Gluten-Free Planet

Gluten illness: should you bother to get tested?

2012-01-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

Francene asks: “Do you suggest getting tested before goinggluten free? I basically gave it up and feel 100% better. Never thought ofgetting tested.”

This is such a good question. Shouldyou bother to get tested for celiac or gluten disease? Or should you just gostraight onto a gluten-free diet to see how you feel? The answer is theinfuriating “yes and no!”

Scenario 1.

As an adult, living alone, and not having any children, ifyou choose to go gluten-free lifelong and have zero gluten, then there is noneed to ever get tested. Whatever your test results, it will not be relevant toother people, and you are already putting your self on gluten-free diet as ifyou had celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. End of story.

Scenario 2.

However if we are talking about a child within the family,then the parents are making a big decision for that child on a guess. If thechild has ill health, then it is a good idea to get the medical work-up to seewhat the problem is. Gluten and celiac disease is only one of many causes of ill-health.There can be other things going on that would have a different treatment.

My patients.

In my clinic, it is my experience that parents really dowant to have some sort of testing for their children prior to embarking on agluten free diet. Finding celiac disease or gluten sensitivity in that child byappropriate testing has implications for the wider family. This gluten problemit runs in families and other family members would need to be tested.

So I am a great tester. I test everybody. Without thistesting, you often cannot get a buy-in to the gluten-free diet by the medicalprofession, and skeptical relatives (especially the dads).

Life-long gluten-free.

Once you go gluten-free, we are talking about zero glutenlife-long. This is a big decision for many people to make and having a positivetest result makes this a bit easier. People with positive blood tests find iteasier to commit to a gluten-free diet.

My ideal world.

Having said all of this, in my ideal world, there would beno gluten in the human-food-chain, and therefore no need to do any testingbecause no one would have gluten-related-illness. This gluten-utopia is acouple of generations away yet! My mission is to blaze the trail there. The journeybegins with raising global gluten awareness and speaking about thepossibilities of “Gluten: ZERO Global”.

Dr Rodney Ford

http://www.DrRodneyFord.com

Oats - can they be part of a gluten-free diet?

2011-12-01T13:28:00.001-08:00

There has been controversy for years as to whether it isokay, or not okay, to eat oats if you are gluten-sensitive.

Clinical studies have now provided very good evidence thatoats do not damage the gut mucosa in most people who have coeliacdisease. Following this, guidelines from some Coeliac Societies nowaccept that moderate amounts of oats can be consumed by most coeliacswithout risk.

Many experts concerned with coeliac disease have nowconcluded that oats are safe for coeliacs, as long as they limit theirconsumption to amounts “found to be safe” in these research studies. Thisquantity is up to one-half cup of dry whole-grain rolled oats per day. Ofcourse, any oats that are consumed need to be free of any contamination fromother grains.

Half a cup of oats each day is usually okay

Here is some of the information that this opinion is basedon:

A study in Finland looked at 52 coeliacs who were inremission and who had been on a gluten-free diet for more than a year. They all had a duodenal-biopsy, then they ate about 50 grams of oats (half acup) per day over the next six months. Finally, they had a secondbiopsy. None of the people had any villus damage .

Your gut can heal whilst eating oats

Another group studied 40 newly diagnosed coeliacs in thesame way. As expected, their initial biopsy showed significant villusdamage (this was of course because they were still on a gluten-containing dietuntil they began the study). These people started on their gluten-free diet aswell as eating their 50 grams of oats each day for 12 months. At the end of theyear, their biopsies showed no damage to their villi. The meaning of this studywas that their damaged villi were able to heal while eating oats.

A few people get unwell eating oats

However, other studies have found that not all people withcoeliac disease are able to tolerate oats. Especially, those who also havedermatitis herpetiformis. Researchers report that although oats are welltolerated by most coeliacs, they did find a few exceptions. Severalpeople recounted initial abdominal discomfort and bloating. A fewpatients have been found to eventually develop total villous atrophy during anoat challenge.

Yet another study has investigated 20 adult coeliacs whowere in remission, to see if they could eat even larger amounts of oats intheir daily gluten-free diet. They consumed about 100 grams (one cup) ofuncontaminated rolled oats in their daily diet for over a year. They were tested four times during the study period. This included smallbowel endoscopy and blood samples. They experienced no gutsymptoms. Also, there were no adverse effects seen in small bowelhistology or in their blood test results. The conclusion was thatthe vast majority of adults with coeliac disease could include large amounts ofrolled oats in their diet without problems.

Oats have also been studied in children. A group often children with coeliac disease were investigated at the time of theirdiagnosis. They were put on a gluten-free diet but they were also eatingabout 25 grams (quarter of a cup) of rolled oats each day. After sixmonths they were tested again. There was improvement in both their smallbowel histology and their tissue transglutaminase antibody results.

Children tolerate oats well

However, there is still a word of caution. Oatproteins have been shown to trigger the immune response of cells taken fromcoeliac people. Therefore, the long-term effects of oat cereal added to agluten-free diet in children still need to be determined.

Oats are useful fibre

The ability to use oats in your diet gives an importantsource of fibre as well as other important nutrients. This is veryimportant in children who have other food allergies. If you are alsoallergic to cow’s milk and eggs, then going gluten-free is a big task. Therefore, if oats can be tolerated, this makes food planning just a little biteasier.

Each person will have to work out whether or not they cantolerate oats for themselves. This needs to be determined both clinicallyand with follow-up blood tests.

Finally, some gluten experts have expressed some furtherconcerns about oats. These are:

Some food chemistry research studies suggest that aveninprotein in oats does have toxic properties.

The purity of oat products in some countries issuspect. Oats and oat products can inadvertently be contaminated withwheat. This can occur during harvesting, milling and processing.

There is a possibility that gut damage from oats takeslonger than six to twelve months to show up. Also, symptoms might not bereadily apparent to the person.

The possibility that young children might have a highercross-sensitivity to oats because of their relatively immature immune system.

These are real concerns. It is importantthat gluten-sensitive people know about the oats story. Whether or notthey choose to eat oats, they should be under some sort of regular medicalevaluation and supervision. However, the common opinion is that the long-timeconsumption of oats as part of the gluten-free diet is well tolerated among thevast majority of those with coeliac disease.

Dr Rodney Ford
Food allergy and Gluten expert
http://www.drRodneyFord.com

5 different tests for celiac/ gluten/ wheat problems

2011-10-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Wendy says: “My daughter has had 2 negative results for coeliac but still has a major problem with wheat! Are there other tests for wheat intolerance?”

My reply:
When she says "2 negative results for celiac" I do not understand the problem ... because there are at least 5 different tests for celiac/gluten/wheat problems. And, none can completely rule out a gluten problem: the only way to see if gluten is truly affecting you is to go on a gluten-free diet for a year and see if you get better. But get your blood tests first.

The 5 tests:

Gluten blood tests: IgG-gliadin
Tissue damage blood tests: tTG, EMA, DGP
Gene test: HLA DQ2/DQ8
Endoscopy: a small bowel biopsy whilst still eating gluten
Skin tests, EAST/RAST: specific IgE tests for wheat allergy.

Each of these tests needs interpretation in the context of your current diet and symptoms.
We will help you through this at the Childrens Clinic |Allergy Centre, Christchurch.

Direct link: gluten and my brain

2011-10-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

Erin Fitzgerald writes:

"I just wanted to tell Dr Rodney about my symptoms which may be of assistance for other cases. 

I have been unwell since my teenage years with all of the usual symptoms of gluten intolerance it was particularly bad for the past 11 years including diarrhoea every day. 

But my most disturbing symptom was fainting which was happening daily and ofter multiple times in the day. I had every test known to man with no positive results. Eventually I  went on a gluten free diet on my own accord and noticed an immediate ceasing of the fainting.

I initially thought this was because my diarrohea and associated malnutrition stopped however after accidentally eating a small amount of gluten and fainiting a few months later I realised there was a direct link between gluten and my brain. Possibily because I had suffered severe symptoms for so long.

I have searched for similar cases and never found any nor has any Doctors i talked to heard of a link between fainting and gluten allergy so I thought you might be interested.

Thank you for all your wonderful work."

Erin

Thanks Erin, I have similar patients. This is part of the Gluten Syndrome.

Cheers Rodney Ford 

Tired all of my life - got no tests

2011-10-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

A sad story - 31 years sick

I have been helping one of my patients dads. His name is Chris and he is 31 years old. I have been investigating his son - who was sick, tired and grumpy. It turns out that his son is gluten sensitive.

But Dad also had the same symptoms! He said:

“I’ve been tired all my life - constantly tired and moody. I can't think or concentrate properly, I was questioning my intelligence level when at school and struggled with concentration.”

“I have done so many things to try and keep up my energy: being fit, drinking lots of water and eating the best I can. However, I was always lacking in energy. I just thought that's who I am. It has been a constant battle for me. I never feel fresh.”

“I thought I was normal. And, yes, my bowel motions always loose, and I do get tummy pain now and then - but I thought this was normal. My sleep is shocking. I wake up lots of times sometimes with nightmares. I hate mornings because when I wake up I do not feel refreshed - I still feel tired.”

My comment

Isn’t this is a sad story. His blood test have shown up celiac disease. He is about to have an endoscopy to prove this. He is desperate to go gluten-free. He feels that most of his life has been spent struggling. If only he had sought help earlier and got the appropriate test for celiac disease. This is such a common story.

The message: anyone who has any ongoing symptoms that have not been appropriately diagnosed should have blood tests for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

Dr Rodney Ford

A big “NO” for a gluten “homeopathic remedy”

2011-09-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

I have been sent this query from one of my medical colleagues:

“Have you heard of this product? Apparently it'shomeopathic. They make some amazing claims. I'm being asked about this andwanted to know if you had any experience/thoughts.”

The link: http://glutenfreesoyfree.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/possible-solution-gluten-intolerance/.

My reply: “Yes, interesting stuff, however I remain theskeptic.

I have seen this product advertised on the Internet. I havespent some time looking at the website. They claim that this is a “one timetreatment” and that once you have taken the course of capsules that youwill be able to eat gluten from then on.

I think that this is most unlikely. I am surprisedthat they are looking at changes in the IgA-anti-gliadin levels. This is the stool test from enterolab. I do not haveany experience using this assay.

I would be very surprised if someone with celiac diseasecould start eating gluten after a course of these tablets.

Their conclusion is: ”Although much more work needs to be done to prove the efficacy of this remedy, this pilot study indicates that some, if not all, of the ingredients in this preparation may be useful in helping the estimated the 20 million people in the United States who have Gluten Intolerance.”

They are making a big claim with almost no data. I would like to see thistested on someone with full celiac disease and see what happens to the celiacmarkers over a year. I am surethat very few celiacs would agree to take gluten again.

I would not recommend this product for my patients.

Gluten does a lot of bad things and taking a homeopathic “remedy”for this seems fool-hardy.”

Stay off gluten - the message from me is go ZERO gluten - do not fool yourself with any "quick fix". "If it looks too good to be true - then it IS too good to be true."

So it is a big “NO” from me.

Cheers Rodney

www.DrRodneyFord.com

Gluten can cause a lot of symptoms

2011-09-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Gluten Syndrome" (Gluten sensitivity) is a huge health problem. About a third of people with on-going poor health, or troublesome symptoms are getting sick from eating gluten. So if you are feeling unwell, and do not know what is wrong with you, then gluten could be to blame.

Have a look at this list of symptoms.

If you’re suffering from those symptoms - get your self, or children tested.

Skin
Eczema
Urticaria (wheals, welts)
Hives
Dermatitis
Dry skin
Itchy skin
Rashes

Gut/ bowel/ intestine
Gastric reflux / GORD/ GERD
Colic
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Irritability
Food Refusal
Local Symptoms – in or around the mouth
Abdominal pain
Recurrent vomiting
Poor growth/ Failure to thrive
Short

Brain
Tired/ lack of energy
Exhausted
Muscle weakness
Headaches
Migraine
Behaviour disturbance
Poor concentration
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)
Autism

It is a big list. If in doubt - get tested

Visit my website for more information

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Celiac nightmares

2011-09-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Newly diagnosed celiac disease. Rick is 30-year-old. No energy! He told me about his lifetime history "tiredness". As a child, his parents called him lazy. This was because he just did not have the energy to do all of the things that he was asked to do. He has fought this by doing more exercise and eating healthy diet (but this meant more gluten!). But he still feels so tired. But he thinks he is normal!

Rick has been troubled with horrific nightmares. He has a sore tummy and runny stool. His brother is skinny, and his father has quit eating bread.

Rick’s blood tests show that he definitely has celiac disease. He will feel so much better on a gluten-free diet. He is excited to start the changes.

Did you know that about 1 in 50 people who are chronically unwell might have celiac disease, and many others have gluten sensitivity.

If you are sick, tired or grumpy - get a gluten test.

Dr Rodney Ford

http://DrRodneyFord.com

Gluten sensitive vs celiac - as serious?

2011-09-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

Asked: "Would a person with non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity as serious a condition as celiac disease?"

Answered: "Good question. They are both serious diseases. Celiac sufferers get gut damage from gluten that can be seen by a microscope (called villus atrophy) and they are more likely to get mal-absorption of vitamins and minerals.

However, gluten-sensitive people can get severe symptoms anywhere, and get extremely sick from gluten - but they do not get the gut tissue damage. As yet there is no single test that is accurate enough to make a diagnosis on all gluten-sensitive people. Often relies on a trial of GF foods."

Both groups need the same treatment - zero gluten

http://www.drRodneyFord.com
Author of The Gluten Syndrome

10 thoughts on being gluten free

2011-08-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

Some of you say you are “gluten-free newbies” and asked for advice. I have written several books on this. Hear are my 10 thoughts.

1. Diagnosis: get a clear diagnosis if you can.

2. Mind Set: declare yourself a gluten-free person

3. Accept that your gluten-free journey will have ups and down

4. Aim for a ZERO gluten diet.

5. Find a gluten-free buddy

6. Take care of yourself – vitamin, minerals, probiotics

7. Learn to eat a wide variety of foods (gluten-free).

8. Be proud to be gluten-free.

9. Learn what you can eat.

10. Enjoy the gift of being gluten-free.

Cheers

Dr Rodney Ford

www.drrodneyford.com

Gluten: damaged nerves and brains

2011-08-24T02:05:00.000-07:00

See full article on "Gluten Free Planet" facebook page:

It is alarming. When you read down this long list of brain and nerve problems, it is staggering that so many neurological problems can be caused by gluten. The dismal news is that, currently, most neurologists and medical practitioners remain unaware of that these diseases/symptoms are commonly linked to gluten harm. The standard (old school) thinking is that gluten can only be a factor in the gastrointestinal symptoms of celiac disease. End of story. Obviously this is mistaken.

Marios Hadjivassiliou, in his 2010 paper says: “Most patients who present with neurological manifestations of gluten sensitivity have no gastrointestinal symptoms. Gluten sensitivity is shown to manifest solely with neurological dysfunction. To improve diagnosis rates, the perception of physicians that gluten sensitivity is solely a disease of the gut must be changed.”

“The early detection of cases of gluten sensitivity with neurological manifestations and subsequent treatment with the gluten-free diet could provide remarkable benefits to the patients.”

Wow! So many nerve diseases can activated by gluten. The big concern is that once your nerves have been damaged enough to cause you symptoms, it might be too late to get a benefit from a gluten-free diet. Damaged nerves are slow to heal … if ever.

You can read even more about the “grain-brain” connection in my book “Full Of It! The shocking truth about gluten”

The inescapable conclusion is to avoid gluten before you get sick. That means going gluten-free now. That means everyone adopting a gluten-free lifestyle. This is one of the reasons that I eat gluten-free. What about you? What about your family? That means a Gluten-Free Planet.

Next we will explore glutened minds.

Dr Rodney Ford

www.drRodneyford.com

Drugs for gluten - oh dear!

2011-08-23T01:33:00.000-07:00

Diet not drugs is my mantra. This is the philosophy of my clinic. It is clear that many illnesses are gluten-induced. However, doctors usually treat the symptoms of their patient's with drugs. Although it would be better to treat the underlying condition, which is often celiac disease or gluten sensitivity (gluten syndrome). Of course, the treatment is a gluten-free diet.

The weird thing is that even when the gluten-illness is eventually diagnosed, some people still want to take drugs instead of diet. How odd!

I have just had a phone call from Julian who lives in a far-away city. He has recently been diagnosed with celiac disease and he is wondering whether to look at vaccines or drugs for celiac disease. He is wanting an easy fix for his illness without really trying out gluten-free.

I told him quite bluntly that he should stick to 100% gluten-free rather than trying to immunologically change his body. He is so addicted to gluten and this lifestyle that he is overwhelmed buy the thought of turning his food and social life upside down.

In my opinion, celiac disease with its serious gut damage, is only a minor part of the gluten problem. It is the anti-gluten immunological response, body-wide, which causes the long term damage. This includes neurological harm and autoimmune disease triggering.

I have stated this before. I suggest changing your food, rather than changing your immune system.

I do hope that Julian heeds my advice.

Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford

http://www.drrodneyford.com

Food allergy/intolerance not taken seriously by restaurant server

2011-08-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

You might be interested in our dining experience last night, at a high-end restaurant. We asked for the gluten-free menu options - this irritated our server – he was also a chef.

He said he could tell the people who were “genuine” (he did not elaborate on the secret of how he did this!). He went on to say that in his opinion: “most people who request a special diet are doing this to annoy the staff or to show off.”

He also said: “people should know what is in the food and not order the wrong foods.” – He did not tell us how we could find out what the chef was brewing up in the kitchen.

So arrogant. He has no concept of people becoming ill by eating (being poisoned by) the wrong foods. He was smug. Very disappointing to hear his attitude in the hospitality industry. We have a long way to go to educate these people.

You might have also come across this attitude. What is the best way to handle this?

Cheers

Dr Rodney Ford

Food allergy missed again - often causes eczema

2011-08-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

Arrrrrghh! I feel so annoyed. My clinic over the last two days has been filled with little children who have been suffering from severe eczema. They are itchy, cranky, uncomfortable and their parents distressed. They have seen health professionals who have prescribed moisturizers, hydrocortisone and stronger steroid creams. But to no avail. Food allergy has not even been considered.

They were three children today who had positive skin tests to egg. They have all been breast-feed and then others have been eating eggs (they have thought that the good protein would help in breast milk). Unfortunately, it has precipitated eczema. These poor babies have egg allergy. They are miserable. Most will also be allergic to cow's milk.

I am treating them with a probiotic, a hypoallergenic diet and suggest weaning them from the breast (or mother to completely cut eggs out of her diet). I expect them to have perfect skin within the month.

What I am annoyed about is that their medical practitioner did not even consider a food allergy in the diagnosis. The limit of their treatment was creams and potions. What frustrates me is that I have been teaching about food allergy and eczema for over 30 years. There has been almost no learning from my colleagues. This is despite immediate food allergy occurring in 8% of the baby population. What can be done to spread the message?

Some of these babies go on to develop gluten-sensitivity.

Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford.

Back photo shows skin test positive to egg

Create gluten-conscious-thinking

2011-07-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Food allergy/sensitivity/intolerance so common, but often unrecognized.

I am in a philosophical mood.

This week I have heard (via my patients) significant hear-say criticism from my medical colleagues about my approach to food allergies and food intolerance.

A comment on skin prick testing from one colleague was “this just a load of crap”. I was appalled to hear this comment reported ... and all it did for my patient was to display his ignorance about these illnesses.

Another colleague apparently commented “I don't believe in gastric reflux , it's just a fad, just deal with it!” Again, this attitude has distanced this family from their GP. Again, belief has triumphed over the fact.

Unfortunately, these are not isolated reports. It turns out that the notion that foods can cause anyone harm is difficult to swallow (deliberate pun).

This lack of a basic understanding of food allergy is very odd in the face of so much medical research. For instance, a recent study on food allergy (Differentiating Food Allergies from Food Intoleran... [Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2011] - PubMed result

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) “Adverse reactions to foods are extremely common, and generally they are attributed to allergy.”

Yes, my experience is that Food allergy/sensitivity/intolerance so common, yet often goes unrecognized. Especially, gluten-illness.

Our plan is to create such a HUGE consumer demand that GF becomes main-stream - together we have great strength.

My mission: to Create gluten-conscious-thinking.

The recognition of wheat/gluten illness is very poor. Most medical people do not even consider the diagnosis. That is why as a GF community we have the responsibility of spreading the word about these gluten-related-conditions.

We all have a story - so go tell it.

Thanks Cheers Rodney Ford

Author of "The Gluten Syndrome"

Refractory iron-deficiency anemia caused by gluten intolerance

2011-07-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Yet another clear piece of evidence of the problems of un-recognised and un-treated consequences of gluten sensitivity. When do you think that mainstream doctors are going to wake up to this diagnosis? Every week that they continue in "self-induced-disbelief", thousands of patients unnecessarily continue to suffer undiagnosed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21770680

Here is the abstract:

Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 2011 Jul;103(7):349-354.
Refractory iron-deficiency anemia and gluten intolerance - Response to gluten-free diet.Rodrigo Sáez L, Fuentes Álvarez D, Pérez Martínez I, Alvarez Mieres N, Niño García P, De Francisco García R, Riestra Menéndez S, Vivas Alegre S, Olcoz Goñi JL.
Abstract
Introduction: refractory iron-deficiency anemia has a multifactorial origin related to various gastrointestinal conditions, with celiac disease plus malabsorption and IBD together with isolated gluten intolerance being most common.Objectives: to determine the prevalence of serum, genetic, and histological markers for gluten intolerance, and to analyze the response to gluten withdrawal from the diet in these patients.Methods: a number of patients with refractory anemia were prospectively and consecutively enrolled. A protocol to measure serum (TGt-2), genetic (HLA-DQ2/DQ8), and histological markers for celiac disease was applied. All followed a gluten-free diet for a median 3.6 years. Sustained remission of anemia during follow-up was interpreted as positive response.Results: ninety-eight patients (84% females) with a mean age of 54 years were studied. Anti-TGt2 antibodies were positive in 5% of cases. A total of 67 cases (68%) were haplotype HLA-DQ2 or -DQ8 (+). We found villous atrophy (Marsh III) in 13% of patients, and an inflammatory pattern (Marsh I or II) in 13%. All remaining 72 patients (74%) had no histological duodenal changes.Age, anemia duration, number of transfusions, number of parenteral iron doses, and time on a gluten-free diet were all compared according to the presence or absence of villous atrophy and HLA-DQ2/8 positivity, and no significant differences were found for any of the analyzed variables. Response was positive in 92% of subjects.Conclusions: celiac disease with villous atrophy is rarely a cause of refractory anemia. Gluten intolerance with no histological lesions is seen in almost 75% of patients, and therefore plays a relevant role in its development.
--

Dr Rodney Ford
Visit the eClinic for a second opinion
http://www.DrRodneyFord.com
Author of: The Gluten Syndrome

Gluten Free Planet - you can help me write the book

2011-07-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Gluten Free Planet

Introduction to the new book

=======================================================

“We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything”. Thomas Edison

=======================================================

Your first thoughts about the gluten-free planet idea might be to dismiss the concept as ridiculous. Maybe crazy or whacky. However, I challenge you to answer the question: “Why not?

This apparently crazy concept has got me intrigued. The practical question we are posing is “Under what circumstances could a gluten-free planet become a reality?”

This book is being created by the collaborative effort from the amazing people/friends on our facebook group “Gluten Free Planet”: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100433633347630?ap=1

Modify the food, or modify the people?

There are two schools of thought about celiac disease: 1) Modify the food and avoid gluten (lifelong), or 2) modify the people so that they can tolerate gluten. The default option is do nothing – just leave millions to suffer unknowingly from the deleterious effects of wheat/gluten.

Modify our body

The first approach is to use drugs and/or vaccines to modify your immune response to gluten. The idea is to force your immune system to react differently to gluten, so you will not get sick.

Prof Bob Anderson (http://www.wehi.edu.au/faculty_members/dr_bob_anderson), a celiac disease researcher in Australia, has set up “The Coeliac Research Fund” (CRF) which he says is the first organisation in the world to actively seek to solve the problem of celiac disease. He believes that to do this, it is just a matter of working out the molecular basis for celiac disease, which will then revolutionize treatment and prevention.

I understand this to mean giving us drugs and vaccines, and making alterations to our immune systems so that we are able to tolerate a potentially toxic food (that is the gluten and other wheat proteins) that without this immune-protection make us sick.

I am totally opposed to such an interventionist research program. This research is centered on the idea of creating commercially successful new pharmacology products. Many patents have already been applied for. Vaccines are already in the early testing phases. The pharmo-commerce machine is already being created.

Should we give drugs and vaccines to smokers?

This is like saying that smokers should be given drugs and vaccines to allow then to continue smoking, rather than making it easy for them to quit. And it would be easy to quit smoking if we lived on a tobacco-free planet.

One of the CRF researchers, Dr Jason Tye-Din, wrote in the Coeliac Link magazine (2011): “As to why people with coeliac disease get symptoms is not well understood … we believe that certain chemicals are released by the body after eating gluten, and these can lead to adverse symptoms.”

This is such a vague comment to base the drive to create a vaccine. It is my hypothesis that the main pathway for gluten-harm is through the neurologic pathways.

Or … modify our food

The other approach is to modify your food. This is the current and only way that people with celiac disease have been able to manage their gluten-sensitivity. This has been the standard approach for the last 60 years.

This has meant eliminating every speck of gluten from our diets, and replacing it with other (more) nourishing foods. The gluten-grains of wheat, rye and barley have to be completely avoided. However, our big problem is that of cross-contamination. In this food-processing-world, wheat and wheat derivative are either purposefully added to foods, or it creeps (gallops) in by accident. Consequently, this makes it difficult to completely eliminate gluten from our lives.

Thus, if all foods and food-manufacturing activity could be transformed into being gluten-free, the problem would be solved.

Over the last decade, there has been exponential increases in the availability of excellent gluten-free products. It has never been easier to adopt a gluten-free diet. But the cross-contamination problem remains unsolved, and is likely to be getting bigger.

====================

Request; This is the first part of my new book - you can contribute to it by writing feedback in the comments - next post will lay out the proposed structure.

Cheers and thanks

Dr Rodney Ford http://www.drrodneyford.com

Neurological symptoms - will they heal on a GF diet?

2011-07-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

Tom asks: “I am wondering whether or not my neurological symptoms from gluten will heal on a gluten free diet (left temple ache, left arm pain, right leg weakness, muscle twitching, etc)

Years ago, I noticed dizziness that seemed connected with allergy season. The more significant symptoms above started about six years ago--although some arm pain occurred before then.

I'm a 49 year old male. I've been gluten/casein free for about eight months with no improvement.

Please let me know your thoughts on this question. Thank you.”

My reply: Hi Tom, Good question. The longer that gluten damage has gone on, the slower any healing.
Did you get anti-gliadin-antibody tests?
Why do you suspect gluten might be a problem?
Do you feel any better on a gluten-free diet?

If you are happy on your current diet, keep going.
You also need to have an adequate micronutrient intake.
Also, taking a probiotic might help.

Keep fit.

Let me know progress.

Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford

Disease, Drugs or diet? What is your choice?

2011-06-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

I have just seen a boy Joseph in my Clinic. He is ten years old. He is gluten sensitive (diagnosed by high gliadin antibodies and a good clinical response to a gluten-free diet).

He complains of a sore tummy, he is tired and irritated. He has a degree of reflux and constipation.

In the past, he went gluten-free with good effect - all his symptoms disappeared. However, he has been eating gluten for the last year again and is now sick again.

Both he and his parents are reluctant for him to go back on a gluten-free diet because it is somewhat complicated for them, it is inconvenient and it costs more.

He has a choice of three outcomes: Disease, Drugs or diet?

1. DISEASE He can continue with disease probably getting more symptoms, and having a significant impact on his health, particularly in the future.
2. DRUGS He can take drugs for reflux, constipation and pain. This means he still has the ongoing disease and also the potential of harm from chronic medication.
3. DIET He can choose dietary changes. He needs to be on a gluten-free diet and eat more healthy food.

The third option is the most complicated for his family but would give him the biggest benefit. The choice seems like a no-brainer intellectually, but when you apply these thoughts to the real life, many people chose drugs and disease.

My call: diet not drugs. Eat better food for better health.

Cheers Dr Rodney Ford

http://www.drrodneyford.com

2011-06-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

Laurie Donaldson asks on facebook: "I wonder how it feels, Dr. Ford, to be one of the people who has known this all along and has tried so hard to get the word out!"

Well Laurie, thanks for the question. In one word, it feels "frustrating!"

I have spent 30 years treating children with food allergies (and most docs still won't 'believe' in food allergy.

I have spent 21 years (since 1990 when the gliadin antibodies were available) learning more and more about gluten/celaic/sensitivity - and guess what - most docs still won't 'believe' in gluten intolerance.

So what can I do?? I have written 9 books on allergy, gluten and nutrition (2 more to come out soon); I have travelled the world speaking about gluten-harm; I have launched the concept of Gluten Free Planet; I do blogs and facebook and twitter!; I run an allergy clinic; I write medical articles and present at GI conferences; I advocate advocate advocate.

I am the first person to describe "Gluten Syndrome" and have written the book about it!

It is hard work - but as Churchill said "Never, Never, Never Give Up". I am an optimist - we (the GF community) will prevail.

If you want me to speak somewhere - please invite me - I will see if I can make it.

thanks

Cheers Rodney

(join me on facebook)

Are you gluten diseased?

2011-06-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

When we are unwell, we look for a diagnosis for our illness/disease. Say we have been diagnosed with the ‘flu’. We get better and so we no longer have the flu. We are well.

In my question on facebook I asked, Why are you Gluten free? In the options I wrote "I had celiac disease". I used the past tense because when you go GF you should no longer be diseased. I want to talk about health, not disease.

Why do people use the description “celiac disease” when they are now fully recovered? Yes, they need to be gluten-free life-long. Yes, if they eat gluten they will get diseased again.

People could say “I am a healthy celiac”

What do you think?

Cheers Dr Rodney Ford

Anonymous food at conference

2011-06-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

I was at a gastroenterology conference last week (ESPGHAN). The information was excellent (in Sorento, Italy).

But I am very disappointed about the lack of any food descriptions. The food was anonymous. No labels, no description, no allergen declarations.

At a GI/food allergy/nutrition conference, I would have thought that people on special diets would be catered for. For example, I am Gluten Free. Morning & Afternoon teas had no GF option. Boxed breakfasts - no GF option. Lunch boxes - GF option was hard to track down (no info given about how to get this food). There was no indication about dairy/eggs/nuts in any of the food. It was definitely not a food-allergy friendly conference. Very odd. This lack of food action does not give a very good message - we should be taking food allergy/intolerance seriously, at every venue. I say: less talking and more doing.

Celiac gate-keepers reluctant to accept gluten syndrome

2011-05-17T00:25:00.000-07:00

I have read these comments with interest. So far, all comments support my position that gluten syndrome is common, and usually not associated with coeliac disease. Nobody has yet made a contrary statement.

I am a paediatric gastroenterologist. In my clinic, I look for coeliacs every day - I find a few, but for every coleiac, there are another 10 children with gluten intolerance. All you have to do is look at pubmed and put in the search words 'gluten sensitivity' to find the medical research that documents the gluten syndrome. I gave Matt Philips (the author) lots of these references, however he chose to mostly ignore them (so that he could write a 'balanced' article.

Most gastroenterologists do not want to accept gluten intolerance as this would be inconvenient for their on-going practice. Currently they wield the power of endoscopy as the gate-keeper of the coeliac diagnosis. So best to pretend that the gluten syndrome is a placebo effect (nonsense!) and that these gluten sufferers are deluded. Crazy. My purpose is to help my patients get better, and often this means seeing if gluten might be causing them harm. Coeliac disease is not the only condition that is triggered by gluten.

Dr Rodney Ford. http://www.drrodneyford.com

Doctor denies gluten problems

2011-05-16T01:58:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, it is a pity when doctors speak out about gluten not causing any harm to people other than celiac disease.

Doctor denies gluten problems

These 'disbelievers' should get up to date and read the latest medical articles that clearly state that gluten-sensitivity is a real entity that demands attention.

Please make a post on this newspaper site - to make a stand.

The reporter says 'But Dr Lane's position is unexceptional. Most of the experts I spoke to said that not only is there no medical justification for the majority of people who are following a gluten-free diet, it's just not healthy.'

Why is the GF diet healthy for celiacs, but unhealthy for anyone else? Weird logic.

So much dogma and not enough thought.

Cheers Dr Rodney Ford

Celaic Gut: When will my bowel recover?

2011-05-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

Celiac disease is defined as “small bowel mucosal damage, which is reversible on a gluten free diet, in genetically predisposed people (who carrying the DQ2/DQ8 HLA gene)”. Gluten can trigger your body’s immune response that can then go onto cause this tissue gut damage.

However, this damage is slowly progressive: the longer you have been eating gluten, the worse the damage. Of course, when you have this gluten-gut-damage, you do not absorb your food nutrients very well, and this leads to many other health problems. But, with any on-going gluten ingestion, the gut damage is perpetuated.

The good news is that as soon as gluten is (completely) removed from your diet, the bowel at last has a chance to recover. In children, who have had a shorter time of gluten exposure, their bowel usually recovers very quickly (within weeks their symptoms go away, and within months their gut is completely normal). It is rare for a child to not have complete gut recovery.

The bad news is that as we get older, and have had this gluten assault for a lot longer, our gut damage can be more severe and more extensive. Consequently, you can take a lot longer to get better. You might take weeks and months to begin to feel better and sometimes it takes years for the gut to fully restore to normal.

Of course, if you still eat small amounts of gluten, or your diet is not scrupulously purged of gluten, then this small amount of gluten-toxicity can keep causing you ongoing damage to your gut (and other organs, especially nerves and brain).

To check if your gut has properly healed, you can either have second endoscopy (which is often scheduled about a year after you have started a gluten free diet), or you can see whether or not the tissue-damage-markers (tTG, DGP, and EMA) are coming down. There is a good correlation between blood test results and endoscopy.

The lesson from this: diagnose celiac disease as early as possible, and once diagnosed remain strictly gluten free without exception, lifelong. If you have ongoing gut disease and ongoing symptoms, there may be other things going on and you may need to have other strategies to help gut healing.

Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford, Author of The Gluten Syndrome

The Gluten Syndrome is now available (in next 24 hours) as an eBook (only $4.99) revised new edition, 2011: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/58338

I am a ZERO gluten man

2011-05-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yes! I am a ZERO gluten man. This is based on the concern that tiny amounts of gluten in your food are enough to stimulate your immune system – even if you are not feeling directly unwell from the trivial exposure. What is trivial to you is not trivial to your highly tuned & sensitive immune system.

By definition, Zero gluten means ZERO! In other words – it is undetectable gluten (say less than 1ppm – gluten detection is now getting down to these very low levels). Consequently, ANY FOOD that has gluten detected between 5-20ppm should NOT be labeled GF. It is NOT gluten-free, even if it contains an apparently trivial amount. It needs to be labeled 5-20ppm!!! We need to know what is in our food! We need this information to make healthy food choices.

Although the manufacturers say this is not practical to make ZERO gluten products, it is if enough effort is put into cleaning up the contaminated food chain. The ZERO gluten market is growing. The GF community does not want gluten traces in their food. If we people do not buy their products - then they will have to change - or decide that they will not chase the GF market.

Yes, sensible labeling needed.

I propose a 3-tier system: zero gluten, less that 20ppm gluten, and glutened. It is that simple. Then we know what we are getting. How hard is this! Everyone satisfied. Why does the FDA just want one definition? It cannot be done – that is why they have had this “problem “ on their too-hard pile for the last 7 years!

Another piece of sound advise from Gluten Free Planet

Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford

Distinction between CD and other gluten syndromes blurred

2011-05-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, the distinction between CD and other gluten syndromes is now blurred. It has been for over a decade - but now the black & white has become grey.

I was asked about the new or controversial gluten/celiac testing, which had been denounced by a conservative celiac disease high ranking officer.

My thoughts: celiac society people are often closed-minded about anything other than CD. They generally do not countenance Gluten/intolerance/sensitivity. They are drilled by gastroenterologists, and still there is the idea that celiac disease is the only “real” gluten disease.

The other tests: I have no personal experience with Enterolab or Cyrex. They are not available in NZ. However, I know Tom O'Bryan and Ken Fine. Both enthusiastic. Both ethical. Both wanting to help the gluten-problem-sufferers. They have spent their lives in this area caring for people with gluten sensitivity. I hear people say how much they have been helped with a diagnosis by these test systems.

CD official followers are conservative and are hanging on to the status quo. Celiac/gluten testing is about to go through a revolution with the race on to find an accurate and acceptable test for gluten sensitivity. The distinction between CD and other gluten syndromes is becoming blurred (to the concern of CD societies).

Food allergy sadly usually missed

2011-04-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

In my clinic - just seen another food allergy muddle. A child who has been misdiagnosed as a ‘viral illness’ and ‘vomiting illness’. However, this 9-month child has classical cow’s milk allergy: with symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, eczema, runny nose and chesty breathing.

This little boy has already seen a dermatologist, a pediatrician and many general practitioners. They have just treated him for his symptoms, but have been blind to the fact that he has had milk allergy from the first few weeks of life.

Unfortunately mother was not able to breastfeed him. Although my skin-prick allergy testing was negative, he still likely to have a cow’s milk protein intolerance (CMPI). This is one of the major mistakes many medics make: they assume that if the skin-prick tests (or EAST/RAST tests) are negative then that child cannot have food allergy – this thinking is completely wrong. Most children with a cow’s milk protein intolerance in fact have a negative skin test. The skin-prick testing only tells you what sort of reaction is occurring.

By the way, gluten sensitivity/intolerance children have negative skin-prick tests to gluten and wheat.

This child is now on Neocate and will get better. It distresses me to know that so many paediatricians and general practitioners are ignorant about food allergies. About 10% of children react to dairy but almost no medical specialists acknowledge this fact. This is one of the reasons why I have set up the eClinic: to help the parents through the allergy maze.

Dr Rodney Ford

htpp://www.DrRodneyFord.com

Gluten Glamour – fact, fiction or fashion?

2011-04-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Philosophers have grappled with the concept of ‘true’ or ‘false’ or ‘maybe’ for eons. These questions are now being applied to gluten-free diets. Who has the right to be on a gluten-free diet?

It is a known fact that gluten causes some people to develop coeliac disease: this is damage to the gut which is reversible on a strict gluten-free diet (life-long). These people have a hereditary predisposition to getting coeliac disease, which is tested by the DQ2/DQ8 HLA gene. When coeliac disease was at first defined as intestinal damage (as proven by biopsy), 40 years ago, there were no blood tests to help with the diagnosis. Things have changed radically since then.

The gluten picture is now much more confused. The entity of gluten syndrome / intolerance has blurred the situation. There is now excellent data to show that gluten sensitive reactions are very common, with most estimates finding about 10% of the population to be adversely affected by gluten. Most of these gluten-sufferers do not have coeliac disease: they are negative to coeliac blood tests (tTG, EMA and DGP). However, they feel very much better on a gluten-free diet. So, now gluten syndrome / gluten intolerance has blurred the boundary between coeliac disease and non-coeliacs. There is now a grey zone between the black and white of true and false.

For the last 30 years I have been interested in people who have responded to a gluten-free but who do not have coeliac disease. This condition of gluten intolerance/sensitivity affects the bowel but also the skin and nerves. Because there is no specific test for this condition, the way to diagnose it is a trial of a gluten-free diet. And many people trying this feel so much better.

Recently, many celebrities including Madonna, have adopted a gluten-free diet … and have found it to their liking. They feel great. Being celebrities, their fans are very interested in what they are eating. This curiosity has helped spark great awareness about gluten-free diets. Lots more people have subsequently adopted a gluten-free lifestyle and are feeling the benefits of this.

Such wide-spread adoption of the gluten-free diet, without having any blood tests or endoscopies, has upset much of medical profession. Their claim is that going gluten-free without any blood tests is masking the possibility of diagnosing coeliac disease. In most medical establishments there are those who believe that coeliac disease should be the only reason (without exception) to be on a prescribed gluten-free diet. I disagree with such a stance, as do many others who have helped to define The Gluten Syndrome.

Gluten is an unnecessary protein. Nobody can digest gluten properly. Gluten is implicated in triggering many autoimmune diseases. Gluten is the cause of much disease and upset. Gluten is associated with depression and schizophrenia.

A gluten-free diet has been attributed to cure such problems as eczema, reflux disease, mental and behaviour problems, headaches ans migraines.

And now being gluten-free is becoming a celebrity status. In my opinion this is an excellent thing to be happening. It has allowed lots more people to hear about the idea of going gluten-free and feeling better from their chronic ills. Of course, there will be many people who adopt a gluten-free diet for whom it is not necessary, but his is okay. A gluten-free diet is a healthy diet, and there is no detriment of being gluten-free diet, as long as you adopt it by eating in a wholesome way (the majority of the population eat an unhealthy diet … most people eating gluten-free eat a lot better). Time will tell whether this celebrity status persists. My prediction is that it will. I also predict that in another decade, a third of the population will be on a gluten-free diet.

Adoption of the gluten-free diet by celebrities has just hastened the inevitable. The fact is that gluten-free will continue to regarded as both glamorous and a healthy food choice.

Dr Rodney Ford

Author of The Gluten Syndrome

Gluten-free: is it only way to manage celiac disease?

2011-04-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, the simplistic answer to this question is “yes”. However this is a complex question. To narrow the question, I will first assume that coeliac disease means that ‘a diagnosis has been made by endoscopy showing the characteristic flatness/atrophy of the small bowel mucosa’ (I will address the question of how early you can diagnose coeliac disease in a later blog).

Yes, a gluten-free diet is the central management strategy for coeliac disease. But what does gluten-free mean? A gluten free diet means zero gluten for life. No exemptions. Certainly there are many people who suggest that people can eat gluten to tolerance. I disagree. Any gluten has the potential to cause you harm.

But does zero gluten literally mean non-at-all? The most complex part of answering this question is “what does a zero-gluten-diet mean in terms of every-day practicality?” Recently, there has been a lot of debate about how many parts per million (ppm) of gluten is acceptable in food. Pragmatically, because it is so difficult to get rid of cross-contamination in food production and processing, the number of 20 ppm is now surfacing as a reasonable level of gluten to be consumed (some countries have 200ppm, and the FDA likely to agree to 20ppm). This seems to be a negligible amount. However, there are still concerns for some people who seem to be exquisitely sensitive to gluten.

For me zero-gluten means no gluten. This can be achieved if you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meat and fish, uncontaminated rice, corn and other alternate grains, and unprocessed dairy foods and eggs, nuts also. This means no packet or processed foods.

But it is a lot more that ‘just’ going gluten-free. Yes, there are a lot more things to do for healing someone with coeliac disease. The longer that you have had coeliac disease, the worse your body will be. More healing will be required. You may need additional minerals, vitamins and probiotics. There are a number of routine health checks to take. You should also ensure that your gut has healed (via blood test and maybe repeat endoscopy).

There is talk about vaccines for coeliac disease. I think these are a long way off. On top of this gluten is a trigger for many autoimmune diseases and neurologic conditions. So giving pharmaceutical treatment for coeliac disease will still not remove the threat of gluten to your body.

Zero gluten is the main stay of treatment for coeliac disease. I do not see this changing much in the future. I do see the gluten-free lifestyle being very widely adopted over the next decade. I do see better non-gluten grains. I do see a generation in much better nutritional health.

http://www.DrRodneyFord.com

Dr Rodney Ford, Author of The Gluten Syndrome

For clinical guidance, check out the eClinic

Gluten-free is not always healthy

2011-04-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Was sent a message advertising the gluten-free benefits of a “Natural alternative healthy energy drink”. This is misleading and dishonest.

It is just a sugar (sucrose) drink with a few added vitamins. Much better to eat fruit and veggies. Better value to buy and eat healthy whole foods and drink water. Sugar has fructose in it: this is potentially a bad thing (see Sweet Poison).

Being a "gluten-free" product does not automatically mean that it is healthy, or good for you. Often it is not. For example, Coca-Cola is also gluten free (and fat free too). However, I do not recommend it.

By the way, a "Healthy Sugar" drink is an oxymoron!

Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford

Glutened skin DH & eczema

2011-04-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

Itchy skin could be caused by gluten - check it out

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH): is one of the many problems caused by gluten-sensitivity.

Dermatitis herpetiformis is a very itchy skin condition. It can start suddenly. It tends to affect the elbows, knees, buttocks, scalp, and back. It begins as little bumps that then change into little blisters.

The condition is thought to be caused by tiny clumps or deposits under the skin. These deposits are made up by a combination of IgA-gliadin and gluten (these deposits are known as immune-complexes). These deposits occur as a result of eating gluten. These deposits take a very long time to clear up once you start on a gluten-free diet. It can take up to ten years before you make a full recovery.

To make a definite diagnosis, you need to have a skin biopsy. Which, if positive, will show these clumps of immune complexes of gluten/gluten antibody. A skin biopsy cannot diagnose celiac disease. For that you need the gut biopsy.

Most people with dermatitis herpetiformis do not have troublesome gut symptoms. However, most (about 80%) do have some damage in their intestine when it is looked for. So, all DH sufferers should be tested for celiac disease (that means relevant blood tests and then a small bowel biopsy via endoscopy). About 5% of celiac patients will develop dermatitis herpetiformis. Sometimes it can even develop after starting the gluten-free diet. This is probably due to the long lasting nature of the IgA immune-complex deposits in the skin

Eczema : The skin is often a target organ in gluten-sensitivity: eczema can also be precipitated by gluten. Therefore, people with persistent eczema should get a blood test for their IgG-gliadin levels. This is a common manifestation of gluten-sensitivity.

Bottom line:

If you have on-going itchy skin / eczema - think about gluten. You might be able to trade your itch for a GF diet.

Cheers Dr Rodney Ford

Gluten in cow’s milk?

2011-04-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

Heidi asks: “If gluten passes through into human breast milk (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9867098?dopt=Abstract), couldn't it also pass into cows milk? Any thoughts?

Reply: “Yes, I have been asking this question for a decade - but too scared to get the research done! Yes, gluten does get through breast milk. As do cow’s milk protein and all other food proteins.

And in cows? Yes, almost certainly the same goes for cow's milk. With the focus on high production, in NZ, cows are now routinely fed barley and wheat grain. There is gluten in their feed, and so, yes, some gluten proteins will get through into the milk/dairy food chain. So, yes, that will make gluten sensitive/ celiac people sick. Yes, we need to think about it. Yes, research is needed. Then there will be a big market for not-fed-gluten-grain-dairy-cows.

This is another reason why gluten sensitive people should avoid cow’s milk if they are still getting symptoms and/or their blood tests remain abnormal. This is a subtle cross-contamination of the food chain with gluten

Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford

PS – a comment on t eh web stated: “Gluten is from wheat/grain… why would it be added to any milk?  Well, it is already in the milk via the cows being fed gluten grains.

see me at :Http://www.drrodneyford.com

Medical Gluten Awareness takes time

2011-04-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

I am not a conspiracy theory supporter. My belief is that most GPs do the best job that they can. They are hampered by two opposing forces: their lack of up-to-date knowledge; but in the middle of an information overload. The natural thing to do is to just keep on doing what you have been doing and feel safe. To make it more complex, the gluten/celiac tests have changed radically over the last 15 years - so this makes getting up-to-date all the more difficult. My approach is to encourage the community (patients) to educate their doctors. Doing this by facebook, blogs, writing books, lecturing and creating the eClinic.

Facebook friend Al says: “I have seen change over the years and I feel it will continue change for the better. The gluten-free community has seen rather large changes over the past 1 - 2 years in research. Will it change as quick as we'd like? I'm afraid not. It will take time for this info to filter down to frontline medical professionals.

Yes, it takes time to "change direction" in world of medicine/science.

Cheers, Dr RodneyFord

Visit my Website for more information

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Is gluten actually toxic to all humans?

2011-03-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

Is gluten actually toxic to all humans, even if some don't have any symptoms, and are certain they are fine on gluten products?

Great question, thanks. No-one can digest gluten. It also may trigger a lot of immune diseases, and it causes a lot of neurologic harm.

It is hard to know if you have been affected by gluten until it is too late to fix it. Going on a gluten-free diet once the nerve damage has been done – is too late!

The research has not been done - but my estimates are that a third of the population are adversely affected by gluten. To avoid the bad affects of gluten, it is best to avoid it now.

My prediction is that everyone will abandon gluten over the next 10-15 years. There are much better foods available than wheat. If a food is cheap, it does not mean that is good for you.

2011-03-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Dr Peter Green validates The Gluten Syndrome. http://www.northbayceliacs.org/petergreen.html

Dr Peter Green is Director, Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. At a talk on November 11, 2010, U.C. San Francisco Medical Center, Dr Peter Green says: ”There is a whole spectrum of gluten sensitivity. For example, 80% of ADHD have high antibodies to gluten (AGA, antigliadin antibodies). They do not have celiac disease.”

“None of us was designed to eat wheat. Our digestive enzymes have not been developed to digest wheat.”

“Also IBS sufferers also have gluten sensitivity.”

I have been investigating and studying the Gluten Syndrome for the last 15 years. It is now gratifying for this condition to be accepted by my colleagues working in the celiac/gluten fields.

Dr Rodney Ford
Visit the eClinic for a second opinion
http://www.DrRodneyFord.com
Author of: The Gluten Syndrome

Gluten free means ZERO gluten

2011-02-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

Often I am asked: "How strict do I have to be?"

"Does a little bit of gluten-food now and then really matter?"

YES IT DOES!

The word that I use for gluten is "ZERO". I have come to this conclusion because it is important for your antibodies against gluten to slowly disappear. Every time that you have gluten (by error or as a deliberate choice) you stimulate your immune system to continue to produce these potentially harmful antibodies again. This undoes a lot of the work that you have been doing to dampen down the gluten reactions.

So I say Gluten free means ZERO gluten - not negotiable.

To achieve this, you will need to be absolutely convinced about your "gluten-induced-disease" (get a confirmed diagnosis and get the correct set of blood tests). Also develop a group of people around you (who understand the gluten thing) who can help and nourish your diet path. AND, you can help them. Join our facebook page - that will help too.

The simple answer is "ZERO gluten"

Cheers Rodney

Visit the eClinic for a second opinion: http://www.DrRodneyFord.com

2011-02-25T19:07:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends

We are now at day-5 following our last massive earthquake. Christchurch, up until 6 months ago, had not ever had a significant quake. Now it has!

My reaction has been mixed, up and down. When it struck, I was in clinic, with a patient (a little 8-month old boy with cow’s milk allergy). His mum scoped him up in her arms and dropped to the floor, protecting him. It dawned on me that this was a BIG shake, and so ducked under my desk. The violence of this shaking, of this 6.3 magnitude quake, lasted for about 15 seconds. I finished our consultation and escorted the shaken mum to reception and got her into her car.

Initial calm. At that moment in time I had no idea how bad this earthquake had been – our clinic had not been too damaged – fallen books, cascading glass and crockery. But no injury.

Then felt panic. Where was Chris, my wife - was she safe? The mobile network was patchy, but when we spoke she told me she was unharmed: she was driving and thought that a bomb had gone off and blown out all of her tyres. The roads were broken, blocked and gridlocked – she took 2 hours to crawl home in the traffic.

Gratitude. A sense of “so-wonderful-to-be-alive”. That health and family is the only treasure we have. Broken buildings can be fixed. Broken bodies need graves. A sense of enjoy the moment with the people we love.

Grief. For hundreds dead and even more seriously injured – being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Loved ones wrenched from their families. Tragic. Tears well up from time to time – tears wanting to flow freely, but held back as this cannot-be-happening-to-us.

A feeling of together. All of us Christchurch citizens have this shared experience, which makes us closer: closer in adversity. And well-wishes from phone, email, facebook and networks connect us to you all. Thank you all for sending much-needed blessings and love.

Inertia. My brain has slowed down and my plans of re-editing a book this weekend are out-the-window! Why the hurry? Enjoy the beach, the sunshine, and the sense of being-alive. Cherish my wife and family. Focus on the now.

Wanting to help. Everyone is helping everyone else. A huge combined effort to restore our health, community and city. We are safe and well, but there are thousands who are not. We are running our clinic next week, business as usual.

We have cleaned up much of the quake-mess. We are so grateful for your thoughts.

Cheers Rodney & Chris

Do not put food on your skin

2011-02-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

Please, do not put food on your skin

People with food allergies get symptoms if the eat the culprit food. But also if they put it on the skin.

This is very interesting - I am a food allergist. Often I see parents putting foods (in creams and potions) onto their child's skin and subsequently getting an allergic reaction - or worse, they are sensitizing their child to yet another food via the skin.

Foods are for eating - not for skin care in people with food sensitivity. Although these creams promote that they are “natural”, it is best to put something inert on the skin (such as a fatty cream).

This also applies to gluten. Gluten in cosmetics, and especially lipstick, is a no no. Many people get itchy or even feel unwell when gluten gets through the skin. Do not breath it is either: wheat dust can be breathed in and make you sick as well.

Free-from means free from on the skin and in the lungs.

Dr Rodney Ford

Author of The Gluten Syndrome

Gluten sensitivity is real

2011-02-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Gluten sensitivity is real

10 Feb 2011 My response to The Gazette Montreal

Dear Sir,

Gluten-sensitivity: a medically proven entity. So I was disturbed to read the piece by Brian Dunning “Is gluten really something that most people should avoid?” I am also a “skeptoid”. However, my reading recent medical research has convinced me that gluten-sensitivity is indeed a common and serious entity.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, has confirmed the presence of gluten-sensitivity in the absence of coeliac disease. They set out to determine whether gluten ingestion could induce symptoms in non-celiac individuals. It did. (Biesiekierski JR et al, Am J Gastroenterol. 2011 Jan 11. “Gluten Causes Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Subjects Without Celiac Disease: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial”).

Six years ago, Dr. Marios Hadjivassiliou, Consultant Neurologist, wrote in the British Medical Journal: “published literature supports the contention that gluten sensitivity represents a diverse spectrum of which coeliac disease is just one part.” (Gluten ataxia: science versus conviction).

The entity of gluten-sensitivity has been validated by many others, including Prof A Fassano, celiac expert at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA. Last year he said: “A category of people appear to be sensitive to gluten without having full-blown celiac disease. For them, symptoms may be less typical, involving depression, mental fogginess, mood swings and behavior changes.” Gluten-sensitivity is recognised to be ten times more common than coeliac disease. Fassano goes on to say: “Previously, gluten sensitivity was diagnosed mainly by ruling out celiac disease and wheat allergy in people with symptoms. But researchers are evaluating antibodies to gliadin, a gluten component, as a possible biomarker. About 7% of the population has these anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA); intriguingly, so do 18% of people with autism, and 20% of people with schizophrenia.”

Yes, gluten-sensitivity is a common and important medical condition that requires treatment with a strict gluten-free diet.

Yours sincerely

Dr Rodney Ford.

M.B., B.S., M.D., F.R.A.C.P.

Paediatric Allergy & Gastroenterology Specialist The Children’s Clinic and Allergy Centre.

Author of “The Gluten Syndrome: Is wheat causing you harm?”

http//:www.DrRodneyFord.com

My celiac panel came back negative

2011-02-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

Most common question: "My celiac panel came back negative. My biopsy was negative as well. Do I keep pushing for a diagnosis, or assume I am truly not sensitive to gluten?? So perplexed!! :)"

This is the most common question that I get asked. So I wrote 4 books about it!

The Gluten Syndrome;
Are You Gluten Sensitive? Your Questions Answered;
The book for the Sick Tired and Grumpy;
Full Of It: The Shocking Truth About Gluten.

Three things to think about:

1- Did you get a gluten antibody test? (IgG-gliadin antibody)? That helps with the diagnosis. What lab tests were actually run - have you had a look at the actual numbers?

2 – If you feel better gluten-free, and get sick/unwell when you eat gluten: then you are gluten sensitive. The diagnosis is made by your own experience (that is made by elimination & challenge). It is not exclusively a blood test diagnosis.

3 – The blood tests can help with diagnosis (checking for gut damage [celiac disease], confirming gluten antibody responses, checking nutritional status). But if you have “normal” tests, this does not rule out gluten-sensitivity … The Gluten Syndrome.

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Attention seeking or actual pain?

2010-12-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

Sore tummy

So many children have tummy pain. They say “I’ve got a sore tummy” or “My tummy’s sore”. This is so common that mostly these symptoms are ignored or explained away as attention seeking. I have found that the majority of these children with chronic abdominal pain are affected by gluten sensitivity. They have high IgG-gliadin antibodies, and get better when they go gluten-free.

Their pains are real and need investigation

Many paediatricians still believe the writings of the 1960s. 50 years ago it was believed that a child complaining about a tummy pain was being “bad” or “naughty”. Their discomfort and pain was dismissed as “nothing serious” and “they’ll grow out of it”. I disagree. I think that these pains are real and need attention – these children need help and understanding for their symptoms. Some of these children may have unrecognised gastric reflux symptoms.

Please do not dismiss what your child is telling you. You may be able to save them.

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Eczema on the Face

2010-12-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

From investigating and treating children and adults in the clinic, I came to the conclusion that most childhood eczema is related to food allergy.

Eczema on the face is usually food allergy.

Food allergy – especially gluten – can be the trigger. And because the trigger can be discovered, this means that their eczema can be cured!

I see hundreds of children with eczema. Their parents don’t want yet more creams prescribed – they desperately want a cure. Fortunately, most times they can be helped.

(Suggested reading to find out more: “Eczema! Cure It!”)

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Getting gliadin blood tests in Sydney

2010-12-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

For people living in Sydney, Australia Information about getting IgG-Gliadin blood tests in Sydney.

First, why the difficulty? There are 3 things to understand about the blood-test confusion that we find ourselves in:

Most doctors (GPs and specialists) only look for celiac disease. The best blood tests for celiac disease are the tTG and the new test and DGP (deamidated gliadin peptide) which are excellent tests to diagnose the gut damage of coeliac disease.

The test for gluten, IgG-Gliadin antibody, is excellent for finding out about gluten reactions. However, this gluten test has been abandoned by most Sydney labs (because it does not give any indication of gut damage). The immunologists still need to be persuaded that the entity of gluten-sensitivity exists. They remain “institutionally blind” because their focus is on celiac disease rather than helping people with symptoms.

Now the confusing bit! The brand new DGP test (which measures the immune system’s reaction to a tiny fraction of gluten – the Deamidated part) is now being called a “Gliadin test”. But this new DGP test is very different to the old Gliadin test! The labs are currently reporting both tests as "gliadin" tests. Everyone is confused.

Solution

To find a solution to the problem, I have contacted many laboratories in Sydney. However, there is more work to do.

As far as I can tell, there are only a few laboratories in Sydney that will do the old IgG-gliadin antibody test:

1 - Viral Diagnostics, 9a Avon Rd, N Ryde, phone: 9888 3444

This is the medical laboratory that can do the IgG-gliadin antibody tests.

“Viral Diagnostics” will accept blood samples sent to it from any other laboratories.

This is the process: Ask your doctor to write on the blood form in big writing: “PLEASE FORWARD THE SERUM SAMPLE ON TO VIRAL DIAGNOSTICS FOR TESTING IgG-GLIADIN AND IgA-GLIADIN ANYBODY LEVELS”

2 - SDS Pathology (which is now part of the same organization as Laverty but not yet merged) Contact: Lucinda Wallman, Head of Immunology, Phone: 0410-327-562
( Lucinda.Wallman@symbionhealth.com ) This lab will do the IgG-gliadin antibody test, but this may be abandoned soon.

3- Hanly Moir Pathology might do this – but you have to ask – I have been given differing info on this (it might depend on the location)

4 - Analytical Reference Labs (Victoria)
I have not got any information from them – can anyone help me here?

5 - St John of God Geelong (Victoria) will do the IgG-gliadin antibody test on request

Please can you give me more help on this?

If you know the names of other laboratories that will do this IgG-gliadin antibody test, please would you write me?

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Gluten blood tests - IgG-gliadin

2010-12-05T16:33:00.000-08:00

Today's blog is a bit long but is worth the time!

Gluten intolerance/ sensitivity is very common - it affects more than one in ten people. A simple blood test can identify this problem.

Please do not go gluten-free without first getting your blood tests. There is no room to discuss all of the fine details here. Dr Ford has written extensively about these tests in his book: "The Gluten Syndrome"

What does the IgG-gliadin test measure?

The IgG-gliadin test measures your immune response to gliadin. Gliadin is part of the gluten molecule.
The IgG-gliadin test measures the levels of ANTIBODY to gluten (also called: IgG-anti gliadin antibody). This test doe not actually measure gluten. It measures your body’s REACTION against gluten.

Why does your body make this gliadin antibody?

Gliadin is a short protein that your body finds hard to breakdown in your gut. It is part of the gluten molecule. Because gliadin stays fairly much intact in the bowel, it is easy for it to get through the bowel mucosa in one piece and start to stimulate the cells of the immune system. These irritated immune cells start to make antibody molecules against gluten.

Once your immune system starts making this gliadin antibody, your body can continue to produce it for many years, without you ever eating gluten again. However, after a year or two the antibody levels eventually go right down.

Why do IgG-gliadin the test?

The IgG-gliadin test is useful to detect those people who are reacting to gluten. It turns out that one in ten people have a high gliadin antibody level. Most of these people are experiencing symptoms for gluten.
Gluten causes a whole host of illnesses, these symptoms are grouped together as The Gluten Syndrome (see “The Gluten Syndrome” explanation in detail). Gluten reactions are the basis of about a third of all chronic ill health. Gluten especially causes gut, skin and nerve/brain disturbances.

Do you have to be eating gluten at the time of the blood test?

No. The IgG-gliadin antibody test does not detect gluten. It is not a gluten test, rather it is a gluten reactivity test. Therefore, you do not have to eating gluten at the time of the blood tests. But the longer that you are on a gluten-free diet, the less accurate the IgG-gliadin tests will be.

I recommend having all of your blood tests before you go gluten free.
It takes between 6-18 months for your IgG-gliadin antibody levels to go down. So, as long as you have not been off gluten for more than 6 months, you can just go ahead and have the blood test.
If you have been off gluten for several years, it may take 2-4 months of eating gluten again before your gluten antibodies go high again.

Where can I get the IgG-gliadin tests?

Medlab South in Christchurch , NZ, does the tests for my patients. But unfortunately, many laboratories have abandoned the gliadin antibody test. They say it is “old fashioned” (See the “Dinosaur” article on the doctor gluten website). They prefer to do the tTG test – I think that abandoning the IgG-gliadin test is illogical.

To get your blood tests, I recommend that you “download” our Blood Tests forms and letter and take it to your GP and the Lab. This explains the situation.
It is important to ask your laboratory BEFORE you get bled, as to whether they can, and will, do the IgG-gliadin antibody test for you. This may incur an additional cost.

What if I have a high gliadin tests but have no symptoms?

About 10% of the population have high gliadin antibody levels. Most of these people have some symptoms that are attributable to gluten. However, some have no symptoms. If there is no evidence of gut damage (that is, if you do not have celiac disease), then you can continue to eat gluten (although there is no guarantee that gluten is not causing subtle harm).

Has the tTG tests taken over?

The tTG tests stands for tissue transglutaminase. It is an antibody test. The tTG is NOT a gluten test.
No, the tTG test does not replace the gliadin antibody test. The tTG is ONLY an indicator of tissue damage (in the gut). However, a high tTG level infers gluten damage to the gut – but it is not so accurate.
The tTG, it is not a perfect test, especially in children. I repeat, the tTG tests does not tell you anything about gluten reactivity. However, the tTG test is useful in detecting people who have coeliac disease and they of course get better when gluten is removed from their diet.

The newest test is the Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP)

How much does the IgG-gliadin test cost?

Ask you lab about the costs of the gliadin test - every lab is different and some refuse to do the test. MedLab South in Christchurch New Zealand does the test.

Does my doctor know how to interpret the results?

Probably, your doctor is not familiar with the interpretation of the IgG-gliadin tests. In my experience, most doctors have been taught to ignore this gliadin test. Most doctors at this stage still do not recognise that gluten can cause a lot more disease than just coeliac disease.

The medical focus has been on the tTG test (for tissue damage). The majority of my patients who have had the IgG-gliadin tests by their GPs have been told that their tests were “normal” or “nothing to worry about” or “or just a touch of reaction” or “not coeliac, so nothing to do about it” …

I suggest that you actually look at the tests results yourself. The eClinic can help you interpret them as well.

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Easily Detected

2010-11-28T18:17:00.001-08:00

The Big List of symptoms is often challenged by medical practitioners. They say that it is impossible for gluten (and other foods) to cause so many problems. However, I think that this is a shallow argument - the answer needs much more thought.

For instance, consider a virus. It is a very small infectious particle. Nevertheless, it can cause just about any symptom you can think of. Think about it. When you get unwell from a virus you can have heaps of symptoms: a headache, sore tummy, vomiting, diarrhea, feel miserable, no energy, temperature, feel off your food, get stomach reflux ... and any other symptoms you can imagine.

Think about this. Your body does not produce many symtoms - you only have a small number of symptoms. This is your body telling you that you are unwell. Your symptoms are not specific - they are general.

Lots of conditions can cause the same symptoms

That is why if you have symptoms on "The BIG LIST", and these symptoms are unexplained - then you could be suffering from a food intolerance/ allergy.

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A little bit of flattery is always welcome!

2010-11-28T18:16:00.001-08:00

Toby’s mother wrote this down:

“Dr Ford, thank you for giving me an opportunity to write my story. As last, Toby (now 14 months old) is well again. I am so relieved. Toby is my second baby. Everything went so well for the first few weeks. I was a contented mother. He was breastfed and beautiful. But then our troubles began! By four weeks he was starting to whinge and squirm after feeds. I noticed that his skin was getting dry and felt scaly.

I got anxious. Over the next few weeks his rash got worse and worse. His cheeks got red and began to crack and weep. He developed cradle cap. He was being sick after his breast feeds. At times he seemed miserable. My GP had given me a steroid cream to put on – but it didn’t make much difference.

Luckily, one of my friends told me that this might be a food allergy and that I should see Dr Ford. I did! He solved the problem!

After listening to me, he did a series of skin prick tests. They were easy to do. They were done on his back and Toby didn’t even notice. Within five minutes he had two big bumps like sand-fly bites on his back. They were reactions to cow’s milk and to egg. It was amazing! I had an answer!

It was now so easy. All I had to do was to remove all cows’ milk and egg from my diet. I did this. Within three weeks Toby’s skin was almost perfect. It was hard to believe!"

Thank you Toby's mom! and, yes, Eczema is often driven by food allergy.

Here's video which shows the process of the skin prick test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAC0xN55XzA

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The Big List

2010-11-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

This is "The Big List" of symptoms caused by gluten and other foods

Textbooks about celiac disease give very long lists of symptoms. This has puzzled many gastroenterologists. They see celiac disease as primarily a gut disease. Thus, poor nutrition and malabsorption have been the excuses used to explain many of the odd non-gut symptoms.

However, it is becoming clear that gluten can cause neurological harm. This is the most likely explanation for all of these symptoms experienced in celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

The BIG LIST

Skin
Eczema
Urticaria (wheals, welts)
Hives
Dermatitis
Dry skin
Itchy skin
Rashes

Gut/ bowel/ intestine
Gastric reflux / GORD/ GERD
Colic
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Irritability
Food Refusal
Local Symptoms - in or around the mouth
Abdominal pain
Recurrent vomiting
Poor growth/ Failure to thrive
Short

Brain
Tired/ lack of energy
Exhausted
Muscle weakness
Headaches
Migraine
Behaviour disturbance
Poor concentration
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)
Autism

Respiratory
Runny nose
Cough
Wheeze
Ear troubles

Poor health/ Run down

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