Is Quinoa ALWAYS Gluten Free?

Is Quinoa ALWAYS Gluten Free?

Quinoa is grown in the Andes and is typically thought of as a grain. But that is a misnomer. Despite cooking up as a grain-like substance, quinoa is factually a seed from a plant similar to spinach and Swiss chard. Considering how healthy those two vegetables are, it is not then surprising that quinoa has a high protein content and contains all the necessary amino acids – making it one of those ‘near perfect’ foods that is nutritious, economical and easy to make. AND it’s gluten-free… or is it?

Hold on, before you stop reading because you think this is going to be depressing and you’re going to lose another of your ‘go to’ gluten-free staples, let me explain. The data that I’m about to present was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in August 2012. And I think that it’s important that you know.

The researchers, from Kings College in London, designed their study to analyze quinoa since little experimental data existed to support its safety as part of a gluten-free diet.

One of the reasons that quinoa has been on the gluten-free list is based on its protein content. Remember it is the protein in a food that tends to be problematic – gluten, more correctly gliadin, is a protein, as is casein, the problematic portion of dairy products. When someone ‘reacts’ or is allergic to a food, it is typically a reaction to the protein portion.

Wheat, barley, rye as well as non-glutinous corn, sorghum and oats, fall into the category of being high in something called prolamins.

What are prolamins? 

They are storage proteins that contain high amounts of the amino acids proline and glutamine – and are found standard in glutinous grains. It is known that prolamins may induce celiac disease and gluten sensitivity in susceptible individuals.

Quinoa is known to be low in prolamins, therefore it is little wonder that quinoa, with its low prolamin content, seemed a quite safe alternative on a gluten-free diet.

In this study the scientists looked at different cultivars of quinoa, 15 of them in all. A cultivar is a cultivated variety of a plant that is produced from a naturally occurring species and then maintained by cultivation. It turns out that different regions of the Andes produce different cultivars and it was the goal of this research to see if any of these cultivars had varying amounts of prolamin, enough that the immune system of a celiac-prone patient might react to it.

As mentioned, it is the protein portion of foods that can cause reactions to occur. When a substance such as gluten is causing a reaction, it’s called an antigen (think of it as a toxin to the body). The immune system tries to attack the toxin or antigen by making an antibody (it works against the toxin). The region on the antigen where the antibody attaches itself is called an epitope. Okay, done with all the new words!

In this study the researchers’ aim was to determine if any of the 15 cultivars contained prolamin epitopes (so it’s acting as a toxin and the body’s immune system has to attack it) in enough quantity to be deemed on par with a gluten-containing food.

Here are their results:

Of the 15 quinoa cultivars tested, 4 had measurable concentrations of toxic epitopes, but they were below the maximum permitted for a gluten-free food. In other words, the 20 parts per million (ppm) threshold of gluten that by definition allows a food to be deemed ‘gluten-free’, was not exceeded.

However, two cultivars, Ayacuchana and Pasankalla, did stimulate the immune system to react in a way that is comparable to a gluten-containing food.

What’s our take-away from this research?

1.      In the main, quinoa seems to be a safe food, with most of its cultivars not causing the immune system reaction consistent with a gluten-containing food.

2.      Four cultivars fell below the 20 ppm of gluten, but they still did contain enough of the protein to cause a reaction, albeit a mild one.

3.      Two cultivars were downright bad – they causes a gluten response that was above the 20 ppm threshold and unfortunately acted upon the immune system consistent with someone who was eating gluten.

Here is what I tell my patients about quinoa:

First of all, I ensure that they have been gluten-free for long enough that we have mostly healed their gut. Then we do a trial with quinoa to see how they feel. Most people do fine, but not all. If someone has a reaction, we wait until they have ‘healed’ from the assault and then attempt it one more time. If they react again, we deem them sensitive to quinoa and recommend abstinence.

Finally, if someone is very suspicious and wants to know for sure, we can run a cross-reactivity blood test that tests for a quinoa reaction along with many other such foods whose protein structure can mimic gluten. It’s an excellent test and a great tool to be able to take someone to their desired next level of health. 

While writing this piece I was curious to see if one could easily find out what cultivar a quinoa company used. An online search didn't yield any data, but I think it would be worthwhile to contact a company to see if they utilized either of the two cultivars mentioned above that caused a reaction.

It is possible that if those cultivars were avoided, a seemingly reactive individual might be able to tolerate quinoa quite well.

Do you react to quinoa, or do you enjoy it as a part of your gluten-free diet?

If anyone wants to do a little research and find out if any companies are forthcoming regarding the cultivars they use, please let me know. It’s definitely information I’d like to pass along.

Contact us for a Free Consultation - Call (408) 733-0400. 

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We help the world's busiest people regain, retain and reclaim their health, energy and resilience. 

If you liked this blog please share it with friends and family.

To reclaiming your best health,

Dr. Vikki Petersen DC, CCN

Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner

Founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic

Author of "The Gluten Effect"

Author of eBook: "Gluten: What You Don't Know May Be Killing You"

Reference:

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012 Aug;96(2):337-44. Variable activation of immune response by quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) prolamins in celiac disease.

Zevallos VF, Ellis HJ, Suligoj T, Herencia LI, Ciclitira PJ.

Hidden infections and gluten intolerances

As a doctor who has written a book on the subject of gluten, I am writing about this very important, although often overlooked consequence of celiac and gluten intolerance - hidden infections.

The mechanism revolves around the inflammation that is created in the small intestine with the ingestion of gluten for many years. This inflammatory response weakens the immune system of the intestine thereby allowing pathogenic (disease causing) organisms to gain a foothold. Every 10 minutes our small intestines are exposed to pathogenic organisms. A healthy immune system destroys them but a compromised immune system can't defend itself adequately.

These organism can cause a myriad of health problems including gastrointestinal symptoms, arthritis and joint inflammation, obesity, hormone imbalance - just to name a few.

Anyone with celiac or gluten intolerance is at risk for these infections which can be bacterial, parasitic, amoeba or yeast. I find a stool test to be the most accurate way to detect them but there are some labs I prefer over others due to their sensitivity and accuracy.

To find out more information and to schedule a free consultation, call 408-733-0400.

Hope this helps anyone curious.

Best,
Dr Vikki Petersen
www.rootcausemedicalclinic.com
www.glutendoctors.blogspot.com

Also, if an infection is found it is critical to retest to ensure that it's been eradicated. And lastly, since the immune system of a celiac or gluten intolerant individual can take a few years to reestablish once gluten and any offending organisms have been removed, annual testing is probably a good idea for a couple of years.

Sometimes a Gluten-free Diet Isn't Enough...

A lot of patients find themselves in the position of having removed gluten from their diet, but they are still suffering health problems. These patients have made the Herculean effort to remove gluten entirely from their diet and while they improved - their health is still not where they would have hoped.

So what’s the problem?

In my clinical experience, I find that patients who are either Celiac or gluten intolerant are highly susceptible to intestinal infections. The damage which gluten causes to the lining of the small intestine also damages the integrity of the immune system within the intestines. Considering that it is estimated that every 10 minutes our intestines are exposed to a pathogenic (able to cause infection) organism, it is critical to good health that our immune systems are strong enough to destroy these organisms. Gluten intolerant individuals don’t have a strong immune system and thereby tend to contract infections.

You may think that if you had an intestinal infection you would have a fever, severe diarrhea or abdominal pain. While this can occur, more often than not, these infections are less extreme in their presentation. But they are not silent. A patient with an intestinal infection will not enjoy optimal health and, unfortunately, will not get the entire benefit of removing the offending gluten from their diet. When an infection is not present, the removal of gluten results in the healing of the intestines and the improved health and well being of the patient. In the presence of infection, the healing does not take place because the infectious organism continues to irritate the lining of the intestine and the patient does not improve markedly.

Most doctors who diagnose celiac disease or gluten intolerance only focus on the change of diet that is necessary. They don’t go the next step and rule out any hidden infection. Many times patients have been diagnosed with an infection and stated that they felt they had had an infection but were told that because they didn’t have a fever or acute diarrhea it was not possible.

If you have been avoiding gluten but haven’t seen all the benefits to your health which you had hoped, consider getting evaluated for hidden infection. We see this problem all the time in our patients and are happy to help you. Don't give up on your gluten-free diet! If you aren't seeing all the results you want, come see us to get evaluated.

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!”

IBS Success

Root Cause Medical Clinic 
Patient Testimonial 

IBS controlled my life... 

I could not go anywhere where I was not absolutely sure that there was a close bathroom. I tried to take over the counter and prescription diarrhea medicine, but it would only last a few hours. Because of my symptoms, I was also on depression medication on a daily basis to "help" me deal with the anxiety that was caused by my IBS. I also suffered from extreme claustrophobia, and could not travel in my car without stopping to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes or so. On a good day I had 6-7 bowel movements and on a bad day 8-9 - every day. I have had IBS for the last 20 years, but this bad, only for the last 2-3 years.

I could not go skiing, running or walking outdoors. Traveling was a nightmare for my family and I. I was stressed about when I would have to next go to the restroom.

I remember at our first meeting Dr. Petersen told me that she could help me, not with arrogance, but with confidence. She showed me pictures of what my insides probably looked like, but explained it in an easy to understand, matter of fact way. Dr Petersen told me I would have to give up eating like I was (eating myself to death, or a certain heart attack), but I could do it gradually.

I was given a diet that included none of the things I had been eating or drinking. It included giving up caffeine and gluten and sugar and aspartame. I had come to the clinic willing to try anything and I knew it would be hard but nothing could have prepared me for the withdrawal from caffeine and sugar. I thought that during the first week I was getting sicker, but I made it through. No real progress on my IBS, but I felt different. We went through blood tests and saliva tests and stool samples. It turned out I had 2 infections in my intestines that were affecting my ability to digest food. 

The antibiotics at first made me feel even worse, but I was in this for the long haul. I knew I was on the right track because soon I started to feel better. Maybe the IBS was not cured yet, but I had more good days than bad, and I felt better emotionally and physically than I had in a long time. About one week after I finished the antibiotics, I began to lead a normal life. I was only going to the bathroom 3-4 times a day, and the experience was much better. Two weeks later, I had a few days in a row with only 2-3 bowel movements per day. In three days, I had what would have been one of my bad days, but with no anxiety or discomfort.

The side benefit of my gluten free diet is that I am off of my "maintenance anxiety drug". This did not happen because my new doctors told me not to take it, I just forgot to about two weeks ago, and have not had the need for it. Today I got in a car w/ 4 other men and I wasn’t doing the driving. It suddenly dawned on me that I would never have done that before. The anxiety would have prevented me.

I have additionally lost 18 pounds, which was not why I came here, but it's definitely a benefit.

It is very difficult to explain the pain and suffering that I went through and that I put my family through with my panic attacks and IBS. I am lucky that they supported me and did not leave me. I feel that I can start to be the person that I am meant to be. My life gets better every day. Maybe everyone is not as sensitive to gluten as I am, but for me it is poison. It is easy to pass up gluten with the great results I am seeing. I asked Dr. Petersen if it was just the caffeine that made me so irritable. She explained that for some people gluten is neurotoxic. This was definitely the case for me and understanding that makes it easy to stay on a gluten free diet. I came to realize that all of the food that made me sick has gluten in it....bagels, bread, pizza, pasta, sandwiches......I was killing myself while trying to eat healthy. When I had a salad with bread and croutons, it defeated the purpose.

That is my story so far. I feel better everyday. I can not thank Dr. Petersen enough for helping me change my life.

- E.B. 

The Gluten Doctors

Hello! 

The Gluten Doctors are a group of several doctors consisting of M.D.s and Certified Clinical Nutritionists. We have been in practice for over 30 years and specialize in the area of digestive problems and specifically gluten intolerance and celiac disease.

For more information on our clinic, Root Cause Medical Clinic, please see our website at: www.RootCauseMedicalClinic.com.

Gluten - The Basics 

Subclinical gluten intolerance is possibly the most undiagnosed condition that close to 50% of the population suffers from. Current research shows that only about 3% of gluten intolerant individuals ever find out that they have it. 

Do you know if you are gluten intolerant? If not, your odds are close to a flip of a coin. Gluten intolerance is frequently found to be the cause of many undesirable health conditions. The extent (and intensity) of conditions an individual may experience is vast. Some of these are listed below. In addition to acute conditions, the long term effects of gluten intolerance on general health can lead to more serious and avoidable degenerative conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and arthritis.

Why are there so many different types of symptoms?

After you eat, food is broken down into small particles that the body can use as fuel. This is what should happen to gluten, but this does not occur for those who are intolerant to it. Those people are missing a digestive enzyme which breaks down gluten proteins. While these proteins are not broken down, they are still small enough to be absorbed by the small intestine. The immune system of a gluten intolerant individual sees these gluten proteins as something it needs to attack and destroy, in very much the same way it would attack a virus or bacteria. Just like civilian casualties or the innocent bystander, this attack also damages and destroys nearby healthy cells.

The result is that the lining of the small intestines gets damaged and erodes. Like a fly screen that gets torn and allows bugs to pass, over time the damage opens paths for the gluten proteins to enter the blood stream where they can travel to any cell in the body. The type of symptoms you experience depends on which tissues react most negatively to it. That is why some people get constant skin lesions, while others just get headaches. Strange but true. 

Even though it is common for gluten intolerance to be thought of as an allergy, the effects are quite different. An allergen is usually met with a histamine reaction, where the body tries to flush the foreign matter away. The effects of gluten intolerance are closer to an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks itself. This explains why symptoms can be quite severe, and why gluten intolerance is such a serious problem. One common example of gluten intolerance is called celiac disease, where the small intestine is so severely damaged that it cannot absorb food properly, and can lead to malnutrition and even death.

How can gluten intolerance be treated?

Since the symptoms of gluten intolerance vary so much from individual to individual, so does the treatment. The most critical treatment that all sufferers need, though, is life-long avoidance of gluten. Gluten intolerant people possess certain genes that recognize gluten as foreign matter, and this cannot be changed with today’s medicine. 

Many people find that while eliminating gluten from their diet makes them feel better, they still continue to experience problems. Damage to the small intestines and the intestinal immune system is universal in gluten intolerant individuals. This results in being susceptible to intestinal infections and parasites, which can cause ulcers and digestive problems in addition to many other diseases. The symptoms of these infections are often cyclical, which means you can feel bad and then feel good before cycling into feeling bad again. This cyclical nature also makes diagnosis of problems difficult. 

Therefore, while ceasing to eat gluten can relieve some of the problems, diagnosing and treating infections is critical to resolving all the problems. Just like recovery from the flu, recovering from the effects of years of consuming gluten requires time and care. Another important aspect of a good treatment program should address restoration. Lastly, since this is a genetic condition, it is highly recommended that relatives also seek diagnosis. Simply put, the condition does ‘run in the family’, and is always shared by at least one parent of a sufferer.

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!”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theglutendoctors/
https://www.facebook.com/rootcausemedicalclinic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rootcausemed

Does Gluten Sensitivity Really Exist? Learn the Truth!

If you follow a gluten-free diet, or know someone who does, you likely heard all the “hoopla” a few months ago when most media outlets picked up an article by a blogger who used a 2013 research study to claim that there was "no such thing as gluten sensitivity".

I know that I personally was deluged by questions from patients and certain YouTube audiences took me to task for talking about gluten sensitivity when it was now “proven” not to exist.

I'll be honest. I ignored the whole thing because I knew it wasn’t true. There is such a wealth of research and evidence to support the existence of gluten sensitivity, not to mention all my personal experience with my patients, that I didn’t feel the need to substantiate its existence.

Have Well Meaning "Friends" Been Causing You to Question Your Gluten-Free Diet?  

Time has passed and, frankly, with the upcoming holiday season when cheating tends to increase—and the presence of family members or “friends” who like to give gluten-free individuals a hard time about their choice to eschew gluten similarly increases, I decided that it was time to discuss the specifics behind this blogger’s claims. The last thing I want is for this  partial information to destabilize a person whom we know to be gluten sensitive. If such an individual starts to cheat with gluten because they begin to question whether their gluten sensitivity diagnosis is accurate or meaningful, they will be damaging their health to a dangerous degree.

The study the blogger promoted and that went positively “viral’ in the media was entitled “No Effects of Gluten in Patients With Self-Reported Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity After Dietary Reduction of Fermentable, Poorly Absorbed, Short-Chain Carbohydrates” – don’t worry we will define these terms in the next paragraph! It was a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial and the blogger made a big deal about that. There’s certainly much good to be said about such studies as they do tend to be the hallmark of well executed research. What the blogger didn’t do however was READ the entire study. Instead it seems that the title and perhaps the outline was as far as was gotten in doing due diligence.

What's a FODMAP?  

Of course, the title would lead one to believe the authors are stating they found people who themselves believe they have gluten sensitivity (GS) to not be affected when they consumed gluten, as long as they were restricting fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs). 

Before you go unconscious after that last sentence, let me define our terms:

Carbohydrates are sugar and starch molecules strung together. Going in order from largest to smallest, oligosaccharides are short-chain carbohydrates, while disaccharides are carbohydrates made up of a pair of sugar molecules and a monosaccharide is a carbohydrate made up of a single sugar molecule. Lastly, polyols are sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol. All but the oligosaccharides are considered sugars.

The fermentable description points out that these particular carbohydrates are not being properly broken down and digested by enzymes as should occur normally, but instead are acting as food for pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria in the gut. If someone is sensitive to these foods and reacts in this fashion, they can expect to have digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, pain, diarrhea, etc. Those not reacting negatively to these foods would gain a positive effect from their nutritional content plus any aspect not completely digested would act as prebiotics or food for the good bacteria of the gut. All good things.

Below is a partial list of FODMAP foods. These foods are typically found to be a problem only in some individuals suffering from IBS and other digestive issues. This is not a diet to be recommended lightly as there are many healthy fruits and vegetables included within the list of foods to be avoided. Here at HealthNOW we use it occasionally on particular patients who seem to fall within this restricted category. Also keep in mind that, unlike with gluten sensitivity (where patients must consume zero gluten), FODMAPs have a dose response relationship, meaning that eating less of these certain foods can help the condition.

Fruits

Apples	Apricots	Avocados
Blackberries	Cherries	Plums
Pluots	Nectarines	Peaches
Pears	Persimmons	Grapes
Mango	Watermelon	Fruit Juice

 Vegetables

Asparagus	Artichoke	Beets
Broccoli	Brussels Sprouts	Butternut Squash
Cabbage	Celery	Cauliflower
Eggplant	Fennel	Garlic
Leeks	Mushrooms	Okra
Onion	Shallots	Sweet Potatoes

Dairy products - Some butter, cream and hard cheese is allowed

Grains – Wheat, barley and rye 

Protein - All legumes such as kidney beans, soybeans. etc. A small amount of chickpeas and lentils are allowed. 

Nuts:  Pistachios, cashews

As you can see, there are a great many foods that are considered FODMAPs, the majority of which do not contain gluten. So to assume that someone who eliminates gluten and feels better is really someone sensitive to FODMAPs really doesn't take into account the true depth and breadth of the variety of foods that fall within this description.

What was This Study Trying to Prove? 

When reviewing a study it's important to look at the purpose of it. What were the researchers trying to prove or disprove? In this particular study the authors were looking specifically at patients with IBS and self-reported gluten sensitivity (also called non-celiac gluten sensitivity or NCGS) and wondering if ingesting gluten would really make a big difference in their symptoms or was it potentially more a problem with the digestion of FODMAPs, described above.

There are many points to be aware of when reviewing this study and knowing them will prove the recent media comments claiming the "non existence" of GS to be well off the mark.

(1) There were only 37 people who participated - certainly not a robust number.

(2) Participants were not formally diagnosed with GS. They were “self-reported” to have the condition. Not that there’s anything wrong with someone realizing for themselves that gluten bothers them, but there was no clinical testing involved with these participants. When you add into the equation that no human properly digests wheat,, there could certainly be a number of people within this study that fell within the wheat sensitive category, while not necessarily suffering from GS.

(3) In the authors' efforts to eliminate anyone with celiac disease (CD) they chose to eliminate from the study anyone with the HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 genes. These genes are associated with celiac disease, true, but 30-40% of gluten sensitivity sufferers also have these genes. Therefore in eliminating people with this genetic profile, they could have easily eliminated the very individuals they were trying to evaluate, those with GS.

(4) The authors discounted some individuals who reacted to the placebo when the placebo in this study was whey protein. Certainly not placebo-worthy in my book. A vast majority of the population, and certainly many people sensitive to gluten, react negatively to dairy. Almost 20% of the participants fell within this category. “Reacting” to the placebo excluded any other negative response the individual had because it was thought that their reaction weren’t valid since they also reacted to the placebo. We know better when it comes to dairy products – they are anything but a “neutral” food.

(5) Sixteen percent of the participants reacted to the high gluten diet, but that number was cut in half upon reporting the study results because half of them had the gene as mentioned above in point #3. Therefore it was stated that only 8% of the patients had a reaction and the conclusion was then made that eating gluten didn’t seem to both a significant number of these individuals – not accurate.

(6) The authors, in their effort to focus on IBS, only evaluated digestive symptoms (abdominal pain, bloating, stool consistency, gas) along with fatigue when deciding if a participant “reacted” to the gluten they were exposed to. It is well known that gluten sensitivity more frequently results in neurological problems, but no symptoms beyond those mentioned above were evaluated when these individuals were fed gluten. Additionally, other common symptoms, beyond those of the nervous system, known to be caused by gluten sensitivity such as joint pain and skin issues, too were not evaluated. In other words a participant could have ingested gluten and gotten a headache, brain fog or felt depressed, but those symptoms were not included in the study as a “reaction”. Are you starting to see the problem? The authors realized this oversight as well. In fact they mention it in the discussion part of the study. Apparently the reporting blogger and other media outlets who claimed the study "proved" that gluten sensitivity doesn't exist never got that far when reporting the facts of the study.

(7) The authors further noted in the “discussion” part of the study that those sensitive to FODMAPs are triggered to have digestive symptoms, while those sensitive to gluten can be triggered to have an overall lack of wellness. This is clear evidence that the researchers had no intention of negating that gluten sensitivity exists.

(8) The authors do state that gluten “might not be” a specific trigger of functional gut symptoms once FODMAPs are removed from the diet, but that isn’t stating that gluten sensitivity doesn’t exist. It’s simply emphasizing one point we always talk about with the secondary effects of gluten. And that is that someone with a truly healthy gut (truly healthy!) would potentially have a strong enough immune system to not demonstrably react to gluten. The problem is finding a truly healthy gut in today’s society. Not an easy proposition, I assure you. And, of course, I'm not stating that an issue with FODMAPs doesn't exist, it does. But I am trying to clarify what these authors were trying to prove and it wasn't the non-existence of GS.

(9) Last but not least, it’s very important to know that these same authors published an earlier study entitled “Gluten causes gastrointestinal symptoms in subjects without celiac disease”. Their intention with that study was to prove that there WAS such a thing as gluten sensitivity and prove it they did. 

The Truth? Gluten Sensitivity does exist. 

Do you feel a bit better about this now? I hope so. I’m sure these researchers who themselves know of the existence of gluten sensitivity, having successfully proven it to themselves in 2011, were a bit surprised to find their study in the maelstrom of controversy that ensued after a non-medical blogger took off with erroneous conclusions and got a tremendous amount of press as a result.

So, if you find yourself being assaulted by someone who thinks they “know” that gluten sensitivity has been disproven as a condition, you now have the ammunition you need to prove to them that it “just ain’t so”!

Seriously though, don’t let the media dissuade you from what you already know or strongly suspect. Years and years of research is rarely thrown out the window with one study. And remember, this study didn’t even set out to prove what others are claiming of it. Sadly, it was really just a misunderstanding. 

We are here to help!

If you are wondering if gluten is playing an adverse role in your health, consider contacting us for a FREE health analysis – call 408-733-0400. We are a destination clinic and treat patients from across the country and internationally. We would be delighted to help you or a member of your family.

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

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: 
1. Gastroenterology Volume 145, Issue 2, Pages 320–328.e3, August 2013, Jessica R. Biesiekierski

No Effects of Gluten in Patients With Self-Reported Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity After Dietary Reduction of Fermentable, Poorly Absorbed, Short-Chain Carbohydrates

2. American Journal of Gastroenterology 2011; 106:508-514, Jessica R. Biesiekierski
Gluten Causes Gastrointestinal symptoms in subjects without Celiac Disease

Best Blood Test to Diagnose Gluten Sensitivity

New Research Argues There IS a Test for Gluten Sensitivity

Mainstream literature continues to state there is no blood test for gluten sensitivity. While it may not be perfect (but what tests are?) some researchers offer a differing opinion, and I wanted to share their results with you.

While there is no further argument of the existence of gluten sensitivity, having a blood test that everyone can agree on has not yet occurred. In a 2012 study published in Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology entitled “Serological Tests in Gluten Sensitivity”, the authors set out to characterize a potential pattern in blood testing that would be helpful in diagnosing gluten sensitivity as compared with celiac disease. They took 78 patients with gluten sensitivity and 80 patients with celiac disease, and retrospectively tested their blood for four standard tests, three of which are classically used for celiac disease, and one that is more commonly thought to be accurate for gluten sensitivity.

For those of you who like the specifics, the tests used were: 

1) IgG DGP-AGA (deamidated gliadin peptide antibodies)

2) IgA tTGA (tissue transglutaminase antibodies)

3) IgA EmA (endomysial antibodies)

4) IgG/IgA AGA (anti-gliadin antibodies)

And the Winner Is...

Here are the findings: The  IgG AGA test was the winner in detecting gluten sensitive patients—56.4% were positive. The test doesn’t rule out the presence of celiac disease however. 81.2% of celiac patients were also positive. The IgA version of the same AGA test yielded vastly different, although not unexpected, results. The test was elevated in only 7% of gluten sensitive patients while 75% of those with celiac disease were positive. Why is that not a surprise?

IgA is found on the mucous membranes of the body where it is exposed to outside foreign substances: nose, lungs, GI tract, ears, eyes, etc. 

Since celiac disease mostly affects the lining of the GI tract, it isn’t unexpected that the IgA part of the immune system might be most affected. But when you compared the "classic" celiac tests against the gluten sensitive patients, the results were rather definitive—only one gluten sensitive patient was positive for DGP-AGA and zero gluten sensitive patients demonstrated a positivity for tTGA or EmA. But the celiacs showed a positivity rate of 88.7%, 98.7% and 95% respectively for these three tests.

What Do We Know From This?

A couple of things: 1) Ensure that when you are tested you receive a complete panel of tests, including all those mentioned above. Additionally both the IgA and IgG versions should be included, especially for the AGA test. 2) When interpreting the tests, remember that you are doing more than just ruling out celiac disease.

For many doctors that is their goal. Despite international research knowledge to the contrary, many doctors still don’t appreciate the existence of gluten sensitivity. While no single test is perfect, if you’re suspecting celiac and you test positive for the classic celiac panel of tTGA, EmA and DGP-AGA, then you’ve likely identified your condition. If you know that you do poorly with gluten and test positive for AGA, especially the IgG version, and negative for the rest of the celiac panel, you can feel more assured of a gluten sensitive diagnosis.

Some other tell-tale signs of gluten sensitivity, according to the researchers, are a varied clinical picture, meaning many symptoms occurring at the same time. And while many of these symptoms are similar to another disease, IBS, the authors warn against considering gluten sensitivity as a subtype of IBS. The "extraintestinal" symptoms so common with gluten sensitivity are not typically seen in those patients suffering with IBS, making the distinction clear, in these researchers’ opinion.

The common complaints associated with gluten sensitivity include:

• abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation

• foggy mind, tiredness

• eczema/skin rash

• headache

• joint/muscle pain

• numbness of legs/arms

• depression

• anemia

• together with a normal or mildly abnormal lining of the small intestine

In conclusion, when you’re building a case for gluten sensitivity, you need to look at several factors: blood testing, symptoms, and reactions to eating and eliminating gluten.


New Information on Celiac Genes

In the past, the rule of thumb was that "you could never have celiac disease if you didn’t carry the genes for it". That remains true, but these researchers cited findings from 2010 that demonstrated a full 40-50% of gluten sensitive patients possess the same genetic profile as those with celiac disease—HLA DQ2 or DQ8. And with that we watch another stable datum ‘bite the dust’. This opens the door to a new interpretation of genetic testing that doctors should be aware of. Instead of being too quick to tell a patient that while they may have the genes for celiac disease, considering that their blood tests are negative for the disease they’re fine to eat gluten; we now understand that such genes can be present in a case of gluten sensitivity as well. And as we now know, the classic celiac blood tests would be negative in such a case.

I believe we’ll be seeing a wide array of genes responsible for these diseases in the future. But knowing that almost half of those with gluten sensitivity demonstrate the exact same genetic profile as someone with celiac disease is important to know when a patient or their doctor is trying to make an accurate diagnosis. Based on this common gene profile, it is then not surprising to learn that gluten sensitivity can be found in celiac disease family members. In this study almost 13% of the gluten sensitive patients were first degree relatives of celiac patients.

What Might the Future Hold?

As a clinical nutritionist, I have been speaking of celiac disease and claiming the existence of gluten sensitivity for over two decades now. We continue to discover more and more about these conditions. One day there will be a near perfect test and one day we will readily and easily diagnose most all of those suffering. And that my friends, will be a good day! I hope you found this informative.

Find Out Your Gluten Sensitivity Level!

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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!”