Coeliac Disease And Food Intolerences

[fergusminto]

I have spent several hours trawling through coeliac-related web sites looking for "treatment" and all I can find is that an immediate 100% gluten withdrawal in the recommended default.

 

I was diagnosed 5 years ago and was put on the subscribed treatment. Since doing so I have grown a large list of intolerances: Oats, all Dairy, Eggs, Soya, Ginger (!!), Pears etc. Why? I can only hypothesise that having gone onto the 100% gluten free treatment my gut finds itself swamped by "new" nutrients it has never faced before and goes into hyperdrive! Result? It rejects accordingly leaving me with intolenances which all cause headaches and tiredness. But this is hypothesis and the health professionals don't listen - well they "listen" but don't hear.

 

Has any research been done on this as my list is added to by the month.

[GFinDC]

Hi Fergusminto,

 

Many of us develop additional food intolerances beyond just wheat, rye, barley and oats.  Actually only around 10% or so of celiacs are intolerant to oats.  But nightshades, eggs, corn, soy, and many other foods can become problems.  if you read the signature lines under people's posts they sometimes lists other food intolerances.  Anyhow, the usual thinking is that these additional intolerances are developed due to leaky gut.  Irritation in the gut is basically, well, irritating.  And the body reacts to that and may even develop a permanent reaction to a certain food.

 

The gluten free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease.  But, to avoid other irritating foods may require an elimination diet.  It may be that some of the other food intolerances you are experiencing were there all long, but the symptoms were masked by the celiac reactions.  Or they can be new reactions also.  Sometimes it seems our guts are reacting to many foods but it is really just one food that is causing most of the problems.  But it can be hard to pick out reactions to one food when your gut is irritated all the time.

[nutritionguy]

I have spent several hours trawling through coeliac-related web sites looking for "treatment" and all I can find is that an immediate 100% gluten withdrawal in the recommended default.

 

I was diagnosed 5 years ago and was put on the subscribed treatment. Since doing so I have grown a large list of intolerances: Oats, all Dairy, Eggs, Soya, Ginger (!!), Pears etc. Why? I can only hypothesise that having gone onto the 100% gluten free treatment my gut finds itself swamped by "new" nutrients it has never faced before and goes into hyperdrive! Result? It rejects accordingly leaving me with intolenances which all cause headaches and tiredness. But this is hypothesis and the health professionals don't listen - well they "listen" but don't hear.

 

Has any research been done on this as my list is added to by the month.

There are indeed scientific explanations for a number of the food intolerances you have--explanations based on a number of publications in recent research publications:

 

eggs:  In the United States, hens are fed grains, and the hens covert these grains into fat composed primarily of omega-6 fatty acids.  On the other hand, hens in a number of European countries are grass fed, and grass is converted into a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  The difference between the two types of fatty acids is that omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, and omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory.  With regard to eggs from grass fed chickens, the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is about 1 to 1.  With regard to grain fed chickens, the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is about 20-30 to 1.  The conclusion in my mind is obvious.  And earlier today, I actually read a post on this web site from a person with celiac disease who someone learned that grain fed eggs were causing her problems.

 

dairy:  In the United State, cows are fed grains, similarly to chickens.  The end result is similar to that found with eggs.

 

pears:  An inflamed gastrointestinal tract can be a haven for growth of certain bacteria that are pro-inflammatory, and certain fruits and/or fruit juices can promote bacterial growth and add to this inflammation.  Some research has found this to be the case with apple juice; and in my mind, it is not too far of a jump to think that this might also be the case in some people with pears or pear juice--especially if you consume alot of this (or any other fruit for that matter).  In my opinion, one of the better types of fruits for a person with an inflamed gastrointestinal tracts is berries, which are rich in the naturally found sugar alcohol "xylitol", which inhibits growth of inflammatory bacteria.  Interestingly, xylitol also decreases dental decay because of its antibacterial effects.

 

An excellent book about nutrition which goes into a lot more detail than what I have indicated above is "Anti-Cancer:  A New Way of Life" by David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., PhD.  Just Google the word "anti-cancer" and it will be right at the top of the list of web sites listed.

[fergusminto]

Thank you both for these posts. I have learned more from you than I have from any doctor I have met especially the consultant I saw recently who just said he couldn't help, had no answer and said I would have to "live with it". I am particularly interested in the egg cases that are mentioned. Can the meat from the chicken be contaminated as well if they are grain fed? I eat a lot of chicken.

[fergusminto]

Forgot to add - my wife reminded me - that the word "inflammation" is recurrent in both posts. I have an inflamed sacroileac and tennis elbow in both arms. All have occurred since going on this gluten-free diet and I have been taking diclofenac an anti-inflammatory drug which I detest! I am also seeing a chiropractor monthly. In addition I have intolerances to aromas which make me sneeze and run uncontrollably. Otherwise I have been 100% fit all my life!

[GFinDC]

Hi Fergus,

 

It seems to me that if your gut is continually inflammed/irritated, that more food intolerances are bound to develop.  Sometimes it requires a patient process of removing most foods and adding them back in one at a time.  For me I found that many foods caused reactions, and the last one I eliminated made a significant improvement.  For me that food was grapes.  But it could be anything.  If you search the forum for elimination diet there are lots of threads describing them.  It's not a quick fix process, but a slow sure process.  But nothing else works as well.

[spirit-walk]

I have many food intolerances as well. I don't know how to get enough fat and carbs into my diet, and I keep losing weight. I have a high metabolism and this has become a problem. Without dairy, eggs, and gluten (along with many other foods), I just can't get enough fat it seems.

[foam]

spirit_walk, as soon as you can get dairy back, you can put on weight. Cheese, Kefir and Yoghurt can all make you gain weight pretty good. I've gone from 55kg to 62kg (176cm male) over these last months since I've healed somewhat and started eating cultured dairy again despite still having a serious immune system disorder on top of a broken gut. I'm also able to eat raw egg as if it it's not even there. Unlike cooked eggs which I still have a lot of trouble digesting. I guess in theory eating raw egg is slightly risky but so long as you wash the shell before you crack it and check it's fresh it seems low risk. I haven't had any problems. I did read a paper once that explained the proteins in foods change enough during cooking that you can easily be allergic to a cooked food and not a raw food and vice a versa I guess.

 

In the end I think the major reason for my recent weight gain was that I just kept upping my doses of Antihistamines until my gut recovered enough to digest something.

[jebby]

If you PM me I can send you some info about celiac and multiple food intolerances.

[MChase]

For me, I think I have always had food intolerances, but didn't realize which foods were problems.  I just knew that almost anything I ate seemed to cause problems.  Once I started keeping a food journal, I have found which foods causes which reactions.  Gluten definitely is a problem for me.  But I also found out that eggs, dairy and soy (can have soy in very small amounts).  I also have issues with mushrooms and bananas (for over 10 years ago).  

 

Good luck.