Colostrum is a mother’s first three days of breast milk. When your baby is born and you begin breastfeeding him/her, this is colostrum, not simple breast milk. Colostrum activates the ”on” switch in the baby’s immune system in the stomach, which starts the production of good bacteria. Enzymes are made that carry messages for more enzymes, to prepare the gut for food. Colostrum is responsible for turning on so many important switches in the gut.
Cow colostrum can be used for children and adults who need those valuable antibodies in their system. Human and cow colostrum show no difference at the molecular level. When you are attempting to heal your stomach, using quality colostrum is a good choice.
The Gluten Free Summit
Researchers who work in the field of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are eager to share their specific knowledge with others. This will help patients to understand the big picture of gluten sensitivity and how it manifests itself.
Dr. Tom O’Bryan spoke with experts from around the world for the Gluten Summit. The scientists he spoke to are among the leaders in research into celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. He went to Oxford, in England, where he interviewed Michael Marsh, known as “the godfather of celiac diagnosis”. Marsh reiterates that any inflammation in the gut is as serious as celiac disease.
Dr. O’Bryan spoke with a number of nutritionists to carry forward the importance of a gluten-free diet for those who have a sensitivity to gluten.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
Many people once believed that “using” gluten to explain symptoms was simply reaching for an explanation. However, today’s research reveals that this is an actual condition, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).
NCGS is not the same as celiac disease; rather, it covers the physical explanations for sensitivities to gluten and the symptoms they create. The people who experience these symptoms may also be sensitive to carbohydrates, which makes treatment more challenging.
Monash University Study, 2011
Dr. Peter Gibson is a gastroenterologist at Monash University in Australia. In 2011, he and several colleagues studied 34 patients who had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). They did not suffer from celiac disease, but they did have sensitivity to gluten. The study split the group into two, and provided one half with a Gluten-Free diet. After just 3 weeks the Gluten-Free group had seriously reduced symptoms, many showing none at all. The group consuming gluten, as you may expect showed no reduction in symptoms.
Gluten’s Effects on the Intestine
Gluten has negative effects on the intestine’s barrier function. This allows substances to leak through the intestine into the bloodstream. This was determined in a controlled trial with patients on gluten-free diets, who also have IBS diarrhea effects on intestinal function and bowel frequency. This was published in National Institutes of Health.
IBS involves digestive problems of unknown causes. It affects almost 15% of people in the United States. Some IBS cases may be brought on or exacerbated by gluten. This study was reported in the US National Library of Medicine. This study makes it clear that even people without gluten sensitivity may react in a negative way to gluten. Other studies, too, show that IBS patients without diagnosed sensitivity to gluten may still have adverse reactions to it.
The Differences between Celiac Disease and NCGS
A Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, Dr. Joseph A. Murray, is an expert on celiac disease. He states that it is important to be tested for celiac disease before diet changes are made. Celiac disease is much more prevalent in the last 10-20 years than it once was. Gluten sensitivity signs are often similar to those of irritable bowel syndrome and other gastroenterological problems.