Possible Treatments for Celiac Disease

There are many conflicting opinions about whether or not we should be placing our hopes on medication for celiac or gluten intolerance. Many people would take a drug in a New York minute if they could, just so they could eat a “normal” diet so to speak. Others argue that “normal” for us is avoiding gluten since our bodies clearly provide proof that we can’t tolerate and digest gluten properly.

Everyone should do what works for them as always, but presently about 60% of people who are told to follow a gluten-free diet for medical reasons do not do so. Many live on over-the-counter medications and eat whatever they want to. Even some insanely wealthy people do this which is baffling since they can afford to purchase the finest gluten-free foods from around the world. They can also afford to eat at the finest restaurants that offer gluten-free meals.

In the end, it might all come down to convenience. Would people rather spend a couple of hours tracking down safe places to dine out at on vacation, or take a pill or enzyme and eat wherever they want to? The answer for the majority of Americans seems to be the latter. They want things to be easier and that’s understandable to a degree. It’s concerning though that our culture seems to consume prescription medications like they are candy.

If you watch the news in Europe, you’d think the American population was made up of a bunch of drug addicts. It’s quite alarming really.  While many counties use herbal medicinal treatments, a vast majority of Americans are happy to pop pills, even when they have horrible side effects. An example of this happening is depression treatment. St. John’s Wort is commonly used with much success by many people in Europe for the condition. There are few, if any, negative side effects for people using this natural supplement. Alternately, most Americans with depression are taking mind-altering drugs that most of the time, have pretty bad side effects.

The companies that make St. John’s Wort supplements do not have salespeople going into doctors’ offices around the country to give out free samples as the prescription medication companies do. Therefore, many Americans are not even aware of the existence of St. John’s Wort. Count the commercials for depression medications on your nightly newscast sometime. It’s shocking how many drug advertisements are run daily, all day. It was once prohibited by law for pharmaceutical companies to advertise on TV. Finally, the big pharma lobby won out and Congress changed the law to allow them.

For many who can’t eat gluten, taking some type of drug seems the best option for them to feel “normal” again. Not everyone feels abnormal and many of us have never felt better since going off gluten, but there is something to be said for not having to worry about gluten for every meal, snack, and event we might encounter in a day. This week in the L.A. Times, there is an article that explains the research being done to try and conquer celiac disease. The method of using hookworms sounds particularly gross but apparently, they brought relief to some partaking in the study. Hopefully, any treatment that is forthcoming will do more good than harm to those who choose to take advantage of it.