Gluten Free Planet - 3 options

Dr Rodney Ford is a pediatrician and gastroenterologist.  He is very interested in gluten and how it causes people harm.  He is heading up the project called Gluten Free Planet. 


  

The idea is to have the whole world gluten-free, which might seem crazy to some people. However, it depends on how much gluten is causing harm to everybody – we will talk about the burden of gluten harm a little later.

I am launching the project of collaboratively producing a book called Gluten Free Planet.

There are 3 options for humanity:

• 1st option - just accept the status-quo - that means we do not do anything about gluten - we just leave things as – just leave people suffering as they are - just get on with it.
• 2nd option  - is to change the people - to change the people with drugs and vaccines – so that their immune system is tricked into accepting gluten into their bodies.
• 3rd option - which is the one that I promote – is to change the food – wouldn’t it be a better idea to change the food so that the food we eat suits us – rather than change the body so that this potentially harmful food doesn’t upset us.

So I am aiming to change the food of the world to a gluten-free status. This is  a huge thing to do  - but it is doable … and with the will of the gluten-free community behind us, I know that we can persuade manufacturers, persuade farmers, persuade the food chain, and persuade everybody that we are much better on this Planet in a gluten-free state.

Dr Rodney Ford

http://www.drrodneyford.com,

Direct link: gluten and my brain

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

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”

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

“Have you heard of this product? Apparently it's homeopathic. They make some amazing claims. I'm being asked about this and wanted 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 the skeptic.

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

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

I would be very surprised if someone with celiac disease could 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 this tested on someone with full celiac disease and see what happens to the celiac markers over a year.  I am sure that 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

Celiac nightmares

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

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