The 6 Tests For Gluten Intolerance Your Doctor Isn't Running

The explosion of research done on gluten and its damaging health effects has transformed the health and food industry. Thanks to the hybridization of wheat and a grain-centric culture, gluten can be a monster to your health. This protein, found in grains like wheat, rye, spelt and barley, is highly inflammatory for many people. Gluten is the aspartame of the 21st century; maligned by the health community, and defended by its loyal consumers.
Gluten intolerance may be linked to a number of symptoms, such as:

• Autoimmune conditions
• Chronic diseases
• Skin eruptions, eczema, cold sores, acne
• Fatigue
• Joint pain
• Indigestion
• Bloating Gas
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Congestion
• Anxiety
• Moodiness or irritability
• Headaches or migraines

Many people who suspect gluten may be a factor in their health problems go to their doctor and ask to be tested. They're typically given the gliadin or anti-transglutaminase antibody tests. The problem with these tests, when run alone, is that they're often an incomplete view of underlying problems.
Gliadin, the protein component of gluten, has four different sub classifications: alpha, beta, gamma and omega. The problem with the typical gliadin antibody test is that it only tests alpha gliadin. You could have a negative alpha gliadin antibody test, but have a positive response against another form of gliadin. This quirk gives many the impression that gluten isn't a problem for them, and they continue to feed their health problems with every meal.
The anti-transglutaminase antibody test is run to rule out celiac disease, the autoimmune disease, which is known for its severe reaction against gluten. Many doctors in the mainstream system don't realize that you do not have to be Celiac to have an intolerance to gluten. An increasing amount of research is being done on non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). An estimated 1 in 20 Americans may have some form of gluten sensitivity or intolerance.
So what tests should be done if you want to find out for sure if you have a gluten intolerance? These are some of the tests that I run on my patients:
1. Deamidated Gliadin
In many processed foods, wheat is put through a process of deamidation which makes it mix better with other ingredients. This chemical process also goes on in your intestines, which can further complicate the issue. Your body may tolerate every other form of gluten except deamidated gliadins.
2. Glutenin
Gliadin is not the only component to gluten. The other half of gluten is a compound called glutenin. This compound was once thought not to cause an inflammatory response in the body, but recent research has shown this not to be the case. Looking at just part of gluten is like having only part of the pieces to a puzzle.
3. Gluteomorphins
Many of my patients feel worse when they first come off of gluten. They're probably detoxing off of gluteomorphins or gliadorphin. Gluteomorphins are opiate-like compounds that can make gluten a bit like addictive drug. Coming off of gluten can come with several days or weeks of irritability, brain fog, headaches and lethargy.
4. Prodynorphin
Prodynorphins are necessary for your body to make endorphins. Their production can be suppressed in someone with gluten sensitivity.
5. Wheat Germ Agglutinin
Wheat germ agglutinin is the lectin component of wheat, and can bind to nutrients to make them unusable in your body. They also can cause an immune response in your body, leading to chronic systemic inflammation.
6. Gluten Cross-Reactivity
This test can be the missing link for many people who are eating "gluten free" but still have symptoms. When your body makes antibodies against gluten, those antibodies can also recognize proteins in other foods. When you eat those foods, even though they don’t contain gluten, your body reacts as though they do!
Some common gluten cross-reactive foods are rice, corn, soy, quinoa and buckwheat. A comprehensive health history and testing can be a life changer for many people who are going undiagnosed and aren't helped by mainstream care. When we clinically investigate these underlying issues, a customized health program can be designed for the individual. What works for one person may not be right for the next.

Dr. William Cole, DC, graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences in Los Angeles, California. He has his post doctorate education and training in Functional Medicine and Clinical Nutrition. Dr. Cole consults in the Pittsburgh area and phone or webcam consultations for people around the world. He specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors and customizing health programs for chronic conditions such as thyroid issues, autoimmune, hormonal dysfunctions, digestive disorders, diabetes, heart disease and fibromyalgia. Visit www.drwillcole.com for more information and subscribe to his free monthly Future Health Newsletter to stay plugged in with healthy tips and recipes.

Fibromyalgia: 5 Underlying Causes

Fibromyalgia affects millions of people, with little to no help provided by mainstream medicine. This debilitating condition is known for symptoms such as chronic fatigue, depression, painful muscular points and sleep disorders. People struggling with fibromyalgia are typically given pain medication, antidepressants and are told to learn to cope with their symptoms. The problem is that a fibromyalgia diagnosis tells you the symptoms of the disease, not the underlying causes. Because of this, a diagnosis is a starting point, not an answer to your problems.

Functional medicine, on the other hand, looks to uncover the myriad underlying factors that cause chronic conditions like fibromyalgia. This process begins with running labs that typically aren't used in the conventional model, which is largely concerned with diagnosing a disease and matching it with a corresponding drug.
Functional medicine is also called "systems medicine" because it looks at all the different systems of your body and their complex interactions. Let's look at some of the systems I examine in my patients who are suffering with fibromyalgia:

1. Gut
The majority of your immune system resides in the sophisticated gastrointestinal system. The trillions of bacteria that live in your gut make up a delicate environment called the microbiome. When this system is thrown off balance, it can wreak havoc and cause or contribute to fibromyalgia symptoms. Many people struggling with fibromyalgia have unnoticed gut issues:

• Chronic yeast or fungal Infections, such as excess candida
• Bacterial infections or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Food intolerances
• Gut hyperpermeability (Leaky Gut)

These are some common conditions in the gut system that people with fibromyalgia have and they don't even know it. Addressing these issues is a piece of the puzzle to feeling like themselves again.
 
2. Detox
We're inundated with toxins every day. From our food, environment, cleaning and beauty products — toxins come at us from every direction, and they take a toll on our health. Our bodies are resilient and can handle a certain level of the toxic onslaught, but toxicity is another potential tipping point for fibromyalgia. Heavy metals such as mercury and lead, or mycotoxins from mold are some common things that I see with people dealing with fibromyalgia symptoms. We also need to look at your body's ability to get rid toxins. Impaired detoxification pathways and genetic weaknesses can make it extra difficult for some people to eliminate toxins properly. This toxic buildup can trigger fibromyalgia symptoms.

3. Hormonal
Our body communicates and operates with an intelligent system of hormones known as the endocrine system. When there is an imbalance, deficiency or dysregulation to your hormones, it may cause fibromyalgia symptoms. Adrenal fatigue, thyroid disorders, DHEA levels, estrogen and testosterone imbalances are some of the pieces of the puzzle to understanding fibromyalgia symptoms.

4. Nutrients
Not a true system in the conventional sense, but as a system within all systems, your body's nutrient levels are essential to understanding fibromyalgia. Deficiencies in magnesium, vitamin D, selenium and glutathione are all potential factors in the development of fibromyalgia.

5. Biomechanical
Your nervous system supplies energy to all other systems of your body! That's why you may hear your neck referred to as "the arc of life." Injuries to your neck or bad posture can bring a perpetual source of chronic inflammation and stress to your body's systems.
As you can see, you would be hard pressed to find a "magic pill" that dealt with all the underlying factors of fibromyalgia. A comprehensive health program that addresses all these issues should be customized for anyone struggling with fibromyalgia


Dr. William Cole, DC, graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences in Los Angeles, California. He has his post doctorate education and training in Functional Medicine and Clinical Nutrition. Dr. Cole consults in the Pittsburgh area and phone or webcam consultations for people around the world. He specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors and customizing health programs for chronic conditions such as thyroid issues, autoimmune, hormonal dysfunctions, digestive disorders, diabetes, heart disease and fibromyalgia. Visit www.drwillcole.com for more information and subscribe to his free monthly Future Health Newsletter to stay plugged in with healthy tips and recipes.

Are You Resistant To Weight Loss? It Could Be This

It is no secret that obesity has skyrocketed in the past 20 years. This metabolic epidemic accounts for 21 percent of all health care costs in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 1/3 of Americans are obese and another third are overweight. From diabetes, heart disease to cancer, obesity is linked with an increase in almost every chronic disease plaguing western society. For the first time ever, in 2011, chronic disease killed more people than infectious disease.

The weight loss industry is a multibillion dollar juggernaut, offering countless ways to "get skinny quick!" with the next popular magic pill or product. It may be just me, but in my opinion, there are no magic pills! Conventional wisdom tells us that the key to weight loss is based on the rough concept of "calories in vs. calories out." That if, if you just restrict the amount of food you consume and eat like a rabbit , you'll be a supermodel. This antiquated view brings the yo-yo dieter short-term success at best.

So what's the missing link here? In Functional Medicine, my goal is to look at the underlying causes of chronic issues like weight loss resistance. As with any chronic condition, weight loss resistance is multi-factorial, having many pieces to the puzzle. One of the biggest pieces of the weight loss puzzle is where the majority of your immune system resides, and where almost all of your body's serotonin — your mood regulator — is produced: your gut.

The gut is home to trillions of bacteria, collectively known as the microbiome. Your body is comprised of 15 trillion human cells, and about 90 trillion bacterial cells. The bacteria in our bodies contain at least 150 times more genes, collectively, than our human genome — you could say you are more bacteria than you are human!

Our Western diet, filled with refined grains, sugar, bad fats (such as canola, vegetable, corn and soybean oil) and environmental toxins, causes inflammation in the gut, which can lead to leaky gut syndrome. This increased gut permeability allows endotoxins from bacteria to escape the protective gut lining and circulate through the body, causing systemic inflammation. This systemic inflammation can affect the hypothalamic cells of your brain — known as Leaky Brain Syndrome — which can lead to leptin resistance. Leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells, is supposed to tell your brain to burn fat for energy and to tell your body when it is full. With leptin resistance, the brain doesn't get the message.

Welcome to weight loss resistance. A struggle with weight loss can be an issue from childhood for some people. C-section births or antibiotic use, while sometimes necessary, come with a cost of a disadvantaged microbiome. From the moment we are born through the birth canal, we acquire beneficial bacteria. Throughout time our gut has depended on our environment — our food, animals, being outside — to provide the diverse healthy bacteria that keep us healthy and at our optimal weight. Our sanitized life came with a price tag of chronic disease and obesity.

So what's the solution?

Read the entire article at MindBodyGreen!


Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health. www.drwillcole.com

The 3 Best Gluten-Free Flour Alternatives

In an article I wrote a few weeks ago, Why Going Gluten Free Can Be Unhealthy, I explained how many people are trying to do the right thing by eating gluten-free foods, without realizing a "gluten-free" label is not equivalent to "healthy." I showed how going gluten free can be done right and how it can be done wrong, from a health perspective. In reality, one could argue that the standard Western diet is so abysmal that any minor change to it would be an improvement. A relative improvement, from very bad to just bad, does not mean optimal health.

If optimal health is our goal, we need to consider which foods are the most nutrient dense, have the most bioavailable nutrients, and cause the least amount of stress to our bodies.

Let's go over the three gluten-free alternatives that fit that criteria. These are the choices I consider to be the best options if you want to go gluten free the healthy way. Look for these in the gluten free foods you buy or use them as substitutes when you bake:

1. Coconut Flour

This gluten-free option is high in lauric acid. Lauric acid is a healthy saturated fat that's essential to your immune system. Healthy saturated fats are critical for cellular health. These fats are also important for healthy skin and thyroid health. Because coconut flour comes from the meat of dried coconut, it is also high in clean protein. Rich in fiber, coconut flour will also aid in healthy digestion and gut health.

2. Almond Flour

This healthy gluten-free alternative can be found in health food stores or made at home from organic almonds. Almond flour is high in monounsaturated fats, which decrease the risk of heart disease, and abundant in the antioxidant action of vitamin E. Almond flour is also abundant in magnesium and potassium, which are essential for maximized health.

3. Hazelnut Flour

High in protein, hazelnut flour also boasts high levels of the B vitamin folate, which is important for cell health and brain development.Hazelnut flour also has the highest proanthocyanidin content of any tree nut. These helpful compounds may help reduce the risk of blood clotting and urinary tract infections.

Obviously, what works for one person may not be best for the next. We have to take in consideration individual factors such as food intolerances or allergies. It is my passion to design health programs tailored to the individual, navigating them to a path of maximized health.

Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health. www.drwillcole.com

9 Superfoods To Consume During The Fall Season

(NaturalNews) There are superfoods that deserve the name. These special edibles can battle various illnesses like cancer, high cholesterol, heart disease, and other evil diseases that beset man. Blueberries, for instance, can easily knock off free radicals in the body with the powerful antioxidants that they possess.

Going for Natural Foods in Autumn

The fact is that nature provides people with superfood molecules and substances that work wonders for the body one way or the other. It is a reality that certain produce are abundant at specific times of the year. Diet and nutrition can be seen with a seasonal approach. Including fruits and vegetables that are in season in one's diet can provide the freshest and most delicious natural flavors of the season. The following foods are best during autumn:

Sweet Potatoes and Pumpkin

It is easy to fall in love with the flavors and huge amounts of vitamin A that come from items belonging to the "dark orange veggies" family. Sweet potatoes richly boast potassium, calcium, vitamin C and antioxidants. Other standouts in this group are butternut squash, carrots and pumpkins.

Cruciferous Vegetables

These vegetables help in maintaining a good and healthy memory through the coming years. The suggestion came from research which found women who ingest these foods in adequate amounts to have the sharpest memory.

The food items from this group include turnips, collards, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and broccoli. In addition to their ability to fortify memory, cruciferous vegetables can fight cancer through their natural ingredients called "indole alkaloids." People can also get vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber from these juicy vegetables.

Pomegranates

Pomegranates are powerhouses of antioxidants that specifically work to protect the brain and boost memory. Research has also shown that they can prevent hardening and thickening of arteries.

Beets

Beets are beneficial in two great ways. First, they are rich in folate, or folic acid, a nutrient that prevents embryonic defects in the neural tube. For pregnant women, beets should be considered. Second, beets contain a certain betacyanin found to possess a cancer-fighting ability. They are particularly useful in preventing and treating colon cancer.

Alliums

Alliums are good for eliminating carcinogens and other toxins that harm the liver. Research suggests that they also help in some cases of cancer and heart diseases. Shallots, chives, scallions, leeks, onions and garlic are prominent member of the Allium genus.

Olive Oil

People who are at risk of heart disease have got good news about olive oil to be happy about. Research on olive oil-rich Mediterranean diets shows that olive oil can cut the risk of death for heart disease patients by about 50%. This stems from the fact that olive oil contains monosaturated fats. Olive oil also contains antioxidants.

Tea

One good thing about tea is it contains heart-supportive antioxidant catechins. This antioxidant is credited for its ability to strengthen arterial walls and hinder blood clotting.

Red Wine/Grape Juice

Grapes have substantial amounts of vitamins such as B6, B1 and C, but they are more celebrated for the phytochemicals that they contain - in particular, the phenolics. Phenolics, sourced from the skin of grapes, decrease the risks of developing heart diseases. One of such phenols is resveratrol, a natural compound that has anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant properties.

Conclusion

During fall, these are the natural food products that people should definitely turn their attention to. With all the powerful, natural ingredients that they contain, it's time to shift from expensive, meat-filled diets to ones full of natural fruits and vegetables. These superfoods are what the body deserves.

Source: Natural News

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Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health. www.drwillcole.com