8 Ways to Help Kick the Flu to the Curb

BY GUEST BLOGGER:  KERI TOPOUZIAN, D.O., FACOEP

There is no doubt about it, influenza causes 200,000 hospitalizations & 36,000 deaths each year according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control).

So a flu shot could save your life right???

Well, according to the NIH (National Institute of Health), for the past 25 years, winter death rates for those at risk have stayed the same even though there has been a 40-50% increase in vaccination rates!

So what else can you do to prevent the flu? Build up your immune system…

5 Ways to Build Your Immune System

1. Vitamin D: This vitamin is really a hormone and your body makes Vitamin D in your skin when you are in the sun. During the winter months and flu season, your Vitamin D levels are low. Supplement with 2,000 - 4,000 IUs per day to boost your immune system.

2. Whey Protein (contains dairy) builds your immune system by increasing glutathione levels, one of your bodies strongest antioxidants. It also includes lactoferrin which is antimicrobial. Warning, whey protein is a dairy product so it you have a diary sensitivity or allergies, do not take this.

3. Cats Claw (unadegato) increases killer T cells, increases macrophage activity. Dosing is 2-4 capsules per day or if in a tincture, 20 drops per day.  See what the NIH says about this.

4. Maitake D Fraction increases NK cell activity and killer T Cells. Dosing is usually 2-4 per day.

5. Aged Garlic is one of the most widely studied matural compounds. Increases glutathione, is anti-viral, antioxidant & has anti-inflammatory properties. Again, dosing is usually 2-4 per day.

3 Actions to Take if You Get the Flu:

1. Take Vitamin C starting at 3,000 mg every 4 hours. If you develop diarrhea, decrease the amount to tolerance. Vitamin C is antiviral & an antioxidant.

2. Vitamin A 20,000-30,000 IUs plus Eldeberry extract every day for 3 to 10 days.  Both are antiviral and have been shown to decrease symptoms of the flu. Vitamin A should be only taken at these doses for short periods of time.

3. For nausea and vomiting, consider having your doctor write a preoscription for transdermal (topical) Phenergan that your local compounding pharmacy can formulate for you. Forget the pills and those suppositories, just rub the transdermal on your skin for almost immediate relief.

Please note:  These are tips, not medical advice.  For medical advice that relates to your specific condition, please check with your own doctor.

About the Author

Keri Topouzian D.O., FACOEP

Diplomate, American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine

Dr. Topouzian is a partner at The Center of Healthy Living & received his degree in Osteopathic Medicine from the Kansas City University of Medicine in 1982.  Double-boarded in emergency medicine, is now board certified in Anti-Aging Medicine & has completed a two year fellowship in Functional Medicine.

Dr. Topouzian focuses his energies on seeking out the root/underlying cause of a patient’s complaints & utilizes Bio-identical Hormones, pharmaceutical grade nutrients from compounding pharmacies as well as new, old & forgotten Science Based treatment options.

Other Articles on Immune System Support

Exercise & the Immune System: Get Your Sexy Back

Exercise & the Immune System (2): Releasing the Psoas & the Spine

Crush, Love & Commitment w/ NAET: A therapy for food allergies.

 Barb Meconis, RN, BS giving a treatment. Photograph by Daniel E. Johnson, Wealthy Street Photography.Photographs by Daniel E. Johnson of Wealthy Street Photography

A few months ago, I had the privilege of speaking with Barb Meconis, R.N., B.S. about an interesting therapy called NAET. NAET stands for “Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique”. I had an immediate crush on this method as soon as I heard about the successes that some people had experienced with it.

COMMITMENT VS. CRUSH

Before we fall head over heals in love, however, we need to understand that NAET is not a “cure” for food allergies or celiac disease. It’s a therapy that supports and rebalances the immune system. It can help reduce symptoms and the severity of reactions, and can even reduce the number of sensitivities in some people if done properly. While it can provide immediate relief, it often takes time, great care, and work, especially if your reactions are severe and complex.

So don’t go running around behind your Epipen’s back with that bad boy Peanut Butter, or sleep around with the gluten monster if you have celiac disease, or sneak into back alleys for a three-way with good ‘ole Ben and Jerry’s. Allergic reactions are serious business. A few treatments DO NOT mean that you can suddenly eat something that makes your throat close up, no matter what someone might tell you. GOT IT?

A relationship with NAET is worth a try, however, and one that deserves a regular commitment to see if it helps rebalance your unique immune system as you also work to help heal your gut (where about 75% of your immune system lives). Take your relationship with NAET slow and steady; and work with an experienced practitioner like Barbara.  

LOSE YOUR ENERGETIC INHIBITIONS (It’s the Eastern Way)

The NAET Chart. Photograph by Daniel E. Johnson, Weatlhy Street Photography
Now.  Let’s fall in love a little. Developed by Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, M.D., D.C., L.Ac., Ph.D., the premise behind NAET is decidedly energetic and has the underlying philosophies of Eastern medicine. But the entire method combines several medical disciplines such as allopathic (Western medicine), acupuncture, homeopathic, chiropractic, kinesiology, and nutrition. It is non-invasive and drug-free technique that helps desensitize the body to specific elements in specific foods.

If you have no idea what I just said, stick with me and I’ll explain further. Let’s first understand how this method looks at the body’s reaction to food.

NAET sees allergies, an immune reaction, as the result of energetic blockages, which can become unblocked. That is one difference between the two halves of the medical world: Western Medicine sees health as the absence of disease, while Eastern Medicine seeks a state of balance by resolving different layers of underlying causes. So the practice of NAET, much like acupuncture, looks underneath the allergic reaction, below the histamine response, to another layer, the energetic body.

The NAET method also describes multiple allergies as a spiraling weakness in the body, or blockage, where the immune system is not properly supported. Many people are experiencing this today. They start with an allergy or sensitivity to one type of food, and then end up with a list of 10, 20, or more. 

“The hardest thing for most of my clients to understand is that this is about energy medicine. It is one thing that we don’t learn in medical school. NAET is a very humble treatment that allows the body to heal the way it knows how. I started as an R.N. in 1970, working in the ICU. Many lives were saved, but patients often left with lingering health issues and chronic illness that never allowed them to thrive. It saddened me and I was ready to quit medicine altogether. But working with NAET, I’ve been able to watch people heal. Children get better and can eat ice cream for the first time in their lives. Adults can re-assimilate into society. It is a fascinating journey. I have the privilege of taking that journey with them.”

~Barbara Meconis, R.N.

YES, THERE ARE LAYERS.  WHAT ARE YOURS?

We humans have many layers and complex patterns to our well being. Some people have mild reactions while others have a life threatening anaphylaxis. Environmental and chemical allergies also come into play (cigarette smoke, mold, perfume, building materials, etc.), as do fungus and parasites, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, viruses, bacteria, autism, ADD, brain issues, and more.

The more complex the layers, the more treatments are required to feel relief, and the potential for other types of intervention might be needed.

After clearing the physical blocks, the NAET method even provides a series of treatments for emotional trauma that might be underlying a food reaction. This may sound strange, but our emotions can greatly influence our immune systems. Imagine yourself as a child where the dinner table was a constant source of conflict in your family.  Perhaps you were criticized or even abused when you entered the kitchen, or when you prepared a certain type of food. Your brain may be associating anger, resentment, sadness or fear with a particular food or food in general. As a result, your immune system might feel the need to protect you from that food. Interesting, isn’t it?

Dr. Nambudripad, in her book, describes several situations where mild to severe emotional trauma needed healing before the food reaction could be cleared. Not everyone has emotional trauma associated with food, but if you do, it is important to also receive psychological counseling along with your NAET treatments.

HOW THE THERAPY WORKS

THE BASIC FIFTEEN

Allergen Vials. Photograph by Daniel E. Johnson of Wealthy Street Photography.Barbara and I started with the BASIC 15 treatments, which are the underlying essential nutrients for everyone. If you are allergic to a string of fruits and vegetables, for instance, you may have an allergy to Vitamin C or B, not just the list of fruits or vegetables. Clearing the basic 15 could clear a bunch of food reactions at once.  


APPLIED KINISEOLOGY (NEURO-MUSCULAR TESTING - NST)

Hold in your hand, the allergen for which you are being treated.The first technique is called Kinesiology.  I’ve had this done in the past by a few different people and at first thought it was a bunch of hocus-pocus.  But in the hands of a pro, I became amazed at how accurate it can be. After you take your place on the therapy table, you will hold a vial containing the offending substance in your right hand.  For me that day, it was sugar.

While holding the vial in your right hand, your left arm is raised like in the picture above left. Barbara tries to push it down. If she can (above right), the substance in your hand is weakening you. If she can’t, and she is one strong chick, you are not reacting to that substance, so you can move on to test for the next one. Crazy, right?

Starting out strong, but ending weak.

If you test positive (or “weak”) for the substance, it’s time for a treatment.  You will keep the vial in your right hand and then turn your body over onto your stomach. I have a pillow under my chest in this picture, while Barbara takes a little machine up and down my spine several times (pictured below). She gives specific breathing instructions as she does so. This does not hurt. You simply feel a mild vibration that is quite pleasant.

ACUPRESSURE

The next step is the acupressure. With a little instrument, Barbara will apply some pressure to different points around the meridians of your body. Just relax.


BRIEF NUTRITIONAL CONSULT

Pondering my results.At this point you repeat the neuro-muscular test to see if the treatment was effective. Using the same technique, Barbara then checks for the length of time you need to avoid the substance you were treated for.  For instance, I needed to avoid all food items that contain any kind of natural or artificial sugars, including fruit, coconut, maple syrup, toothpaste, and supplements. I had to avoid eating or touching sugar for 35 hours.  After the treatment you rest in a dark room for about 30 minutes.  

THE BUZZ

I’ve spoken to a number of people about NAET and their experiences. Some have told me that they credit NAET with an actual reduction of the number of food allergies and sensitivities that they have; others have felt a great reduction in the severity of even their IgE (anaphylactic) reactions over the long haul. Still others have said that it either didn’t help them much or didn’t last. I’ve heard chiropractors and medical professionals call this treatment “very powerful”, and others remain skeptical. One mother told me that her son was having serious behavioral problems in school. The problems arose in the afternoon, after he had eaten class treats with food additives and food coloring. NAET testing revealed he was highly sensitive to additives/colorings. He stopped eating the treats, and after a series of NAET treatments, his behavioral problems abated.

QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS ARE A MUST

A word of caution: Choose a qualified practitioner. There are those that claim to cure a life-threatening, anaphylactic response with a few laser-type treatments. These folks have inspired the California Senate to approve a bill that would prohibit chiropractors from treating food allergies. You can research qualified practitioners at www.naet.com.

MY RESULTS SO FAR

Barbara is a joy to work with.After the first three treatments, I felt immediate and remarkable relief. My vision was insanely clear as I drove down the highway toward home. I felt elation, strength, energy, and wanted to chat with everyone I loved on the phone. My abdomen felt better and more connected. I slept long and hard after those treatments. After the fourth treatment, the one for sugar, I felt rather emotional and drained, then slept for about 12 hours for two days in a row, my blood sugar adjusting like crazy. There are different types of reactions that will help your practitioner determine the depth of later treatments. I will need to finish the basic 15, commit to doing a long series of treatments and then get new IgE and IgG blood work done before I could say that it helped my food allergies. But I feel inspired enough by this treatment to tell you about it. I think it has a lot of possibilities for love.


Barb Meconis, R.N., B.S. is the owner of Holistic Care Approach.  Find her at www.holisticcareapproach.com and at 3368 E. Beltline Ct. NE Grand Rapids MI 49525.  PH 616.361.9221

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writer, owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, and lover of all culinary delights, Elisabeth is a Tender Foodie. She started The Tender Palate, a website for foodies with food allergies where she consults with experts from every area of the Tender Foodie life. She believes that everyone should live deliciously and have a healthy seat at the table. Find her at www.tenderpalate.com.

Follow Your Gut: What's eating my daughter's stomach? (Part 1)

A Mother's Intuition

Ever heard of “mother’s intuition?”  It is that tiny voice in a mom’s head that says “hmm…something is not quite as it seems.”   That voice was what drove my friend  Emily to forgo her pediatrician’s relaxed approach to her young daughter’s stomach pains and embark on journey directed by her mother’s intuition.   Over coffee  at our local java stop, Emily described the events of the past two years to me.

Emily’s daughter, Nicky, who is now 6, began having constipation and separate periods of stomach pain at age 4.  She  was also having difficulty maintaining attention for age appropriate tasks, causing her  parents to discuss attention deficit disorder with their pediatrician.  While the physician leaned more toward treating the symptoms of the gastrointestinal (GI) issues, Emily asked herself why her daughter was in such agony.  What was causing this?  Because Nicky’s paternal grandmother had a history of stomach ailments and found relief via a gluten-free diet, Nicky’s parents suspected a gluten intolerance.  They took her off gluten in January 2011, and within 2 week the stomach aches and constipation went away.   Interestingly, so did her difficulties with attention and her tendency to be impulsive, which is a hallmark for children with ADD.

Over time, Emily did not worry about cross contamination or the occasional gluten-filled cookie.  Her daughter typically preferred to eat gluten-free foods, eating “lots of fruits and veggies, minimally processed foods” and only rarely,  a food with gluten.   By August 2011, Nicky had returned to daily tummy pains and the discomfort of chronic constipation.   Kindergarten had started, and at first, Emily suspected the culprit to be the stress that such a big transition can cause for a child.  But, by the start of 2012, mother’s intuition was shouting “Do something about this!” 

Time to Act

First stop: allergy testing.  A blood test for celiac, not always foolproof, came back negative.  Additional blood tests and scratch tests for food allergies were negative, but further testing revealed that Nicky had the permissive gene marker for celiac.  Consequently, Emily’s next step was to take Nicky to a pediatric gastroenterologist, who ordered a series of tests to rule out a multitude of causes for Nicky’s pain, including stool testing for parasites, an ultrasound of her liver and pancreas and tests for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).   Again, all tests came back negative, leading Emily and her husband to consider taking one more step: an upper GI endoscopy involving anesthesia and a small bowel biopsy.

“What went through your mind when you considered this next step?” I asked my friend.  Emily gazed into her coffee, taking herself back to that moment.  “The risks of anesthesia.  I had the choice to do it or not to do it and that felt very heavy.  Ultimately, we decided to do it because it was important that we knew  for sure if we needed to avoid cross contamination or food temptations.”   Emily’s anguish over Nicky being 100% gluten free for life was clear.  “Mel, I mourned the loss of gluten.  I truly mourned it.”

Join us for Part 2 of “Follow Your Gut.”

In Part 2 of this article,  Emily is instructed to do a “gluten challenge”,  feeding Nicky plenty of gluten for the next 8 weeks prior to the endoscopy to ensure that the biopsy results would be accurate.   While she mourned the loss of gluten, the flood of gluten over the next 2 months proved to be the most challenging aspect of this journey, as little Nicky’s symptoms became almost unbearable for a mother to watch.

 For more information visit:  How to Get Tested for Celiac Disease.

About Melanie

Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLPMelanie is speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding.  Her work brings her into the homes and schools of her clients, kids, who for various reasons have difficulty with food or with eating. She works with kids and their parents to develop effective strategies that help children become “more adventurous eaters”.  At least 50% of her clients have food allergies or intolerances, and for them, “adventurous eating” takes on a special meaning.  Melanie is also the author of Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids” and the executive producer of “Dancing in the Kitchen.”

More Posts from Melanie

Read PART 2:  Going through a Celiac Biopsy

Why Children with Autism are Often Picky Eaters

Review:  The Magic of the BellyFull Kit (From the Hopeful Company)

How Can Parents Feel Less Stress with a Food Allergic Child in School?

10 Steps to Living Allergen-Free (& Doing it Well) - Women's Lifestyle

Women's LifeStyle Magazine Jan. 2012 - Fresh Starts (Find this article pgs 36-37)

After being featured in their October 2011 issue, This Tender Foodie is so pleased to be a new writer for Women's Lifestyle Magazine this year.   This article is reprinted here with their permission.  But do visit the full January 2012 issue called"Fresh Starts".  It is full of great stuff for the new year. Plus, this article (and all of the others) is so gorgeous laid out in the magazine!

Food Allergies Have Risen - Have You Noticed?

The number of people diagnosed with food allergies or intolerances (aka “Tender Foodies”) has risen significantly and rapidly.  An online search will lead you to gads of stories about people, including celebrities, who struggle with their reactions to food.  To help us understand how quickly food allergies have “spread”; here are a few facts:

•    Peanut allergies have tripled from 1997-2008 (FAAN)
•    There are 4 times more people with Celiac Disease than there were 50 years ago (March 2011, University of Maryland study).  
•    12 million people (and counting) have classic food allergies (FAAN)
•    In March 2011, a study revealed that as many as 18 million people are suspected to have gluten sensitivity.  (U of Maryland study).


This rapid rise in food allergies has also spawned virtual Petri dish of confusion.  Thus, in honor of 2012, this Tender Foodie column will start at the very beginning (it’s a very good place to start) with some tips to help you better understand what your Tender Foodie life is all about.

Take These 10 Steps

1. Understand Your Reaction to Food

There are eight types of foods that cause 90% of all allergic reactions (namely, eggs, dairy, gluten, soy, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts).  Very simply, allergic reactions occur because your immune system mistakes a food (or foods) for a foreign invader.  There are several different types of immune responses that can cause a variety of symptoms including hives, itching, eczema, difficulty breathing, swollen joints, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, nasal congestion, depression, anxiety, anaphylaxis (a severe reaction to an allergen) and possibly death.  

So when it comes to living with food allergies, the first step to “doing it well” is to understand your particular reaction to food.   Is it a Food Allergy?  Intolerance?  Sensitivity?  Celiac Disease?  Or is it something else?  This is sometimes difficult to determine, since not everyone defines “food allergy” the same way and not all food reactions are alike.  To help, I contacted Sheila George, M.D., C.A. (a family medical practitioner in New York, specializing in chronic disease) and Alessio Fasano, M.D., Director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research.  With the input of experts like these, we have compiled a working list of fundamental definitions at www.TenderPalate.com.  If we can speak the same language, doctors, patients, friends and families can come to a better understanding and Tender Foodies can live in better health.

2.  Find the Right Doctor

If you think your symptoms are because of the food you are eating, it is very important to find the right doctor …and the right diagnosis.  There are many types of tests available now, including skin prick tests, blood tests, food challenges, and intestinal biopsies (if warranted, to diagnose Celiac disease).  Ask your doctor about the tests available and if you should be referred to a specialist.  If you need a guide, bring this article and print out the food allergy definitions page on www.TenderPalate.com.

3. Develop an Emergency Action Plan

You could have more than one food allergy or intolerance, each with a different type of bodily response.  Work with your doctor(s) to answer these fundamental questions:
•    Exactly which kind of food allergy or reaction do I have?  
•    Is there an underlying reason for my food allergies or intolerances?
•    How do I treat the underlying cause?
•    How severe is each allergy/intolerance?  
•    Which foods (if any) should be on a rotation diet?  
•    Which foods (if any) must I completely avoid eating?  
•    Which foods (if any) are dangerous to inhale?  
•    Do I need an Epi-pen?  
•    When and how do I use the Epi-pen or any other medication?   

Then develop your action plan and review it with your doctor(s).  Your plan should include how to recognize each type of reaction, what to do if the reaction is a severe one, and who to include in your plan should action be needed.  

4. Learn to Read Labels

It’s not as easy as it sounds.  Along with words that even rocket scientists can’t pronounce, labels contain allergens “hidden” from plain view.  For instance, most regular soy sauce contains wheat.  “Smoke flavoring” can contain barley malt (gluten).  Whey is derived from dairy.  Livetin contains eggs.  “Non-Dairy” does NOT mean “Dairy-free”.   Don’t ignore the “May Contain” labeling, either.  Significant amounts of an allergen can be present in foods because of processing, even if that allergen is not listed in the ingredients.  For more on this, visit “Hidden Allergens” at www.tenderpalate.com.  A good general label-reading rule is that if you don’t know what it is, don’t eat it.

5. Do a Pantry Cleanse

If you have a severe reaction to food particles that can become airborne, like wheat flour or peanuts, remove that allergen from your home.  Go through your pantry, refrigerator and freezer, and then dump (or give to a food pantry) any food with ingredients you or your family can’t eat. Even your medicine cabinet needs a good “once-over”.  Vitamins and medications can be made with or derived from things like wheat, eggs, dairy, corn or yeast.   For mixed households with less severe reactions, separate the non-allergenic brands from others to keep from making a mistake or cross contaminating.   After all, breadcrumbs can easily make it into the family butter, nut butters can get into the jam (via a knife), wheat crumbs can get on your gluten-free toast (just from the toaster) and sponges can carry allergens from counter to dish . . . (you get the picture).

6. Check Beauty Products

Researchers recently warned that cosmetics like lipsticks, foundations and powders often contain gluten, but are not labeled as such.  Vitamin E, for instance, is typically derived from wheat.  This can be very dangerous to celiac folks and people with wheat allergies.  Check your shampoo.  Many skin care products also contain coconut and nut oils, which can cause a reaction in people with those allergies.  So don’t stop with the kitchen.  

7.  Find Your Brands

Adding more whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet can help remove those long, multi-syllabic mystery ingredients from your worries.  But not all foods are processed alike.  Find those brands (whole grains and otherwise) that pay attention to processing and that test for your particular allergies.  Some really wonderful brands have popped up, find them and relax a little.

8.  Get Out of the Box (and Enjoy it.)

So you can’t eat certain foods.  This doesn’t mean that you are banned from the world of culinary delights.  Your delights will simply be different.  According to many doctors, a varied diet is important to a healthy digestive system.  Wonderful grains like quinoa, buckwheat, teff and millet are packed with nutrients.  Dairy-free coconut milk and yogurt are filled with those important medium chain fatty acids that are tough to get in other foods.  Not all allergen-free products are healthy (some are quite unhealthy), so use your newfound knowledge to be creative, expand your palate and improve your health.

9.  Create Your Tribe

It can be tough to “train” your family and friends.  It’s hard enough to train yourself.  Share this and other articles like it, with anyone who is responsible for feeding a food allergic person.  Share the action plan that you and your doctor create.  Your tribe” could be teachers, family, and friends; even restaurants that have done their homework.  Give your family a list of your allergens to keep in their kitchen.   Always discuss the menu, the ingredients and what needs to be cooked separately before you go to someone else’s house for dinner.  Be gracious but firm.  If someone can’t or won’t accommodate you (they don’t have to), you could suggest the option of bringing a dish that you can eat and share.  Helpful, active support groups are popping up all over the Internet and in towns across the United States where you can discuss common social issues as well as food allergy products and practices.   

10.  Lastly, know that you are not alone. 

There are millions of Tender Foodies just like you.  

Interview w/ Dr. Alessio Fasano Part 3: Gluten Sensitivity (a new "food allergy")

Let's Review

THERE ARE 3 FORMS OF GLUTEN-BASED REACTIONS:   Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity, and a Gluten/Wheat Allergy.  There are four different types of wheat allergy -- and each type behaves differently.

In Part 1 of this interview series, I was most privileged to speak with Dr. Fasano about gluten, our bodies’ response(s) to it, wheat allergies, and why so many people today have problems with wheat (plus rye, barley, spelt, triticale, etc.) and gluten-based products.  I learned a surprising fact:  no one can properly digest gluten. Read more...

In Part 2, we discussed testing for celiac disease.  Celiac Disease is a severe auto-immune disease triggered by the gluten protein.  Dr. Fasano and his team put together information on how to get tested for celiac disease.     According to Dr. Fasano the latest research shows that you need to have 4 out of the first 5 of the following markers in order to be diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  Read how to get tested...

Gluten Sensitivity - The New Kid on the Block

In this post, Part 3, Dr. Fasano's team answered questions about what Dr. Fasano calls "the new kid on the block", or... gluten sensitivity.  My thanks to Dr. Fasano and his team at the Center For Celiac Research.

TF: What is gluten sensitivity?

Dr. Fasano: As the word “sensitive” suggests, gluten sensitivity is a reaction to ingesting gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. Symptoms can arise throughout the body and range from fatigue and “foggy mind” to diarrhea, depression and joint pain (see more on symptoms below).


TF: How does gluten sensitivity differ from celiac disease?

Dr. Fasano:  Although symptoms (particularly gastrointestinal) are often similar to those of celiac disease, the overall clinical picture is less severe. Recent research at the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research shows that gluten sensitivity is a different clinical entity that does not result in the intestinal inflammation that leads to a flattening of the villi of the small intestine that characterizes celiac disease. The development of tissue transglutaminase (tTG) autoantibodies, used to diagnose celiac disease, is not present in gluten sensitivity.

A different immune mechanism, the innate immune response, comes into play in reactions of gluten sensitivity, as opposed to the long-term adaptive immune response that arises in celiac disease. Researchers believe that gluten sensitive reactions do not engender the same long-term damage to the intestine that untreated celiac disease can cause.


TF:  What are the symptoms of gluten sensitivity?

Dr. Fasano:  Just as in celiac disease, gluten sensitivity can affect all body systems and generate a wide variety of symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms can include diarrhea, bloating, cramping, abdominal pain and constipation. Behavioral symptoms can include “foggy mind,” depression and ADHD-like behavior. Other symptoms include anemia, joint pain, osteoporosis, and leg numbness.


TF: How many people does gluten sensitivity affect?

Dr. Fasano:  Research from the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research indicates that it affects approximately 18 million people, or six percent of the population.


TF:  How can I tell if I have gluten sensitivity and what should I do?

Dr. Fasano: This is something to discuss with your family physician or health care provider. If celiac disease and other conditions have been ruled out, i.e., irritable bowel syndrome and other forms of intestinal inflammation, talk to your doctor and dietitian about a gluten-free diet. Please do not undertake the gluten-free diet as treatment without the supervision of health care professionals as nutritional considerations as well as health considerations must be taken into account with this treatment.


TF:  Do I still need to be tested for celiac disease if I think I’m gluten sensitive?

Dr. Fasano:  Yes. You need to be tested for celiac disease to rule out the possibility of long-term complications. Accordingly, do not go on a gluten-free diet until the possibility of celiac disease has been eliminated through testing. If you go on a gluten-free diet and are then tested for celiac disease, the tests could be falsely negative due to the lack of autoantibodies in your blood serum.

Read how to get tested for celiac disease here.


TF:  Is there a test for gluten sensitivity?

Dr. Fasano:  Although researchers at the CFCR are working to develop tests for gluten sensitivity, currently there are no definitive blood tests for the condition.


TF:  Is there a cure for gluten sensitivity?

Dr. Fasano:  Just as in celiac disease, there is no cure for gluten sensitivity. The only treatment currently available is the gluten-free diet.

Other Articles on Gluten-based Reactions

Interview w/ Dr. Alessio Fasano Part 1:  Should Anyone Eat Gluten?

Interview w/ Dr. Alessio Fasano Part 2:  How to Get Tested for Celiac Disease.

About Dr. Fasano & the Center For Celiac Research

Alessio Fasano, M.D., is the director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the Mucosal Biology Research Center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  Dr. Fasano is an expert on gluten/wheat allergies and celiac disease.  In 2011, he led the research team who discovered a new immune reaction called "gluten sensitivity".

University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research is an institution engaged in clinical care, diagnostic support, education, and clinical and basic science research in Celiac Disease.

The paramount goal of the Center for Celiac Research is to increase the awareness of Celiac Disease in order to provide better care, better quality of life, and more adequate support for the Celiac Disease community.  To view the CFCR's brochure, CLICK HERE.