Below I have reprinted an article by fellow medical missionary Danny Vierra. It is a very insightful article and provides loads of insight with regard to Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. Danny is also the Creator of the popular Almighty Cleanse that are often shown on television info -commercials.

“In 1994 I learned that I had Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. The disease, once known as Malabsorption Syndrome, is an autoimmune disorder that affects nearly one in every hundred people in the United States, of which 97 percent remain undiagnosed and untreated. Celiac Disease is spreading and expanding and the average reader probably has difficulty keeping up with new developments. My purpose in writing this article is to hopefully help someone who might be suffering from an autoimmune disease that may actually be linked to Celiac Disease.

Some of the known symptoms of CD are gastrointestinal problems, joint pain, headache, anemia, constipation and/or diarrhea, fatigue, depression, and skin conditions, but research is finding that the disease is a multisystem disorder and can cause other serious complications such as infertility, type-1 diabetes, thyroid disease, alopecia areata, peripheral neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, liver disease, and even cancer.

The true medical impact of celiac disease is just beginning to emerge. In the book Celiac Disease – A Hidden Epidemic, by Peter H. R. Green, M.D., Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, and Rory Jones: “In the United States today, millions of patients suffer with symptoms that neither fit a specific diagnosis nor disappear. Young and old take drugs and see numerous specialists for gastrointestinal complaints, anemia, joint pain, itchy skin conditions, constant fatigue, or headaches and migraines. Their symptoms are treated, but no underlying cause can be found. One doctor diagnosed fibromyalgia, another chronic fatigue syndrome, a third irritable bowel syndrome. … Celiac disease is a multisystem disorder whose primary target of injury is the small intestine.

The disease is triggered by gluten, the main storage protein found causing food malabsorption continues and the disease progresses, the manifestation inevitably become more varied and complex. Celiac disease is the most common-and one of the most underdiagnosed hereditary conditions in the United States today. … Only recently have studies shown that celiac disease affects approximately approximately 1 in every 100 people-and 97 percent of them are undiagnosed. ” Celiac Disease, p. 3.

Dr. Green continues: “Frequently, the associated autoimmune disease is diagnosed first because it is more obviously symptomatic, while the celiac disease remains silent. Nevertheless, it is believed that celiac disease may come first, predisposing individuals to the development of the autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately, autoimmune disorders are often so well established by the time of diagnosis for celiac disease–with evidence of organ damage, not just the presence of antibodies-that a reversal of the condition is very unlikely.” Ibid, p.155.

“Celiac disease is an abnormal reaction to a normal food substance,” says Green. I have learned that one man’s food, especially glutinous foods like wheat, rye, barley, kamut, spelt and triticale, may be another man’s poison. The body treats gluten, the storage protein in these foods as a foreign body that inflames the villi of the small intestine in order to protect the body from the invaders. The villi flatten and the condition causes malabsorption of nutrients which can predispose the body to an autoimmune disease.

“A large percentage of celiac are deficient in folic acid and should take a B-Complex supplement. I was deficient in B-12 and noticed improvement once I started injections. Vitamin B-12 deficiency can manifest symptoms which are similar to MS. The gold standard for diagnosing CD is an internal biopsy, but a blood test, IgA Endomysial Antibodies (EMA), is highly specific, virtually 100% percent so, and about 90 percent sensitive. Dr. Green also gives a health questionnaire in his book that may indicate that you should take the IgA blood test. Here is the list of symptoms:

· Bloating, gas, and/or stomach cramping
· Diarrhea or runny stools
· Constipation
· Joint pain, fibromyalgia,  or numbness or tingling in your extremities
· Itchy skin lesions, eczema, or unexplained dermatitis
· Constant unexplained fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome
· Frequent headaches or migraines
· Lactose intolerance
· Osteopenia and or/ osteoporosis
· Autoimmune disorders (thyroid disease [hypo/hyper], type 1 diabetes, Sjoren’s syndrome, chronic liver disease), or an immediate family member with an autoimmune disease
· Peripheral neuropathy
· Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
· Small intestinal cancer
· Psychiatric disorders or depression
· Anemia (iron deficiency)
· Infertility

I experienced multiple symptoms whenever I ate gluten and must avoid it completely. Some of the symptoms, which could change from episode to another, were the following: gas, diarrhea, constipation, bowel pain and bloating, depression, suicidal, extreme mood swings, irregular heart rhythms, and muscle twitching. I was also diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, but the symptoms disappeared once I got off all gluten. In fact, I experience none of the symptoms as long as I follow a gluten-free diet a hundred percent of the time. When I first was diagnosed with CD, I suffered from depression, diarrhea, and weight loss. If I eat gluten today I get hangover-like symptoms, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeats, muscle twitching, and a foggy brain. I also can have a delayed allergic reaction and have symptoms on Wednesday when I ate gluten on Monday. Many people fail to realize the possibility of a delayed allergic reaction and therefore think the food they ate on the given day caused the reaction.

Here is a letter from Kathy who suffered from rheumatic arthritis and psoriasis since childhood. Not one doctor had ever suggested or tested her for CD, which she finally learned was the cause of her life-long problems.

Dear Danny:

One year ago, I came for a consultation because I had questions concerning my arthritis. Along with your recommendations of a vegan, whole foods diet, you also encouraged me to investigate celiac disease. After six months of dietary experimentation, I saw a gastroenterologist and received a diagnosis of celiac sprue. My only symptoms were arthritis (diagnosed at age 11) and psoriasis (diagnosed at age 3). I am also noticing an improvement in my overall health, both mental and physical after abstaining from gluten. I was on Methotrexate and NSAIDS for 14 years, and for the last five years have taken Prednisone (the only “safe” drug for the childbearing years). I now have been off Prednisone and all medications, (the first time in 20 years) for one year and I FEEL WONDERFUL!

My goal in writing is to THANK YOU for your determination to provide quality health information. You have, by God’s wonderful grace, influenced me, my whole family, many of my friends, and even my neighbors, towards better health. I especially appreciated the personal trainer you had on your radio show Healthline. I was a fitness professional and educator before having the privilege of becoming a fulltime mom. I can smell an un-educated trainer from a mile away. The gentleman you interviewed, Bobby Spencer, was well educated and has a true understanding of fitness and how the body works. Thank You!

I am praying that one day you will do a show on Celiac Sprue. My Gastroenterologist and the celiac websites say it is highly under-diagnosed. When I mentioned being tested for gluten intolerance as a possible cause for Psoriatic Arthritis, people thought I was crazy (even my primary-care physician). A Gastroenterologist at UC Davis told us of a recent study in Italy where the group of people’s only symptom was that they were short, and when put on a gluten-free diet they grew, and they were all past the growth stage in life. He also said they are making connections between Celiac and Alzheimer’s disease. I know that many would benefit from a show on Celiac disease; the symptoms are so varied and numerous, and the diagnosis is as easy as a blood test.

With kind regards,
Kathy G.

The late Dr. Lloyd Rosenvold, M.D., the physician who diagnosed me with gluten intolerance, or Celiac Disease, years ago, reported: “In the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 21:20-23 (1992), a study is reported where our of 70 patients with various rheumatic complaints 23 persons were found by intestinal biopsy to have Celiac Disease. That is about 1/3 of all cases of rheumatic disease. Surely every case of any rheumatic problem or arthritis should be tested for CD.” Rosenvold continued:

“I recently learned of a case of rheumatism so severe that he was forced to discontinue his work. A gluten-knowledgeable friend dined with him one day and noted that he partook of enormous amounts of gluten foods. It has been shown in past observations that the gluten meat analogs consumed but many vegetarians tend to precipitate overt CD in cases of latent or previously unknown CD. Actually the gluten-based analogs are not really ‘health foods.’”
Dr. Rosenvold also reported: “We have records of patients who have suffered from heart beat irregularities caused by intolerance to gluten in the diet. Four of these suffered from extrasystole beats (skipped heart beats). When they discontinued gluten, the irregularities disappeared.” I have noticed irregular heartbeats if I eat gluten. The late Ear, Nose and Throat specialist also said that gluten intolerance can cause auricular fibrillation and chronic fatigue syndrome.

A study in Finland reported that in ten patients with CFS, seven of them obtained full relief as soon as they went on a gluten-free diet. Do you have friends that are chronically tired for no obvious reason? Try suggesting a gluten-free diet for a month or two. I remember watching a health series by Dr. Gary Null on PBS, years ago, and he advised everyone feeling tired and fatigued to get off all wheat products. I would go further than this — I would suggest they get off all gluten products.

I know of many people who were suffering with many symptoms but never suspected celiac disease as the root cause. Dr. Rosenvold treated me not only for CD, but a secondary condition called candida albicans which has a whole list of symptoms much like CD. He said, “When the villi lay flat in the small intestine, candida fungus has a greater opportunity to proliferate in the jejunum.” If you have any of the diseases mentioned in this article and are at your wit’s end in trying to figure out what is wrong with you, please consider a gluten-free diet for a month or two for it may make all the difference.

If you have any further questions, please email me at danny@modernmanna.org. For further reading get Dr. Green’s book, Celiac Disease – A Hidden Epidemic.”

Danna Vierra is Danny Vierra, founder of The Almighty Cleanse, is an author, internationally acclaimed lecturer, evangelist, and natural health expert. Mr. Vierra is also the founder and director of  Modern Manna Ministries and BellaVita Lifestyle Center in Lodi, California. Visit his cite at www.modernmanna.org

Keith M Henry, N.D. is the Director of phase 3ministries, based in Orlando FL. He is medical missionary herbalist, and Naturopath . Download your free copy of his report, Emergency Herbal Medicine, HERE. It may very well save your life.

Simple Natural Health Secrets

I have been of the opinion for awhile that the answer to the health care and health insurance problem in American lays at the foundation of the way that the current medical system is set up. In the U.S. our  entire philosophy is predicated upon treatment…not prevention and healing.  Again…our current medical system in America is not a system of healing but rather a system of treatment. Any system that concentrates on treatment without regard to prevention and healing is doomed to eventually be crushed under the weight of debt.

Just handing out drug medications without ascertaining the cause of the problem, and without educating the people on the cause of the disease, virtually gurantees that they will not be healed or cured, and will return for still more medication as  their unhealthy lifestyle continues to destroy their bodies as well as their minds.

Additionally all drug medications have negative side-effects. They have side-effects that are known and well as those that are unknown—some of them list as  a potential side-effect…death!

So instead of a person going to the doctor for a problem that in most cases can be healed compartievly rather  inexpensively with natural methods; they  they are given a drug or perhaps more than 1 drug, and then perhaphs a drug for  the side-effects of that drug, and yet another and still another until many people have entire shoe boxes full of medications…and many of these drugs they have to remain on for the rest of their lives…good for the drug makers perhaps bad for the patients.

Experienced natural practitioners can in the great majority of cases develop a program which will  include correct eating habits, sleeping patterns,herbal and vitamin/mineral supplementation, etc…that can produce amazing results for a fraction of the cost.

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease” –Thomas Edison
Interesting Articles:

Medical Bills Tied To 60% Of Bankruptcies

“Medical bills are involved in more than 60 percent of U.S. personal bankruptcies, an increase of 50 percent in just six years, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.More than 75 percent of these bankrupt families had health insurance but still were overwhelmed by their medical debts, the team at Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and Ohio University reported in the American Journal of Medicine.” Read Entire Article Here

Slump Pushing Cost Of Drugs Out Of Reach

“A year or so ago, when customers buttonholed the pharmacists at Almand’s Drug Store here the questions were invariably about dosing or side effects. These days, they are almost always about cost.Can I get this as a generic? Is the co-pay really that high? Will you match Wal-Mart’s $4 price? “I’m out of Lexapro,” a woman pleaded one recent Tuesday, speaking of her antidepressant. “Can I just have four pills until payday on Friday?” Read Entire Article Here

Report Finds That The Uninsured Are Costly For All

“The average family with health insurance shells out an extra $1,000 a year in premiums to pay for health care for the uninsured, a new report finds. And the average individual with private coverage pays an extra $370 a year because of the cost-shifting, which happens when someone without medical insurance gets care at an emergency room or elsewhere and then doesn’t pay…”  Read Entire Story Here

Keith M Henry is the Director of phase 3ministries, based in Orlando FL. He is medical missionary herbalist, and Naturopathic doctor candidate. Download your free copy of his report, Emergency Herbal Medicine, HERE. It may very well save your life.

These statements have not been approved by the Federal Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any disease. Always consult a competent health professional if you are having problems.

Suppressed Natural Cancer Remedies Click Here To Learn More

 Mail this post]]> http://phase3ministries.com/wordpress/why-natural-medicine-is-the-answer-to-the-health-care-crisis/feed 3 http://phase3ministries.com/wordpress/many-turning-to-herbal-medicine-in-down-economy http://phase3ministries.com/wordpress/many-turning-to-herbal-medicine-in-down-economy#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:31:29 +0000 NatureDoc http://phase3ministries.com/wordpress/?p=208 A story was carried a few days ago in the Orlando Sentinental citing the Associated Press noting the high cost of prescripition medicine as opposed to the cost of herbal medicine. The difference is cost is vast. The cost difference is even bigger when seen in terms of the cost of the drug medication with regard to the side-effects!

“The choice between $75 prescription sleeping pills or a $5 herbal alternative is a no-brainer for Cathy and Bernard Birleffi, whose insurance costs have skyrocketed along with the nation’s financial woes.

The Calistoga, Calif., couple seem to reflect a trend. With many Americans putting off routine doctor visits and self-medicating to save money, use of alternative treatments is on the rise — even though evidence is often lacking on their safety and effectiveness.

Climbing sales of herbal medicines have paralleled the tanking economy, according to an Associated Press review of recent data from market-watchers and retailers.

One prominent example: Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market Inc. says its stores nationwide have seen an increase in sales of nutritional supplements and herbal products in the past several weeks. That’s “noteworthy” given the retail industry’s financial slump, said Whole Foods spokesman Jeremiah C. McElwee.

While winter is usually a busy time for herbal medicine sales because it’s the season for colds and flu, “more people are value shopping” now because of the economy, McElwee said.

Cathy Birleffi says she’s among them. Read Entire Story HERE

The story is especially  relevant in light of the tough economic times that we are experiencing right now. Natural medicine is better for us health wise and money wise.