Article by Dr Vikki Petersen
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”
We have spoken before about the strong association between gluten and autoimmune disease. And we have mentioned that of industrialized nations, the autoimmune diseases when taken as a whole are the third leading cause of death, only behind heart disease and cancer.
Research continues to support and further corroborate that gluten, with its protein structure that can create inflammation as well as a leaky gut, is instrumental in creating the environment from which autoimmune disease stems.
In my geographic area there is a celiac support group. Recently a major discussion took place regarding the safety of eating from a local bakery that provided some gluten-free products but made it very clear that they were not free of cross-contamination.
The reason that some were not concerned about eating these products was that they “felt fine” after eating them. On the face of it that rationale might not seem flawed. And it certainly makes more sense than the opposite viewpoint: “I felt terrible after eating it so I plan to continue!” But let’s evaluate this more closely.
The people involved in the discussion are all suffering from celiac disease and unfortunately gluten has a way of creating damage silently. In fact it’s known for it. Therefore “feeling fine” is not a legitimate yardstick when evaluating the safety of a food.
Why does this concern me so much? In 2008 the Israel Medical Association Journal published a study entitled: The Mosaic of Autoimmunity: Prediction, Autoantibodies and Therapy in Autoimmune Disease”. The article listed five autoimmune diseases and the antibodies associated with them. Most interesting was the predictive value of those antibodies as well as how many years one could detect them PRIOR to the onset of the disease.
As an example, with Lupus the antibody could be found 7-10 years prior to the onset of the disease and the predictive value or how accurate it was in predicting that the disease would indeed occur was 94-100%. In rheumatoid arthritis the antibody could be found 14 years prior and its predictive value was 97%. In scleroderma and in a syndrome called antiphospholipid syndrome (an autoimmune disease that creates unexplained miscarriages) the predictive value was 100% and the antibodies for each could be found 11 years prior to the onset of the disease.
The way this research was done was on the frozen blood samples of soldiers who had their blood drawn frequently while they were in the armed services. The researchers tracked down these soldiers and analyzed them for any presence of autoimmune disease in current time. When they an autoimmune disease present they then went back to the prior blood samples and were able to find the earliest moment when the antibody was present in the blood. Rather brilliant and revelatory that these antibodies were typically present 10+ years prior to the onset of the disease!
Do understand that this is not simply about discovering bad news for which there is nothing you can do but wait a decade until the inevitable occurs. No. This is an early warning signal that, based upon our current research, would warrant the institution of a gluten-free, dairy-free diet in addition to taking all steps to restore complete health and integrity to the small intestine, thereby offering the potential of reversing the process.
In other words, if we looked for these antibodies regularly in patients who were “feeling fine” we might very well discover them on an unhealthy road to autoimmune disease - a road that could be exited from with enough advance warning. While such testing has heretofore only been available to the researcher working at a high tech medical research laboratory, I have it on good authority that it will soon be available to clinicians and their patients.
This would be a blood test that would not only give you a window into how your immune system was reacting from a potential autoimmune perspective but it could also be used to monitor improvement in such tendencies in addition to being useful in the patient who “feels fine” but is perhaps not being as diligent as they should about their diet.
I can tell you personally that I am very anxious to have this tool at my disposal. If it has the promised accuracy, then it will not only make my job easier, but it will prevent patients from playing Russian roulette with their health as regards cheating on their diet and creating an autoimmune risk.
I will keep you apprised as to the tests availability. This truly is a giant step forward for us in the gluten-free community.
Please let me know if I can assist you in any way.
To your good health,
Untitled by babicao featuring necklaces
Article by Dr Vikki Petersen
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”
We have spoken before about the strong association between gluten and autoimmune disease. And we have mentioned that of industrialized nations, the autoimmune diseases when taken as a whole are the third leading cause of death, only behind heart disease and cancer.
Research continues to support and further corroborate that gluten, with its protein structure that can create inflammation as well as a leaky gut, is instrumental in creating the environment from which autoimmune disease stems.
In my geographic area there is a celiac support group. Recently a major discussion took place regarding the safety of eating from a local bakery that provided some gluten-free products but made it very clear that they were not free of cross-contamination.
The reason that some were not concerned about eating these products was that they “felt fine” after eating them. On the face of it that rationale might not seem flawed. And it certainly makes more sense than the opposite viewpoint: “I felt terrible after eating it so I plan to continue!” But let’s evaluate this more closely.
The people involved in the discussion are all suffering from celiac disease and unfortunately gluten has a way of creating damage silently. In fact it’s known for it. Therefore “feeling fine” is not a legitimate yardstick when evaluating the safety of a food.
Why does this concern me so much? In 2008 the Israel Medical Association Journal published a study entitled: The Mosaic of Autoimmunity: Prediction, Autoantibodies and Therapy in Autoimmune Disease”. The article listed five autoimmune diseases and the antibodies associated with them. Most interesting was the predictive value of those antibodies as well as how many years one could detect them PRIOR to the onset of the disease.
As an example, with Lupus the antibody could be found 7-10 years prior to the onset of the disease and the predictive value or how accurate it was in predicting that the disease would indeed occur was 94-100%. In rheumatoid arthritis the antibody could be found 14 years prior and its predictive value was 97%. In scleroderma and in a syndrome called antiphospholipid syndrome (an autoimmune disease that creates unexplained miscarriages) the predictive value was 100% and the antibodies for each could be found 11 years prior to the onset of the disease.
The way this research was done was on the frozen blood samples of soldiers who had their blood drawn frequently while they were in the armed services. The researchers tracked down these soldiers and analyzed them for any presence of autoimmune disease in current time. When they an autoimmune disease present they then went back to the prior blood samples and were able to find the earliest moment when the antibody was present in the blood. Rather brilliant and revelatory that these antibodies were typically present 10+ years prior to the onset of the disease!
Do understand that this is not simply about discovering bad news for which there is nothing you can do but wait a decade until the inevitable occurs. No. This is an early warning signal that, based upon our current research, would warrant the institution of a gluten-free, dairy-free diet in addition to taking all steps to restore complete health and integrity to the small intestine, thereby offering the potential of reversing the process.
In other words, if we looked for these antibodies regularly in patients who were “feeling fine” we might very well discover them on an unhealthy road to autoimmune disease - a road that could be exited from with enough advance warning. While such testing has heretofore only been available to the researcher working at a high tech medical research laboratory, I have it on good authority that it will soon be available to clinicians and their patients.
This would be a blood test that would not only give you a window into how your immune system was reacting from a potential autoimmune perspective but it could also be used to monitor improvement in such tendencies in addition to being useful in the patient who “feels fine” but is perhaps not being as diligent as they should about their diet.
I can tell you personally that I am very anxious to have this tool at my disposal. If it has the promised accuracy, then it will not only make my job easier, but it will prevent patients from playing Russian roulette with their health as regards cheating on their diet and creating an autoimmune risk.
I will keep you apprised as to the tests availability. This truly is a giant step forward for us in the gluten-free community.
Please let me know if I can assist you in any way.
To your good health,