Natural Treatments and Remedies for Celiac Disease

Here’s my all-natural approach to treating the symptoms of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity

While the symptoms of celiac disease can be confusing, making a diagnosis of the condition difficult, the treatment for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is quite straightforward: You need to adopt a gluten-free diet. I suggest a two-part approach:

• Eliminate the Offenders
• Papain Supplements

Eliminate the Offenders

Your goal is to work toward a diet that doesn’t contain any of the offending glutens found in wheat, rye, barley, and any products made from these grains. Simple in concept, yes, but to many people, going gluten-free sounds far from easy. Aside from the obvious wheat-containing foods such as bread, pasta, cookies, and crackers, wheat flour is often a hidden ingredient in many processed foods, including frozen French fries, soy sauce, and rice cereal, just to name a few.

However, with the strategies in my Gluten-Free Guide, you'll find that making the switch to a gluten-free lifestyle really isn’t difficult, particularly when you start seeing the beneficial returns on your health and happiness. Another good resource for lists of gluten-free foods and other information is the Celiac Sprue Association. They can be reached toll-free at 877-272-4272 or through their website at www.csaceliacs.org.

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Papain Supplements

While going gluten-free is often a must for those suffering from the symptoms of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, there is some evidence that including a powerful protein-digesting enzyme called papain in your regular diet may offer noticeable relief. That’s because taking papain supplements (500 to 1,000 mg with meals) can help digest wheat gluten. For some celiac disease patients, papain supplementation works so well that they can once again eat wheat products without problems!

Finding papain in lower dosages combined with other digestive enzymes is easy to do. Locating papain by itself is more difficult. One source that sells papain by itself is Vitamin Research Products. It comes as a powder that can be taken by weighed doses. They also sell the necessary equipment to make your own gelatin capsules. (One quarter teaspoon is roughly 500 mg). If you take it in bulk form, make sure you take it with meals.

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More Dr. Williams Advice on Celiac Disease

• What causes celiac disease and gluten sensitivity?
• Why conventional doctors may overlook a diagnosis of celiac disease