Celiac Disease – A Common Health Condition In Americans

Did you know that there are almost two million Americans who suffer from celiac disease? Yes, that’s right! However, most of them are not aware they have gluten intolerance; a common dilemma found in the United States and Europe.

“Fasano said that despite how common the condition is in the U.S, he's not surprised that few people have been diagnosed with it.

"The symptoms are so vague and non-specific that it's very difficult to point to celiac disease when you have (for instance) chronic fatigue or anemia or joint pain," Fasano said.”

Despite the fact that it is widespread among Americans, it is not surprising that only a few have been diagnosed with this condition. This is because the symptoms are inexplicable and standard medical tests do not detect it.

“Celiac disease is mainly a gastrointestinal disorder, and when people who have it eat gluten, they experience an immune reaction that damages the intestinal lining.”

The extensive prevalence of this condition motivated researchers to collect statistical data to more accurately estimate the number of celiac disease sufferers in the U.S.

“Dr. James Everhart, at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, along with colleagues at the Mayo Clinic and in Sweden, used data from a large, ongoing national study of health and nutrition.

About 7,800 people participated in the celiac survey, and gave a blood sample that was tested for signs of the immune response to gluten that characterizes celiac disease.

The researchers, who published their study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, found evidence of celiac disease in 35 people, 29 of whom were not aware of their sensitivity to gluten.

Six of the 35 people with celiac disease were not white.

Everhart says that based on the number of non-whites in the study - 4,368 - having just six test positive illustrates that celiac disease is pretty rare among non-whites.

"I think we confirmed the clinical suspicion that this is largely a condition found among non-Hispanic whites in this country," he told Reuters Health.”

The prevention of celiac disease can be managed by following a gluten-free diet as well as a “Leaky Gut” repair program. That is, gluten intolerance patients should refrain from consuming wheat, rye, spelt, kamut, oats, and barley. Celiac disease is quite difficult to detect especially in people who do not show symptoms of any kind. And be aware, this could develop at any age.

"If you don't have symptoms, it's hard to say categorically that identifying you as having this condition is going to do a lot of good at this point. That's for (other) studies to determine," said Everhart.”

The study initiated by Everhart together with his colleagues continues to survey the gathering of more data to determine whichgroup of people is most at risk of succumbing to celiac disease. They are also trying to discover how health differs from those people with celiac disease from those without such condition.  

Researchers have also found that there is a direct correlation between damage to the intestinal lining and the development of autoimmune disease and that there is a much larger group of people that are not celiac but definitely gluten intolerant, that go undetected and undiagnosed far more frequently than celiac sufferers, they estimate that over 40% of the population is at risk 

The statistics show that autoimmune disease is the number one cause of mortality today, this includes Rhumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Diabetes, Hashimoto’s Thyroidits, MS, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Ankilosing Spondilitis, and many more.  There are 56,000,000 people diagnosed and who knows how many others that have not been detected! Is gluten the common denominator in all of this? Are you at risk? Autoimmune disease can be silent until it is too late.

Article Source: today.msnbc.msn

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About the Author:

Dr. Novick is the leading expert on Gluten Free Living. Dr. Novick takes the time to create an individual treatment plan tailored to your specific health needs using holistic, natural therapies such as homeopathy, bach flowers, functional medicine or chiropractic care which nurture the body’s innate health system, and address the root cause of each person’s individual health issues.

The Role of Chiropractic In Patients Suffering From Body Pain

Have you ever felt different degrees of pain? I heard of a man who due to a repetitive motion stress injury caused severe pain in his hands. Even touching the keyboards of his computer was a struggle to him. To make things worse,  the injury was intensifying and spreading out to his shoulder, neck and back.

Normally, when we feel pain, fear begins to overtake us – right? However, the kind of pain this man experiences does not only evoke fear but also depression, anxiety, anger and irritability. Yet, looking at him, with all of the pain he was in, he appeared to be a healthy fellow.

That’s how pain is, a person looking at someone who is in pain may not be able to determine or measure the intensity of pain. A person with fibromyalgia for example, usually appears perfectly healthy on the surface.

In the United States alone, 10 percent of the population suffers from moderate to chronic pain and this becomes more prevalent as we age. New research shows, that seeing a chiropractor or engaging in light exercises may relieve pain more effectively than taking any form of pain medication such as aspirin, ibuprofen or any other over-the-counter pain relievers.

The new research published in The Annals of Internal Medicine has concluded that chiropractic care is a better option in addressing pain as compared to symptom relieving over the counter medicine . It may not relieve the pain instantaneously but overtime the pain  is reduced and/or completely eliminated and it does not return.

These pains crop up without explanation and treatment options are varied. Because of this, Dr. Bronfort was inspired to carry out an analysis on this matter since there are only a few research studies devoted to this subject.

“There was a void in the scientific literature in terms of what the most helpful treatments are,” he said.”

“To find out, Dr. Bronfort and his colleagues recruited a large group of adults with neck pain that had no known specific cause. The subjects, 272 in all, were mostly recruited from a large HMO and through advertisements. The researchers then split them into three groups and followed them for about three months.”

“One group was assigned to visit a chiropractor for roughly 20-minute sessions throughout the course of the study, making an average of 15 visits. A second group was assigned to take common pain relievers like acetaminophen and — in some cases, at the discretion of a doctor — stronger drugs like narcotics and muscle relaxants. The third group met on two occasions with physical therapists who gave them instructions on simple, gentle exercises for the neck that they could do at home. They were encouraged to do 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise up to eight times a day. (A demonstration of the exercises can be found atwww.annals.org).”

“After 12 weeks, the people in the non-medication groups did significantly better than those taking the drugs. About 57 percent of those who met with chiropractors and 48 percent who did the exercises reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, compared to 33 percent of the people in the medication group.”

“A year later, when the researchers checked back in, 53 percent of the subjects who had received spinal manipulation still reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, similar to the exercise group. That compared to just a 38 percent pain reduction among those who had been taking medication.”

Ultimately, Dr. Bronfort’s biggest realization is the fact that the sufferer himself must willingly and positively take part to his care in order to achieve better outcomes. Correct mindset coupled with the proper approach,  are effective ways to reduce or eliminate any mild or chronic pain that an individual is trying to endure.

Article Source: well.blogs.nytimes

Photo Credit: This Year's Love Via Photo Pin cc

Author Bio: 

Dr. Novick is the leading expert on Gluten Free Living. Dr. Novick takes the time to create an individual treatment plan tailored to your specific health needs using holistic, natural therapies such as homeopathy, bach flowers, functional medicine or chiropractic care which nurture the body’s innate health system, and address the root cause of each person’s individual health issues.

Do Something To Address Low Thyroid Function

Low thyroid function has become a pandemic fear among men and women around the world.

You may even have it! Studies show that 30M women and 15M men are affected with such a dilemma – leading them to decrease sex drive, depression, low energy, balding, anxiety, and difficulty in losing weight.

The good thing is…there is something you can do about it! First, you need to understand the causes of low thyroid function and why a lot of people experience this challenging health issue.

What Causes Chronic Low Thyroid Function?

This particular ailment is actually due to various factors; one of them is the environmental toxins we are exposed to; i.e. pesticides — which cause hormone or endocrine disruption that interferes with your thyroid hormone metabolism and function.

This is concluded in a study where people were observed to release pesticides from their fat tissue while losing weight. These toxins interfere with one’s thyroid function leading to hypothyroidism, thus slowing metabolism, which prevents a person from losing weight.

Heavy metals are another environmental toxin, particularly mercury, which interferes with normal thyroid function.

Chronic stress, however, is by far the biggest factor that interferes with normal thyroid function.

The more stressed you are, the worse it gets!

Chronic inflammation, which is usually the repercussion of consuming gluten products found in wheat, rye, barley, kamut, oats and spelt – is another cause for 15 to 30 percent of the population.

The common reason for this reaction is mostly due to poor diet, damage to your digestive system and stress.

Nutritional deficiencies play an integral part in thyroid dysfunction, particularly vitamin D, vitamin A, B vitamins, omega 3-fatty acids, selenium, rubidium, magnesium, and zinc.

There are actually more causes than are mentioned above, but are oftentimes ignored or glossed over. The best approach to combat this health issue is to investigate the often multi-faceted cause.

Ask your doctor to run some blood tests, including TSH, T3 Uptake, FTI, Free T3, Total T4 and Thyroid Antibodies. On the other hand, if you already know you have nutritional deficiencies,

such as vitamin D and A, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and the like, then begin by taking some of the nutrients you are lacking by eating a healthy diet and taking some supplements.

Anyway, to make sure that you are well aware of what you need to do, I wrote down some simple guidelines that you could use to address hypothyroidism. Remember, once you have confirmed you have even the slightest symptom of thyroid dysfunction, ACT right away. Don’t let a bad situation worsen and end up living a life of misery.

1.       Immediately identify the underlying causes of your thyroid dysfunction such as any food allergies or intolerances such as gluten or dairy, nutritional deficiencies and the like.

2. If you think you have nutritional deficiencies, make sure to have foods rich in minerals such as; zinc, selenium and more. Eat a variety of ORGANIC fresh fruits and vegetables!

3. Minimize any activities that stress you out, or make a conscious effort to include 15min of quiet time every day.

4. Take supplements that will enhance thyroid function. Consult a practitioner, not all thyroid supplements are made for your particular thyroid dysfunction.

5. Exercise 4-5 times a week at least 15-20min using interval training to stimulate thyroid function and improve Growth Hormone production.

6. Saunas and heat encourage the elimination of stored toxins.

7. Taking supplements rich in turmeric and Resveratrol, the only two natural compounds known to effectively protect you from the toxic world we live in, they help you deal with the toxins you cannot eliminate and stay stored in your fat and tissues.

8. Eat meals frequently throughout the day that include protein (chicken, fish, lamb, or grass fed beef) and healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, olives, or raw organic coconut oil. This increases metabolism by stabilizing your blood sugar.

To obtain optimal health and wellness, you must actively participate on your road to improved thyroid function. Do not depend on conventional medication alone. It is best to get a definitive answer as to why you have low thyroid function. What is the cause? What do you need to do about it? What CAN you do about it? It can be the difference between improving the state of your thyroid or living with it in dysfunction.

photo credit: Dorli Photography via photo pin cc

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Author Bio:

Dr. Novick is the leading expert on Gluten Free Living. Dr. Novick takes the time to create an individual treatment plan tailored to your specific health needs using holistic, natural therapies such as homeopathy, bach flowers, functional medicine or chiropractic care which nurture the body’s innate health system, and address the root cause of each person’s individual health issues.

Homeopathy for Brain Tumor Patients

As we hear a lot in television, radios, friends and even doctors that prevention is better than cure. However, not all is lucky enough to do that. There are others who find these ailments too late already. Having brain tumor isn’t easy at all…it’s painful and expensive, right?

According from the University of Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany that a substantial number of brain tumor seek alternative therapies like homeopathy alongside their conventional treatment regimen.

“A considerable number of patients with brain tumors use alternative therapies, such as homeopathy, alongside their conventional treatments, researchers from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany reveal in the medical journal Neurology. The researchers discovered that approximately 40% of patients with incurable grade II to IV gliomas were found to use alternative therapies.

The most common therapies included psychological therapy, homeopathy and vitamin supplements, the authors wrote.

Study author, neurosurgeon Oliver Heese, MD, said:

"The use of these alternative treatments may be largely overlooked and underestimated. Doctors need to be aware of patients' desire to seek alternative treatments and encourage an open discussion of options. Their guidance may be much appreciated, especially when some treatments are dubious, expensive or potentially harmful."

 The rise in demand for patients indulging in alternative remedy to the conventional way of treating oneself is not because of the latter’s inefficiency in treatment but people are just yearning to try anything under the sun that could help restore health.

“The most common reason for opting for alternative therapies were:

·         As a complement for their conventional therapy

·         To build up body resistance

·         To do something for the treatment by themselves

Being afraid of conventional methods, or saying it was because the doctor did not have enough time were the least commonly chosen responses.

The alternative therapies included:

·         39% - homeopathy

·         31% - vitamin supplements

·         29% - a wide range of psychological methods”

Although not all are yet into alternative medicine or homeopathy to be specific…I believe that trying it will bring no harm to anyone since its approach is all natural.  You can always stop the treatment if it doesn’t seem to help you.

Article Source : medicalnewstoday.com

Author Bio:

Dr. Novick is the leading expert on Gluten Free Living. Dr. Novick takes the time to create an individual treatment plan tailored to your specific health needs using holistic, natural therapies such as homeopathy, bach flowers, functional medicine or chiropractic care which nurture the body’s innate health system, and address the root cause of each person’s individual health issues.