"Nearly four decades later, the results are in: the experiment was a failure.  We cut the fat, but by almost every measure, Americans are sicker."  Bryan Walsh from the June 22, 2014 issue of Time Magazine's cover article (Don't Blame Fat).

"A bagel is no different than a bag of Skittles to your body."  Ibid, as quoted by Dr Dariush Mozaffarain (Cardiologist), Dean of Nutrition Science at Tufts University --- previous director of the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard University's School of Public Health.

I've admitted it before; it embarrass me how I bought into the whole LOW FAT / NO FAT CRAZE of the late 1980's and 1990's.  If you are old enough, you remember those years.  You probably remember them as the "whatever you do, stay away from red meat, eggs, and butter because they'll not only make you fat, they will kill you" years.  These were the days when we were told that margarine (a TRANS FAT) was good for us, and that we could eat all the SUGAR / CARBS we wanted because dietary fat was the real enemy --- the thing that made us fat.   With little to go on in the way of EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH, our government declared war on this perceived enemy.  How's that worked out over the past 35 or 40 years?  Look around you at the incredible numbers of OBESE and CHRONICALLY ILL people and answer it yourself.

Walsh does a good job of describing the history of the Fat Free Craze, mentioning everything from the FOOD PYRAMID, to President DWIGHT EISENHOWER'S heart attack, to Ancel Keys' terrible research, to the fact that for decades, scientific researchers who published anything that did not go along with the government's position (dietary fat is bad and makes you both fat and puts you at risk for a myriad of health problems) could count on being ostracized / blacklisted by their peer group, who usually happened to also be potential employers.

One of the things I appreciated was the way he hammered the AHA (American Heart Association) and the USDA for their absurd dietary recommendations (6% and 10% of your total calories respectively from SATURATED FAT).  He also mentioned Dr. Walter Willett (he heads up Harvard's Nutritional Department) and the study he had a hand in back in 2011 (HERE).  Furthermore, Walsh discussed Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury's (a Cardiologist and Epidemiologist at Cambridge University in England) March study in Annals of Internal Medicine, which was actually a meta-analysis of 80 similar studies.  The conclusion stated that, "Current evidence does not clearly support cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats".   Another thing I loved in Walsh's article was the fact that he talked about the two kinds of LDL (the so called 'bad' CHOLESTEROL) and the fact that we are backwards in the way we have been thinking about this (STATIN DRUGS).

I truly think that folks who grew up on a farm have an easier time understanding this whole concept.  Even though it would seem intuitive to believe that eating fat would be the very thing to cause fat to be deposited on your BELLY, your butt, and in your ARTERIES; intuition can sometimes get us in trouble.  Think like a farmer here, and travel back in time with me to the year 1900.  What did people eat? That's easy.  They ate eggs.  They ate cheese.  They ate butter.  They drank RAW MILK.  They ate large amounts of red meat (including pork).  They fried everything in lard.  The grains they ate had not been GENETICALLY TAMPERED WITH.  They lived out of their gardens, eating all sorts of vegetables and greens.  In other words, they ate nothing but WHOLE FOODS.  And contrary to what we are led to believe today, statistics tell us that if they made it through childhood, their chances of living to a ripe old age were about what they are today (HERE).  Interestingly enough, things like CANCER, Heart Attacks, and TYPE II DIABETES were almost unheard of.  If you want to see what folks looked like back in the "good old days", simply get a copy of Reminisce Magazine and start flipping pages.   You will quickly realize how rare it used to be to be overweight.  My, how times have changed.  If you throw in those who are SKINNY FAT, over 75% of our nation's adults are overweight or obese, with children rapidly closing the gap.

I want to shift gears and talk for a moment about weight and how to put it on rapidly.  To do this, I am going to give you a quick lesson in farming.  I grew up in the Flint Hills of CHASE COUNTY KANSAS, but spent the summers on my grandfather's wheat / beef farm near Inman (between Hutchinson and McPherson).  Although there are several ways that farmers can pack weight onto a beef (HERE & HERE are a couple I do not recommend), the most important pertains to what you feed them.  It's really quite simple.  Grass-fed beef is like your cattle eating a salad.  Although the animal will grow large, it will not truly become "fat".  On the other hand, feed a beef grain and watch what happens.  If you want to learn why eating too much grain is problematic, read what FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGIST David Seaman has to say about it (HERE), or re-read the quote by Dr. Mozaffarain from the top of the page.  Grains (GLUTEN and GLUTEN CROSS-REACTORS) will not only put the pounds on you, but have a wide range of other problems associated with them as well (HERE'S WHY).

Although Walsh does not talk about it, practically all of this boils down to INFLAMMATION.  If you fail to understand Inflammation, what it is, what drives it, how to squelch it, and the fact that it is at the root of most CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY HEALTH CONDITIONS, winning your personal health battles can be extremely challenging.  Without going into immense detail in this article, I would recommend reading THESE POSTS to have an idea of where to begin.  As you might imagine, LOW CARB is the best way to be eating.

While it's quite true that Santa is a "jolly old elf", the hard reality is that his belly is taking years off his life.  While everyone knows that OBESITY in and of itself is bad news, we are becoming increasingly aware that Central Obesity or Abdominal Obesity as it is sometimes called (BELLY FAT) is worse --- far worse.  This is because the adipose tissue (fat) that protrudes from underneath your shirt also happens to be smothering your organs.

If you are interested in learning more about Central Obesity, simply click the link above.  Today I want to show you a few of the many reasons you should deal with your Belly Fat if you are interested in living to a ripe old age with any real quality of life.  Below you will find a list of health problems that I found to be strongly associated with Central Obesity in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.  Bear in mind that this list could have been much longer, but time restraints do not permit a "thesis".

• BLOOD SUGAR DYSREGULATION:  Just a couple of days ago (HERE), I wrote about the manner in which Blood Sugar Dysregulation progresses from INSULIN RESISTANCE, to Metabolic Syndrome, to TYPE II DIABETES.  I would also put SUGAR / CARB ADDICTION into this category as well. Be aware that if you have Central Obesity, you are standing on the threshold of Metabolic Syndrome, which is itself, knocking on the door of a host of problems, including full blown Diabetes.  Interestingly enough, I have repeatedly shown you that virtually all NON-GENETIC health problems have roots in UNREGULATED BLOOD SUGAR.

• CARDIOVASCULAR PROBLEMS:  This category covers some serious ground, and as the #1 killer in America, deserves the attention.  Belly Fat is associated with a wide range of cardiovascular problems like HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHOLESTEROL (low good Cholesterol), High Triglycerides, Heart Attacks, Strokes, etc, etc, etc.  Although you have always been told that the problem here was eating too much fat, this is simply not true.  Next week watch for my review of the recent cover article from Time Magazine (Scientists Labeled Fat the Enemy: Why They are Wrong).

• CANCER:  CANCER is the #2 killer in America, and is heavily associated with both SUGAR CONSUMPTION and Central Obesity (see previous link).  One of the most common types of Cancer associated with Belly Fat is BREAST CANCER.  To understand this link better, it may help to realize that ESTROGEN DOMINANCE (a significant cause of Breast Cancer) is also associated with Central Obesity.

• SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION / IMPOTENCE / INFERTILITY:  Yes I realize that these three are not always present together, nor are they always related to each other.  However, all three are related to Central Obesity and are not infrequently found in tandem.  HERE, HERE, and HERE are some links.  This is also as good a time as any to mention PCOS ---- America's number one cause of infertility.

• ALZHEIMER'S / DEMENTIA:  It does not take long to realize that both sugar intake and Central Obesity are associated with ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE and Alzheimer's-like Dementia.

• SLEEP APNEA AND OTHER SLEEP DISTURBANCES:  The known cause of SLEEP APNEA (stopping breathing while asleep) is Central Obesity.

• DYSBIOSIS:  We know that ANTIBIOTICS cause DYSBIOSIS, which is highly associated with developing Central Obesity.  If you click the links and start reading, you'll actually find several articles on this specific topic.

• OSTEOARTHRITIS & SPINAL DISC PROBLEMS:  Simply being overweight or Obese will put significant amounts of abnormal stress on your joints (HERE).  However, when that weight is in the form of an oversized gut, the mechanical stress --- particularly on your SPINAL DISCS will be tremendous, due to massive mechanical disadvantage.

• ASTHMA:  People with Central Obesity have far more breathing problems and ASTHMA than do their normal weight counterparts.

• ADRENAL FATIGUE / FIBROMYALGIA:  Once you understand what the ADRENAL GLANDS do as well as how they become "FATIGUED", you will better understand this relationship.

• DEPRESSION:  DEPRESSION is heavily linked to Dysbiosis (see above) as well as Central Obesity.  In the vast number of cases, taking antidepressants is simply covering symptoms, without addressing underlying causes.

• INFLAMMATION:   The vast majority of the health problems found on this list (including Obesity) are categorized as "INFLAMMATORY" problems (HERE also).  If you do not understand what INFLAMMATION is or how to stop it in its tracks, you need to spend some serious time looking at these links.

The bottom line is this folks;l this stuff is serious.  And the truth is, I could have gone on almost indefinitely.  If you do not grasp the seriousness of Abdominal Obesity and start making some SERIOUS CHANGES in your lifestyle and eating habits, you are in for a rude awakening.  You will soon be living on the Medical Merry-Go-Round, taking mass quantities of drugs, and watching life pass you by while you suffer (HERE).  The great thing is, you can turn this risk-factor on its head simply by losing the BELLY FAT.

If you've never been on the CURRENT RIVER, you are missing a treat.  Hopefully you enjoy these pics of some of our churches' Fathers and Sons living it up in the great outdoors.  Although LAST YEAR'S CAMP OUT was tough to beat, we may have done it this year. The weather was incredible and the morning's skillet was outstanding if I do say so myself.

Because abnormal cervical curvatures (straight necks or even worse; reverse curves) are almost ubiquitous in our modern society, the vast majority of the medical community treats this finding as "normal".  While it is true that this finding could easily be described as "common", using the word "normal" to describe this feature is erroneous.  This would be the equivalent to your dentist telling you that cavities are "normal".    We all know that Dental Caries (cavities) are not "normal" in any sense of the word.  However, they are common ---- dog common --- especially in cultures that tend to live the HIGH CARB LIFESTYLE. 

Today I want to show you something interesting.  Medical Academia (particularly those in the field of biomechanics) are chipping away at this common assertion ---- the assertion that abnormal cervical curves are; well..... normal.  Interestingly enough, this latest study (yeah, I realize it is over a year old) was done not solely by medical professionals, but by engineers who wanted to learn more about spinal function.  A group of Chinese physicians and engineers, working in Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital in Zhejiang, China, created a model that shows just how severely abnormal mechanics of one's neck bones (aka, the cervical spine) can affect one's life.  The study (Straightened Cervical Lordosis Causes Stress Concentration: A Finite Element Model Study), was published in the March 2013 issue of the journal Australasian Physical & Engineering Sciences in Medicine.

Comparing biomechanical computer models of cervical spines based on our knowledge of ranges of motion with the normal lordotic curve, to computer models based on necks with diminished cervical curves, the two models were compared, with findings were interesting to say the least.  One of the things the authors did was to describe the spine as a, "highly versatile mechanism" that "displays all rigidity, strength, and leverage required in the jib of a crane"  Sounds sort of like something I talked to you about a few years back (HERE).  Now listen to these conclusions taken directly from the article's abstract, and follow along as I explain what this means in English.

The very first thing I want to do is provide you with a few definitions.  CERVICAL LORDOSIS is the normal "forward curve" that all necks should have when looking at them from in profile (from the side).  The picture to your right is of a relatively normal cervical curve.  The DISC is the soft cushion between the vertebrae, the FACET JOINTS are the articulations (joint surfaces) on the rear aspect of the spine, and the Uncovertebral Joints are the spine's lateral load-bearing columns, which are frequently injured in side-impact WHIPLASH ACCIDENTS.  The word "spondylosis" is a commonly used term for SPINAL DEGENERATION, and normal RANGES OF MOTION are critical for everything, including slowing down DEGENERATIVE PROCESSES, helping keep people from falling into CHRONIC PAIN, and preventing NERVE IRRITATION / INTERFERENCE.   The shocker here is how severely the loss of a cervical curve can affect patients.  Do you think that losing 1/3 of your neck's Range of Motion could be problematic?  And what about doubling the amount of mechanical stress on your neck --- do you perceive that this could potentially lead to all sorts of problems?  If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you would be correct.  But I have not even hit you with the kicker yet.

This study talks at length about the way that a loss of proper cervical curvature affects the nervous system.  That's right folks.  BJ may not have been as crazy as some would say!    Abnormal spinal function cause problems (mechanical tension, irritation, interference, etc) within the nervous system.  Listen to this quote from the paper about the regions of the Nervous System that they found to be affected by improper mechanics of the cervical spine, "hind-brain, cranial nerves, cervical cord, and cervical nerve roots".  Did you catch that?  If you are one of the millions of Americans struggling with CHRONIC NECK PAIN, you absolutely need to re-read that sentence.  The authors are saying that both the BRAIN & SPINAL CORD, as well as the nerves that come directly off the Brain (CRANIAL NERVES) and Spinal Cord (Spinal Nerves) are all potentially affected by these abnormal biomechanical processes. 

The thing is, if you will take a moment to READ, you will realize that chiropractors have been talking about this phenomenon for more than a century.    Solving these sorts of problems is what I have been doing in my clinic for nearly a quarter century ---- finding the areas of the spine that are misaligned or are moving abnormally (these are often the result of SCAR TISSUE --- particularly in the FASCIA), and restoring function.  Restore function and you decrease pain.  Restore function and you slow down the Degenerative Processes that are working on all of us.  Restore function and you take interference out of the Nervous System ---- the place where the I-don't-believe-that-just-happened MIRACLES take place.  Restore function and improve the quality of your life.

Do drugs (PAIN PILLS, Muscle Relaxers, ANTI-INFLAMMTORIES, CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS, etc) restore function?  Absolutely not --- not in any sense of the word.  While they might provide some temporary relief for certain conditions, the dirty little secret in the field of medicine is that not only do these things not restore or increase function, over the long haul, they actually diminish it even further than it already is.

For a very long time I've been telling anyone who will listen that virtually all NON-GENETIC health problems (click the link, you'll see that many of the diseases we've been led to believe are genetic are not) begin with BLOOD SUGAR DYSREGULATION --- usually brought on by living the "High Carb Lifestyle".  Not only is our national SUGAR ADDICTION helping fuel this mess, but it actually goes way beyond that. It's not just about the amount of sugar, but the amount of simple and processed carbohydrates that we are consuming.  If you figure that the average American is eating well over a half pound of sugar every two days, then calculate in the fact that the USDA (a governmental organization whose primary job has nothing whatsoever to do with health or safety, but to promote US Agriculture) is telling us we should be eating as many as 14 servings of carbs / GRAINS a day (THE DASH DIET), you can see where this rolling train wreck is headed.  Add to this things like JUNK FOOD, modern white potatoes, LOW FAT DAIRY, SODA or FRUIT JUICES, and you have the makings of national catastrophe. 

The things is, many of us think that since we are not fat, we are getting away with living the "High Carb Lifestyle" (HERE).  Although the numbers of young children who are OBESE is going through the roof (HERE --- just yesterday I saw a 16 year old Type II Diabetic), it is still common to see rail-thin children, adolescents, and even young adults, eating horrendous diets and seemingly neither gaining weight nor paying the price as far as their health is concerned.  If you think this lifestyle is going to work out for the long haul, take five minutes to finish this article.  Or just go to your next class reunion and see for yourself. 

Your body cannot tolerate high blood sugar for any length of time without some serious consequences.  Insulin is the hormone that helps you move sugar (and other nutrients) out of your blood and into the cells.  Once in the cells, it will either be burned for energy or stored as.... you guessed it --- fat.  So you see; it's not that insulin is bad.  The truth is, insulin is a necessary and vital hormone.  The problem is that when you live the High Carb Lifestyle, you have large amounts of it being perpetually and constantly dumped into your system.  As you might imagine, there are a plethora of physical problems associated with this physiological phenomenon.  Part of it is that Obesity is so intimately linked to Hyperinsulinemia that many experts believe that either one of them can cause the other.  Some of the more common symptoms associated with Hyperinsulinemia include

• Weight Gain --- Particularly in the Midsection
• Bloating / Gas
• Sugar Cravings
• Intense Hunger
• Frequent Hunger no Matter how much you Eat
• Concentration Problems
• Anxiety / Panic / Depression
• Lack of Focus or Motivation / Brain Fog
• Fatigue/ Chronic Tiredness / Lethargy
• Weakness (Temporary) / Shaking / Temporary Tremor
• Rapid Heart Beat
• Blurred Vision / Double Vision
• Headaches
• Thirst

Believe me when I tell you that this is dangerous territory.  So far your body (chiefly your PANCREAS and ADRENAL GLANDS) is keeping up with your High Carb Lifestyle and managing to keep your blood sugar levels in check --- at least on paper.  But pretty soon, you will begin to lose this battle. Follow along to see what happens next should you fail to make some serious lifestyle changes at this point.

As more and more stress is put on your body's blood regulation systems, they begin to fail.  Please notice that this does not happen all at once. The system will slowly burn itself out trying to keep up with the amount of sugar or high glycemic index carbs being dumped into it.  As this continues, you will begin to see two distinct things take place, either of which could come first in the process. 

As you lose your ability to control / regulate your blood sugar, you will see it bounce both up and down.  When the blood sugar levels go up, your body makes insulin to deal with it.  As the body dumps more and more insulin into the system in it's effort to keep up with regulation, you will sometimes see blood sugar levels plummet below baseline.  This is known as "REACTIVE HYPOGLYCEMIA" and is actually the flip side of the same coin which is just a hop, skip, and jump away from Type II Diabetes.  That's right.  As strange as it may seem, low blood sugar is a step on the path to Diabetes.

INSULIN RESISTANCE is what we call the condition where your body is still making enough insulin, but is no longer using it effectively or efficiently.  In a similar fashion to the way that an alcoholic requires more and more alcohol to get the same buzz (drunk) they have always gotten, so it is with insulin.   As your body slowly loses the regulation battle, blood sugar levels inch higher and higher.  Naturally, your body both requires and makes increasingly more insulin.  The problem is, when there is so much insulin in the system, your insulin receptors become saturated, blunting its effects.  This means that you have high levels of both blood sugar and insulin in your bloodstream at the same time. 

While this is a serious situation, the problem is that if the Insulin Resistant patient's BLOOD SUGAR levels don't slide into the range to be officially labeled as a "Diabetic" (or at the very least, "Metabolic Syndrome"), little or nothing is going to be done about it other than your doctor possibly providing some BLOOD SUGAR DRUGS for the symptoms that you will soon be having if you are not having them already.

Once your body starts to "resist" the effects of insulin, it is only a matter of time before the really bad stuff kicks in.  This is a particularly dangerous time in the process because even though some doctors will warn you that you have "pre-Diabetes" (sometimes called "CARDIOMETABOLIC SYNDROME" or "Syndrome X"), many will simply tell you that YOU ARE NOT A DIABETIC and treat whatever symptoms (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, etc) you might be having --- usually without any sound NUTRITIONAL ADVICE (HERE also).  I mention these symptoms in particular because they are the hallmarks of pre-Diabetes / Metabolic Syndrome.  In fact, you can tell whether or not you have Metabolic Syndrome by looking at some simple diagnostic criteria.  If you have CENTRAL OBESITY (a fat belly / a BMI over 30) and any two of the following, you're there already.

• High Triglycerides (or currently being treated for high triglycerides)

• Low HDL Cholesterol (or currently on a STATIN DRUG)
  

• High Blood Pressure (or being treated for high blood pressure)

• A Fasting Blood Sugar over 100 (or having been treated for Type II Diabetes at any point in your lifetime)

Listen to the conclusions of this study (Prevalence and Trends of Metabolic Syndrome in the Adult U.S. Population, 1999–2010) from last August's issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "The increasing prevalence of abdominal obesity, particularly among female adults, highlights the urgency of addressing abdominal obesity as a healthcare priority."   I have been warning people (particularly men, women, and children) for well over a decade about the numerous problems associated with ABDOMINAL OBESITY.  Because Obesity is considered (as is Diabetes) to be an "INFLAMMATORY" problem, most doctors will tell you that either one causes the other since they are so intimately related to each other.

TYPE II DIABETES (and even some cases of adult-onset AUTOIMMUNE DIABETES --- aka Type I) is the result of years of living the High Carb Lifestyle.   And here's the rub; end up with diabetes and don't be surprised when you are diagnosed with diabetes of the brain (HERE), diabetes of your sex organs, causing both infertility and sexual dysfunction (HERE), diabetes of your immune system (HERE and HERE), diabetes of your liver (Fatty Liver Disease), diabetes of your nerves (HERE), etc, etc, and on and on and on.

One of the most fascinating things that I have noticed about people with Type II Diabetes in recent years, is that even when they trade in their High Carb Lifestyle for a LOW CARB LIFESTYLE, although the majority lose weight rapidly (HERE), some have trouble.  And for many others, even though they lose the weight, they cannot seem to get their blood sugar regulated back to normal without medication --- even though they might be considered downright SKINNY.  This is because when you get down to brass tacks, Diabetes is not really a "blood sugar" problem as much as it is one of the numerous CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DEGENERATIVE DISEASES.  This means that for most of you, sugar is probably your biggest source of inflammation (HERE).  However, some of you will have to figure out the source of your INFLAMMATION and squelch it.  I'll show you how momentarily.

Considering that over half the adult population here in America is dealing with either Metabolic Syndrome or full-blown Diabetes, this final category makes it easy to see why as many as 300,000 people a year have the word "Diabetes" listed somewhere on their death certificate.  The truth is, your body can only handle so much Blood Sugar Dysregulation before your cells begin to die off in massive numbers.  When this happens, death is whispering in your ear. 

According to the Honor Society of Nursing, "nearly 25 percent of the adult population in the United States suffers from metabolic syndrome X. Of the adult population, roughly 40 percent of people over 50 have metabolic syndrome X."  The truth is, their numbers are way too low (HERE).  Add to this the nearly 30 million Americans with Type II Diabetes (a nearly 20% increase over 2010 --- at a cost of over half a trillion dollars), and you'll begin to wonder why Diabetes is only the 7th leading cause of death in the US and not at the very top (probably because Blood Sugar Dysregulation is the #1 factor in our nation's leading causes of death, including HEART DISEASE, CANCER and most INFECTIOUS DISEASES).
 
Rest assured, the longer you live the High Carb Lifestyle, the more it is going to cost you, the more years you are taking off your life, and the less quality your remaining years will contain.  And if you do manage to live to a ripe old age, odds are that you will be physically miserable (HERE).  If you are truly interested in making a change, I have something for you to read (HERE).  And the crazy thing is, it's not even that hard ---- and usually preferable to being six feet under.

Just the other day I had a woman and her grown daughter come in and tell me what a difference it had made for their husband / dad to go Gluten Free.  No idea whether or not he was one of the nearly 90% of the Celiacs who remain undiagnosed (HERE), and not to sound harsh, but I don't really care.  The point is that whether this man had Celiac Disease or not, getting off GLUTEN made a night-and-day difference not only in his physical capacity and pain levels, but in his intellect and emotions as well --- and the difference occurred almost overnight.   To further explain; please understand that in order to be diagnosed as a "Celiac" (an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE where your body makes antibodies against its own Small Intestine), you must meet very specific diagnostic criteria.  Although the blood tests are certainly getting better, the gold standard has always been that Celiacs have intestinal damage that shows up on biopsy.  The question I wish to propose today is whether or not someone can have health problems related to Gluten, and not meet the criteria that would officially allow a diagnosis of 'Celiac Disease'? 

The reason I am bringing this up is because I have seen a spate of recent articles --- many by physicians or researchers with fancy titles and lots and lots of letters behind their names ---- telling us that unless you are actually diagnosed with Celiac Disease, your problem has nothing whatsoever to do with Gluten.  In fact, a recent poll of America's doctors revealed that over half believe this to be true (HERE).  But as we all know, just because the majority rules, does not necessarily mean they are right.  Part of the problem seems to be the way that many experts look at Gluten Sensitivity.

All too many experts see Gluten Sensitivity in terms of gastrointestinal symptoms.  In other words, if you do not have symptoms similar to IBS (i.e. gas, bloating, diarrhea, CONSTIPATION, cramping, etc), then Gluten has nothing to do with your problem(s).  In light of what we already know about the way that Gluten can and does cause neurological problems (HERE & HERE), we need to step back and take another look.  The truth is, for many people, their Gluten Sensitivity is either seemingly symptomless (at least at first -- see the previous links) or the symptoms are so far removed from what people (doctors, patients, and parents) think they know about Gluten Sensitivity that they are simply overlooked as "UNRELATED"  (or as a natural symptom of aging or injury --- HERE is an example).

Some of the problems being associated with Gluten in the peer-reviewed literature are downright freaky.  For instance, how long have we known that there is an intimate link between FIBROMYALGIA and IBS?  Actually, we've known it for a very long time.  But that "anecdotal" evidence recently became "empirical" with a study that was published in a 2013 issue of Arthritis Research & Therapy.  In this study (Remarkable Prevalence of Coeliac Disease in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome plus Fibromyalgia in Comparison with those with Isolated Irritable Bowel Syndrome), we learned that 7% of those struggling with Fibromyalgia also had Celiac, which is far less common that non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity.  Here are the study's conclusions.

A recent study in a prominent medical journal shed even more light on this problem.  Listen to the abstract of this study from the April 2014 issue of Rheumatology International.  "Fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome is a disabling clinical condition of unknown cause, and only symptomatic treatment with limited benefit is available. Gluten sensitivity that does not fulfill the diagnostic criteria for celiac disease (CD) is increasingly recognized as a frequent and treatable condition with a wide spectrum of manifestations that overlap with the manifestations of FM, including chronic musculoskeletal pain, asthenia, and irritable bowel syndrome. The aim of this report was to describe 20 selected patients with FM without CD who improved when placed on a gluten-free diet. Clinical response was defined as achieving at least one of the following scenarios: remission of FM pain criteria, return to work, return to normal life, or the discontinuation of opioids.  This observation supports the hypothesis that non-celiac gluten sensitivity may be an underlying cause of FM syndrome."   In other words, if you have Fibromyalgia or FM-like symptoms and are still eating Gluten, it is likely that you are pouring gas on the fire!

Another of these "crazy" problems that is sometimes associated with Gluten is Schizophrenia (no pun intended).  Although Schizophrenia is not nearly as common as some of the other problems we have discussed in the past as being associated with Gluten, the two have been linked together by the scientific medical community for over 60 years.  After a 1954 article showed that almost 10% of a group with Celiac Disease had Schizophrenia, an article by F.C. Dohan (M.D.) published in the 1966 issue of the American Journal of American Nutrition, further explored the link between Gluten and Schizophrenia.  Listen to the conclusions that were written 48 yeas ago. 

And it's not like there is new information challenging this assertion that Gluten Sensitivity / Celiac Disease is somehow linked to higher incidences of Schizophrenia.   Since that time, studies linking these things together have come out in 1976 (Science), 1984 (Biological Psychiatry) 2006 (Acta Psychiatra Scandinavica), 2010 (Schizophrenia Research), 2011 (Schizophrenia Bulletin), and 2013 (World Journal of Biological Psychiatry) --- all of which are peer-reviewed medical journals.  Although there are others, we need to move on to another topic.

I want to look at Gluten and Tinnitus / Vertigo (sometimes referred to as Meneire's Disease).  Although these two problems are quite different from each other, they are related because both have to do with the inner ear (and many people with one, also have the other).  Read this abstract from the March 2012 issue of The Laryngoscope (a journal for ENT's).

Now let's take a couple of minutes to discuss one more common problem that is being heavily associated with Gluten Sensitivity --- AUTISM (Autism Spectrum Disorders --- ASD).  Google "Gluten Autism" and you'll get nearly three quarter of a million hits.  This despite the fact that one of the biggest studies ever done on this topic (A Nationwide Study of the Association Between Celiac Disease and the Risk of Autistic Spectrum Disorders) released in last November's issue of JAMA Psychiatry said that there is, "no association between CD or inflammation and earlier Autism Spectrum Disorders".  However, in the very same sentence, we read that, "there was a markedly increased risk of ASDs in individuals with normal mucosa but a positive CD serologic test result".  How markedly is "markedly"?  How about 300%. In other words, although "official" Celiacs were not linked to Autism (which I assure you is blatantly false), individuals with a positive blood test for Gluten were.   And what about some of the other studies?  How do we explain them?

In the March 2012 edition of Nutritional Neuroscience (Effectiveness of the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet for Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Based on Parental Report), we find some damning evidence.  Although many will scream that this is not really EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE because it is not a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study (it is a survey), the conclusions are difficult to dismiss.  "Overall, diet efficacy among children whose parents reported the presence of GI symptoms, food allergy diagnoses, and suspected food sensitivities included greater improvement in ASD behaviors, physiological symptoms, and social behaviors compared with children whose parents reported none of these symptoms, diagnoses, or sensitivities. Parental report of strict diet implementation, indicated by complete gluten/casein elimination and infrequent diet errors during and outside of parental care, also corresponded to improvement in ASD behaviors, physiological symptoms, and social behaviors." 

And what about this study from PLoS One a year ago this month (Markers of Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity in Children with Autism)?  "Children with autism had significantly higher levels of IgG antibody to gliadin [Gluten] compared with unrelated healthy controls.   A subset of children with autism displays increased immune reactivity to gluten, the mechanism of which appears to be distinct from that in celiac disease. The increased anti-gliadin antibody response and its association with GI symptoms points to a potential mechanism involving immunologic and / or intestinal permeability abnormalities in affected children."  Stop for a moment.  If you are wondering what these "intestinal permeability abnormalities" in the affected children are, look no further.  Can anyone say "LEAKY GUT SYNDROME"?

Why is this post's hypothesis true?  In other words, why is non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity far more common than Celiac Disease?  It's really quite easy to understand.  For reasons which are not completely clear, once people begin making antibodies against today's MODERN VARIETIES OF WHEAT and SIMILAR GRAINS (Gluten Cross-Reactors), they begin making antibodies to self (HERE).  This is called AUTOIMMUNITY, and believe me when I tell you that it can be a nightmare (HERE is a list of some of the more common Autoimmune Diseases).   When the tissue being attacked by your own Immune System is in the Small Intestine, we call it "Celiac Disease".  What, however, do we call it if your Immune System decides to attack any of the tens of thousands of different tissues that are outside of your Small Intestine?  How about Fibromyalgia?  Or THYROID, ALZHEIMER'S, TYPE I DIABETES, PARKINSON'S (many are saying that this is a form of something called "Gluten Ataxia"), DEPRESSION, NEUROPATHY, etc, etc, etc, etc..... (search my site using the words "Gluten Neurological" to see dozens of others)?  In other words, telling someone they have Celiac Disease only means that they are having Gluten Sensitivity in their Small Intestine.   

If you or someone you love are dealing with health problems that no one can get a handle on of figure out, I would advise you to read THESE POSTS first.  To learn more about the best way to go GLUTEN FREE, just follow the link.

Although there is abundant research on GLUTEN SENSITIVITY, much of it --- especially that which is a bit older ---- pertains specifically to Celiac Disease, which is an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE of the Small Intestine.  For more about the relationship between Gluten and Autoimmunity, go HERE. 

The point I would like to get across is that according to the latest research, only a small fraction of those who are Gluten Sensitive actually have Celiac Disease.  However, many of the same things that are true about Celiac Disease are also true of non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity.   I tell you this so that when you read some of the conclusions of the research I am going to present today, you can have a better understanding of what is going on in the field of Gluten Research by substituting the words "Gluten Sensitivity" for "Celiac Disease".  Although there will be many who will argue against this point to the bitter end, the proof is in the fact that I see miracle after miracle after medical miracle, simply as the result of pulling patients off of Gluten.

To get the ball rolling, I will mention a study that was published in the March, 2010 issue of Current Opinion in Gastroenterology.  The study, (Celiac Disease) concluded that, "In the last year, work has shown that the prevalence of celiac disease has increased dramatically, not simply due to increased detection. Also, undiagnosed celiac disease may be associated with increased mortality."  We are going to discuss both of these topics today and then end by asking ourselves why Celiac Disease is increasing dramatically.  But first let's look at a study that gives us a glimpse into how much higher the incidence of mortality (death) really is.

A military study was published in the July 2009 issue of the medical journal Gastroenterology (Increased Prevalence and Mortality in Undiagnosed Celiac Disease).  This study revealed that over the past half century, the incidence of Celiac Disease has increased sevenfold from 1 in 700 to 1 in 100.  Furthermore, the study concluded that, "undiagnosed Celiac Disease was associated with a nearly 4-fold increased risk of death. The prevalence of undiagnosed Celiac Disease appears to have increased dramatically in the United States during the past 50 years."   In other words, if your body is making antibodies against Gluten and you are not aware of this fact (i.e. you never go on and adhere to a GLUTEN FREE DIET), your chances of dying from any cause goes up almost 400%.  Gulp!

The elephant in the corner is that we already know that the vast majority of those with Celiac Disease are never diagnosed, and that the vast majority of those with Gluten Sensitivity do not actually have Celiac Disease.  In fact, if you look at the results of a study that was published in a 2006 issue of the medical journal Gut, you learn that Gluten Sensitivity is somewhat like an iceberg, where as much as 90% of it lies unseen below the water's surface.  This begs the question of how big the 'Gluten' iceberg really is.  Gut told us eight years ago that, "these figures suggest that the current ratio of clinically diagnosed to undetected cases — that is, “the size of the iceberg”—in the UK is approximately 1 in 8."  In other words, 87.5% of the iceberg is hidden under the water.  The whole while, THE TITANIC roars on full steam ahead (HERE also).

Just over a decade ago in the May, 2004 issue of The Review of Diabetic Studies, we learned more about the connection between Type I Diabetes and Gluten Sensitivity (Elimination of Dietary Gluten and Development of Type 1 Diabetes in High Risk Subjects).   The study's abstract stated that, "exposure to dietary gluten in offspring of mothers and fathers with Type 1 Diabetes very early in life is associated with an increased risk of developing islet antibodies also suggest that removal of dietary gluten should be tested as early as possible in children with an increased risk of islet autoimmunity, i.e. before an immune response to islet antigens is established."  Allow me to explain what this statement really means.

The "islets" they are talking about here (Islets of Langerhans) refers to the part of the pancreas that makes hormones (Glucagon, Amylin, Somatostain, Pancreatic Polypeptide, Ghrelin, and yes, Insulin).
In other words, if your mom or dad are Gluten Sensitive, you have a much greater chance of developing the Autoimmune form of Diabetes (Type I) than someone with a non-Gluten Sensitive mother.  And as astounding as it might seem, early adherence to a Gluten Free diet has been shown to halt the development of Type I Diabetes in this group.  Need more evidence?  A Danish study published just last month showed that a Gluten Free diet done prenatally (via mom's diet) or early in life via mother's milk, significantly reduces the risk of developing Type I Diabetes --- a big deal considering incidence in America has skyrocketed in recent years to 3 million, is increasing by about 3% per year, and increased by almost 25% over during the decade of the 1990's.

Although I have warned you about the fact that the majority of the symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity are neurological (HERE and HERE), believe me when I tell you that I was just beginning to scratch the surface.  Try this on for size.  Back when I was a sophomore in high school (my 30 year class reunion is a week from tomorrow), a study was published in the January 1982 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology saying that, "Psychiatric illness has been observed to be a main cause of disability in undiagnosed adult Celiac Disease.....   Our results suggest that depressive psycho-pathology [i.e. DEPRESSION] is a feature of adult Celiac Disease."  To make matters worse, the November 2006 issue of the Journal of Attention Disorders published a study saying that the results, "suggest that Celiac Disease should be included in the list of diseases associated with ADHD-like sypmtomology." HERE is some more information on ADD / ADHD for those who are interested.   And from a 2007 issue of Nature Clinical Practice Neurology; this one will knock your socks off.  A case study done at the University Department of Clinical Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England, revealed, "Celiac Disease with neurological involvement, mimicking amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."  In other words, these specialists are saying that ALS (Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis --- the medical name for "Lou Gherig's Disease") --- a devastating progressive neurological disease that physically decimates suffers prior to killing them, can be mimicked by Gluten Sensitivity.

I hope that you are starting to see that for growing numbers of people, Gluten is a problem --- a serious problem, which is often made worse by medical denial (HERE).   If you are like me, you are probably wondering how a Biblical food like wheat could possibly be the culprit in so many widley varied disease processes.  The answer can be found HERE.  If you are wondering about the best way to go about getting off of Gluten, I would suggest that you take a couple of minutes to read our GLUTEN-FREE ELIMINATION DIET post.

We live in an age of incredible technology.  The number of hi-tech tests that can be can run on today's sick people boggles the mind (not to mention the pocketbook).  The question I would ask is whether or not all of the diagnostic testing that doctors and patients have access to today, has improved the average doctor's ability as a diagnostician? 

From everything I have read, it seems this is doubtful.  HERE is one such example of studies pertaining to medical errors.  I do not want to go into great detail right now, but if you search my site along with the internet, you'll find thousands upon thousands of other such examples, including ONE OF MINE.  The point is, making a proper diagnosis is difficult.  Especially today when everybody and their brother is OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE and struggling with AUTOIMMUNITY, LEAKY GUT SYNDROME, and / or a plethora of CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DEGENERATIVE DISEASES.

I remember back to a professor I had in school who is now an expert in the field of Functional Medicine as well as having a Diplomate in Radiology.  Brilliant diagnostician!  He showed us a study from one of the latest medical journals of the day showing how upon autopsy, it was revealed that only about one in four medical diagnosis was actually correct.  Naturally, this means that the vast majority of diagnosis are incorrect.  However, he showed us something that provides a real advantage in the field of Natural Medicine / Physical Medicine.  When it comes to treating people with the sorts of problems that I see day in and day out, knowing exactly which tissue is injured or what specific disc is hurting is probably not as important as one would initially think. The reason is that virtually all the injured tissues that we treat respond to motion / movement and proper nutrition.

This is particularly true when I try and differentiate TENDINOSIS from FASCIAL ADHESIONS (it can sometimes prove impossible).  Be aware that the same treating and healing principles are true when dealing with CHRONIC ILLNESS as well.  In other words, as long as you are not in the throes of some sort of life-threatening health issue, there are certain protocols that will help almost everyone --- depending on the category of problem you have.  As far as a starting point is concerned, HERE are some articles on this subject.  I am not for one minute saying that diagnosis is unimportant.  What I am saying is that general protocols, such as those listed in the previous link, are going to help huge numbers of people, with little or no downside.

Even the mainstream is starting to catch on.  There is a commercial for a particular brand of probiotic educating us to the fact that 80% of the body's entire Immune System is found in the Gut, with much of that being made up of bacteria (HERE).  Although physicians prescription habits concerning ANTIBIOTICS are not changing nearly as rapidly as they should be, there is plenty of talk these days about Gut Health and the need to take PROBIOTICS.  The problem is that with many people ---- particularly those with CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS or AUTOIMMUNITY ---- simply taking probiotics is not nearly enough.   These folks will have to go the extra mile to restore the bacterial balance that helps make up "GUT HEALTH".  How do I recommend going about this?  There are any number of ways, but these would be at the top of the list

• MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT HAVE A LEAKY GUT:  If you do not know what I am talking about here, take a few minutes to read my post about Dr. Oz's program on LEAKY GUT SYNDROME.  If you have a "Leaky Gut" (the medical community refers to this as "Increased Intestinal Permeability"), all bets are off as far as your ability to get well is concerned --- unless you deal with it first.  There are now several companies, including Cyrex, who make simple, inexpensive tests for this commonly overlooked, but very serious problem. 

• CUT THE SUGAR:  If you have any sort of Gut problem or DYSBIOSIS (too many bad bacteria or yeast and not enough good bacteria), you will have to dry up their food source if you hope to make headway.  This will probably mean cutting back not only on SUGAR and HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX CARBOHYDRATES, but on many different fruits as well.  This is another of the reasons I so heavily promote a PALEO DIET for most people struggling with Chronic Illness.  Be aware that if you have Candida Yeast, you may have to get crazy strict with your carbohydrate restriction.  Either way you slice it, a Paleo Diet high in both soluble and insoluble fiber is going to help you accomplish your goal, as these are the food-of-choice for the good bacteria living in your Gut.

• EAT FERMENTED FOODS:  Some of those that I use or have used in the past include Sauerkraut, Beet Kavass (my favorite), Kombucha, Kefier (hopefully you have access to RAW MILK), as well as a host of others.  I strongly advise people --- as much as it is possible --- to make their own.  The internet is full of information and recipes on this topic.

• GARDEN:  Gardening is an oft-forgotten link in the whole Gut Health dilema.  The very same bacteria in your organically maintained garden are the bacteria that will be (or at least should be) widely found in your Gut.  This is why I told you a number of months ago to EAT DIRT!

• EXERCISE:  In case you did not see it, a recent study said that REGULAR EXERCISE dramatically increases both the numbers of good bacteria in the Gut, as well as the numbers of different strains of good bacteria in the Gut.  Both are critical for good health.

• STOOL TRANSPLANTS:  Gulp!  Did I just say what you think I said?  Yes I did.  HERE and HERE are a couple of articles.  Bear in mind that these articles are for informational purposes only, and should not be acted upon without the express written consent of your physician.

• TAKE A QUALITY PROBIOTIC:  If you are taking "Acidophilus", you are probably missing the boat on this one.  Acidophilus is the name of one single strain of bacteria.  We use a probiotic that contains about 20 different strains of HSO's (Homeostatic Soil Organisms) --- the most common bacteria found in organic soil. Just remember; it's not that probiotics are somehow bad, but that they are probably not enough --- especially for those of you who are chronically ill.

It is critical to understand that your overall health is directly related to the health of your Gut.  For more information on this topic, you can comb through the archived articles I have written under GUT HEALTH.

David Gorski is a sharp guy.  He is a cancer surgeon who specializes in BREAST CANCER, who also happens to be an extremely outspoken critic of both Alternative Medicine and FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE (he has his own blog on the topic as well as being the editor of Science Based Medicine dot com).  When I saw the headline from an article he wrote last week, I was naturally intrigued (Integrative Oncology: The Trojan Horse that is Quackademic Medicine Infiltrates ASCO). 

The annual meeting of the ASCO (the American Society of Clinical Oncology) is one of the biggest physician gatherings on cancer on the planet, and as you'll see, Dr. Gorski is concerned that "quackery" is invading his chosen profession.  The session that Gorski was particularly upset about was called, "Integrative Oncology: The Evidence Base". 

The list of alternatives that were discussed at the meeting (and then discussed by Dr. Gorski in his post) was as follows.

• Meditation and other “mind-body” therapies

• Optimal nutrition, special diets, and supplements

• Massage Therapies

• Music Therapy
  

• Acupuncture Treatment
  

• Exercise

It's an interesting list.  I cannot honestly say that I know much about "Music Therapy" for fighting cancer, although certain kinds of music have proved beneficial for other health-related phenomenon (for instance, listening to classical music is said to promote fetal brain development more than say, Twisted Sister), but a couple of things in particular caught my eye.   Should things like "exercise" or "optimal nutrition, special diets, and supplements," be considered alternative?  In all fairness to Dr. Gorksi, he says in his article that, "there’s nothing “integrative,” “complementary,” or “alternative” about exercise. It’s science-based medicine. The same is true of nutrition."  Gorski goes on to say, "It’s not for nothing that we frequently refer to diet and exercise (rebranded as “integrative medicine,” of course!) as a Trojan horse that, once in the fortress of science-based medicine, opens up to disgorge pseudoscience."  And here is the rub.

If Dr. Gorski and other cancer doctors / policy makers really believe that diet and exercise are part of the "fortress" that makes up "science-based medicine", why don't we see this play out in the average patient's cancer treatment?  I would contend that unless you are treating at a very select few cancer treatment facilities, you will not be provided with any (strong word, but it is the correct one) advice on diet or exercise.  In my nearly three decades of experience with patients, the exact opposite is far more likely to occur (HERE).  In fact, other than patients who have sought out "alternative" practices for treating their cancer either here in the States or in Mexico, I have yet to hear of a patient being given any sort of real / substantial advice concerning diet other than, "eat whatever you want" (see previous link).  And why not?  Especially if, as Dr. Gorski says, these are "science-based". 

The truth is, "science" is not necessarily what we have always thought it was, or what we were taught it was while in school.  All too often, science is paid for by the highest bidder, making large amounts of what we today refer to as EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE, anything but.  As is always the case, I would suggest that you not blindly follow your doctor concerning anything.  Do your own research and make educated decisions about your healthcare --- especially when it comes to CANCER.