March 6, 2012  |     Photo Credit: Shutterstock     LIKE THIS ARTICLE ? Join our mailing list: Sign up to stay up to date on the latest Personal Health headlines via email.        

Is gluten killing us or not?

A $2 billion gluten-free food industry says yes. Science obligingly bolsters this boom with a raft of recent studies linking gluten consumption with health woes far worse than the cramps and diarrhea with which it is usually linked.

Not that cramps and diarrhea are a walk in the park. Who could be grateful for having only those? but recent studies connect the consumption of gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley and rye — with autism, schizophrenia, lymphoma, lupus, multiple sclerosis, infertility, chronic numbness, severe balance problems and more. so even if you think you’re not gluten-sensitive or that you don’t have celiac disease, the best-known gluten-triggered disorder, gluten might still be ravaging your brain.

A 2002 study affiliated with the UK’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital linked gluten consumption with the loss of brain cells in the white matter of the cerebellum.

A 2009 Duke University study followed the case of a schizophrenic woman who for decades had been assailed by hallucinatory skeletons and daily voices in her head. She had survived five suicide attempts. for this woman, the study reads, "a typical day’s diet consisted of the following: egg and cheese sandwich, diet soda, water, pimento cheese, barbequed pork, chicken salad, hamburger helper, macaroni and cheese, and potatoes."

In hopes that going gluten-free might help her, "she was instructed how to follow a dietary regimen consisting of unlimited meats and eggs, 4 ounces of hard cheese, 2 cups of salad vegetables, and 1 cup of low-carbohydrate vegetables per day" — but no grains.

Within a week, "she was feeling well, and noted an increase in energy." three weeks hence, "she was no longer hearing voices or seeing skeletons. … She had had no change in medication. the only change had been in her dietary intake."

Sans gluten, "the abrupt resolution of longstanding schizophrenic symptoms was observed."

Past studies cited decreased hospital admissions for schizophrenia in areas where bread consumption was reduced during World War II, as well as the rarity of schizophrenia on South Pacific islands where grains are scarce.

A Penn State study published just last week in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience found that diets free of both gluten and the milk protein casein improved behavioral, social and physiological symptoms among children on the autism spectrum. Citing improvements in language production, eye contact, social responsiveness, request making and attention span, the study suggests strong links between autism and the gastrointestinal tract.

But in a randomized, double-blinded 2010 University of Rochester study, autistic children on a gluten- and casein-free diet showed no improvements whatsoever.

As with most health issues, it’s impossible to find 100 percent consensus here. meanwhile, some in the media — including myself — have hailed gluten, aka seitan, aka textured vegetable protein, as God’s gift to vegetarians and vegans: a chewy, tasty, versatile, nutritious faux meat that you can make at home for pennies. Is gluten’s cheap deliciousness — and also that of most breads, cakes, cereals, pasta and crackers — worth the risk, when researchers can’t agree what that risk is, or to whom?

Wheat allergies exist, but in fewer than 1 percent of children, according to a University of Maryland study published just last month — "and most outgrow it by age five."

Celiac disease, the autoimmune disorder in which gluten-triggered antibodies flatten structures lining the intestines, leading to diarrhea, malnutrition and other potentially lethal conditions, can be diagnosed only after extensive tests entailing biopsies. Affecting one in every 133 Americans, CD has increased fourfold in the last 50 years, according to the Maryland study, and is now "being diagnosed in people as old as 70 who have eaten gluten safely all their lives."

Parkinsons Disease is really a neurological disorder that affects movement, muscle control, and balance. The illness was named following James Parkinson, the English physician who initial described it in 1817. A progressive disorder, Parkinsons Disease is related to the decreased production of dopamine (an essential neurotransmitter) by the brain. It characteristically produces progressive muscle rigidity, impaired movement, involuntary tremors and dementia.

Causes and Incidence

Parkinsons is among the most typical crippling illnesses and strikes 2 in each and every 1000 individuals, most frequently those over 50. Incidence increases in individuals with repeated brain injuries, such as expert athletes and those abusing pshychoactive drugs.

Even though the precise trigger is unknown, it has been established that a dopamine deficiency prevents affected brain cells from performing their regular function inside the central nervous program. recent study suggests that several genetic elements might also be involved in some instances of late onset Parkinsons Disease.

Signs and Symptoms

Primarily muscle rigidity, impaired movement and an insidious resting tremor that begins within the fingers, increases throughout tension or anxiety and decreases with purposeful movement and sleep. The gait lacks regular parallel movement and sufferers acquire a high pitched monotone voice. Other symptoms consist of; drooling, walking with the body bent over, slurred speech (dysarthria) and difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia). Parkinsons doesn’t impact the intellect. A big proportion of Individuals with Parkinsons Disease also have hyperthyroidism.

Diagnosis is based on age, history and also the characteristic clinical picture, but conclusive diagnosis is only feasible following ruling out other causes of tremor, involutional depression, cerebral arteriosclerosis and intracranial tumors. Smell tests can assist differentiate Parkinsons Disease from other conditions with comparable symptoms.

Patients frequently have increased iron accumulation in brain areas related to the condition and elevated levels of manganese are also frequently present.

Even though there isn’t any recognized cure for Parkinsons Disease, treatment can assist control symptoms, enhance patient high quality of life and maintain functionality so long as feasible. Treatment consists of drugs, physical therapy and in severe illness states unresponsive to drugs, surgery or fetal cell transplants. New anecdotal evidence appears to hold out hope for relief from nanotechnology patches produced by LifeWave.

Levodopa is generally given throughout the early stages and dosages are increased until symptoms are relieved or side effects appear. Simply because side effects of Levodopa could be significant, it’s generally given in mixture with carbidopa. Selegiline an enzyme inhibiting agent enhances the therapeutic impact of dopamine and also the use of entacapone permits much less frequent doses.

In some instances of advanced stage Parkinsons Disease, surgery might assist to control motor issues. Deep brain stimulation, the present regular surgical practice for Parkinsons Disease, has largely replaced the older operations. Pallidotomy and thalamotomy are surgical procedures that destroy brain tissue in regions of the brain related to Parkinsons symptoms, like dyskinesia, rigidity, and tremor. Cobalt therapy could be utilized and Zonisamide a drug utilized to treat epilepsy, is showing promise in treating tremors, motor issues, and involuntary movements in patients with Parkinsons Disease.

Numerous studies have discovered that individuals with Parkinsons Disease have chemical markers indicating a high level of oxidative tension, with some study suggesting a high intake of antioxidants decreases the risk of creating this condition. this has led to the concept that high dose antioxidant supplementation, within the type of synergistic vitamins (C & E), might slow the progression of Parkinsons Disease. Patients are encouraged to follow healthy eating and exercise habits and should get tested for osteoporosis, especially if they have issues with walking.

Nowadays a very high proportion of alternative and nutritional medicine practitioners recommend antioxidant therapy and this is where the LifeWave glutathione and carnosine patches have discovered favor.

Article by Karan Naidoo

It can be frustrating and heartbreaking to see a loved one slipping away into dementia. It is also frustrating to caregivers who have to take care of those who show dementia symptoms, especially when they do not recognize their caregivers. This is a lonely condition which no one can understand. As one woman to started showing dementia symptoms in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease put it, “It’s devastating seeing that I am not competent anymore in some areas, both small and large. Coming to terms with my own deficiencies is hard.” Earning some of the dementia symptoms will help us to be more understanding of our loved ones.

One of the symptoms is memory. Due to death of brain cells as a result of disease or injury, a sufferer finds it difficult or impossible to assimilate new material and hence old and new memories are lost. The world becomes less defined that it had been to the sufferer. Memory loss is one reason why people with dementia tend to act slowly. Every step and thought has to be thought through since the entire memory context has been ripped away. For the caregiver, being away of these dementia symptoms associated with memory loss can be frightening, baffling and frustrating. a typical dementia symptom is that of having memories pop in and out. At one time, they will remember you and the next minute, they have no clue who you are.

Early dementia symptoms also include difficulty in communication. Sufferers have a hard time following conversations. because of the difficulty of navigating around countless words, it can reach a point where even the basic articulation of words gets difficult. in such situations, all a caregiver can do is to guess what the patient wants. At times, it can seem as if the patient is lying. rather, he or she is just trying to replace lost memories with fabrications that are unconscious. Our brains try to make sense of things and when whole experiences are lost with dementia patients, the unconscious mind tries to fill the gaps by swapping old memories with plausible alternatives and hence the seemingly intentional deception.

It is not uncommon for people exhibiting dementia symptoms to wander in seemingly random directions. Sometimes this is due to boredom and at other times, the person may suddenly become unfamiliar with his or her surroundings and want to search for a place he or she recognizes and where they feel safe. Other symptoms include fear, aggression and paranoia. when caregivers understand why a patient these dementia symptoms, they are more likely to offer the needed help.

about the Author

Karan has been involved with internet marketing for nearly 4 years and is an avid writer who writes on various subjects. Come visit his latest website at coffemaker.org/ which helps people find and review the best Coffe Maker at the best prices.