Written by Marcia J. Egles MD. Study shows that children with celiac disease might benefit from the addition of antioxidant rich foods and supplements such as vitamins A, C, and E to their diets.
Results of a new study of antioxidants may help expand the treatment options available to those with celiac disease. Celiac disease, a common genetic disorder, affects over 2 million Americans (1). In celiac disease, the digestive system responds abnormally to the protein gluten found in wheat. Consumption of even tiny amounts of wheat by a celiac can result in many adverse consequences to the gut as well as to the whole body. Celiac disease may be successfully treated by vigilant and life-long avoidance of all sources of dietary gluten.
The chemical process that causes metal to rust and fresh-cut apples to turn brown is known as oxidation. All living things use substances called “antioxidants” to counteract oxidation. A recent study showed that levels of antioxidants in the guts of children with celiac disease were lower than the levels in children without the disease. The study was performed in fifty-eight children with digestive symptoms receiving treatment at Serbia University Children’s Hospital in Belgrade. Nineteen children had normal bowel biopsy results and served as a control group.
Thirty-nine other children had bowel biopsies which showed celiac disease. Ten of these children had known celiac disease which had been treated for more than two years with a gluten-free diet. Twenty-nine children were diagnosed with celiac disease at the time of the study and, of these, eighteen had typical celiac symptoms. Eleven of the twenty-nine had minimal symptoms or “silent” celiac disease.
The tissue from the biopsy samples were subjected to an array of laboratory tests assessing the oxidative status of the groups. The antioxidant capacities of the celiac groups were significantly less than those of the control group. In general, those with active untreated disease had the poorest antioxidant status. Some of the results confirmed prior studies (2, 3) that oxidative stress is not only associated with celiac disease but may also be a cause of damage.
The researchers suggest that celiacs might benefit from the addition of antioxidant rich foods and supplements to their diets. Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, and E. Further studies are needed to show if increased consumption of antioxidants might ameliorate celiac disease.
Source: Stojiljković, Vesna, et al. “Antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in small intestinal mucosa of children with celiac disease.” Clinical biochemistry 42.13 (2009): 1431-1437.
© 2009 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists
Posted September 24, 2009.
References:
- General information concerning celiac disease, as well as free celiac screening and dietary programs, may be found at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center.
- Odetti P, et al. Oxidative stress in subjects afflicted by celiac disease. Free Radic Res 198:29(1): 17-24.
- Glemziene I, et al. Enteropathies and oxidative stress. Acta Med Lituan 2006: 13(40: 232-5.
