Mayo Clinic researchers report that Celiac Disease may be as 4 times higher than in 1950. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered by the protein gluten, found in many grains including wheat, spelt, barley, rye and many believe oat.
It is estimated that up to 3 million (that is 1% of the population) people in the US may have this highly destructive disease of the intestinal tract, that causes malabsorption, nutrient deficiency and increase the risk of other disease processes in the body.
Currently, that stat is about 1 in 133 individuals have Celiac disease. So, often my patients may come in thinking they have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or other health issues and we end up diagnosing then with Celiac disease. The good news is avoid gluten/gliadin grains usually is very successful in eliminating the health challenge.
The BIG Question—Why?
Some would argue it is just that we are better at diagnosing diseases, indeed we are, more often than not. Yet, aptly summarized below, there is something bigger going on. There is change in the wind, and it is destructive more often than not when it comes to sustaining humanity.
“Celiac disease has become much more common in the last 50 years, and we don’t know why,” said Dr Joseph Murray, the Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist who led the study. “…Obviously human genes haven’t changed, but something has changed in our environment to make this disease more common.”
My Thoughts
As I have suggested in my article “Is Autism the Coal Miner’s Canary of America’s Health Status?” there is something happening in our environment that is trigger the expression of disease. It is time to realize that we must fuel our body’s with positive and proactive intention. You can read the above article and dozens of others at www.DrMeletis.com, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Therapies and my book called Clinical Natural Medicine Handbook.
What to Do?
Talk to your doctor, get tested. Also I would encourage you to visit the following site www.CPMedical.net, and read about a Celiac Test that can be collected at home and also food allergy testing, that can also be collected at home. You will need the access pin# 705884 and sign in under patient. Note: Self testing is not a substitution for direct medical care by your healthcare provider, and results should be shared with your doctor. Special note, currently the most definitive diagnosis for Celiac disease is biopsy, though other tests are very helpful in getting one pointed in the right direction.
Alberto Rubio–Tapia, Robert A. Kyle, Edward L. Kaplan, Dwight R. Johnson, William Page, Frederick Erdtmann, Tricia L. Brantner, W. Ray Kim, Tara K. Phelps, Brian D. Lahr, Alan R. Zinsmeister, L. Joseph Melton, Joseph A. Murray. Increased Prevalence and Mortality in Undiagnosed Celiac Disease.Gastroenterology 137( 1):88-93 (July 2009)
