Immune responses to gluten, the proteins found in cereal grains are a common cause of disease. The gastrointestinal tract is the primary target organ; however systemic disease is an important consequence of cereal grain ingestion in many patients. We think that the people diagnosed with celiac disease are a sub-population of a much larger group with gluten allergy.

A cell-mediated type of allergy leads to a host of complicated consequences, especially increased permeability of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) with more problems downstream. The surface lining of the digestive tract is the largest and most critical interface between you and your environment. In the small intestine, the lining epithelial cells are involved in immune processes. They transfer immunoglobulins produced by lamina propria B-lymphocytes to the surface and interact with other cells of the immune system to induce an inflammatory response to stop microbial invasion. The surface epithelium processes food antigens, and presents antigens to lymphocytes. Both epithelial cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes participate in inflammatory reactions. Epithelial cells proliferate in celiac disease. Crypt hyperplasia is a common tissue response to mucosal damage in food allergy and infection.

A list of diseases that occur with increased frequency in celiac patients resembles the list of disorders reviewed under our descriptions of delayed pattern food allergy.  These diseases include diabetes, thyroid disease,  anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, sacroileitis, sarcoidosis, vasculitis, inflammatory lung disease, eye inflammation, cerebellar ataxia and schizophrenia. These and other immune-mediated disease can be linked to gluten ingestion. These associations suggest that people with a tendency to immune hypersensitivity diseases are vulnerable to food antigens that can cause systemic autoimmune disease.

In their review of these associated disorders, Mulder and Tygart repeated the basic ideas that can explain the prolific ability of of gluten to cause disease downstream from a disordered gastrointestinal tract. They stated:

"Patients with (celiac disease and) selective IgA deficiency often have circulating antibodies to food proteins; they also have circulating immune complexes, suggesting that absence of an intestinal IgA barrier might allow the absorption of antigenic material from the gut. Antibodies to some of the antigens might cross react with the host's self components and might indirectly produce autoimmune disease."

Anti-gliadin antibodies are most commonly found in the immune complexes, associated with major systemic disease. A T cell-mediated or type IV reaction to gluten is likely the major cause of the gut lesions and increased permeability to gluten and other food antigens leads to whole-body consequences.

Gluten and other food antigens make their way through human bodies in a remarkable fashion. Consider the long and improbable path of milk proteins through a mother's gut, into her blood, through her liver, out into her breast milk, through her infant's gut mucosa and into the infant's nasal mucosa to cause rhinitis, the infant’s lung to cause asthma, or the infant’s skin to cause eczema. There are many potential paths from mouth to target organ for food antigens to follow. Every tissue of the body can manifest a food allergy response. Some activity is noticed in minutes; the onset of other activity is delayed hours to days. Manifestations include both systemic symptoms such as flushing, fever, aching, fatigue, and also localized target organ activity, usually some form of inflammation, manifest as pain, swelling, erythema, and local heat.

Antigens may enter and complex with antibody in the digestive tract wall causing local inflammation and increased permeability. Immune complexes may form in the gut submucosa and pass through lymphatics or capillaries in the general circulation. Food proteins may enter the circulation and be identified by circulating antibodies, forming circulating immune complexes (CICs). CICs in the portal circulation pass to the liver where they may be cleared by macrophages. However, if the immune complexes are passed beyond the liver, they will then circulate through the lungs that act as secondary filters and may suffer CIC-triggered inflammatory events. Complexes can activate the complement cascade anywhere in the circulation, triggering explosive events such as anaphylaxis with both local and general symptoms.

Recommendations: The Alpha Nutrition Program is gluten-free and is recommended as the diet revision strategy for anyone with diagnosed celiac disease, or any person with symptoms suggestive of gluten allergy.

Self -Help: The diet revision program is explained in enough detail in the Alpha Nutrition Program Manual  that an intelligent, well-motivated person can follow the steps outlined.  

Learn More about the Gluten Rescue Starter Pack - you will receive the Alpha Nutrition Program manual, the Book of Gluten and a 500 Gram bottle of Alpha ENF. Study the program, try  the formula and then decide if and when you are ready for a food holiday. You can order the starter pack with a course option so that you can correspond with a tutor for 2-3 weeks and have help getting started.    

 Order Gluten Rescue Starter Pack