Celiac Disease common amongst Punjabi’s

A recent complementary medicine research study published in the latest edition of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology has revealed that Americans with Punjabi ancestry have a higher than normal occurrence of Celiac disease (CD). This American study revealed that Celiac Disease was:

• Most common amongst Americans of Punjabi ancestry
• The incidence of CD was significantly less than other US residents including Jewish, Middle Eastern, South Indian, East Asian and Hispanic and other Americans.
• Both men and women had similar incidences of CD

It is highly likely that this higher incidence of CD amongst Punjabis is due to:

1. Dietary patterns (gluten-sensitive autoimmune disease) – wheat is part of the staple diet of Punjabis’ whereas in Southern and Eastern India it is rice
and/or

2. Genetic predisposition

These finding points to Punjabis being very prone to CD. Therefore,lifestyle advice, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies, and appropriate food and nutrition advice should be considered in the treatment and prevention of CD in patients of Punjabi ancestry.

Use By Dates for Vitamins and Supplements

Vitamins and herbs are often recommended as part of lifestyle advice.

If you purchase best quality vitamins and supplements it is highly recommended that you check the ‘best before’ and ‘use by dates’. If none is stated then it is best to seek out other brands.

Unlike pharmaceuticals, it is not compulsory to state the date for vitamins and supplements products. The shelf-life of supplements depends on:

• Temperature
• Moisture
• Oxygen
• Exposure to Light
• pH of the product
• Oxidising and reducing agents
• Presence of metallic ions (e.g. iron and copper)
• Presence of other ingredients
• Other components of food, such as sulphur dioxide
• Combinations of the above

It is likely that Vitamins B,D will have shorter half lives so they will disintegrate quicker. The same will apply to probiotics, which often require refrigeration.

The best advice is to consult with a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioner who should be able to offer you advice on purchasing the best over-the –counter remedies or preferably they can provide you with ‘practitioner line’ best quality vitamins and supplements which will be specific for your needs.

Childhood Obesity and Bone Growth

We know that obese children tend to have more muscle. A recent review by Kindler et al in the recent publication of Current Opinion in Endocrinology concluded that muscle is a strong contributor to bone growth in childhood and adolescence. However, the excess fat that accompanies obesity can be deposited in the muscle thus affecting bone growth erroneously which can then lead to chronic health conditions.

Therefore, lifestyle advice for children should always include exercise and standard healthcare food and nutrition advice.

Meditation and relaxation training

Mindfulness meditation as daily lifestyle advice has grown in popularity over recent years as we seek solutions to combat the stresses of modern day living. However, by its very nature mindfulness meditation can be an important Complementary and Alternative (CAM) intervention in the treatment of mild ADHD.

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve behavioural and neurocognitive impairments in adolescents and adults with ADHD. A complementary medicine research study in 2008 study by Zylowska et al showed that 8-week mindfulness meditation program resulted in:

• Pre-post improvements in self-reported ADHD symptoms
• Improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depressive

Although this was a small scale study the science behind mindfulness meditation makes this a viable integrative healthcare solution for the treatment of mild ADHD.