Gluten's Dark Secret

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Gluten has become a hot topic in the health world. Raising awareness of the health problems that gluten can cause is very important because there are many people with autoimmune disorders or other diagnosed health problems that can benefit from eliminating gluten from their diet. Even with all the progress and publicity that gluten has gotten in the recent years, there still seems to be quite a bit of confusion, and the biggest area of confusion appears to be the difference between Celiac Disease versus having a gluten sensitivity or a gluten intolerance.

I often talk with people who are struggling with some type of autoimmune disorder and one of the first questions I always ask is, "Do you eat gluten?" Nine times out of ten the person replies with something like "Well yes, but I already got tested for Celiac Disease and it came back negative so my doctor told me I didn't have to avoid gluten". This is where the confusion seems to be. In reality, there are three basic types of gluten related problems people can suffer from and all three can lead to very similar health problems. Celiac Disease, the most famous of the three, is an inherited autoimmune disease; it is actually the only autoimmune disease that has a known trigger, and most people are aware of its related problems. 

Gluten sensitivity is more like an allergic reaction. In this case, the person suffering has what is known as "leaky gut", which is when your intestinal lining has broken down and allows for passage of larger particles than it normally would. In the case of gluten sensitivity, too much gluten passes through and leads to histamine release by the immune cells causing an allergic reaction effect, very similar to someone who has an allergy to something like strawberries or nuts. Things can get complicated because along with the complication of gluten sensitivity, there can also be health problems because of the leaky gut present. These problems have the ability to affect all parts of the body like the endocrine system, digestive system, and neurological function leading to major dysfunction and disease, and can actually lead to developing other food allergies as well.

Lastly, there is gluten intolerance. One major difference between gluten intolerance and the other two is there is no genetic predisposition to getting it. So basically anyone can develop a gluten intolerance. Much like with gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance happens when leaky gut is present in the intestines. Large gaps in the intestinal wall allow too many and too large food particles to pass through and in doing so cause problems in your body. The immune cells that mark gluten for destruction can also float around the body and stick to other cells in the body, like the cells that make up the thyroid. Then, the body's own immune system basically starts to attack itself and an autoimmune problem can result.

This is a very basic overview of the types of problems related to gluten, but also why I recommend to everyone to avoid gluten, especially if you have autoimmune type symptoms even if you have been tested for Celiac Disease. Lastly, although avoiding gluten can make a big difference, you can always get tested for gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity to know for sure. Also, there might need to be some steps taken to repair the intestinal wall from all the damage that has been done; especially if leaky guy is present. If you want to learn more about leaky gut click here. 

Dr. Matt

Express Health. Express Symptoms.

Thanks for visiting. I have expanded my blog to a full website. Click here to read this article and see the new site!

We all get sick and it's miserable. It's no fun to have a stuffy nose, sore throat, a fever, or even diarrhea. We have been programmed to think that symptoms are the same thing as disease. Because of this there are a multitude of pills, syrups, and potions that a person can take to get rid of them. Have you ever stopped to think why?

Our bodies are amazing. I once heard that at any give instant there are 60,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (that is a "6" followed by twenty-eight zeros) different functions happening at once in the human body. Needless to say our bodies know what is going on inside. There is a term that is taught in even the most basic biology class and that term is "homeostasis". When the body is in homeostasis, it means that the body has found its equilibrium i.e it's healthy. Different types of stress, whether it be physical or emotional stress, toxins, or germs, pull our body away from equilibrium. When this happens the body uses its different resources and mechanisms to return to normal function...to homeostasis.

When your body encounters different germs like bacteria or viruses, it pulls the body out of equilibrium and your body doesn't like that. Your immune system flares up and symptoms ensue. All symptoms have a purpose. Mucus helps create a river to carry out the bad stuff and also increases local immune activity. A fever increases metabolism and creates a hostile environment for certain types of germs. Vomiting and diarrhea help flush the unwanted germs out of the digestive tract, and so on. So does it make any sense to suppress the means your body has to heal? I don't think so. I believe that the body knows more about whats going on inside of itself than we can even imagine. It is always working to keep you as healthy as possible.

A pattern that I see all the time is the more symptom suppressing medications a patient takes, the long the illness sticks around. And it makes total sense. If you have a head cold, and your body is trying to rid the nose and sinuses of germs by creating mucus and you take something that suppresses mucus then of course you will be sick longer. You're fighting your own body that is fighting to make you healthy! Medications suppress functions and hinder the body from expressing proper health.

Next time you are sick, instead of trying reaching from something that suppresses the way your body is designed to function, why not try things that actually support and increase function. So what do I do when I get sick? I get adjusted, because chiropractic adjustments have been proven to boost the body's immune system. I also take things like coconut oil, raw honey, Vitamin D, and colloidal silver which are all things that are proven to boost the body's immune system and giving it more resources to fight off infections faster and recover sooner. Whenever you get sick, your goal should be to boost your immune system, not suppress it.

Lastly, one thing that most people do not realize is that your immune system that fights off minor infections and colds is also the same immune system that has to fight off more serious problems in your body, like cancer. Allowing your body and your immune system to get practice, and fully develop is so vital to your health in the future. So next time your are sick, instead of suppressing yourself, allow your body to express itself, and know that it is actually making your stronger.

Dr. Matt
matthewjpalladino@gmail.com

The Intro.

My journey to discover means of health and specifically natural health started at a young age. It was not a deliberate ploy of my parents or even a conscious effort, but probably more of a result of we were the type of people who didn't really go to the doctor. Not that we had anything against medicine or doctors, but we have five kids in my family and I was second to the oldest and always getting hurt. I remember times when probably most people would rush their child to the ER or doctor to get x-rays done, but not us...we were a "wait and see" family. And there is NOTHING wrong with that. I remember a particular time when I was out in our garage and a heavy metal vise fell on my barefoot. I was probably about 13 and it hurt. There was blood. Fighting back the tears I limped inside and yelled "Mom I dropped a vise on my foot". My mother looked at me and said "what do you want me to do about it". So I limped into my bedroom and dealt with it. Little did my mom know she was helping to instill in me the mindset that the body is an amazing self-healing organism.

Fast forward to the present. I am currently a practicing Chiropractor and I will soon be a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner. The thing that I love about Chiropractic and Functional Medicine is they are both build on THE PRINCIPLE of health and healing and whether or not you realize it, you already know what that principle is. Have you ever gotten a cut? Have you ever gotten a sore throat? I bet your body healed didn't it? I also bet that you didn't have to sit around and consciously think about the cut healing or the sore throat to going away. I believe our bodies are designed to be healthy, and that is one of the main components of The Principle of Health, but you need things both from within and proper resources from the outside. Have you ever stopped to think "what is disease"? Is disease a certain set of symptoms or is it the body's inability to adapt to itself or its environment. If you have a head cold, its not because you're nose is full of mucus, but rather it is because your body is trying to adapt and rid itself to the germs in your sinuses and throat. Our bodies are always fighting to return to normal function. I love finding the cause. That is what good doctors do. It makes no sense to me to suppress the body when it is trying to heal...rather we should invest in our bodies with good things that boost its function. So, what is Principled Health? In its simplest form, it is eliminating a cause and providing a means. There is one thing all of my patients have in common and it is they all want to get better and be healthy. Do you? 

In this blog, I will be writing health articles, discussing philosophy of health, and sharing stories from my experiences practice. I am excited to share with anyone who is willing to read and wants to learn, and never hesitate to email me.

Dr. Matthew Palladino

matthewjpalladino@gmail.com