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Showing results for tags 'stomach acid'.
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In Part 1 I mentioned many of the GI issues diseases I think this might help and have seen it help. But most people only think of an “official diagnosis” and not co-morbidities in the same person. Treating your Vitamin deficiency lets you treat your co-morbidities. It is known as a 2ndary diagnosis in Sjorgen’s diesease as Pellagra has also been diagnosed with SJD for example. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263324686_Pellagra_in_a_patient_with_primary_Sjogren's_syndrome Despite the conditions responding to Niacin(amide) --- Pellagra was still considered the 2ndary disease. This is more common than people realize often. You hear often “you” the average person doesn’t need to take a Vitamin but if you are reading this blog you are not average. People with Celiac disease and other GI problems are known to be low in a range of Vitamins. See this link for appropriate supplementation with a celiac diagnosis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24195595 Niacin(amide) was not mentioned in this study but should be added/studied since B-Vitamins are known to help Celiac’s. At 58% co-morbidity of Pellagra in Celiac’s there is better than 50/50 chance your symptom’s can be in remission in 6 months? If you are ONE of the many Pellagrins being diagnosed as Celiac disease today. Gluten free works actually summarizes this topic well. https://glutenfreeworks.com/blog/2017/07/18/niacin-vitamin-b3-deficiency-in-celiac-disease/ But still people are afraid to take a water soluble Vitamin that is known to help digestion problems. Are you Afraid of a Vitamin? You needn’t bee! Praise bee to God! I must always say *** This is not medical advice and should not be considered such. Results may vary. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your medical regimen but it helped me. And I think it can help you too and why I share for “Sharing is Caring”. 2 Timothy 2: 7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included. Posterboy by the Grace of God, *****Addendum I mean this to be some kind of “Opus”. My story! Yours might be different. Now the onus is on you to try? What you can do is urge your doctor to have you tested for Pellagra (though I doubt very seriously you will test low). See this posterboy blog post that explains the difference in Primary and 2ndary Pellagra. Anyone who eats a protein rich diet will not test low enough to be diagnosed as a Pellagrin at least in the Western world. You have bee near death, an alcoholic or homeless to be diagnosed as a Pellagrin today or maybe an alcoholic homeless fellow who has severe Psorsias. . . might test positive for Pellagra if they knew to test for it. And why it usually shows up in war torn areas today because protein is limited in war. (and Alcoholics) as seen in this House MD episode on Celiacs called Forever because Alcoholics have poor diets and thus low in protein in their diets. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=house+season+2+episode+22+forever+daily+motion&view=detail&mid=C2050653028DE02DBDE6C2050653028DE02DBDE6&FORM=VIRE What needs to be done to change this oft over looked fact is a study with Niacin to see if it helps Celiac’s. See here where other B-Vitamins were shown to help Celiac’s. https://www.celiac.com/articles/21783/1/B-Vitamins-Beneficial-for-Celiacs-on-Gluten-Free-Diet/Page1.html this study was only as to how it (B-Vitamin supplementation) effects homeocysteine levels in people diagnosed with Celiac disease. Not if taking a B-complex or specifically the Niacinamide version of Niacin could help treat or alleviate gluten antibodies in Celiacs with cross contamination. A double blind study would have to be done but could be effectively tested with some time and effort. This is only antidotal information with no confirmed medical research unless someone else takes the ball and runs with it. Plumbago you come to mind. But it doesn’t matter who it is. The time has come to test this hypothesis to see if it is a “working theory”. I only know it helped me and helps other I give the Vitamin B-3 as Niacinamide to . . . up to and including people who have had an official NCGS diagnosis. Which tells’ me it would help other Celiac’s too if they would try it (Niaciamide) 3/day for 6 months. Note: No Follow up is done at two years to see if they are in remission after cross contamination or if they have adhered strictly to a gluten free diet. But their clinical outcomes (symptom relief) appear to greatly improve at 6 months including re-introducing problem foods such as dairy which they now tolerate without GI distress. I have tried to be a witness to what I have experienced. (I speak as a man) that no other person Pellagin being diagnosed as Celiac disease instead would be in the dark about this fact. Romans 10:13-15 King James Version (KJV) 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! When you get the right/correct diagnosis (if Pellagra is correct/parent diagnosis) it’s unruly child Celiac will get better. See this posterboy celiac.com blog post. I only know it is a devastating delay. To ignore one disease at the expense of the other. quoting the celiac posterboy again “A differential diagnosis is one of the best standard of medicine rarely practiced today and how specialists decide between competing diseases like UC or Chron’s or IBS or Celiac Disease and if I am right Co-Morbid Pellagra now forgotten for 75+ years since the “War on Pellagra” is now over according to medical professionals’ but sadly the battle rages on for at least for the potential 3 Million American’s who are now being diagnosed as Celiac disease today instead.” AS someone who has had BOTH Celiac and Pellagra. I can tell you that it can be difficult to tell them apart sometimes (most times). What we fail to understand often with any diagnosis there is continuum of disease/symptoms. Yet we think of them as separate diseases Right? I have unwittingly become the Celiac and Pellagra Posterboy . Learn from my mistakes! I have made too many (mistakes) to count. Take as much honey (knowledge) as you can from my mistakes so bad (lack of knowledge) health will not sting your quality of life. So let’s say. Today they find a miraculous cure for Celiac disease or NCGS. . . it would take on average 17 years for doctor’s in Clinical settings to apply these technique’s to eradicate new Celiac cases/diagnosis’s from occurring. Now in this hypothetical case (which doesn’t exist yet or does IT? As a differential diagnosis the answer is a definite YES) it would take another 17 years on average for doctors if they knew today that Pellagra (which they don’t) can mimic Celiac disease in a Clinical setting. But one does exist (it is not hypothetical) – a cure for Pellagra exists today. It has in fact existed for 100+ years and still doctors don’t recognize it today. I share/write these posterboy blog post’s so that others might not have to suffer the same things’ I have again in the future someday. . . I pray soon! Now that you have the knowledge of my experience what will you do with it? Every hour/patient/person matters. And why I have tried diligently to educate other Celiac’s of this maddening fact. All those who have ears to hear may they listen! Feel free to read all my posterboy blog post’s if this pique’s your curiosity/interest but there is only so much in a/one blog post than can be explained but it really Is not necessary or visit the website/blog in my profile where I have told the same story hundreds of time that ONE fellow sufferer like myself may/might be helped by the same wisdom, I found God being my help, when I learned Pellagra and Celiac disease are Siamese twins and separating one (supplementing one to death) will kill the other (cause the other to go into remission). And I believe you can too! Praise bee to God! 2 Corinthians (KJV) 1:3,4 3) “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4) who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them (fellow sufferer) which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Posterboy by the Grace of God, EPILOGUE A simple self-test is to prove this works for you and your friends. It is to take Niacin as NIACINAMIDE usually one 300 count bottle is enough for a 3month supply. I call it the NIACINAMIDE CHALLENGE. You and a friend/family member begin taking it at the same rate. Whatever that rate is – is fine. But it needs to be at the same rate – consistently. 2/day or 3/day works (i.e., with each meal) works for most people. If so two things will happen for you/them (if Pellagra is indeed Co-Morbid presenting as Celiac Disease) then you/they will begin BURPING for the first time in years and years (if at all) and their stool will begin to SINK to the bottom of the bowl. ***Not twenty minutes after eating something with bloating or burping with carbonation/soda or beer etc. but BURPING 2 hours after a meal without the bloating you used to have. It will start slowly and then be your new normal. The burping within a month of each other will match up with your stool beginning to SINK where it did not before (or it did for me). A witness of two is “true”. Usually it takes 3 to 4 months taking the Niacinamide 1/day to notice these results Usually it takes 2 to 3 months taking the Niacinamide 2/day to notice these results Usually it takes 6 weeks to 2 months taking the Niacinamide 3/day to notice these results If these are your results then together ya’ll have completed a self-test to confirm Pellagra was causing your GI problems. If it is the Vitamin making the difference your GI symptoms’ will improve. It is as simple as that. I would recommend a 6 months regimen for most people. Two 300 count bottles equal $50 Dollars worth of a B-Vitamin. As I called this an open a letter to the many GI sufferers etc. It doesn’t matter what part phase (spectrum) of the disease you are in it will (should) get better. GERD, IBS, UC, NCGS or even Celiac disease if (low Niacin(amide) was the cause) you will have a cause and effect reaction. If you had Pellagra Co-Morbid and your GI improves with supplementation. This almost always works if you are not now taking PPI’s like Nexium or Prilosec etc. . . . If you are taking PPI’s then your “Way Back” may be a little longer but the trip back is the same. ****Again this is not medical advice but it is too cheap not to try and see if it works for you . . . I have found it work for others. ****Note: I am only reporting what medical journals have concluded. It is just not well understood today one disease is being diagnosed as the other because it can take a generation for this knowledge to filter down to the clinical level. Again a “Witness of Two” – you Both having the same reaction to the Vitamin proves Pellagra was causing your symptom’s and the doctor’s don’t recognize it today in a Clinical setting. The Journal of Psychosomatics says its well and I can’t say it better. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003331821070668X?via%3Dihub quoting the abstract Pellagra: An Old Enemy of Timeless Importance Author links open overlay panelThomas M.BrownM.D. Show more https://doi.org/10.1016/S0033-3182(10)70668-XGet rights and content Background “In the United States, pellagra is infrequently reported. Yet this disorder does occur among malnourished persons. Objective The author seeks to clarify diagnosis and treatment. Method The author describes various presentations and effects of this disorder. Results Knowledge of classic and atypical presentations can assist in making the diagnosis. The author presents two cases of pellagra that exemplify the classic and atypical presentations. Conclusion The typically robust response of the disorder to physiologic doses of niacin can assist in confirming the diagnosis.” *** This is not medical advice and should not be considered such. Results may vary. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your medical regimen. But I am your witness people, have and do get better using this technique realizing a mistake has been made in your/their diagnosis. It is the time honored medical “Second Opinion” AKA a Differential Diagnosis. Isn’t it about time to see if supplementing with Niacinamide will help your co-morbid Pellagra symptom’s to see if your Celiac disease diagnosis was arrived at in error – no matter well intended has keep you from getting better from Pellagra. Quoting an old friend J. Dan Gill when he talks about the power of Truth to Free us! Where/when he (Dan) talks about the difference between Truth and Error. “The Truth is Always Better The Truth, whatever it is, Is always better than error, Whatever it is.” By J. Dan Gill The truth is when an error/mistake is made. Admit it and move on to the correct/better diagnosis so you can then get better! And we have known how to treat Pellagra for a 100+ years but this generation having not seen it in their lifetimes have forgot how to diagnose it! When they see it in its earliest forms. .. they do not recognize it in a clinical setting anymore! Those that have ears to hear? Listen! You can get better from Co-morbid Pellagra. SADLY! Few listen. But some (Celiac’s) have heard (listened to) the good news that Pellagra is reversible and have gotten better. Don’t be the Last! ****Again this is not medical advice but it is too easy, simple and cheap not too try and see if it works for you too!. . . I have found it works for others. . . not already taking a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPIs) like Nexium or Prilosec etc . . . Praise bee to God! To those who have listened and got better! Just trying to help those still suffering (I believe) unnecessarily. 2 Corinthians (KJV) 1:3,4 3) “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4) who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Posterboy by the Grace of God, 2 Timothy 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.
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Celiac.com 04/05/2022 - You have just been diagnosed with celiac disease. Wonderful! Now all your gastro problems, aches and pains and fatigue and food allergies will go away. All you need to do is maintain a gluten-free diet—NOT! Many—if not most—of us who are gluten intolerant have quickly found our various health problems, sadly, do not go away simply by eliminating gluten from our lives. In fact, our health problems may increase over time. Many futilely and desperately search in vain for “hidden” gluten which they are sure must be present in something they missed causing them problems. If you are among the lucky ones whose health fully recovers after starting a gluten-free diet, great! The fact is, your gastrointestinal tract and immune system may have been under attack for years. Malabsorption is likely to have caused years of vitamin, mineral, and amino acid deficiencies resulting in damage to your body systems. You may have acquired various other autoimmune conditions along the way. If you are diagnosed over age 40, your body systems may be slowing down and not able to fully recover. The mix of beneficial bacteria and microorganisms which inhabit your gut may have become altered, depleted, or in complete disarray. Your stomach may no longer be producing a sufficient quantity of stomach acid, affecting your ability to digest food and absorb essential vitamins and minerals. Intestinal permeability and perhaps a thymus gland impaired by mineral and vitamin deficiencies may have resulted in the acquisition of multiple food allergies and intolerances. Vitamin B12 deficiency could have caused permanent neurological damage. Bones may have weakened. There may be weak, brittle and malformed finger and toe nails, skin rashes, bruising, and inflammation. Fatigue and muscle pains may be present. The list goes on. So what can one do? Low Stomach Acid After a diagnosis of celiac disease or gluten intolerance , you should first immediately assess if you have a low stomach acid condition. Low stomach acid or hypochlorhydria will continue to cause malabsorption problems and vitamin, mineral and amino acid deficiencies. Hypochlorhydria can lead to multiple food allergies. Low stomach acid also allows potentially harmful bacteria and microorganisms to colonize the stomach where they should not be at all. The stomach cells which produce stomach acid also produce a substance called “intrinsic factor” which is necessary to allow the intestine to absorb vitamin B12. If you have low stomach acid, intrinsic factor may be low and you may not be able to absorb vitamin B12 sufficiently. In this case, sublingual or “under-the-tongue” vitamin B12 tablets can be taken to improve absorption. In some cases, vitamin B12 injections are necessary to prevent pernicious anemia. During digestion, stomach acid levels normally increase. The higher acid level results in a secretion of hormones which, in turn, signal the pancreas to release digestive enzymes and acid-neutralizing bicarbonate ions into the small intestine to complete the digestion of contents leaving the stomach. Maintaining a normal stomach acid level is, thus, crucial for digestion in both the stomach and intestine. Low stomach acid is also present in the vast majority of heartburn sufferers, and improper digestion due to low acid is the cause of most heartburn. Taking acid suppressors for heartburn is exactly the wrong thing to do if you have low stomach acid. Taking an acid supplement to normalize digestion can actually prevent heartburn in most cases. An excellent reference on stomach acid is the paperback book Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You by Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Lane Lenard, Ph.D. Low stomach acid can be treated by taking digestive enzymes and an acid supplement, such as betaine HCl, with every meal, likely for the rest of one’s life. There are many digestive enzyme formulations available, and the choice depends on your individual metabolism. I prefer the pricey but high-quality fungal derived enzymes from Enzymedica, and take one Carbo capsule with every meal. The Carbo formulation has a modest level of protease enzymes. High levels of protease can cause a burning sensation in the bowels in some people, including myself, which normally goes away after a few weeks of use. Since I am mostly vegetarian, my need for protease to digest meat and proteins is reduced. Betaine HCl is available in tablet form, or as 10-grain capsules containing powdered betaine HCl, which works faster. You need to adjust the number of betaine HCl capsules to suit your low acid condition, and this usually means taking more than just one or two capsules with each meal. The number is adjusted by increasing it until you experience a warm sensation in your stomach, and then backing off by one capsule. I take three 10-grain capsules with breakfast and lunch, and six with dinner. I buy quantities of 250 capsule bottles of Solaray High Potency HCl from a discount health food company over the internet at a very reasonable price. Enzymedica products can also be purchased at discount over the internet. Treating hypochlorhydria greatly reduced or eliminated my allergic responses to numerous foods. A quick and simple test for low stomach acid makes use of fresh baking soda. You should not be taking antacids or acid suppressors to perform this test. Stomach acid and baking soda react to form carbon dioxide gas. First thing in the morning, before eating or drinking, add one quarter teaspoon of baking soda to an eight ounce glass of water. Mix, drink, and start timing for up to five minutes. You should normally belch within two to three minutes if your stomach acid level is adequate. Rapid and repeated belching may mean excessive stomach acid is present. Late or no belching indicates low stomach acid. Acid levels can be confirmed by measuring stomach pH using a small radio capsule (Heidelberg capsule) that is swallowed, a test which some gastroenterologists or naturopathic doctors can perform. Probiotics Probiotics provide beneficial microbes to help replace and restore order to the bacteria and micro flora which reside in the gastrointestinal tract. Celiac disease, hypochlorhydria, immune system disorders, and accompanying gastrointestinal distress can wreck havoc on the balance and mixture of the beneficial and necessary micro flora of the gut. Low stomach acid permits entry of undesirable and pathogenic bacteria. Malabsorption results in an excess of undigested nutrients in the gut, feeding and promoting an overabundance of undesirable bacteria species. Taking a probiotic supplement helps to re-colonize the gastrointestinal tract with beneficial bacteria which, in turn, displace the undesired bacteria. Probiotics come in the form of foods, such as yogurt and kefir containing live cultures of beneficial bacteria, or in capsule, tablet, liquid or powdered form. Choosing a probiotic may not be easy. Research on probiotics is a very young field, and which species of bacteria provide the greatest benefit remains uncertain. You may need to try a number of different probiotic products to find one that best suits your needs. A probiotic containing a mixture of a number of different bacteria species might be more likely to provide the bacteria combination that works for you. Ideally, a dose of probiotic should provide billions, 10, 20, or even 30 billion or more bacteria, to effectively colonize the bowel. Probiotic capsules which provide such a high dosage are expensive. A good yogurt or kefir is a much more cost effective probiotic providing many billions of bacteria per serving. Yogurt and kefir are both fermented milk products, but kefir contains yeast in addition to bacteria. Sensitivity to yeast is a common problem among celiacs, and, hence, kefir may not be suitable for everyone. Soy yogurt and kefir are also available if you are sensitive to dairy products. Some health food stores can provide yogurt and kefir made with goats milk if cow’s milk is a particular problem. Labels on some probiotic products warn that flu-like symptoms may result during the first few weeks of use and recommend a lower dose until the symptoms disappear. Personally, I consume a plain yogurt, without gelatin or corn syrup, preferring Nancy’s Yogurt. I had a six month bout of diarrhea after a prolonged summer cold. I had been taking a probiotic capsule, and decided to switch to yogurt to provide a larger and cheaper dose of bacteria. The website for Nancy’s Yogurt, which contains six live bacteria cultures, was the only one which provided a bacteria count from an independent laboratory. Nancy’s Yogurt seemed to be instrumental in finally clearing up the diarrhea problem for me. I consume a heaping tablespoon of yogurt on each of two rice cakes every morning and two heaping tablespoons on my salad at dinner. Depending on the age of the yogurt, this provides up to over 30 billion bacteria per two tablespoon serving. I have also tried Stonyfield Farms Yogurt, which also contains six bacteria cultures, but the product is “runny” compared to Nancy’s firm texture. I have not yet tried Mountain High Yogurt, containing five bacteria cultures, which may be another good alternative. I suggest you contact yogurt makers about their bacteria content if you try other brands. However, such information is not always reliable. Nails Your nails are a barometer to your health and provide a good visual aide in recognizing vitamin and mineral deficiencies and other problems. White spots and poor nail growth can indicate a zinc deficiency. Thin, brittle, spoon or concave shaped nails, and ridges running lengthwise indicate possible iron deficiency. A deficiency in vitamin A can cause slow growing brittle nails lacking pink a glow underneath. Vitamin C, folic acid, or protein deficiency can cause hangnails. A deficiency of B vitamins causes fragility, with horizontal or vertical ridges. A deficiency of vitamin B12 leads to excessive dryness, very rounded and curved nail ends, and darkened nails. Splitting, thin, chipping, or peeling nails may mean low stomach acid or low sulphur amino acid. White bands across the nails can indicate a protein deficiency. Probiotics can help fend off nail fungal infections by displacing yeasts and fungi in the gut. A host of medical problems such as thyroid, kidney, and diabetes conditions can be indicated by various malformations and discolorations of the nails. For more on these medical conditions try reading Nail Abnormalities: Clues to Systemic Disease by Robert S. Fawcett, M.D., M.S., Sean Linford, M.D., Daniel L. Stulberg, M.D. I developed a problem with nails deteriorating on the edges of the large toe nails and on one edge of the thumb and index finger of the right hand. In addition, for years I had a chronic periodic swelling and inflammation of the toes around the toe nails. When I began taking betaine HCl for hypochlorhydria, the nail deterioration seemed to stop, but there was little or no nail growth to repair the damage. Searching the internet for solutions, I came across websites which suggested that supplementing with MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) frequently resulted in increased nail growth as well as improved hair condition. MSM is a sulfur compound, and numerous health benefits have been claimed for it for which I cannot vouch. Sulfur is a component of keratin, and keratin is a protein important for the maintenance and growth of nails, hair and skin. MSM has a bitter taste, but it does not leave an aftertaste. The powder can be mixed with fruit juice, if desired. I began taking one half teaspoon of powdered MSM in a glass of water once daily, and soon noticed an apparent increase in nail growth after a few weeks. Encouraged, I began to take one half teaspoon MSM twice daily, in the morning and evening. I also began taking 500 mg L-methionine, an essential sulfur amino acid, twice daily. This increased nail growth even more, and, quite unexpectedly, within two weeks the chronic periodic swelling and inflammation of the toes completely ceased and has never returned to this day (I also noticed my hair seemed softer and had more luster, but, hey, us males aren’t supposed to care about such things). I started taking MSM in January 2003. I’ve had a few relapses resulting in some temporary nail deterioration, especially during the six month bout of diarrhea. Consuming yogurt seemed to help clear up the nail problem as well as the diarrhea. I also now have further increased my take of MSM powder to a heaping teaspoon in water twice daily with no side effects noticed. After nearly two years my nails are almost completely normal and healthy. Only the slow growing large toe nails still show any obvious signs of the prior condition, and they are nearly fully grown back and healthy. I buy MSM powder in 35 oz (1000 g) containers at discount over the internet. Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids Our intestines have been damaged. We may have low stomach acid. We may be vegetarian. Our metabolisms differ. Our lifestyles differ. All of these factors affect how nutrients are absorbed and how much of each nutrient we require. Does that multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement supplying the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals really meet your needs? Remember, these are the amounts needed to maintain a healthy normal individual. You need to look at your own condition to determine the amount of vitamins and minerals you need. This is no easy task. I am still trying to deal with it myself. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were some little meter we could poke ourselves with, much like the glucose meter used by diabetics, that could tell us which vitamins and minerals and amino acids were low and what and how much we needed to take? After first being diagnosed with celiac disease, you are probably deficient in numerous nutrients. Once on a gluten-free diet, many of these deficiencies will return to normal levels. Some may not. In addition, some nutrients, such as vitamin B12, may not be sufficiently absorbed via the intestine, and must be take sublingually or by injection. Paradoxically, some of the very nutrients needed to repair the intestine so that it can absorb them are not being absorbed because of the damage to the intestine. Deficiencies may require higher than RDA amounts, at first, which must be reduced, later, to avoid overdosing. Without some form of testing and monitoring to determine our need for and levels of nutrients, there is no good way to manage our nutrient needs. I have already suggested that your nails can provide a clue to some deficiencies. Are there tests which can help us decide what we need? Yes, there are tests which can provide you with serum levels of many nutrients. But these tests can add up and become very costly if tests are done for many nutrients and if follow up tests are performed. Some clinical labs offer package deals which might not be a bad idea for an initial assessment of your health condition. For example, many Web sites offer various nutrient blood tests. I do not think your insurance company is going to be willing to pay for a multitude of tests and follow up tests. A few well-chosen tests may fit within your budget. If you have the means, having the test information is better than not having it. Also, if you can find and afford a good doctor or clinical nutritionist or naturopath to work with you, so much the better. If doctors and tests are not within your means, self-education and trial and error is an alternative approach. Besides books and libraries, the internet has a wealth of helpful websites on nutrition and nutrients. One of the best websites is the Linus Pauling Institute’s Micronutrient Information Center which provides an excellent source of information on vitamins, minerals and some other nutrients. This website also offer good information on vitamins and minerals: https://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/ Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are also important. 22 amino acids are used in human metabolism. Some amino acids can be synthesized by the body, but there are 8 essential amino acids which can only be obtained from diet. The following website provides a good overview of the amino acids: https://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/cat_proteins.html Additionally, you need to know how much of these nutrients your diet may be providing. The USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference provides a comprehensive list of nutrients from a huge database of foods and food products. Just remember that the amount of a nutrient given for a food does not represent how much of that nutrient your body will actually absorb. In some cases, the food may have a very high nutrient content, but only a very small percentage will actually be absorbed because the nutrient is not in a readily absorbable form. By noting your symptoms and health condition and comparing them to symptoms caused by nutrient deficiencies, you may be able to determine or guess which nutrients you may be lacking. As similar symptoms can be caused by deficiencies of any number of other nutrients, the task is not easy. You may be able to correct the deficiency by including in your diet foods rich in the particular nutrient. You may need to take the nutrient as a supplement to insure sufficient absorption. You also must determine the dose of supplementation you require. In order to be able to assess whether the supplementation is improving your symptoms and health, you must add only one supplement at a time and make no major changes to your diet, and it may take days or weeks or months to note if the symptoms improve. This process can easily become tedious, time-consuming, expensive, and frustrating. If you have narrowed down possible nutrient deficiencies, you may opt to get tested for those particular nutrients. Vegetarians also have special needs, as there are some nutrients better provided by animal products in the diet. The American Dietetic Association has a comprehensive paper on Vegetarian Diets which discusses these nutritional needs. Vegetarians must make sure their diets are sufficient in protein (essential amino acids), iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin A, n-3 fatty acids, and iodine. Higher RDA levels and supplementation of some of these nutrients may be necessary to maintain proper levels. Malabsorption caused by celiac disease compounds the likelihood of deficiencies. Here is an example of tracking down a deficiency problem. A symptom I have been dealing with is fatigue. I take a multivitamin/mineral supplement, sublingual vitamin B12, plenty of vitamin C, plus additional supplements. At first, I suspected adrenal fatigue and achieved some limited relief from fatigue by drinking salted water several times daily to replace lost sodium caused by an insufficient level of the hormone, aldosterone, produced by the adrenals which regulate sodium retention in the kidneys. But lately, salted water is not having much affect, possibly because my aldosterone level is improving. In addition to fatigue and lack of energy, I was experiencing episodes of daytime drowsiness while driving to work. In a self-experiment supplementing with tin in the form of stannous chloride, I actually seemed to have completely cured myself of daytime drowsiness. However, fatigue still remains a problem. Evaluating my supplements and considering which nutrient deficiencies are likely to cause fatigue, I noted that my multivitamin/mineral supplement provides only 10 mg iron. The RDA of iron for adult males is 8 mg and for pre-menopausal adult females is 18 mg. However, vegetarians face a lower bioavailability of iron from their diets. In meat, iron is available in a “heme” form that is more readily absorbed than the inorganic form of iron found in plants. Red meat and spinach both have a high iron content. 20% of the heme iron available in a lean steak is absorbed, but only 2% of the iron in cooked spinach is actually absorbed. The iron RDA for vegetarians is 14 mg for men and 33 mg for pre-menopausal women. Physical activity can also deplete iron stores. Sports activities, exercise, and heavy labor can raise the daily requirement for iron. Any bleeding causes iron depletion. A loss of one ml of blood results in a loss of 0.5 mg iron. Low stomach acid results in poor iron absorption, and intestinal damage from celiac disease often causes iron deficiency. Other dietary factors also affect how much iron is absorbed. Vitamin C consumed in the same meal as non-heme iron improves the absorption of the non-heme iron by up to 50%. Heme iron also increases the absorption of non-heme iron. Tea, coffee and certain types of fiber (eg. phytate) can inhibit the absorption of iron. Taking a look at myself, I am mostly vegetarian. I have low stomach acid. My intestines may still be impaired from celiac disease, and reactions to food intolerances or allergies could also impair absorption. I sometimes experience loss of blood from rectal bleeding through an anal fissure as a result of bowel distress. I do a long series of stretching exercises every morning, and my work involves moderate physical activity. Suddenly, a supplement providing only 10 mg of iron daily seems totally inadequate for my needs. Iron deficiency could definitely explain my fatigue. Recently, I have begun daily supplementation of iron in the form of 28 mg iron from ferrous gluconate in addition to the 10 mg of iron I already take. It is too soon to tell if iron supplementation is improving my fatigue, but I do seem to be a little less fatigued. Hopefully, I will see continued improvement. Food Allergies and Intolerances Multiple food allergies often accompany celiac disease. In addition, temporary intolerances to dairy products and sugars may result from celiac disease. Enzymes which digest lactose and various other forms of sugar are produced in the lining of the small intestine. Production of these enzymes is impaired by damage to the intestine from celiac disease. Sugars and lactose are thus not properly absorbed. Low stomach acid, if present, also results in incomplete digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Damage to the intestine results in the intestine being less capable of absorbing nutrients. An accumulation of undigested sugars, and other nutrients promotes an overabundance of intestinal bacteria and other micro flora which feed on the ready supply of unabsorbed nutrients. The secretions and toxins generated by these micro flora can cause gas, discomfort, and other symptoms of intolerance and bowel distress. Intestinal damage also increases intestinal permeability or “leaky gut”. Undigested and normally harmless food proteins can “leak” into the blood stream and into other body systems where they may be identified as intruders, initiating allergic and immune responses. I have come to believe that the thymus gland may also be involved in the acquisition of food allergies. The thymus is located behind the breastbone and is responsible for the generation of T cells, critical to the function of the immune system. Until quite recently, it was thought the thymus stopped producing T cells after puberty when the thymus begins to shrink. However, it is now known the thymus continues to produce T cells in adults and throughout life. Certain regulatory T cells help the immune system decide whether foreign proteins should be tolerated or attacked. If these regulatory T cells are not in sufficient supply, allergic reactions to harmless proteins may result. The thymus is particularly sensitive to malnutrition. Hence, malabsorption from celiac disease or low stomach acid may adversely affect the thymus and its ability to produce regulatory T cells, thus leading to or contributing to multiple food allergies. Maintaining a gluten-free diet allows the gut to heal. In most cases, the intestine will again produce the enzymes to digest lactose and other sugars, and these intolerances may go away. Intestinal permeability will decrease, and food allergies and sensitivities may lessen. The thymus may also recover from malnutrition, if not too severely damaged. If you have low stomach acid, food allergies will continue to be a problem unless you take acid supplementation (eg. betaine HCl) and digestive enzymes with every meal. Some food allergies or sensitivities may not completely go away. To help speed healing, it is probably best to avoid foods which are causing problems. If you have a reaction shortly after consuming the food, typically less than 30 minutes, it may be easy to determine the offending food. Some foods may cause a delayed reaction. It may be hours or even days or weeks before antibody production reaches a level high enough to cause a noticeable reaction. This makes identification of the offending food difficult. Elimination diets can be used to identify which foods are safe and which are not. Stick with eating a few basic foods that you know you can tolerate well, and then add suspected foods to your diet one at a time, allowing sufficient time—days or longer if necessary—to observe a possible reaction. Elimination diets are tedious. Some tests are available which can help to identify possible food sensitivities. These tests include the skin prick test, the RAST (Radioallergosorbent test), the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) test, and the newest test, the ImmunoCAP® Specific IgE test (a fluoroenzymeimmunoassay (FEIA) ). The skin prick test is performed in a doctor’s office, a prick for each allergen being tested, and can be expensive. RAST testing uses a blood sample to test for the amount of specific IgE antibodies present. ELISA testing also uses a blood sample, but tests for specific IgG antibodies instead of IgE antibodies (associated with true allergies.) IgG reactions can typically occur hours or days after encountering a food or antigen. The ELISA test can be useful in identifying foods which cause delayed reactions. ELISA tests which can test for 190 or so food sensitivities in one blood draw are available for a relatively modest cost. However, the reliability of ELISA tests depends on the laboratory performing the test, and results between different laboratories vary greatly. RAST test results also vary from lab to lab. RAST tests are being replaced by ImmunoCAP® tests. The ImmunoCAP® Specific IgE test is much more accurate and reliable than the RAST test, and test results are consistent from lab to lab. Costs for ImmunoCAP® or RAST tests can add up as the cost increases for each different allergen being tested for. When I first put myself on a gluten-free diet after years of chronic diarrhea and learning about celiac disease, within a few days I had the first solid bowel movement I could remember in years. But the elation was short-lived. For months afterward, my bowel movement kept changing form from solid to liquid, and the chronic diarrhea kept reappearing. Then, finally, my first breakthrough came. The growing season for melons ended. When melons were no longer a part of my diet, the chronic diarrhea finally disappeared. I had made my first discovery that other foods besides gluten were causing me problems. I began to pay close attention to any reaction or bowel distress that occurred after eating any foods. Soon I was finding foods I had been freely consuming daily and all my life were creating reactions. Fruits were especially troublesome. In response to apples, pears, bananas, oranges, tangerines, hot chocolate, popcorn and more, I was sniffling, experiencing throat irritation, a general malaise, fatigue, and bowel distress within 20 minutes after ingestion. I started to eliminate these foods from my diet. Since, childhood, I have had a chronic throat-clearing problem, and, now, decades later, I finally learned the throat-clearing was due to a sensitivity to corn. I eliminated all corn and products containing corn from my diet, and the throat-clearing finally stopped. Every time I eliminated one food, however, I soon found myself sensitive to a new food. Finally it got to the point where I was reacting to almost everything I ate, even to potatoes and rice cakes. You can imagine the desperation I felt standing in the supermarket produce aisle, one day, hopelessly searching for something I could safely eat. Meanwhile, on the internet I noted that some people were reporting that taking digestive enzymes had allowed them to consume foods they had not been able to eat for years without getting ill. Enzymes were theorized to breakdown proteins into pieces too small to cause reactions. That sounded reasonable to me. So I went to a health food store and bought some digestive enzymes, Enzymedica Digest, to be specific. Taking one capsule with each meal, the effect was immediate. I quickly found myself able to consume at least some foods again without reaction. All seemed to be going well for about a month, until I again started reacting to an increasing number of foods. Now what was I supposed to do? Back to the internet! This time I learned about hypochlorhydria, low stomach acid. Back at the health food store, I bought betaine HCl. Taking betaine HCl and digestive enzymes with every meal once again caused the food sensitivities to go away—and this time stay away. I still keep melons, citrus fruit, and corn, as well as gluten, out of my diet. I rotate other fruits so I do not consume them on consecutive days. I find that new foods I have never eaten before can cause me problems. Montina (Indian rice grass flour) and sorghum flour cause me to have a sore throat reaction. I tried to add avocados to my diet, which I have never eaten before. After eating a couple of avocados a week for a few weeks, I broke out in hives for the first time in my life, an experience I do not want to repeat. I guess the tolerance mechanism of my immune system is now so screwed up, my immune system will no longer tolerate the introduction of any new foods into my diet. As long as I stick with old dependable foods, betaine HCl, and digestive enzymes, I seem to be on the road to recovery. Health Basics While all or some of the above mentioned suggestions may help you fully recover from celiac disease, it is still important to remember the basics of keeping healthy—and that is to eat a healthy diet, keep the weight off, keep active, and exercise regularly. Celiac disease has been associated with diabetes, so it is even all the more important to keep those sugary junk foods and simple carbohydrates under control and out of your diet. In addition to improving mobility and muscle tone, exercise can just plain make you feel better and help keep your bowel movement regular. For years I have been doing daily morning yoga-like stretching exercises, becoming evermore flexible and able to obtain extreme positions as well as great balance control. I began the stretching exercises when I developed pains and cramping in my legs and it became uncomfortable just to bend my legs at the knee. My ankles would also easily buckle while walking up stairs. That was many years ago, and the leg pains and other aches are long gone. I am much more flexible now than I was as a teenager in high school. I find that the exercise almost always helps to induce a bowel movement. Conclusion It took me years to diagnose myself as being gluten intolerant and five more years to discover the steps toward recovery I have presented here. I am still not completely well, but, little by little I am improving. If I had not taken these steps, I would hate to think of the condition I would be in now. If I had had this knowledge years ago and acted on it—think of all the suffering and discomfort I could have avoided. It is my hope that you will use and find this information helpful to speed your recovery so your suffering will not be prolonged needlessly. Feeling ill is no way to live a life.
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Celiac.com 12/17/2021 - Gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is the focus of considerable medical attention at the moment. This very old problem has gotten some new attention as it has recently been recognized as a significant factor in some pulmonary diseases(1) and esophageal malignancies(2). While some sufferers have few or no symptoms of reflux disease, most of us feel at least some degree of discomfort when a mixture of food particles and stomach acids are pushed back up the esophagus where there is less protection from harsh stomach acid. The protection diminishes the further up the esophagus the acid rises as there is some mucous produced in the lower reaches of the esophagus nearer the stomach. The unprotected tissues further up the esophagus are burned, often causing pain, and sometimes, permanent damage(2). We need only turn on our television sets to see the frequent and expensive advertising campaigns for the various products available to treat this widespread problem of indigestion and heartburn. If you regularly experience heartburn or indigestion, you may take one of the many drugs that are often prescribed to reduce production of stomach acid. Or you may just take one or more of the over-the-counter remedies such as Tums, Gaviscon, Rolaids, Mylanta, etc. But all of these products, whether prescribed or not, simply mask the symptoms of GERD without addressing the underlying cause. Many of us who have gluten-induced disease have experienced some degree of relief from GERD symptoms after beginning a gluten-free diet. Prior to my diagnosis of celiac disease, I not only took prescription medications in a vain attempt to control the acidity in my stomach and throat, I also ate a huge quantity of Tums and/or Rolaids every day, all day long. The lucky ones among us experience complete, long-lasting relief from indigestion and heartburn. For those of us who aren’t so lucky, the problem may be caused by one or more of several factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, or allergic reactions to the foods we are eating. If you struggle with excess acid production and/or esophageal reflux, it may be the result of your immune system reacting to the contents of your stomach. When such immune reactions are mounted, histamine is released into the stomach which triggers excessive secretion of gastric acid. If there isn’t enough food in the stomach to absorb the acid produced, we begin to feel uncomfortable. We may eat more food to get temporary relief or we may take one or more of the remedies listed above. Weight gain and obesity are predictable results of eating more and more to control stomach acid production. Prescription and non-prescription anti-acid strategies pose a host of other health problems—from inducing vitamin deficiencies— to compromising the immune protection provided by stomach acids. Whatever we choose, GERD is likely to continue until we address the underlying problem by eliminating allergenic foods from our diet. The first step in this elimination process is to identify the foods that are triggering an immune response. There are simple, convenient IgG antibody blood tests available to help identify the specific foods that are causing your discomfort. If you are following a gluten-free diet and you continue to experience GERD, you may benefit from this testing. However, if you have been free of gluten for more than a few months, you should not expect these tests to identify any of the gluten grains (Also, such negative results should not be taken to imply that it is safe to return to eating gluten). Once the allergenic foods have been identified, they should be strictly removed from your diet for at least six months. You can try re-introducing the offending foods after that time, but some immune reactions may last many years. Even six years after my own IgG food allergy testing, I must still avoid eggs, dairy proteins, and several other foods that were identified back then. The lab that did my testing (Immuno Labs, Ft. Lauderdale) provided information on the strength of the immune reaction to each allergenic food. From weak to strong, the reactions were numbered +1 to + 4. This has been very helpful because I was able to re-introduce most of the foods marked +1 and +2 after about six months. Whether you follow a gluten-free diet or not, if you are experiencing heartburn and/ or indigestion, food allergy testing may be just what you need. It has proven very helpful to my family and me. References: Katz PO. Gastroesophageal reflux disease and extraesophageal disease. Rev Gastroenterol Disord. 2005;5 Suppl 2:31-8. Suzuki H, Iijima K, Scobie G, Fyfe V, McColl KE. Nitrate and nitrosative chemistry within Barrett’s oesophagus during acid reflux. Gut. 2005 Nov;54(11):1527-35.
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To All, To Whomever might read this.....good luck on your continued journey! I recently came across this article on how Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs can cause Ulcers and I though it might of interest to others and want to share in the hope that it might help some one else. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/perforated-ulcer-ibuprofen-dingell/2021/05/26/93f18ff8-bcc0-11eb-b26e-53663e6be6ff_story.html quoting from the article... "Soon, Dingell said she was regularly downing 800 mg morning and night, which continued long after the initial surgery. By around March, Dingell said her doctors started to raise concerns about how much ibuprofen she was taking. “The doctors warned me,” she said. “They told me that taking it for this long, they wanted to watch me closely, and I thought I was invincible.” Ibuprofen and other pain relievers such as naproxen, or Aleve, reduce your body’s ability to make a layer of mucus that protects the lining of your stomach from gastric acid, said Christian Stevoff, clinical practice director in the division of gastroenterology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine." I always wondered how NSAIDs could cause ulcers and this article explains it well! Quoting again... “We think if we’re taking over-the-counter medicines and we’re not feeling anything, we’re okay,” said Dingell, who had been using high doses of Motrin to help with lingering pain from surgery earlier this year. “I didn’t know I had an ulcer,” she added. “I had no stomach pain before this.” Taking pain relievers such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve or aspirin, also known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), is one of the most common causes of ulcers, experts say. But “there’s a real education gap” among members of the public about the potentially serious side effects of these medications, said Kyle Staller, director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Just because something’s available over the counter doesn’t mean it’s safe to be used by everyone for any amount of time,” Staller said. Though NSAIDs are “wonderful medications for the relief of pain,” he said, (but) it’s important to remember how powerful they are." ..... When taken for too long they (NSAIDs) indeed can cause ulcers by reducing the Mucus that protects our stomachs... I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice. Posterboy
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To Forum Members, I recently was doing research in PubMed about low stomach acid and came across intriguing old research that details it's presence in/with a Celiac and DH diagnosis. see this link https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3992169 Here is the abstract in it's entirety. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1985 Mar;20(2):133-40. Gastric morphology and function in dermatitis herpetiformis and in coeliac disease. Gillberg R, Kastrup W, Mobacken H, Stockbrügger R, Ahren C. Abstract "Gastric acid secretory capacity was evaluated in 116 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis by means of the pentagastrin test. Endoscopic gastric mucosal biopsy specimens were obtained from both the body and the antrum in 90 of them. Forty-eight patients (41%) had a maximal acid output less than 10 mmol/h, and 30 of them (26%) were achlorhydric. The frequency of achlorhydria increased with age, and 27 out of 58 patients (47%) more than 50 years old were achlorhydric. Antrum-sparing chronic atrophic gastritis was present in 92% of the achlorhydric patients, and hypergastrinaemia and serum parietal cell antibodies were found in most of them. The prevalence of chronic gastritis of the body and of the antrum increased with age. There was no correlation between atrophic gastritis or achlorhydria and small-intestinal villous atrophy, the results of the D-xylose test, and blood folate and serum zinc determinations. The transferrin saturation index was lower in patients with achlorhydria. The frequency of achlorhydria was significantly higher in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis than in 69 patients with coeliac disease." The question is what does it mean? I see the high association between no stomach acid and DH as causal. (triggering) at 90+ percent a direct association. But the relatively high association of Low Stomach could only be casual (associated with) but not definitely triggering but possibly causing someone with Low/No stomach acid to be diagnosed as Celiac/NCGS patients instead. This research being 30+ years old it can be easily over looked. I have found treating my Low Stomach acid helped my GI problems. If it is an Esophageal pH Test could confirm your stomach acid levels. https://www.verywell.com/acid-reflux-ph-test-1742254 Is this definitive research in your mind that indeed no stomach acid is triggering this immune reaction. I was not expecting to find previous research that studied this topic. More Recent research on PPIs indicate low stomach caused by the use of PPIs can/could trigger a Celiac diagnosis. see this article about this topic. Does/Is low or even No stomach acid being confused for Celiac disease today? I would love to hear your thoughts? I share this research in the hope that it will rediscovered again and studied again to see if it can replicated in the hopes that treating one's Low/No stomach acid might help others. This does not mean you yourself will have low stomach acid . . but you won't know if you don't test for it. I think with this high association in those who have received a Celiac diagnosis further testing to rule low/no stomach acid is warranted. Share your thoughts, opinion, ideas and feedback. I start this thread to kick start your thinking? And to invite honest inquiry as the role stomach acid plays in GI health. It is (low stomach/no stomach) is known to be linked/occur in chronic gastritis so it seems only logical it would at least be casual in Celiac/NCGS patient. See this link on Chronic Gastritis and the prevalence of Low/No stomach in chronic gastritis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4673514/ they estimate quoting "One may estimate that more than half of the world population have this disease in some degree and extent, indicating that even many hundreds of millions of people worldwide may have chronic gastritis in a form or other." What if the 1/3 of the population that might develop NCGS or celiac disease is just another clinical presentation of chronic gastritis? I think it what the research says to me . . triggered by either low or no stomach acid? Your thoughts and comments are encouraged but I found treating my low stomach acid helped my chronic gastritis. 2 Timothy 2:7 Please Consider what this research says and may the Lord lead you on your continued journey. I hope this research jogs your thinking. I know it confirmed mine . . but I am open to being wrong. A man/woman who corrects me is my friend. I hope this newly rediscovered research helps your thinking about how low/no stomach acid could be causing some of your GI problems forum members/friends. We are all trying to find something that works for us and why we participate to share on this forum to help others with the same help knowledge we have gained on our way/journey God being our help. 2 Corinthians (KJV) 1:3,4 3) “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4) who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (starfish), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Posterboy by the grace of God,
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Is NCGS and/or Celiac Disease Really Low Stomach Acid Misdiagnosed
Posterboy posted a blog entry in Posterboy's Blog
Is it NCGS or Low stomach acid misdiagnosed Low Stomach Acid and Celiac Disease Dear Gluten Intolerant please consider Low Stomach Acid as a possible Differential Diagnosis as a possible way to achieve remission of your GI symptom's. “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” 2 Timothy 2: 7 Low stomach acid has now been linked to a probable cause of damage to the Small Intestine before and/or occurring with a Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) or Celiac diagnosis. See this research as reported on celiac.com that discusses the increased risk of/for someone to develop celiac disease after taking PPI’s. https://www.celiac.com/articles/23432/1/Do-Proton-Pump-Inhibitors-Increase-Risk-of-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html Note how the article starts quoting “Rates of celiac disease and the use of drugs to inhibit the secretion of stomach acid have both increased in recent decades. A research team recently set out to explore the association between anti-secretory medication exposure and subsequent development of celiac disease.” If these medicine are lowering stomach acid what cause effect relationship does/ could this have on Celaic/NCGS diagnosis is what he is postulating. He goes on to say without being very technical (read the whole article for yourself) that “The data clearly show that patients who use anti-secretory medications are at much greater risk for developing celiac disease following the use of these medicines. The fact that this connection persisted even after the team excluded prescriptions for anti-secretory medicines in the year preceding the celiac disease diagnosis suggests a causal relationship”. If even after a year OFF these medicines your chances of developing Celiac Disease (celiac disease) not to mention even NCGS which is much more prominent surely the researcher is correct in postulating that there is a cause and effect relationship between low stomach acid and NCGS and/or Celiac disease. Surely there is something we can learn here. I now postulate some homework for the reader of this blog post. Do some research for yourself and see if achlorhydia or hypochlorhydia symptoms don’t at least resemble in some manner all of the GI symptoms you have been having. (I note some of the many symptom’s low stomach acid can present with below as referenced from Dr. Myatt’s online article “What’s Burning You” for easy reference (It might not be what you think (my words)) It is important to note here that “some” symptoms does not mean all but many or several. It is called a differential diagnosis. It is an important diagnostic tool in medicine. Think of the tv show “House” where they spend the whole hour/over a week times going through the ‘differential diagnosis’ in short any one symptom can/have many different causes. The trick is how to quickly eliminate possible outcomes as symptoms (many) go up. All is usually never meet because that would make the disease in full outbreak and obvious even to the layman a condition described as “frank” or “classic” Scurvy or Rickets as an example. Sadly too often after 8 to 10+ years of testing after all the differential diagnosis’s are ruled out you are said by process of elimination to have Celiac Disease if you are lucky or maybe NCGS and not some other acronym GI disease as I like to refer to them as a group. GERD,IBS,UC, Chrons etc because if they turned down that street … . you are/could be in/at a dead end for they stop looking at the trigger (gluten) as the cause of your gastric upset/digestive disorder(s). So in summary if 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 of these symptoms overlap “many of’ these symptoms could be Low Stomach Acid related. IF that is the cause/case for you then there is hope! For remission! From Dr. Myatts’ Online article what’s burning you? From Dr. Myatts’ Online article what’s burning you? http://healthbeatnews.com/whats-burning-you/ Diseases Associated with Low Gastric Function Low stomach acid is associated with the following conditions: * Acne rosacea * Addison’s disease * Allergic reactions * Candidiasis (chronic) * Cardiac arrhythmias * Celiac disease * Childhood asthma * Chronic autoimmune hepatitis * Chronic cough * Dermatitis herpeteformis * Diabetes (type I) * Eczema * Gallbladder disease * GERD * Graves disease (hyperthyroid) * Iron deficiency anemia * Laryngitis (chronic) * Lupus erythromatosis * Macular degeneration * Multiple sclerosis * Muscle Cramps * Myasthenia gravis * Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) * Osteoporosis * Pernicious anemia * Polymyalgia rheumatica * Reynaud’s syndrome * Rheumatoid arthritis * Scleroderma * Sjogren’s syndrome * Stomach cancer * Ulcerative colitis * Vitiligo When low in stomach acid we become low in essential nutrients Quoting from Dr. Myatts “what’s burning you” online article “Our bodies need 60 or so essential nutrients. “Essential” means that the body MUST have this nutrient or death will eventually ensue, and the nutrient must be obtained from diet because the body cannot manufacture it. Many of these essential nutrients require stomach acid for their assimilation. When stomach acid production declines, nutrient deficiencies begin. Calcium, for example, requires vigorous stomach acid in order to be assimilated. Interestingly, the rate of hip replacement surgery is much higher in people who routinely use antacids and acid-blocking drugs. We know that people who have “acid stomach” were already having trouble assimilating calcium from food and nutritional supplements due to lack of normal stomach acid production. When these symptoms are “band-aided” with drugs which decrease stomach acid even more, calcium assimilation can come to a near-halt. The result? Weak bones, hip fractures and joint complaints resulting in major surgery. Jonathan Wright, M.D., well-known and respected holistic physician, states that “Although research in this area is entirely inadequate, its been my linical observation that calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, and many other micro-trace elements are not nearly as well-absorbed in those with poor stomach acid as they are in those whose acid levels are normal. When we test plasma amino acid levels for those with poor stomach function, we frequently find lower than usual levels of one or more of the eight essential amino acids: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Often there are functional insufficiencies of folic acid and/or vitamin B12.” Remember, these are essential nutrients. Deficiencies of any single one of them can cause serious health problems over time. Weak bones, diminish immune function, failing memory, loss of eyesight and many other “diseases of aging” are often the result of decreased stomach function.” It is me again reader. So low stomach acid is the triggering agent (often) for low nutrients. Make too much sense! Now don’t take Vitamin’s for this condition where low Vitamins/Minerals are known to be low in patients who have this condition because . . . . (if you do you won’t need to keep coming back to the doctor) I can almost hear the doctor say now. Of course he/she doesn’t say that . . . just that the “average person” doesn’t need to take Vitamins. Well I hate to break it too you . . . . but if you are having GI problems and reading this blog post on celac.com then you are not the “average” person. You my friend or a sufferer or a friend of a sufferer still looking for answers. If that is you then consider taking either powdered stomach acid – Betaine HCL or taking Niacinamide to help you reset your stress clock. A Canadian researcher wrote about this connection 15+ years ago but still most doctors’ don’t understand this connection between about how “Niacin treats digestive Problems” Here is the full link so you can research it more yourself. http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/2001/articles/2001-v16n04-p225.shtml And you might not after a first reading. I didn’t believe it myself for over a year . . . but every time I thought about it – it (Low Stomach Acid) made/makes the most sense to me. **** Note: research this yourself. Here is a link about how to take Betaine HCL (powdered stomach) for maximum effectiveness. http://20somethingallergies.com/how-much-hcl-do-i-take-learn-to-test-for-your-correct-dose/ Don’t take my blog post as medical advice. It is only what I did . . . it might not work for you but I think it is worth a try especially if you are not now taking an acid reducer. (see notes below about why this might) be more difficult if you are already taking an acid reducer . . . because the rebound wall (see chris kresser link) keeps us locked in . . . sometimes for years. Since I was not taking acid reducers at the time I took Betaine HCL my stomach problems improved and I am sharing this now in the hopes it might help yours too! Now back to (really) LOW stomach acid being diagnosed as HIGH stomach acid these days. How can we know if it truly high or low? You’ve heard the phrase timing is everything well it is here too! Timeline is important in any diagnosis. IF your stomach acid was HIGH as you often hear (everywhere) you hear take a Proton Pump Inhibitor aka acid reducer’s for heartburn/GERD (medical name for heartburn) then eating food (carbs, greasy things) wouldn’t bother you. The acid would cut it up but if it is already low/weak then even a little acid can burn your esophagus which is not coated like the stomach to protect you from high acid. BUT if it is low to start with then food will WEAKEN our/your acid so that you lose the food fight your in and things (carbs/fats) become to ferment, rancidify and cause heart burn. Leading in time to Non-Celiac disease first and with enough injury (and time) to Marsh lesions qualifying you for diagnosis as a Celiac candidate / patient. See above link between/about PPI’s in the year preceding a Celiac diagnosis. If you (can) be that patient and weight the xx number of years for all this damage to occur, there is a better way it is called digestion! A virtuous cycle can replace the vicious cycle you are now in – it is caused digestion. Digest your food with healthy stomach acid and your body will thank you for it with the God given burp. A healthy child burps (at 6 months of age normally) and a healthy adult should too and you will again after taken Niacinamide 3/day for 6 months or this is not the right diagnosis. *********Note this is not medical advice only my experience with Niacinamide and my many years researching this topic as a fellow sufferer. Let me make these disclaimer(s). If you are a) experiencing heartburn that causing vomiting (with unintended weight loss) you may have a special case of heartburn that feels like heartburn (on steroids) that is really Bile Reflux and taking Stomach is not something you should do without medical advice and supervision. See this NYtimes article that discusses the many complications often seen with Bile Reflux patients and why it is treated as Heartburn often and why Bile Reflux is especially hard to recover from. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/health/30brod.html you are already taking an acid reducer then the chance you will get better (off of acid reducers completely) is only 50/50 on your first try but going low CARB can help your transition. Otherwise most people will get better when taking BetaineHCL for gastric support and Niacinamide to help them/you reset your digestive processes. See this online article about how Jo Lynne Shane got off Nexium for good. http://www.jolynneshane.com/how-i-got-off-nexium-for-good.html and her Epilogue http://www.jolynneshane.com/epilogue.html You will see she still struggles some but is much better when she let her natural digestive juices do their job. I call it the “Natural Order of Things”. See this article about the digestion process being a North South Affair from the bodywisdom website http://bodywisdomnutrition.com/digestion-a-north-to-south-process/ Taking it (Niacinamide) (or any B-Vitamin) should be taken 2 to 3/day (too keep up serum levels) for 3 to 4 months (the time you can store B-Vitamins) in the liver mostly. Once you have a distinctive BURP that displaces the bloating and sense of “I am going to explode” if I eat another bite (though you haven’t eaten half your meal) then normal digestion is occurring again. If you stool did not sink before this process (of taking Niacinamide begun) and burping became your “new normal” then it (your stool) will begin to sink too! Burping without bloating is the “Natural Order” of good digestion. Don’t stop this process of taking B-Vitamins as Niacimaide or Slo-Niacin 2/day for at least 4 months then you should see most of your GI symptom’s go into remission. (I did not say "cure" but remission from your cross contamination's (flares/symptom's etc.) might be possible. Because our defenses are now strong enough to cut up proteins before they reach our small intestine (where most of the damage is done). Think of a castle with a moat around it (stomach acid is designed to protect us) when it is low (the moat doesn’t protect us) and when the moat is dry the castle becomes a ruin!!! So do proteins (lactose (casein), gluten, soy, seafood etc.) to our small intestines (they become ruined) when our stomach acid (moat) is low or worse dry! I repeat again Timeline is important in any diagnosis. All heartburn is not equal. IF your stomach acid is truly high then it WILL occur between meals when there is no food to tamp down the fire (occurring in your stomach) not your esophagus. The excess pressure from fermented carbs push open the trap door allowing the low acid you have to burn the lining of your uncoated esophagus. See also this online article by Chris Kresser to study this more about why/how this could be a case of medical misdiagnosis in more detail https://chriskresser.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-but-doesnt-about-heartburn-gerd/ This is part of a 3 part series that I think you will find very informative. This (low stomach acid) is a vicious cycle. STRONG stomach acid makes it a virtuous circle/cycle. Now food benefits you because low acid not only causes heartburn it limits your body’s absorptive ability by limiting its ability to cut up your food into digestible peptides and amino acids which are no longer harmful to your Small Intestine but helpful to your overall health because nutrients can now be absorbed because the food particles are now small enough to not cause harm to your villi. I hope this is helpful and it helps you the way it helped me. Maybe it will help you in a similar manner. I write this only as a guidepost on your way. May you find your way back to digestive peace! The “Natural Order” of things! Praise bee to God! It is not a long way if you know the way . . . . from someone who has found his way back God being his help! There are more things I could say . . . but this post is getting kind of long but you get the gest. I noticed someone else on the celiac.com noticed the same improvement when they treated their low stomach acid and thought it was time a blog post talked about it. It is so much easier to consume all this information in one setting instead of hunting and peeking through several thread posts. Search for the posterboy on celiac.com and you will find it is my focus (how low stomach acid is misdiagnosed) and how Niacinamide helped me to restore its “Natural Order” in the digestive process because it helped me! Here is the link to the Prousky’s abstract. 15+ years is a long time for people to continue to suffer but if the research it right then Niacinamide might help you too! http://www.yourhealthbase.com/database/niacin-treats-digestive-problems.htm Let’s hope it is not another 15 years before doctor’s and people realize low stomach acid can explain many of the same symptom’s an IBS, NCGS or even a Celiac patient might experience given a long enough time for these conditions to develop from too low a stomach acid to protect our Small Intestine. See link at start of this blog post posted here again for convenience. https://www.celiac.com/articles/23432/1/Do-Proton-Pump-Inhibitors-Increase-Risk-of-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html And it is worth noting about the time Celiac disease started (began to be more prevalent) / to increase in the population Acid reducer’s became more and more popular. *** Some plot the increase in time to Roundup usage but I am not buying it. PPI’s increase seam more plausible to me based on the relatively new research (less than 5 years old) is pretty current by research standards and the near linear response to increased first H2 stomach acid reducer’s then PPI’s in the population at large. *****Note: after I finished writing this blog post new research that in my mind confirms this connection was reported on celiac.com today that notes the link between gastric pH and impaired nutrient absorption. This very topic as I was getting ready to publish my post about low stomach acid possibly being diagnosed as Celiac disease on my posterboy blog mentions how a Celiac patient’s absorption can be impaired by gastric pH. https://www.celiac.com/articles/24738/1/Can-Celiac-Disease-Impair-Drug-Therapy-in-Patients/Page1.html Where they (researchers) say/ask discussing Celiac Disease and whether it (celiac disease) can impair drug therapy in patients. Note the opening paragraph discussing this topic quoting “Celiac disease is associated with numerous chronic conditions, such as anemia and malabsorption of some critical vitamins. Changes in the gastrointestinal tract, rates of gastric emptying, and gastric pH are responsible for impaired vitamin and mineral absorption." i.e., low gastric pH can effect absorption. It stands to make reasonable sense to me they are related conditions and one is being diagnosed for the other often or at least one is being confused as the other and treating one (raising your stomach pH) might treat the other since many of the symptoms’ are the same. *** this/these opinion(s) are my own and do not reflect an endorsement by celiac.com of these ideas, comments, thoughts or opinions. I hope this helps! You the way it did me! Good luck on your continued journey, Remember **** This is not medical advice and should not be considered such. Results may vary. Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your regimen. 2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Posterboy by the Grace of God,
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