The adrenals participate in keeping a right balance between DHEA (DHEA is a natural steroid and precursor hormone produced by the adrenal glands), estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. This is necessary in order to avoid PMS and infertility. Besides, these hormones participate in regulating blood pressure, blood glucose level and in preventing dehydration.

When the adrenals are exhausted (e.g. when one is gluten intolerant), they can’t function optimally. They simply have to choose between producing sex hormones and supporting the basic body functions.

Common Causes of Adrenal Stress

• Anger
• Fear
• Worry
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Guilt
• Overwork
• Physical or mental strain
• Excessive exercise
• Sleep deprivation
• Light-cycle disruption
• Going to sleep late
• Surgery
• Trauma
• Injury
• Chronic inflammation
• Chronic infection
• Chronic pain
• Temperature extremes
• Toxic exposure
• Malabsorption
• Maldigestion
• Chronic illness
• Chronic-severe allergies (or celiac disease)
• Hypoglycemia
• Nutritional deficiencies

Associated Symptoms and Consequences of Impaired Adrenals

• Low body temperature
• Weakness
• Unexplained hair loss
• Nervousness
• Difficulty building muscle
• Irritability
• Mental depression
• Difficulty gaining weight
• Apprehension
• Hypoglycemia
• Inability to concentrate
• Excessive hunger
• Tendency towards inflammation
• Moments of confusion
• Indigestion
• Poor memory
• Feelings of frustration
• Alternating diarrhea and constipation
• Osteoporosis
• Auto-immune hepatitis
• Auto-immune diseases
• Lightheadedness
• Palpitations
• Dizziness that occurs upon standing
• Poor resistance to infections
• Low blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Food allergies
• PMS
• Craving for sweets
• Dry and thin skin
• Headaches
• Scanty perspiration
• Alcohol intolerance

Balancing Your Meals for Blood Sugar Control

To sustain good adrenal function it is important to control the blood sugar level by:

• Eating small meals or snacks every 3-4 hours
• Eating within the first hour after waking up
• Eating small snacks before going to sleep
• Eating before feeling hungry to avoid low blood sugar (hypoglycemia = stress on the adrenal glands).

Based on:

• ‘Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome’ by James Wilson and Jonathan V. Wright
• ‘The Gluten Effect’ by Vikki Petersen and Richard Petersen

The treatment of Hashimoto’s should actually be focused on treating the immune system. Such an overactive immune system that attacks the body’s cells needs to be calmed down. This is important. Some try to improve their health by using ‘superfoods’ but it seems that not everybody understands that ‘superfoods’ are highly functional ingredients. They can stimulate human organism and be beneficial to health but they can also be harmful when used incorrectly, especially for those who already developed some disease(s). Before using ‘superfoods’ it is good to research if the particular ingredient benefits our individual condition.

Literature shows that if the treatment of Hashimoto’s doesn’t direct the immune system but instead only suppresses the symptoms of Hashimoto’s, the immune system will attack other body tissues. The immune system is programmed to protect us. When it sees a threat it attacks. What triggers the imbalanced reaction of the immune system (and an auto attack) is still not fully understood. Recent studies suggest that the ‘leaky gut’ can be one of the reasons. It seems that once such an auto-attack is activated it cannot be stopped. It can however be reduced.

How to soothe the autoimmune reaction

Our immune system has two main arms: Th1 and Th2.
Th1 is responsible for the production of NK cells (natural killer) and T cells (lymphocytes = white blood cells), which are responsible for ‘killing the intruders’, whereas Th2 is responsible for the production of B lymphocytes, which point out the cell that must be destroyed.

Usually, one of the arms is more active than another and a suitable treatment should be adjusted accordingly. To define this, usually the level of cytokines is tested. Cytokines are small proteins used in cells communication, also in communication between the lymphocytes Th (helpers) and the immune system.
Cytokines are a bit like hormones. Too high level of cytokines Th1 or Th2 blocks thyroid receptors and does not allow hormones to enter the cells. This blockage leads to hypothyroidism.

How do we know which cytokines dominate (Th1 or Th2)

Cytokines of Th1:

• IL-2
• IL-12
• TNF alpha
• Interferon

Cytokines of Th2:

• IL-4
• IL-10
• IL-13

Balancing Th1 and Th2

Balance between Th1 and Th2 is essential to improve functioning of thyroid in Hashimoto’s patients. It requires adaptation of a new diet and lifestyle, aimed at calming the immune system.

It is necessary to support and balance the lymphocytes T (regulatory). What helps:

• Vitamine D (the highest safe level)
• EPA/DHA (Omega3)
• Glutathione (ref)

Besides, the weaker arm of the immune system should be stimulated.

Stymulation of Th1 (when Th2 dominates)

• Astragalus
• Echinacea
• Mushrooms’s Beta-glucan
• Mashroom Maitake
• Liquorice
• Melissa

Stymulation of Th2 (when Th1 dominates)

• Caffeine
• Green tea
• Grape seed extract
• Pine bark extract
• Willow bark extract
• Lycopene
• Resveratrol
• Pycnogenol

Modulation of Th1 and Th2

• Probiotics
• Vitamine A
• Vitamine E
• Colostrum

Lowering IL-1*, activation of Th1 and Th2

• Boswellia
• Pancreas enzymes
• Turmeric (Kurkuma)

*IL-1 = cytokines, which play a central role in the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses.

It sounds straightforward. But it seems that it is not that easy to test which arm of the immune system is weaker. Perhaps this is also a reason why it is not commonly practiced (it sounds pricey too). This is why, paying an attention to the body responses is very important. For example, how a person reacts to the stimulants associated with the particular arm, Th1 or Th2.

Also, it seems that in some cases, both arms Th1 and Th2 are equally dominant but the level of the lymphocytes T is low. That means that some antigen is stimulating the immune system. An antigen can be a fungus, virus, heavy metal, pesticides or gluten.

Figures 1-5

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Source: Tluste Zycie (Highly recommended if you can read Polish)

When I was diagnosed with celiac disease I wanted to know what exactly is happening inside of my body when I eat gluten and why is it so bad to me.

Every time gluten reaches my intestines, the enzyme produced in the intestinal wall called tissue transglutaminase (tTG) breaks down gluten into individual elements: gliadin and glutenin. The part of the immune system located in the gut, which is the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), reviews everything that enters the digestive system for the possibly harmful substances. The GALT of people with celiac disease recognizes gliadin as a dangerous substance and produces antibodies to attack it. These antibodies, however, do attack not only the gliadin, but also the tTG that broke down the gluten in the first place. The tTG enzyme has another important role, it is responsible for holding together the intestinal microvilli.

Hence, when the antibodies attack the tTG, the microvilli can degenerate and disappear. Normally, the intestinal microvilli increase the surface area of the intestine and absorb nutrients. The lack of the villi, which assists the celiac disease, results in a ‘leaky gut’. In order to absorb nutrients, our gut is permeable to tiny molecules. Regulating that permeability is the basic function of the cells that line the intestinal wall. In celiac people, gluten can cause the gut cells to release zonulin, a protein that can break the tight junctions (TJs) apart. Disruption of the TJs leads to intestinal hyper permeability (the so-called ‘leaky gut’) (ref). That means that toxins, microbes and undigested food particles, among others, leak through the intestines and travel with the bloodstream. One of the things allowed to escape are the antibodies that the body produced to attack the gliadin. These antibodies confuse tTG with gliadin but also attack other organs. This is why having a celiac disease increases the risk of developing another autoimmune disease like (in my case) Hashimoto’s. Mechanism  of the disease

Gastrointestinal symptoms:
(mostly due to fat malabsorption)

• Diarrhea
• Stomach crumps
• Constipation
• Vomiting
• Acid reflux
• Abdominal bloating and pain
• Nausea
• Irritable bowel
• Indigestion
• Sticky, greasy stools
• Loose stools
• Poor absorption of nutrients, medicines and supplements
• Hemorrhoids
• Cancers of the intestine (rare cases)

(due to carbohydrate malabsorption caused by a lack of the lactase enzyme located on a surface of the villi)

• Lactose intolerance
• Abdominal distention
• Excessive flatulence

Other symptoms resulted from poor absorption of nutrients:

• Fatigue
• Energy loss
• Excessive sleeping
• Irritable and fussy behavior
• High cholesterol
• Hair loss
• Easily bruising
• Fluid retention and joint swellings
• Itchy skin with a rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)
• Nosebleeds
• Arthritis
• Anemia
• Osteoporosis (fig 1)
• Epilepsy
• Hypothyroidism
• Rheumatism

Fig 1. Bone structure – healthy and with osteoporosis.

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Oral symptoms:

• Gum disease
• Swollen gums
• Bad breath
• Tooth enamel erosion
• Tooth cracking
• Mouth infections
• Mouth ulcers
• Cavities

Female-specific symptoms:

• Irregular menstruation
• Heavy, painful menstruation
• Hormonal level swings
• Breast tenderness
• Early menopause
• Swollen bladder
• Bludder infections
• Infertility
• Reduced fertility
• Miscarriages

Neurological symptoms:
(Peripheral neuropathy – nerve damage:  motor nerves, sensory nerves, and autonomic nerves) 

• Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
• Ataxia
• Muscle cramps (legs, back)/pains
• Muscle twitching
• Muscle weakness
• Abnormal blood pressure or heart rate
• Lowered body temperature
• Reduced ability to sweat normally
• Poor balance
• Sudden feelings of fear or anxiousness
• Dizziness
• Changes in vision
• Migraines (chronic headaches)
• ADHD

Weight related symptoms:

• Decreased or increased appetite
• Constant hunger
• Overweight or weight loss
• Poor growth / underweight (especially children)

Psychological symptoms:

• Depression
• Difficulty to concentrate
• Memory loss
• Foggy mind
• Learning disabilities
• Moodiness
• Mood swings
• Tearfulness
• Irritability
• Irrational anger
• Isolation
• Lost interest in activities
• Sleeping issues

Common nutrient deficiencies:
Minerals:

• Calcium
• Copper
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Zinc

Vitamins:

• Vitamin A (retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid)
• Vitamin D (calciferol)
• Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
• Vitamin K (phylloquinone, menadione)
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• Vitamin B₁ (thiamine)
• Vitamin B₂ (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B₃ (niacin or niacinamide)
• Vitamin B₆ (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, or pyridoxamine, or pyridoxine hydrochloride)
• Vitamin B₉ (folic acid)
• Vitamin B₁₂ (cobalamins)

What is Celiac Sprue

Celiac disease (coeliac; or in Dutch ‘coeliaki’) is an autoimmune disorder, a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own cells and tissues. All it takes to develop the celiac is to be genetically predisposed. In the Netherlands the celiac disease seems to affect already 1 in 100-150 persons.

The disease can activate regardless the age and it is a chronic condition. The only known effective treatment in celiac disease is a lifelong gluten free diet  (gluten  free diet basics). The exact triggers to develop celiac are still unknown, but experts believe that times of extreme emotional or physical stress, health issues, and too high gluten levels in the modern diet or other environmental factors (like pesticides or heavy metals) can set the stage.

Fig 1-4

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

The main characteristic of the celiac disease is an abnormality in the lining of the small intestine (fig 1) – the part of digestive tract connecting the stomach with the large intestine. Normally, the lining of the small intestine consists of tiny finger-like tissues called villi (fig 2). Consumption of gluten, though, leads to a reaction in the small intestine upon which the immune system causes inflammation and damages the intestinal villi (fig 3). We have villi to increase the surface area of the intestine. Besides, the villi contain specialized cells that transport substances into the bloodstream. In other words, we need villi to absorb nutrients from our food; otherwise nutrients just pass through the digestive track and we develop malnutrition. The vitamins and minerals normally absorbed in the small intestine are necessary for many important body functions (fig 4) and their lack causes other serious conditions like e.g. osteoporosis, rickets, neuropathy, diabetes (ref), depression, infertility, anemia or even lymphoma.

But that is not all. The vitamin D3 and the incredibly important brain hormone (neurotransmitter) Serotonin are produced in the intestinal villi. Serotonin is responsible for well-being and happiness. Approximately 90% of the serotonin is located in the intestinal tract, where it is used to regulate intestinal movements. Besides, Serotonin regulate mood, appetite, and sleep. It also has some cognitive functions, like our memory and learning ability. Vitamin D, which is normally produced in healthy intestine, is required for healthy bones. Lack of this vitamin is linked to depression, joints pain, muscle pain, chronic fatigue but also cancer! Each person diagnosed with cancer has extremely low vitamin D level.

Common nutrient deficiencies 
Minerals

• Calcium
• Copper
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Zinc

Vitamins

• Vitamin A (retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid)
• Vitamin D (calciferol)
• Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
• Vitamin K (phylloquinone, menadione)
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, or pyridoxamine, or pyridoxine hydrochloride)
• Vitamin B9 (folic acid)
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamins)