Celiac Patients are Short on Antioxidant Capacity

Celiac Patients are Short on Antioxidant Capacity

October 2009

Sufferers of celiac disease have significantly reduced antioxidant capacity, says a new study, and could need natural antioxidants and appropriate dietary supplements.

According to findings published in Clinical Biochemistry, the major reduction in their antioxidant levels is due to a reduction in levels of glutathione, an important component of the body’s primary antioxidant defense system.

“As glutathione could be regenerated by other antioxidants, a diet rich in natural antioxidants, as well as appropriate dietary supplements, could be important complements to the classic therapy of celiac disease,” wrote the researchers, led by Vesna Stojiljkovic from the University of Belgrade.

Celiac disease, a condition characterized by an intolerance to gluten in wheat, is reported to affect up to one percent of children and 1.2% of adults, according to a study in the BMJ’s Gut journal. The only therapy for celiac patients is to adhere to a life-long gluten-free diet.

“It is generally accepted that the activation of the immune system by gluten peptides is responsible for pathogenesis and progression of celiac disease,” Stojiljkovic and her co-workers explained.

“In the last decade the results of several investigations showed that gluten corrupts the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance in intestinal mucosa, probably by an overproduction of free radicals. Nevertheless, the data concerning antioxidant status of celiac patients are scarce,” they added.

The researchers therefore set about studying the role of oxidative stress and antioxidant status in the pathogenesis of celiac disease.

Stojiljkovic and her co-workers recruited 39 children with different forms of celiac disease and 19 celiac-free children. Intestinal biopsies showed that the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, were increased in children with active and silent celiac disease. This would be in response to the higher levels of reactive oxygen species.

“In this study we found decreased glutathione concentrations in intestinal mucosa of the patients with active and silent celiac disease in comparison to the controls,” wrote Stojiljkovic and her co-workers. “This is followed by a decrease in the activity of glutathione peroxidase, a key enzyme in lipid peroxide elimination.”

“Since the activity of glutathione peroxidase, a main scavenger of hydrogen peroxide in gastrointestinal tissue was significantly decreased in active and silent group, the misbalance between hydrogen peroxide production and scavenging causes a pro-oxidant shift,” wrote the researchers. “[This] results in increased lipid peroxidation and higher lipid peroxide concentration.

“In these patients lipid peroxide concentration was 80 to 100% higher than in the control group,” they added.

These observations, along with knowledge that glutathione could be regenerated by other antioxidants, led the researchers to note that consumption of an antioxidant-rich diet and “appropriate dietary supplements,” may complement the normal gluten-free diet.

jdp710 - This wheat/gluten connection seems to be the one major thing that would explain why something so unnatural (hair loss) is so common. Eating grains has only been around for 6 thousand years? Which is just a tiny fraction in human history.

I ate a red velvet cupcake with cream frosting (and it's been a while since I've touched anything like that), I can definitely feel a change in digestion.

Here's an old study that's quite relevant to this post.

J Invest Dermatol. 1996 Aug;107(2):154-8.
Glutathione, glutathione S-transferase and reactive oxygen species of human scalp sebaceous glands in male pattern baldness.
Giralt M, Cervello I, Nogues MR, Puerto AM, Ortin F, Argany N, Mallol J.

Unit of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University "Rovira i Virgili," Reus, Spain.

We investigated the contribution of reactive oxygen species to the development of sebaceous gland hyperplasia and the characteristics of the glutathione S-transferase/glutathione system in male pattern baldness. Glutathione S-transferase, glutathione, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were determined in sebaceous gland-enriched scalp skin of men affected by male pattern baldness and were subjected to hair autotransplantation. In comparison with the hairy occipital-donor areas, the following results were obtained in alopecic frontoparietal samples: glutathione S-transferase-specific activity increased 7-fold (p < 0.001); enzyme affinity towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene decreased 2-fold (p = 0.009); glutathione content decreased 2.5-fold (p = 0.017); and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances increased 2-fold (p = 0.006). Chromatofocusing analysis, bromosulfophthalein IC50 values, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry with polyclonal antibodies raised against glutathione S-transferases alpha, mu, and pi demonstrated the presence of alpha, pi, and probably the 5.8 alpha isoenzymes in the sebaceous gland. These results support the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species are involved in the pathogenesis of sebaceous gland hyperplasia in male pattern baldness.

CS,

I recently started taking TMG.

"Glutathione Elevation: In several different studies, TMG has been shown to increase hepatic Glutathione, the body's most important antioxidant. Dose range: 500-1,500 mg daily."
http://www.arrowheadhealthworks.com/TMG.htm


What are your thoughts on TMG in general?

JHarsh80 - TMG was introduced to me with a really startling prediction in that of all its potential can reduce 60 to 70% causes of all death. Whether this is accurate or not is difficult to say, but since in low thyroid, homocysteine is a silent killer causing perforations in artery walls and if homocysteine is not kept in check this could be the result. TMG, being a potent methylator and resolve this along with other functions.

That link you provided really says it all.

Thanks for the info CS.

I've been looking into gluten sensitivity and here's a good link

http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html

Some quotes

"Some symptoms may occur chronically and may seem in no way related to a gut/food or lectin intolerance reactions. This group of symptoms includes the so-called degenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases like those mentioned in the list at the beginning of this report including atherosclerosis, hypertension, osteoporosis, senile dementia, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory joint diseases, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and adult onset diabetes."


Consider the group most likely to be causing a problem.

"Deadly nightshades including tomato, potato and eggplant.
Glutens found in wheat, rye, barley, malt, and oats.
Legumes, all beans including soy and peanut.
Dairy including all milk products, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir.
Eggs"

"Most lectins fall somewhere in between these two extremes allowing the possibility of subclinical conditions which appear over time and which don' t appear to be directly related to lectin exposure."

Smith said that 85% of her PCOS clients test positive for a sensitivity to gluten. When these women remove gluten from their diets they often see a marked improvement in their PCOS symptoms. She has also seen dramatic improvement in cholesterol levels, thyroid function and weight loss in women who have changed their diets to avoid gluten.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1507.asp

jdp710 - Nice info thanks!

I cut out all gluten and dairy for 2 weeks. Yesterday I got back on dairy, today I got back on bread. When I started having cheese and milk yesterday, I had no noticable difference. But today I had a slice of sourdough bread for breakfast, then I biked to work and once I got to work I got a dry throat and itchiness on the roof of my mouth (this is about 2 or 3 hours after eating the bread). I'm not sure if this is an intolerance or an allergy. If it was an allergy it probably would of affected me right after eating the bread. But I don't think it is an intolerance because sore and itchy mouths/throats are usually allergy. I also noticed I was much weaker on the bike ride to work, I had to use a much easier gear than I was using for the 2 weeks I abstained from dariy/gluten.

Hopefully this explains my hypothyroid and premature baldness, since premature baldness is like the male version of PCOS.

Oh and i forgot to add, I also have had a runny nose all day. Also, for a just a few seconds I felt a few throbs of a migraine about to start, and I haven't had a migraine in years. I can't remember the last time I had a headache! Incredible!

"Oxalate is a highly reactive molecule that is abundant in many plant foods, but in human cells, when it is present in high amounts, it can lead to oxidative damage, depletion of glutathione, the igniting of the immune system's inflammatory cascade, and the formation of crystals which seem to be associated with pain and prolonged injury. Ordinarily, not much oxalate is absorbed from the diet, but the level of absorption has to do with the condition of the gut [Gluten, casein, corn, soy, etc. sensitivity, causes increased absorption of oxalates due to leaky gut ]."

http://www.lowoxalate.info/research.html



"The thyroid is the key organ of the body other than the kidney which is known to collect oxalates, resulting in compromised function.

Below are listed some articles that show how commonly crystals of oxalate are found in thyroid tissue. The concentration gets higher the older your age. The oxalate in the thyroid gland can render the patient hypothyroid, but elevations of oxalate may also be associated with developing auto-antibodies to the thyroid co-signalling molecule called p62. Scientists think the p62 level probably becomes elevated after exposure to oxalate because of membrane damage to cells."

http://www.lowoxalate.info/research.html

I'm not sure if anyone is interested but here's more quotes about oxalates

"Oxalates are related to metals – they are very potent in their chelating abilities. Not sure how this relates to DMSA or DMPS, but ALA [alpha lipoic acid] seems to reduce oxalates. So while we might have thought it was a great chelator, perhaps the effect we’re seeing is from the reduction of oxalates. ALA is anti-oxalate, noone has ever thought to test the other chelating agents to see if they are."

"Oxalates deplete glutathione in a big way. Oxalates may be changing the trafficking of zinc. Oxalates and inflammation seem to go hand in hand, more research needs to be done on oxalates and inflammation. Oxalates induce oxidative stress and reduce glutathione, could possibly affect TH1 to TH2 shift"

"Oxalates are oxidants. And oxidant creates oxidative stress. Molecules that are not supposed to be bound together get bound together during oxidative stress. Proteins work differently when under oxidative stress."

"Taurine is anti-oxalate, give more taurine. Oxalates bind beta-alanine. If your son is urinating constantly, this diet might very well help."

"Acidophilus is an oxalate eating species, but if you get too much oxalate it kills off acidophilus"

"We’ve been experiencing with calcium citrate and magnesium citrate, which are both anti-oxalate. The calcium is important in the gut – if there is calcium in the gut, the oxalates won’t be reabsorbed in the body, they’ll stay in the stool" [maybe this is why moreless protocol from curezone works for some].