happen overnight. You will make mistakes, unfortunately. But learn from them and continue to be patient with yourself as you learn more about food in general and gluten in specific. If you hang in there you will be rewarded with greatly improved health.

      3.       Find a clinician to help you. This can be difficult which is why we created a destination clinic wherein we see patients from across the country and internationally. We are not the only ones who know how to take care of you, but the numbers are truly dismally small. We’ll try to help you find someone local to you but if that doesn’t work, we’re happy to help.

      4.       Finally, I wish I could say that eliminating gluten was the only step you had to take to restore optimal health. Certainly it should be, but alas, there are other steps that need to be taken. Why? Removing gluten is simply not sufficient to restore the health to all the parts of the body that gluten has affected. From healing the small intestine, to regaining the strength of the healthy probiotic population, to balancing hormones and more - all these factors must be assessed and treated as needed. We call these the secondary effects of gluten and they are not difficult to treat.

I hope you found this helpful. Please let me know any questions you have or other topics you’d like to see me address.

I and my team of doctors are here to help. If you’d like to set up a health analysis give us a call at 408-733-0400. The initial consult is free.

To your good health,
Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”
Author of “Gluten Intolerance: What you don’t know may be killing you!”

New Book on Gluten Intolerance Released!

2011-07-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to announce the release of my e-Book entitled: "Gluten Intolerance - What You Don't Know May be Killing You".

Get Your Free Copy

The book is available free of charge to all new members of our HealthNOW website beginning today. Simply go to our home page here and become a member. Then follow the instructions for downloading the e-Book and enjoy!

This 20 page e-Book is easy to read and full of vital information for those who are gluten intolerant or suspect they may be. Some of the sections include:

• Vital facts about gluten intolerance

• A 'Self Test' to help you determine if gluten intolerance is affecting your health

• What you can and can't eat on a gluten free diet (including some little known data)

• What is a leaky gut and how to heal it

• The secondary effects of gluten that can cause continued ill health despite being gluten-free

I Don't Want You To Be a Statistic

I have written this book for you, your friends and family. The sad facts are that we only diagnose 5 out of every 100 individuals suffering from celiac disease. And those wait an average of 10 years before receiving a diagnosis.

Those suffering with gluten sensitivity have it even worse. The most conservative estimate puts gluten sensitivity incidence at 10 times that of celiac disease. Considering that celiac is the most common life-long disorder in the US and Europe, that makes gluten sensitivity extremely common. But do we diagnose it efficiently? Far from it. It is likely that 98% of those suffering from gluten sensitivity remain undiagnosed and suffering... needlessly.

If you have friends or family whom you think would enjoy the new book, please refer them to our website (www.healthnowmedical.com) where they too can become a member and download it. Membership has its privileges and we will continue to provide special benefits that you will be alerted to as they are made available.

Tell Me What You Think

Please give me your feedback and comments once you have read the book. I very much would like to hear back from you.

Here at HealthNOW we are dedicated to improving health by diagnosing and treating the underlying root cause that is creating the symptoms. All too often the diet, and specifically gluten intolerance, has a contributing, though unknown, role in many problems. We are committed to increasing awareness and raising understanding of gluten intolerance and all its many manifestations in the human body - there are over 300!

We created our Destination Clinic for that exact purpose and regularly treat patients and their families from across the country and internationally. We are truly here to help.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
Co-author of "The Gluten Effect"

Dr Vikki Petersen's Gluten Blog

2011-05-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's here! Our new web site and blog are live!

Here's the link to the new blog: http://www.healthnowmedical.com/category/gluten-intolerance-celiac/

Here are some titles of new posts that you can find on the new blog:

You Don’t Need to Have Celiac Disease to Go Gluten-free

Why Do Some with Celiac Disease Never Heal?

Gluten Intolerance & PMS – What’s the Association?

Gluten Intolerance and Celebrity Status

On the new site you will also have access to my youtube videos, as well as additional blogs written by other doctors on the HealthNOW team, all in one location.

Please let me know you thoughts and anything you would like to see on future blog posts.

Lastly, please become a member of the site. It's not only free but you can get updates as they happen as well as engage with other members. Come join our community!

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of "The Gluten Effect"

Dr Vikki Petersen's Gluten Blog

2011-03-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's here! Our new web site and blog are live!

Here's the link to the new blog: http://www.healthnowmedical.com/category/gluten-intolerance-celiac/

This is the link to the new website:
http://www.healthnowmedical.com/
Please visit and let me know your thoughts. But remember to comment on the new site not this one.

The content of this blog will be moved over to the new site so nothing will be lost. New content will continue, of course, on the new site while I transfer the older posts.

On the new site you will also have access to my youtube videos, as well as other blogs, all in one location.

There is a page on the site entitled: "Am I Gluten Sensitive" that is continuing to be enhanced as we go forward. The purpose and goal of that section is to create a dramatic increase in awareness of not only celiac disease but gluten sensitivity on a nation-wide scale.

So please do let me know you thoughts and anything you would like to see on future blog posts.

Lastly, please become a member of the site. It's not only free but you can get updates as they happen as well as engage with other members. Come join our community!

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of "The Gluten Effect"

Where Have all the Blogs Gone?

2011-03-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

What I Have Been Doing Recently

Hello dear friends. You may have noticed that I have been a bit remiss in posting this past month. I wanted to let you know what I’ve been doing instead of blogging!

I have been up to my ears in developing a brand new website for my clinic that will have this blog as part and parcel of the site.

We Have a Brand New Site… almost!

You will love this new site! It will have this blog , all my Youtube videos, blogs from other areas of expertise in our clinic, including clinical nutrition, physical therapy, internal medicine and chiropractic and “Doctor Approved Recipes”.

The new site also has a “community” area where we can have a “forum” to chat, exchange ideas, new foods, recipes, etc. There will be a wealth of information that is continually updated and I hope you find it extremely informative.

When it goes live the address will be the same as my current clinic site (www.healthnowmedical.com), it just will go to the new site instead.

It truly should be just a few more days until it goes live – of course I thought that two weeks ago but … here’s hoping! I will leave this post up here as I methodically move over each and every earlier post to the new site while continuing with new content. The only downside is that the comments will not transfer from this site to our new one. I apologize for that as you have all asked great questions in the past.

I Can’t Wait to Hear Your Feedback!

I welcome your feedback of the new site and those of you for whom I have an email address, I will send you a personal reminder of the new address.

See you soon!

To your good health!

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

CNN Poll Ranks Gluten-free Diet First

2011-01-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

This data comes from the Celiac Central Quarterly, a newsletter of the NFCA (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness).

2011 is going to be another big year for gluten intolerance (celiac and gluten sensitivity both). I personally have big plans to raise awareness and I was delighted to see the results of a recent lunchtime poll that CNN conducted.

Due to increased public attention and news coverage about gluten, CNN conducted a poll on the gluten-free community utilizing the following question: “Do you or a family member adhere to a diet that’s been prescribed by a health care professional?” They were interested perceptions about a diet and any medical need behind adopting a certain diet. As you may recall CNN had a recent spot about gluten where they insinuated that it was a “fad” and that people ate gluten-free because they “wanted” to more than they “needed” to.

More than 12% of the respondents selected a gluten-free diet, placing it first among all the diets included. (Other diet options were free of various ingredients such as sugar, nuts, shellfish and sodium.) If you think the percentage should have been higher, let me lend some perspective. It wasn’t until I started writing in this area and getting responses from people around the world that I started to appreciate how difficult most people find it to have their doctors do any testing for gluten intolerance. And I don’t need to remind you the problem of utilizing insensitive tests or tests that only measure severe intestinal damage associated with celiac disease. We are unfortunately still very much ensconced in a medical community that thinks a gluten problem means celiac disease, that celiac is rare, and that all celiac have severe digestive symptoms.

Yes, that’s the bad news, but the research is proving that gluten problems are anything BUT a fad and I truly believe that the truth will prevail.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of the bestselling “The Gluten Effect”

Gluten Intolerance Can Develop with Age

2011-01-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

I received this email earlier today (the blanks you see are to preserve her anonymity):

“We corresponded a few months back when you were kind enough to answer a question about gluten for my final paper at _______ College. I have since finished that program and am enrolled at the Institute of _________. Since the 1st, I have led some friends in a modified cleanse that was simply avoidance of alcohol, sugar, caffeine, dairy, gluten. I have tried omitting gluten before for a few weeks and never noticed anything, so I went into this experience expecting the same outcome, no reaction to gluten. Well, I have had bread twice over the course of the two weeks. The first time I thought my reaction was a fluke, the second time, I cannot deny what happened. I came home and went right to bed. I slept for nearly two hours. Generally, I am not a napper. Also, I have been eating enough (I am a chef), getting fresh air and exercising, there should be no reason for this unexplained exhaustion.”

“Anyway, I know you probably hear these stories every day. I am going to introduce gluten into my diet once more (on a day when I have the time to nap) to see if I experience the same result, but I wanted to share my experience with you.”

While I don’t know her exact age, she is a recent college graduate and is now enrolled in a graduate program for nutrition, so we can assume mid- twenties. There are two points I’d like to discuss regarding her experience.

First, is it a “fluke” that she seems to be reacting to gluten when she hadn’t on prior challenges?

Second, is it odd that her symptom was severe fatigue rather than a digestive complaint?

My answer to both questions is “no” but let’s look at why.

Research from 2010 shows us that celiac disease increases with age almost 4-fold. I am of the opinion that such an increase is seen with gluten sensitivity as well. The presence of gluten in the diet along with a genetic predisposition to react to it is seemingly not enough to incite celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. We require a third component, a sub optimally functioning small intestine. This malfunction is thought to stem from a poor balance of the 60 trillion healthy bacteria (probiotics) that reside in the small intestine. This amazing population of bacteria appears to have the ability to turn on and off gene expression. When they are happy and healthy then can keep a gluten intolerant gene turned off, but when they are no longer functioning optimally, bad genes such as those that cause celiac disease, can be turned on and the individual “suddenly” becomes gluten intolerant.

Is there a continuum of more and more compromised health the longer one is gluten intolerant? Yes there is. So while our young lady who wrote the e-mail is astute enough to notice that she becomes exhausted when she challenges gluten, what would next develop symptom-wise if she ignored this response from her body? Remember that this woman is being trained in the field of nutrition so her awareness is already quite high. A typical person might very well have made some other excuse for needing a nap and missed the association with gluten. In fact, that’s one of the major services we provide our nutrition patients – helping them to see the cause and effect relationship between how they feel and what they’ve eaten or done in their life. E.g. more sleep, more exercise, less caffeine, etc.

The takeaway here is that it’s a good idea to be checked for a gluten intolerance, especially if there’s anything non-optimal about your health. If you’re feeling well now and gluten isn’t a problem, it could be several years from now, especially if your health is less ideal. This is particularly true if you have any celiac, autoimmune diseases, or cancer in your family tree.

Let’s look at the second point. Her symptom of exhaustion to the point of needing to sleep for two hours can definitely be attributed to a nervous system reaction to gluten. The nervous system is often the first system to respond to gluten, even before the digestive system. While research makes this point clearly, many people are still stuck with the idea that if you are eating something your body doesn’t care for, it will respond through the digestive tract. It’s a concept that makes intuitive sense; it just so happens that it’s untrue.

Evaluate your symptoms. Don’t put up with feeling poorly. If you’ve done lab tests in the past that were negative it doesn’t preclude you from either doing them again or doing a 30 day gluten-free challenge. I would love it if you would avoid dairy as much as possible too, but I won’t force the point!

We are learning so much about how gluten affects the body and the fact that it can create damage in a body that, when younger, seemed to tolerate it well, is undisputed at this point. I promise you that feeling healthy and energetic beats out the best gluten-containing food you ever ate! Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Let me know if I can be of any further assistance. HealthNOW is a destination clinic and we see patients from all over the country as well as internationally. If you want more information on this service just click here.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of the bestselling “The Gluten Effect”

Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Forum 2010 DVD

2011-01-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

In this second Gluten Sensitivity & Celiac Forum, four experts share their personal expertise in the rapidly evolving field of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

If you are new to this area or if you have been gluten-free for years, the data that is presented will be sure to inform and perhaps astound you. From decreasing your risk of autoimmune disease and normalizing hormones, to improving neurological problems and enhancing life expectancy, these experts will enlighten you on the most recent advancements in the field.

Each of the four presentations covers a different aspect of health, lifestyle and testing methods in an easy to understand, entertaining format that includes visuals of all powerpoint slides.

This years speakers included Cynthia Kupper, R.D., founder of the Gluten Intoloerance Group, Dr. Rodney Ford, M.D., F.R.A.C.P., Professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Vikki Petersen, D.C., C.C.N., Co-Author of the book "The Gluten Effect" and Dr. Thomas O'Bryan, D.C., C.C.N., Internationally recognized speaker & workshop leader.

The DVD is 4 hours long so you are getting two DVDs for the price of one. The cost is $19.95.

To order your copy please email us at HealthNOW Medical.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of the bestselling “The Gluten Effect”

Keeping it simple - The truths about gluten sensitivity

2011-01-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it’s good to go back to basics. There are certain “truths” when it comes to gluten that truly cannot be overstated.

We, as humans, cannot properly digest the protein gluten. Does that mean no one? Yes. Does that mean that no one should be eating it? Probably. Does that mean that every human is gluten intolerant? I don’t know about that one, but I am suspicious that may very well be the case. Imagine if in 100 years humans look back at this time period when we “thought” eating wheat was good for us as a time when we were greatly misinformed. Wouldn’t that be interesting?
For a significant part of the population eating any amount of gluten can be likened to consuming a poison. The damage may occur more slowly but occur it does.
Gluten seems to be an underlying root cause of autoimmune disease. While there is much in the research about this, clinically we too see it time after time with our patients and their families. What is most interesting with autoimmune is that the disease that affects one family member can be different from other members. Point in fact the patient I just saw is gluten sensitive. Her daughter has thyroid disease, she has osteoporosis, her sister has an autoimmune nervous system disease and her mother had dementia. Another gluten sensitive patient has arthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis in her family tree. Autoimmune disease is a definite red flag that should cause an individual to evaluate the possible role that gluten is contributing.
While we now know that celiac incidence (and likely gluten sensitive incidence as well) increases with age, many children are being negatively affected by gluten. If all pediatricians and parents knew the signs of celiac and gluten sensitivity we could prevent a lot of health problems in our next generation.
You know the expression “it takes a village”? I believe that is highly accurate when it comes to successfully avoiding gluten. I’m constantly giving patients good ideas of how to get through life gluten-free. After almost 20 years of doing this I should have many good ideas! But my ideas and helpful hints are not enough. Individuals need to have support. Whether it’s a formal support group or a website or helping others whom you know discover that they too are gluten intolerant, working to have people around you who understand why you eat and live the way you do is critical. Here at my clinic we are launching a support group next month for patients and non-patients alike. I’m also launching a new website in the near future that will have many more tools to support those leading or needing to lead a gluten-free life.

I’m very, very excited about the New Year. There are so many exciting new things on the horizon including new lab tests, new educational tools and new research findings.

Please do let me know what I can do to make your journey easier. I am here to help.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of the bestselling “The Gluten Effect”

Gluten and how it may affect a developing Brain

2010-12-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

A reader submitted a question that I wanted to answer here because it brings up two incredibly important issues. First is the question of gluten “challenges” and second is the effect gluten has on the brain.

Here is her question:

“I was diagnosed with Celiac Sprue at age 12 after having suffered my entire life. After that they had me do two challenges, one at age 13 and one at age 14. Both left me sick for months. I am a person that responds to eating gluten in both physical and mental ways. When I slip I get depressed, anxious, and have mood swings. My question is if eating gluten can affect the brain and actually cause lesions, what happens when a person has undiagnosed Celiac Sprue during the time that the brain is still maturing?”

-Catherine

You may think that because Catherine is likely an adult that her gluten “challenges” occurred more than 10+ years ago and such things wouldn’t happen today. I wish that were true, and honestly little gets me more upset than hearing from someone that they were “made” to challenge gluten for several weeks in order to re-do a biopsy or other celiac testing procedure, only to get incredibly ill as a result.

As I’ve stated before I am not against celiac testing. But there are times when one needs to evaluate what is the greatest good. When a person has “suffered [her] entire life” prior to being diagnosed, only to remove gluten from her diet and feel vastly improved, what really is the point of doing a challenge? And since the first challenge left her “sick for months”, what on earth could be the justification for doing another one? It certainly wasn’t because her symptoms were subtle. She clearly states that she feels ill both physically and mentally when any gluten enters her diet.

Yet this happens often – too often. I hear about it personally from our patients, not to mention those who write to me. My biggest concern is that a gluten challenge will cause the body’s immune system to cross a threshold from which it cannot be brought back with the result being an autoimmune disease. I have seen this all too often which is why you’ve heard me refer to gluten challenges and cheating as playing Russian roulette. It has been well established that untreated gluten intolerance shortens one’s life span. It too has been well established that gluten is a frequent root cause of autoimmune disease. I never see a good reason to do a gluten challenge in an individual who “knows” they are sensitive – it certainly violates the oath to “do no harm”.

Catherine goes on to ask a good question about how gluten may affect a developing brain. As I mentioned, the inflammatory and autoimmune effects of gluten upon the nervous system are well established. The symptoms created are numerous and include depression, chronic headaches or migraines, ADD/ADHD, autism, developmental delay, poor memory, schizophrenia and more. The degree to which gluten affects the nervous system is likely dependent on several factors, specifically, the presence of a leaky gut, a genetic predisposition, the presence of gluten in the diet, and the health of the immune system. Factors in utero are highly related to the health and diet of the mother, in addition to the genetics of both parents. All these variables likely go to answering the question of why some people seem to “come out of the womb” ill from gluten, while others can live many decades before it becomes a problem.

Dr David Perlmutter has and continues to do some excellent work in this area. Just recently he was published on Huffington Post so you can read more there.

Is gluten, in its current state, truly good for anyone? With the recent research revealing that many develop celiac disease later in life, one really starts to wonder…

I hope this data is helpful. Please let me know how I can assist you further.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Is Gluten Sensitivity the Cause of PMS?

2010-12-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

A reader wrote the following comment to an earlier blog post entitled, “Gluten and PMS, What is the Association?” It was so compelling that I have decided to write a post about it.

Here is her question:

I've been getting terrible PMS for about 7 years. Sometimes it would last 2 weeks. Recently it changed to 3 weeks and I've developed a massive fibroid even though I am slim. I read about the gluten connection to estrogen dominance and cut-out all gluten a month ago, however my PMS has not improved, in fact I think it's worse. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Kitty

First of all I’d like to say that PMS is never normal. Common it may be, but “normal”, no. And it is absolutely ridiculous that Kitty has had to put up with PMS for 2 and 3 weeks per month! That is between 50 and 75% of her life – truly unnecessary considering it’s able to be fixed, naturally. I underscore “naturally” because too often such women are put on the birth control pill to “control” their symptoms. I am opposed to this as it doesn’t get to the root cause of the problem but merely masks the issue while in fact the real problem worsens. Other doctors may recommend inducing a short term “menopause” with drugs to give the fibroid a chance to shrink. I don’t recommend this approach either.

When making a dietary or lifestyle change that you hope will result in a favorable change in your hormones, you must be patient. It takes at least 3 months to alter hormonal balance. There are some lucky individuals who notice changes sooner but typically you need to give it 3 months.

Kitty also tells us that she has a “massive fibroid”. We don’t know her age but regardless, a large fibroid speaks strongly of hormonal imbalance. Typically symptoms such as PMS, anxiety, depression, heavy periods, migraines, fibroids and fibrocystic breasts all can be interpreted as a likely deficiency of progesterone in relationship to estrogen. Changing PMS with the profile of a concomitant large fibroid is definitely not something that will occur in a month.

Progesterone is a common deficiency seen in women in this country of all ages. Progesterone, when normalized, can almost “magically” handle the above mentioned symptoms. An added bonus is that progesterone is a glucose tolerance factor. When its levels are normalized, sugar cravings abate and unstable blood sugar is no longer an issue. This can be a huge relief to someone being “ruled” by sugar cravings and who is unable even to eat fruit or any complex grains without getting the cravings started.

The good news is that the solution to these symptoms is not difficult. We work with women frequently in this area with excellent success. The “fix” is often a multi-pronged one, meaning that it entails more than one step. Let’s look at the possible steps below:

First is always food and Kitty has made a great start eliminating gluten. Gluten is known to offset hormonal balance. Kitty doesn’t mention if after 30 days she has noticed any improvement in her general health from removing gluten, which is something I would very much like to know. Dairy products are also a big no-no when a woman is expressing estrogen dominant symptoms. Unfortunately our cows are fed a lot of hormones (as is our beef) and that can definitely contribute to estrogen dominance. So in addition to diagnosing any food intolerances, all sources of exogenous [coming from the outside] hormones must be removed.
Adrenal gland balance. We don’t know much about Kitty’s health history but it would be important to know about her stress load, both past and present, sleep habits, caffeine consumption, any drugs she takes, etc. The adrenal gland is the stress gland and when it is overstressed it will make more stress hormones and less progesterone. This is a major cause of hormonal imbalance in this country. A poor diet and food sensitivities will also stress the adrenal glands which is why step #1 is always done first. Fortunately normalizing adrenal function is not difficult nor does it involve any drugs or surgery.
Natural, bio-identical hormones. Once again there are many questions about Kitty’s health that are unknown to us, but it would be important, considering her large fibroid, to have some blood tests for hormonal levels. A woman who typically has a 28 day cycle would get a blood test on day 21 of her cycle. Her progesterone, total estrogen, DHEA and testosterone would all be measured. With Kitty’s large fibroid and horrific PMS, would could likely make the assumption of a low progesterone level, but that doesn’t tell us the rest of the values, which are equally important to know. Depending on the woman’s age, some bio-identical hormones could be prescribed. There’s also a substance made from broccoli that has a strong estrogen lowering effect in women whose estrogen is excessive. But without a lab test this is impossible to determine.
Liver and digestive function. The top 3 points listed above are the major ones. But it is important to ensure that the liver and digestive organs are functioning normally to ensure that hormones are being excreted effectively. As an example, if you did all the points mentioned but the woman had constipation, you wouldn’t get the desired results. The slow moving colon is allowing hormones that should be excreted to re conjugate and create disruption.

Personally I used to suffer from extreme PMS and migraines related to hormonal imbalance. I also suffered from terrible menstrual cramps with my period. When I added all those days together is was about 1/3 of my life. Fortunately I handled the problem while still in my 20s and have had no issues since. So when I hear of such stories as Kitty’s my heart goes out to her. But more importantly I know how to solve such problems so I am, of course, delighted to help anyone I can.

Please do know that such symptoms are never normal and truly do not need to be put up with.

I hope you find this helpful and let me know how I can be of any assistance.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of the bestselling “The Gluten Effect”

How the Immune System Gets Confused in Autoimmune Disease

2010-11-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

I must confess, I’m a bit obsessed with autoimmune disease. As the third leading cause of death it is well represented in our population. Besides celiac disease, we are told that most autoimmune diseases “have no cure” and the trigger remains unknown as well.

But that’s not entirely accurate. We do know many of the triggers and we do know that the health of the gut goes a long way in increasing or decreasing our predisposition to autoimmune disease. Getting back to triggers, there are some pathogenic organisms (mostly bacteria according to research) that when contracted can then lead to autoimmune disease through a molecular mimicry process.

Let me explain. Ankylosing spondylitis is a condition where the joints of the spine fuse leaving young bodies looking and feeling more like centenarians. It is known to be associated with a Klebsiella infection.

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with a Citrobacter infection. Thyroiditis is associated with Yersinia, and autoimmune diseases as a general category are associated both with E. coli and Proteus infections. All organisms mentioned are bacteria.

The immune system is clever. When it comes in contact with something it considers dangerous it makes something called an antibody to destroy it. Therefore after the initial exposure, whenever it should encounter it, it has a ready-made tool to destroy it. Recall that 80% of the immune system is housed in the intestine so much of this activity is happening there. Unfortunately when the immune system is a bit overstimulated, which can occur as a side effect of a leaky gut, it becomes overly vigilant, less discriminating and molecular mimicry can occur.

Molecular mimicry is a process whereby the immune system mistakenly identifies a body part for a pathogenic organism. This usually comes about due to similar protein structures within both the organism and the human body itself. Therefore bony joints are mistaken for Klebsiella bacteria and the thyroid is mistaken for Yersinia bacteria. The immune system attacks the body part when it thinks it’s attacking the bacteria and autoimmune disease ensues.

Can we prevent everyone from ever getting an infection? No, that’s not possible. What we want to work on is optimizing the function of the immune system such that it clearly knows friend from foe. One of the major ways to achieve this is to optimize the health of the small intestine.

Does achieving optimal health always come back to the intestine? Frequently that is the case and it’s not just my opinion – the research is strong in this area. Is our health determined by what we put in our mouths? Yes, again. Do you think it’s time to stop getting lured in by the fast food commercials and junk food? You’re right!

Please realize that autoimmune diseases are on a dramatic rise. Research tells us this is from environmental causes, not genetics. The good news there is that we have a lot of control of our environment. Does it take some effort and discipline? Sure! Is it worth it? Absolutely!

Let me know how I can assist you and yours.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of the bestseller “The Gluten Effect”

Vit D Can Prevent the Flu!

2010-10-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Winter is fast approaching and unfortunately that means that increased colds and flu are on the horizon as well. Vitamin D is associated with a gene that modulates anti-microbial function – meaning that it will kill viruses. And yes, both the cold and the flu are caused by viruses.

The recommended strategy is to mega-dose Vitamin D at a dose of 50,000 IU for two or three days (please note ONLY two or three days) to up regulate this very important gene’s activity. When would you start? If you had any sign, based on the way you feel, that your immune system is compromised, if you’ve been taking care of a family member with the flu or a bad cold, or you’ve had a lot of fellow coworkers get ill. Remember to take Vitamin D3, not D2 that is less effective. Personally I take a liquid form that’s not only palatable but very bioavailable.

If you haven’t had your vitamin D levels checked recently now would be a good time. It’s well worth the slight cost to ensure a healthy winter, not to mention all the other benefits that D provides such as anti-cancer properties, bone protection and the like. We like to see your levels between 50 and 75 on a lab test. If you have or have had cancer, the higher end is recommended.

Another test you may want to run is vitamin K. While deficient vitamin D has been much discussed, one can also create an imbalance if vitamin D is high normal with a deficient vitamin K. Such an imbalance could create calcification in the body’s soft tissues. We obviously want strong bones but we don’t want calcification occurring where it shouldn’t , creating such problems as painful kidney stones. So consider checking your vitamin K levels. If you eat the dark green leafy vegetables that I heartily recommend you should be in good shape in the vitamin K department. Excellent sources include: spinach, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, kale and mustard greens.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance and here’s wishing you and yours a very healthy winter.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Why I allow butter on a diary-free diet

2010-10-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

A reader sent in this very good question:

“In your article "Gluten Free but Still Feeling Ill" you mention that you sometimes recommend avoiding dairy products to your patients but then say you tell them that organic butter is ok. Can you explain how a product derived from cow's milk is not a dairy product?”

I can definitely see where the confusion is coming from so let me clarify:

The problem with dairy products is the protein portion of them. The protein is pro-inflammatory and much like the protein portion of the grains wheat, rye and barley, it seems that the human body doesn’t respond well to it. Many researchers state that while we are designed to digest our own mother’s milk for the first few years of life, we were never designed to glean nutrition from the milk of another mammal such as the cow, goat or sheep. For that reason plus a few decades of clinical experience showing that to be the case, I recommend to my patients that they exclude dairy from their diet.

How is butter different? Butter is about 80-82% fat (higher fat butters are available if you look for them), 17% water and only about 1% milk solids (protein). For most patients I find that minimal amount of protein is insufficient to bother them. However those that prefer to avoid all milk protein enjoy clarified butter or ghee where virtually all water and protein are removed with only the fat remaining.

Organic is important because the fat is where the hormones and toxins might reside in a non-organic product. The organic version is free of such contaminants.

And why not simply cook with olive oil and coconut oil and be done with it?

Other than the fact that it’s enjoyable to cook with butter or ghee, butter contains an interesting saturated fat that is also an omega-6 fat called CLA. In the spirit of “never saying never”, CLA is actually a saturated, trans fat that’s very good for you. It has the unique status of being the sole trans fat that is considered to be healthy and there is quite a lot of information about it because it in fact tends to act like a “good” omega-3 fat in the body.

Here are some of its benefits according to research:

o In animal studies a relatively small amount of CLA was found to reduce tumors by over 50% in breast, colorectal, skin, stomach and lung cancers.

o It was found to reduce high blood pressure, lower the risk for heart disease as well as reduce cholesterol and triglycerides.

o It improved osteoporosis and insulin resistance associated with diabetes and obesity.

o It is an anti-inflammatory and stimulates the immune system to be more effective.

o Lastly, human studies show a benefit in lowering body fat, especially in those who combined taking CLA with exercise.

So there you have it. I hope this clears up any confusion.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

October is Non-GMO Month

2010-10-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Genetically modified foods have been slipping their way into our grocery stores for some time. Most people, when given the choice, choose non-GMO foods over their genetically modified counterparts. Why? I guess we inherently understand that fooling with mother nature is a bad idea, or we have been following this movement and have grown wary by its use of deceptive practices to get us to embrace these laboratory made “foods “.

In Europe, where they not only eat healthier but their food quality is much better than ours, they successfully banned GMOs a decade ago. Did the government step in? No. Quite the contrary this was a consumer driven movement. Articles, such as this one, were written, education was offered and the result was that all major food companies willing stopped utilizing GMO ingredients in their food due to the public’s outrage over them.

What would it take to accomplish that feat here in the US? Surprisingly, not that much. If just 5% of US shoppers supported this movement, we could tip the scales to alert US companies that we mean business!

Organic is best but if you can’t buy organic at least opt for non-GMO. Many natural food grocery stores are becoming involved with this movement as well. Whole Foods promises that their personal brand is completely non-GMO and the rest of their offerings are clearly marked so that there will be no confusion.

Jeffrey Smith is founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology and he is helping to lead this movement. If you go to: www.nongmochoppingguide.com you can get a Free shopping guide to help steer you in the right direction.

Mr. Smith is interviewed at this site if you’d like some more information:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/09/jeff-smith-interview-gmo-week.aspx.

I believe that GMO foods are one of the factors causing inflammation and a leaky gut and therefore they should be avoided at all costs. Nature is rather magnificent in what she has created. Science is an unwelcome intruder when it comes to engineering our food. Let’s keep it natural and enjoy better health!

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Making “Light” of Gluten Sensitivity Will Harm More than Help

2010-10-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

A patient sent me a response from an “As the Doctor” column hosted by Drs. Oz and Roizen entitled “Don’t buy into gluten phobia by cutting grains”. This response was to a reader’s question who asked: “My family consumes a lot of 100 percent whole-grain wheat products, but I've heard so much about gluten problems that I'm worried we're harming our health. Should we cut back? — Anonymous”

Part of their response was as follows: “Because gluten gets more bad press than Lindsay Lohan, gluten-free foods have become a fad. We're going against the grain and suggesting you keep doing exactly what you're doing.”

My patient was irate and I don’t blame her. She stated that: “Oz and Roizen are showing their ignorance when they did not even ask the gluten concerned person to look at a family history for autoimmune diseases before dismissing the issue. Personally, I think these men are doing a lot of damage and are missing the mark.”

She went on to state: “…the general public does not understand gluten sensitivity and the dangers involved. After reading this little sound bite over their morning coffee and a bagel, people will be less likely to be checked for gluten sensitivity. The financially strapped person will be more likely to disregard the issue since it is easy and cheap to fill up a hungry family's belly with bread than nutritious fruits and vegetables.”

In the authors’ defense they made a brief attempt to define celiac disease and how it affects the small intestine and they did include that “Some experts feel that gluten sensitivity affects far more people than the 1 percent of Americans who know they have celiac disease“. But when listing symptoms associated with a gluten intolerance that their reader should be on the lookout for, all they could come up with was the following: “itchy, blistery rash, having really awful smelling poop or even vague symptoms, like feeling unusually irritable”.

Hmmm. What about:

Depression, anxiety
Infertility/miscarriages
Neurological disorders
Headaches / Migraines
Memory Loss
Unexplained chronic fatigue
Increased liver enzymes
Iron-deficiency anemia
Osteoporosis
Autoimmune disease
Craving for gluten
Obesity
Diarrhea and/or constipation
Gas, bloating, abdominal pain
IBS, colitis
Frequent canker sores
Dental problems
Psoriasis, eczema or unexplained rash

I know it’s a long list but that’s the point isn’t it? My patient was exactly right, Dr Oz and Roizen’s dismissal of gluten-free as a “fad” and “phobia” will certainly prevent many people who had been considering looking into it from doing so. And what a terrible shame that is.

Well, I’m not on Oprah but I am committed to getting the word out. Let’s overcome any negative influence this article may have had by investing some time and effort into enlightening friends, family and co-workers of the TRUTH about gluten.

Please let me know what I can do to assist.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Do gluten-free consumers eat more dessert?

2010-10-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

A friend, who is also a gluten-free baker and chef, commented to me that when she samples her food to consumers gluten-free customers seem to desire a sweeter product than those who eat gluten. She is a European trained chef and doesn’t produce the icing-laden super sweet desserts that so often abound in this country. Hers are a bit more sophisticated but still plenty sweet in my opinion. She said that upon surveying gluten and non-gluten tasters a definite trend emerged towards a larger sweet tooth in the gluten-free customers.

Why would that be?

Is it due to the overall restriction of available products that gluten-free consumers want sweeter treats to “make up” for what they can’t have? This is possible but I don’t believe it tells the whole story.

This is what I believe may be a reason: Due to the intestinal damage and/or inflammation that gluten creates, the microbiota or probiotic population of the gut is compromised. Secondary to that, pathogenic organisms such as parasites, amoeba, bacteria and yeast can get a foot hold and happily reproduce themselves within the intestine. Such organisms tend to thrive on sugar so they actually create the craving by their very presence and need for fuel.

I’m not saying that everyone who tolerates gluten has a healthy small intestine but it is clear that gluten compromises the immune system of the gut in a rather devastating fashion for those whom are sensitive.

What is my take-away message? If you have a sweet tooth consider having the health of your small intestine evaluated. That sweet tooth may very well be an indicator of compromised small intestinal integrity- something that is extremely important to remedy.

I hope this was informative. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
Author of The Gluten Effect

A near brush with death - saving my neighbor's Weimaraner

2010-10-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

I was late for work this morning but I had a good excuse – I was saving the life of my neighbor’s dog, a lovely Weimaraner. He’s a puppy but full grown and obviously inquisitive. I was backing down my driveway when I heard a horrendous sound. I don’t know if I can adequately explain it but it was definitely a sound of suffering. These neighbors live across the street so it didn’t take me long to find the source of the wailing. I left my car running and the driver’s door open and assessed the situation that this sweet dog had gotten himself into.

My neighbors have a large Victorian home with a white picket fence. The dog had somehow gotten himself in two significant dilemmas: Firstly he had hooked his collar on a heavy metal edging that consists of curling pieces of metal, many of which line their garden. The whole section was about three or four feet in length. I’m assuming that once he got hooked on to this he got nervous and while standing up along the picket fence now worsened his position by secondly getting the metal edging hooked on the fence. When I saw him he was on his hind legs with his fingernails digging in to the fence, eyes bulging and he was literally in the process of getting strangled. He has another dog buddy that the family also owns, a Labrador mix, and he was all upset and pacing up and down the yard feeling, no doubt, helpless at his inability to help his friend.

I first ran around and let myself in to the yard and tried to help. The dog was terrified understandably and acting quite vicious. I realized I needed help and contemplated 911 but realized that time was too precious to wait. Fortunately I have a neighbor that works from home and I made a quick prayer that he was available. I ran across the street and rang his doorbell several times. I think the multiple doorbell rings made him suspicious as he asked who it was before opening the door. I introduced myself and fortunately he responded and I alerted him to the situation as we raced across the street. He was in shorts and bare feet and I was in my dressy office attire – we must have made an interesting site…

First order of business was lifting the metal edging off the picket fence, something I had been unable to do on my own. With that done the dog was understandably relieved but he was still hooked on to the metal edging. It took some coaxing but unhooking his collar was accomplished and he ran off looking, amazingly, none the worse for wear! I thanked my neighbor profusely and he took care of contacting the owners to ensure that the pup could get evaluated by his vet.

As a dog-lover I was thrilled at the happy outcome and glad that I was at the right place at the right time.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Are You a Celiac Waiting to Happen?

2010-10-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Over the years patients have told me stories of “developing” a gluten intolerance later in life. They stated that they tolerated gluten “just fine” until… X happened. The life-changing moment included such things as a major stress, an infection or an illness of some sort. But what these patients all had in common was that they were adamant about one thing: before X happened they were fine and after X happened they could no longer tolerate gluten.

The stories were interesting of course but as a clinician my major goal and focus was to restore their health. Whether they were subtly intolerant to gluten before the life-changing event or they were completely normal, as they insisted, was impossible to prove, but it did cause me to wonder which was the case.

That was until yesterday! A fabulous research article emerged (or I should say it WILL emerge as it won’t be published in the journal until December 2010) from the Annals of Medicine entitled “Natural history of celiac disease autoimmunity in a USA cohort followed since 1974”. It could be more aptly named: “Celiac Disease Found to Develop Later in Life”.

In the study over 3,500 subjects were followed who had given blood samples in 1974, 1989 and again every two to three years up to 2007. During that 33 year span of time their blood was tested for celiac disease. Astoundingly the incidence of the disease rose from one in 501 subjects in 1974, to one in 219 in 1989 – it literally doubled over the course of 15 years.

While seven of the participants were found to have celiac based on their 1974 blood samples, none of them were ever diagnosed. By 1989, the number of cases rose to 16, though only one had been officially diagnosed. (That’s a pitiful 6% diagnosis rate.) At least two people developed celiac after they turned 50.

While we know that individuals must have a genetic predisposition to develop celiac, scientists aren't sure why gluten intolerance would develop after so many seemingly gluten-tolerant years.

Dr. Fasano, one of the researchers, commented that environmental factors may trigger changes in the immune system that could activate anti-gluten genes. Specifically he stated that the significant changes in our environment include such things as more antibiotics, more vaccinations, bioengineered foods, chemicals we haven't been [previously] exposed to, and pollutants at record high concentrations.

I couldn’t agree more. This study supports what we see in our clinic on a daily basis, we just never had the research before to support the clinical findings. Science used to think that our genes were hard-wired and there was nothing we could do to influence them. Research now shows us that genes are more plastic or flexible and influencing their “on” and “off” switches is something we have control over.

It’s exciting to think that we can selectively turn off a gene predisposing us to a disease, isn’t it? I’ve always explained to my patients that genes dictate a tendency or a “leaning towards” a certain health disposition. But that tendency is not engraved in concrete and if you want to counteract that tendency, in most cases you can.

This study shows us that despite having a genetic predisposition, many of the individuals followed over 33 years took half a lifetime to develop celiac disease. The gene was there but it wasn’t turned “on” in childhood as we always assumed it was in celiacs. It took decades for the anti-gluten gene (as Dr Fasano termed it) to turn on. But the 64 million dollar question is WHY did it get turned on at all and WHAT could have been done to prevent it?

I know the researchers claimed that a definitive reason was unknown butI would like to make some suggestions based on clinical experience.

I believe that a healthy, optimally functioning body would be less likely to turn on negative genes. Yes, I know that achieving optimal functioning is easier said than done, but one will never accomplish true health if one doesn’t believe that it is attainable first.

If we were to go down a checklist of items that need to be done it would look something like this:

1. Discover and eliminate from the diet any food sensitivities. This would include gluten and dairy as the most common but soy, corn and eggs (to name a few) are also found. If you follow this blog at all you’ll know the importance behind isolating foods that your body reacts negatively to. But suffice to say that consuming a food that puts stress on the GI tract is not at all compatible with good health.

2. Discover and eradicate any infectious organisms. Such things as bacteria, parasites, amoebas, yeast and worms can all be found in the intestine much to the detriment of not only the individual’s immune system but they also cause intestinal inflammation and a leaky gut. Such inflammation and increased permeability is a known underlying cause of poor health and autoimmune disease.

3. Normalize the health and strength of the body’s immune system. It is estimated that about 80% of the body’s immune system resides in the gut. Chronic inflammation from gluten, other foods, toxins and/or pathogens all results in a weakening of the trillions of immune promoting organisms known as probiotics or the microbiome of the gut. Laboratory tests can help to estimate how robust or weakened these species are.

4. Improving the body’s health should facilitate the removal of most if not all medications from the individual’s life. So many drugs have the side effect of increasing intestinal permeability and weakening the immune system that their removal is vital to restoring health.

5. Detoxification of the body and the patient’s lifestyle is also critical when you desire to turn good genes “on” and bad genes “off”. Diet cannot be overestimated in its importance. Seven to nine servings of organic fruits and vegetables, beans, legumes and purified water all have detoxification attributes.

6. Regular exercise of the aerobic, stretching and strengthening variety should be done minimally 4 to 6 times per week for at least 45 minutes.

7. Laboratory tests to assess the liver’s ability to successfully detoxify as well as evaluating the presence of any heavy metal toxicity is also necessary to reduce any undue stress.

8. Utilizing more natural cleaning products, soaps and other hygiene products will also reduce the toxic load on the body.

This research study shows us that celiac disease is not a disease of childhood and the fact that it “seems” to be more prevalent is not because it has become a fad to eat gluten-free but because there is an increased incidence of gluten intolerance in our population as it gets older. Everyone, regardless of their age, should be screened for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. We can truly save lives if we institute broader screening. And, perhaps if we strive to institute the 8 steps mentioned above we could in fact turn “off” some of the celiac and other autoimmune genes. Now wouldn’t THAT be a happy day!

I hope you find this information helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you or your family.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Second Annual Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Forum

2010-09-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday October 16^th the second annual Gluten Sensitivity & Celiac Forum will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Palo Alto. The event starts at 9 a.m. and continues until 4 p.m. A light lunch is included in addition to enjoying the gluten-free delights from many vendors around the area.

Our speakers are four national and international experts in the field of gluten sensitivity.

A brand new advancement in gluten laboratory testing will be presented by Dr Tom O’Bryan. The new tests will provide higher sensitivity as well as a window into which systems of the body are being affected by gluten.

Dr Rodney Ford, pediatric gastroenterologist and prolific author will be joining us all the way from New Zealand to share his research and insights. Dr Ford will be presenting some startling information on the true nature of gluten and whether, in fact, it should be consumed by anyone.

Cynthia Kupper, registered dietician and founder of the nationally renowned Gluten Intolerance Group, will be providing valuable information on how to best eat a nutrition-filled and healthy gluten-free diet.

Yours truly will also be speaking and I am excited to share some of the latest research about how gluten affects hormonal balance and predisposes us to various diseases, plus what exactly can be done about it.

We have a larger venue this year as we were filled to capacity last year, but I would encourage that you reserve your seats early. Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the door – you can reserve them at www.healthnowmedical.com. There is a discount for small groups so please call us at 408-733-0400 for more information. Also, everyone who purchases tickets before October 1^st will be entered into a drawing to win a delicious gluten-free filled gift basket from Kinnikinnick.

This Forum is only presented annually so don’t miss it! We hope you will be able to join us.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Questions re: Gluten, Glutamate and Neurological Disease

2010-09-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

I received very good questions from readers of the recent blog post entitled: "Gluten, Glutamate and Neurological Disease", two of which follow.

“Do you think that patients with neurological issues are sensitive to gluten in amounts well below the proposed standard of 20ppm?” “Also that it takes longer to recover from mistakes when the reaction is neurological.”

“I have also been prescribed a product with glutamate in it by a Naturopathic doctor. I have taken glutamine in the past to heal the gut, but this formula is to induce a sense of calm. Now I am wondering if it is safe...”

Glutamine is often used by health practitioners for its ability to help heal the lining of the gut. It was found in cancer patients that the use of glutamine could assist in healing and reduce nausea and vomiting associated with the disease. Those who were in hospital receiving IV therapy due to malnutrition were similarly found to benefit from glutamine as a healing source.

We too have used glutamine for patients who seemed to require some assistance in healing the lining of their gut. How do I feel about that approach now? We have discussed it here at the clinic and have made the decision to avoid the use of glutamine in any patient with a personal or family history of any neurological symptoms or diseases. There are other substances that can be used to assist healing and we therefore have decided to move more towards those applications and away from prescribing glutamine in light of this recent data.

Glutamate is a neurotransmitter in the brain – it is excitatory and is the most common one in the human body. Just to comment on the supplement mentioned above, glutamate would not be used for calming, that would be the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA has an inhibitory effect, exactly opposite to that of glutamate. The formula that the reader refers to states that it contains both GABA for its calming influence and glutamate for its excitatory effects and it strives to balance them towards the outcome of creating a calming effect. But it isn’t the glutamate that would provide that outcome, quite the opposite.

Glutamine and glutamate freely transform into one another as the body goes through various biological processes. They are very commonly found in the human body and I am not suggesting that we can in any way eliminate either one, nor would we want to. What I am saying is that recent research finds that the activation or stimulation of the brain’s immune system can lead to highly deleterious effects on the body’s nervous system including stroke, seizures, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. And glutamate as well as gluten (that metabolizes into glutamine) can be a source of irritation.

In a fascinating lack of differentiation, the immune system of the brain and nervous system can be whipped into action by several different sources that yet all create the same destructive effect. In other words, a gluten sensitive person can have initiated an immune response through gluten ingestion, but later the presence of glutamate in food or infections or pesticides or any toxin can ramp up the initial irritation to the point where broad scale damage occurs.

Such damage is extreme and one wonders if the body can heal from it. Depending on its severity I believe the answer to be yes. The human body is rather amazing that way. However nerves heal slowly. If you’ve ever cut yourself anywhere perhaps you’ve noticed that it takes some time for full “feeling” to be restored to the damaged area. That is due to the slow healing of nerves.

We therefore want to ensure that we are avoiding any sources of stress to our nervous system. As the first reader commented above, being extra cautious in consuming gluten-free foods would be a very good idea. If your body is undergoing neurological stress and you are walking a tightrope between the progression vs. reversion of a neurological disease, I think erring on the side of extra caution is well worth your while.

In summary, what we are really trying to achieve is an intact healthy gut (not leaky) and an immune system that’s strong and protected. We reviewed nutritional and dietary strategies to help achieve that in the prior post so I won’t repeat them here. Suffice to say that with any neurological problems a full scale clean-up away from gluten, glutamate, infections and toxins could very well create a huge positive impact.

I hope this helps to clarify things. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Gluten’s Effect on Immune System Can Cause Cancer

2010-08-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

A recent study brought home two powerful points about gluten.

1. The devastating effect is can have upon the body’s immune system.

e.g. development of cancer and autoimmune disease.

2. The powerful effect it can have in restoring the immune system when it is removed from a sensitive individual’s diet.

Witness a 3-year old girl who presented with a cancerous lesion in her right eye. Her medical history revealed that she was prematurely stopped from breast feeding although the reason was not given. She had an intolerance to most baby foods and suffered from anorexia and abdominal distention.

Celiac was suspected and an endoscopic small intestinal biopsy had been carried out under general anesthesia. Her parents (fortunately) did not want their child to undergo general anesthesia for the second time in order to biopsy the eye lesion.

The child was followed up medically and the clinicians learned, quite surprisingly, that the tumor spontaneously regressed with a gluten-free diet as the only form of therapy.

Of course we were dealing with a 3-year old but to say that she had a strong immune system and recuperative abilities would not be correct considering her very rough start in life. She had clearly been a severe malabsorber her entire life.

I think the take-home information here is the significant effect that gluten can have in thwarting the immune system. But by the same token, once removed, the immune system can bounce back and do its job – destroy cancer cells, bacteria and other pathogens.

Let’s continue to spread the word in our growing grass roots movement. It is helping. I hear from readers almost daily and their stories are quite uplifting.

Please let me know how I can be of further assistance.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen

Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center

Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Reference: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. 2010 Sep-Oct;58(5):433-4.

“Regression of conjunctival tumor during dietary treatment of celiac disease.”

Probiotics Reduce Inflammatory Response of Gluten

2010-07-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

In a very recent study, March 1, 2010, an article entitled “Bifidobacteria inhibit the inflammatory response induced by gliadins in intestinal epithelial cells via modifications of toxic peptide generation during digestion” was published in the Journal of Cellular Biochemisty [2010 Mar 1;109(4):801-7.].

The Spanish researchers utilized different strains of Bifidobacterium, a friendly probiotc found in healthy intestines, to counteract the inflammatory effects of gliadin on intestinal epithelia [cells]. This was an in vitro study meaning that it was done in the laboratory, not in live human or animal subjects.

There are several classic pro-inflammatory markers that the body of a gluten intolerant patient typically produces when exposed to gliadin. However, in this particular study, when cell cultures were inoculated with bifidobacteria first, these inflammatory markers were produced in a much diminished amount. In fact one marker was not produced at all!

This confirms something we’ve been discussing recently and that is the importance of restoring balance to those trillions of microorganisms called the microbiota or probiotics that are responsible for much of the actions of our immune system. And recall that the vast majority, estimated 80%, of our immune system is housed in the gut.

It is my intention with patients to not only diagnose those who shouldn’t be eating gluten but also to restore the health of the intestines of all patients. It is not just the gluten intolerant who suffer from unhealthy intestines. In fact, I believe that it is likely that those people who seems to “develop” a gluten intolerance with age may very well do so as a result of the dwindling health of their GI tract.

So normalizing the function of the GI tract could not only ensure the more optimal health of the gluten intolerant patient, but it might prevent its development in others.

Recall that the immune system is the only defense one has against hostile organisms, toxins, and the like. Ensuring that the immune system is strong and optimally functioning is mandatory for good health. This study confirms that theory well.

It truly only makes sense that supporting the immune system would make the body better to fend out toxic chemicals, which is what gluten is to many.

So please do eliminate gluten from your diet if appropriate, but also get an evaluation of your probiotic population and support that critical population of “good guys” with a human strain of probiotics that suit you best based on the results of your test.

I hope you find this helpful. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

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