Antioxidant Status and Oxidative Stress in Celiac Disease.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder involving the small intestine. Sufferers of this disease cannot tolerate gluten which is a protein found in foods such as rye, barley, and wheat. When gluten is introduced to a celiac disease patient, the body responds by damaging the small intestine, primarily the villi. Essential nutrients are absorbed into the body by villi, and when this damage occurs, individuals may become malnourished despite the amount of food they consume. This genetic disease can have severe effects on the functioning of the body.
Symptoms of this disease differ from person to person. The most common complaints associated with Celiac disease include weight loss, chronic diarrhea, persistent abdominal pain, anemia, gas, and bone pain, among many others. Diagnosis of this disease can often be difficult because the symptoms are similar to other diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The only treatment for Celiac disease at this time is to follow a gluten free diet. This diet is a lifestyle change and not everyone responds to this diet.
Antioxidant nutrients help support the immune system especially when the body is under stress. It is not advisable to take large amounts of one or two antioxidants while excluding the rest. For optimal protection, a nutritional supplement program should include multiple antioxidants. The primary antioxidants are vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, selenium, coenzyme Q10, and lipoic acid. Also, there are other powerful antioxidant sources such as selenium, grape seed extract and green tea. There are many other nutrients that also function as antioxidants.
It is well documented that oxidative stress is a cellular or physiological condition resulting in elevated concentrations of reactive oxygen species that cause molecular damage to vital structures and functions in the body. A wide range of factors such as air pollution, alcohol, cigarette smoke, non-ionizing radiation, exercising and psychological stress seem to increase oxidative stress. It is also now well understood that reactive oxygen species, or free radicals, play a role in the aging process and many illnesses including arthritis, autism, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic degenerative diseases. In order to reduce cellular damage associated with oxidative stress it is important to ingest adequate levels of antioxidant nutrients from a combination of dietary sources and nutritional supplements.
A recent study published in the journal Clinical Biochemistry examined the role of oxidative stress and antioxidant status patients with celiac disease. Researchers recruited 39 children with different forms of celiac disease and 19 celiac-free children. Intestinal biopsies showed decreased glutathione concentrations in intestinal mucosa of the patients with active and silent celiac disease in comparison to the controls. This reduced level of the antioxidant glutathione is thought to be the cause of the major reduction in antioxidant levels. Researchers also noted a decrease in activity of glutathione peroxidase which is a key enzyme in lipid peroxide elimination. When lipid peroxides form, destruction of the original lipid occurs and this leads to the loss of integrity of cell membranes. These results indicate oxidative stress is an important factor in the development of celiac disease and the chain of events leading to this disease. Also, since glutathione can be regenerated by other antioxidants, the consumption of an antioxidant-rich diet and appropriate dietary supplements may be important complements to the classic gluten-free diet.1
1 Stojiljkovi? V, Todorovi? A, Peji? S, et al. Antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in small intestinal mucosa of children with celiac disease. Clin Biochem. Sep2009;42(13):1431-7.