If you’re among the one in five Americans who suffers from chronic bowel problems, you may have tried a number of different approaches to solve your problem.

You may have tried drinking more water, eating more fiber, or taken over the counter or prescription drugs and found little relief.

Another thing a lot of people are doing these days is experimenting with avoiding gluten because they think they may have gluten intolerance or Celiac’s disease.

Celiac disease is an abnormal immune system response to a protein that bonds sugars together in wheat, rye, and  barley. Individuals with Celiac’s may experience severe abdominal pain, gas, bloating and bowel problems when they eat foods that contain gluten. Eventually eating gluten can damage the lining of the small intestine, leading to poor absorption of minerals and vitamins. Over time, gluten allergy’s effect can be devastating, including damage to bones and the entire nervous system.

Eliminating gluten, if you have a Celiac disease usually improves symptoms for most people. But the tricky part of making yourself gluten free is that it requires you to read every label because gluten is used as a binder in many packaged foods such as ketchup and soups. And eating in a restaurant can be a minefield because you don’t know if gluten has been added to a menu item.

The latest research shows about six percent of people exhibit sensitivity to gluten, and about one percent has Celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to gluten. A lot of people make the mistake of self-diagnosing and assuming that they have a gluten allergy. So they mistakenly place themselves on gluten free highly restricted diet, which they really may not need to follow.

Even if you don’t have a gluten allergy you may show improvement of bowel symptoms on a gluten free diet. Why? Because eliminating gluten often means that you are reducing your intake of carbohydrates. For most people it’s more likely that bowel problems are caused by carbohydrate intolerance than gluten.

Many people who suspect gluten allergy may actually be carbohydrate intolerant.

What’s carbohydrate intolerance you may ask?

You’re probably familiar with a common kind of carbohydrate intolerance, called lactose intolerance. If you have lactose intolerance, your body does not make enough of the enzymes that you need to digest lactose. You can also have intolerance to maltose, which is found in grains, or intolerance table sugar or sucrose.

Intolerances are usually quantity related. Symptoms of the intolerance appear when you have ingested more of the carbohydrate than your body can break down. Eating too much of something that you are intolerant to will produce bowel problems.  It’s rarely necessary to go to all the trouble of a gluten free diet for most people with chronic bowel problems.

Get Results for Bowel Problems

If you’ve tried to solve bowel problems on your own, assumed that you have a gluten allergy, or sought professional advice that hasn’t helped, don’t give up. Consider our approach to solving your problem and getting your life back on track.

At the Digestion Relief Center, we test you to find out what is causing your bowel problems. We evaluate you to find out what foods you digest and which foods you don’t. We also test for food sensitivities and intolerance to other foods. Our testing reveals digestion deficiencies and food sensitivities that may be causing your bowel problem.

Once we have determined the cause of your bowel symptoms, we can effectively bring your body back in balance by modifying your diet, enhancing you digestion and harmonizing your body’s reaction to the foods that produce allergy-like reactions.

If traditional medical approaches for bowel problems are not working, call Dr. Patrick at 530-899-8741 to schedule a consultation to find out how you can live life free of the pain and embarrassment of bowel problems.

Dr. Patrick Giammarise D.C., Internal Health Specialist, Founder of the Digestion Relief Center, specializes in effective, natural relief for food sensitivities and digestion problems. Dr. Patrick can be reached at 530-899-8741.  For more information visit our website www.ibschicoca.com

2011, © Dr. Patrick Giammarise, DC

Original Publication Date: April 21, 2011.  Chico Enterprise Record 'Health Beat'