Summary
See more very helpful information under the general
category of auto-immune
diseases.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease wherein the body
mistakenly attacks the gluten found in grains
that are in the digestive tract. Celiac disease is
genetic and can develop at any age in life from infancy to
adulthood. What occurs is as foods with gluten are
eaten the body produces antibodies to attack the gluten but
these antibodies then mistakenly attack the lining of the
small intestines. This damage to the intestinal lining
includes the villi that are responsible to absorb nutrients
and begin their delivery to other body systems. The
nutrients particularly affected are fats, calcium, iron, and
folate (folic acid or vitamin B9).
With deficiency in these nutrients a number of symptoms
emerge that vary from individual to individual with the
disease. These symptoms include:
· Abdominal pain and bloating
· Indigestion, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
· Fatty stools (pale, large, bad odor, floating)
· Decreased (or increased) appetite
· Lactose intolerance
· Weight loss, growth problems in children
Some symptoms are not associated with the digestive
system:
· Dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin rash)
· Anemia (iron deficiency), fatigue
· Missed menstrual periods
· Muscle cramps, joint and bone pain
· Sores in mouth
· Seizures
· Easily bruising, nose bleeds
· Dental discoloration, hair loss
· Nutrient deficiencies, malnutrition
Beyond physical symptoms depression, irritability, and
behavioral changes can accompany the difficulties in
diagnosing and dealing with this disease.
3 Problems with similar symptoms
IBS (irritated bowel syndrome), IBD
(inflammatory bowel disease), and celiac disease. What
is the difference?
All three conditions can have similar symptoms hence
sometimes leading to confusion. Further complicating
this is the fact that IBS is very common, occurring in as
many as twenty percent of Americans while IBD and Celiac are
less frequent. Therefore, since the symptoms may be
similar, there is often a quick diagnostic conclusion of the
more common IBS. Here is a summary of differences:
IBS – Irritable bowel syndrome
Technically this is a
disorder rather than a disease because the bowels are not
damaged. Some believe that nerves that control the
contractions of the bowels that move food through the
intestinal tract send incorrect signals to the colon or
rectum. These contractions, that are normally regular,
may then increase in frequency or become spasmodic leading
to the symptoms often experienced.
Symptoms may
include chronic constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort
or pain. It can be triggered by stress, insufficient
fluids, inadequate nutrition, allergic reaction to certain
foods, or just not eating properly (gulping a meal down,
eating on the run, etc.).
IBD – Inflammatory
bowel disease
This term refers to a
number of different diseases of the bowels. They are
typically chronic conditions with inflammation of different
areas of the intestine and may cause eventual damage.
Often they are associated with or are themselves autoimmune
in nature. The two most common forms are ulcerative
colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Symptoms may include
diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, bloody stools, and/or
a fullness and pain in the lower right abdomen. Blood
tests will show unique markers that are not present in IBD.
Celiac disease
Celiac disease is
genetic and an autoimmune disease wherein the body
mistakenly attacks the gluten protein found in grains. As with IBD and
unlike IBS, this is a disease that causes damage to the
intestinal system. With celiac the damage is done to
the lining of the small intestines but IBD can be anywhere
in the intestinal tract.
Some of the symptoms
include diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence with
a bad odor, fatty stools (pale, large, bad odor, floating),
weight loss and others. Celiac has been reported to be
triggered by trauma after surgery, childbirth, stress, and
even viral infection.
[search helps: celiac sprue, ciliac, gluten intolerance,
gluten-sensitive enteropathy, GSE]
Oils, blends & products
recommended:
Oils & Blends:
DigestZen, Cinnamon, Grapefruit, Ginger, Lemon,
Peppermint
Essential oils based
products: GX Assist, Life Long Vitality
supplements
Also consider:
Frankincense, Melaleuca, Oregano
Suggested protocols:
see also general suggestions for
autoimmune
disorders.
The following fundamentals seem common to many
success experiences:
· Absolutely avoid gluten
· Cleanse using GX Assist
· Supplement nutrients by consistently taking the Life Long
Vitality supplements
· Drink sufficient pure water (divide body weight in pounds
by two, drink the resulting number in ounces of water).
Avoid sodas/caffeine.
Use an essential oil protocol for ongoing support.
The following was suggested by Dr. David Hill:
· 2 drops Lemon -
tonic for the liver
· 2 drops Grapefruit -
helps dissolve toxins stored
inside fat cells, so they can be eliminated from the
body
· 2 drops Ginger -
digestive support
· 1 drop Cinnamon -
helps to regulate and lower
blood sugar levels
Enhance nutritional supplements with "Green
Smoothies" to add more iron (for example Monica suggests
the following):
· 1/4 fresh pineapple
· 3+
cups of fresh baby spinach - for those not
tolerant of spinach kale, collards, chard, or baby
lettuce have also been suggested.
· 1 drop Peppermint essential oil (also really good
with Wild Orange essential oil)
· 2-3 cups water
· Pour over ice
or put in blender with ice and drink.
· Pour
any leftovers into ice trays and freeze for later.
Later add 4 ice cubes to a glass of water and stir.
Experiences and Testimonials of others
Marti - Any
suggestions on celiac disease? All I know is you cannot
have gluten.
Pat - This is a hard one, Celiac Disease
is caused by a disorder of the Pancreas, it does not produce
enough enzymes and so cannot digest their food. So Celiac
causes a gut disorder that is painful and annoying. Staying
away from grains is a must. If this person can go on the
Wellness Pack, get him going on it asap. I would try the
Frankincense and DigestZen in a capsule twice a day for two
weeks and then re-evaluate the situation and if its working
keep going.
April - Does anyone
know anything that would help someone with ciliac disease? I
was thinking DigestZen in capsule form, but I'm not really
sure.
Kathy - Yes, April, I would try Digest Zen and don't forget Peppermint or Ginger singularly. Sometimes single oils
are more effective on certain individuals. In capsules is
ok, you can also try applying to the abdomen, in a clockwise
motion. Or consider direct application to areas that you
might be suffering direct pain from. I'm sure you know to
avoid glutton. I would recommend also that you read Bruce
Fife's books about coconut oil. I remember that he addressed
Celiac disease directly. I believe he recommended coconut
flour and coconut oil in your cooking. You would be able to
reafFirm his theories with a little research. I an a huge
advocate of coconut oil, and have seen it helpful in many
health concerns.
Ramona -
I have been anemic most of my life and until February
they could not find a cause. During the last
trimester of pregnancy my iron level got down to 13.
I went on supplements, but they make me sick and I don't
know how effective they are for me. I was tested
for Celiac Disease which came back positive. I
have 2 children with it as well. So, I have
been eating a Gluten Free diet since then, but I can
still tell that my iron is low. The biggest thing
is that I have very little energy and a lot of
dizziness. This past Friday, while trying to work
out, I got so dizzy and light headed, I almost passed
out. I am taking the Lifelong Wellness Pack
supplements, not perfectly, but I have been taking them
for several months. I know they are not super high
in iron, but I was hoping it would be enough.
Does anyone have any thoughts or
ideas of ways nutritionally I could increase my iron?
I just feel like the supplements sufficient. I
can't eat spinach, but other than that, I am open to
anything else. Would other leafy green vegetables
be high in iron
Monica - first of all - I suggest
ensuring that you're drinking enough pure water.
Anytime I get lightheaded, dehydration is often a
culprit. So, whatever your bodyweight is, divide
that in half, and whatever the result is, drink that
many ounces of water each day. Example: 100 lbs /
2 = 50 lbs, so drink 50 ounces of water each day.
To your water, Dr. Hill suggests adding the following
doTERRA essential oils to each 10 ounces of water:
· 2 drops Lemon - Tonic for the liver
· 2 drops Grapefruit - Helps dissolve toxins stored
inside fat cells, so they can be eliminated from the
body
· 2 drops Ginger - Digestive support
· 1 drop Cinnamon bark - Helps to regulate and lower
blood sugar levels
Next, try having green smoothies for breakfast:
· 1/4 fresh pineapple
· 3+ cups of fresh baby spinach - This is where
you will get that iron your body is craving
(remember Popeye the Sailor-Man?)
· 1 drop Peppermint essential oil (also really good
with Wild Orange essential oil)
· 2-3 cups water
Pour over ice, and drink. If you want to, you
can use ice in the blender, which makes for a thicker
drink. Personally I prefer mine liquefied rather
than like a shake.
Chances are, you'll not be able to drink the entire
pitcher's worth, and perhaps your family member may not
wish to imbibe in this delicious drink, so pour any
leftovers into ice trays and freeze for later.
When using the cubes, I find about 4 is sufficient, then
I fill the glass with water and stir. The cubes
melt fairly quickly, and voila' - green smoothie with no
cleanup!
Ramona – Thanks you so much. I can't use
spinach though, because as crazy as it sounds, it does
not agree with me at all. Would kale have the same
iron levels or at least be a close substitute?
Monica - I believe that any dark leafy green would
work.
Chelsea - These are great questions as I experience
similar things and it's stinking frustrating! One of my
favorite greens in smoothies because I think it's milder
than kale or collards is chard. I read recently that it
contains 25% iron when cooked so perhaps more when raw?
Here is a list of foods generally high in iron besides
spinach, which may help too. Asparagus, broccoli,
collard greens, mustard greens, kale, turnip greens,
parsley, and cabbage. Cabbage isn't too bad in smoothies
either as long as I have a cucumber or 2 in mine it is
usually okay. Monica's list of oils actually sounds
fantastic too!
Lisa - I have Celiac also and have found if you add a
liquid Vitamin B 12 to your regimen it helps with the
tiredness and anemia. I also have a rough time with
spinach and use the baby lettuce that you find in the
organic section of stores, which works really well in
the smoothies. I also suggest you read the book
Breaking the Vicious Cycle, and they also have a website
you can connect with other with Celiac and get tons of
information plus recipes etc. If you stay gluten free
your life totally changes in sooo many ways.
Remember also, give yourself time for the gut to heal.
Julie Ann - One simple thing and good too, for low
iron levels, is to buy a box of organic raisins and
organic Black Strap Molasses and mix them together in a
pint mason jar. You take a tablespoon a day.
Really gives you a boost and works very quickly.
Marc - I am looking
for ideas on addressing anemia. Is this a disorder that the
oils will address? Anyone have experience here?
Ramona - I'm certainly no expert, but as
someone who suffered from anemia my whole life, without
knowing why until a year ago, I will gladly share my
experience. I was finally diagnosed with
celiac disease last February when I learned that 8
months into my pregnancy my iron was so low they were
worried I might need a transfusion. Fortunately, I
didn't, but it still has been a tough battle to regain my
strength. I think that taking the gluten out of my
diet was a good first step, but it wasn't the only thing. I
really didn't begin to notice a difference until I went on
the LLW last summer. At the time I started on the LLW
I was desperate. Between the low iron levels and the
hormones after having a baby, I had lost so much hair and
nothing was growing back in. I was embarrassed to
leave the house. I was dealing with a lot of
depression, joint pain and just over all tired all the time.
I felt a lot older than my 37 years, and I really wanted
something that would give me my life back. I
literally only made it through the day by consuming 100+
ounces of caffeinated soda every single day. That is a
staggering amount, when I look back!
I was introduced to DoTerra in July and immediately
joined. I was mostly interested in it for helping my
kids, but gradually I began to see how the products could
help me. I started on the LLW in August and even
though I'm not perfectly consistent, I do take them pretty
often. In September, I completely, cold turkey went
off caffeine and it was about 4 miserable days, but so worth
it! I have continued to use the oils and to change my
diet. I am almost completely on a whole foods diet,
eating everything fresh and when possible-raw. I am a
whole new person. My hair came back in thicker than
ever, my nails are long and strong (which I haven't
experienced in years) I have energy and look forward
to each day. My depression, for the most part is gone
and a month after starting on the LLW, I was able to go
completely off the anti-deppressant my OBGYN put me on after
the birth of my son.
Sorry for the novel, but I guess, I could sum it up to
first, try to find out what might be causing the anemia.
And second, use the LLW and modify the diet. I haven't
had my levels retested, but I feel 110% better! So,
something must be going right! Good luck!
Maree - Tell me
about your celiac disease? I have a really good friend that
has celiac and had a reaction after an essential oils
meeting. She consumed some Lemon in water but she
thinks the smells of the oils in the room might have
affected her even though she didn't touch them. She
said she was sick for 3 days after the party! I am sure her
body is highly toxic and she is sensitive to many things!!!
Anything you can tell me would be great!
Ramona - I'll gladly share whatever I
can. I don't know why Lemon water would have flared up
her celiac because celiac is only connected to gluten
consumption. I do know that before my 10-year-old son
was diagnosed with Celiac he began to be allergic to
everything (fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts, etc.) It
got to the point that I could not feed him hardly anything
without him swelling up and itching from head to toe.
Once we discovered the celiac and put him on a 100% gluten
free diet, his allergies went away, including the nuts and
he can eat anything now (except gluten).
I'm still dealing with some of the effects personally
because I can't do any type of cleanse since I am still
breastfeeding. I plan on doing a complete cleanse and
doing the GX assist when I stop breastfeeding. I even
found that doing the GX assist while breastfeeding caused a
horrible diaper rash in my baby, so I had to stop it.
So for now, I'm just eating the best I can (trying to eat
mostly whole foods that I prepare myself, so I know they
haven't been contaminated). But celiac can be tough,
and if your friend is extremely sensitive, even the smallest
contamination can cause a flare up.
Chelsea - I have had experience with 2
people now who have celiac who have had bad reactions to the
oils. One had burns on her skin from either the Peppermint
or the Cinnamon in On Guard. The other had
lightheadedness and breathing issues. Both appeared to be an
allergic reaction of some sort. But at a recent Dr.
Hill class he mentioned that the oils have no allergenic
capabilities, they contain on allergens, and they cannot
cause allergic reactions. I took one of my friends in to see
Dr. Hill and he asked if she had any chronic infection. She
claimed she had yeast infections and he concluded that it
was a candida problem that needed to be addressed. In the
meantime, he suggested she use other oils for health issues.
My personal opinion is the same. I have had
fertility issues/miscarriages, anemia, hypothyroidism,
seasonal allergies, IBS, depression/anxiety, and over the
past couple of years I have been cleansing chronic candida
and I suspect celiac. As I cleared up the candida, the
symptoms for ALL of my issues were totally gone! I am
totally on board with the idea that candida is likely the
underlying cause of just about everything and I agree with
Ramona that the LLW is one of the best ways to get a lot of
that inflammation under control as well, just my 2 cents.
Kathy - Thanks for sharing that and, as
I said before, as I got more into using the essential oils I
saw that EVERYONE should start with the candida cleanse and
drink Lemon water. Doing 1 month on and 1 month off
then doing it again and if need be doing it a 3rd time and
THEN see what issues have cleared up. I think everyone
will be amazed!
Editor's comment -
Another success.
April - My sister-in-law has Celiac
disease so she can't eat wheat products, among other things.
She came and had some crackers and a Peppermint brownie
which of course she knew she was being naughty and she knew
she would later pay the price with a terrible stomach ache.
When she started to feel it, I gave her some DigestZen in a
little water for her to drink. She was grabbing at her
stomach still and in quite a bit of pain, so I gave her some
more (a little stronger this time). Within about 10 minutes
she didn't even have a stomach ache anymore! Now I told her
that does not excuse her from eating like she's supposed to,
but isn't it great that she has something that will make the
pain subside if she accidentally eats something she's not
supposed to eat? Nothing she had ever taken before had
helped her stomachaches, so I know DigestZen is a miracle in
itself!
What Science & Research are saying
Candida, Inflammation & Auto-Immune Illnesses
Kathy - This summary is based on Dr. Bruce Semon's book
An Extraordinary Power to Heal (2003). This summary
gives general explanations about how yeast can cause
so-called autoimmune illnesses and chronic disease. For
detailed explanations, including an extensive chapter on how
the immune system is supposed to work--and how yeast prevent
it from working correctly--we recommend that you read
An Extraordinary Power to Heal.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Crohn's Disease,
Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple
Sclerosis, Numbness in the hands, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and
Ulcerative colitis: What do these have in common?
They all respond to dietary intervention and anti-yeast
treatment.
Why might chronic diseases ranging from psoriasis to
ulcerative colitis to arthritis respond to dietary
intervention and anti-yeast treatment? These diseases are
all marked by the body appearing to attack itself. They are
called "auto-immune" diseases.
I have always considered the idea of the body attacking
itself as a strange idea. Why should the body do that? In 40
years of research, the biomedical research community has
been unable to come up with any answer. Maybe the concept is
wrong.
Maybe the body is not attacking itself primarily. Maybe
the primary target is not the body but the yeast Candida
albicans. To understand how such terrible diseases can
occur, we need to look at the interactions of Candida
albicans and the immune system.
Yeast are normal residents of the intestinal tract. After
antibiotics, yeast grow to fill in the space left by dead
bacteria and the yeast continue to grow at this higher
level. The body still must contain the yeast so that the
yeast does not invade the rest of the body. If Candida
invades the body, the result is often death.
The best way to look at the immune system is to
understand that the immune system has both defensive and
offensive weapons. The main defensive weapon is
inflammation. Inflammation is like putting up a wall, a hot
wall, which makes it difficult for invading foreign
microorganisms to get through. Inflammation will occur
anytime the immune system contacts a foreign invader. But as
you know the inflammation is painful. Along with the
inflammation, should come the offensive weapons which kill
the foreign invader. The problem is that Candida has many
tricks to evade the offensive weapons of the body's immune
system.
Candida is a very difficult organism for the body's
immune system to clear. Why?
Yeast have a capsule on the outside which prevents the
first line (phagocytic) white blood cells of the body from
engulfing the yeast and killing it. So the body must rely on
the other parts of the immune system.
Candida has other tricks to evade the body's immune
system. One of these tricks is to change its outside. The
immune system recognizes the outside receptors of the
invading organism and then sends out signals to start an
immune response. Some of the immune responders then look for
cells with those receptors. Candida albicans can change the
receptors which it is displaying, making it difficult for
the body's immune cells to react appropriately. In essence,
Candida albicans is a moving target, which changes its form.
The most important thing to know about Candida is that
Candida albicans can make factors which suppress the immune
response to itself. These factors can be found in the
circulation of people with significant Candida infections.
When these factors are purified and placed in cultures of
immune cells, these immune cells do not develop the
responses to Candida which they are supposed to develop. In
other words, Candida can make factors, which prevent the
body from reacting to and killing the Candida. These factors
prevent the total eradication of Candida from the body.
The Candida can suppress the offensive weapons of the
body's immune system. But the inflammation will still be
generated because when the immune system detects a foreign
invader, there will always be inflammation. The problem is
that the foreign invader, the Candida, is not going away,
because the immune system's offensive weapons are
suppressed. The inflammation will remain and inflammation is
painful.
In the intestinal tract, there is Candida, which tries to
invade the intestinal wall, and the immune system responds
with inflammation. The problem is that the Candida
suppresses the immune system's offensive weapons, so the
Candida stays and the inflammation is prolonged. This
prolonged inflammation is called ulcerative colitis if it
occurs in the large intestine and it is called Crohn's
disease if it occurs in the small intestine. These disorders
are prolonged inflammation resulting from the immune
system's inability to clear Candida.
In ulcerative colitis, there is painful inflammation of
the intestine rather than regulated containment. As the body
fights the yeast in the intestine, some of the cells
fighting the yeast circulate and come into contact with
yeast on the skin and start an inflammation there, leading
to eczema and psoriasis .
Candida causes autoimmune problems such as lupus and
rheumatoid arthritis in this way. Candida puts out receptors
on its cell surface which are actually human receptors for
connective tissue and the immune system. If the body attacks
the Candida in the intestinal tract, the body's immune
system will attack anything which looks like the Candida.
Because of the connective tissue receptors on Candida, the
body's immune system may attack other cells in the body
which have these receptors.
Many tissues such as the joints have connective tissue
and as the body attacks the Candida, the body will also
attack these cells. The result is painful joints or other
inflamed tissues.
Candida also has receptors which are similar to those in
the brain. When these cells are attacked, the result is
multiple sclerosis.
In other words, Candida acts as a long term vaccination
displaying the body's own cellular receptors to the body's
immune system. When the immune system sees such receptors
for a long enough time, it will attack cells which display
such receptors, which includes the cells of the body. There
is research which shows that such immune system reactions
occur. The yeast Candida is the primary target. If the
Candida is removed the body stops attacking itself.
Ready, Set, Grow
