Alarming: Children Diagnosed with Celiac Disease Have a 40 Percent Increased Risk of Suicide by the Age of 20!

Here is a quote from Dr. Tom O'Bryan a well known gluten sensitivity expert, author and speaker from a presentation on "Anxiety Summit" put on by Trudy Scott:

Dr. Tom O’Bryan - Gluten’s impact on the inflamed brain: reducing anxiety and depression on season 2 of The Anxiety Summit, November 3-16, 2014 (my bold)


Children diagnosed with celiac disease have a 40 percent increased risk of suicide, with or without a gluten-free diet. I mean it's just startling that that's the situation but it is. And maybe we'll get into this more, but it's because people get diagnosed with a sensitivity to gluten, or people think they have a sensitivity to gluten so they go on a gluten-free diet. That is not the treatment for what's ailing the patient; that is a prerequisite to the treatment for what's ailing a patient, that you have to deal with the damage that's accrued over the years from eating this food that you did not know was a problem for you.

It's the same as for elders diagnosed with celiac disease, they have a 3.86, that's almost fourfold increased risk of dying in the first year after diagnosis. They're four times more likely to die in that year after diagnosis and going on a gluten-free diet compared to someone their age who has not been diagnosed and does not go on a gluten-free diet. They're four times more likely to die in that first year. Because you can't just put people on a gluten-free diet; you have to deal with the damage that's accrued. And that's the missing link.

And that's the missing link for our kids with this suicide thing. There's two things: one, you have to deal with the damage that's accrued. You've got to take the right vitamins and the right minerals. You have to work with a nutritionist that knows what they're doing to help rebuild your tissue and give you good, high levels, not maintenance levels; there's really a difference between a maintenance level of a vitamin and a rebuilding level of a vitamin. You need the maintenance levels, obviously, just to maintain and not regenerate, but then you need more to rebuild. And many of our doctors don't know that.

Trudy Scott has put on an impressive Anxiety Summit the last three years. Anxiety is a common problem, sometimes debilitating condition, with gluten sensitivity, and some of my patients have benefited by learning from the speakers who presented on this summit. This is just to mention an opportunity about the HOLIDAY SALE of the Anxiety Summit !

Until midnight of Saturday, December 12 (US Eastern Time), all Anxiety Summit products from the past seasons (Season 1, 2, and 3) are available for purchase at SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRICES!
http://www.theanxietysummit.com/holiday2015/

You can hear samples of the audio replays of some of the favorite interviews (available until the sale ends). Just go to http://www.theanxietysummit.com/holiday2015/ and listen to the following interviews! 

• Dr. Kelly Brogan, M.D., Holistic women’s health psychiatry – Misunderstood and Mistreated: Reinventing Psychiatry 
• Trudy Scott, CN, host of the Anxiety Summit, Food Mood expert and author of The Antianxiety Food Solution – How zinc and vitamin B6 prevent pyroluria and social anxiety 
• Dr. Benjamin Lynch, ND, Researcher/writer/speaker: MTHFR and methylation defects – Anxiety: Biochemical and genetic predispositions 
• Magdalena Wszelaki, founder of Hormones Balance – Foods to balance your hormones and ease anxiety 

What's in it for you?

• Get the support you need for the stressful, anxiety-provoking holidays where winter blues and emotional eating show up. 
• Get resources to calm your anxious mind one meal at a time, how to use targeted amino acids, nutrients for social anxiety.
• Learn how gluten can affect your mood, the impact of heavy metals, mold, candida, hormone imbalances, adrenal fatigue, methylation and much much more! 

The information on this website is not meant to be medical advice and material presented and the materials in the Anxiety Summit are for information purposes only. If you have a medical concern please see your family doctor. 

Also, I have no connection to Trudy Scott, nor any of the speakers on The Anxiety Summit and do not profit in any way. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie- GAPS, Paleo, SCD Friendly

Here is a recipe just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving. So delicious! 
But first..... 

This being a time to give thanks, I would like thank my patients who have taught me so much, my family, my fellow integrative physicians who do cutting edge medicine, my readers and supporters.

I would also like to publically thank the local fire station #42 for taste testing this recipe, a pie which was a token gift to them for putting out a fire in my kitchen.......when I wasn't home!!!!! 

The crew at fire station #42

Because I have a monitored smoke alarm, the team was called and took care of everything before I got home. Mike saved the house from major damage by doing some quick thinking. I only lost a chair (long story) and had minimal smoke issues, and no house damage. I am so grateful nothing worse happen. No fire, even a small one is a casual affair. I don't mind saying that I was very afraid when I heard the smoke alarm was going off because I knew it wasn't a false alarm. It was the longest drive back home. 

I am a believer in monitored smoke alarms! 

I thank all firefighters for their dedication to a dangerous job. Now for the recipe.
  

Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie- Dairy Free
Makes one 10 inch pie
Three or four days before, start the fermented coconut milk sour cream. See below for the recipe. If you don't have any, sour the milk with a recipe in the link below. 

Crust:

2 Madjool dates with the pit removed
1 cup unsweetened coconut without additives like sulphites, or sugar
1 Tbsp coconut oil
Pinch of Sea salt

Preheat oven to 450 F and adjust rack to middle position. Line 10 inch springform pan with parchment.
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until just mixed well and dough holds together when pressed between your fingers. 
Press this mixture firmly into bottom of the pan. Bake crust until golden brown about 8 minutes. Cool

Filling:

1 cup cooked pureed pumpkin or buttercup squash 
5 large eggs, preferably pasture, organic raised. 
2 cups coconut milk sour cream- see recipe below (if you don't have fermented coconut milk, use regular coconut milk and sour it but it won't be fermented and full of probiotics)
1/4 c maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp organic ginger powder
11/2-2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp of Sea Salt
Place all ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into baked cooled pie crust. Place springform on a large baking sheet in centre of oven with 1/4 inch of water in it. 
Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes until edges of pie are set, a toothpick comes out clean and top is slightly brown. Cool to room temperature before serving. 

Serve alone or with whipped coconut cream. Whipped coconut cream is made just like whipped cream but you start with the thickened cream left over from draining off the thinner milk once the can of coconut milk has been cooled in the fridge or freezer and there has been separation of the fuller fat coconut milk.

To make coconut milk sour cream:
Take 2 cups of coconut milk, full fat and put into a  3 or 4 cup jar. Open a probiotic capsule and pour into milk with a pinch of Sea salt, cap and set aside at room temperature for four days. Use right away or you can put it into the fridge to slow down the fermentation process. In a week it will be more sour and more like cream cheese, which is also good for baking. I wouldn't keep it longer than a week in the fridge. If you find a scum on top of the cultured coconut milk it's the probiotics in contact with air and they are not unhealthy. Wipe the scum off, and the remaining coconut milk should be sour and good to bake with. Another writer makes cultured or fermented coconut milk sour cream this way. I skip the step of heating the milk and I am quite happy with the results.

For another variation, try my pumpkin haters' "Best Ever" pumpkin pie recipe found here.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers.May you have many Blessings on your family.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

"Amazing" Rich, Dairy free, Gluten Free, Easy, Creamy Salad Dressing, Paleo and GAPS Friendly

Missing creamy salad dressings after cutting out dairy? This homemade dressing is rich, satisfying and completely dairy-free! No one will guess it doesn't have cream or cheese in it. You don't have to be dairy free to enjoy this nutritious sauce. It can dress all kinds of salads, but I enjoy it best on cucumber noodles, which are uncooked. Cucumber noodles are easy and fast to make with a mandolin. Start with English cucumbers for best results. Very satisfying. 

Or you can pour this creamy dressing over grilled romaine, this season's new thing.Simply rinse and pat dry the lettuce. Cut the lettuce in half lengthwise. Brush surface with olive oil and grill about 4 to 5 minutes total, turning occasionally. Do not blacken it. If it is burnt, trim off the burned bits. You are aiming for dark brown grill marks. Place each wedge on a salad plate and toss with the season’s sweet heirloom tomatoes, dress and this salad makes for a meal with tasty textures and dynamic flavors.

In the picture I have used it to garnish cold wild Pacific salmon at a luncheon. Delicious!

Dressing Ingredients: 

1 large avocado
Juice of 2 limes (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or to taste
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
10-15 leaves of fresh basil or other herb
½ teaspoon Celtic or Himalayan sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Blend all ingredients with a hand or standing blender until smooth. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator. 

"Amazing" was the response from one of my tasters. Thank you Deborah for helping me out by tasting some of my creations. And thank you to my other taste testers.


To Your "Amazing" Health
Dr. B

There May Be a Secret Culprit Behind the Massive Spike in Brain and Mental Disorders: Focus on ADD and Pesticides

Today I focus on avoiding the use of insecticides and pesticides. I have to warn all people but especially people with gluten sensitivity, again and again to eliminate all chemical exposure. 

Why? Because nearly 100% of people with gluten sensitivity have methylation gene abnormalities, which is what I see it in my practice ( and I am writing up a study that shows 76% have at least one MTHFR gene polymorphism or variation, either c677t or a1298c, which affects detoxification as well as the production of neurochemicals and increases the risk of clotting). 

The combination of gluten in the diet (in a gluten sensitive person) and MTHFR and chemicals is disastrous to the brain.

But most people with gluten sensitivity don't know they have gluten sensitivity and are at risk of methylation metabolism issues, and early death so I recommend everyone get tested. And if you find yourself to be gluten sensitive, go on a grain free, sugar free, dairy free, clean diet with fermented foods and bone broths.It is laid out as the GAPS protocol. www.gaps.me.  

ADD and ADHD are common symptoms of gluten sensitivity. And there are many studies linking ADD with pesticide exposure. 

Here is a report by Dr. Rothfeld MD encouraging all not to use insecticides in the home or the garden. Children are the most affected. Two new studies are reported that show the link between pyrethroid exposure and poor brain function in children. If one has MTHFR variants the effects of the pyrethroid exposure will be worse. The French research article is here http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412015001245 and the study of a sample of US children is here http://www.ehjournal.net/content/14/1/44.

Go here to find tips on how to keep bugs at bay without toxic spray and the science behind pesticide damage. 

My Bold....

Let's face it -- we spend our summers at war with bugs. Between the ant traps, citronella candles, and the bottles of Raid and Black Flag, we're turning our homes into chemical fortresses to keep the creepy-crawlies out. But while we're trying to outsmart those pesky bugs, those insecticides may be causing permanent damage to our kids' and grandkids' brains.

In fact, they may even be a secret culprit behind the massive spike in ADHD cases. A new study in the journal Environment International shows that common pyrethroid insecticides (I'll tell you how to spot them in a moment) may head straight to our kids' brains and interfere with their ability to learn and even concentrate. For the study, French scientists tested the amount of pyrethroid insecticides in the urine of 290 young children and measured their intellectual abilities. Kids with the highest levels of insecticides in their urine had the worst verbal and memory skills. These findings follow another study last month that showed a link between pyrethroid exposure and ADHD in children ages 5 to 15.

If you're using just about any household bug killer you picked up at a grocery store, there's a good chance it's a pyrethroid insecticide. They became extremely popular starting in the 1970s, as the country started phasing out DDT. You can typically identify a pyrethroid insecticide if you see cypermethrin, permethrin, deltamethrin, bifenthrin or cyfluthrin on the label.

One of the things I've discovered in my research on neurological diseases is that many of us have a genetic defect that prevents us from effectively eliminating toxins, like insecticides. These compounds literally pool in our brains and unleash a lifetime of damage. And pound for pound, children are more exposed to the stuff than you are. So it's common sense to me that these dangerous insecticides could have lasting, harmful effects on their young brains.

So what can you do? First off, avoid any insecticides with the chemicals I mentioned earlier. There are plenty of safe, organic insecticides on the market, made with natural ingredients like cayenne. Second, continue to make your home unfriendly to pests. That can be as simple as taking out the trash frequently, not leaving dishes in the sink, and keeping kitchens and baths as dry as possible.

Just taking these simple precautions can keep the war on bugs from turning into a war on our brains.

Dr. Glenn S. Rothfeld, M.D. 

For tips on how to eliminate bugs and pests read this!

To Your Health 

Dr. Barbara

Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Explain Your Mood? New York Times

The microbiome of the gut makes neurochemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and gamma-

aminobutyric acid (GABA).

One of the best known experiments linking the gut bacteria to the brain was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in 2011, The research team at University College Cork, in Ireland, and McMaster University, in Ontario was lead by Dr. John Cryan, whose Ted talk is featured in this article, with co-author Ted Dinan.  Thanks to Ted Dinan you can see the slides summarizing their findings.

There are other scientists furiously at work determining the nature of the bacteria that live in the bowel. 

Here is an article in the New York Times with an inside look into Dr. Lyte's lab, where he studies the behaviour of the microbiome and its relationship to our health. (My bold) 

Lyte’s interest was not in the feces per se but in the hidden form of life they harbor. The digestive tube of a monkey, like that of all vertebrates, contains vast quantities of what biologists call gut microbiota. The genetic material of these trillions of microbes, as well as others living elsewhere in and on the body, is collectively known as the microbiome. Taken together, these bacteria can weigh as much as six pounds, and they make up a sort of organ whose functions have only begun to reveal themselves to science. Lyte has spent his career trying to prove that gut microbes communicate with the nervous system using some of the same neurochemicals that relay messages in the brain.

Inside a closet-size room at his lab that afternoon, Lyte hunched over to inspect the vials, whose samples had been spun down in a centrifuge to a radiant, golden broth. Lyte, 60, spoke fast and emphatically. ‘‘You wouldn't believe what we’re extracting out of poop,’’ he told me. ‘‘We found that the guys here in the gut make neurochemicals. We didn't know that. Now, if they make this stuff here, does it have an influence there? Guess what? We make the same stuff. Maybe all this communication has an influence on our behavior.’’Photo

Credit Illustration by Andrew Rae

Since 2007, when scientists announced plans for a Human Microbiome Project to catalog the microorganisms living in our body, the profound appreciation for the influence of such organisms has grown rapidly with each passing year. Bacteria in the gut produce vitamins and break down our food; their presence or absence has been linked to obesity, inflammatory bowel disease and the toxic side effects of prescription drugs. Biologists now believe that much of what makes us human depends on microbial activity. The two million unique bacterial genes found in each human microbiome can make the 23,000 genes in our cells seem paltry, almost negligible, by comparison. ‘‘It has enormous implications for the sense of self,’’ Tom Insel, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, told me. ‘‘We are, at least from the standpoint of DNA, more microbial than human. That’s a phenomenal insight and one that we have to take seriously when we think about human development.’’

Given the extent to which bacteria are now understood to influence human physiology, it is hardly surprising that scientists have turned their attention to how bacteria might affect the brain. Micro-organisms in our gut secrete a profound number of chemicals, and researchers like Lyte have found that among those chemicals are the same substances used by our neurons to communicate and regulate mood, like dopamine, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These, in turn, appear to play a function in intestinal disorders, which coincide with high levels of major depression and anxiety. Last year, for example, a group in Norway examined feces from 55 people and found certain bacteria were more likely to be associated with depressive patients.

It's worth reading the whole article which includes some of the history of the scientific interest in the microbiome. There seems to be more interest in the bacteria, but there are other living organisms living in the bowel such as parasites, viruses and fungi. 

Some of the studies don't seem to have clear outcomes. There are so many variables for one there are organisms in the bowel that still can't be cultured! How are they influencing the production of neurochemicals and the immune system. 

I have a theory that the diets of the subjects are not controlled for the types of carbohydrates they eat, nor control over the amounts of chemical are in the diet. Processed food has more additives such as natural flavours and home cooked has less chemicals, where all chemicals can change the expression of the microbiome through altering the expression of single cells genetics especially their methylation genetics (MTHFR).  

The specific carbohydrate diet first developed by Dr. Haas, and modified to become the GAPS diet, has been successfully used, for over half a century to heal patients with all sorts of mental and physical complaints. It's foundation is homemade, unprocessed food, high in immunoglobulins, and probiotics and it works by changing the microbiome. I rarely have to add a medical treatment to the GAPS protocol once the cholesterol, vitamin D, magnesium and omega 3 levels are normal. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

90% of heart disease can be prevented with important lifestyle changes! Dr. Bill Davis!

Years ago I heard Dr.Mark Houston, a cardiologist say that 50% of heart attacks are caused by the ingestion of gluten. This makes sense to me as up to 40% of the population is undiagnosed gluten sensitive and gluten is tremendously inflammatory to those people. And heart disease is extremely common. Not just heart attacks, but autoimmune cardiomyopathy, and heart failure and heart arrhythmias. 

With the right lifestyle changes, I haven't seen a patient with a heart attack in years. 

If you want to learn how lifestyle changes help to prevent heart events then you want to hear what the experts are saying in Dr. Masley's Healthy Heart Summit which starts today! 

The one interview in the summit I would like to highlight is the one with Dr. William Davis, cardiologist and author of Wheat Belly called: The Impact of Wheat on Heart Disease and Health. It is on tomorrow. 

What is not well know is how damaging gluten and grains are to heart health. The focus of his treatment of his heart patients is: no grains, added fish oil, proper gut flora, proper vitamin D levels, and addressing low thyroid!
Thanks to Trudy Scott from "Food, Mood and Gal Stuff" for sharing some excerpts of the interview with Dr. Davis:

One of the earliest solutions was a very, very common abnormality in people with coronary disease - an excess of small oxidation prone LDL particles. So I used the data published by people like Ron Krauss in UC Berkeley and some others and took all the grains out of people's diet. And lo and behold it works like a charm. That became a cornerstone of what I was doing for coronary disease.
People were starting to tell me that the rheumatoid arthritis was going away and that their glaucoma had gone away, and their leg edema, hypertension, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, bowel urgency, funny skin rashes, rosacea, rosacea-eczema, seborrhea, belly fat. All of these conditions reversed with elimination of grains.
When I added vitamin D to the mix about eight, nine years ago, that's when we saw dramatic reductions
I published some of these data, by the way. [Here is one of his studies: Effect of a combined therapeutic approach of intensive lipid management, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, and increased serum 25 (OH) vitamin D on coronary calcium scores in asymptomatic adults. It doesn't get much attention because you know prevention doesn't get the headlines. But lots of robotic surgery and things like that get the headlines.
Fish oil, of course. Not a huge effect, but it does help. I love it because it reduces the after meal, postprandial flood of lipoproteins. It has a big effect on subduing that effect. Heart disease, as you know, develops in the after-eating few hours, not so much while you're fasting.
Thyroid normalization. I started paying attention to thyroid based on the Norwegian data suggests that a TSH of 1.4 or greater (in the presumed normal range) could as much as double or triple cardiovascular death. Lo and behold, it became a critical part of the management of coronary disease.
And then lastly, most recently this notion of cultivating bowel flora. So we use so-called prebiotic fibers or resistant starches to purposely cultivate healthy species of bowel flora. And I'll be darned. This has proven to be a critical piece.
I'm sure my experience is similar to yours. I haven't seen a heart attack in years. I used to see a couple of heart attacks a week when I was younger - just telling people to take the statin drug and cut their fat and exercise and eat everything in moderation and all that nonsense.

If you think this is profound you should read the rest of  Trudy's summary of  what Dr. Davis shares: he explains how wheat flour, even whole wheat flour and table sugar all have the same glycemic load and blood sugar and consequent insulin (bad) response. Increasing inflammation but also leading to hypoglycemia and mental health issues like anxiety.

How the gliadin protein of wheat, rye, corn and barley causes an opiate like reaction: hallucinations which can be mild or it can be severe depending on the individual's susceptibility. 

Gluten can cause an increase in appetite and in some people it can cause the eating of hundreds of calories more per day everyday. 

Or better yet, listen to the whole of the Dr. William Davis interview by registering at the following link:

https://ez233.isrefer.com/go/summitreg/trudyscottcn/

There is a great line up of speakers. 

Here are the speakers for Day 1:




Here are the speakers for Day 2:

You can prevent most of your risk of heart disease with lifestyle changes!

Start today!

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Getting Your Gut Bacteria Healthy is One of the Most Important Things You Can Do to Get and Stay Healthy-Dr. Mark Hyman.

It is my opinion that one can't heal from gluten induced disorders if one doesn't look after

MRSA

and heal the microbiome, the up to four pounds of organisms that live in our bowel.

Remember, labelled gluten free processed food is allowed to have gluten in it, but even worse, processed gluten free food made up of carbohydrates, phytates, and other anti nutrients, feed pathological organisms, and makes the wrong organisms grow in the microbiome: the one's that promote inflammation throughout the body.

Having most of the microbiome composed of "good' bacteria, or ''essential" bacteria and yeasts, is important for good health. Studies have been done where the microbiome of a fat mouse is introduced to a genetically similar slender mouse and the slender mouse became obese. Hmmm!

There have been studies that have shown that the composition of the microbiome of a depressed person is different than someone who is not depressed. 

The study of our "internal garden" is the subject of much research, and I believe the future of medicine will include treatments with specific "probiotics" for specific conditions.

But for now, eating a scientifically based traditional diet - including fermented food and drinks (and sea vegetables) - that is also free of grain, sugar, and for the most part dairy,  a diet that is without chemicals, and is mostly home cooked is the way to "tend" your garden. Because it has science behind it and documented long term results with real people, I recommend the Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) program, and it's step by step proven way to get results.

See what Dr. Mark Hyman has to say about this internal "garden". In this article he restates much of the basics, which can sometimes be overwhelming, of healing and of staying healthy. And the good reasons why it is in our best interests to do so: We want to age slower and to prevent unnecessary illness whether it is brain related such as dementia, or arthritis. This is a very practical piece. Even if you just pick one way to improve your lifestyle, you will improve. 

To quote Dr. Mark Hyman: "The food we eat not only feeds our fat cells, but also determines what kind of inner garden we are growing in our guts. This garden is filled with bugs that determine more about your health and your emotional and mental well-being than you ever imagined! Getting your gut bacteria healthy is one of the most important things you can do to get and stay healthy. If your bacteria are sick, so are you!"

Read more to learn how to tend your inner garden and be the best you can be!


To Your Health 

Dr. Barbara

A Guide to Sweeteners: Washington Post with Periodic Table

Now that you have watched Dr. Lustig's video on the impact of fructose and sugar on your metabolism, you may be interested to know more about the other varieties of sweeteners you find in packaged foods, in your food and on the shelves. You may be asking "are artificial sweeteners safe to use instead of sugar or corn syrup or fructose"?

When it comes to aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, a recent study found that these three artificial sugar substitutes can upset the balance of intestinal flora, causing glucose intolerance in mice and it has been found to be the same in some human tests.

IT'S ABOUT THE MICROBIOME

Do we want to have the most healthy intestinal flora, sometimes called microbiome that we can get? Yes! 
Is it easy to upset that living, breathing group of living organisms in our gut when we live in the modern world where everything we eat, or drink or swallow can influence the "bugs". Again yes!

Is there an easy way to reestablish and maintain a healthy microbiome? I think yes, a specific carbohydrate diet, described in Gut and Psychology Syndrome, with clean water, and avoiding chemicals as much as possible. 

Below is a succinct chart on the sweeteners available. It reminds us that while raw honey has many good properties, including being a antibiotic for skin infections, it does have a lot of calories and fructose, and should be used sparingly. And with fat to lower its impact on glucose metabolism. In a recipe calling for honey, I tend to cut the amount in half and I find I do get a tasty product still. 

I also like maple syrup, in small amounts and stevia leaf powder. 

A guide to sweeteners

By Patterson Clark and Lazaro Gamio, Published: March 2, 2015

Too much sugar can be detrimental to health, rotting teeth, building fat, damaging blood vessels and stressing out the system that regulates blood sugar. Some people turn to artificial sweeteners, but those are under increasing suspicion of creating metabolic problems, such as diabetes and obesity. Natural alternative sweeteners exist, but even they have pitfalls if consumed in excess.Read related article.

Sweeteners: a periodic table
This table charts the wide variety of sweeteners available in the United States, either in bulk amounts or as additives in food. Not listed are super-sweet- tasting, zero-calorie proteins from several African fruits (monellin, brazzein and thaumatin), which have not been approved for use by the FDA. Also not included: banned or poisonous sweeteners, such as lead acetate, which ancient Romans made by cooking sour wine in lead pots.

It is tempting to try out a new sweetener that we may see at the health food store, but they really have not been tested for long term safety and so I can't recommend them. They are also frequently in combination with fructose. 

How much fructose is safe to eat? For the average person probably 10- 15 grams a day.

You may be wondering how this story is linked to the subject of brain health and gluten sensitivity. Inflammation and blood sugar imbalances are linked to mental health symptoms, neurological conditions and to gut dysbiosis. Alzheimer's, as an example, is called type 3 diabetes for a reason. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

"Sugar: The Bitter Truth"- A Must See Video by Dr. Robert Lustig from UCSF

If you want to know more about how carbohydrates including fructose found in fruits and rice cause chronic illness, watch this superb video by Dr. Lustig from University of California, San Francisco, called "Sugar: The Bitter Truth!" 

Don't drink your calories!
And Alzheimer's researchers suggest the only fruit you should eat if you want to lower your risk of Alzheimer's is berries! 

And stick to a specific carbohydrate diet, GAPS protocol, or sugar free Paleo, especially if you are gluten sensitive.
You can do it. 
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara 

Food for Thought: How Gut Microbes Change Your Mind: Jon Cryan's TedMed Talk

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know I link our mental health to the health of our GI system but fundamentally to the microorganisms that live there. They give off chemicals that are good for us or toxic to us. And they balance or direct our immune system. I aim my treatment protocols to the correcting the balance of the microbiome.

In my opinion the main way to have the wrong or pathological microbiome is to have low vitamin D, or a cesarean section, which triggers gluten sensitivity in about 40-50% of the population, usually unrecognized or undiagnosed. Continued ingestion of grains and dairy lead to the overgrowth of pathological bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungus. (There are lots of other compounding environmental irritants like heavy metals like lead, infections, low intake of B vitamins in the person with methylation polymorphism or the use of antibiotics that I have already written about.) These pathological organisms cause disease! Mental and physical. And in gluten sensitive people who are eating gluten, their life expectancy is 20 years shorter or stated another way: an increased death rate of 400% by the age of 65. And it is doesn't have to be this way!

John Cryan investigates how the gut microbiome affects the mammalian brain. He is Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and Principal Investigator in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Center at University College of Cork (Ireland). His research has far-reaching public health implications, from how we view Caesarean sections, to how the microbiome influences brain development, to the impact of probiotics on mood. John’s work shows that the term “gut feeling” might actually make neurobiological sense.





Please view the short 13:16 TedMed talk by neuroscientist John Cryan where he shares surprising facts and insights about how our thoughts and emotions are connected to our guts. 

And if you have time here is the short 5:28 minute video "The invisible universe of the human microbiome."

You should be asking yourself, how do I find out if I am in the high risk group for mortality or morbidity? Since there are no reliable blood tests, symptoms, or signs of celiac disease or non celiac gluten sensitivity, I suggest everyone get tested with a simple, inexpensive, and reliable test for both called "genetics" from www.enterolab.com. No needles involved!

For those of you who know you are gluten sensitive: get rid of the toxic gluten 100% of the time. And heal the microbiome with a scientifically proven, grain free, sugar free, starch free, GAPS diet. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Cross Contamination of Unprocessed Grains and Legumes Starts in the Field: Answer for Linda

Red Wheat

I have an answer for Linda who asked:

My question is about cross-contamination. I have been purchasing my dry goods (seeds, dried fruit, lentils, etc.) from an organic foods distributor. Their packages have a warning on the label that says "May contain nuts, soy, sesame, wheat, mustard". I have not had an issue over the past several years, but the most recent package had what appeared to be 3 wheat kernels in it. Any recommendations? Most packages I've seen have those sorts of warnings - are there organic bulk items that guarantee no cross-contamination with gluten? Thanks.

Hulless Barley

My research tells me that it would be impossible to prevent contamination of seeds, grains, lentils or other beans, even organic, with wheat or other gluten containing grains such as barley. When I asked my office assistant, who has a degree in home economics, and has been homesteading for decades, she stated the same thing that the government says about contamination. 

Contamination can occur in any stage from planting, to harvesting, to transportation, storage and finally distribution to your house or store. Wheat kernels get stuck in the crevices and seams of the combine, in the augers and semi trailers which are used to harvest other crops. The kernels come loose spontaneously and mix in with the next crop being harvested.  I suspect the contamination rate is even higher if you were to buy grains: sorghum, millet.

Spelt

I did find a study that examined the rate of contamination of oats with gluten and barley, which should reflect the contamination rate of other grains. One research group analyzed a total of 134 oat samples, collected from Europe, the United States and Canada.This study confirmed that most oats were contaminated with gluten containing grains such as barley, wheat, and rye, mostly barley. (Hernando et al. Measurement of wheat gluten and barley hordeins in contaminated oats from Europe, the United States and Canada by Sandwich R5 ELISA. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Jun;20:545-54.). I don't recommend any ingestion of oats though because they contain toxic protamines, a subject I will cover in a future blog post.  

The way I see it is you are doing the best thing to protect yourself and your family from contamination with gluten containing grains, and that is to get the non grain dry goods in their unprocessed form and organic. And then make a quick inspection for other kernels like wheat, kamut,barley or spelt that may have found its way into the the package that you bought. And remove any offending kernels that you have found. 

Buying organic is important too because of an agricultural practice ( for the last 15 years or so) of "desiccation". Desiccation uses glyphosate to improve the drying time and allows for early harvesting of many grains and legumes. This practice is quite controversial and has been implicated with the increased incidence of celiac disease and 65 other diseases.
Non organic wheat is heavily contaminated with glyphosate as are beets, lentils, sugar cane and corn. 

Find out more about the future of agriculture here where Dr. Thierry Vrain discusses GMO's.

Thank you Linda, writing and sharing. And for working so hard to keep your family well.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

Eliminate "Gluten Free" Products and Recover Faster Than Those Who don't-The proof!

I can't recommend gluten free flours, cereals or products, even the ones labelled gluten free because I know the rate of contamination is so very high, and I know people don't get better unless they have a "true gluten free" as Dr. Osborne calls it, diet. 62.5% of gluten free cereals tested had greater than 20 mg/kg of gluten in them. Damaging amounts. Stop exposing yourself to the toxin, so your can follow up with healing.

To heal I recommend the doctor developed method called Gut and Psychology syndrome programme because it has 60 years of experience behind it, first as the specific carbohydrate diet. And because of its microbiome changing effects, which is being proven by science to be profoundly healing.

From Gluten Free Society:
More Evidence Against Processed “Gluten Free” Products

A new research study published in the Journal of Food Protection found more problems with “gluten free” products. The study looked at 78 product samples claiming to be gluten free. A summary of the study is listed below:

16 samples (20.5%) did contain gluten levels of ≥20 mg/kg, ranging from 20.3 to 60.3 mg/kg. In particular, five of eight breakfast cereal samples showed gluten contents higher than 20 mg/kg. These results may be of concern, as gluten sensitivity is known to vary among celiac disease patients.


Source: J Food Prot. 2014 Oct;77(10):1830-3.
Processed Gluten Free Products are a Potential Health Risk


What’s important to realize about this study is that the products tested were all supposed to be gluten free. 20.5% of them had enough gluten to be dangerous. 62.5% of the cereals tested contained gluten. If you are new to the gluten free diet, you most likely were told by your GI doctor or celiac support group to run out to the grocery story and start buying from the gluten free aisle.

Add this information to fact that a prior study done in 2010 showed that 41% of gluten free products tested positive for gluten.

When initially going gluten free, the average person reaches out to the gluten free aisle in the grocery store to find substitutes for pastas, breads, cereals, bagels, etc. The majority of these people seeking gluten free substitutes either remain sick or experience reduced improvement in inflammation. Some research studies show that the number is as high as 92% of patients fail to heal.

Most gluten free substitute products are made from corn, rice, and other grains (oats and sorghum) and pseudo grains (amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa). Unfortunately, these substitutes have been shown to cause damage for those with gluten sensitivity. Click the links below for some common examples:
Studies on corn gluten
Studies on certified gluten free oats
Studies on rice gluten
Studies on quinoa

Research has also shown that those following a processed gluten free diet can have a hard time healing. The study found that 81% of patients that were non responsive to a Traditional Gluten Free Diet responded to a TRUE gluten free diet (no processed foods and no grain substitutes).


I discussed much of this recently on Underground Wellness with Sean Croxton. You can listen in here <<<


To Your Health


Dr. Barbara

Complete Remission of Psychiatric Symptoms with Vitamin B12 -Case Study in Literature; It's What's In The Brain That Counts

I felt this article was well worth repeating, with some minor editing. 

Many neurological and psychiatric conditions are related to B12 deficiency. 

The rates of B12 deficiency in people with gluten sensitivity is very high. Easy to misdiagnose if you only use a serum B12 level. And it is how much B12 is in the brain that counts. 

I list a number of mechanisms for low B12:

-low stomach acid ( achlorhydria) from an autoimmune process (Gluten sensitive people have 12 times the rate of autoimmune disorders) or from drugs like metformin and proton pump inhibitors

-antibodies to the intrinsic factor producing parietal cell, lowering the amount of the protein that carries B12 from the GI system into the bloodstream- autoimmune atrophic gastritis

- dietary restrictions

- higher B12 needs because of methylation gene abnormalities called MTHFR

- and brain fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may have a much lower level of B12 because of an impaired blood brain barrier (described by Dr. Hadjivassiliou in Lancet 2010 and caused by antibodies called Tg6) and so the brain function may be impaired.


All these factors also make it tricky to take oral B12 and expect it to increase the amount of B12 in the brain, where you want it.The blood level does not accurately reflect the level of B12 in the CSF. ( van Tiggelen CJM, Peperkamp JPC, Tertoolen JFW. Vitamin B12 levels of cerebrospinal fluid in patients with organic mental disorders. J Orthomolec Psych. 1983;12:305–311.)

I would like to report the case of a man in his early thirties who came into my practice a few months after he was admitted to a psychiatric facility for 6 weeks. After a few days of treatment, he had refused all medication, and being assess as a person with schizoaffective disorder he was discharged in much the same condition. I placed him on a gluten free diet while testing proceeded, but this was easy as he was living with his parents and his mother was on a gluten free diet already. It was difficult to get testing done but when it was done it was clear he was vitamin B12 deficient. And he had two genes for celiac disease.

He had suffered for years with mood swings, lethargy, and intermittent perceptual disturbances and had been prescribed psychotropic drugs on and off. He was never suicidal although this symptom is common in gluten sensitive individuals. (gluten sensitive teens have a 40% increased risk of dying of suicide by the age of 20, a horrible statistic.)

On the gluten free diet, he was having less negative symptoms, but there was a noticeable improvement when he self administered B12 shots. He has had periods of going off B12 shots, but his family members notice and remind him to give himself a shot. When taking shots regularly, he is alert, oriented, and has a stable romantic relationship. He is looking for work in his field.

In the literature we find a severe case where B12 was the only additional treatment. I frequently find B12 deficiency in patients with mental symptoms and neurological symptoms. For testing I use homocysteine and urinary methylmalonic acid measurements as I find serum B12 measurements unreliable and it can miss methylation polymorphisms ( which has an prevalence in my practice of 76% for at least one SNP of c677T or a1298c). I will also do a trial of IM or Subcutaneous B12, and see what happens. If people feel better after the B12 the next step is to find the frequency. Some people need a shot a day but this is unusual.( this indicates multiple methylation polymorphisms, and/or heavy metal intoxication and/or active autoimmune disorders blocking B12 from going easily through the blood brain barrier, leading to low brain levels of B12.And needing more help). I recommend folate with B12 shots to avoid folate deficiency, in the form of a good B complex, with or without NAC.

Here is what Dr. Kelly Brogan, a psychiatrist has to say about B12 and mental health:

If this is not a wake up call to the average psychiatric prescriber, I’m not sure what is. Much of what we attribute to serotonin and dopamine “deficiencies” melts away under the investigative eye of a more personalized style of medicine that seeks to identify hormonal, nutritional, and immune imbalances that can “look” psychiatric in nature.

How can B12 impact brain health?
B12 supports myelin (which allows nerve impulses to conduct) and when this vitamin is deficient, has been suspected to drive symptoms such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, impaired gait, and sensation. Clinically, B12 may be best-known for its role in red blood cell production. Deficiency states may result in pernicious anemia. But what about B12’s role in psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, and even psychosis?


The one-carbon cycle refers to the body’s use of B vitamins as “methylators” in DNA synthesis and the management of gene expression. There are three concepts that relate to B12’s role in chronic, long-latency neuropsychiatric syndromes: 

1. Methylation
This process of marking genes for expression, like little “read me!” signs, is also critical for detox and elimination of chemicals and hormones (estrogen), building and metabolizing neurotransmitters, and producing energy and cell membranes.

2. Homocysteine recycling

B12 is a primary player in the one-carbon cycle and a co-factor for the methylation, by activated folate, of homocysteine, to recycle it back to methionine. From there, SAMe is produced, the body’s busiest methyl donor. 

3. Genetic override
Sufficient supply of an activated/bioavailable form of a vitamin (ie methylfolate vs folic acid) is even more necessary in the setting of gene variants such as transcobalamin II, MTHFR, and MTRR which may function less optimally in certain individuals and result in pathology under stress. An example of this is a report of death in a B12-deficient patient with genetic variants who underwent anesthesia with nitrous (which causes stress to the system). Notably the B12 blood level was normal, so this fatal case was attributed to functional deficiency, suggesting that access to B vitamins may not always guarantee proper utilization. For this reason, supplementing with activated forms of B vitamins enhances their likelihood of effectively supporting cellular processes.

Read her take on testing and causes of vitamin B12 deficiencies.


If you are interested in the scientific studies, see Dr. Prousky's award winning article on the rational of using B12 therapeutically for psychiatric conditions, even in the absence of "classical" deficiency.

In conclusion: if you are not feeling 100%, mentally or physically or neurologically, it could be B12.


To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

Dangerous Food Allergen Associated with Gluten Sensitivity: Sulphite Sensitivity Reactions

Recently a stubborn case of chronic diarrhea despite a grain, sugar, gluten, dairy free diet was solved when it was found out the person with gluten sensitivity and a history of asthmas, found supplements with sulphur dioxide in her regime, and she removed them. She knew she was allergic to prescription sulfa drugs and got hives when she drank some wine. She needed to be informed where else she was ingesting sulphites and do a little sleuthing.

Sulphite sensitivity reactions are very common, and can be very severe! Please inform yourself and take precautions. 

See the complete report from Health Canada Food and Nutrition:

Sulphites - One of the ten priority food allergens (my bold)

Allergic reactions are severe adverse reactions that occur when the body's immune system overreacts to a particular allergen. These reactions may be caused by food, insect stings, latex, medications and other substances. In Canada, the ten priority food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts), sesame seeds, milk, eggs, seafood (fish, crustaceans and shellfish), soy, wheat, sulphites (a food additive) and mustard.

Although sulphites do not cause a true allergic reaction, sulphite-sensitive people may experience similar reactions as those with food allergies. Those who have asthma are most at risk to sulphite sensitivity and other forms of sulphite reactions.

What are the symptoms of an allergic reaction?

When someone comes in contact with an allergen, the symptoms of a reaction may develop quickly and rapidly progress from mild to severe. The most severe form of an allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. Symptoms can include breathing difficulties, a drop in blood pressure or shock, which may result in loss of consciousness and even death. A person experiencing an allergic reaction may have any of the following symptoms:

Flushed face, hives or a rash, red and itchy skin
Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, throat and tongue
Trouble breathing, speaking or swallowing
Anxiety, distress, faintness, paleness, sense of doom, weakness
Cramps, diarrhea, vomiting
A drop in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, loss of consciousness

How are food allergies and severe allergic reactions treated?

Currently there is no cure for food allergies. The only option for managing the risk is to completely avoid the specific allergen. Appropriate emergency treatment for anaphylaxis (a severe food allergy reaction) includes an injection of epinephrine, which is available in an auto-injector device. Epinephrine must be administered as soon as symptoms of a severe allergic reaction appear. The injection must be followed by further treatment and observation in a hospital emergency room. If your allergist has diagnosed you with a food allergy and prescribed Epinephrine, carry it with you all the time and know how to use it. Follow your allergist's advice on how to use an auto-injector device.
Frequently asked questions about sulphite sensitivity

What are Sulphites?

Sulphites are substances that naturally occur in some foods and the human body. They are also regulated food additives that are used as preservatives to maintain food colour and prolong shelf-life, prevent the growth of microorganisms, and to maintain the potency of certain medications. Sulphites are used to bleach food starches (e.g. potato) and are also used in the production of some food packaging materials (e.g. cellophane).

The sulphites that can be added to foods in Canada are potassium bisulphite, potassium metabisulphite, sodium bisulphite, sodium dithionite, sodium metabisulphite, sodium sulphite, sulphur dioxide and sulphurous acid. These can also be declared using the common names sulfites, sulphites, sulfiting agents or sulphiting agents.

Are sulphites safe to eat?

Yes, for the majority of consumers. However, some sulphite-sensitive people, many of whom also have asthma, may react to sulphites with allergy-like symptoms. Sulphites can trigger asthma and symptoms of anaphylactic reaction.

I have a sulphite sensitivity. How can I avoid a sulphite-related reaction?

Avoid all food and products that contain sulphites and sulphite derivatives. These include any product whose ingredient list warns it "may contain" or "may contain traces of" sulphites and sulphite derivatives.

Can I have a sulphite-related reaction even if I do not eat a food or use a product that contains sulphites or sulphite derivatives?

Yes. There have been reported reactions to inhaled sulphites; however, not from food itself. If sulphites and sulphite derivatives are not present in food, a reaction cannot occur. However, sulphites and sulphite derivatives can often be present under different names, e.g., potassium bisulphite. For other common ingredient label names, refer to the list below. Always read the ingredient list carefully.

What do I do if I am not sure whether a product contains sulphites or sulphite derivatives?

If you have a sulphite sensitivity, do not eat or use the product. Get ingredient information from the manufacturer.

Does product size affect the likelihood of an allergic reaction?

Product size does not affect the likelihood of a reaction; however, the same brand of product may be safe to consume for one product size but not another. This is because product formulation may vary between different product sizes of the same product.

Avoiding sulphites and sulphite derivatives

Make sure you read product labels carefully to avoid products that contain sulphites and sulphite derivatives. Certain medications contain sulphites, yet are safe for and may be used by sulphite-sensitive people as directed by an allergist. Avoid food and products that do not have an ingredient list and read labels every time you shop. Manufacturers may occasionally change their recipes or use different ingredients for varieties of the same brand.

Refer to the following list before shopping:

Other names for sulphites
In the past, some products have used other names for sulphites on their labels. These names are not permitted based on the enhanced labelling requirements for food allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites, however, if you have a sulphite sensitivity and see one of the following in the list of ingredients on a product you should not eat it.

E 220, E 221, E 222, E 223, E 224, E 225, E 226, E 227, E 228 (European names)

Food and products that often contain sulphites
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer and cider
Bottled lemon and lime juices and concentrates
Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
Cereal, cornmeal, cornstarch, crackers and muesli
Condiments, for example, coleslaw, horseradish, ketchup, mustard, pickles, relish and sauerkraut
Dehydrated, mashed, peeled and pre-cut potatoes, and frozen french fries
Dried fruits and vegetables, such as apricots, coconut and raisins, sweet potato
Dried herbs, spices and teas
Fresh grapes
Fruit fillings and syrups, gelatin, jams, jellies, preserves, marmalade, molasses and pectin
Fruit and vegetable juices
Glazed and glacéed fruits, for example, maraschino cherries
Starches, (for example, corn starch, potato starch)
Sugar syrups, for example, glucose, glucose solids, syrup dextrose, corn syrup, table syrup
Tomato pastes, pulps and purees
Vinegar and wine vinegar-(olives or other vegetable in vinegar)
Coconut milk, coconut milk powder, dried coconut
Wine

Other possible sources of sulphites
Baked goods, especially with dried fruits
Deli meats, hot dogs and sausages
Dressings, gravies, guacamole, sauces, soups and soup mixes
Fish, crustaceans and shellfish
Granola bars, especially with dried fruit
Noodle and rice mixes
Snack foods, for example, raisins, fruit salad
Soy products
Non-food sources of sulphites
Bottle-sanitizing solutions for home brewing
Cellophane

(supplements- in the form of sulphur dioxide or other name)

Note: These lists are not complete and may change. Food and food products purchased from other countries, through mail-order or the Internet, are not always produced using the same manufacturing and labelling standards as in Canada.

What can I do?
Be informed

See an allergist and educate yourself about food allergies. Contact your local allergy association for further information.

If you or anyone you know has food allergies or would like to receive information about food being recalled, sign up for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) free e-mail "Food Recalls and Allergy Alerts" notification service. When you sign up you will automatically receive food recall public warnings.

Before eating

Allergists recommend that if you do not have your auto-injector device with you that you do not eat. If the label indicates that a product "contains:" or "may contain:" sulphite or sulphite derivatives, do not eat it. If you do not recognize an ingredient or there is no ingredient list available, avoid the product.

Watch out for allergen cross contamination!

Cross contamination is the transfer of an ingredient (food allergen) to a product that does not normally have that ingredient in it. Through cross contamination, a food that should not contain the allergen could become dangerous to eat for those who are allergic.

Cross contamination can happen: 

1. during food manufacturing through shared production and packaging equipment;
2. at retail through shared equipment, e.g., cheese and deli meats sliced on the same slicer; 
3. and through bulk display of food products, e.g., bins of baked goods, bulk nuts; and
4. during food preparation at home or in restaurants through equipment, utensils and hands.

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

The Top Ten Physical Complaints from Celiac Patients- from Celiac.com

The Top Ten Physical Complaints from Celiac Patients
By Jefferson Adams
Published 01/16/2015
Celiac Disease Diagnosis, Testing & Treatment (Gluten-Free Diet) unrated

Celiac.com 01/16/2015 - Most people with celiac disease suffer from classic symptoms like weight-loss and diarrhea before diagnosis, right? Wrong. In fact, the most common medical issues for people with celiac disease might really surprise you.

A team of researchers who recently looked at data on 770 celiac patients admitted to S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital from January 1998 to December 2012, found that even though 80% of people with celiac disease have symptoms other than diarrhea,only 1 in 3 people with celiac disease shows classical malabsorption symptoms.

Notably, two out of three people with celiac disease show non-classical symptoms. The majority of people have non-gastrointestinalsymptoms. In fact, the top ten medical complains of people with celiac disease are:

1. Osteopenia/Osteoporosis—a full 52% of patients with celiac disease suffer from osteopenia/osteoporosis.
2. Anemia—about one in three celiacs (34%) suffer from anemia.
3. Cryptogenic hypertransaminasemia—nearly one-third (29%) of people with celiac disease, have what is called cryptogenic hypertransaminasemia.
4. Diarrhea is, in fact, a common gastrointestinal symptom of celiac disease, but believe it or not, only 27% of people with symptomatic celiac disease experienced diarrhea.
5. Bloating—20% of celiacs complained of bloating prior to diagnosis.
6. Aphthous stomatitis—18% of people with symptomatic celiac disease had canker sores as one of their symptoms.
7. Alternating bowel habit—15% of celiacs with symptoms have alternating bowel habit
8. Constipation—13% of celiacs have constipation as a symptom.
9. Gastroesophageal reflux disease—About 12% of people with celiac disease suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease.
10. Recurrent miscarriages—just over one in ten (12%) people with celiac disease experience recurrent miscarriages

I recommend everyone get a simple test from www.enterolab.com called "genetics". This genetic test, and no other that I know of, tests for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. (I have tried all available testing methods and combination of testing methods and find them prone to interpretive errors. Except the genetic test available at www.enterolab.com).

Why do I recommend that everyone get this test?

1. There are at least 200 diseases associated with gluten sensitivity, according to the NEJM, so I can't tell without testing. 
2. Because those that are undiagnosed have high morbidity and mortality, leading to a 400% increased risk of dying by age 65! This morbidity and mortality is unnecessary. 
3. Most people need to see a black and white test result to be motivated to do the grain free diet which is the only treatment to treat the bowel and the the extra gastrointestinal illnesses.

Why would I recommend a gene test if one could have the gene for a condition and not have the disease?

The study of Epigenetics has helped us to understand where genetics is useful. If you were conceived and born in North America, after 1942, and you find you do carry one or more genes for celiac or gluten sensitivity, your genetics is "on". And you can modify how the gene is expressed. 

Do you see yourself or someone else in these paragraphs? All should be tested. 

Know your risk of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity!

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara