| Celiac disease is a complex inherited digestive | | | | results in impaired secretion of bile by the liver, |
| disorder that affects I in 100 persons worldwide. | | | | obstruction of the bile ducts and abnormal |
| This condition involves a unique immune response | | | | circulation of bile salts that impairs the digestion of |
| within the digestive tract to gluten, a protein | | | | fats. Deficiency of lactase, sucrase, maltase and |
| found in the grains of wheat, barley, rye and oats. | | | | proteases result in failure to finish the digestion of |
| All persons with celiac disease, regardless of age, | | | | sugars and protein required for absorption. |
| race or gender, are susceptible to intestinal | | | | Undigested nutrients arriving in the colon cause |
| damage when they eat food containing gluten or | | | | excessive fermentation and drawing of water |
| its derivatives. The treatment for celiac disease is | | | | from the bloodstream into the colon. These |
| a strict gluten-free diet that stops damage and | | | | conditions produce symptoms such as abdominal |
| allows recovery. Probiotics and prebiotics should | | | | pain, watery diarrhea, IBS-like symptoms, bloating, |
| be incorporated into the diet to improve the | | | | and gas. Pale foul-smelling stool that float or stick |
| quality and balance of intestinal bacteria that | | | | to the toilet bowl results from fat malabsorption. |
| inhabit the colon. | | | | 2. Altered gut motility and low stomach acidity |
| Intestinal enzyme deficiencies, sugar intolerances | | | | commonly found in celiac disease promote |
| and associated dysbiosis, or imbalance of intestinal | | | | fermentation in the large bowel and also |
| microbes, called flora, appear commonly in | | | | overgrowth of yeast and bacteria in the small |
| persons with celiac disease.1 Research indicates | | | | bowel, both serious conditions. |
| that the metabolic activity of intestinal microbial | | | | 3. The health and integrity of intestinal cells |
| flora in celiacs is different from the general | | | | depends on adequate availability of niacin, zinc and |
| population and that it is a genuine phenomenon of | | | | vitamin A. Deficiency of these nutrients sets the |
| celiac disease not affected by either the diet, the | | | | stage for inflammation, infection and diarrhea that |
| inflammation, or the autoimmune status of the | | | | worsen gut function and induce overpopulation by |
| patient.2 The severity of disturbances in intestinal | | | | pathogens. |
| balance of flora was found to depend on the | | | | For these reasons, persons with celiac disease |
| gravity of the patients' state. 3 | | | | should learn about and properly use both |
| Celiac reactions work in the following way. | | | | probiotics and prebiotics to improve their overall |
| Undigested fragments of gluten cause a "leaky | | | | health and specifically their intestinal health. This is |
| gut syndrome" by relaxing the normally tight | | | | especially important if they continue to experience |
| intercellular junctions that function to prevent large | | | | fatigue, weakness, achiness, depression, foggy |
| molecules from slipping through the lining. | | | | thinking and digestive problems while maintaining a |
| Penetrating gluten fragments become bound by | | | | gluten-free diet. |
| the intestinal enzyme tissue transglutaminase | | | | Probiotic supplements and fermented food such |
| (tTG) to form a molecule that triggers the | | | | as yogurt and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, |
| development of antibodies. These antibodies then | | | | replace lost or reduced health-producing bacteria |
| attack the gluten/enzyme molecule within the | | | | populations, such as lactobacillus and E. Coli |
| lining. | | | | bacteria, in the colon while prebiotics, such as |
| The immune reaction within the gut lining causes | | | | soluble fiber, will stimulate their growth. Indeed, |
| inflammation and damage to the delicate | | | | good health depends on good balance of intestinal |
| structures of the lining, leading to failure to digest | | | | bacteria. |
| and absorb nutrients. Malabsorption leads to | | | | References: |
| malnutrition that then brings about malfunction of | | | | 1. Tjellström B, Stenhammar L, |
| any or all body systems, depending on the | | | | Högberg L, Fälth-Magnusson, K |
| nutrients that are missing. | | | | Magnusson KE, Midtvedt |
| In this way hundreds of diverse health problems | | | | T, Sundqvist T, Norin E. "Gut microflora associated |
| may develop from celiac disease. | | | | characteristics in children with celiac disease." |
| Various microbial imbalances stem from the | | | | Scand J Gastroenterol. 2001 Feb;36(2):163-8. |
| unnatural passage of undigested fat, | | | | 2. Murray IA, Smith JA, Coupland K, Ansell ID, |
| carbohydrates and protein into the colon, poor gut | | | | Long RG. "Intestinal disaccharidase deficiency |
| motility, and certain nutrient deficiencies. | | | | without villous atrophy may represent early celiac |
| 1. Passage of unabsorbed nutrients into the colon | | | | disease." Am J Gastroenterol. 2005 |
| results from pancreatic insufficiency, bile | | | | Dec;100(12):2784-8 |
| insufficiency and digestive enzyme deficiencies. | | | | 3. Kamilova AT, Akhmedov NN, Nurmatov BA. |
| Pancreatic insufficiency results in deficiency of | | | | "Intestinal microbiocenosis in children with intestinal |
| pancreatic digestive enzymes lipase, amylase, and | | | | enzymopathy." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol. |
| protease needed for the digestion of fat, | | | | 2001 May-Jun;(3):97-9. |
| carbohydrates, and protein. Bile insufficiency | | | | |