Findings from a new study report toxic chemicals in a variety of products are associated with an increased risk of celiac disease in children and young adults.
Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, the disease affects about 1 in 100 people worldwide. Additionally, more than 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications.
When celiac disease patients consume gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley products), their body produces an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks ultimately damage the villi, small fingerlike figures in the small intestinal lining, that aid nutrient absorption. When the villi is harmed, nutrients are not stored and distributed properly into the body.
It has also been found that celiac disease can develop at any age after people start eating foods or medicines that contain gluten. If not monitored, celiac disease can lead to additional serious health problems down the line. This is precisely why this study is so groundbreaking.
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Researchers from NYU sampled the blood of 30 children and young adults newly diagnosed with celiac disease and compared those results with those 60 young people without the disease. It was found that elevated levels of toxic chemicals found in pesticides, nonstick cookware and fire retardants were named as risk factors to being diagnosed with the disease.
"Our study establishes the first measurable tie-in between environmental exposure to toxic chemicals and celiac disease," said senior study investigator and pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Jeremiah Levine in a press release. "These results also raise the question of whether there are potential links between these chemicals and other autoimmune bowel diseases, which all warrant close monitoring and further study.”
In the reports, it was found that patients with high blood levels of pesticide-related chemicals called dichlorodiphenyldichlorethylenes (DDEs) were significantly more susceptible to be newly diagnosed with celiac disease as those without such levels.
Researchers also looked closely at the patients’ sex as well.
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Females -- who account for the majority of celiac patients -- with higher-than-normal pesticide exposure were at least eight times more likely to have celiac disease.
In the study, it was found that women with elevated levels of non-stick chemicals called perfluoroalkyls (PFAs), found in most pots and pans were five to nine times more likely to have celiac disease.
Males were twice as likely to have celiac disease if they had elevated blood levels of fire-retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are found in foam, upholstery, mattresses, carpets, curtains, fabric blinds, computers, laptops, phones, televisions, and household appliances, plus wires and cables.
Although the study was extremely illuminating, researchers stated further data is needed to determine if these toxic chemicals are a direct cause of celiac disease since this study only showed an association.
It was also noted that all the chemicals are known to human hormone levels, which are essential in sexual development and immune system function.
The full study can be found in the Environmental Research Journal.
