Villi Damage From Other Food Intolerances?

[megsylvan2]

Was wondering if other food intolerances cause the same villi damage that gluten does, or is this limited to gluten only? Does anyone know? I am also have significant pain and GI symptoms from egg, and was trying to figure out if it causes damage or just pain?

Thanks.

[Ursa Major]

Apparently soy can cause the same damage to the villi as gluten. I don't know about anything else. I can't tolerate eggs, either, they will give me a terrible stomach ache and diarrhea, as well as making me feel extremely exhausted all day next day. But I don't know if they damage the villi, too. I don't really think they do, but who knows?

[Rusla]

I hope nothing else does that, would be terrible. I have so many intolerances it would be a real ordeal to find out which did what.

[Rachel--24]

I dont think other foods cause villi damage that is seen in Celiac but they can cause imflammation of the intestinal lining. The only other protein I've heard of causing the same villi damage is casein...but its very rare.

[Carriefaith]

I have read that casein, the milk protein and soy can cause a "flattened or blunted intestinal surface". I read this on page 41 of Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall.

[Ursa Major]

I have read that casein, the milk protein and soy can cause a "flattened or blunted intestinal surface". I read this on page 41 of Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall.

Ouch, I guess my experimenting with ice cream and cheese this past weekend might not be a good idea then, even if I didn't get terrible diarrhea. But I am feeling very tired and listless, and have a stomach ache.

[Carriefaith]

But I am feeling very tired and listless, and have a stomach ache.

I'm sorry that you aren't feeling well

[TCA]

I've just started thinking about other foods too. The word "intolerance" is so broad. If someone is lactose intolerant, it gives them an upset stomach to eat it, but does it do any real damage to the body? (I saw Carrie's post on casein, but just using an ex.) I know I have a bad mold allergy and cheddar cheese gives me a headache because of it. I try to avoid it, but occationally will eat a little because my husband loves it and I'll cook something with it for him. Am I actualy doing damage to my body or just have a headache for a day? I know what gluten did, but are there other ways damage is going on in my body when I eat something I am slightly allergic to or intolerant of?

[Carriefaith]

I know what gluten did, but are there other ways damage is going on in my body when I eat something I am slightly allergic to or intolerant of?

I'm not really sure... I'm guessing that casein and soy could cause intestinal damage; however, I am not sure if intestinal damage from soy or casein is common. I would suggest getting allergy and intolerance tests to see if you are allergic/intolernce to certain foods.

[darlindeb25]

I don't know the answer to this either, but it would seem to me that any grains could cause the damage, but if its the gliatins in the wheat, rye, barley, and oats that does it, then maybe not. I do know I cant tolerate soy or corn now and I think rice is going too. No tomatoes and starches are out. Deb

[Carriefaith]

I have read before that the casein and soy proteins are similar to gluten. Maybe casein and soy are sometimes confused with gluten in people with celiac disease, and the antibodies attack the intestinal wall because the protein is mistaken for gluten? I don't believe that this would happen to everyone with celiac disease, but maybe to those people who have a major intolerance/allergy to casein or soy. Just a thought.

[Nancym]

I don't think other food intolerances have been as studied as wheat has been.

[cornbread]

Enterolab now do IgA tests for soy, yeast and egg (as well as casein and gluten). I came back positive for everything but egg. They told me that it was their belief that any food that causes an abnormal rise in IgA antibodies could do the same damage as gluten. For example, whichever food triggers that reaction, to your body it is the same reaction. It's not actually the gluten that causes your body harm, it's the autoimmune *reaction* that the gluten triggers in your body that causes the damage - and as well all know, the damage isn't always limited to the gut, it can be arthritis, MS, excema, etc. To me that theory makes too much sense to ignore. Your body doesn't care whether it's gluten or casein or pickled frog that you ate, if it launches an IgA reaction, you are in trouble.

The grey area arises when you don't know whether it was an IgA or IgG reaction that you had. I can't tolerate eggs these days, but I tested for them twice via Enterolab (IgA test) and each time the showed no abnormal IgA reaction. However, they were the only thing that came back positive on my IgG food allergy blood test. So that means I am certainly reacting, but it is an IgG reaction, ie: something I can hopefully get over in time. The IgA stuff though, that's for life and I take it as seriously as gluten.

Here's the link to the Enterolab IgA tests for soy, yeast and egg:

Open Original Shared Link

[JAMR]

There have been tests run on calves to show that soy does damage the villi and create the same issues for malabsorption that occurs with celiac. Given the other indications, I would take it as given that it does the same in humans. Also note that the IgA tests that are being done for soy, should note that the tTG IgA appears to be specific only to gluten/gliadin. This means that a negative for ttg does not mean a negative to soy intolerance.

[TotalKnowledge]

It would make sense if they *can*. Not many other substances are as ubiquitous in the typical modern diet as wheat however. Since someone with a gluten intolerance can not subconsciously avoid gluten it might do more damage to the intestine.

Just my supposition there. No scientific backing or proof.

[Lisa]

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Although villous atrophy is not exclusive of celiac disease, it is considered a crucial finding. Other causes of blunted villi include tropical sprue, malnutrition, intolerance to cow's milk, soy protein intolerance, and infectious gastroenteritis. However, most of these conditions can be readily excluded on the basis of clinical history and laboratory data.

[chatycady]

You can add Oats to the list also. Everyone ireacts so different, but lactose, gluten, other grains and soy are known to cause flatten villi. Any food that the body can not digest does harm - (Breaking the vicious cycle).

[rubyred]

My endoscopy showed mild blunting of my villi - yet 2 different doctors who viewed the biopsies said I don't have celiac. So, something besides gluten was causing the blunting...... I'm thinking it was soy because I haven't eaten dairy in awhile and whenever I eat soy, I get major GI symptoms. I think because of this, it caused me to react to gluten in the same way a celiac would. Now I just need to figure out if this gluten intolerance is permanent or just temporary......I'm too scared to try gluten since I've been gluten-free for almost a year.

[Lisa]

My endoscopy showed mild blunting of my villi - yet 2 different doctors who viewed the biopsies said I don't have celiac. So, something besides gluten was causing the blunting...... I'm thinking it was soy because I haven't eaten dairy in awhile and whenever I eat soy, I get major GI symptoms. I think because of this, it caused me to react to gluten in the same way a celiac would. Now I just need to figure out if this gluten intolerance is permanent or just temporary......I'm too scared to try gluten since I've been gluten-free for almost a year.

With two different doctors confirming blunted villi and yet, they cannot diagnose Celiac Disease? Is there another direction that they are leaning? Visable blunting can be diagnostic. Biopsy samples can be hit or miss and does not indicate that you do NOT have Celiac. Many doctors can see only in black and white.

If you consume gluten and you have a reaction, that should be adequate to accept a diagnosis of Celiac and remain gluten free. Other things can cause blunting, but it's unusual.

Not all roads lead to Celiac. A positive biopsy/endoscopy, positive dietary response is a pretty good indicator that you have Celiac Disease.

[Lisa16]

I recently ran into a young woman who had a condition called protein enteropathy.

She said that this condition wipes out the vili and, because the vili are gone, can result in secondary celiac. Apparently with this condition you suffer from malabsorbtion of proteins and fats. She suffered terrible edema from this condition as well.

She said she had had it all her life.

I got the impression that this was not a common disorder.

[Lisa]

She said that this condition wipes out the vili and, because the vili are gone, can result in secondary celiac. Apparently with this condition you suffer from malabsorbtion of proteins and fats. She suffered terrible edema from this condition as well.

This rings my bell and my doctors suspicians as well.

[Lisa16]

You know, I googled this condition just now and came up with a wikipedia article (flawed, from the looks of it.) It is called "protein-loss enteropathy" there and in that article it says one of the causes is celiac. But there were other causes listed, including a structural abnormailty of the intestine and giardiasis (sp?)-- those bacteria that cause D.

I wonder if this isn't what some people here are calling "leaky gut"?

I also wonder if it isn't a chicken and egg type question that becomes moot because the end result is the same.

[heathen]

While not a food intolerance, there are some viruses that can take out villi just like Celiac Disease, but the healing time is much quicker once the immune system kills the virus. The biopsies look almost identical.

[GlutenKing]

I found thread about food alergies. There is man with nick "DogtorJ". He is only veterinar, but he is writing that there are only 4 foods that can damage vili. Gluten, Soy, Milk and Corn. Other allergies are only secondary in his opinion.

[IMSassafras]

I found thread about food alergies. There is man with nick "DogtorJ". He is only veterinar, but he is writing that there are only 4 foods that can damage vili. Gluten, Soy, Milk and Corn. Other allergies are only secondary in his opinion.

This is interesting. Though, I was wondering when these foods - soy, milk, corn- when the proteins have been dabbled with, like in hydrolyzed soy protein, calcium caseinate, and hydrolyzed corn protein, are THESE examples of ingredients which are causing problems.

The reason why I ask: When gluten is created, it comes from proteins from wheat which have been dabbled with by man.

Warmly

Sassafras