Oral Signs of Gluten Sensitivity

A new published report discussed the symptoms of gluten sensitivity that are commonly present in patients visiting the dentist office.  The final recommendation was that the dentist submit a referral to the patient’s family physician when encountering physical signs of gluten in the mouth.

Celiac disease (gluten sensitive enteropathy) is a common disorder affecting both children and adults. As many people with celiac disease do not present with the classic malabsorptive syndrome, delays in diagnosis are common. Dental enamel defects and recurrent aphthous ulcers, which may occur in patients with celiac disease, may be the only manifestation of this disorder. When dentists encounter these features, they should enquire about other clinical symptoms, associated disorders and family history of celiac disease. In suspected cases, the patient or family physician should be advised to obtain serologic screening for celiac disease and, if positive, confirmation of the diagnosis by intestinal biopsy. Dentists can play on important role in identifying people who may have unrecognized celiac disease. Appropriate referral and a timely diagnosis can help prevent serious complications of this disorder.

Research Source:

J Can Dent Assoc. 2011;77:b39.

From Mouth To Intestine – Gluten Impacts the Entire GI Tract

Most use the terms gluten sensitivity and celiac disease synonymously.  Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of misdiagnosis as doctors continue to perform lab tests that only look for celiac disease.  These tests focus on the gluten induced damage present only in the small intestine.   As stated above, sometimes the only manifestations of gluten induced disease are found in the mouth.  Apthous ulcers (canker sores), and dental enamel defects were the symptoms described.  There are a number of other oral manifestations of gluten as well.

Oral Symptoms:

• Canker sores
• Geographic tongue (gluten induced damage on the tongue – makes the tongue look similar to a topographical map)
• Tonsilar stones or exudates (appears as white lumps of puss embedded in the tonsils)
• Pharyngeal Erythema (chronic severe redness in the back of the throat)
• Excessive mucus production (leads to chronic throat clearing)
• Bad breath
• Cystic Frenula (a small cyst can form on the flap of skin connecting your top lip to your gums)
• Metallic taste in the mouth

Stomach and Esophagus

• Gerd (Gastric Reflux)
• Gastric Ulcers
• Stomach gas and bloating (chronic – after eating)
• Barret’s Esophagus
• Hiatal Hernia
• H. Pylori infection
• Vitamin B-12 Anemia
• Iron deficiency anemia (both B-12 and iron require special chemicals made in the stomach to be absorbed)

Small & Large Intestine

• Celiac disease
• Lymphoma
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• IBS
• Chronic Diarrhea
• Chronic Constipation
• Abdominal migraines

Gluten has been linked to hundreds of diseases and symptoms.  If you suspect that gluten might be a part of your health issues, get genetically tested to confirm.

Original text from:http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/dentists-are-taking-an-active-role-in-diagnosing-gluten-sensitivity/

If you have any of these symptoms and have no answers then a Celiac blood test, stool sample sent to Enterolabs or just an adherence to a gluten free diet might be in order.

Healthy life.
Suzanne

A Muffin Favorite

 Here is a great recipe from Elana's Pantry. It is nice snack to make and take on trips. Lots of fiber and protein.

Carrot Banana Muffins

• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup dates, pitted
• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 ½ cups carrots, shredded
• ¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped

1. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
2. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil
3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl
4. Blend dry mixture into wet until thoroughly combined
5. Fold in carrots and walnuts
6. Spoon mixture into paper lined mini muffin pans
7. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes

Makes 18 muffins

Healthy Life

Suzanne

Celiac Brain: When you are gluten sensitive, you may be zinc def...

Celiac Brain: When you are gluten sensitive, you may be zinc def...: Zinc deficiency can lead to depression and other mental conditions. Zinc deficiency is really important to correct  because of the importa...

What Happens in Untreated Celiac Disease?

If Celiac Disease goes untreated… it’s not good.  Here’s just a few of the increased risk factors from various studies:

• 30% increased risk for GI cancer^[6]
• 40X increased risk for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the small intestine^[7]
• 77X increased risk for lymphoma^[8]

Then there’s the percentage of people with Celiac Disease that have the following associated conditions that aren’t going to go away if the Celiac Disease isn’t treated^[9]…

• Anemia (3-6%)
• Arthritis (20%)
• Ataxia (40%)
• Cows Milk Intolerance (24%)
• Dermatitis (5%)
• Diabetes-Type 1 (12%)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (20%)
• Liver Disease (42%)
• Migraine Headaches (4%)
• Nerve Disease and/or Peripheral Neuropathy (51%)
• Obesity (30-40%)
• Osteoporosis (4.5%)
• Low Bone Density (70%)
• Pancreatic & Thyroid Disorders (5-14%)

The important message here is this: it’s a good idea to rule out Celiac Disease if you have any of these problems… and it’s a REALLY good idea to treat Celiac Disease if you do get diagnosed.
A diagnosis isn’t the end of the world… as you can see, it could save your life.

Healthy life.
Suzanne

Heal Your Gut

The gut has a mind of its own, the "enteric nervous system". Just like the larger brain in the head, researchers say, this system sends and receives impulses, records experiences and respond to emotions. Its nerve cells are bathed and influenced by the same neurotransmitters. The gut can upset the brain just as the brain can upset the gut.

The gut's brain or the "enteric nervous system" is located in the sheaths of tissue lining the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon. Considered a single entity, it is a network of neurons, neurotransmitters and proteins that zap messages between neurons, support cells like those found in the brain proper and a complex circuitry that enables it to act independently, learn, remember and, as the saying goes, produce gut feelings.

The gut's brain is reported to play a major role in human happiness and misery. Many gastrointestinal disorders like colitis and irritable bowel syndrome originate from problems within the gut's brain. Also, it is now known that most ulcers are caused by a bacterium not by hidden anger at one's mother.

http://chriskresser.com/beyond-paleo-6

This is a good article from Chris Kresser who states " Nor did we have any control over whether we were breast-fed or whether our mothers had healthy guts when they gave birth to us." So it is up to us to feed ourselves the best food available like probiotics, prebiotics, seaweeds, fruits, vegetables and wholesome meats.

 There are steps you can take to restore your gut flora:

• Remove all food toxins from your diet
• Eat plenty of fermentable fibers (starches like sweet potato, yam, yucca, etc.)
• Eat fermented foods like kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kim chi, etc., and/or take a high-quality, multi-species probiotic
• Treat any intestinal pathogens (such as parasites) that may be present
• Take steps to manage your stress

Following the GAPS diet, SCD diet and Paleo keeps us from making the wrong choices and helps ultimately to heal and recover from autoimmune diseases.

A few good recipes for getting the healing benefits of coconut are below:

 Dairy Free Hot Chocolate Milk

1 can coconut milk

1 tbsp. vanilla

½  cup coconut sugar

½  cup cocoa

1 tsp. cinnamon

Whisk all in a large pot together thoroughly, add 4 cups boiling water slowly.

Chocolate Snowballs

½  cup melted coconut oil

½ cup honey

1 ½ c. finely shredded unsweetened coconut

½ c. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all together. Drop onto parchment paper or pat in an 8 x 8 pan. Put in fridge to cool.

Rich Chocolate Chia Pudding

2 cans coconut milk

½  cup maple syrup

1/3 cup chia

2/3 cup cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor

Pour mixture into a storage container, preferably glass. Mix thoroughly until ultra smooth.

Store in the fridge. Top with coconut, chopped nuts or banana.

Healthy life.

Suzanne