Recently a reader left a comment for me about an unfortunate interview in which Dr. Drew discusses celiac disease and leaky gut with a famous actress.
As those of us with celiac disease know, we are often questioned (not always in a constructive manner) by family and friends who do not understand the medical challenges we face.
Here is what we are often told about our conditions and the steps we take to remediate them:
- just a little bit won’t hurt you (fill in that sentence with gluten or other substances that make you ill)
- it’s all in your head
- you’re just following the latest fad
These types of questions are not malicious, they come from a place of ignorance and lack of education.
Unfortunately, it seemed that during his show, Dr. Drew was not entirely aware or informed when it came to his subject matter and did not display a comprehensive understanding of celiac disease and leaky gut. This is most regrettable as the doctor missed an opportunity to educate his audience on a disease that is widespread in the American population and around the world.
Celiac awareness and education is much farther along in other countries; in fact, in Italy, children are tested for celiac disease before they reach the age of 6. Celiac disease meets the World Health Organization standards for universal screening and is considered an epidemic by this organization.
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Here is the video in which Dr. Drew takes a less than sympathetic tone towards an individual with celiac disease and leaky gut:
As you can see from the video Dr. Drew is not familiar with leaky gut and does not entirely understand the concept of this medical disorder. Dr. Drew, here is a description of leaky gut from Dr. Andrew Weil, who says that leaky gut:
..affects the lining of the intestines. The theory is that leaky gut syndrome (also called increased intestinal permeability), is the result of damage to the intestinal lining, making it less able to protect the internal environment as well as to filter needed nutrients and other biological substances. As a consequence, some bacteria and their toxins, incompletely digested proteins and fats, and waste not normally absorbed may “leak” out of the intestines into the blood stream. This triggers an autoimmune reaction.
Leaky gut can lead to the following disorders:
- chronic inflammation
- food allergies
- skin rashes
- joint pain
- fatigue
So, here is my urgent plea to Dr. Drew: please use your platform as a public persona to further education regarding medical issues, rather than perpetuating common stereotypes and misinformation. This is a small request from those of us in the celiac community who work so hard in the name of celiac awareness and education.
Now is the time to rectify the unfortunate interview of Jennifer Esposito with a story on what celiac disease actually is and how it impacts the lives of millions of Americans. Leave a comment below if you wish to urge Dr. Drew to remedy this situation.
Patricia Noll says
Dr.Drew sounded more like a bubble-headed talk show host than an MD. It’s unfortunate that he squandered this opportunity to raise awareness of celiac disease and the myriad issues people with celiac and gluten intolerance face. I’ve never seen him before, and would never watch him again.
Beth Martin says
I would like to encourage Dr. Drew to become educated on celiac disease and leaky gut. These conditions are real, and he could use his platform to educate the public.
Natalie says
Ugh, that is so frustrating. I hate that “I’m talking to an attention-seeking crazy person” attitude! I get it all the time from my family. Every single meal. Esposito holds her own a lot better than I do. Some people are too close-minded. They know what they know and they have this authority and so they refuse to keep learning.
Natalie says
“Are you better?”
UGH.
It’s not the flu!
Still seething…
Megan says
WOW! This woman is trying to attract attention to a disease that affects many peoples lives and Dr. Drew really came off so combative and like a total jerk….let alone completely unknowledgable about this topic. She handles his with such grace and I applaud her. He is a total fame seeking quack!
MAIRBUNNY says
I HAVE HEARD THE WORDS “JUST ALITTLE BIT WONT HURT YOU” FROM MY DR.(GP) IT MADE ME FURIOUS!! SO I PROCEEDED TO TELL HIM BOOKS TO READ SO HE WOULD BE MORE INFORMED!! ITS TIME THE U.S. GOT MORE INFORMED ON CELIACS!! IT GETS SO TIRESOME TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT CELIAS IS OR EVEN GLUTEN. I HAVE BEEN GF FOR 3 YEARS AND SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED FOR THE BETTER BUT WE HAVE A VERY LONG WAY TO GO.
sara says
i’m proud of her that she stood her ground. it’s hard to believe a dr would act like that but sadly a lot of people with her issues can relate to the dr brush off.
Melissa McClure says
I believe many doctors are uninformed And uneducated when it comes to celiac disease and food allergies. Dr. Drew does need to rectify this situation of misinforming the public under the premise of expertise knowledge behind a medical license.
roz says
I see a Naturopathic physician and this Dr. Drew interview reminds me why.
He failed to listen to his interviewee, he failed to research the topic which they were to discuss prior to the interview. He trys to make up for his ignorance with paternalism. He comes off both arrogant and sexist with an leaning toward self-promotion. ‘What I think people can relate to… is not what you have to say but the topic of my up-coming special, on a topic about which I may have chosen to do the slightest bit of research.’
Leaky gut is diarrhea, pfft.
Diana kantz says
M y sister had diarrhea for years and finally passed away,we believe from a leaky gut since I have been tested and foumd out that I have celiac
My grandchildren have been tested and found they have food allergies. My son has had diarrhea for many years and has been very sick.
Jennifer says
This video brought tears to my eyes. It is so difficult living with these misunderstood conditions. I can’t believe something like this was shown on TV. It makes it a lot more difficult to educate the people around us.
Roger says
There has been a treatment for Celiac Disease for more than 50 years. It is call the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or SCD. It was delevoped by Dr Sidney Haas. It was designed to heal the digestive system by only allowing meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts and homemade yogurt (this is very easy to do). No corn, soy, wheat, or other grains, no sugar (honey is allowed), etc. My family and my sister’s family are starting it now and we are already seeing improvements (we have been GF for about a year already it helped, but not enough). My nephew is 3 and celiac or highly sensitive to gluten (horrible skin rash and asthma). My other nephew is 5 with mild skin rashs from gluten. My eldest daughter is 10 and gets skin rashes when she eats gluten. My eldest son is almost 13 and has autistic symptoms, so he has been dairy free for 2 years (He was getting high from the partially digested milk.I had to figure this out myself as his doctor thinks he is fine ). My asthma flares up and my scalp itches when I eat gluten. My youngest son, aged 6, becomes hyper and violent when he eats sugar and carbohydrates.With all of these family members and assorted symptoms, going GF helped to stop further problems, but it cured nothing. We needed a cure, so we searched for answers for months until I came across the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle . We have only been on the diet for 2 weeks now, but I am already impressed. My 3 skinny children are gaining weight, while my husband and I are losing weight without trying. The allergy shiners under the kids eyes have totally faded away (removing gluten reduced them). Their skin color looks healthier. We plan to continue the diet for 12 months and then see how well each person can tolerate gluten again. Although the diet seems very restrictive, it is very healthy. It takes a bit more effort to make meals, it isn’t much more difficult than going GF. Let’s face the facts the typical American diet is garbage and it is slowing killing us all. Our health is in our own hands. Most doctors don’t have a clue about food and how it affects our health, so it is up to us to take charge of the situation and cure this health epidemic through healthy food, not pills.