Don't Miss The Link to Gluten When Affected by an Autoimmune Disorder-Dr. Shoenfeld Interviewed

Dr. Yehuda Shoenfeld

We have known that the risk of developing autoimmune disorders in someone with celiac disease is 12 times the normal rate ( Farrell, NEJM 2002). This is such a high risk that one wonders who is left except those with gluten sensitivity/celiac disease to get auto immune diseases like Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Lupus or psoriasis. 

Since 2002 the science of autoimmune disorders has exploded. 
According to one of the top ten lead researchers in the world on autoimmune (AI) disorders, Dr. Yehuda Shoenfeld, there are situations that can predict the development of an AI disorder and the lead one is gluten sensitivity. 

And he knows that there are ways to prevent or slow down the onset of an autoimmune disorder and they are all lifestyle stuff:
-exercise
-stop smoking
-eat a healthy diet with lots of vegetables and no grains
-get some sun
-and supplement with vitamin D and I would add omega 3's.

In the interview which is linked below, he talks about the links between autoimmune disease and how the body attacks itself and why.

And the strong protection of vitamin D. 

Thanks to Dr. Tom O'Bryan, who put on the Gluten Summit last November, Dr. Shoenfeld's interview is available. 


Autoimmune disorders can cause recurrent miscarriages, infertility, pregnancy loss after 12 weeks. Hypo or hyperthyroidism, joint destruction from Rheumatoid arthritis or Lupus arthritis, or rashes, or cerebellar ataxia which shows up as a loss of balance not explained by low B12. Cardiovascular disease is very common. Some psychiatric conditions are considered autoimmune with the classic being PANDAS. And so many other disabling conditions as the body is attacking itself. Usually fuelled by gluten and gluten mimicking proteins in grains, and vitamin D deficiency. 

Practically speaking, today it can be hard to get the testing done for every possible antibody linked to every AI disorder, but some can be ordered by your doctor.Until it is possible to do these tests routinely, in practice, I assume everyone with a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity is already making antibodies to a handful of their own tissues, as many studies have shown, even before the person has symptoms. 

The remedies are the lifestyle changes listed above and are founded on a good vitamin D level. All these lifestyle recommendations are good for everyone and have been shown to reduce antibody levels in research settings. 

Do not presume just because you are getting sun exposure or you are taking D3, the real thing, that you have the protective blood levels of vitamin D3, which are 100-150 nmol/l (or 40 -60 ng/ml). Get a blood test.

Some resources for vitamin D are The Vitamin D Society and Vitamin D Council which has a newsletter that you can sign up for.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara