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Better Health, Naturally!
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Celiac Disease, Gluten Allergy, and Gluten Intolerance
By Bernie Noe, ND
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains such as barley and rye. Celiac disease, gluten allergy, gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy are all terms that describe reactions to wheat and other gluten grains. It is estimated that 15-30% of people are allergic or intolerant to gluten. A brief description of the different terms follows:
Celiac disease is the most severe form of gluten intolerance and it is a genetic disease. While active disease is not present at birth, at some point during one's life about 4% of individuals who are genetically susceptible develop active celiac disease for reasons that are not understood. About 15% of people with a parent with celiac disease will develop celiac disease themselves. The small intestine, in particular, can suffer extensive damage that decreases the absorptive ability of this organ leading to malnutrition. Although most people think of celiac as a gastrointestinal disease, an estimated 87% of people with celiac disease experience symptoms exclusively outside the gut. The most common extra-intestinal symptoms are neurological (about ½ of people with celiac develop neuropathy) and immunological, including a 10 times higher risk of developing autoimmune disease. Individuals with celiac disease must strictly avoid gluten for the rest of their life. True celiac disease affects less than 1% of the population.
Gluten intolerance, also called gluten sensitivity, is the most common form of gluten reaction, affecting 15-30% of the population. It is less severe than celiac disease, because it doesn't cause
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Prostate Cancer Screening
 By Bernie Noe, ND The purpose of any cancer screening exam is to detect disease early to allow for more effective treatment, and hence save lives. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. An estimated 241,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year and 34,000 die of the disease. During his lifetime, 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1 in 36 will die of the disease. Risk factors for prostate cancer include age (most prostate cancer occurs in men age 65 and older), family history of prostate cancer, and African American race. Men with a first degree relative (father or brother) who has had prostate cancer before the age of 65 are at high risk. Those with several first degree relatives with prostate cancer are at very high risk. Other risk factors may include a high fat diet and obesity. The primary screening tests for prostate cancer are Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE). PSA is a simple blood test that detects a protein in the blood that is usually elevated in prostate cancer. DRE is an exam in which a health care provider inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate for lumps or other abnormalities. To continue reading, click here |
How Much Control Do You Have Over Your Life?
 People can perceive life as being primarily controlled by external factors (other people, circumstances, or fate) or internal factors (choices I make, my attitude, my work ethic, my response to opportunities). People who feel they have little control over what happens to them (external control) have low expectations of successful outcomes in life and experience more frustration and stress. They feel more hopeless when they're confronted with challenging life events. An extreme case of feeling a loss of control is learned hopelessness. That's when people feel they are trapped and there is no hope of change or improvement. Many people give up and quit trying. They say, "What's the use? My life is controlled by external circumstances or by someone else. My poor condition is simply my fate. There is nothing I can do, so why try?" Sometimes it seems that we have little control. But there are always choices we can make to change circumstances, at least in a free society. If you don't like your job, you can get more education and find something new you enjoy. If you don't like where you live, you can look for a new home, perhaps in a different area. To continue reading, click here |
Do I Need to Call the Doctor for Abdominal Pain?
 Abdominal pain can be generalized (occurring in more than half the abdomen) or localized. Generalized pain can occur with many different illnesses, such as a stomach flu, and most often goes away without any medical treatment. Cramping pain, which can be very painful, is rarely serious if passing gas or a stool relieves it. Unless it is significantly different than usual, generalized pain is not usually a cause for concern. Localized pain is most intense in one part of the abdomen. Localized pain that comes on suddenly and persists, that gradually becomes more severe, or that gets worse when you move or cough may indicate a problem in an abdominal organ, such as appendicitis. When to call a health professional Call 911 or other emergency services if you have any of the following: - Pain in the upper abdomen with chest pain that is crushing or squeezing, feels like a heavy weight on your chest, or is accompanied by sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting.
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The Research Says...
 Grapes Help Prevent Age-Related Blindness, Even Years Later
A study has found that grape-enriched diets provide dramatic protection against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, and that even grapes consumed early in life helped prevent AMD much later in life. (Age-related macular degeneration, known better as AMD, is a progressive blindness affecting millions of elderly people worldwide; it involves deterioration of the retinal pigment epithelium, or RPE, and is associated with oxidative damage, which results in the buildup of the waste product lipofuscin. Grapes are rich in antioxidants.) Adding grapes to the diet of mice prevented the buildup of lipofuscin, which prevented blindness. Aside from the strong degree of protection, the most remarkable aspect of the research was that a grape-enriched diet consumed only early in life provided protection even in late life. Supplementing instead with the dominant grape antioxidant lutein provided some protection, but grapes themselves provided significantly greater prevention of age-related blindness. Human studies are needed to verify these results. This recently released study will appear in a future issue of the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. However, it is accessible online now at http://bit.ly/y7ViBG with an access fee or subscription.
Red, Not White, Wine May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer
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Diet Support Group Meets March 13
If you have food allergies, have been prescribed a low glycemic eating plan, or have other dietary restrictions and struggle with your eating this new support group may be just the thing for you. Started by Jane Benoit, a longtime adherent to restricted diets, and sponsored by Green Mountain Natural Health, this group aims to help people on restricted diets be more successful.
Many people on restricted diets struggle with finding the right foods and making the right choices. Support groups can be very effective in helping people to make dietary and lifestyle changes. Join Jane and others to support one another and to share ideas to help conquer your dietary challenges.
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Green Mountain Natural Health
174 Elm St.
Montpelier, Vermont 05602
802-229-2038
www.GreenMountainHealth.com
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