Posts Tagged ‘intestines’

According to report in Gastroenterology celiac disease is on the rise. It is now 4 times more common in the U.S. than it was in the 1950’s.

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is intolerance to the protein gluten, found in wheat, barley, and rye. Some times oats are included the list. When celiac patients consume gluten, they suffer an inflammatory reaction in the small intestines. This can manifest as abdominal pain, diarrhea, low weight, anemia, infertility, malnutrition, and osteoporosis. It can develop at any age, and is frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.

Other symptoms can also include irritability, abdominal bloating, depression, weight loss or weight gain and joint pain. With a list this long it is easy to see why this condition is hard to pinpoint.

Since this disease damages the intestines it can cause a host of problems over time. It is associated with Atopic Dermatitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Gastrointestinal Cancer, and even Behavior Problems.

Symptoms vary depending on a person’s age and the degree of damage to the small intestines. Adults could have the disease for a decade or more before they are diagnosed. The longer a person goes untreated the greater the chance for the development of other problems associated with this condition.

Celiac Numbers Climbing

There is no surprise that celiac numbers are climbing. Celiac disease is basically our bodies telling us that it is not meant to be fed a diet so high in gluten. There are no surprises here. We were not programmed to have a diet made up of processed food.

Although the rate of disease in on the rise, University of Chicago Celiac Disease Director Guandalini MD said “only about 5% of people with celiac disease know they have it.”

The problem with that is people who eat gluten with celiac disease injure the small intestines and affect the absorption of nutrients. Gluten is found in foods as well as everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip moisturizers.

Gluten The Culprit  

There are some factors that influence the incidence of celiac disease. The length of time a person was breastfed, the age a person started eating gluten containing foods, and the amount of gluten containing food consumed.

Gluten is a hard-to- digest protein found in many whole gains and cereals. It is also hidden in processed foods as binders, starch, and fillers.

It is found in flavored coffee, artificial coffee creamer, imitation seafood products, flavoring, emulsifier, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and most processed foods.

To me it’s a wonder that majority of the population isn’t suffering from this condition. Probably most people have intestinal damage from the conventional diet. Most of the items that are listed above don’t even make the food category, let alone something that you can safely consume.

Gluten Free Diet 

A gluten free diet is one of the ways that this condition is treated. With that said a whole food diet, will more fresh vegetables, fruits, good protein, and low on the processed carbohydrates is the right way to proceed. Cutting out the wheat, barley, and rye is fine, but eating a nutrient dense diet should be part of the equation.

Fiber alone is the wrong answer for intestinal health. With all the information out there, it is still not easy to find the truth. We know that the Eskimos had good health on a low to no fiber diet. There have never been so many intestinal problems than here in the high fiber touting U.S.A.

Dietary Fiber

Most doctors, nutritionist, and food manufactures recommend a high fiber diet. Dietary fiber is considered not only good, but necessary. Fiber is in many whole foods. The American assumption is if this is true, than let us manufacture more.

This recommendation is based on the assumptions of Dr. Dennis Burkitt, a British surgeon working in Africa a half century ago. It was his theory that the barley bread eaten by his African patients was what made their digestion system work so well. The Englishmen living in Africa and England lived on a diet of refined food.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The real difference was in the diet. Inflammatory bowel disease wasn’t a fiber shortage, but a lack of good fats and whole foods.

The English ate large quantities of sugar. The Africans ate none.

The English ate large quantities of flour. The Africans ate none.

The English ate large quantities of breakfast cereals made from grain. The Africans ate none.

The English ate large quantities of potatoes. The Africans ate none.

The English ate salt cured meat when meat was eaten. The Africans ate no cured meats.

The English ate very little fresh meat or raw meat. The Africans ate a generous supply of both.

The English were most likely to be protein deficient. The Africans had a generous supply of protein from meat.

The English diet was deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. The Africans had omega-3 fatty acids in the fresh meat.

The English diet of processed food was deficient in vitamins and minerals. The Africans had an abundance supply.

The English diet caused tooth and gum problems.

The English drank large quantities of sugar sweetened soft drinks. The Africans drank none.

The English ate a significant amount of honey. The Africans ate none.

The English ate molasses and maple syrup. The Africans ate none.

The English ate a significant amount of canned fruit. The Africans ate very little fresh fruit and none canned.

Low-Carb Diet

Dr. Burkitt’s assumption that the fiber made the African’s so healthy. The real reason for their good health was from the benefits of eating a relative low-carbohydrate diet, which consisted of fresh meats, animal fats and some vegetables. The barley bread was a relatively small part of their diet.

They were not vegetarians; their diet had a large quantity of meat. They raised domestic cattle, sheep, and goats, while hunting and eating wild animals. The diet was high in protein and fat.

Eskimos

The Eskimos had good intestinal health with a diet of primary animal protein and fat. The Arctic Eskimos ate an all meat diet with almost zero fiber. They had very healthy digestive systems, and were without cancer of any kind in the entire population. The digestive health of the Eskimos was much better than that of Dr. Burkitt’s African patients who ate the higher fiber barley bread diet. Eskimo is an American Indian word which translates to “eaters of raw meat.”

Masai Tribe

Dr. Weston A. Price visited the Masai tribe in 1935, and noted that they had excellent health. They herded cattle, and ate little to no fiber.

Low Fat-Diet

Between the high carbohydrates, low-fat, high fiber diet that is recommended we still are not healthy. It must be the opposite low carbohydrates, high good fats, and hold the industrial type fiber. Manufacturers of high fiber cereal, and potent fiber over the counter laxative type products, don’t get it. Everything is in a whole food diet, which includes plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids, brings good intestinal health.

Conclusion

Fiber is known to make inflammatory bowel diseases worst. It actually encourages pathogenic bacteria and produces bowel diseases. Many times fiber expands and gets impacted in the intestines.

Fiber fermentation inside the intestines produces gases. The acidity from the fermentation causes intestinal inflammation. Avoiding dietary fiber isn’t easy. It is hidden behind names like cellulose, pectin, guar gum, cellulose gum, Carrageen, agar-agar, frutooligoaccharides, psyllium, and others.

These are factory-made ingredients. The sources for them are wood-pulp, cotton, husks, seeds, tubers, and other plants that may not be for human consumption unless they are processed. These add texture and volume to our faux foods. If you need these items for fiber, your diet consists of pre-packaged manufactured foods.

The human mouth is not meant to grind indigestible fibers. That is why fiber is milled or ground first so it will require little or no chewing. Manufactured fiber is not fit for human consumption.