Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Supplements To Help Heal A Damaged Leaky Gut?

LFitts

By LFitts
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

LFitts Apprentice
LFitts
Posted

My daughter, diagnosed celiac in November, so gluten free nearly two months now, is having a hard time no matter what she eats. She has a tremendous amount of damage - seen on her endoscopy / colonoscopy - and her GI told us that it will take 6 months to a year for her body to heal.

My question is what have are you taking to promote healing? I would like to add digestive enzymes, more probiotics (currently she eats yogurt and drinks kefir), and maybe Vitamin C in addition to the multivitamins she takes. What has worked for you? I can't stand watching her suffer after eating for a year! I know that we probably need to cut out the dairy, but she is very resistant to this. For those of you who have cut out milk, do you have an easier time with cheeses? I am open to suggestions and trying to learn -- all of this is still quite new to us.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

I would honestly suggest cutting out dairy just for a while. Sorry she has to forego cheese for a bit, but temporary lactose intolerance is quite common with celiac and as the villi regrow and her gut heals, she'll likely get that easy digestion of dairy back. If not, she could take LactAid pills.

You can substitute in So Delicious coconut milk and coconut ice cream products.

They taste great!

Jules Shephard a celiac who is also a gluten-free/DF baker and chef has many suggestions for those who need to be both

Open Original Shared Link

Probiotics and digestive enzymes can help until your daughter's digestive tract heals more.

My hunch is the dairy may be causing the problem..

Honestly, raw kefir can be difficult for her gut right now as it can cause diarrhea.

Just some thoughts.

Hope she feels better soon!

Seifer Rookie
Seifer
Posted

I have heard that bone broth/gelatin is good for healing digestive tract, it contains lots of the amino acids glycine and proline utilized in mucus membranes and such

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

L-glutamine is supposed to be good for healing. Before I was dignosed, I used to take it around really tough weight workouts and it really improved my healing time and next day stiffness. Many around here say it helps the gut too.

Nettle (I think it is) is supposed to be good for reducing inflammation as well.

Papaya enzymes are supposed to aid digestion and may help.

Otherwise, the others gave what I consider to be good advice. :)

strkngfang Newbie
strkngfang
Posted

I agree, that the dairy has to go. There is also Almond milk, that is lactose free and tastes good. If you decide to try the glutamine, be careful, because it will cause nausea in some people. I've tried two different products containing it for healing and I couldn't stomach either one. Apparently this happens to more people than you would think. Best of luck to you.

LFitts Apprentice
LFitts
Posted
  • Author

Here's our action plan so far.

Remove dairy / replace with almond milk or rice milk.

Drastically reduce sugar - we have replaced it with local honey, but trying to continue to cut out more.

Add daily tablet form acidophilous, kefir smoothie (says its over 99% lactose free), and water kefir for probiotics.

(I had not heard that kefir can cause problems -- she seems to handle the smoothies really well)

Broth daily, even if it's just a little, and pineapple for the enzymes.

Coconut oil and milk in place of vegetable oils and milk in recipes.

Multivitamin plus additional Vitamin C, B complex.

As much whole food as possible.

She's currently also taking a daily prilosec to keep stomach acid down, and bentyl for stomach cramping / pain as needed.

Oh, and aloe juice? Are any of you taking aloe juice? I love aloe so much for external injuries that I feel drawn to using it for her internal healing as well. From reading about it, it seems that a lot of people are using it for digestive health.

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted

It is likely with this diet change that the prilosec will become unnecessary,

just something to keep in mind. Sounds like you are on the right track!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

It may be a good thing to test nutrient levels. Then you can give only the needed nutrients. I did a nutra-val test for mine.

ClayD Newbie
ClayD
Posted

My humble opinion is: Forget the suplements right now, and focus on finding a good diet that she (and you!) can both enjoy together.

Being gluten-free & Dairy-free can be difficult at first, until your find a trusty arsenal of your favorite meals and snacks that you can prepare or pick up. Look at all the Blogs, talk to your GI doc., and consult a nutritionist if you can afford it.

I would also recommend looking into the "Paleo Diet"...aka The paleolithic Diet. It's a grain free, Dairy free way of eating that generally satifies everyone in the family: Lots of meat, broths, vegetables, fruits and whole foods, that can really be delicious.

I wish you well! You're a great mother for doing your best!

C.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,328
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    AndiSchweb
    Newest Member
    AndiSchweb
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.