While the scientific community has widely accepted celiac disease as a condition caused by gluten and other related proteins, non-celiac gluten sensitivity has remained a topic of heated debate in the media and among the general public.
In this article, I’ll talk about the reasons I have acknowledged non-celiac wheat sensitivity as a real condition for many years, and I’ll describe the results of a new research study performed at Columbia University that adds supportive evidence. Before we jump in, though, let’s review the difference between celiac disease and non-celiac wheat/gluten sensitivity.
Celiac Disease vs. Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity
Celiac disease and non-celiac wheat sensitivity are two distinct conditions, with a few major differences.
Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease characterized by an inflammatory immune response to wheat gluten, rye, barley, and related proteins. It results in marked disruption of normal gut tissue structure, including atrophy of epithelial cell projections called villi and an enlargement of intestinal crypts where new epithelial cells form from stem cells. CD is strongly associated with the haplotypes DQ2 and DQ8 of the HLA gene (1). In terms of blood markers, transglutaminase 2 (TG2) autoantibody is considered the most sensitive marker for celiac disease (2).
Non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS, and also called non-celiac gluten sensitivity) is a term applied to individuals who experience symptoms in response to wheat or gluten ingestion but lack the characteristic markers of celiac disease. Symptoms can range from GI discomfort to fatigue and other neurological issues. These people tend to improve on a gluten-free diet (3). Unfortunately, many are mocked or ridiculed for avoiding wheat and told that their sensitivity is “all in their head.”
New research confirms gluten intolerance is real—and the haters are wrong.
Wheat Sensitivity: Is It All in Your Head?
In response to continued suggestion by the media and some of the medical community that wheat sensitivity is merely psychological, I have written extensively on my blog in support of NCWS as a real condition. For one thing, a variety of different proteins in wheat can elicit an immune response beyond gluten. NCWS might even be more serious than celiac disease, as many people who test negative for celiac disease continue to eat wheat and put themselves at serious risk for developing autoimmunity.
However, as I addressed in a previous article, the researchers chose whey protein for their control group, a pretty poor choice considering that many of their subjects likely had inflamed guts and multiple food sensitivities. The evidence, both on paper and from my own clinical experience, clearly points to the existence of NCWS.
The Latest Research Study
Still not convinced? In a recent study, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center sought to obtain objective evidence to determine if NCWS is real (4). They enrolled 80 individuals with self-reported non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), 40 individuals with celiac disease, and 40 healthy subjects for the study. NCWS patients were excluded if they showed any of the characteristic diagnostic markers of celiac disease (celiac-specific IgA, anti-TG2 autoantibody, or celiac-like histology).
The researchers took blood samples and intestinal biopsies from all 160 patients. The blood samples were used to look for particular signaling molecules and proteins in the blood, while the biopsies were used for histological analysis of the tissue microstructure. In addition to comparing these measures between conditions, they also took a subset of 20 NCWS patients who had adhered to a gluten-free diet for six months and compared their blood and biopsy samples before and after gluten avoidance.
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Gluten-Sensitive Individuals Have Leaky Gut
This is not really all that surprising, since we know that gliadin, a component of gluten, can affect tight junction proteins (5).
In addition, subjects in the NCWS group had systemic immune activation. Serum levels of both lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and sCD14 were significantly elevated in individuals with NCWS in comparison with individuals with celiac disease and healthy controls. These are sensitive markers of microbial translocation. In other words, they indicate that bacteria and other microbes from the gut interior are “leaking” into the bloodstream, inducing a low-grade, chronic inflammatory response from the immune system (6).
Histological analysis of biopsy tissues showed that the NCWS group also had epithelial cell damage similar to the celiac disease group, a result supported by elevated levels of serum marker FABP2 (7). Moreover, in the subset of NCWS individuals analyzed before and after adherence to a gluten-free diet, they found that inflammation and cell damage markers improved significantly after six months of gluten avoidance.
Gluten Sensitivity Exists—Here’s How to Know If You Might Have It
Evidently, there are certain individuals who possess non-celiac wheat sensitivity and would benefit greatly from avoiding wheat. It’s unfortunate that so many people who might benefit from a gluten-free diet never try it or don’t stick with it because of the lack of support from media, the medical community, and the general populace. I hope that this new research study (and others that will surely follow) will make it just a bit easier for people to make the right choice for their health.
So how can you know if you have NCWS? The biological markers used in this particular study may be used in the future to help diagnose NCWS, but at the moment, they are purely used for research purposes. Nevertheless, there are two ways to determine your gluten tolerance:
- A Cyrex panel: Cyrex Array 3 is a panel that tests your potential for wheat and gluten protein reactivity and autoimmunity. It must be ordered by a healthcare practitioner.
- A self-experiment: Eliminate gluten from your diet for 60 days and then perform a gluten challenge, taking careful note of any symptoms. I still hold that this is the best way to determine your tolerance for gluten.
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Uhh, this article is kind of stupid and misleading.
You start by bashing the “haters”, stating that Gluten sensitivity is real and that everyone who says otherwise is just plain wrong, which in and of itself is VERY WRONG. When you started citing sources and providing actual facts, the verbiage is changed to “wheat sensitive”, which is in-fact correct.
My father has a Wheat Sensitivity/Allergy/whatever, which started as him researching this as a potential case of Coeliac, and finding that not only does gluten only negatively affect those with Coeliac, but that those with “Wheat Sensitivity” are reacting to something completely unrelated to gluten.
Lets try to stick to ACTUAL medical science, guys.
You can see it in other studies as well like Fasano 2012, Hollon 2015 and others…gluten triggers leaky gut in everyone and thus everyone is better off without it since we don’t need it and leaky gut is strongly connected with a hubris of issues… Then I perfectly agree that gluten is not the only villain molecole in wheat..
ATIs, WGA, phytates, carb acellularity,
mycotoxins, etc…non species appropriate food has N problems, not one
for those with wheat sensitivity, it would be sensitivity to the protein in wheat which is to the gluten . I tested positive through an allergy skin test to wheat years ago. Did not really need the test to know I was allergic since as a child having constant stomach pain 7 bloating and ear infections but thought okay, my family members have doubts, and then came evidence to back up my symptoms, but they still have doubts.My Mom after being diagnosed w/colon cancer finally decided to stop eating wheat even though she always detested the taste and texture. Being intune w/ our bodies & listening & supporting each other is the start to true cures.
I do think gluten sensitivity is real, and that lactose intolerance is probably more widespread than recognized. Eggs also are problematic for many. However, I do not think gluten sensitivity is not a reason for Dr. Davis to encourage a low carbohydrate diet reducing extremely healthful berries and other fruits, beans, lentils, and pseudo grains and whole grains, such as quinoa, oats, wild rice and rice that have served humans well for centuries and are staples in current populations with the very best health and longevity outcomes- Blue Zones populations.
I have dispelled the “Blue Zone” myth on LinkedIn. Grains and legumes are NOT healthy. Chris (and MANY others, including myself) has made this abundantly clear.
You are talking absolute nonsense….Grains and legumes are the fuel of “winners”….At age 83, I still skydive, abseil and climb, boot camp, rowing, weights, cycling etc. and my diet starts with wholegrain bread and Weetbix with fruit…..legumes play a major role in vegetarian meals, I leave the meateaters far behind….(Fmr Med Officer & med scientist WHO)
What kind of doctor do you claim to be? You happy man with genes and body that is so healthy, you should know better than boasting about your endeavers, disregarding human variety.
I was not so lucky. 25 years passed with an MD that never once suggested to try gluten free to fight my IBS, weak immune system, painful artritis etc.
3 months after seeing a new doctor that realised my food intolerances and put me on a gluten free diet, I was free of all the symptoms and pains, eager to do my first mountain hiking trip.
“Dr” Sayer… just because you MAY be the “proverbial” exception to the rule, (without clinical testing, you REALLY DON’T KNOW FOR A FACT YOU ARE NOT DAMAGING YOUR BODY) does not make your argument “reasonable”… try actually READING all the comments here from others who have discovered their own reactions to gluten, etc… and you might want to actually DO some research before you spout off…
I agree with you- Gluten sensitivity is real and I have it. I saw a functional medicine Spe and based on the lab results I have it plus I have the celiac gene and MTHFR Mutation. So she put me on a gluten/grain free diet, FODMAP, extra B-Complex, Vitamin D3/K2/B12 and after 4 months I’m still the same. Actually, worse! My main problem is chest pressure, rib-cage/back and chest muscle pain (All day long except when I sleep or lay back). Brain Fog and Gas but not all the time. So I believe staying away from Gluten is the safe way which may or may not help you, but at the same time creates more problems. If you ask me, I would have preferred not to know this and take my chance with the 1 in 35 that do get the celiac disease because so far it has done nothing for me besides wasting cash like crazy and taking long drives to see the FMS. Btw, after close evaluation of my problem my GI and Primary said the problem could be my neck so they referred me to a neurosurgent and a Cervical Spine MRI (seated) which I took last week. 40% of people have the celiac gene, 50% have the MTHFR Mutation and they don’t even know it and in most cases they live a long life with no symptoms. I plan to stay gluten free but not grain free. I would take my chance with the 1 in 35 instead of getting sick for eating like this. ;-(
I have been diagnosed with a low level allergy to Wheat/gluten via a blood test after repeatedly coming out in hives after exercising. I have what is called an exercise allergy. I had been able to eat wheat and have no reaction unless I exercised. Before my diagnosis this low level allergy has caused me to have an anaphylactic reaction after several hours of dancing. Also prior to diagnosis I learnt to control the hives by taking a Claratyne at the first sign of hives coming out. They would start subsiding within an hour of taking the antihistamine. My allergy specialist stated I could eat wheat/gluten but not to exercise for 3 to 4 hours post eating wheat/gluten. Because I was anxious about this I have decided to go gluten free. The odd time when I have had gluten my tongue now tingles. I have also started including more pre and probiotics into my diet.
That’s interesting, Ingrid, about exercise-induced hives as when I do one particular 20 minute uphill walk I get hives about half an hour after this. I do a lot of hiking but on this particular walk I go a lot faster than I normally would. I thought it might be due to my getting really hot and then cooling down as I usually walk along the level ridge once I’m at the top and also cool down on the way back down the trail. I’m gluten-free.
Here in the south we call it a heat rash. It happens to me when I sweat a lot-I get a itchy rash around my waist. I had always assumed it was toxins coming out through the skin.
Yes, I’ve had those heat rashes and also prickly heat but only get the hives when I walk up that track.
Do you wear a special outfit? I seem to be sensitive to polyester myself. Plants were mentioned. I know of someone who is incredibly sensitive to poison oak and ivy. The oils from them are difficult to remove by just washing clothing.
TECHNU makes an excellent product for removing the oil from poison ivy, oak and sumac…
Thanks for the info!!
Hi Cindy. What I wear varies according to the weather on the day. The plants growing there are not exceptional but the degree of exertion and the duration of cooling is as far as I can figure. What I get are up to 8 in total wheals on my face, throat, chest and back. It’s intriguing to see someone else got this induced by exercise.
Well, some say a sauna is good to detox the body; perhaps toxins/heavy metals are coming out. I am prone to heat exhaustion, and make sure I have some salt in my water when in the heat, and have to limit my exposure. If I wear polyester, it gets worse. Plus, I am no longer young. My sister came close to dying from heat stroke.
Cindy, I don’t know where you live, but having spent 50 years of my life in Miami, unbleached natural cotton is usually recommended… a hat and staying hydrated, with clean water, electrolytes, and a small amount of glucose should do you… also, natural coconut water is an excellent “all-around” go to.
Just be sure that you are not sensitive to GMO cotton. I have a friend who is so sensitive to GMO crops that she cannot wear clothing made with GMO plants. Unfortunately, about 90% of all cotton is now GMO:
http://organic4greenlivings.com/gmo-cotton-the-ugly-facts/
If you lived in Miami for fifty years, I am surprised that you did not wear linen — which is far superior to cotton for maintaining body temperature.
http://expatior.com/the-case-for-taking-linen-to-the-tropics/
http://www.fodors.com/community/travel-tips-trip-ideas/the-case-for-linen.cfm
Thanks. I have tried the hat, light color cotton or linen, some sun screen if out more than 20 min, electrolytes. The coconut water sounds interesting. I am sensitive to sugar, and tend to go too high and then too low, and not always sure if the walking drops me too low in sugar. I am no longer very low carb. I may need a bit of sugar at times. I am no longer hungry between meals, and most probably fat adapted. Stress of any kind can affect blood sugar. Going from heat to air conditioning, and back and forth, can be hard to adjust. Some places keep their air conditioning much lower than I am used to. I have blue eyes, light skin, medium dark hair/red highlights, My sisters and dad are red heads, and light skin, blue eyes. We seem to be more sensitive to heat. I have read parts of the older book “Body Weather” by Palmer and the book “Heat and Light” Thanks again.
Honora I would suggest that you have an allergy test. Are you eating the same thing prior to your hikes eg. nuts, egg, or dairy? Or are you passing or touching some plant on this particular walk. If you have true hives and not a heat rash you are allergic to something.
Hmm…my money’s on the intense short burst of exercise followed by the prolonged cooling. There’s very little vegetation there and the hives haven’t occurred anywhere else. It’s also a recent thing I suspect because I walk around to meet my partner on the summit road (he comes up another route close by) and then we walk back and muck around, playing on big rocks and walls and then plod down the track. I nearly always have to put a layer on at that point because I’ve cooled down.
I got a flu today after eating english muffins and a piece of toast along with bloating runny nose and brain fog. Yup im gluten intolerant.
Several times, I have stayed off gluten for a period of at least 60 days, and then tried it again. The last time was for me proof positive that gluten is damaging for me. I felt heavy, tired, and very arthritic with the gluten, lighter and less in pain without it.
I have rheumatoid arthritis, and surely leaky gut, probably from heavy use of antibiotics years ago, and a disastrous operation for toxic mega colon. Dairy also gives me a lot of the same heavy, painful symptoms.
Is the ALCAT testing a good way to determine gluten sensitivity? Would it be recommended as a test to determine what foods may work best for a person?
So I have been on generally a wheat free diet for over 2 years. ( occasionally have gone out to eat and inadvertently had some amount of wheat and experienced a headache the next day) The other evening we ate dinner at some friends house. It looked like the ribs were coated and I didn’t ask if they were with a wheat flour. By the time I got home I felt as I was coming down with the flu. This passed by the following afternoon. In the middle of the next night I woke up with a generalized headache that lasted about 14 hours and with diarrhea that last a little longer than the headache. I also lost my appetite. Today I’m feeling better, but still weak. Hoping that this helps just even one person find better health and well being.
For what it is worth, my recommendation to clients is twofold:
1) wear a bracelet or necklace identifying your allergic responses, and 2), NEVER hesitate to ask what ingredients are used when eating out… not that all restaurants OR servers will be honest OR knowledgeable.
Hi Chris,
I tried Gluten free several times, but it wasn’t till after a colonoscopy and my GI doctor telling me to get off gluten and Dairy, that I actually took it seriously. My GI symptoms have disappeared, and I am starting to feel good again. It’s only been 3 weeks, but I definitely do notice a difference. My doctor was quoting some of your statements, so I think he’s a follower of yours. 🙂
Study in news-epigenetic factors.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-09-aberrant-epigenetic-intestinal-symptoms-coeliac.html
Everything I’ve read about the problems with gluten and gliaden make sense to me, but there’s one thing that I can’t wrap my head around. I’ve been reading a lot about ancient history, and it seems as though wheat has been huge in the development of human civilization. We’ve been cultivating it for at least 9,000 years, and much of the world has been highly dependent on this food crop for a very long time. How can this be the case if gluten is so damaging to the gut? Would wheat dependent societies not have died off instead of flourished? I understand that modern wheat has more gluten than ancient wheat, but I don’t think that answers the question entirely. I’m not arguing that we should eat wheat. I’m just trying to understand what is going on. Are we more sensitive to wheat now as modern humans for some reason? Is it simply because we fermented our grains before, because my understanding is that fermentation doesn’t get rid of gluten.
Some civilizations were based on tubers in the past. They dug them up as needed, or hunted game or insects. Grain based became a form of trade-grain/seed resisted insects, as long as kept dry. Grinding and processing grains and seeds in the past did not use high powered machines, and genomes were different. Grains were handy in times of famine, and like today, people like them and the effect they have on the brain. I am sure Wheat Belly site talks a lot about the subject.
This article on chronic fatigue mentions harsh environmental stresses may trigger a cellular metabolic response. The video is worth watching. Seems similar to Fibro symptoms as well. The world today is just too full of environmental stresses, and grains can be just one trigger.
http://www.newsweek.com/insight-diagnosing-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-495046
In trying to fathom my own chronic fatigue I focused on the perceived battle between insulin & cortisol. My Mg/Zn deficiency suggested a link to ATP dysfunction within the Krebs cycle. Insulin Resistance also blocks glucose metabolism but is fundamentally fixable on a Ketogenic Diet.
I recently had a BG spike on weak black coffee, -cortisol OK, but no insulin involved.
After a chop & salad gluconeogenesis sent me from HIIT to Zombie walk without fluctuating BG levels.
“the dauer state you see in some organisms, which kicks in when environmental stresses trigger a slow-down in metabolism to permit survival under conditions that might otherwise cause cell death. In CFS, this slow-down comes at the cost of long-term pain and disability.” [from Newsweek above]
Glucogon’s [from alpha cells, insulin beta cells of the pancreas] role in GNG is the direction of my next inquiry. I hadn’t heard of the ‘dauer state’ before. I suspect I am T1Diabetic.
That we are all snowflakes depends on where you lie on the insulin continuum, we are still snowflakes. My other analogy is that we may be different models of cars but do we want to run on petrol or electricity.
I can see how the body must slow down or die at times of not enough nutrients, increased emotional stress, chemicals, pollution, along with possible genetic problems. We can lighten the load partially, and increase nutrients. I read that caffeine, too much protein and emotional stress can also raise blood sugar. I am not exactly sure how much caffeine will affect me that way. It will keep me awake if late in the afternoon. I drink tea unsweetened instead of coffee. I read all those low blood sugar books 40 years ago. Some of them said when not under stress, you could handle more sugar. Today is much more stressful. Those books would say that fat caused insulin resistance, and so I cut sugar a lot, but did not really increase my fat. I also did better when I ate meat regularly, but I cut off the fat. I am still not perfect, but a lot better now with less carbs and less sugar, and much more fat, and low/moderate meat.
The human body is an amazing homeostatic machine. I am amazed by the obese community turning to Keto with an almost complete disregard to ‘nutrients’. Will they suffer nutrient deficiency down the track? I doubt it. They have cut out the insulin ‘noise’ & are in touch with their body. They eat what they want, when they want to satiety & improve all their health markers. Others look to medication, supplementation or superfood as the magic pill to fix themselves, as what goes in instead of what should stay out. It is more about what you don’t eat than what you do eat. You & I are on the right track, thanks Cindy
Robin:
In this new book (“Eat Wheat,” by John Douillard), which was just published last week, the author — an Ayurvedic medical practitioner — discusses all these issues. For the next few weeks, you can buy the book for just 99 cents. I am now halfway through the book and I recommend it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I9NFIDI/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_?ie=UTF8&psc=1
His hypothesis is that over-processed pesticide-saturated grains, eaten on a daily basis, clog the lymphatic system and create gut dysfunction. Thus, he believes that gluten is NOT the problem. This would also explain why I could eat bread in Europe without a problem, because Europeans have not over-processed and poisoned their food supply.
Based on his Ayurvedic experience, he believes that a protocol designed to heal the gut and clean out the lymph system will allow most people to once again eat both grains and dairy — provided that it is done in moderation, with organic minimally-processed heirloom grains, and if eaten within season (i.e., within the natural cycle of harvest).
One of the more frightening items in the book: “The genetically engineered Bt toxin found in corn is designed to be toxic to many insect species found on crops, puncturing holes through the intestines of the insect. A new study has shown that Bt toxin can puncture holes through the human digestive tract as well!”
So, there is science to back up the hypothesis that leaky gut is caused by GMOs, pesticides, and over-processed foods — especially when such foods are eaten daily over decades.
Some food for thought!
This is all very insightful, as I struggle with wrapping my mind around the wheat/gluten issue, also. If Dr. Weston Price’s work holds true, some cultures thrived on diets where grains played a significant role. Even today, groups in various regions of Italy and Central America eat traditionally prepared grains daily. These cultures boast a high percentage of centenarians compared to other groups. Of course, genetics comes into play, but still. They’re obviously living out their lifespans. I don’t currently eat grains, except for some white rice every now and then. But I suffer from cognitive dissonance in refraining from grain consumption. I have both gut trouble and blood sugar issues. So, for now, I’m sticking with a Paleo diet. But I’m open to incorporating fermented grains and/or traditionally prepared grains in the future. The group in Central America consumes corn, of course, which has been soaked in lime. And this won’t come as a surprise, but they make their tortillas with lard. Some of my best blood sugar readings in the past have been after consuming a soaked whole grain hot cereal such as oatmeal or cream of brown rice with tons of butter and cream. This is a bit hard on digestion, though- first because of the fiber and secondly because of the delayed emptying of the stomach. For someone with actual “stomach” problems, eating more easily digested carb foods has been crucial to healing. I appreciate all of these contributions to the topic and will check out the book you mentioned, Michael. It would be interesting to do more experimenting by checking my blood glucose levels.
Beg your pardon Laura, you’ve been told craps…there were some groups in Sardegna of ancient people but they ate sheep and goat meat and dairy, very little grains especially wheat…Weston Price populations didn’t rely on wheat, but on less problematic grains with less aggressive prolamines, properly soaked, sprouted and fermented…and again Price looked at tooth decay that is an important indicator but doesn’t tell all the truth about health.
and the biased perspective was still there.
Lindeberg and others, instead, did deeper analysis with biomarkers etc on Kitavans, and to assess the overall healtg is far better than the observational Price’s book, though I like it either.
besides, the touted Okinawas, ate primarly yams and fish, rice came later along with the first health issues…
I don’t mean to offend anyone, but you americans are very naive, you still believe in the Ancel Key’s scam, well paid to tell fables and fairy tales about Italy, France, etc… folks I live there, it’s merely a crap…
and grain reliers asians have severe nutritional deficiencies; ricket and other issues are striking, you just have to google to figure it out by your own..
don’t believe to modern fables folks
We definitely agree on Ancel Keys self-serving crap science… I consider him to be a great American traitor…
Actually, Alessio, Dr. Price was more than just a dentist, and if you read his work, you will find that, while his focus may have been dental health as an INDICATOR of overall health, his work was more comprehensive, AND, absolutely impossible to reproduce today. He was, in many ways, ONE OF A KIND… and should have won a number of awards for his work, as well as much greater recognition… he is, and always will be, one of those “great” men I look up to with absolute admiration.
Yes, I read it, and I absolutely agree that he did an AMAZING work. Nevertheless, my point is that it’s not possible to rely on a biased observation (everyone is biased) as if it was the Bible, but we have to put together all the pieces of a big puzzle, and health is not black and white, but it has many shades of grey.
Price’s work was mostly anecdotal, with plenty of confounding variables, and since observation doesn’t imply causation, we have to triangulate the observation with others, with RCTs, etc..also Lindeberg if took alone doesn’t support causation, we should put everything together…
Again, the fact that you CAN eat it without GI issues, doesn’t mean that it is healthy, i.e. it’s about the damage in the long run.
gliadin triggers leaky gut in everyone, simplyfying the more your barrier is open, the more you have problems, indeed celiacs and NCGS have more leakiness than the “healthy” group, with the term healthy that says little about the long term effect.
And it’s due to the aminoacidic configuration of gliadin itself, as a protection mechanism of the plant from seeds predators that has nothing to do with pesticides or hybridization…
said that, I agree that these things worsen the problem, but they are not the primary cause, and Chris is certainly right that gluten is not the only cause of disease, because it couldn’t explain the disease rate on the exponential rise.
besides, I strongly suggest to read Ian Spreadbury’s papers and videos at the AHS to understand the other main issue with them: carbs acellularity
Michael, unfortunately, it is not that simple, and you need to study the biochemistry and biodynamics of the human digestive system, then you will understand that the problems we face, as humans, from our “diet”, is MULTI-dimensional… there are NUMEROUS factors that affect our health, just from a digestive system perspective, not to mention all the others…
The average American eats highly-processed polluted grains in MULTIPLE meals EVERY DAY for DECADES. If your body heals from decades of such abuse, the key is moderation and quality.
I am simply hoping to get some good quality grain back into my diet as a treat a few times a month. I have no intention of going back to my old diet.
Until today, I had not eaten any grain, aside from rice, in over two years. This morning, I purchased a loaf of organic artisan-made slow-fermented rye bread at the local Farmer’s market. I ate two slices, with butter, four hours ago. No negative effects thus far.
This is something that I wanted to try anyhow. Reading the book simply gave me the final nudge. I hope that my body has sufficiently healed to allow the intake of high-quality grains a few times a month.
Hi,
I agree with you, 50+ years of eating grains 2-6 times daily did very little to me if you ask me because I actually have no regular symptoms from this. I believe once my gut is healed I can go back to eating once weekly a small amount and by the time it really causes me any issue I’ll be dead anyway. Actually, I’ll probably develop more issues if I stay on this FODMAP/Grain free diet for a long time than eating small amounts of grains. Don’t get me wrong, many people do have issues and symptoms and need to take care of them, but that is not my case even with the gluten sensitivity and Celiac Gene. I still feel worse now than before I started this diet. ;-( The only real cure for all of this is God. 😉
I agree with Alessio & Mr Paleo on grains as a ‘starvation food’. This means grains are not eaten a few times a month but at an interval period of famine, unless you are celiac.
The problem is carbs.
I recently believed there was no difference between fructose & glucose, indeed fructose enhances performance. https://www.facebook.com/notes/gym-motivation-tips-fitness-photos-videos/glucose-and-fructose-combination-best-for-increasing-exercise-performance/279192705573761/ obviously read but didn’t cite the same trial I read.
However Gary Fettke alarmingly proposes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od9PEH7rnY8 with sound science & good graphics explains seasonal eating & the Bigger picture.
Sorry, the bigger picture is in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtH7Y4eNV2s
Nutritional Model of Modern Disease – Dr Gary Fettke
What I’ve noticed is more stable blood sugars with fruit vs starch. Now the caveat is that I usually eat fruit within the context of a meal. It becomes my carb. My routine is to pick a carb and only one. I’m not counting the small amount of carbohydrate in non-starchy vegetables. I don’t get shaky with fruit. Because fruit contains both glucose and fructose in varying amounts, I wonder if this is OK to do. I don’t eat dried fruit. So I might eat a banana at breakfast and lunch – medium ripe – and my carb at dinner might be squash. If my gut would allow a wider variety of vegetables, I doubt that I would even eat two bananas a day. Hopefully, this isn’t too much fructose. I watch my total carbohydrate intake daily. I started the youtube, Andrew, but I don’t have time to finish it now. This is a subject that fascinates me, though. I’m not a Peatarian (Ray Peat), but I’ve spent entire evenings researching this whole starch vs sugar idea. I have a degree in foods and nutrition from many moons ago. Go figure.
Hi Laura, go figure?
I might suggest though that while fruits may be 1/2 the carbs of starchy vegetables, fructose, like alcohol goes straight to the liver, does not raise BG, effectively having 1/4 the response. Bananas are high carb but green reduces that effect & with fructose content may equate to your squash as your carb tolerance.
The important thing is having reduced liver glycogen to receive excess carbs. Like a dam in heavy rain.
Starch [carbohydrate] vs Sugar [carbohydrate]? Are you researching the glycemic index? lol
Might I suggest Starch vs Fat.
I’ve been bouncing for years between Glycemix index, glycemic load, fructose vs glucose, etc..
The best theory I’ve found so far, the one that unifies all the pieces of the puzzle, is the theory of the carb acellularity by Ian Spreadbury.
While I think that to a certain extent glycemic load plays a role, the leptin and insulin resistante mediated by a pro inflammatory aggressive microbiome, for me, play a master role, and this may be the reason why high fructose corn surup is a far cry from eating an apple, a fibrous real living being.
This is the right approach, I don’t say don’t eat grains never (at least if you are not seriously celiac), but if you eat them in a context of 80-20 or 85-15 there’s no problem. My point is that if a thing is so potentially threatening and so miserably nutritious, why should I be eating it on a regular basis as a staple, if not for the sake of someone’s business? Btw, if one follows the Price foundation diet, is still far healthier than the SAD
The gut brain hypothesis of Dr David Perlmutter supports the idea of an aggressive, pro inflammatory microbiome cultivating us! I believe infant antibiotics, particularly the decline of insulin supportive Bifo species led to my development of Diabetes. CK’s Clinic could attest to the difficultly in moderating those dysbiomes, once established which drive our Symptoms. It is all about the gut! We are all chasing quick fixes of causes of symptoms from carbs over fats instead of reverse thinking of fats over carbs, no causes of symptoms.
I thought that I would report back on my experiment. After not eating any gluten for the past two years (I re-introduced dairy a few months ago by occasionally eating butter, without any problems), last Sunday I bought a loaf of organic artisan-made slow-fermented rye bread at the local Farmer’s market.
I ate a thick slice or two of bread every day for the past five days. I did not experience any of my major symptoms (brain fog, spacey feeling, lack of concentration, or major digestive problems). I did, however, experience a mild headache on two of those days and a yeasty BM on one day.
So, my conclusion is that while my gut has healed considerably it has not fully healed. I will stay off the gluten and follow Dr. Douillard’s protocol to heal my intestinal tract, restore my liver and gallbladder, and clean out my lymph system. Then I will try again in a few months.
If anyone is interested in what I am doing, here is a recent video series (he covers the protocol in greater detail in his new book, which you can buy for 99 cents for the next few weeks):
http://lifespa.com/wp/where-your-intestinal-skin-meets?inf_contact_key=10cf11346e091f1e9087eea273a437d629882356bfccac37fb0d0663929fc4cf
I ran across this post from a while back…I’m curious if you did the Colorado Cleanse and if you had a good outcome? I’m on a similar path as you, so I am curious. Thanks!
Robin
I think as humans we’re more sensitive to modern wheat. I find I have no discomfort from eating spelt bread or pasta. Others do recommend sourdough production instead of yeast. Many people recommend that we should all be eating a Mediterranean diet, not understanding that this does not mean pasta with every meal but lots of fish, fruit and vegetables.
I hope someone willll give you a more scientific answer than mine!
The Modern interpretation “Mediterranean” diet is a fake because the true mediterranean diet is about fish, wildgame (we had plenty od it in our ancient forests), olives and veggies…wheat based products are not mediterranean at all, but an imported product that became a staple, and trust in me that I’m italian, my country is far from being the homeland of health as romantically depicted by some biased american researcher. Our hospitals are full and our health system disrupted. I lost both my parents very soon because they have not been diagnosed celiac disease…Maybe we are still relatively healthy compared to the american disaster, and from this biased point of view…
Could not agree more… the “Mediterranean” diet is a complete misnomer, and really deals more with the French, high saturated fat diet than anything else… which is known as the “French Paradox”.
Alessio, I’m curious about the Sardinians. I read about them in the “Blue Zones.” It was observed that the men would head off into the hills, to tend to their herds of sheep, with bread and cheese. I wondered if this was wheat bread or another kind of bread. “Blue Zones” wasn’t really a book about nutrition. So, many of the details that I’m interested in were missing. It seemed also clear that bread wasn’t something the Sardnians ate all day. I don’t eat gluten, but this is rather interesting to me, since the people of Sardinia are tooted to have a long life expectancy.
The “blue zones”… was about “healthy lifestyles”, temperate climates, vitamin D, and NOT, as you indicated, accurately about “dietary habits”…
Yes, but there was a description of what the different cultures ate. It was funny because the conclusions were highly influenced by the low-fat diet mantra of the times. After describing sausages hanging from rafters of houses in Sardinia, the author concluded – eat a low-fat diet. This was true pretty much across the board. A typical breakfast eaten by the group in Central America ( I may have the location wrong – been a while since I read the book) consisted of beans, scrambled eggs, and tortillas cooked in lard. Obviously, that’s not low-fat. Nonetheless, I found the diets of these different groups to be interesting – even if the author’s conclusions were a bit puzzling.
The “Blue Zones” author, Dan Buettner, is an impressive character. He holds three Guinness records for endurance cycling, amongst other acheivements. His early trips focused on Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; and Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and Loma Linda, California. Buettner reported his Blue Zones findings in his cover story for National Geographic Magazine’s November 2005 edition, “Secrets of Long Life. The issue became the third best-selling issue in the magazine’s history. In 2006, under aegis of National Geographic, Buettner collaborated with Poulain and Costa Rican demographer Dr. Luis Rosero-Bixby to identify a fourth longevity hotspot in the Nicoya Peninsula. In 2008, again working with Poulain, he found a fifth longevity hotspot on the Greek Island of Ikaria. In September 2009, Buettner gave a TED talk on the topic, titled “How to live to be 100+”. which now has over two million views. In October 2010, he released the book “Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way”, largely based on his research of which identified took a data-based approach to identify the statistically happiest regions of the happiest countries in earth. He argues the creating lasting happiness is only achievable through optimizing social and physical environment… and his emphasis here was on LIFESTYLE, not diet. As a PRACTICAL example, In 2008, inspired by Finland’s North Karelia Project (http://www.who.int/chp/about/integrated_cd/index2.html), Buettner designed a plan to apply his Blue Zones principals to an American town. He auditioned five cities and chose Albert Lea, Minnesota. The key to success involved focusing on the ecology of health – creating a healthy environment rather than relying on individual behaviors. Harvard’s Walter Willet found the results “stunning”. As a whole, the community showed an 80% increase in walking and biking; 49% decrease in city worker’s healthcare claims and 4% reduction in smoking. The community shed 12,000 pounds, walked 75 million steps and added three years to their average life expectancy. City officials reported a 40% drop in health care costs. Dan’s 2015 book, “The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People”, became a New York Times Best Seller.
I really like reading, but I think we always have to skim when it’s a matter of some kind of report.
Though I have nothing to do directly with Sardinians (I live near Milan and I clearly have nordic descendants), I have some friends from there whose grandparents lived their more or less “traditional” lifestyle. They told me that while it’s true that they had some bread; carasau bread was made of wheat for rich people, while the poorest made it with barley..ironically, the poorer one is the healthier also because is far less refined, and rich Sardinians who lived in cities were supposed to be fatter and sicker indeed, while the healthier ones were the shepherds from mountains, heavily relying on sheep products.
Another typical plate is the little pork.
They ate free range pork, sheep, and pecorino cheese, with little grains, also because the isolated populations, living on mountains could hardly raise grain crops.
This at least from anecdotal reports, but sounds reasonable if took considering the shortcoming of the biased perspective.
Oh I forgot to mention that diet alone is not the only factor, they lived a simple stress free life, physical active and far from pollution. These are other confounding variables that make me shiver at the extrapolation: a small group of isolated persons=relatively healthy —-> “italians” are healthy. I can ensure that if you look at the ISTAT statisthics you shiver…
the last point is that how long you live doesn’t necessarily say how you age. I know plenty of 80 years old persons who have been relying on pills for decades, in wheel chair not able to self care…far from being fit like an Hadza or Ache.
Thank you for pointing out those factors. I was fixated on the grain part, and find the barely bread interesting. And you are correct. Even in the book, a woman well over 100 years wonders what the point is in living so long. She is blind and confined mostly to staying bed – if my memory serves me well. I’m familiar with the Pecorino cheese and pork, also. That was mentioned in the book. You added a lot to my perspective regarding the type and amount of grains consumed. It’s very much appreciated.
Hi Robin, I’ll tell you what is my point of view.
Surely, gluten consumption is not life threatening. Like all the other bad habits we adopted, it takes decades to develop disease, and this lack of direct apparent connection is the confounding variable that made very hard to understand the underlying issues, especially in light of the fact that humans, by nature of collective creature, tend to take for granted their given world without giving even a second thought.
Of course, we could say that with the advent of agriculture we should have had a certain selective pressure in the sense that people unable to reproduce in the new environment got their genetic make up lost.
There’s also an interesting hypotesis from Fritz Muskiet and others that says that lactase and salivare amylase persistence were not meant to extract nutrients from the new food but rather it was a life saving feature due to oral reydrataion needed to handle gluten toxicity and new pathogens.
After the first “selection” that likely took aside the non reproductive pool, the remaining part of the population could not only easily reproduce with grains, but far more often because the constant availability of sugars that play a key role in fertility.
But being able to mate and survive some decades in some way is a far cry from thriving as hunter gatherers did, and indeed along the history grain consumption is associated with diseases and nutritional deficiencies, while the stronger populations always rely on meat (Gengis Khan anyone?)
The main shortcoming of gluten is indeed the fact that it is a silent killer, if it was apparently toxic like hemlock, we’d hardly be here to discuss about it.
grains are survival food, but thriving is a farcry from surviving.
“Grains are a survival food…” ABSOLUTELY ! And the populations which WERE the “healthiest” THRIVED on meat, seafood, dairy, and saturated fats… sound vaguely familiar ?
I agree with your sentiments on genetic evolution but in the 2-300,000yrs of human evolution, grain production represents 10,000 yrs or the last 5 yards of a football field. While 3,000 generations would accumulate some gene modification, it is no where like the industrial introduction of processed foods in the last 100 yrs or 1/2″inch to goal.
It is reflected in the steady rise in ill health since the 1900’s and a marked increase, with the ‘Lipid Hypothesis’ & introduction of the ‘Food Pyramid’.
Robin,
There’s a huge difference between old school naturally-leavened bread and modern, industrial bread products.
Christian – If you’re able to find it, try Spelt Sourdough bread. I’m sure that must be the closest to what bread used to be like.
This point has bothered me as well, since humans exist today because of one food: Bread. So yes, you are correct, we would have become extinct (or at least all Europeans, Northern Africans and people of Middle Eastern origin) because for thousands of years the only food available for the common person was bread, except for holidays or weddings when there was a feast of fruits, vegetables, bread, meat and ale.
And what about the rest of the world today? When I traveled in Italy recently, I asked people about senza glutine food, (gluten free pasta) and they said it’s for the Americans! Nobody knew anyone who couldn’t eat pasta and bread, and each Italian knows hundreds of people. And for me, pasta and bread are the only foods I can eat when I’m really sick and can’t eat anything else. Makes you wonder.
It makes me wonder, also. I’ve had stomach trouble today, and white rice made it better. But bread probably would have worked, too. I really feel that all of the additives and our agricultural methods perhaps have caused inflammation in our guts. For some people, starch makes their symptoms worse. For others it’s FODMAPS and other food groups. Gluten may not be a problem for me as much as fruits and acidic foods. The FDA just found glyphosate in honey, even organic honey. Studies have shown that it’s not a carcinogen, but what about inflammation? We buy GMO-free wheat, but it tests positive for glyphosate. I feel that industrial agriculture is part of the problem. And you won’t believe what the organic food industry is allowing in our foods. There was an article in the NY Times, “Has Organic Been Oversized?”.
Patrick, I just found this article on glyphosate and gluten sensitivity. Really, glyphosate should be banned. The focus has been on cancer, which is turning up negative, so far. But the way it affects gut health is debilitating to humans and other animals. I’m so disappointed in our government – but unfortunately, not surprised. There’s an earlier conversation above reagarding much of this. I just scrolled up and saw Sheryl’s comment. So, sorry if this is repetitive, but it’s still a very good article. buthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945755/
I have started a paleo diet after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. At the time I believed my doctor when he told me my diet had nothing to do with it. I stopped taking my medication a few months after being diagnosed, and I have been in remission for over 2 years now. My mindset about food has totally changed.
I eat gluten sometimes when I am in France, and I do not have symptoms right away, but I have more stomach cramps that when I don’t eat it, I am also tired, and in a bad mood. I also get so addicted to it, so when I start eating something with gluten I just cannot stop. The best for me is to avoid it all together.
I MUST reiterate, UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES, if you have amalgam (mercury) fillings, and have NOT had them removed, dietary adjustments will be almost meaningless unless an extreme intolerance exists (which can be the RESULT of mercury toxicity)…
Hello all
I am a doctor myself but just couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me in the last 5 years. I was always anxious, had palpitations, reflux and poor sleep with myoclonic jerks ….
My prime work time in the mornings were completely lost to me and to add to that I was also foggy.
In a gastro conference that I attended, I had a simply gastronomic lunch that was loaded with wheat flour goodies and had severe migraine immediately!!
That’s when I was able to connect and self diagnose NCWS.
I’ve come a long way now, going gluten free, my best hours have come back and experiencing the joy of life!!
Gluten sensitivity is real. And it exists in more people than we think. Now I think my mother’s cancer was due to it.
Wow! Everyone has left such excellent and helpful comments. A few weeks ago, I tried to eat half a sandwich on sourdough. I’m really paying for it now. It’s the upper stomach pains that are so bad. I had achieved a new level. It’s back to no gluten.
I appreciate those who have shared about fructose and FODMAPs, also. Even after going off gluten for a year, I wasn’t able to eat most fruits. Bananas and cooked apples – sometimes cantaloupe – are about it for fruit. All others cause terrible cramping – I’m guessing IBS. And onions cause reflux. Reading all these comments help me feel that I’m not all alone. Eating the way I do makes the paleo diet challenging as there’s only a handful of fruits and vegetables that I can eat. It’s easy to begin craving other foods. You see the lovely photos of tomatoes, avocado, etc., and you think, wow! I wish I could eat that! I know it could be worse, though. And I’m thankful for what I CAN eat. I’m looking forward to feeling better after getting back on the horse.
Laura, what about green or red peppers, eggplant, and garlic ? Plums and pears ? Do any of these cause problems ?
That’s a good questions. I think garlic in limited amounts is OK. Because tomatoes are out, I haven’t tried eggplant and peppers. Really, when I have those stomach pains, I can’t function for a couple of days. Because I have a child to care for, it’s not worth risking one of my bouts. They are truly quite painful. At some point, I’ll try them in small amounts. I think cooked pears might be OK.
I’ve discovered that eating low acid foods is helpful, also. I may be one of the rare ones that produces too much stomach acid. The day I ate gluten, I also ate homemade mayo. It could have just as easily been the mayo due to the acidity. One bite of a highly acidic food and I feel nauseous. Thank you for asking, Mr. Paleo!
no garlic nor tomatoes. please check all the nightshade vegetables. nightshades are a out for for persons suffering with RA and LUPUS.
My experience with bread has been that regular bread seems to affects my lower intestines, but sourdough bread affects my stomach terribly. Could it be that the sour dough starter is the culprit?
I think Mr. Paleo has made some interesting points about that. So, potentially, according to the information he’s shared, yes. It might even be the acidity. That’s not a popular idea among natural health care practitioners, but sometimes it is indeed the case. The last thing my holistic MD said to me (someone Chris has interviewed) before I stopped seeing him was, “Maybe it’s the acid.” But I did a search one day on cheese and discovered Ray Peat’s work regarding the fermentation process. I’m not a Ray Peat “follower,” but this was fascinating information – that many can’t eat fermented foods because of the bacteria or molds used in the process. I also read somewhere that as we age, not only do we produce less stomach acid, but our buffering capacity can get all out of whack, too. I’m not suggesting that because we are older we are doomed. We’re just perhaps more vulnerable under the wrong set of gut or stomach conditions.
I would like to take a moment to thank Chris Kresser for all his work, which I have followed from the very beginning… we all owe him a debt of gratitude. “NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRENDER, Chris !!!!
Yes, I agree. I’m experiencing a set back at the moment. But it’s because of reading so much of Chris’ work that I ever made progress to begin with. His ability to look at health from different perspectives influenced my food choices for the better.
If you don’t mind my asking, what sort of health problems are you facing, at the moment ?
Aha! Well, hello again. I’ll try to clarify, briefly. I was hospitalized as a child for severe stomach pain that feels much like the episodes I currently experience. They never figured out what was wrong, but later as an adult, I was told it sounded like a hiatal hernia. One doctor said it was gastritis. Maybe I have both.
I caught a virus in 2009, which created havoc. It resulted in the same type of pain I experienced as a child along with an egg sensitivity. I was able to pretty much eat anything until that happened. Going on a low acid/low fiber diet has helped tremendously. I also don’t eat much starch. I’m experimenting with that one. The IBS is pretty much gone as I’ve figured out the trigger foods, which seem to mostly be fruit.
Peppermints are king. Really. Normally I wouldn’t recommend anything with sugar, but when I have a severe stomach ache, peppermints eventually provide relief. Many times, they’ll prevent an episode. I only use natural mints that don’t have any gums. Tea can make me throw up. When these bouts are severe, I usually do end up barfing or dry heaving. I’ve learned it’s best to fast when the symptoms first begin. Until I ate that sandwich, the bouts had become less frequent and much milder in pain. I’m doing better but still in the danger zone. Maybe I need to walk up into the hills by my house and fast for three days and three nights. Ha! (just teasing) Thanks for asking, Mr. Paleo – didn’t mean to write a book.
Laura:
You mentioned a natural cure that would help many people who tried it — fasting. I became interested in fasting after a friend reported that she could stay off her medication for rheumatoid arthritis by fasting for four or five days. Whenever she experiences a new flareup of her symptoms, she simply fasts again (typically a year or so later after her last fast) to make them go away.
Here is an intriguing article about how fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of a damaged, old immune system:
https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regeneration-of-damaged-old-immune-system/
There is a fascinating book about a medical doctor who cured his devastating ulcerative colitis (it almost destroyed his life) by fasting. It is titled “Triumph Over Disease by Fasting and Natural Diet” by Dr. Jack Goldstein.
There are also a handful of fasting clinics located in the U.S. and other clinics located in Europe and elsewhere. They have doctors that will monitor your progress on longer fasts (i.e., up to a month or more).
Thank you, Michael! I’m going to look into the book. It’s as if my body is saying, “I need a break.” Food must be irritating the lining of my stomach or one of the valves. Bananas along with small amounts of water work if I begin the fast soon enough. It’s getting better by sticking with what I call – simple foods. I feel a three day broth diet would be good, also. I’m not going to lie to you. I find being the caretaker and having these dietary challenges overwhelming at times. I’m the cook, dishwasher, etc. There are others who have it worse, though. And I’m slowly improving. Thanks, again! I will take a look at the link, also.
Fasting eliminates gliadin with the carbohydrates, gives the intestinal tract a rest & induces Ketosis. For more on Keto see, especially the first 3 episodes of 2 keto Dudes.
After over 30 years of stomach cramps and needing be within running distance of a bathroom I did my own research. I had all the standard tests from diverse specialists done with no answer and tried all the remedies. I was specifically told it wasn’t gluten – wrong symptoms. I was told it was because I was anxious. Who wouldn’t be anxious when at any time, with no warning, you would need to get to a bathroom. To function I existed on a diet of rice and salmon for nearly a year at one stage (to ensure I kept my job). By searching the internet I found that problems with gluten has been known about for a 100 years (I mean reading mainstream medical papers – not alternative medicine). When I dug up research papers into gluten sensitivity I immediately saw that the symptoms were identical to mine. After two weeks eliminating gluten I was virtually free of symptoms and have been for over 7 years now. Going from almost daily episodes of cramps (some so bad I have passed out on the bathroom floor) I can now eat almost anything – as long as it is not contaminated with gluten. Of course, my GP is now ‘up to speed’ on this and insults me by repeating information I tried to put forward all those years ago – only to be poo-poo-ed. Oh, and the latest thing to save face is the statement that it is not actually gluten, but FODMAPS causing IBS. Well – for this now happy camper, that is rubbish. I love onions (and can now eat them) and I have it daily as an ingredient for the main meal. Also garlic, honey and apples give me no problem at all. In fact, I can eat anything that is gluten free. Of course, going gluten free has its trendy followers – but I don’t care. Their purchasing weight has ensured I have a wide selection of GF foods to select from a standard supermarket. Despite having lost years of my life tied to the bathroom and being told it is all in my head, I console myself that I have been able to get proper treatment for my 3 children, who also suffer to varying degrees. My youngest son, who was the worst affected of the 3, now can go anywhere without the anxiety of an attack.
I still have residual anger about the dismissal by the medical profession for all those years. My GP and I have an unspoken pact not to mention gluten during consultations as I cannot control my anger on this subject. After being insulted all those years I find it difficult not be insulting back on the subject.
Congratulations on your success… it is a shame that in America, we need to trust no one, and do our own homework…
Can’t even begin to tell you how many “disagreements” I have had with allopaths and their “brainwashed” clients.
It happens everywhere my friend…not just in America.
I’m italian and feel exactly the same…
I have battled for around 3 years now with an erupt of anxiety related IBS. There was a period it appeared that all that I ate influenced me. Through experimentation and a progression of end eating regimens and tenacious counsels with my specialist, I was analyzed as having a dairy sensitivity! I believed that was it however I know for beyond any doubt that gluten/wheat influences me as well. At whatever point I think, i’ll simply attempt that (french bread) again just to see, I wish I hadn’t. I was tried for CD which was negative.
I have been diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases, one being celiac. I have also found I have lead and cadmium toxicity. After going through a chelation program my health has improved tremendously. Do u think celiac can be caused from diseased intestines from heavy metals?
Hello! Im not sure if I’m asking Mr. Kresser this ? or whom? Very interesting article! Thank you very much! My daughter has been diagnosed with a fairly high level of Celiac’s Disease and a few other problems recently after blood tests and then an internal look of all the pipes from her throat down to through the colon to verify the CD and make sure there wasn’t any cancer. She, also was found to have Pernicious anemia and a Hiatal hernia & hemorrhoids. She had no known symptoms at all! She had been anemic for a very long time and was finally sent to a better Dr and he recommended all these tests. Please tell me why she would not have any symptoms and is there a possibility that she has instead what the person who said he had been diagnosed with a similar problem but with a different cause( he said the cause was fructose and the inability to digest it correctly by the bacteria). I forget what it was called? Also, I am being told to be tested because apparently it is inherited and since I have type 1 diabetes which is also an autoimmune disease, its probably from me. I do get indigestion and feel like burping alot whenever I eat and/or drink. Ive been taking digestive enzymes to help. Are these possible symptoms for NCDS or CD or the other one having to do w/fructose?? Last question: My internist gladly gave me a Rx for this screening for CD. She wrote the two codes for IgA Gliadin antibody & IgH Gliadin antibody on the page. Is this good enough blood test? Thanks a bunch! How do I see your/a response??
As someone who lives in a remote part of Australia and doesn’t have access to the latest health care unless I travel interstate, I can tell you I am self diagnosed with Fructose malabsorption, (which is different to Fructose intolerance), NCWS and also FODMAPS (they are all kind of related to each other, I think). No doctor came close to diagnosing this. I have been on several elimination diets over many years, to try and get control over this and for the most part I have finally succeeded after following a low FODMAP diet and completely eliminating certain foods. You are right to question the foods and intolerance levels for both yourself and your daughter. If you can read more about FODMAPS you will likely find some answers there. Because there are many foods and additives I cannot digest, finding the real causes were difficult but it can be done. Best of luck to you.
http://www.badbugs.org/
Have a read of this. It could be the source of your problem.
Hi I am Trisha and would like to say this looks like a page where anyone can join in. All the best in getting answers to your questions. Best Regards Trisha
I get the burping, also – but only when I’m having stomach pains. Interestingly, the peppermints I take help relieve gas and trapped air. I’m guessing they’re acting as a digestive since mint is supposed to be a digestive herb. I believe this is suggestive of a hernia. But I haven’t been scoped and would prefer to avoid that procedure. I think that I just don’t digest some foods well. Cheese is one of those, for me. One thing I would like to suggest, though, is to watch your water intake. I don’t generally drink water right after meals – only after my food has had time to make it farther down the pipe. I have to be even more careful after dinner, allowing 3 to 4 hours after eating. I know that I’m improving as it’s getting better. I can drink water more frequently now. I wouldn’t drink too much at once, either. For about a year or more, I could only drink Gerolstiener bottled water. Poor me. I miss it, but it’s an expensive way to get water. I do believe it helped me heal. I don’t ever want to give advice that would cause harm to someone else, though. Check with a practitioner regarding this. Maybe someone more qualified will jump in with some input.
I don’t care what any study says, I know for me, that wheat/gluten causes my skin rashes, and I gladly go without wheat and gluten and the rashes. Not to say how much better I feel when I don’t eat it. I don’t care what people say, I just eat what I eat, and the naysayers can say whatever they like about it. I know what works for my body, and recommend everyone figure out what works for their particular body.
Way to go!
I really like your attitude re sensitivity-actually no two people have the same DNA line-up,and individuality is where one sees that the same allergen reacts differently in every single one.
Keep up the good work!!-JM
Well what is a gluten challenge?
Sandra, eliminate ALL grains and legumes, in ANY form, for six weeks… then re-introduce a SMALL amount of gluten-containing food, NOT sugary (like a donut)… see what happens in your body…
I felt better in 3 days each time after removing dairy then gluten, 20 years later when I removed all grains. Each time, like a miracle rebirth my life was turned around.
Unfortunately, because I rejected those ridiculous ideas of diabetes back then & still, I am facing a battle of severe Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Thyroid, [adrenal] axis, HPT axis, dysfunction. Most doctors call it diabetes.
In retrospect, the signs were obvious since a projectile vomiting, diuretic child was allowed to eat Fruit Loops, Icecream & chocolate sauce [or milo] as a go to ‘food’.
Improvements by eliminating grains, for me, kept me from addressing Carbohydrate Intolerance.
See The Fat Emperor for an introduction to the worlds leading authorities on diabetes.