Need a Weight Loss Plan? Try Gluten-free!

In the past I have been somewhat critical of the media’s ‘profiling’ if you will, that a gluten-free diet is the latest weight loss craze. My upset came from the fact that gluten causes so much more than weight gain. As a toxic protein, gluten can create problems in literally every system of the human body in those who are sensitive to it. And, due to our poor diet, increased toxic environmental load and drug exposure, the incidence of gluten intolerance and celiac diseases rises every time we evaluate it.

I think you would agree that a substance that has been linked to depression, migraines, fatigue, joint pain, autoimmune disease, infertility and autism and yes, weight gain, deserves more ‘press’ than a quick quip about it being the latest diet of the stars.

But let’s look at fat and overweight for a moment. Weight gain poses a very serious problem here in the US. A full two-thirds of our population is overweight while one-third is obese. The diseases we now appreciate that are caused by an abundance of fat cells is staggering. In fact, we now understand that fat cells literally explode and the chemicals they release directly cause degenerative diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more.

So while I don’t like press that places gluten put into the same category as the latest and greatest weight loss fad, I am happy at any evidence that shows gluten to be a serious weight loss tool that not only lowers the pounds but has a profound effect on the overall health of the body.

I was therefore delighted to read a study that was just published last week in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. The title is a mouthful, as so many scientific articles are, so I have included the full reference specifics below.

The researchers, out of Brazil, took a strain of mice and divided them into two groups. Both groups were fed a high-fat diet but only one group’s diet contained gluten at 4.5% of their total diet. The other group were completely gluten-free.

Body weight and fat gains were assessed, as were blood profiles that measured insulin resistance and inflammatory chemicals released from fat cells. In addition, positive measurements that were protective against disease and anti-inflammatory were also evaluated.

What they found was not only beneficial effects of a gluten-free diet in reducing fat gain, but the gluten-free diet also was anti-inflammatory and reduced insulin resistance.

If you haven’t heard these terms before, know that inflammation and insulin resistance are key issues in the development of the chronic degenerative diseases that are killing most Americans, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The authors’ conclusion was that gluten exclusion from the diet should be tested as a ‘new dietary approach’ to prevent the development of obesity and metabolic disorders.

That would mean that anyone with a weight problem, type II diabetes, heart disease, etc should be tested for gluten intolerance.

Now one thing I can guarantee you, these mice were not living on sugary gluten-free cookies nor were they lounging on the couch all day! You get what I mean. These were mice that were put on a healthy diet that contained no gluten, and they exercised at a healthy level.

And, while I appreciate that you are not a mouse, do understand that animal studies on mice and rats translate quite nicely into human biology. Otherwise there wouldn’t be such an abundance of research using these animals.

The takeaway from this study goes beyond the healthy weight and fat percentages that these gluten-free animals attained. Their blood profiles, when on a gluten-free diet were exceptional. The blood tests revealed that these animals were also less likely to develop the chronic degenerative diseases that afflict most Americans.

For me, that was the exciting part as it went way beyond simple weight loss.

My recommendation? Listen to these researchers and try a gluten-free diet. If you can get a blood test first to determine if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, that’s best. But if that’s not available to you, try a 30 day gluten-free trial. After 30 days, see if you feel better. Maybe a specific symptom abates but perhaps it’s just a general feeling of improved well-being. Such changes indicate a positive test and remaining gluten-free is heartily recommended.

Do you want to lose weight? Give this a try and let me know how you do.

I look forward to hearing from you.

If your health is not where you want it to be, consider calling us for a free health analysis. We are here to help!

Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and around the world, so you don’t need to live locally to receive assistance.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

Reference:

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2012 Dec 17. pii: S0955-2863(12)00226-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2012.08.009. Gluten-free diet reduces adiposity, inflammation and insulin resistance associated with the induction of PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma expression.

Soares FL, de Oliveira Matoso R, Teixeira LG, Menezes Z, Pereira SS, Alves AC, Batista NV, de Faria AM, Cara DC, Ferreira AV, Alvarez-Leite JI.

Celiac Disease and Cancer Risk – What you need to know

Lymphoma is a blood cancer that develops in the lymph system of the body. It has long been known that lymphoma and celiac were linked.

In August a study was published in the American Journal of Hematology whereby the records of almost 1,300 patients with celiac disease treated over the past 30 years at the Celiac Disease Center located a tthe the Columbia University Medical Center. The researchers found 40 cases of lymphoma, a six-fold increased incidence than the general population. Most of the patients suffered with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a specific type of the disease.

Those patients developing the disease were found to be diagnosed with celiac disease later in life (58 years old on average) and more often suffered from abdominal pain, diarrhea and/or weight loss.

The researchers summarized their results with the recommendation that older patients with these symptoms should be monitored for the development of the disease.

A few factors likely contribute to this association of celiac, lymphoma and later diagnosis with severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Let’s look at what they could be:

1.       Those diagnosed later in life could have suffered the disease for their entire life with no one giving them the correct diagnosis – sadly a common problem. Decades of untreated celiac disease, of course, results in decreased absorption of vital nutrients. With poor nutritional status, the body’s ability to repair itself is compromised.

2.       Celiac disease, to some degree, destroys the lining of the small intestine, an organ that houses 80% of the body’s immune system. Failing to diagnose this strain on the body’s immune system plus allowing the presence of the toxin gluten to persist, decreases the immune system’s ability to kill cancer cells.

3.       Patients who suffer severe digestive complaints typically have a weakened probiotic population in their small intestine. We now understand that this population of 10 trillion organisms is able to keep bad, disease causing genes turned off, when it’s healthy. On the flip side, once stressed, the probiotics are unable to have a positive effect on genetic expression and bad genes flip on – such as cancer.

4.       Also with celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity, the stress on the gut’s immune system often results in the presence of infectious organisms. These organisms further compromise the immune system – another stressor that can increase the risk of cancer.

The bottom line is that early diagnosis is very important, but even more important is the quick resolution of stress on the small intestine and it’s most important resident, the immune system. Restoring the immune system to its full strength is the best weapon against developing cancer.

Should you suffer from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity and find that your health is not to the level you desire, please consider contacting us for a free health analysis. We specialize in taking gluten intolerant patients to the next level of health. Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally, therefore you do not need to live locally to receive assistance. We are here to help!

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

Brain Changes in Autism caused by Gluten?

Gluten affects the brain and the nervous system. This is knowledge that we’ve had for some time. Unfortunately that knowledge has not arrived at the doorstep of many doctors whom are stuck in the historical description of celiac disease as a disease that presents with a patient who is dramatically underweight, has abdominal pain, diarrhea and bloating. No wonder we diagnose a mere 3% of our celiacs in this country! Many doctors flatly refuse to even test patients who do not present with classic symptoms.

What this means for our population is that children with autism, teens with anorexia, depression and anxiety plus adults with a host of similar neurological problems will continue to suffer due to the underlying root cause remaining undiagnosed. What is the cause? Gluten.

Back in 2000, a study titled “Agnormal regional cerebral blood flow in childhood autism” was published in Brain. This was a complex study that actually mapped out the areas of the brain that received insufficient blood flow in autistic children. What was so fascinating was the correlation between the regions affected and the type of behavior most afflicting these autistic children. Various abnormalities including theory of mind (inability to understand other people’s mental states) abnormal responses to sensory stimuli (they don’t want their feet to leave the ground, noises bother them dramatically, normal grooming is overwhelming for them, etc.) and the obsessive desire for sameness (activities need to be done exactly the same way, in the same order, at the same times, etc.) had a direct correlation to the parts of the brain suffering from lack of blood flow – called hypoperfusion.

How does this relate to gluten and celiac disease? In 2004 a study was presented in the American Journal of Medicine titled “Regional Cerebral Hypoperfusion in Patients with Celiac Disease”. This research revealed hypoperfusion in individuals with untreated celiac disease. This group revealed a loss of blood flow to a particular area of the brain (the frontal lobe) that was associated with increased instances of anxiety and depression. When evaluating celiacs who were untreated against healthy normal controls, the evidence was clear: “No blood flow abnormalities were found in the healthy control subjects. Of the 15 untreated celiac patients, 11 had at least one area of hypoperfusion in the brain region…while only 1 of 15 celiac patients on a gluten-free diet had hypoperfusion… high levels of anxiety were common in the untreated celiac patients (11/15)…depression was more common in untreated celiac patients (10/15).”

This makes it clear that when you have a negative reaction to gluten and you continue to eat it, you are putting your brain at risk. Lack of blood flow to the brain was seen consistently in untreated celiacs and it was also not seen in the healthy normal control group. And the best news was that it also not a major issue in the treated celiac group- meaning those celiacs who were following a gluten-free diet.

The takeaway here is that gluten is a known initiator of poor blood flow to the brain and the area of the brain affected seems to correlate to the behavioral and mental symptoms experienced by the patient. Based on the autism research it seems a prudent idea to screen autistic children for gluten intolerance as soon as the autism diagnosis is made. What do you think? What about those with depression and anxiety? The 2004 study results are quite compelling. Lastly there was a study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics also in 2004 that stated they found similar blood flow alterations in untreated celiac who suffered from anorexia nervosa. Would it be a good idea to screen those suffering from anorexia for celiac disease?

I’d like to hear what you think.

I hope this was helpful and I equally hope that this information will help to diagnose someone who is suffering with one of these conditions due to gluten intolerance and its affect on blood flow to the brain.

If you or someone you know is suffering, please consider calling us for a free health analysis. We are here to help!

Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

References:

Brain 2000, 123, 1838-1844. “Abnormal regional cerebral blood flow in childhood autism”. Researchers out of Tokyo, Japan.

American Journal of Medicine, “Regional Cerebral Hypoperfusion in Patients with Celiac Disease” , March 1, 2004, pp. 312-317.

Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2004 Issue 20, pp. 821-824
Pediatrics, Kieslich, M., Vol. 108 No. 2, August 2001.

Lancet Neurology, 2010; 9: pp. 318-30

Why Children Diagnosed with Celiac Have Higher Rates of Suicide

When I originally heard about this research study, I will admit to feeling a bit depressed and confused with the reported results. Certainly, our goal when working with people who have celiac disease is to make a diagnosis as soon as possible. We know that the longer you have undiagnosed celiac disease, the higher your risk of dying from all causes, as well as increasing  your risk of suffering from an additional autoimmune disease (remember that celiac itself is an autoimmune disease).

Why then would it be found that individuals who are diagnosed with celiac disease in childhood have a 3-fold increased risk of death occurring primarily from suicide, accidents and violence? [Note: malignancies (cancer) and cerebrovascular disease (e.g. stroke) also played a role.] On the other hand, individuals who are diagnosed with celiac in adulthood have a smaller increased risk of death, about 38% and primarily from cancer of the GI tract and lymphoma - still an increase over their celiac-free counterparts, but not as marked an increase as those diagnosed in childhood. What occurs for this to happen?

Let’s look at the research in more detail: Two hundred eighty-five children and 340 adults diagnosed with celiac disease in childhood and adulthood respectively, were followed until death, loss of follow-up (they lost track of them) or up to December 31, 2004. This was the first study of its kind with such excellent long-term follow-up which allowed the researchers to really discover the life course of these individual’s health status as compared to the general population.

As mentioned above, all-cause mortality more than 5 years after diagnosis was increased threefold in children compared with only a 38% increase in adults. One thought was that the increased mortality in those diagnosed as children was due to behavioral change associated with coping with a chronic disease. The authors referenced some studies that showed children with chronic diseases to more likely be ‘risk takers’ than their healthy counterparts.

The first thought I had was that these celiacs who were diagnosed as children were not adhering to their diet. Since the majority of the excessive number ofdeaths in this group were from accidents, suicides and violence, it makes sense that poor adherence to a gluten-free diet was a potential culprit. Gluten affects the nervous system and hormonal balance, so years and years of poor gluten-free adherence could very well result in depression or other mental health changes that could result in the types of mortality seen in this study. The authors concurred that was likely a factor and stated that “poor adherence to a gluten-free diet and depression or other psychiatric morbidity are likely to be associated. Once a psychiatric problem exists, there is a ‘catch-22’ of reduced compliance – therefore one feeds into the next. The others also stated that “better dietary adherence might improve any depression or other psychiatric morbidity and make self-harm less likely.”

It’s a delicate matter and one that any parent of a celiac child or a child with any chronic disease must address: How best to keep them healthy, following the dietary regimen that is prescribed AND happy! Is accomplishing all three a Herculean or near-impossible task? I don’t think so. And having been working with patients for well over 20 years plus having three children of my own who are all gluten intolerant, I think I can speak with some authority on the matter.

Here are my recommendations:

1.       Whether you are an adult or child diagnosed with gluten intolerance, you must be properly educated. This is not a light matter or a diet that you can follow when you’re ‘in the mood’. This is a life-long commitment that, while difficult, is well worth the effort it takes. Until you are properly educated, you won’t take the needed steps that are required to alter your lifestyle around your gluten-free requirements. As the parent of a child, if the child is too young to appreciate this, then you must be responsible for everything that goes into their mouth. Yes, I know that’s a big deal but it is your responsibility nonetheless to handle caretakers, teachers and parents of friends. I did it for all my children and it was worth it.

2.       A gluten-free child necessitates a gluten-free household. I know, you’re not happy about this, but if it makes a difference in your child’s long life vs. premature death, then obviously there is no argument. This is my opinion based on working with many, many patients, not to mention raising three children with gluten intolerance – so let me state that at the outset.

But when I think about what children least enjoy, high on the list is ‘being different’. Certainly well up on that same list, for I think most of us, is ‘feeling deprived’.

I think you’ll admit that being the ‘only’ gluten-free member of a household who watches everyone else in the house eating gluten when you can’t, is a depressing proposition. Family members who are definitely deemed safe to eat gluten can do so on their own, when they are not in the presence of the child. When the family is together, it’s needs to be a gluten-free zone that everyone puts on a happy face about. It’s not going to help to have a gluten-free household if a sibling is complaining about having to follow the diet in front of the gluten-free child.

When going out to eat or going to parties, you’ll find as a parent that you’ll do a better job of preparing your child’s food if you know that you and the rest of the family need  to be prepared as well.

I think it’s critical to openly discuss why the child is gluten-free and how one’s health can be adversely affected by gluten. I raised my children to openly discuss gluten intolerance and the result was that they rarely felt deprived, plus they frequently diagnosed friends and their families with gluten intolerance! It was impressive how often they referred unhealthy friends or their family members to the clinic who indeed ended up having a gluten problem.

The big moral of the story is that if you’re gluten intolerant you’re not ‘weird’ or ‘different’. In fact you are in very good company. The only problem is that most of the people suffering with gluten intolerance just don’t know it. So don’t be silent about your condition, tell others. Educate everyone you meet. Not only will you feel less alone but you will most likely help many others to improve their health. That’s what happened in my family.

3.       Find a clinician who works with gluten intolerant patients often and understands the nuances of not only diagnosis of celiac but gluten sensitivity as well. Further, the doctor should be versed in the critical secondary effects of gluten that if not addressed will prevent full restoration of health. And lastly the doctor should understand and be comfortable working with children so that he/she fully educates them and their families to have a healthy and happy gluten-free home.

I hope this was informational. This is an extremely important topic and one that we take quite seriously here at HealthNOW. We ensure that every child we see truly understands the importance of following their diet and do everything possible to see that the family is supportive in every way possible. If you have a child with gluten intolerance or one you suspect is, or if your own health is not the way you want it to be, consider contacting us for a free health analysis. We are here to help!

Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally, so you do not need to live locally to receive help.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

Reference:

American Journal of Gastroenterology 2007;102:864–870. ‘Long-Term Mortality in People With Celiac Disease Diagnosed in Childhood Compared With Adulthood: A Population-Based Cohort Study’.           M Solaymani-Dodaran, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.; J. West, M.B., Ph.D., M.R.C.P.; R. Logan, M.B., M.Sc., F.R.C.P.

The Annual Gluten Sensitivity & Celiac Forum is Almost Here!

The only event of its kind...  this is where people come together to learn information about gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, speak to international experts in the field, and sample a variety ofgluten-free foods.

Let me tell you why we hold our annual Forum. One of the most common issues I run into with my patients is that they are not educated fully on gluten intolerance. This lack of education or understanding results in them making mistakes that cause serious repercussions on their health. Other times, the patient is a child and the lack of education on the part of their parent or parents is creating an adverse effect on their health. And still other times it is the relatives or friends of patients who themselves have a problem with gluten but who are choosing to ignore it, to the great concern of my patient who understands how serious the problem is.

So that's why it's important.  It is an opportunity to get educated, speak with experts from around the world, meet like-minded people and enjoy delicious gluten-free food from local vendors.

It is a rare opportunity, and is only held once a year-- not to mention the fact that this Forum is the only one like it in all of California.

To top it off, 10% of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, so that we can get to the bottom of the problem once and for all!  If increasing awareness about gluten and the effects it has on human health is something you want to support, then buy a ticket and come join us on Saturday, October 13th!

We look forward to seeing you, your friends and family there—and please forward this post and spread the word!

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

Don't wait, seating is limited to 300.

When: Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm.
(Registration 9:00 am - 9:30 am)
Where: The Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel, Palo Alto, CA
Speakers: Dr. Rodney Ford, Dr. Thomas O'Bryan, Dr. Stephen Wangen,
Dr. Vikki Petersen, Dr. Rick Petersen
Tickets: $29.95 per person: Purchase Online here or Call 408-733-0400

Do Drugs Cause Gluten Intolerance?

Have you had a reaction to any medication? Have you had a stressful medical event, be it a root canal or other uncomfortable procedure? What if that stress and discomfort was enough to trigger gluten intolerance and ill health?

I found an interesting case report in Gastrointestinal Medicine recently. The report, titled ‘The onset of enhanced intestinal permeability and food sensitivity triggered by medication used in dental procedures’ drove home an important point that we have known for some time. When the immune system is compromised beyond a certain level, its ability to keep bad genes turned off is thwarted. In other words that healthy ‘off’ switch flips to the ‘on’ position and disease is now manifest.

In this particular study, a healthy 52 year old woman with no discernible health issues went through vigorous dental procedures for several months. She received a root canal, bone graft and dental implants. Her initial visits were five in number over the course of only ten days. During that time she received anesthetics, antibiotics and painkillers.

Four months later while completing the dental implant procedure, she again received anesthesia, antibiotics and painkillers. A few hours later she developed a severe allergic reaction along with difficulty breathing. This was handled with emergency adrenaline but afterwards the patient started suffering from diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain lasting over a week. This was followed by IBS-like symptoms that went on for months.

She saw a gastroenterologist who tested her blood extensively including tests for celiac disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. All tests were negative including gene tests for celiac disease. The gastroenterologist could offer no help.

Fortunately the patient did not give up and sought a second opinion from a practitioner in the functional medicine field. This doctor evaluated her for a leaky gut, gluten sensitivity and cross-reactive foods. These tests were all positive. Upon the initiation of a gluten-free diet, avoidance of cross-reactive foods, probiotics and a clinical nutrition program designed to heal the gut, the patient was back to normal within six months.

What can we learn from this case study?

1.      If you are planning an elective medical procedure, take a little time beforehand to optimize your immune system and heal a leaky gut. If you have a strong immune system embarking upon a procedure that requires drugs and is stressful, you are much more likely to weather it successfully if you have prepared ahead of time.

2.      In any elective situation, consider making the procedure less stressful by giving your body a little time to recuperate between visits. Did this patient really require five visits in only ten days? Surely she could have stretched them out somewhat and it would have been less stressful to her system.

3.      Find a functional medicine or like-minded practitioner to work with, if possible. Here at HealthNOW we prepare our patients for such stressful events when we know that they are going to happen. Nutritional protocols properly executed can make the difference between a compromised immune system and one that bounces back well after stress and drugs. I shudder to think what might have happened to this patient if she hadn’t received a second opinion from a savvy practitioner.  Her desire for dental implants could have resulted in compromised health for the rest of her life.

Have you had such an occurrence? Has a pregnancy, surgery or illness seemed to compromise your health to the degree that you’ve never fully bounced back?

If so, I’d like to hear from you and help you. Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally. You don’t need to live local to us to receive care.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

Reference:

Case Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine. 2012; 2012: 265052. The Onset of Enhanced Intestinal Permeability and Food Sensitivity Triggered by Medication Used in Dental Procedures: A Case Report. Aristo Vojdani  and Jama Lambert

Published online 2012 September 12. doi:  10.1155/2012/265052

PMCID: PMC3447324

Does Your Wine Contain Gluten?

If you had asked me about a month ago if wine contained gluten I would have stated categorically “No”. Unfortunately I would have been wrong.  It turns out that wines can contain gluten from two different sources.

If you’ve ever seen vinegar that’s a bit old, you may have noticed some clumps floating around that made it look less than appealing. Wine suffers the same problem and winemakers use a process called ‘fining’ or clarification to force particles to clump together so that they’ll be easier to remove – the result is a nice clear wine.

That sounds good until you discover that anything from clay to milk to egg to fish derivatives to WHEAT GLUTEN are used in this process. Manufacturers state that if there is any residue of the fining agent left it should be quite miniscule.

While that may be adequate for many people, there are those that react very intensely to ANY residue of gluten. For these people, typically those with celiac disease, it is a qualitative factor not a quantitative one that causes their reactions. In other words, it doesn’t matter if the amount is quite small, it can still cause their immune system to react and their health to be compromised.

Some countries are forcing wine manufacturers to disclose on their label the source of their fining agent, though I could find no indication that this was forthcoming in the US.

As a clinician I have often been ‘stumped’ by patients telling me that they reacted to wine the same way they reacted to gluten or dairy products. Certainly alcohol in anything more than small amounts (4-5 glasses per week) is not good for anyone, but these particular reactions were difficult to sort out. No longer! I have patients that are extremely sensitive and between a fining agent and the next point we are going to discuss, it certainly now makes sense why they were reacting as they did.

Wheat gluten can be used to help seal the wooden casks or barrels in which wine is aged. Theoretically this gluten could easily leach into the wine.  Fortunately some wineries have moved away from wooden casks to stainless steel barrels for their aging process. It seems that finding out this data is easier than discovering the agent they use for fining.

If you are gluten intolerant and you know that you have trouble tolerating some wines, or if you continue to suffer ill health and you ingest wine, it would be a good idea to contact some wineries until you find a wine that you know is safe for you.

No discussion of wine would be complete without discussing the sulphite content since many people react to sulphites. All wines contain some amount of sulphites as a result of fermentation. These may be trace amounts and unnoticeable to many, but certainly not those with sensitivities.

Unfortunately sulphur dioxide is added to wine to prevent spoiling. This is used more so in white wine than in red, as red wine has higher levels of antioxidants naturally and therefore their presence prevents spoiling much more so than in white wine.

It is this antioxidant content that gives red wine its purported ‘health benefits’ and, in moderation, there is nothing wrong with some verified gluten-free red wine. But when it comes to quantities of health-giving antioxidants, certainly organic vegetables and fruits that are naturally gluten-free and sulphite-free are your best choice!

I hope you find this information helpful. Please share it with those you may know who tend to have reactions to gluten or wine.

If your health is not to the level you desire I am happy to help. You may call us for a free health analysis. Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally, so you do not need to live locally to receive treatment. 

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”

You Don’t Need an Intestinal Biopsy to Diagnose Celiac Disease

Intestinal biopsies have long stood at the front of the line as the ‘gold standard’ for celiac disease diagnosis. If little pieces removed from the small intestine failed to reveal major tissue destruction, a patient was told that they were free of the disease, despite what other factors came into play.

I have been frustrated by this approach for years because I have too often seen the devastating effects created by telling someone who was gluten intolerant that they were ‘okay’ to eat gluten simply because their biopsy was negative.

An intestinal biopsy does not tend to show positive during the early stages of celiac disease. Quite the contrary, the disease must be quite advanced before this insensitive, invasive and expensive test is positive. That is my greatest complaint. Celiac disease is devastating to many systems of the body, chief amongst them the digestive tract and the nervous system. The more advanced the damage the more difficult it is to regain one’s health.

Not only are we barely diagnosing 5% of those who suffer, but we typically only do so after the patient has spent a decade seeing numerous doctors. We then hold out an insensitive test as the standard that must be met to receive a diagnosis. Ridiculous!

If it was you or a loved one, wouldn’t you want to receive a diagnosis as soon as possible, before long term damage occurred to your body?  Of course you would.

Two new research studies were just released in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition both of which fly in the face of conventional thought regarding intestinal biopsies. Published in May and June this year, these studies both came to similar conclusions although they took different routes. They concluded that in the patients they studied a biopsy was unnecessary for the diagnosis of celiac disease.

The study in May, entitled “A Biopsy Is Not Always Necessary to Diagnose Celiac Disease”, examined 283 pediatric patients suspected of having celiac disease. The results of a blood test, tTG, and their response to a gluten free diet was also investigated.

The conclusion of the research was that pediatric patients whose tTG lab test is equal to or above 100 U/mL (units per milliliter) and for whom symptoms improved upon instituting a gluten free diet, may not need a small intestinal biopsy to confirm their celiac disease.

This is a tremendous step forward in the diagnosis of celiac disease. I personally let out a “hurrah” at the point regarding the importance of seeing improvement with a gluten free diet. This is a contention that I’ve held for a long time but we are only just beginning to see it given validity in research.  Feeling better on a gluten free diet is a valid diagnostic tool and should not be ignored.

The second study published in June, also in the Journal for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition was entitled, “HLA-DQ genotyping combined with serological markers for the diagnosis of celiac disease; Is intestinal biopsy still mandatory?” I know that title is a mouthful but basically they were looking at combining genetic testing with blood testing and asking if that was sufficient to diagnose celiac disease, without a biopsy.

They found the association of genetic and blood testing to have a very high predictive value for celiac disease. In fact the numbers approached 99%!

The researchers’ final recommendations were to omit the biopsy and utilize blood and gene testing instead.

If this area is new to you, then you’ll just have to trust me when I tell you that these results are a bit earth shattering in this field. In fact, many would argue with you that such research even existed, so entrenched are they in an outdated model. But the results are out, two in the past two months, with more to come I’m sure.

It’s time to confront the facts that we, as a country, are poor at diagnosing celiac disease and our ‘gold standard’ test has fallen down way too many times to ever regain the ‘gold’ crown. Doctors in this field shouldn't feel badly about learning more and changing their opinion as new information comes available. Doctors are supposed to do what they do for the greatest good of their patients, period.

Please share this information with friends, family and your doctor. We have a long way to go before we can pat ourselves on the back for our high diagnostic rate of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. But we can make strides by leaving older, less accurate diagnostic modalities behind us while embracing newer more effective testing.

Contact me with any questions you may have. I am here to help and task myself with staying on the cutting edge of this field. Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country as well as internationally. We would be delighted to assist you.

Visit us at www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com. If you have questions or need any help, I’m here for you! Call 408-733-0400.

I look forward to hearing from you.

To your good health,

Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN, CFMP


IFM Certified Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”

Author of the eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”