The Genesis of Disease – Does Gluten Cause Everything?

While I’m sometimes accused of being a little ‘gluten crazy’, I don’t think that gluten is the root of ALL evil when it comes to the development of disease.

HOWEVER, and this is a big however – the damage that gluten creates in the small intestine and to the immune system (not to mention the nervous system) can initiate inflammation that we now understand IS the initiator of most degenerative disease – think cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc.

A friend of mine was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes this past week. It turns out that he was diagnosed with a fatty liver about 15 years ago. Two years ago we diagnosed him as gluten sensitive. The medical professional who diagnosed him with fatty liver told him not to drink to excess – period. This gentleman doesn't drink to excess. If the doctor had delved into this at all, he would have discovered that a man in his late 30s had a very stressed liver that was NOT due to alcohol.

But no such question was asked, no such analysis was done, and my friend just continued to be told each and every year at his annual physical – “You have a fatty liver.” He never thought to mention it to me and he never thought anything could or should be done about it.

Fast forward to present time and he’s in his early 50s and now has a severe disease – type 2 diabetes.

In hindsight he believes that he’s been gluten sensitive for a long time. We know that gluten can put stress on the liver, so that makes sense. He’s also a ‘macho’ kind of guy with a very ‘macho’ job and ‘fast food’ goes with the whole persona. He now knows that hasn't been his friend and he’s done quite an ‘about face’ on his food ingestion.

What’s missing in this picture is follow-through. I basically ‘hounded’ him to take a lab test wherein we found his gluten sensitivity, but I haven’t seen much of him since. He’s ‘too busy’. And now we have a scary diabetes diagnosis.

Is it too late for him? Not at all. Reversal of type 2 diabetes is not difficult IF the patient is compliant – not something I’m totally convinced of in this case… sadly. But what must be done? Interestingly, the treatment for diabetes isn't all that different from heart disease or many other degenerative diseases.

The first step is to identify and remove stressors from the system, including:

·         food intolerances – e.g. gluten, dairy, corn, soy

·         the presence of pathogens or infections in the small intestine

·         poor probiotic balance

·         hormonal imbalance

·         the standard American diet

·         the need for enzymes to digest food properly

·         presence of other toxins or heavy metals

·         etc.

The second step is to engage on a weight loss and fitness program to optimize fat burning and gain core support so that the body enjoys moving and exercising.

Once the big steps are completed, now the refinement can occur. Whether it’s genetic tendencies that must be countered or stress loads that must be managed, a successful program will address the individual patient and ensure the program is completely successful in reversing, if not stabilizing, the disease process.

Is gluten the cause of all evil? No, but it’s interesting how big a role food intolerances such as gluten and dairy do play in the damage commonly seen in so many degenerative diseases. Have I ever seen a patient with a degenerative disease who required no dietary changes in order to optimize his or her health? The answer is ‘No’, not once.

I hope this information was helpful.

Do you suffer from a degenerative disease? Do you know someone who does? Are you tired of taking medication that only ‘manages’ your symptoms, rather than offering you reversal and stabilization of your condition? If you want more answers, consider calling us for a free health analysis.

Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally, so you don’t need to live locally to receive assistance.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”