Need a Weight Loss Plan? Try Gluten-free!

In the past I have been somewhat critical of the media’s ‘profiling’ if you will, that a gluten-free diet is the latest weight loss craze. My upset came from the fact that gluten causes so much more than weight gain. As a toxic protein, gluten can create problems in literally every system of the human body in those who are sensitive to it. And, due to our poor diet, increased toxic environmental load and drug exposure, the incidence of gluten intolerance and celiac diseases rises every time we evaluate it.

I think you would agree that a substance that has been linked to depression, migraines, fatigue, joint pain, autoimmune disease, infertility and autism and yes, weight gain, deserves more ‘press’ than a quick quip about it being the latest diet of the stars.

But let’s look at fat and overweight for a moment. Weight gain poses a very serious problem here in the US. A full two-thirds of our population is overweight while one-third is obese. The diseases we now appreciate that are caused by an abundance of fat cells is staggering. In fact, we now understand that fat cells literally explode and the chemicals they release directly cause degenerative diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more.

So while I don’t like press that places gluten put into the same category as the latest and greatest weight loss fad, I am happy at any evidence that shows gluten to be a serious weight loss tool that not only lowers the pounds but has a profound effect on the overall health of the body.

I was therefore delighted to read a study that was just published last week in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. The title is a mouthful, as so many scientific articles are, so I have included the full reference specifics below.

The researchers, out of Brazil, took a strain of mice and divided them into two groups. Both groups were fed a high-fat diet but only one group’s diet contained gluten at 4.5% of their total diet. The other group were completely gluten-free.

Body weight and fat gains were assessed, as were blood profiles that measured insulin resistance and inflammatory chemicals released from fat cells. In addition, positive measurements that were protective against disease and anti-inflammatory were also evaluated.

What they found was not only beneficial effects of a gluten-free diet in reducing fat gain, but the gluten-free diet also was anti-inflammatory and reduced insulin resistance.

If you haven’t heard these terms before, know that inflammation and insulin resistance are key issues in the development of the chronic degenerative diseases that are killing most Americans, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The authors’ conclusion was that gluten exclusion from the diet should be tested as a ‘new dietary approach’ to prevent the development of obesity and metabolic disorders.

That would mean that anyone with a weight problem, type II diabetes, heart disease, etc should be tested for gluten intolerance.

Now one thing I can guarantee you, these mice were not living on sugary gluten-free cookies nor were they lounging on the couch all day! You get what I mean. These were mice that were put on a healthy diet that contained no gluten, and they exercised at a healthy level.

And, while I appreciate that you are not a mouse, do understand that animal studies on mice and rats translate quite nicely into human biology. Otherwise there wouldn’t be such an abundance of research using these animals.

The takeaway from this study goes beyond the healthy weight and fat percentages that these gluten-free animals attained. Their blood profiles, when on a gluten-free diet were exceptional. The blood tests revealed that these animals were also less likely to develop the chronic degenerative diseases that afflict most Americans.

For me, that was the exciting part as it went way beyond simple weight loss.

My recommendation? Listen to these researchers and try a gluten-free diet. If you can get a blood test first to determine if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, that’s best. But if that’s not available to you, try a 30 day gluten-free trial. After 30 days, see if you feel better. Maybe a specific symptom abates but perhaps it’s just a general feeling of improved well-being. Such changes indicate a positive test and remaining gluten-free is heartily recommended.

Do you want to lose weight? Give this a try and let me know how you do.

I look forward to hearing from you.

If your health is not where you want it to be, consider calling us for a free health analysis. We are here to help!

Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and around the world, 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!”

Reference:

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2012 Dec 17. pii: S0955-2863(12)00226-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2012.08.009. Gluten-free diet reduces adiposity, inflammation and insulin resistance associated with the induction of PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma expression.

Soares FL, de Oliveira Matoso R, Teixeira LG, Menezes Z, Pereira SS, Alves AC, Batista NV, de Faria AM, Cara DC, Ferreira AV, Alvarez-Leite JI.

Tummy Ache? You May have an Increased Risk for Celiac Disease

In the last few years there have been two major studies evaluating the incidence of celiac disease in the US military. The first study, 2010, revealed that the incidence actually quadrupled as the population aged. A soldier who was in his or her twenties likely had a 1% incidence of celiac disease but that same soldier’s risk rose to 4% as time passed and he moved into his fourth or fifth decade of life. The most recent study shows that incidence to quintuple – 5X as the soldiers aged.

Why?

The study, just released on May 15, 2012 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology is titled “The Incidence and Risk of Celiac Disease in a Healthy US Adult Population”. It puts the blame of the increased incidence on life stressors, including illnesses, surgeries and trauma.

Is this a new concept? Not to me or my team. We’ve been operating on this as the root cause of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity for quite some time. But finding a research study to corroborate our protocols is always a nice acknowledgement.

Now let’s get back to our favorite question: “Why”.

As Dr Alessio Fasano pointed out several years ago, the presence of gluten in the diet of someone at risk genetically for celiac disease is not enough for the disease to develop. The third ‘prong’ of the disease is an unhealthy small intestine.

A healthy small intestine actually has the wherewithal to prevent the gene responsible for celiac disease from expressing itself. How? The vast population of probiotics, or healthy bacteria in the gut, can, when healthy, keep bad genes turned off. It is only when these probiotics decrease in number and strength that their ability to suppress these bad genes becomes ineffective.

What does that mean for you and those you care about?

1.      You must realize that keeping your small intestine healthy is paramount to optimal health.

2.      Eating a very healthy diet is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure #1 above. Obviously it’s a big step to determine what’s most healthy for you, but I can help with that.

3.      Realize that celiac disease and gluten sensitivity can develop at any age and is more likely to occur with each passing decade. So get tested, and if your health is not doing well, continue to get tested because a negative test at age 35 could mean a positive test at age 40.

4.      The stressors that this study described as a cause for weakening the small intestine included such things as infections of the digestive tract, surgeries and trauma.

As an example of an infection, ‘gastroenteritis’ (meaning the ‘stomach flu’ as most people call it), was found to be highly linked to later development of celiac disease. So too were surgeries and trauma.

Does a truly healthy gut immune system get gastroenteritis (stomach flu)? Doubtful. This is perhaps why getting the stomach flu is a harbinger of celiac disease to come – that third prong, the unhealthy small intestine – has been activated. In such an ‘at risk’ individual, celiac disease is not far behind.

What is ‘trauma’? It could be a tough pregnancy, being a soldier at war, a car accident or even ‘mental’ stress such as a messy divorce or intense job stress. Clinically, after working with so many patients, we have been confident in the cause and effect relationship of these three initiators (infection, surgery and trauma) long before this study was released. But once again, it’s great to see it in print as corroboration.

5.      Look around at your family. Are there digestive issues, neurological problems such as migraines, depression, etc? Are autoimmune diseases present in your family? If so, you should get yourself tested as well as those whose health is not what it should be. One thing we DO know is that these diseases are genetic – looking to your family tree can help you and those you love discover if gluten is affecting your health before it has done permanent damage.

The most significant take-away from this study is this: Just because you’ve been tested for celiac disease once in your life doesn’t mean that you can’t develop it later. As a matter a fact your chances increase 5-fold that you will develop celiac with increased age. We don’t know yet how gluten sensitivity increases with age, but it’s my opinion that it also sees a dramatic increase with age and a lessening of overall health.

I believe that one of the biggest mistakes we make is ruling out celiac disease or gluten sensitivity after a single test. Not only are the tests available not as sensitive as they need to be, making false negatives an abundant problem, but a true negative today cannot rule out the potential of a positive test in the future.

Does this ring true for you? Did you develop a gluten problem as you got older or after a major life event involving infection, surgery or trauma?

I’d like to hear from you. Please send me your questions and comments.

If your health is not at the level you desire please contact me for a free health analysis. We are here to help!

Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally so you do not have 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!”

Where did my flat tummy go?

Below is a case study from our upcoming book, The Gluten Effect. J.W. had some very common complaints, but the "common treatment" she was receiving was having no effect. I think she speaks for many.

No, I’m Not Pregnant!

J. W. is a classic example of weight complaints typical of adrenal exhaustion. She had developed a big belly that she could not get rid of. She felt bloated all the time, and no matter how often she exercised or how closely she watched her caloric intake, her weight remained the same. She felt constantly four months pregnant.

We diagnosed her with gluten sensitivity, and after being off gluten for several months, she went from a size fourteen to a size six, with a thirty-pound weight loss. She not only lost the weight, but it came off her “problem areas” first—her stomach and her face. She now had a flat belly, which she had never enjoyed before. J.W. also noted that her bloating was gone, and that she felt “clean” inside.

We diagnosed several infections, which were treated successfully as well, which also removed other chronic stressors from her system. In J.W.’s case, the distribution of weight around the mid-region of the body was typical of excessive cortisol production with adrenal exhaustion. Once gluten was removed, the stress on her body subsided, and a normal weight distribution returned.

Does this sound like you? Have you developed a “spare tire” (or, I’m told the more politically correct description is “muffin top”)?

What we’ve discovered after working with patients for over 20 years is that much of that “tire” can be due to swelling of the small intestine and the resulting adrenal fatigue from malabsorption of nutrients. You have about 23 feet of small intestine. Look down - that’s a lot of track to be laid down in a relatively small space.

Now imagine that 23 feet is swollen due to irritation created by a diet that doesn’t suit your body, or an infection. When it swells it has to go somewhere – welcome spare tire!

So the solution is to discover the underlying cause of the swelling. Now I’m not against exercise, quite the contrary. But I can promise you that all the crunches in the world will not flatten a tummy that’s swollen from a food intolerance or irritation from an untreated parasite or bacteria.

What do you need to do?

1. Discover if you’re gluten intolerant for starters. There are tests available for this and remember we’re talking about finding out if you're sensitive to gluten, not just if you have celiac disease.
Enterolab has a test you can order yourself (http://www.enterolab.com/ ) or you can work with your doctor providing they understand the difference between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.
2. If you already know that you’re sensitive to gluten then realize that you must be perfect about removing it from your diet. Being good “most of the time” is just not enough.
3. If you have not had a comprehensive stool analysis to check for the presence of infectious organisms this really is something you should look into. As was mentioned in an earlier post, it is rare that a gluten sensitive individual DOESN’T have some type of infection due to years and years of assault on the immune system from eating gluten.
4. Get an idea of how your adrenal glands are functioning. We're not talking about adrenal gland disease which is very serious, but rather adrenal fatigue or exhaustion which is quite common. There will be an upcoming post specifically on the adrenal glands soon but suffice to say adrenal fatigue is very associated with malabsorption of nutrients which as you know is definitely an effect of being gluten sensitive. The good news is that with some natural nutrition and lifestyle management, adrenal function is not difficult to restore.
5. Lastly if you’ve already done all of the above and still don’t have the flat tummy you desire, you most likely are suffering from a “leaky gut” which needs some extra support to get completely healed. This support could come in the form of strong probiotics, the amino acid glutamine (not to be taken until you’re assured of not having an infection, however) or a medication called ketotifen which has a local effect to reduce irritation in the gut. This last medication would only be used for a short period of time.

I hope this is helpful.

Happy 2009! Our book “The Gluten Effect” will be out next month and it is one of our new year’s resolutions to have gluten sensitivity "come out of the closet” this year and be recognized for how common and hazardous it is to millions of people's health.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen