Celiac Disease can be defined as a permanent intolerance to the gliadin fraction of wheat protein and related alcohol-soluble proteins (called prolamines) found in rye and barley. Celiac Disease is found in genetically susceptible individuals who eat these proteins, leading to an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system starts attacking normal tissue. This condition continues as long as these food products are in the diet.   

For those who have been diagnosed with the disease or intolerance there are many resources today to help in all aspects of living with celiac/gluten intolerances. Blogs are dedicated to gluten-free recipes  and living tips.  You can also add gluten-free cookbooks to your kitchen , ask local restaurants for gluten-free items as many now can accommodate if they do not already have a separate section on their menu, and  gluten-free iPhone apps  are available and this one is on sale for May in recognition of Celiac Awareness Month.

Hanna Kroeger  developed a formula many years ago that promoted good digestive system maintenance and to keep the intestinal wall and villi healthy.  People with Celiac Disease can have damaged intestinal walls resulting from auto-immune disorders that attack the intestinal lining and villi.  Since this is where nutrients from our food intake are absorbed it is essential to a healthy system to maintain functioning intestines.                                                        

Whether your friends, family or you have or have not had experiences with gluten issues please take some time to spread the word  and do your part.

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You might have heard about a new product that Kroeger Herb is introducing.  The moment is here and Kroeger is pleased to announce Healthy Gut to the world at Expo West in Anaheim, CA today.  Healthy Gut is an original Hanna Kroeger formula previously known as Tumee, which we are re-introducing to the world.  With an increase of health problems related to unhealthy digestive systems today, Kroeger Herb Products knows this product can do great things for many people.

The combination of chamomile, spearmint, gentian, wintergreen, slippery elm, marjoram and meadowsweet in this product does wonders to maintain a properly working digestive system.  Many times the system will fail to function properly due to years of consuming over-the-counter medicine and processed foods.  These toxins can eventually damage the intestinal wall and allow undigested foods and toxins to leak into the bloodstream which may cause severe health issues including auto-immune conditions.

It is important to maintain a healthy system so it can digest and absorb all proteins and nutrients properly.  With the increase of issues such as celiac and fibromyalgia which have been associated with improper protein digestion this product is available at no better time so people will realize how important it is to keep their digestive system functioning as it should.

Stay tuned on Hanna’s Herb Shop  to order your bottle of  Healthy Gut next week.

Click here to see more information on HealthyGut

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Spearmint is used in Healthy Gut for cooling, soothing and keeping the digestive sysytem healthy.

Did you know that you have space inside your body that is not “inside” your body? That’s right, your entire digestive tract is a sealed “pipe” running right through the middle of you. As strange as this idea may sound, this process is a very important feature of the human body and essential to proper digestion. Everything you eat and drink is broken down in this system, scrutinized by your immune system and then filtered through your liver and kidneys before it is allowed “inside.” This process is designed to screen out viruses, bacteria, parasites and numerous other components of food that the body cannot use or sees as harmful, as well as pulling out nutrients for the body to use.

So what happens if your “pipe” has holes in it? There’s a medical term for this issue called “leaky gut syndrome.” The most common cause in western society is overuse of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen. These drugs are also called NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and they effect the production of something in your body called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are chemicals that are responsible for inflammation, but also happen to regulate the process of repairing many tissues. When the body doesn’t have enough of these chemicals, the lining of the intestines has tissues that are not always repaired properly. This lining consists of a layer of tightly packed cells called “villi.” They are very robust, but never the less are constantly dying due to the harsh environment caused by digestion. Under normal circumstances the tiny holes they create as they die are filled in and repaired almost instantly by the surrounding live villi. However, things such as NSAIDs, some other over the counter drugs and some medical conditions can cause this process to be impaired. This contributes to a more permeable intestinal lining, creating the opportunity for foreign organisms and rogue proteins to escape your digestive tract.

It’s needless to say you don’t want any creepy crawlies getting out of there, but why care about the proteins? Undigested proteins floating around in your body can be bad news. Your body will recognize them as an invader and launch an immune response to attack them. The problem with this is that once the attack has started, your body may not be able to distinguish between your own tissue and its original target. This can be a contributing factor in many auto-immune disorders.

So what to do about all this? First, try to limit your anti-inflammatory use. An ibuprofen here and there is fine, but for those of you who take a “vitamin-I” every day, you may want to reconsider. To repair your digestive system, nutritive teas of calendula, plantain, licorice, gentian and angelica can be wonderful. L-Glutamine, an amino acid, is known to have many gut-healing properties. We here at Kroeger make a fantastic Licorice Root Tincture, our STM (Stomach) tea can be soothing and we’re about to reintroduce Healthy Gut, a Hanna Kroeger original formula! Our FML and FRD teas, while used for other things, also contain ingredients that can be beneficial for stomach health.

Be cautious of what you put in your body, and keep your gut healthy!

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