Guten Sensitivity causes job loss

Does Gluten Sensitivity causes job loss? Absolutely!
Gluten intolerance/sensitivity/celiac is debilitating to so many people. And of course, these people are unaware that gluten is the root cause of their "illness". And this is because there is so much misunderstanding about gluten harm.
Education is the only way forward - and this will be mostly achieved by the gluten-free community speaking out.
Talking about a gluten-free planet gets people's attention!
Cheers Rodney Ford.

Wellington - Gluten tests - Dr Rodney Ford

No gluten blood tests done in Wellington, NZ.
As yet, I have not been able to find any medical laboratory in Wellington that offers the AGA (Anti-Gliadin-Antibody), also known as the IgG-gliadin antibody.

They only offer the DGP (Deamidated Gliadin Peptide antibody) which does not identify people with gluten sensitivity.

I will ask more people. Aotea labs does not offer this test.
So you cannot get tested in Wellington!
Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.

Peanuts are underestimated! Peanut allergy can travel through breatfeeding

Peanut allergy has become a serious food allergy that is increasingly common. A large proportion of the children who are allergic to cow’s milk or egg are also allergic to peanuts, so it is important to check for peanut allergy in children with eczema, especially if they are being breast fed.

Peanut allergens can get through into breast milk

Peanut proteins and peptides can easily travel through the breast milk and affect the baby – the telltale sign is bright, red, scaly, rough cheeks that won’t heal. It shows up clinically much like the egg allergy.
Children should not be given peanuts in the first years of life as it is such an allergenic food.

Skin prick tests are an excellent way of detecting a peanut allergy. RAST test will also detect a peanut allergy.

Children with strong family history of allergy, especially if they have eczema, should be skin tested for peanut allergy.

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We get cute chicks from eggs but can we get allergy?

Do the skin tests tell me how bad the egg allergy is?

The bigger the skin tests, then the longer the egg allergy persists. However, 80% of children will outgrow their egg allergy by 6 years of age. Getting skin tested again at 5-6 years old is a good idea. That will give you a good idea if there is continuing egg allergy. A skin prick test of over 10mm suggests a longer time before getting over the egg allergy.

Could my child have an anaphylactic reaction?

Yes, if enough egg is eaten, then a child with a positive egg skin test can develop an anaphylactic reaction. But a child will spit out the food immediately and often will vomit – this protects the child.

What about cooked egg?

Yes, many children can tolerate tiny amounts of egg in baking but would get sick if given any obvious egg products.

Does egg allergy cause eczema?

Yes it does, Dr Ford's research shows that egg is the most common food allergy in babies and toddlers in causing eczema.

Can egg get through in breastmilk?

Yes, egg easily gets into breastmilk. So if your breastfeeding child has eczema, then Dr Ford suggests that the baby gets skin tested – if positive, then mum should go off eggs until the baby is weaned.

How long does egg allergy last?

Most children (80%) get tolerant to egg by 6 years old. Get another skin test then to see.

Is egg allergy a lifelong condition?

About 20% of egg allergy children continue to be allergic to egg into adulthood. Most of these people have a big skin test to egg early on and remain positive throughout childhood.

Book suggestion: You can learn a lot more about food allergy and eczema in Dr Ford's book "Eczema! Cure it!"

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There's more to life than gluten!

The point of this post is to alert us all to the fact that life is not about gluten! Yes, we need to be gluten-free … and we need to be careful about cross-contamination … and eating out can be a challenge … and the food costs more … and there are social consequences BUT there is more to life!

When we are gluten-free, we reclaim our health. We can live our lives more richly and full. We can focus on our relationships rather than ourselves, we can concentrate more on our experiences than our meals.

That is what I am all about! Help me with my Gluten Free Planet movement. I have a group on Facebook.

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Eating gluten – necessary for blood tests?

Question: the EMA and DGP tests you mentioned in your speech … does one have to be eating gluten to get an accurate result?

Reply: Blood test for gluten | celiac. see link for full answer.

EMA and tTG are antibody measurements. Also DGP. These antibodies take months and usually years to go down once you have started your gluten-free diet. If you have been off gluten for a few months, then these blood tests should still be accurate. But if you have been gluten-free for a few years, then they will not be useful for diagnosis – unless your gut has not healed.

If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, then testing for EMA, tTG, or DGP will give you an indication of if your gut is healing. However, as you get older, healing is not so assured (and a repeat endoscopy is a good idea).

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Slightly off topic! But I want to get to know you.

This post is slightly off topic BUT I thought that I wanted to get to know my readers to make my blogs more personalized. My question for everyone today is: What's a "perfect world" to you?

I would like to post "off topic" blogs weekly, do you think that is a good idea? I hope this will be a way of interaction between myself and my readers AND between the readers.

Keep well

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Cow's milk colic and reflux

Hi everyone. I am associate Professor, medical doctor, paediatrician (children's doctor). I have done a lot of studies about problems related to food allergy, gluten-sensitivity (the gluten syndrome), coeliac disease, and gastroenterology problems. I am also known as the medical food doctor!

Today I will be sharing with you some facts about Cow's milk:

Relief from colic has been observed in breast fed infants whose mothers have been put onto a diet free of both cow's milk and dairy products. The baby’s colic was found to return when the mother began eating dairy products again. These initial studies were done in 1978 by Jacobsson and Lindberg. These were “open” studies (mothers knew whether or not they were drinking cows’ milk) which showed that a third of colicky babies responded to their mothers going off dairy.

Colic is caused by cow's milk in 1-in-4 babies

This work was subsequently strongly criticized, and so they repeated their research by doing “double blind” studies (they gave the mothers “disguised” drinks so that they did not know which days they were drinking cows’ milk). The mothers then observed the symptoms in their babies. By doing this more rigorous study, they confirmed their observations: that the colicky babies responded to dairy products. However, this time around they found that a quarter (25%: one in four) of colicky babies got better when their mother went on a dairy free diet.

These colic symptoms are often caused by gastric reflux - GORD

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Gluten harms many brains!

Hi everyone. I am associate Professor, medical doctor, paediatrician (children's doctor). I have done a lot of studies about problems related to food allergy, gluten-sensitivity (the gluten syndrome), coeliac disease, and gastroenterology problems. I am also known as the medical food doctor!

Today I will be sharing with you some more facts about gluten:

Gluten can injure both the brain and nervous networks that control gut functions. This damage from gluten-sensitivity can be either as a direct toxic effect of gluten, or indirectly by immune mediated mechanisms.

The smooth uninterrupted function of the body relies upon a healthy nervous system. Gluten is linked to neurological harm in patients, both with and without evidence of celiac disease.

The list of neurological conditions that have now been documented to be associated with gluten and celiac disease is a long one. It includes:

Brain dysfunction

Headaches and Migraine

Cerebellar ataxia

Myoclonic ataxia

Chronic neuropathies

Autonomic neuropathy

Epilepsy

Dementia

Mood and Behaviour problems

Anger

Learning disorders

Lethargy, low energy

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Autism

Depression

Psychiatric disorders

Schizophrenia

These problems are seen both in coeliac disease and in gluten-sensitivity without intestinal damage. The evidence for these disorders is discussed in detail with relevant illustrated stories in the book “Full Of It!”

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ADD and gluten: should all children go gluten-free?

I have just been to a seminar given by Prof Michael Huss (Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych).

He is a world expert on ADD/ ADHD. However, he is not at this stage looking at the potential of gluten causing some of the harm in the children involved his ADD program. My prediction is that if all of his patients went on a gluten-free diet, that he would see enormous improvements.

Children with ADD/ ADHD are often sent to me to investigate about diet and management.

Over the years, I have found that many (about half) have high IgG-gliadin antibodies (also known as AGA, Anti-Gliadin-Antibodies). And these children substantially improve on a gluten-free diet.

Interesting!

Here are some article to back this up.

Niederhofer H, Pittschieler K.; A Preliminary Investigation of ADHD symptoms in Persons With Celiac Disease; Journal of Attention Disorders, 2006 Nov;10(2):200-4.

"In Italy, Niederhofer and his researchers evaluated 132 patients with celiac disease for ADHD symptoms. The ADHD symptoms in their study participants showed significant improvement after six months on a gluten free diet: “ADHD-like symptomatology is markedly overrepresented among untreated CD patients and that a gluten free diet may improve symptoms significantly within a short period of time”.

Yes, children lost many of their ADD symptoms on a gluten-free diet.
Zelnick N MD, et al; Range of Neurologic Disorders in Patients With Celiac Disease; Pediatrics vol 113 no 6 June 2004.

"In Israel, Zelnick and colleagues evaluated 111 patients who had celiac disease for neurological symptoms. They showed a definite relationship between celiac disease and ADHD. About 20% of the patients had learning disabilities and ADHD."

ADD is linked to gluten sensitivity in some children.

Some Studies on the Effectiveness of Diet on ADHD

This link gives a lot of background information.
http://members.cox.net/harold.kraus/gluten/anno_symptoms_files/ADHD.htm

Wow! Imagine if all of the children with ADD symptoms went onto a gluten free diet? Gluten is certainly causing our children a lot of trouble.

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Cosmetics, should they be gluten-free?

Nancy asks: “Doctors in the USA state there is no need to avoid gluten-containing cosmetics & topical medications for those with celiac. What is your viewpoint on this?

Reply:

Well this is a great question. I tell my patients to avoid any gluten on their skin. However, the answer depends up where your focus is.

If your focus is only on gut damage (that is celiac disease), then the tiny amounts of gluten in these skin products is trivial and not enough to cause intestinal damage.

But, if your focus is on the person and symptoms, then gluten on the skin often causes itch and irritability. For example, people complain of itchy hair if using a gluten-containing shampoo. Children using play-dough can develop a contact rash and become irritable. Swallowing gluten in lipstick causes some people a sore tummy.

So what do I do? Well, I recommend gluten-free cosmetics and topical medications. This is what we state in our book “Going gluten-free: how to get started”

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Thanks for viewing my blog ...

Thanks everyone for viewing my blogs. I will be posting about two new articles a week which I hope you'll find helpful. Please Follow this blog to ensure you receive all the updates and if you ever have a question, don't hesitate to ask.


Keep well everyone.

Breastfeeding and allergies in babies

Hi everyone. I am associate Professor, medical doctor, paediatrician (children's doctor). I have done a lot of studies about problems related to food allergy, gluten-sensitivity (the gluten syndrome), coeliac disease, and gastroenterology problems. I am also known as the medical food doctor!

Today I will be sharing with you some facts about Breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding is the corner stone of child nutrition

It is crucial that parents are given appropriate information and opportunities to help make a decision for breastfeeding in the antenatal period. The word "choice" should be abandoned.

Breastfeeding versus artificial feeding (otherwise known as cows milk formula) are not equal choices. A feeding "decision" needs to be made by the parents on relevant and practical information. Although there may be similarities between breastmilk and artificial feeding in terms of calorie, mineral and vitamin content, there are a large number of other benefits for breastmilk and many other detrimental effects of cows milk. Therefore, a decision is required, not a choice.

Once the decision to breastfeed has been made, the mother will require further information and practical help to initiate and then continue with breastfeeding. Intensive help and support may be needed in the first few weeks of breastfeeding.

Information of the dollar savings of breastfeeding is helpful.

However, if a decision for artificial bottle feeding has been made, the mother needs help and support with her choice. There are many excellent formula feeds available to choose from. Your baby may need a specialised formula - see link to special formulas.

Recommendation: Plan to breastfeed your child past 6 months if you can. Up to 12 months is good. But sometimes very allergic babies need to be weaned early onto special milk formulas.

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Pets and dust mite allergy

Hi everyone. I am associate Professor, medical doctor, paediatrician (children's doctor). I have done a lot of studies about problems related to food allergy, gluten-sensitivity (the gluten syndrome), coeliac disease, and gastroenterology problems. I am also known as the medical food doctor!

Today I will be sharing with you some facts about Pets and dust mite allergy:

Pets, House Dust Mites and Pollens cause a lot of people a lot of trouble (you need to Log-in to access these documents). It is a good idea to get tests done for this type of allergy.

Inhalant allergy is also called environmental allergy. These allergens drift around in the air that you breathe. Inhalant allergens includes:

Dust mites

Pets (cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, feathers, etc)

Pollens (grass, trees, flowers)

Moulds, fungus

Diagnosis

Tests to find out what specific allergens are causing the problem are:

Skin Prick Test

Blood tests for specific IgE allergens (RAST/ EAST tests)

Common inhalant allergens to test for:

Rye grass (and other prominent grasses in your local area)

Birch Pollen (and other prominent trees and shrubs in your local area)

Cat fur & dog hair ((and other animal that you suspect in your local area)

Moulds

You should ask your own health professional about the most common allergens in your area. In general, the bigger the size of the result, the more likely it is to contribute to symptoms.

What to do?

Inhalant allergy persists for years. So it is important to reduce the impact on you as much as you can. Avoidance strategies are available for dust-mite and pets.

Pollens from grasses and trees are not so easy to manage. So think ahead – if you going to a high allergen zone, then take an antihistamine or an allergy preventer prior.

Symptoms

The symptoms of asthma (cough and wheeze) and hayfever (sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes) usually indicate an inhalant allergy. Also: hives/urticaria, sore throat, eczema.

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What is the difference between gluten and gliadin?

Hi everyone. I am associate Professor, medical doctor, paediatrician (children's doctor). I have done a lot of studies about problems related to food allergy, gluten-sensitivity (the gluten syndrome), coeliac disease, and gastroenterology problems. I am also known as the medical food doctor!

Today I will be sharing with you some facts about the difference between gluten and gliadin:

Technically, gluten is the protein that is left behind after all the starch is washed away from wheat flour. However, gluten is actually made up of two main groups of proteins: the gliadins and the glutenins.

When these gluten proteins are digested, they are broken down into much smaller pieces (these are called peptide chains).

Unfortunately, several of these peptide chains are harmful to those who are gluten-sensitive or who are celiacs. These peptides can cause damage when they are put directly into the small intestine. An unusual feature of these gluten peptides is that they are relatively resistant to digestion in your gut.

There are similar peptide chains in all of the gluten-grains: wheat, rye and barley. Of interest, , the oat proteins have slightly different peptide chains (avenin) – so these are not usually harmful to celiac patients.

When we talk about a “gluten-free” diet, we are actually talking about our food being completely free of these harmful peptides from wheat, barley, and rye.

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If you're suffering from those symptoms and you're not sure if you have a food allergy or not please contact me or leave me a comment.

TAGS: gluten free, food allergy, food, allergy, skin, common, babies rash, babies allergies, gluten

What is Gluten?

Hi everyone. I am associate Professor, medical doctor, paediatrician (children's doctor). I have done a lot of studies about problems related to food allergy, gluten-sensitivity (the gluten syndrome), coeliac disease, and gastroenterology problems. I am also known as the medical food doctor!

Today I will be sharing with you some facts about Gluten:

Gluten is the central character in the celiac disease/gluten sensitivity story.

Found in wheat, rye and barley grains

Gluten is a common food protein. But when we eat it, it does not get readily digested. That is where the problem originates. Undigested gluten fragments can go on to trigger immunological reactions. Then, a few weeks or months later, we can experience symptoms caused by the immune response.

Gluten is found in the cereals of wheat, rye and barley. Smaller amounts, of similar protein fragments (avenin, or avenalin) are also found in oats. But only a small number of people are troubled by it.

Sticky, and great in cooking

Gluten is a natural part of the proteins of these grains. It gets its name gluten because, when cooked, it goes sticky like glue. Gluten is the stuff that makes bread dough sticky, such that it won’t easily come off your hands.

However, gluten is very useful in cooking and baking. Gluten helps to stick food components together. When you make bread and muffins, and all your wonderful baking, it is the gluten that glues the foods together. It traps the air so that you can make airy, fluffy, light food. Gluten prevents your baking from falling apart into crumbs.

Food without gluten

Once you take the gluten out of the food, you get much smaller air pockets in the baking. That is why gluten-free baking can be rather solid. That is the technical problem of taking gluten out of your diet.

It is an irritating fact that gluten is found in the three cereals wheat, rye and barley. It cannot be removed, therefore you have to remove these grains from your diet.

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If you're suffering from those symptoms and you're not sure if you have a food allergy or not please contact me or leave me a comment.

TAGS: food allergy, food, allergy, skin, common, babies rash, babies allergies, gluten