Tag Archives: gastrointestinal

Is Colon Cancer Linked To Gluten?

Colon Cancer

Daniel has been cancer-free for 4 years after a colon resection and 6 months of chemotherapy. His doctor thought his inflamed colon might have been due to gluten, but testing for both Crohns and celiac disease were negative. This can be a common experience as too often not enough testing is offered to detect a problem with gluten. The patient may be told, “Gluten is not your problem,” when in reality it is. I spell the blood and stool testing out in chapters 16 & 17 that will very likely detect an issue with gluten if there is one.

About a month prior to surgery his naturopathic doctor tested him for antibodies to gluten and wheat protein. He was high on both and began giving up gluten, which most likely affected the negative outcome of the celiac testing he was offered.

He claims, “I didn’t know I had a problem. My only symptom was leaky gut, a symptom that I had had my whole life. I was diagnosed with leaky gut in college because of chronic abdominal cramps and constipation. Taking psyllium fiber helped, but never completely relieved the symptoms.” That’s because it was a band-aide and didn’t address the main issue: What was causing his symptoms?

Leaky gut is not a symptom; it is a disorder caused by something and can lead to huge illness. Too many patients (and their doctors) underplay abdominal pain and constipation. They come to believe it is a normal part of life. Had Daniel been given adequate testing for celiac disease and gluten intolerance and adhered to a GF lifestyle he might (probably would) have avoided the colon cancer.

Daniel “tries” to stick to the GF lifestyle, but finds it difficult when traveling, especially abroad. If he gets hit with gluten he immediately, within 30 seconds, becomes congested and begins clearing his throat. Digestive issues ensue: constipation and gas. These symptoms appear to be a clear sign of gluten causation. They are a reaction to a foreign body that his immune system recognizes as a threat.

I’m hoping when Daniel gets to the end of my book, Toxic Staple, he will realize the necessity to be absolutely gluten-free wherever in the world he may be if he cares about his future health. Restaurants can always come up with something GF. Yes, it’s a bother to ask too many questions, but it is most important to keep yourself safe from mini-hits of gluten that can continue to do internal damage. Restaurants are coming more on board, but travel with fruit, nuts, and GF crackers and bars, just in case.

There is no way I would ever consume gluten and I am not overly sensitive. That’s because I do have a handle on the devastating and degenerative diseases linked to gluten (a decade of research – 2000+ studies, writing, collecting success stories, and going to conferences). Do you? Please educate yourself on the myriad symptoms, diseases, and associated conditions linked to gluten by thousands of international studies, many of which you will find in my book, Toxic Staple. I wrote this book to empower you and your loved ones. Only an over-the-edge driven grandmother could spell it out as I have. And please read the endorsements at http://toxicstaple.com/endorsements/ suggesting doctors read my book.

Celiac disease is associated with a difficult to diagnose and difficult to treat form of lymphoma called enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL). Anyone with celiac disease needs to be diagnosed early and live a 100% gluten-free lifestyle to avoid this and other serious complications of celiac disease. It is suggested “that EATL should be regarded as part of differential diagnosis in any patient presenting with abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and malabsorption because delay in treatment can result in an irreversible clinical outcome.”*

EATL: Patients with this form of cancer may not have a good prognosis; they may have abdominal pain due to “a hole in the wall of the intestine,” or ulcers or a blockage. EATL can travel to the colon, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes, skin, spleen, and stomach.** Thus, the need to detect gluten issues early and pay strict attention to the GF lifestyle.

If you or your child have been suffering from stomach pain and intestinal issues or any one of the over 300 issues linked to gluten you will get the full picture from Toxic Staple, especially the testing you need to detect intolerance or celiac disease. Make a copy of the testing info for your doctor, and do not keep putting it off. You need to keep eating gluten until you have the blood tests. Low or no gluten can skew blood test results. Some doctors don’t even ask about this.

Celiac disease is only a fraction of the gluten problem. What really matters is whether you are gluten-intolerant. If intolerant you should never consume this nasty destructive protein. It can do you in over time. Even the littlest bit can keep the internal damage happening if you are sensitive to gluten.

There is a strong message here for the reader. If you are suffering from any one or more gastrointestinal issues please address it by getting thoroughly tested for gluten issues (4 blood tests). You will need to advocate for yourself as there is still huge unawareness of adequate testing to detect a problem with gluten. Keep eating gluten until you have the blood tests. And if negative on blood testing don’t stop until you follow it up with Dr. Fine’s stool testing. I have no financial interest in his lab; I just strongly believe in his very sensitive testing. My whole family, except the really sick grandkid, was negative on blood testing yet positive on stool tests. Everyone’s health turned around once we got on a GF diet/lifestyle.

A fair bit of research exists on colon cancer and gluten.

Do you have a colon cancer/gluten or cancer/gluten story to share for the benefit of others. If so please send via my contact button above.

The next post will address gluten issues in Daniel’s family.

*Onco Targets Ther. 2016 Feb 22;9:863-8. doi: 10.2147/OTT.S96745. eCollection 2016. Type I enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma in the colon of a 29-year-old patient and a brief literature review. Zhang JC1, Wang Y1, Wang XF1, Zhang FX1.

**Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Enteropathy-associated T-cell Lymphoma http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/types-of-nhl/enteropathy-associated-t-cell-lymphoma/?region=on

 

 

Denial About the Ravages of Gluten

I can’t tell you how many people I run into who are in strong denial about the hazards of gluten. “Oh, we don’t have that!” But signs of intolerance are written all over their face: paleness or flaming red cheeks, sallow color, puffy eyes, sickly looking, drab, thinning hair, weight loss/weight gain, dry skin and lips, skin issues, etc.

I often ask folks who are in denial and resistant to testing who have a lot of health issues, “Do you like living?” It’s difficult to comprehend the severity of how gluten can affect the body over time. That’s why I poured a decade into researching and writing Toxic Staple. By the time you get to the end of the book hopefully you’ll get it.

Whether it’s celiac disease (CD damaged villi) or non-celiac gluten intolerance (GI damage to many parts of the body, but not to the villi) one’s life and health can improve immeasurably when gluten is removed from the diet—perhaps even return to normal, though you may have forgotten what that feels like. It’s surprising how well you may come to feel and only then, looking back, recognize a list of symptoms that you took as part of the aging process or part of a kid-being-a-kid. I encourage you to keep track of these symptoms no matter how seemingly trivial as your body heals – you will be surprised.

If you are experiencing borderline suboptimal health, gluten may be the issue. No one in his or her right mind wants to know that wheat, the staff of life, has become a toxic staple for millions, but ignoring the effects of gluten can lead to disastrous health issues over time. Throughout TOXIC STAPLE you will be bombarded with numerous degenerative and serious health issues that seem to only worsen if a gluten-free lifestyle is ignored or get better if it is addressed.

Disease is caused by something! Time to get your head out of the sand. Discover if you have intolerance to gluten. Then embrace your new way of life and be thankful you know what’s ailing you. Or you may need to prepare for a degenerative decline over the years ahead, a road you may already be traveling.

Only you can turn your health around! Toxic Staple paves the way for you to dramatically change your health and life if gluten intolerant. I originally wrote it for people who are “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” but it is being recommended for health care professionals by those-in-the-know.

Please note: The patient may respond better to a GF lifestyle if diagnosed earlier rather than years to decades later when the body may be very compromised on many levels. And of course, numerous other toxins can add to the mix of a sick body. Your turnaround in health may depend on how sick you are, how well you adhere to an absolutely GF diet, and other factors affecting your health.

 

 

Who is Educating Our Doctors? You MUST Become Your Own Advocate

Thousands of significant research studies from around the globe exist on the hazards of gluten consumption, but this vital information, much of it found in Toxic Staple, is not reaching mainstream medicine at anything beyond a snail’s pace even ten years after the NIH Consensus Conference on Celiac Disease in 2004. That’s why you must become your own advocate in maximizing your health.

Slowly, most gastroenterologists are finally recognizing celiac disease (CD), but there is still huge unawareness among mainstream medicine as to the symptoms and serious, degenerative, life threatening ailments linked to gluten whether it’s celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

I am amazed, as I go about life, how many people with gastrointestinal issues are never offered testing to track down a sensitivity to gluten. And too often, if they are tested, only one test is given. It may be negative and they are told they don’t have a problem with gluten. And gastrointestinal symptoms and maladies are only a small part of the picture.

Since gluten can affect ANY part of the body it is imperative that doctors in all facets of medicine be educated on its insidiously destructive effects.

But who is educating our doctors and healthcare practitioners on this crucial malabsorption/immune reactive issue? Many patients have had “every test in the book” except the right ones. It seems that testing for celiac disease or gluten intolerance is the last of the tests to be offered, if at all. They should be the first line of defense since so many ailments clear up when gluten sensitivity is detected and the nasty protein is removed with a gluten-free diet.

Serious Health Conditions Linked to Gluten – Over 300

Your doctor might think to test you for celiac disease (CD) if you have gastrointestinal issues, but some still think it’s a rare condition. Far from it! It’s very common. Sadly, many of the more serious conditions (cardio, thyroid, liver, neurological, autoimmune, blood, muscular, cancer, infertility, and skin, to name a few) linked to gluten and the associated malabsorption and immune reactions are not on many doctors’ radar screens across our country. That’s why I wrote TOXIC STAPLE. Too many folks are too “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Let’s take 100 folks with atrial fib, liver disease, or memory issues and ask how many of them were offered testing for celiac disease or gluten intolerance (GI). And if they were tested (doubtful), were they offered more than the one typical blood test (doubtful – I hear from too many people they were only given one test – a panel of four tests has a better chance to detect the gluten issue and even then the patient may be negative on all four tests and still be gluten intolerant).

In TOXIC STAPLE you will find such stories on atrial fib, liver disease, and memory issues getting better or disappearing on a gluten-free diet, all supported with significant research. And chapters 16 and 17 will help to clarify testing that hopefully will get an answer if you are gluten sensitive, so you can begin a campaign to transform your health and practice preventative medicine.

If you are burdened with chronic or degenerative illness, no matter what kind, it would behoove you to get tested for gluten sensitivity (CD and GI). Naturally, the sicker you are and the longer you put off trying to determine the cause of your ailments the longer it may take to rejuvenate your health, but most people can find some to a great measure of success with a gluten-free lifestyle if sensitive to gluten. So many success stories are spelled out in TOXIC STAPLE. You may be able to relate to many of them.

If you are gluten sensitive and you ignore this degenerative condition you may be paving the road to an earlier demise. I know that by living a gluten-free lifestyle I have totally enhanced my health and extended my life. You have the power to transform your health! But don’t wait too long. The sicker and more compromised your body becomes the more difficult it may be to totally turn your health around.