Vitamin D

I was reading from The Gluten Connection by Shari Lieberman again today. She has a section that talks about lack of vitamin D and a metabolic bone disease, osteomalacia.

I presently don't have this disease, although I may be showing some symptoms.  I have been told twice that my vitamin D levels were low. My doctor has twice put me on weekly high units of vitamin D, 50,000 units for eight weeks, with then a daily 1,000 units for maintenance. The doctor thinks it is due to the lack of not getting enough sun exposure since I use suntan lotion. I walk daily for at least 30 minutes to an hour. I rarely use suntan lotion just because I forget to put that goop on (but don't tell my doctor that). I live in the San Francisco Bay Area where the sun shines lots, my daily dose of vitamin D, minus the cloudy days in winter.

I have also recently had had a colonoscopy in which two polyps were found and removed. The note from the doctor doing the colonoscopy to me was this: "At this time, the cause of colon polyps is generally not known. It has been suggested that exercise and a diet that is high in fiber, low in fat, with calcium supplementation is helpful in preventing polyps."

I eat high in fiber, I exercise, I consume calcium, I eat yogurt,...dang...I eat healthy.

This next paragraph is taken from page 46 of The Gluten Connection.
" People may lack this vitamin (vitamin D) because they do not get enough sun exposure or because their diets are deficient and they do not take supplements for it.  But the condition (osteomalacia) is often caused by the lack of absorption of the vitamin into the body's system. That lack of absorption may be caused by gluten sensitivity or celiac disease."
 
Now this make sense! This just might tie the two issues, a lack of vitamin D and having polyps, together into what may be the cause of my problems. Vitamin D is important in helping the body absorb calcium.

Later in the book, page 56, the author talks about a person with celiac disease.
"When a person who has celiac disease eats food containing gluten... the body sets off an autoimmune reaction that damages the small intestine. The result is that the food is not properly digested and malabsorption occurs.....you may also become severely malnourished and anemic and ultimately suffer from a number of other autoimmune disorders.  The disease may also leave your vulnerable to some types of cancer."

Polyps lead to cancer if left untreated.

My mother has numerously told me the story of the two of us riding a bus in Germany when I was around five years old. A woman on the bus that had been watching me finally asked my mother how long has that child been sick. I must of not only looked malnourished back then, but I was. My mother's response was that the child eats well. Yes, I did love my bread back then with the crust cut off and smeared with butter and sugar. I also loved blue cheese at that age too. Blue cheese is made from using bread molds, at least it use to be made that way.

Basically, I'm malnourished, or was. My gluten sensitivity has been causing my body to not absorb the needed vitamin D to help absorb the needed calcium that is needed to keep me healthy. I can live without wheat, rye, and barley to help keep me healthy and not malnourished. That's easy to do.