This video featuring pediatrician Dr. Anca Safta offers a lot of great information for people of all ages. She discusses a range of topics from symptoms and diagnosis to possible future treatments for gluten intolerance as well as the use of a tiny “pill” camera. She stresses the importance of getting an accurate diagnosis and explains why this is so important.
The simple fact is that undiagnosed and untreated celiac disease or gluten sensitivity increases mortality. Let’s take a look at the research. I hesitate to share such morbid data, but I hope this drives home the importance of an accurate diagnosis and adhering to a gluten-free diet that is not only strict, but vigilant.
The connection between gluten and weight is a common one. One of the symptoms of gluten intolerance includes weight loss, but weight gain can also be a symptom. For some people the weight gain doesn’t start until they begin a gluten-free diet. While some people adopt a gluten-free diet in an effort to lose weight, others gain weight on a gluten-free diet. What causes this to happen?
A study published in the medical journal BMC Gastroenterology found that on average it takes 9.7 years for a celiac patient to be diagnosed after he or she first experiences symptoms, and 5.8 years after visiting a doctor about those symptoms. According to the Columbia University Medical Center, the U.S. has more cases of undiagnosed celiac disease than Europe because doctors do not prescribe intestinal biopsies enough. No blood panel is 100% accurate; an intestinal biopsy is the only gold standard for celiac disease diagnosis.
One of the first steps in testing for gluten intolerance should include a blood test to look for raised antibodies and other biomarkers to determine if the patient has celiac disease. Keep in mind a negative blood test doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have a gluten intolerance of some kind. There are many things to consider both before and after testing.
We all have bacteria in our intestines. However, we have much more bacteria in our colon, or large intestine, than we have in our small intestine. If the small intestine develops a similar amount and type of bacteria as the colon, this can lead to several potentially serious problems. When this happens, it is called
