Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Are you “normal”?

Are you “normal”?

I have been investigating these families for years and have now discovered that many of them are in fact intolerant to gluten – but they have no inkling of this. Lots of children (and adults) have chronic symptoms but think that they are “normal”. They experience symptoms and bad feelings every day of their lives – but this is “normal” for them. They do not recognise that they have a problem.

The secret is out

My data shows that the most common reason for these symptoms is an adverse reaction to gluten: this is called gluten-sensitivity, or the gluten syndrome. If you (or your child) have any ongoing health or behaviour problems, then you could be suffering from gluten-sensitivity. It affects about one-in-ten people. So you could be the one!

In susceptible people, gluten-sensitivity is caused by eating bread and pasta (and other wheat-based foods). The very first thing to do is get a blood test.


Gluten-sensitivity: you can’t tell if you don’t test.

I made a startling discovery. It happened like this. Many children came to see me because other doctors could not find what was wrong with them. Perplexed, I did a panel of blood tests on them all, especially looking for evidence of an immune reaction to gluten. What I found was that most of these children were reacting to gluten. Their parents were amazed at the beneficial response of taking gluten out of their diets.

Moreover, many of the parents also had blood tests, which also showed that they were gluten-sensitive: they also experienced “miraculous” results on going gluten-free.

Of course not everyone is reacting to gluten, but a huge number are. If you (or your child) are having ongoing health or mood problems – then you need to get a blood test. About one-in-ten people are suffering unnecessarily from eating bread! Your may be the one!

Conclusion

If you are feeling sick, tired and grumpy, then get a blood test for gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. Then try a gluten-free diet. You might be surprised.



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Thursday, September 23, 2010

No gluten hoax

Steve Edwards wrote a blog “Gluten hoax” - gluten free for dummies.
http://steve-edwards.blogspot.com/

This is my response.

Yes indeed, the gluten-free debate is raging hot. There are “believers”, and there are “non-believers”, and then fortunately there are the facts so we can be scientific about the problem. Whether gluten sensitivity exists or not is a matter of data, not belief.

Of course, with any food related diet, there will be a fringe /fad elements. This does not matter. This does not influence the facts. Our world is not simply black and white: there are many grey areas in our experience that require reasoned thought.

When it comes to gluten, undisputedly it does harm some people – however, the unanswered question is how big the problem might be. A survey this year shows that up to 25% of the USA population is either going gluten-free or substantially reducing their gluten intake. Interesting, and some of this food-behaviour will have a fad element. But, many of these people will genuinely have gluten-sensitivity.

Gluten sensitivity is only now being systematically investigated by the medical science community. The celiac-disease-doctors have now recognised that gluten does in fact severely affect many non-celiac sufferers. Most doctors dealing with gluten sensitivity estimate the problem to affect at least 10% of the population. Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, figures that up to 7 or 8% of the U.S. population have some kind of sensitivity to gluten.

Eventually, the proportion of gluten-affected people is likely to be much higher. Currently, gluten-sensitivity can be tested for by AGA (Anti-Gliadin-Antibody) tests (also known as the IgG-gliadin test). However, this test is not widely available. More accurate and more sensitive tests for gluten sensitivity are currently being developed. When these are in use, the picture will become clearer.

Research evidence shows that gluten has a hand in triggering mental illness, autoimmune disease, skin problems and gut disease. As yet, the burden of gluten on the population has not been properly quantified.

Therefore, to launch a tirade about gluten-free being a fad and to ridicule people adopting a gluten-free life-style is, to my thinking, an uniformed approach. When you have had a chance to look at the data (for instance the work by Hadjivassiliou M , “Gluten sensitivity: from gut to brain”, Lancet Neurol. 2010 Mar;9(3):318-30) perhaps you will be in a position to write another more thoughtful piece.

Thank you for raising this controversy
Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Gluten evidence - not belief

Many doctors (including gastroenterologists) believe that gluten blood tests (that it anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA), also called IgG-gliadin antibody) are meaningless and waste money. These medics believe that the only clinical condition that gluten can cause is celiac disease.

However, there is now a load of evidence to support the fact that adverse immunolical reactions to gluten can cause neurological harm, can trigger auto-immune disease and precipitate mental illness.

I am astonished by this blatant disregard of the worldwide medical evidence and the gluten-free benefits derived by their patients. How much evidence do they need? How many more people need to suffer?

My view is that such an important subject should not be a matter of “belief”. It is about facts: look at the evidence.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Contest, Winners and Prizes!

Contest and Awards time!

Hi everyone!

As you may know our mission, and the goal of our group is to raise gluten-awareness. That is, awareness of the harmful effects that gluten has on so many of us.

I call this “global-gluten-consciousness”.

Lots of people

We are delighted with nearly 500 people indicating they “LIKE” the Gluten-Free Planet movement on Facebook (Click HERE to see the movement). However, we would like that number to multiply, to grow bigger ... and even bigger! The more people to “LIKE” it the, faster this dream of a gluten free planet will no longer be “just a dream”.

As founder, I feel proud that so many of my Facebook “FRIENDS” have invited so many friends and family to join - which is wonderful. We can dream ... but only those who take action can turn a dream into reality. I am a person of action! The mission is crystal-clear.

Lots of winners

It is time to step up. I am fortunate to be surrounded and supported by all of you. It is my turn to GIVE BACK something to you. So we are holding a Gluten-Free Planet contest. There will be with 10 winners.

Who can enter?

Anyone can enter as long as you are over 18 years old! (If you are under 18 years old you can still enter but you have to get permission from your parents). The contest is open internationally and we will ship the prizes to you, where ever you are on the globe.

The prizes:

10 winners and 10 prizes

1. The grand prize: A 40-minute Skype-consultation with me at a time that suits both you and I. Valued at US$270.00

2. 3 complimentary access tokens to the eClinic. To find out more about the eClinic click HERE.

Valued at US$27.00

3. 3 free copies of “The Energy Effect” book written by Dr Rodney Ford. Click HERE for more info.

Valued at US$19.00

4. 3 free copies of “The Gluten Syndrome” written by Dr Rodney Ford. Click HERE for more info.

Valued at US$19.00

What you need to do?

To win you MUST be a member of the Gluten-Free Planet movement (click HERE) AND subscribed to my YouTube channel (click HERE).

The first winner needs to do a bit of work. The first prize will go to the person who gets the biggest number of people to “LIKE” the Gluten-Free Planet group. The way to do this is by letting your friends/family know about this movement and get them to click this LINK and write the following:

“(YOUR-NAME) recommended Gluten-Free Planet”.

The other 9 winners will be selected at random from the names of the group members and Youtube subscribers. I will make a video and post it online of the winners. The winners will be contacted directly.

Closing Date

The day the 1,000th person “LIKES” Gluten-Free Planet movement on Facebook and when I get 1,000 subscribers to my Youtube Channel.

I will be holding competitions and contests often. In the meantime you can find out more about me and what I do. Here are some links to my WebPages:

My personal website: http://www.drrodneyford.com/

My Blog: http://gluten-freeplanet.blogspot.com/



Thursday, September 2, 2010

bad-for-us-foods are cheap

Is it that gluten-free-foods are expensive, or rather that bad-for-us-foods are cheap? It costs more to eat more healthy, so it can be a tough decision about what to buy. What you buy you eat.

This is part of the explanation for the obesity epidemic in our country.

The latest TIME magazine states "If you want to get sick, just eat what your body wants you to eat: meat, fat, salt and sugar ..."

One of the most confronting things that we humans fear is curbing our natural un-healthy drives and learning to eat in a health-based fashion. Our brains do not like change - even if it is good for us!

Cheers Rodney Ford

Time magazine

Gluten neuro-toxic

Gluten is primarily a neuro-toxic protein. It causes harm to the nerves and brain both directly, through immune complex disease and by gluten and tTG antibody cross reactivity with brain tissue. The gut problems are a second-order effect.

ALL neurological disorders, ALL schizophrenia and ALL mood disorders should all be investigated for gluten sensitivity.

The gluten syndrome: a neurological disease.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19406584

More about gluten blood tests later
#DrRodneyFord .