Alcoholism Related To Gluten Intolerance

[elle's mom]

I'm looking for any research related to gluten intolerance/sensitivity or celiac disease and a possible link to alcoholism. I've googled, but haven't found anything substantial. Anyone have an actual study or publication they're familiar with? Thanks.

[Lisa]

I'm looking for any research related to gluten intolerance/sensitivity or celiac disease and a possible link to alcoholism. I've googled, but haven't found anything substantial. Anyone have an actual study or publication they're familiar with? Thanks.

I don't have studies, but I believe it to be true in a back handed way.

1. Alcoholics don't eat, they drink

2. Causing severe malnourishment and weight loss

3. Causing destruction of the villi, the body is feeding on itself.

4. Thus a diagnosis of Celiac can be possible

Can you go back to eating gluten after the alcohol is removed and the gut heals? Not sure. The question here is: did the alcohol abuse cause the destroyed villi (yes it can) thus triggering Celiac Disease (not sure)? Or did the vitamin/mineral deficiencies cause the villi destruction and no Celiac is present?

[Lisa]

Here is an article of interest:

Open Original Shared Link Advertisement/p/articles/mi_m0847/is_n3_v13/ai_8191936/ Obviously, this forum would not let me post, but here is a copy and paste of the article.

MALABSORPTION IN ALCOHOLISM

Direct Effects Ethanol consumption has both acute and chronic effects on the gastrointestinal tract. The acute effects are explained partly by the ethanol concentrations to which various areas are exposed (Halsted et al. 1973a). The stomach receives the highest ethanol concentrations; essentially, the concentration of ethanol in the beverage consumed. The gastritis and the stomach ulceration that may result do not lead to malabsorption, although the associated vomiting and anorexia may cause significant losses of blood and protein.

Ethanol also damages the cells that line the upper small intestine (Millan et al. 1980) and the tips of the duodenal villi (Gottfried et al. 1976). However, this effect is not specific to ethanol; similar damage can be produced by highly concentrated solutions of other chemicals (e.g., urea).

Chronic ethanol consumption changes the structure of the villi and decreases enzyme activities relevant to the absorption of some sugars, as described below, although the relative roles of alcohol per se and nutritional deficiency are not clear (Baraona et al. 1974; Hermos et al. 1972; Madzarovova-Nohejlova 1971).

[Takala]

I have a theory that they are related, but I haven't done a lot of research yet as it can be emotionally charged subject, because nobody wants to be told that they could be genetically pre disposed to developing alcoholism. This upsets some people very much.

My theory is based on that it's a physical sugar craving based on malnutrition.

Based on how some ethnic groups (which happen to have a higher probability of having those DQ genes for celiac/gluten intolerance) who were introduced to the "modern" wheat filled European diet which replaced their non wheat diets, subsequently developed this increased incidence of alcoholism, compared to other groups. This has happened with many indigenous populations on more than one continent.

I don't drink, btw. I don't have much taste for it, but my family history- and health and auto immune problems- just says really, really bad idea. One parent died of liver failure (without having a substance abuse problem) in their forties, and I'm convinced we've got 3 generations of undiagnosed gluten intolerance going with the others, and definitely some alcohol problems which I firmly believe was a response to coping with it. I've not tested myself for the genes yet, but I am quite sure I've inherited something from both parents.

I've run it (theory) by a few people and they were fascinated. I would love to see some groups struggling with this, especially with the high rates of teenagers getting into alcohol abuse, try to go back to eating the things that their ancestors ate, getting off of wheat, and seeing if that helps.

[nmlove]

My theory is based on that it's a physical sugar craving based on malnutrition.

This is very interesting. At one point I was researching sugar cravings and ran across a connection to alcoholism. It was years ago or I'd reference it. But I have a huge family history of alcoholism (both my parents plus the majority of my extended family - on both sides). Thankfully I never developed a taste, it actually makes me sick, but during my late teens/early 20s the sugar cravings started and they were massive. That's also when my health started going downhill. Coincidence? I think not!

[rdf7777]

Hello, I'm very curious about this as well. But the relationship I'm interested in is that Celiacs Disease can cause mild anxiety and depression, which could lead to alcoholism. Is it possible to reverse this course? Sugar cravings were definitely present while abstaining from alcohol (mostly beer and spirits) while gluten was still heavily present in the diet.

Could the effects be multiplied when drinking excessive alcohol containing gluten? Whisky has and always will remain a no-no, always made me sick like nothing else.

Many thanks in advance!

[askalice]

Has anyone here read the book called "The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine" by Dr Michael Gershon. It's not an easy read. It's about the enteric nervous system in the gut. Here is some info about the concepts. I believe he won an award for his work. Open Original Shared Link

I study genealogy. It is my passion so I had my mitochondrial DNA tested. MtDNA is from the maternal line. I am in Haplogroup T which is about 6% of the population. This group is believed to have been the first farmers and when they came on the scene the population began to rise due to better food supplies. People became farmers instead of mainly hunter/gatherers. I am about half Irish and a quarter English. Genetically those two groups are the same people. I read somewhere that there is a high incidence of celiac disease in the Irish population. There is also a high rate of alcoholism, in my family, along with many auto-immune diseases and early death. Age 47 is the magic death number in my family. I don't say this to pick on the Irish, by the way, so I hope no one is offended but this is just one group who might be good to study.

I also read somewhere that there are opioid receptors in the gut and in simple terms, you can become addicted to the very substance your allergic to. This would make much sense in terms of celiac disease and addiction.

Any thoughts?

[why2cay2]

It don't cause Celica disease... that is a genetic malfunction... but I have observed non celiac gluten intolerance which I believe through enzyme treatment long to lifetime term.. and nutritional improvement (non factory foods) and a reduction of sugar especially high fructose corn syrup.. the reason that the beer cause as it because mainstream beer and liquor contain chemicals like antifreeze and modified gmo gluten which are not legitimate beer ingredients... if you are gonna drink... drink micro brewery beer or small foreign beers they only use old school ingredients... also lime your beer up... also smoking seems to impede healing... if you are gonna seek treatment go to a homeopathic doctor because the antifungal that can fight this make a person nutty... probably the fight between the medicine and the fungal build up of the candida that it cause when non celiac gluten intolerance becomes at full term... stay tuned if I learn more I will post... and also I will post details of length of cure/treatment time period when I have that info... if you know any better treatment let me know...