Gluten Intolerant? Hidden Source of Gluten Revealed!

Those who are gluten intolerant truly ‘live in fear’ of getting ‘glutened’. Glutened is an expression that’s been coined to mean that you inadvertently consumed gluten. And for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity a little gluten in a food can create negative health ramifications that last for hours, days, weeks or months – literally.

When it comes to cooking oils, they are generally found to be in the ‘no worries’ category when it comes to gluten. Recommended oils such as olive or coconut are made from fruits or nuts that contain no gluten naturally. Other less desirable oils such as canola, corn or safflower not only are made from substances that are naturally gluten-free but they are so refined that any protein that could have potentially caused a problem has been removed.

Typically labels on oils don’t specify that they are gluten-free because they don’t have to. Olive oil has a single ingredient – olives – and they are not a gluten-containing fruit. Some more refined oils may have an ingredient list on the bottle because in addition to the oil itself there are additives such as carotene, lecithin or citric acid that have been added to help the oil from going rancid. These oils are not the healthiest overall and not ones that I recommend for daily cooking, but the additives are gluten-free.

In the world of gluten intolerance we can never be anything less than vigilant and this post illustrates why.

Imagine my surprise when a patient pointed out that her cooking spray contained gluten. I never use cooking sprays which is probably why I hadn’t thought about the fact that such a product could contain gluten, but in over 20 years of educating patients about hidden sources of gluten, it honestly had never come up before.

Now that it has, let’s review the products on the market and what you should be alert for:

Sprays such as Pam Baking, Pillsbury Baking Spray, Spectrum Canola Baking Spray and Bak-Klene Nonstick Baking Spray all contain gluten. They all clearly stated on the ingredient list of the can that gluten was present. If you’ve done much baking you’ll be familiar with the process of greasing and flouring baking pans. These products are attempting to ‘make your life easier’ by having both ingredients in one spray bottle.

Wal Mart’s brand and Pam cooking spray (vs baking spray) state theirs does not contain gluten though both companies label theirs cans with a warning of potential cross-contamination.

So the lesson for this blog is – ALWAYS, ALWAYS READ THE LABEL!

Even if you ‘think’ you know what’s in something and even if you’ve bought it before and it was fine – READ THE LABEL. Too often patients get into trouble thinking that something ‘shouldn’t’ have gluten and therefore they don’t bother to read the label. Or, something that was ‘safe’ in the past has changed its ingredients and it now does contain gluten.

When dining out oil can become a problem from a cross-contamination issue. While your French fries may very well be gluten-free, if they’re deep fried in the same oil that just fried the tater tots, you’re in trouble. The gluten coating from those tater tots is in the oil and now, to some degree, on your French fries.

So when ordering anything deep fried, ensure the restaurant has a dedicated fryer that they use for their gluten-free products. If not, you are risking gluten contamination.

I hope you found this helpful. I am here to assist you to improve your health. Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally. 

If you’d like assistance I’m happy to offer you a free health analysis. Call 408-733-0400.

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!”

Celiac Disease Risk: Why an Emergency C-section is Healthier than an Elective One

When it comes to celiac disease risk, an elective or planned C-section creates a much greater incidence of celiac disease than an emergency one.

A natural, vaginal birth is probably every mother’s plan, but C-sections, at an increased rate, have become a fact of life.

In a recent study (October 2011) published in Gastroenterology, titled “Pregnancy outcome and risk of celiac disease in offspring: A nation-wide case-control study”, Dr Ludvigsson, an avid researcher in the field discovered a rather unexpected result associated with children delivered by cesarean section.

The study of over 11,000 patients with biopsy-proven celiac disease and close to 54,000 controls, were examined based on the type of birth they experienced. The study showed an outstanding 15% increase risk in those born through elective or planned C-section over those born via an emergency cesarean.

In fact there was no increased risk found for those individuals born from an emergency C-section.

Why the vast difference? The reason for the disparity lies in the vital exposure to the health-promoting probiotic organisms present in the birth canal that occurs in vaginal births as well as those who experience emergency C-sections.

Babies born after an emergency C-section typically reside in the birth canal for some time prior to the decision being made to perform the surgery.

Elective or planned C-sections afford the baby no time in the birth canal, in fact they are designed to occur before any major progression of labor has occurred. Therefore these babies are given no exposure to the healthy probiotic population that has recently been appreciated to be capable of keeping the celiac disease gene from expressing itself.

It is as if there is a switch for a disease that one is genetically programmed to be susceptible to, and it has an on and off position. Healthy probiotics can keep that switch in the ‘off’ position, despite the genetic tendency. Conversely, a lack of healthy probiotics allow that switch to move to the ‘on’ position, thereby allowing the disease to be expressed.

Let’s compare two children who both:

1.       Possess the genes for celiac disease

2.       Are exposed to gluten in their diet

The child born with exposure to the good probiotics in the birth canal won’t necessarily develop celiac disease, despite their genetic predisposition. The probiotics, if healthy and abundant, will suppress the expression of the celiac disease genes.

On the contrary, the child born via elective C-section and having no exposure to the probiotics, will not have the defense against the genetic predisposition to develop celiac due and will, therefore, be 15% more likely to develop the disease.

While avoiding a planned C-section is perhaps not a viable alternative for every expectant mother, this knowledge does seem vitally important for any expectant mother, who has celiac disease or any other autoimmune diseases present in their family.

If there is absolutely no recourse to a planned C-section due to whatever circumstance, I would strongly suggest that the mother takes all steps to optimize the health of their digestive tract and probiotic population such that when they nurse their newborn they can at least share their good bacteria through breast milk. This is, I believe, an extremely important practice for all newborns, but most especially in this circumstance.

If you need assistance in determining the best course of action to take to improve the health of your own small intestine such that your probiotic population provides the optimal health benefits to your future unborn children, or if you already have a child and want to ensure that their probiotic level is optimized, please feel free to contact me for a complimentary health analysis – call 408-733-0400.

The benefits to be obtained from keeping the 100 trillion probiotics (also known as the microbiome) in your small intestine healthy are quite remarkable. This is an emerging science, but one we know quite a bit about already.

Ensuring a healthy microbiome in yourself and your children is not difficult and the program is a natural  one. But each individual is unique and therefore the program must be designed on a personalized basis in order to achieve the greatest success.

I hope this was informative. We are here to help you, your children and family. Our destination clinic treats patients from across the country and internationally.

To your good health,

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!”

The Inside Scoop on Gluten Intolerance

I think it’s good to occasionally step back and focus on the basics of gluten intolerance. [Note: I use ‘gluten intolerance’ as an umbrella term that includes both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.] Sometimes I get so caught up in writing about the latest research that I forget that every hour of every day a newly diagnosed individual is needing information on  the basics - what gluten intolerance means and how they should begin the process of instituting a gluten-free diet.

This blog, the Gluten Doctors, was my first blog and one that I began after writing my book, “The Gluten Effect”. I wrote the book to embrace a disorder that was being completely ignored by the celiac community – gluten sensitivity. 

Fortunately after only a few months of the publishing date of “The Gluten Effect”, major researchers in the field began to publicly agree that gluten sensitivity was a very real condition and one that warranted the attention of researchers and clinicians alike.

Let’s discuss those basics:

What is Gluten Intolerance?

As mentioned above gluten intolerance is an embracive term that includes both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease has had many faces since it was first described by a medical doctor Samuel Gee in 1887. Initially it was thought to be purely a digestive problem, akin to indigestion.

It was later realized to be an autoimmune disease and small intestine destruction was considered the hallmark of the disease.

Knowledge further advanced and it was realized that celiac was more a disease of the immune system that affected most every part of the human body. From the heart to the lungs, from the liver to the brain, there is no system of the body that gluten doesn’t touch.

We now realize that celiac disease affects the nervous system more so than the digestive tract and that many so afflicted have absolutely no digestive complaints whatsoever – yet they still have celiac disease.

This last sentence would be a surprise, and in fact would be refuted, by many clinicians in this country today. They would be wrong but that wouldn’t make them any less emphatic about it. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to hear from people who ‘know’ they are gluten intolerant but are told by their doctor that if they have no digestive complaints they have no need to even be tested for the condition.

Classic celiac disease, as described so many years ago, consists of a profile that many clinicians, including gastroenterologists, embrace as ‘gospel’. This classic picture would present with an underweight patient with chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating.

Classic celiac disease exists, but it in no way describes the majority of cases – quite the contrary.

Celiac disease affects 1% of the population and it rises to about 4% with increased age.

How do you know if you have celiac disease? Good question. I wish I could tell you there was an absolute fool-proof test. Most recent research has this to say:

A highly positive tTG test with a positive AGA test (both blood tests) are highly correlative with celiac disease.

Do you have to have a positive intestinal biopsy to ‘confirm’ the blood tests? Many clinicians would say ‘yes’ and they would be wrong. Why? You can definitely have celiac disease and have a negative biopsy. To say otherwise is condemning many celiac sufferers to a shortened, unhealthy lifespan.

[I can see the comments coming in already. I know, you’ve been told otherwise. It is incorrect.]

So what does one do if they get a negative test but they are suspicious of being gluten intolerant? I have two suggestions:

1.       Try a gluten-free diet for 30 days and see how you feel. [Feeling better is a valid test in itself.] Do remember that this is a zero tolerance policy so educate yourself first and then begin. There’s no point in a ‘mostly gluten free’ approach – it’s got to be as perfect as possible.

2.       Get a genetic test to see if you carry the genes for celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Either one makes for a lifelong gluten-free diet in your future, but I think it’s good to know for yourself as well as for other members of the family, which, if either, is positive. I’ve heard researchers state that there are likely more genes that code for gluten intolerance than we know about, but the genetic test available is still a good place to start.

Symptoms Associated with Celiac Disease

There are over 300 symptoms and conditions associated with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. I will include some of the most common ones below to give you an idea if you or someone you care about potentially falls into this category:

·         Fatigue

·         Infertility

·         Obesity

·         Diabetes

·         Depression

·         Rheumatoid arthritis

·         Anxiety

·         Thyroid disease

·         Gas/bloating

·         Liver disease

·         Diarrhea/constipation

·         Cancer

·         Headaches/migraines

·         ADD/ADHD

·         Acid reflux

·         Autism

·         Brain fog/Poor memory

·         Stunted growth

·         Hormonal imbalance

·         Osteoporasis

What is Gluten Sensitivity? How is it Different from Celiac Disease?

Gluten sensitivity is very similar to celiac disease. They are both genetic conditions, they both are known to affect most systems of the body, and both require a lifelong gluten-free diet.

The estimation of incidence of gluten sensitivity is much higher than celiac disease - 10% of the population. This is new research in an area that is in its infancy. Personally I feel that the incidence is likely much higher, perhaps up to 30% or more of the population. This personal estimate is based on my clinical experience and it is shared by others in the field. But I am not a researcher.

There is some thought that gluten sensitivity is less serious than celiac disease. This is not true. Both conditions can shorten life expectancy and create hundreds of different symptoms and conditions. Celiac disease is, in itself, an autoimmune disease and gluten sensitivity is not. Some extrapolate this to mean that gluten sensitivity cannot be a causative factor in creating autoimmune disease. I have not found this to be the case. In fact we have, here at the clinic, seen amazing improvements and sometimes reversals, of autoimmune diseases in patients who were gluten sensitive but who did not suffer from celiac disease. Once again this is my clinical experience, there is not much if any research in this area.

How do you Test for Gluten Sensitivity?

There are tests that exist for gluten sensitivity, although they are not ‘recognized’ currently. Does that mean they do not work? Not at all. I am quite pleased with the results of the testing I use. I find they correlate quite well with patient symptoms and improvement once a gluten-free diet is instituted.

The opinion that no ‘accepted’ gluten sensitivity test exists is simply a function of how new the field is. As mentioned earlier, it’s only been two years since general acceptance of the existence of gluten sensitivity occurred.

So what should you do if you suspect gluten sensitivity? I am happy to share with you the labs that I use and genetic testing is available as well. Ultimately the 30 day elimination diet is something I always include, regardless of what testing is done because I trust that as a valid test. I typically run the blood test and back it up with the 30 day elimination diet. The lab testing is not perfect, none of them are, but the body will tell you what it thinks of gluten if you eliminate it completely from your diet for 30 days.

If I am Gluten Intolerant How Do I Get Started?

      1.       You must educate yourself. I mentioned this is the first blog I ever created. Since then I have merged my website, blogs and you tube videos to act as a comprehensive resource. My ‘gluten sensitivity and celiac’ blog is at this address: http://www.healthnowmedical.com/category/gluten-intolerance-celiac/ you can also go to this page (http://www.healthnowmedical.com/am-i-gluten-sensitive/gluten-foods/) to learn the foods that are safe and unsafe when embarking on a gluten free diet.

      2.       Be patient. It is not easy to change your diet so radically and the change will likely not happen overnight. You will make mistakes, unfortunately. But learn from them and continue to be patient with yourself as you learn more about food in general and gluten in specific. If you hang in there you will be rewarded with greatly improved health.

      3.       Find a clinician to help you. This can be difficult which is why we created a destination clinic wherein we see patients from across the country and internationally. We are not the only ones who know how to take care of you, but the numbers are truly dismally small. We’ll try to help you find someone local to you but if that doesn’t work, we’re happy to help.

      4.       Finally, I wish I could say that eliminating gluten was the only step you had to take to restore optimal health.  Certainly it should be, but alas, there are other steps that need to be taken. Why? Removing gluten is simply not sufficient to restore the health to all the parts of the body that gluten has affected. From healing the small intestine, to regaining the strength of the healthy probiotic population, to balancing hormones and more - all these factors must be assessed and treated as needed. We call these the secondary effects of gluten and they are not difficult to treat.


I hope you found this helpful. Please let me know any questions you have or other topics you’d like to see me address.

I and my team of doctors are here to help. If you’d like to set up a health analysis give us a call at 408-733-0400. The initial consult is free.

To your good health,
Dr Vikki Petersen, DC, CCN
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
Co-author of “The Gluten Effect”
Author of “Gluten Intolerance: What you don’t know may be killing you!”

New Book on Gluten Intolerance Released!

I am very happy to announce the release of my e-Book entitled: "Gluten Intolerance - What You Don't Know May be Killing You".

Get Your Free Copy

The book is available free of charge to all new members of our HealthNOW website beginning today. Simply go to our home page here and become a member. Then follow the instructions for downloading the e-Book and enjoy!

This 20 page e-Book is easy to read and full of vital information for those who are gluten intolerant or suspect they may be. Some of the sections include:

• Vital facts about gluten intolerance

• A 'Self Test' to help you determine if gluten intolerance is affecting your health

• What you can and can't eat on a gluten free diet (including some little known data)

• What is a leaky gut and how to heal it

• The secondary effects of gluten that can cause continued ill health despite being gluten-free

I Don't Want You To Be a Statistic

I have written this book for you, your friends and family.  The sad facts are that we only diagnose 5 out of every 100 individuals suffering from celiac disease. And those wait an average of 10 years before receiving a diagnosis.

Those suffering with gluten sensitivity have it even worse. The most conservative estimate puts gluten sensitivity incidence at 10 times that of celiac disease. Considering that celiac is the most common life-long disorder in the US and Europe, that makes gluten sensitivity extremely common. But do we diagnose it efficiently?  Far from it. It is likely that 98% of those suffering from gluten sensitivity remain undiagnosed and suffering... needlessly.

If you have friends or family whom you think would enjoy the new book, please refer them to our website (www.healthnowmedical.com) where they too can become a member and download it. Membership has its privileges and we will continue to provide special benefits that you will be alerted to as they are made available.

Tell Me What You Think

Please give me your feedback and comments once you have read the book. I very much would like to hear back from you.

Here at HealthNOW we are dedicated to improving health by diagnosing and treating the underlying root cause that is creating the symptoms. All too often the diet, and specifically gluten intolerance, has a contributing, though unknown, role in many problems. We are committed to increasing awareness and raising understanding of gluten intolerance and all its many manifestations in the human body - there are over 300!

We created our Destination Clinic for that exact purpose and regularly treat patients and their families from across the country and internationally.  We are truly 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!”

Dr Vikki Petersen's Gluten Blog

It's here!  Our new web site and blog are live!

Here's the link to the new blog: http://www.healthnowmedical.com/category/gluten-intolerance-celiac/ 

Here are some titles of new posts that you can find on the new blog:

• You Don’t Need to Have Celiac Disease to Go Gluten-free

•  Why Do Some with Celiac Disease Never Heal? 

• Gluten Intolerance & PMS – What’s the Association?

• Gluten Intolerance and Celebrity Status

On the new site you will also have access to my youtube videos, as well as additional blogs written by other doctors on the HealthNOW team, all in one location.


Please let me know you thoughts and anything you would like to see on future blog posts.

Lastly, please become a member of the site.  It's not only free but you can get updates as they happen as well as engage with other members. Come join our community!

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!”