<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Recently there were posts about a possible celiac "cure", something
called Lifestar Cytolog. A web site discussing this '...Holy Grail for
those who dream of an "alternative to medicine."' (their words, not
mine) was listed. I took a look at this site, and several things struck
me:
1. This is CLEARLY a site where a company is trying to sell its own
product.
2. The product is touted as a cure-all for a number of different
diseases. Folks, there are no cure-alls or silver bullets; it is
wishful thinking to believe that there are.
3. There are no references to any other, INDEPENDENT studies which
verify the claims they are making with respect to celiac disease
(CD). The nine studies that are listed (four of which are prior to
1990) do not refer to CD, but to other conditions. (There are some
personal testimonials about CD, but no controlled independent
studies.)
4. Generally, a reputable medical web site will include links to many
other, unaffiliated web sites. This particular web site only has
links to five other sites, one of which is clearly owned by the
same company. None of the other sites are mainstream medical
sites. (One of them is a nutrition newsletter which is fine, but
has nothing to do with the product being touted.)
5. The comments attributed to Dr. Kumar are NOT an endorsement of the
product; they simply reflect the standard interpretation of
negative results for the celiac antibody blood panel for those who
HAVE NOT BEEN ON a gluten-free diet. If you are a celiac, and
you've been on a gluten-free diet, you also get negative blood
tests. In order to get positive blood results, you must go back on
a regular gluten diet for a long period of time; at least a month
(usually longer), and in some unusual cases over a year.
In other words, Dr. Kumar's standard reply regarding negative blood
tests has (in my opinion) been taken completely out of context
here, and misused to imply an endorsement of this product.
The disclaimer which appears at the top of each message you receive from
this list applies to anything you read on the web as well. Remember
that ANYONE can put up a web page, saying ANYTHING they want, at very
little cost. (My ISP offers up to 5 Mbytes of home page space for free,
for instance.) We have no independent verification of any of the claims
that were made.
Who knows whether or not the individual who claimed to have recovered
from CD using this dietary supplement was actually a celiac? Also,
consider the time element: Only two months after resuming a regular
diet he had the celiac antibody blood tests. This may have been way too
soon! In some cases it can take up to a year for there to be any
measurable effects from going back on a gluten diet. (In other cases,
it only takes a few weeks; it varies a lot from one individual to
another.)
I am most skeptical about this supplement with regards to CD. (I cannot
speak about its possible benefits with regard to any of the other
conditions for which it is also touted.) Assuming it is gluten-free,
it probably won't harm a celiac; but it also (in my opinion) is unlikely
to do most celiacs any good either. I do not believe that by taking
this supplement a celiac can be "cured" and go back on a regular gluten
diet. I strongly advise celiacs not to be taken in by these claims.
I am not a doctor, and I have nothing to gain personally by speaking
against this product. Can the same be said for those who have put up
this web page?
+ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
| Jim Lyles Home: [log in to unmask] |
| Holly, Michigan, USA Work: [log in to unmask] |
+ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
|
