Interview with Dr. Thomas O’Bryan

Dr. Thomas O’Bryan is a leading researcher, writer and internationally recognized speaker and work shop leader specializing in Gluten Sensitivity & Celiac Disease. He is the Sherlock Holmes for chronic disease and metabolic disorders. Read my interview with him below:

What was your purpose in becoming a doctor?

My passion and purpose is to Help Heal the World, One Patient at a Time.

Tell me about the goal of your website Dr.com.

TheDr.com is a source of education for the general public as well as healthcare professionals with a major focus on the effects of Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease and its many manifestations.

With such an abundance of health and wellness products on the market, how could it be possible that our youth are predicted to live a shorter life span than their parents?

That’s a very good question and cause of great alarm to Researchers. The consensus at this point appears to be that it is the exponential  increase in environmental toxins (including foods) that has overwhelmed our bodies altering metabolic function to every tissue. For example, our bodies were not designed to ingest or digest the modified form of gluten found in our foods today. With all due respect to those who argue bread has been the Staff of Life for thousands of years, my response is ‘no one on the planet is eating the bread that Jesus Christ ate’.  Our food industry is a competitive ground of over – everything. – Supersize, oversize, big portions, overweight, lack of exercise.   Here are just two studies that suggest our bodies, and our brains are affected by our foods:

• Emerging findings suggest that dietary factors play major roles in determining whether the brain ages successfully or experiences a Neurodegenerative disease,

National Institute on Aging, Annals of Internal Medicine,Vol.139,no.5 2003, 441-444

• All Celiac children clinically diagnosed with ADHD or their parents report a significant improvement in their behavior and functioning after 6 months on a gluten-free diet

Journal of Attention Disorders, March 2006, 1-5

What type of programs(s) do you offer to individuals who are interested in losing weight and/or improving health?

TheDr.com is primarily a resource for GS and CD.  TheDr.com does offer a homeopathic metabolic reset program called Slim & Fit.  This 42 day program is nutrient dense,  promotes the body to burn fat, not muscle and resets the metabolic system while burning stored fats in the body.

It is common in the medical industry for symptoms to be diagnosed and as a result, medication is dispensed.  Is this your method of operation or are you interested in revealing the underlying cause?  Please explain.

Our Rule of Thumb is ‘if you need pharmaceuticals, make sure to take them EXACTLY as your doctor prescribed. AND, let’s find out what the underlying imbalances are, correct the imbalances (if possible), and then go back to your prescribing doctor and ask them to monitor you as they wean you down on the medications. This is the essence of Functional Medicine-take what your body needs as long as your body needs it. This includes medications and neutraceuticals (vitamins, minerals and antioxidants).

I see that you take an interest in the topic of gluten-free, why is that?  Do you have Celiac?

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Celiac Disease is one of the most common lifelong disorders in both Europe and the US.  (NEJM 348;25 June 19,2003)   It can be the root, the trigger in over 55 Auto-Immune Diseases.  Gluten Sensitivity can affect any area of the body.   I do have a Gluten Sensitivity.

Your credentials and your level of skill and training are very impressive, especially in regards to celiac disease.  Do you regularly research and write about this topic?  If so, please share some of the publications/websites which you have written for.

Yes, my time is spent researching, writing and educating on the topic of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.

• Intestinal Problems and ‘Whole-Body’ Symptoms, Gut 101-the Effect of Foods’, The Autism File Global magazine (Issue 37, October 2010)
• Reproductive Disorders in Celiac Disease, Journal of Practical Gastroenterology (October, 2009)
• The Immunology of Immediate and Delayed Hypersensitivity to Gluten, European Journal of Inflammation (Vol. 6 no. 2; 1-9, 2008)
• The Immunology of Gluten Sensitivity Beyond the Intestinal Tract, European Journal of Inflammation (Vol. 6 no. 3; 1-8, 2008)
• Immune Responses to Dietary Proteins, Gliadin and Cerebellar Peptides in Children with Autism, Nutritional Neurosciences (Vol. 7, no. 3, 151-161, 2004)
• Bone Up to Speed Healing of Fractures, Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Remedies for 160 Health Problems (274-277, ISBN #1-57954-058-9)

And numerous others.

Please shed some light for our readers, what exactly is a gluten coach?

We receive calls and emails from people that have seen dozens and dozens of doctors who have no idea what gluten can cause or how to treat sensitivity to gluten or celiac disease.  Many people come to us at TheDr.com and ask for a healthcare practitioner in their area that knows something about the topic.  There are thousands of practitioners that have been in my education sessions over the years.  Although we do not endorse these Practitioners, we give them an opportunity to be listed at no charge on our site as a Practitioner who has been in my all-day gluten education seminar.  These Practitioners should have ‘The Big Picture’.

I’m aware of the fact that you regularly create videos and speak on radio shows in which you educate others on a variety of health issues.  What are some of the issues that you discuss?  Can you please share a few links?

There are several links to the audios and videos.  They can be found under Dr. Tom’s Gluten World @ theDr.com.   Topics mainly are focused on gluten sensitivity and how it harms some part of the body, how to test for it and how to treat it.

Are you involved in public speaking engagements?  If so, how might one stay up to date on your schedule?

I travel the world, educating on the topic.  On the website,  theDr.com, my calendar is located under the tab, Where is Dr. Tom.   Check often as my schedule changes frequently.  I very much enjoy giving General Public Lectures in cities where I am teaching to Health Practitioners. Requests to have me speak at an event can also be done through theDr.com or by contacting Karen@theDr.com.

I am sure that some of my readers will be interested in staying connected with you on a regular basis, do you publish a newsletter which one could subscribe to?

Yes, one can sign up for our newsletter at theDr.com.

Before I end off, do you have any future plans of expansion that you would like to share?

Sure, there will be a series of short books and Webinars released soon, designed to educate the general public as well as practitioners on the subject of gluten sensitivity.
And in closing, is there anything at all that you would like to share with readers?

Don’t underestimate the power of the silent killer in ‘gluten’.  This kills people.  At this point, with the best of research out there, if you have a gluten sensitivity, it must be a lifelong avoidance.  As of yet, there is no drug, no shortcut, it’s a lifelong food plan. It’s very doable.  If you need help, use the local Celiac Support Groups, or the gluten free program at theDr.com to get started.  Find someone that is knowledgeable.  Get tested.  Educate yourself.  If you don’t know or are unsure, then get tested.  There is new testing available as of January, 2011.  They are available to practitioners at CyrexLabs.com or patients and practitioners, at theDr.com.

http://www.thedr.com/

248-790-5428

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

From our home to yours, Tina Turbin
If you have any questions or suggestions just email me at info (at) GlutenFreeHelp.info.