Vitamin D and Celiac Disease In Children/Vitamin D and Belly Fat/Lectins//Testing for Aortic Stiffness

In a Turkish study, done between May 2015 and May 2016, symptoms of celiac patients (CD) in a newly diagnosed pediatric group were questioned. The study covered 52 patients, of mixed gender, between the ages of 9 and 13. Fat soluble vitamin levels were evaluated (in conjunction with intestinal biopsies), and vitamin levels were compared with those of healthy control group.

Vitamin A and vitamin D levels of patients were determined to be significantly lower in the CD group, compared to those of the control group. Vitamin D insufficiency was observed in 92% of patients and vitamin D deficiency was found in 62%. Vitamin A deficiency was established in 33% of patients.

(Study)

This confirms the thesis from my blog “How 3 Nutrients Can Heal Most Ailments“.

This is a protocol that I advise anyone with celiac disease (or any ailments associated with damaged mucous membranes) to follow.

VITAMIN D AND BELLY FAT

A link between low vitamin D levels and obesity has established in previous studies, but such studies did not determine the type and location of body fat. This new European study did just that, and found that vitamin D levels are lower in individuals with higher levels of belly fat.

After adjusting for possible influencing factors (including chronic disease, alcohol intake and levels of physical activity), they found that the amounts of both abdominal and total fat were associated with lower vitamin D levels in women, although abdominal fat had a greater impact. In men, however, both abdominal fat and liver fat were associated with lower vitamin D levels. In  either gender, the greater the amount of belly fat, the lower the levels of vitamin D.

According to the researchers, the question to be answered by future research is whether a lack of vitamin D is predisposing individuals to store belly fat, or whether increased belly fat levels are decreasing vitamin D levels. They also suggest that overweight individuals with larger waistlines should have their vitamin D levels checked, to avoid any potentially health-damaging effects caused by vitamin D deficiency.

(Source)

One of the hottest new books on nutrition is “The Plant Paradox”, by Steven Gundry, MD, in which the author claims that “lectins” in foods are the source of most human disease.

Most people are aware of gluten and the problems that it can cause to the health of people sensitive to it. Gluten is categorized as a member of the lectin family; which are technically plant-based proteins. Lectins are found not only in grains like wheat, but also in gluten-free foods, including many fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and conventional dairy products.

Gundry maintains that all lectins “incite a kind of chemical warfare in our bodies, causing inflammatory reactions that can lead to weight gain and serious health conditions.”

In my opinion, his book, and theory, has been soundly refuted by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and Thomas Campbell, MD, the authors of “The China Study“.

To quote from their article:

“Many of his references do not offer any support for the statements he makes in the text or are misrepresented.Even more egregious are the wild claims he makes with no referencing at all, which is most of the text… the referencing is so lacking and sloppy that Dr. Gundry should be embarrassed. And the bulk of the author’s wild claims lack references at all, with several examples of easily verifiable falsehoods.”

“First, there are a very large number of lectins, second, they exhibit a variety of functions—some beneficial and some not and, third, these functions constantly vary, depending on nutritional conditions and bodily needs. There is even evidence that some may protect against cancer!”   (Study)

So, before you give up on all beans, grains, nuts, potatoes, and a large number of  vegetables, have a read of of the full commentary:

‘The Plant Paradox’ by Steven Gundry MD– A Commentary

My personal opinion on the subject, which the authors do not touch on, is that the lectin subject is best addressed by Dr. Peter D’Adamo in his book “Eat Right 4 Your Type”.

His thesis, well confirmed by years of application on his patients (I also have recommended following the Blood Type Diet to many of my clients over many years, to great benefit), is that certain lectins badly affect certain blood types, but not others. Blood type gives us information on what we are genetically predisposed to digesting well, or not well, based on what foods our ancestors consumed regularly.

TESTING FOR AORTIC STIFFNESS

NattoPharma produces vitamin K2 as a raw material for vitamin companies. Recently, they have stated that, since there is no readily available test for vitamin K2 deficiency (similar to the test for vitamin D, for example), it may be possible to use “iHeart technology to provide a somewhat measurable idea of potential K2 deficiency and a benefit for vitamin K2 supplementation.”

Here’s how the iHeart system works: users place the device on their index finger and wait 30 seconds for the device to calculate aortic stiffness using Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity (AoPWV).

AoPWV is the speed a pulse wave travels down the aorta, the body’s largest blood vessel, and it has proven to be a good predictor for risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia. The makers of the iHeart device claim that the information obtained about one’s level of aortic stiffness can be translated to indicate what they refer to as a person’s “internal age” (as opposed to their actual chronological age).

There are dietary and lifestyle changes that one can make to reduce aortic calcification and improve aortic flexibility, but the most important factor is getting adequate amounts of vitamin K2, and, because most North Americans do not eat enough K2-rich foods in their diets, supplementation can help to bridge the gap.  (Quick K2)

(Source)