Food Fraud and the Mediterranean Diet: What You Can Do About It!

Have you been asked to eat a Mediterranean diet? Well, you can't eat a real Mediterranean diet unless you eat authentic olive oil as part of that diet. Olive oil has many health properties. It is high for example in phenolic substances which are highly anti-inflammatory in nature and likely the reason why studies of the Mediterranean Diet, high in olive oil, have indicated a decrease in heart disease, among other conditions. 

And to source and buy the real olive oil, for that you need to know about food fraud. And the best article I have seen about fake food is at Dr. Mercola's where he interviews Larry Olmsted, the author of the book "Real Food/Fake Food: Why You Don't Know What You're Eating and What You Can Do About It". 

The whole interview is gripping. It covers fake seafood and this subject will sadden most people. It did me and motivated me to do more research on the seafood I buy and eat. And it covers Parmesan and the legal cover up of inferior foods with "brand" names to entice you into thinking you are getting the real thing.

I've written about the olive oil fraud and how to find authentic olive oil. We all think of Italy and those pastoral hills dotted with olive trees when we cook with olive oil, but the truth is an Italian olive oil has a good chance of being an inferior seed oil. You get what you pay for. Real olive oil can be pricey with a few exceptions, like Costco's extra virgin olive oil which has been consistently found in testing to be authentic.

To maintain the health benefits of olive oil, one should not cook with it, but put it on cold or room temperature dishes. For high heat cooking such as stir fry or sauteing use a temperature resistant fat such as avocado oil, animal fats like chicken fat and lard from pastured animals, organic red palm oil or coconut oil.


Here is an excerpt from Dr. Mercola's interview with Larry Olmsted:

Olive Oil Fraud


Olive oil is a $16 billion-a-year industry fraught with fraud. Tests reveal anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of the olive oils you find in grocery stores and restaurants are adulterated with cheap, oxidized, omega-6 vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil or peanut oil, that are pernicious to health in a number of ways.


   "Italy makes some delicious extra-virgin olive oil and they make some very good real extra-virgin       olive oil. The problem is a lot of what is exported from Italy is not their best product," Olmsted           says. "People associate olive oil with Italy … The thing that they look for most is that the oil               comes from Italy. But coming from Italy is not the same as being made in Italy.


    Italy is the world's largest exporter of olive oil, but they're also the world's largest importer of olive     oil. They buy up oil from all over the Mediterranean basin — from Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Spain     — blend it, bottle it. Often it's labeled "bottled in Italy," which is technically true. It was shipped to     Italy and put into bottles, but it's not Italian olive oil. When people buy that, they're relying on            some sort of myth of Italian quality.


    Italy doesn't even produce enough extra-virgin olive oil to meet its own domestic demand. While         you can get very good olive oil from Italy, it's trickier than from some other countries … What           people need to understand about olive oil is that it's essentially closer to fresh-squeezed fruit juice       than it is to most of the other oils we're familiar with … As a result, olive oil has a fairly short shelf     life compared to other oils."

How to Identify High Quality Olive Oil


Part of the problem is that olive oil is shipped by boat, which takes a long time. Then it's stored and distributed to grocery stores, where the oil may sit on the shelf for another several months. Moreover, the "use by" or "sell by" date on the bottle really does not mean a whole lot, as there's no regulation assuring that the oil will remain of high quality until that date.

The date you really want to know is the "pressed on" date or "harvest" date, which are essentially the same thing because olives go bad almost immediately after being picked. They're pressed into olive oil basically the same day they're harvested. High quality olive oil is pressed within a couple of hours of picking. Poorer quality olive oils may be pressed 10 hours after the olives are picked.

Ideally the oil, based on the "pressed" or "harvest" date, should be less than 6 months old when you use it. Unfortunately, few olive oils actually provide a harvest date.

As for olive oil in restaurants, more often than not, the olive oil served for bread dipping is typically of very poor quality and is best avoided. For more information about olive oil — how it's made and what constitutes extra-virgin olive oil, please listen to the full interview, or read through the transcript, where Olmsted goes into more details about pressing, grading and testing............

Where to Find the Best Olive Oil

Surprisingly, the big box stores actually do a better job with their supply chain of most foods, including olive oil and seafood.

"Let food be thy medicine", so Hippocrates famously said. With the ever more increasing pressures of finding the real food, it may be best to cook at home more. Be more careful when choosing a restaurant and what you choose to eat in the restaurant. I suggest asking more questions but be sure to do this only when the restaurant is not busy.

When it comes to sourcing out your food, it is a good idea to get to know your local fish monger, and your local farmers. And starting a small balcony or patio garden is not a bad idea too.

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara (TM)

CeliacBrain (TM) is the trademark and copyright of Dr. Barbara Powell. The right of Dr. Barbara Powell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.

ATI: The New "Gluten": Part 2, Dr. Richard Nahas of the Seeker's Centre Shares

Over at the Seeker's Pain Centre Dr. Richard Nahas writes about his approach. 

Is wheat affecting your brain?

We have supervised hundreds of patients during a trial of a gluten-free diet. What we have seen has been nothing short of amazing. About half of patients report dramatic improvements. This does not just include GI problems like bloating, gas, heartburn, constipation, stomach pain and diarrhea. We see improvement in fatigue, muscle aches and joint pain. Less depression and anxiety. Better sleep. Swelling and edema, blood pressure and blood sugar, and many other problems improve.


In medical school, we are taught that gluten allergy is called celiac disease, and that it affects about 1% of people. Recent studies, and the experiences of millions of ordinary people, point to another problem with wheat and other gluten-containing foods. It is called Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS), and it appears to be a silent epidemic. No one knows exactly how many people suffer from NCGS, but it is one of the most common reasons why some people who suffer a minor injury are not able to ‘bounce back’.


When we suspect NCGS, we recommend a strict, 100% gluten-free diet for three months. This means no wheat, rye, barley, spelt or kamut. This means no bread or beer, pizza or pasta, cookies, pies, cakes, donuts or muffins. It means reading ingredients, talking to servers in restaurants, and sometimes saying ’no thank you’ at social gatherings. But for people with NCGS, these small sacrifices pay huge dividends.


We have blamed all of this on gluten, but this new study points to a new possible cause. Researchers have reported that amylase-trypsin inhibitors can trigger inflammation in tissues. This may help explain why a gluten-free diet can improve symptoms throughout the body. Inflammation is at the root of Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression and dozens of other chronic diseases. While we know that gluten can disturb the immune system, this new finding suggests that ATIs may cause additional problems, leading to a one-two punch.


If you have any health problems at all, you should definitely consider a trial of a gluten-free diet. If it does not help, then you can try other dietary approaches to see if they make a difference. Avoiding nightshades, going vegetarian, occasional fasting, raw food diets and low-carb ‘Paleo’ diets have also helped many of our patients.


In the words of Hippocrates, the great Greek physician, ‘let food be thy medicine’. And keep seeking.

Those of you who have been reading me faithfully know that I recommend a trial of gluten-free, dairy free, nightshade free, grain-free, sugar-free diet similar to Paleo, called GAPS (www.gaps.me) which has a step wise approach to ensure smooth sailing and success. Why because I have seen remarkable successes with this. 

Avoiding grains ( and more particularly the GAPS way) makes more and more sense as more scientific research comes in. Like the info on the Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity being a new and different immune reaction than Celiac disease and now the Anti Trypsin Inhibitors found in wheat causing inflammation. 

There is more and more reason to go for a trial of GAPS ( or a GAPS/ Paleo version) 

 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara (TM)

CeliacBrain (TM) is the trademark and copyright of Dr. Barbara Powell. The right of Dr. Barbara Powell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.

Meet ATI, The New "Gluten". New Wheat Protein Found to Aggravate Chronic Health Issues, New Study!

Another wheat protein has been found that causes gastrointestinal problems and problems in other parts of the body like inflammation of the brain, lymph nodes, kidneys, spleen and other organs. It is called ATI or amylase trypsin inhibitor. ATIs make up no more that 4% of wheat proteins, but can trigger powerful immune reactions in the gut that can spread to other tissues in the body. The implications are massive.

Evidence suggests that ATIs can worsen the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, lupus and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as inflammatory bowel disease.
That explains why some people eating wheat but don't have non celiac gluten sensitivity nor wheat allergy nor celiac are getting sick. 

This is another reason for the success of the GAPS or Paleo (without specific carbohydrates, legumes or chocolate) in resolving many health issues. 

More research has to be done to see if ATI is also found in other grains or cereals. According to Dr. Schuppan lead researcher of the study:

Wheat amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) have been identified as the most likely triggers of NCWS [Non Celiac Wheat Sensitivity]. They are highly protease resistant and activate the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) complex in monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells of the intestinal mucosa. Non-gluten containing cereals or staples display no or little TLR4 stimulating activity. Wheat ATIs are a family of up to 17 similar proteins of molecular weights around 15 kD and represent 2-4% of the wheat protein. With oral ingestion they co-stimulate antigen presenting cells and promote T cell activation in celiac disease, but also in other immune-mediated diseases within and outside the GI tract.

Read the news report from WorldHealth.net  entitled -Wheat Protein Linked to Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity.  

Read the press release from United European Gastroenterology. from October 17th, 2016.



References:

1. Zevallos V, Weinmann-Menke J, Meineck M et al. Alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) accelerate murine systemic lupus erythematosus. Poster presentation at the 16th International Coeliac Disease Symposium, 21-24 June 2015, Prague, Czech Republic. Poster P168.

2. Zevallos V, Yogev N, Nikolaev A et al. Consumption of wheat alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) enhances experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice. Oral presentation at the 16th International Coeliac Disease Symposium, 21-24 June 2015, Prague, Czech Republic.

3. Junker Y, Zeissig S, Kim S-J et al. Wheat amylase trypsin inhibitors drive intestinal inflammation via activation of toll-like receptor 4. J Exp Med 2012;209(13):2395-408.

4. Fasano A, Sapone A, Zevallos V et al. Nonceliac gluten and wheat sensitivity. Gastroenterology 2015;148(6):1195-204.

5.Schuppan D, Pickert G, Ashfaq-Khan M et al. Non-celiac wheat sensitivity: Differential diagnosis, triggers and implications. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 2015;29(3):469-76.
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara (TM)

CeliacBrain (TM) is the trademark and copyright of Dr. Barbara Powell. The right of Dr. Barbara Powell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.

If You are Gluten Sensitive, Stop! Don't Reach for An NSAID Before Reading this!

NSAIDs are a group of drugs called Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs, and they come in pills, tablets, gel caps, eye drops, creams and rectal suppositories. They are promoted to reduce pain and swelling. 

They contribute to a long list of adverse effects some subtle like promoting heart disease and they can promote internal GI bleeding. They are absorbed through the skin and rectum and can still affect the GI system. I am shocked to learn they are linked to infertility. 

I once resuscitated an 80 year old woman who had taken one, her first ever, Ibuprofen which caused a severe GI bleed requiring hospital admission. 

In Canada, over 3,000 people died from the use of an NSAID every year. 

Gluten sensitive people have many reasons to have more side effects from NSAIDs and drugs in general, than the general population: more GI problems, more infections, more arthritis, more infertility, more heart disease and strokes, so why add to the problems. 

There are many natural pain relieving alternatives.

The following excerpt is from an article by Dr. Kaayla T. Daniel but do go to the link to read the whole thing.  

NSAIDS for Inflammation? Think Again.

For decades now Advil, Aleve, Midol, Motrin, aspirins and other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) have been the go-to drugs for headaches, aching joints, menstrual cramps and other symptoms of painful inflammation. Doctors widely recommend them, they’ve been on the market for years, and the average consumer believes they are safe.

In truth, NSAIDs offer short-term relief, at best, and contribute to a long list of adverse side effects, at worst.

While just about everyone swallows these pills on occasion, 60 million people take them regularly. The cost per year in the U.S. comes to five billion dollars for prescription NSAIDs, and another two billion dollars for over-the-counter NSAIDs.

Here are six good reasons to reconsider regular NSAID use.

Read about the six adverse effects that have been proven scientifically to be associated to NSAIDs in the link above. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara (TM)

CeliacBrain (TM) is the trademark and copyright of Dr. Barbara Powell. The right of Dr. Barbara Powell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.

You can't always trust the label: Some products assumed to be non-gluten still contain gluten - New study

When shopping for products for your grain free or gluten free diet, stick to certified gluten free products. Even when the product does not have any obvious gluten in it like tahini, and you don't see the any worry some ingredients like rye or barley, a new study published September 14th in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows a fairly high rate of gluten contamination, .9% or almost one in ten have gluten in the amount ranging from 5-20 ppm of gluten. A product has to have less than 20 ppm to be certified gluten free. (So yes a product that is "gluten free" may have some gluten in it.)

Other studies have found gluten free cereals to have a 40% chance of having gluten in them. 

Here is an excerpt from Natural News writer Ethan A Huff :

Just because a food product doesn't contain wheat, rye, barley, or one of the other common gluten offenders as a labeled ingredient on the package doesn't necessarily mean that it's gluten-free. New research by a reputable gluten watchdog group found that many seemingly gluten-free foods actually contain trace amounts of gluten that could cause problems for people with Celiac disease or severe gluten intolerance.

The group "Gluten Free Watchdog" looked at 101 food products sold in the U.S. that fit the bill for not containing gluten ingredients, but that may or may not contain trace amounts of gluten from other sources. Some of these products contained advisory labels warning about possible cross-contamination with gluten, while others did not -- such labels are voluntarily, and not all food manufacturers use them.

Of the 101 products tested, 87 of them were not affixed with advisory labels, meaning customers who purchase them aren't being told that they may contain trace amounts of gluten. The good news is that most of them were, indeed, found to be clean and free of gluten. But 13 of the items, or 15 percent, tested positive for gluten, with nine of these containing gluten in amounts ranging from 5-20 ppm of gluten. Four of the items were found to contain at least 20 ppm of gluten.

On the flip side, of the 14 items that included allergy advisory statements -- these included cereals, spices, candy, baked goods, and tea and various other beverages -- only one tested positive for gluten. These and other findings were published in the September 14th online edition of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Read the rest of the article here; http://www.naturalnews.com/055587_gluten_labeling_food_allergens.html#ixzz4Midf6PKW


If you have Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, stick with only verified gluten-free foods for your safety or better yet make all your own food, grain, dairy, sugar free and avoid processed foods which have other issues besides whether they have gluten in them or not.

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara (TM)
Celiacbrain (TM)

4 Ways "Gluten Free Food" Keeps Gluten Sensitive People Sick: Focus on Cross Reactivity, Encore.

Cross Reactivity: How Your Body Can Still Think You Are Eating Gluten Even When You Are Gluten Free

I want people with celiac disease or non celiac gluten sensitivity to reverse the damage in their bodies, heal and to increase their health span. That's right, increase your health span, that is the time you are healthy while you are alive.

I don't recommend a 'gluten free' diet. Modern science as you will read below is demonstrating that there are dangers in eating grains and other foods. I recommend the modern version of the specific carbohydrate diet, called Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) way of eating. That's the beginning and the most strong foundation. Get help to source out complications and correct them; such as nutritional deficiencies, vitamin D deficiency, hormone imbalances, chronic infections, methylation issues which induce thrombophilia, and autoimmune disorders.

The basis of the GAPS protocol, is to avoid grains and other foods that trigger gluten reactions, called cross reactivity and other damage to the bowel. These foods to avoid include corn, soy, rice, oats, millet, tapioca, potatoes, dairy, instant coffee, yeast (brewers yeast, bakers yeast). This is only a partial list, and the full list can be found at www.gaps.me.

Damage from gluten free foods made with grains, legumes and others can come from:

-cross reactivity

-gluten reaction because of contamination

-allergic reactions- an elimination diet helps to identify which foods one is allergic to

- disaccharide content of these foods which encourage the growth of pathological microorganisms especially yeast which triggers gluten reactions.

-additives and different forms of anti nutrients present in grains and legumes. For example, Glyphosate made by GMO plants and sprayed on all grains and legumes, disturbs the Shikimate system of the microbiota and interfere with proper nutrition leading to for example sulfur deficiency and bowel damage.

A common cause of gluten damage is eating a food with gluten contamination, up to 40% of gluten free cereals are contaminated with measurable amounts of gluten. Gluten free flours found to have a high rate of contamination include chickpea flour, buckwheat flour, white rice flour, millet, and soy flour. Many gluten free flours start off gluten free, but become contaminated in their processing.

The foods-to-avoid list then includes foods with too many disaccharides (like corn, tapioca and sweet potatoes), and foods that cause cross reactivity to gluten (like corn and potatoes). 

Cross Reactivity of All Grains and Gluten Now Proven.

In this article I want to focus on cross-reactivity, a reaction to a food that does not have gluten in it, but it still triggers a gluten reaction. Here is a very good description of how and why many grains trigger a cross reactivity reaction from Dr. Sarah Ballantyne's blog "The Paleo Mom", - my bold.

For those 20% of us with celiac disease or gluten-intolerance/sensitivity (whether diagnosed or not) [I think this number is much higher as the threshold of the testing equipment to determine the levels of antibodies in the tested people, may not be able to pick up the smaller amounts, but these smaller amounts of antibodies are still active. If you have an autoimmune disease, it is my opinion you have the antibodies to gluten and the cross reactive foods], it is critical to understand the concept of gluten cross-reactivity. Essentially, when your body creates antibodies against gluten, those same antibodies also recognize proteins in other foods. When you eat those foods, even though they don’t contain gluten, your body reacts as though they do. You can do a fantastic job of remaining completely gluten-free but still suffer all of the symptoms of gluten consumption—because your body still thinks you are eating gluten. This is a very important piece of information that I was missing until recently.

Proteins are made of long chains of amino acids (small proteins may only be 50 amino acids long whereas large proteins may be 2000 amino acids long) and it is the specific sequence of these amino acids that determines what kind of protein is formed. These amino acid chains are folded, kinked and buckled in extremely complex ways, which gives a protein its ‘structure’. This folding/structure is integral to the function of the protein.



Proteins are made of amino acids hooked end-to-end like beads on a necklace.

To become active, proteins must twist and fold into their final, or "native," conformation."

An antibody is a Y shaped protein produced by immune cells in your body. Each tip of the Y contains the region of the antibody (called the paratope) that can bind to a specific sequence of amino acids (called the epitope) that are a part of the protein that the antibody recognizes/binds to (called the antigen). The classic analogy is that the antibody is like a lock and a 15-20 amino acid section of a protein/antigen is the key. There are 5 classes (or isotypes) of antibodies, each with distinctive functions in the body. The IgE class of antibodies are responsible for allergic reactions; for example, when someone goes into anaphylaxis after eating shellfish. The two classes IgG and IgA are critical for protecting us from invading pathogens but are also responsible for food sensitivities/intolerances. Both IgA and IgG antibodies are secreted by immune cells into the circulation, lymph, various fluids of the body (like saliva!) and tissues themselves. And both IgG and IgA antibodies are found in high concentrations in the tissues and fluids surrounding the gut (this is part of why the gut is considered our primary defense against infection).

The formation of antibodies against an antigen (whether this is an invading pathogen or a food) is an extremely complex process. When antibodies are being formed against a protein, the antibodies recognize specific (and short) sequences of amino acids in that protein. Depending on how the antigenic protein is folded, certain amino acid sequences in that protein are more likely to be the target of new antibody formation than others, simply because of the location of that sequence in the structure of the protein. Certain sequences of amino acids are more antigenic than others as well (i.e., more likely to stimulate antibody formation). This is also part of why certain foods have a higher potential to cause allergies and sensitivities.

Read the whole thing. Proteins look like a string of pearls, where by digestion, the string can be broken down into sets of one or more pearls, and can be recognized by the immune system as a different peptide ( a building block of a protein) such as dairy or corn fragments.

More than one study has shown gluten cross reactivity to all dairy products, information which may explain why you are not as healthy as you would like when you are strictly gluten free, but are still eating dairy. Try being truly dairy free for six months (gluten reaction damage lasts from 6 months to a year) and see what happens.

The study mentioned in the piece above uses alpha gliadin as the positive control to ascertain which foods cross react to alpha gliadin. The researchers made a list of foods which probably injure people with the abnormal autoimmune connective tissue reaction. But the list of foods to avoid to avoid internal injury is probably longer than the one mentioned in this article.To complicate the picture, foods can have other gliadin proteins in them such as gamma gliadin which are also thought to be triggering autoimmune disorders. From communication with Cyrex lab, the company that can test for cross reactivity: “The gluten associated cross reactive foods were only tested against alpha-gliadin-33, so in that regard we do not know if these foods cross react with any other gluten peptides (like gamma-gliadin). So the cross-reactive potential of Array 4 would currently only apply to an individual who has positive alpha-gliadin-33 antibodies. Although the article mainly addresses CD we would extrapolate the information to a person with NCGS with positive alpha-gliadin-33 antibodies who is refractory to a gluten-free diet.”
This suggests there could be more grains or other foods that trigger a gluten reaction and more research is required. A subject for another blog.
While not all people with gluten sensitivities will have gastrointestinal or other obvious signs that they are reacting to these foods listed in www.gaps.me or in the article, these foods stimulate parts of the immune system that are trying to protect you but in the process, harm you. You may not feel it, until you get a diagnosis. You have to link that diagnosis with the possibility your food is behind it.

We know in persons with celiac disease, trace amounts of gluten can cause a reaction, inflammation and immune responses ( antibodies attacking body parts like the thyroid or the balance system, called cerebellar ataxia) that can last up to one year. Can trace amounts of gluten cross reactive foods cause the same abnormal, autoimmune connective tissue reactions? Dr. Vojdani has shown just this and warns of the production of autoimmune disorders. "In the absence of the proper dietary elimination of gluten, the present study supports the hypothesis that if the high prevalence of antibodies against dietary proteins and peptides and their cross-reaction with various tissue antigens are not taken seriously, and if proper measures are not implemented, the result may be the development of autoimmunity in the future."


This is important when you decide to eat food you haven't prepared. Think of the small amounts of corn (citric acid, or ascorbic acid usually derived from corn) found is so many foods and supplements. Not to mention casein and other trace milk proteins in so many products like store bought pesto or butter. These foods can hurt you far beyond the gastrointestinal tract.

Here is the list of cross reactive foods from Dr. Ballantyne's investigations: (it may need to be updated with time, and your own experience with the food in question):

oats
all dairy
Yeast (brewer's. baker's, nutritional)
instant coffee (Nestle's unflavoured instant coffee are gluten free)
milk chocolate
millet
soy
corn
rice
potatoe


As mentioned above there are multiple mechanisms for inflammation and damage from eating certain foods, and cross reactivity is only one of the ways. The GAPS protocol has been researched and in use for healing gastrointestinal and extra gastrointestinal diseases for 80 years, starting as a specific carbohydrate protocol, and helps to manage the multiple ways food can injure especially the person with celiac disease. I recommend using the list provided at www.gaps.me. Add clean, pesticide free, unprocessed to the characteristics of your food choices and you should feel better.


To Your Health
Dr. Barbara (TM)
CeliacBrain (TM) is the trademark and copyright of Dr. Barbara Powell. The right of Dr. Barbara Powell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.


References:
Illustrations of protein and protein folding: https://publications.nigms.nih.gov/structlife/chapter1.html

A. Vojdani and I. Tarash, “Cross–Reaction between Gliadin and Different Food and Tissue Antigens,” Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2013, pp. 20-32.http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=26626

Thompson T et al. Gluten contamination of grains, seeds, and flours in the United States: a pilot study.J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Jun;110(6):937-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.03.014.

Dangerous Atrazine in Food and Water: Banned in Europe, Common in Canada and the USA- Canadian Physician's for the Environment

For those who are celiac or gluten sensitive I don't recommend eating any grains or sugar. And to drink clean water and eat organic and when your budget is tight chose to buy organic those most contaminated foods. This information is found at Environmental Working Group and they make a list called "the dirty dozen plus", the most contaminated foods which are best to buy as organic. And they have a list of cleaner foods called "the clean fifteen".

Although atrazine, a pesticide, is banned in Europe it is still used in Canada and the USA and is used on many places including on corn, sorghum and sugar crops we all need to know more about it, where it is found and how it can affect us. 

It's most disturbing effect is it's affect as an endocrine disruptor, that is it acts like a sex hormone to make organisms more female and it stops the normal use of your hormones. It is linked to many cancers.

Drinking water is the principal route of exposure for humans since atrazine is seldom found in food and there is little opportunity for inhalation. 

Here is a 11 page backgrounder on atrazine by the Canadian Physician's for the Environment to help inform you and help you make wiser decisions on your choices of food and water. 

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara (TM)

Weakened Intestinal Barrier, Systemic Immune Activation Explains Symptoms in People with GS Without Celiac Disease- Columbia Researchers

Yes, I am talking about non celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). If someone with NCGS eats gluten they get leaky gut and total body inflammation. That's what researchers found as the cause of the multiple illnesses that are provoked in sensitive individual with eating gluten even though they have negative bowel biopsies and negative blood tests. The syndrome has been recognized for decades, previously called latent celiac and the Oslo Conference  in 2013, put out a statement saying that non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a real identity. Dr. A. Fasano writes about it here. However there are still many physicians who don't believe it exists.

This understanding that there are people who are not celiac who get ill, sometimes very ill from eating gluten even in tiny amounts, and feel better if they abstain from any amounts of gluten is very important. Why? Because it is very, very common, especially in those who have chronic illness. I believe in starting with a diet, because that is what treats the cause. First, do no harm. I have personally observed people getting better or improving from symptoms of schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, mood issues, memory issues, eczema, ADD and ADHD, substance abuse, psoriasis, migraines, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, low nutrients, fatigue, carpal tunnel syndrome, joint pains including back pains, kidney failure, chronic pain syndromes like fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, balance issues, and osteoporosis when they have eliminated all gluten from their diet.

But here we have good news in getting closer to understanding NCGS. Dr. Peter Green and researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center, Celiac Disease Center have found that people with NCGS have more leaky gut than those without it. And body wide inflammation.

Dr. Umberto Volta MD and co-author of this study states:The study involved an international collaboration between researchers at CUMC and the University of Bologna in Italy. “These results shift the paradigm in our recognition and understanding of non-celiac wheat sensitivity and will likely have important implications for diagnosis and treatment. Considering the large number of people affected by the condition and its significant negative health impact on patients, this is an important area of research that deserves much more attention and funding.”

The study can be found here;

Read a good article on the subject here from Science Daily. 

And here: http://newsroom.cumc.columbia.edu/blog/2016/07/26/columbia-researchers-find-biological-explanation-wheat-sensitivity-2.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara (TM)
CeliacBrain (TM)

The Sleep Success Summit is free from August 8-15, 2016

A lot of you who are reading this blog, have sleep issues. It is quite debilitating when you realize just 1.5 hours less sleep in one night can lower performance by 32%. And resolving sleep issues can be quite complex and the answer often lies in your own hands. So  you need to educate yourself. 

Learn more at the Sleep Summit, and it is free for viewing. From the organizers: 













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If you want to improve anything, it starts with sleep. Sleep heals illness. Sleep reduces stress. Like diet and exercise, sleep is a pillar of wellness. No matter who or where you are, it’s time to understand these educational facts and actionable ways to affect your sleep in a positive manner...starting tonight!


Did you know?
30% of people experience insomnia at some point in their lives.
Those who sleep next to a snoring partner lose one hour of sleep each night.
One night of sleep deprivation can put your body into a diabetic state!
A decrease in sleep by 1.5 hours reduces performance by 32%.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

The 5 Worst Artificial Sweeteners by Dr. Axe

To stay well and be at your best stay away from artificial sweeteners and even some natural sourced sweeteners marketed to give you a "no-calorie" sweetness to the things you eat or drink. They are chemicals and interrupt your metabolism. Study after study has shown this. Dr. Axe explains this and more in his expose of artificial sweeteners. 

Eat real food and re acclimatize your taste buds (be patient as it takes time from the time you stop artificial sweeteners) to natural sweetness of the ingredients. If you crave sugar or carbs, take a teaspoon to a tablespoon of coconut oil and it should squelch your cravings. Avoid the trap of eating dates or other fruit thinking they are fruit so it is OK. They still have fructose and that feeds the pathological organisms of your microbiome and tips the balance away from health. 

  
Dr. Axe:[My bold]
If you haven’t stopped using artificial sweeteners, please do so immediately! Artificial sweeteners, or non-nutritive sweeteners as they are sometimes referred to, have been controversial since they were first introduced to the market in the 1950's, and scientific research shows they are associated with many dangerous side effects.

Introduced to satisfy consumers’ sweet tooth, these artificial sweeteners with no calories seemed, at the time, like good alternatives to refined sugars and natural sweeteners. However, the side effects simply aren’t worth it. These fake sweeteners cause symptoms that range from headaches and migraines to weight gain and even more serious conditions like cardiovascular disease [diabetes]. (1)

What many people don’t realize is that artificial sweeteners also can cause a dangerous addiction — an addiction to overly sweet foods. They retrain the taste buds to need more and more, sweeter and sweeter foods. This leads to even greater incidences of obesity, type 2 diabetes [this link gives a protocol for reversing it], kidney damage and so much more.

So how does the use of artificial sweeteners contribute to addiction? Researchers believe that part of the reason is that individuals will just find other foods to fill the calorie gap in order to become satiated. We’ve all seen people order diet sodas, only to then order one of the most calorie-ridden items on a menu. That’s because non-nutritive sweeteners provide virtually no sense of satisfaction. (2)

Read the rest here:
To Your Health

Dr. Barbara (TM)

10 Hacks for Better Living from Dr. Frank Lipman's Blog.

If you could do just a few manageable changes in your life to have better living, would you do it?
Here is a list of 10 such suggestions from Dr. Ellen Vora, MD, writing over at Dr. Lipman's Blog. My list would be similar but might include quitting smoking for the smoker, and a 100% gluten free diet for the gluten sensitive person. 

Take a look at what Dr. Vora has to say, and I especially like number 4: "Count the chemicals" when you shop with an eye on which foods have the most pesticides and I would avoid those. Environmental Working Group's "The dirty dozen plus" is a helpful start. And number 8. "Take a spoonful" of coconut oil to balance blood sugars. 

Dr. Ellen Vora:

As a holistic psychiatrist, I would love for my patients to forage for wild greens in an old-growth forest and meditate an hour a day. But I practice in New York City, so most of my patients push back on that plan and say they can dedicate about 90 seconds per day toward wellness. To help out, I’ve identified a few life “hacks” that pack the most bang for your buck. Give some of these a try, and you’ll be feeling better with minimal effort.

1. Stand Up For Two Minutes Every Hour

Sitting is toxic. The healthiest people in the world have never been on an elliptical—they’re just a little bit active all day long. Even if you sit at a desk, approximate an active lifestyle by building micro activity into your day. Walk to the bathroom every hour, stand up to change the channel, take the stairs, or just stand up and sit back down after a minute. Any movement at all will be much better than uninterrupted sitting.

2. Get A Squatty Potty


Humans evolved squatting to poop. Sitting to have a bowel movement is a recent phenomenon, and I feel it contributes to modern gastrointestinal woes like constipation, IBS, and hemorrhoids. The Squatty Potty is safe, affordable, and potentially life-changing. This is my favorite kind of medicine, and I recommend it to everyone.


Step 1: Go to www.squattypotty.com .


Step 2: Experience the revelation of an effortless and complete evacuation.


Step 3 (the hardest step): Explain to curious house guests what that stool is in your bathroom.

3. Eat Real Food


What’s the right diet: Paleo, Mediterranean, vegan, raw? In a world of conflicting research and opinions, here’s a simple way to think about the right way to eat: Eat real food and avoid fake food. Full stop. Pay less attention to the parade of contradictory headlines—fat is bad, butter is good, carbs are bad, eggs cause heart disease (oops, now they’re healthy)…. From now on, just ask yourself: Is it real food? And a good follow-up question is: How do I feel when I eat this? Pay special attention to foods marketed as health foods. Is it real food? Probably not.

4. Count Chemicals, Not Calories 

Read the rest here:

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara (TM)

Cross Reactivity: How Your Body Can Still Think You Are Eating Gluten Even When You Are Gluten Free

I want people with celiac disease or non celiac gluten sensitivity to reverse the damage in their bodies, heal and to increase their health span. That's right, increase your health span, that is the time you are healthy while you are alive. 
I don't recommend a 'gluten free' diet. Modern science as you will read below is demonstrating that there are dangers in eating grains and other foods. I recommend the modern version of the specific carbohydrate diet, called Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) way of eating. That's the beginning and the most strong foundation. Get help to source out complications and correct them; such as nutritional deficiencies, vitamin D deficiency, hormone imbalances, chronic infections, methylation issues which induce thrombophilia, and autoimmune disorders.

The basis of the  GAPS protocol, is to avoid grains and other foods that trigger gluten reactions, called cross reactivity and other damage to the bowel. These foods to avoid include corn, soy, rice, oats, millet, tapioca, potatoes, dairy, instant coffee, yeast (brewers yeast, bakers yeast). This is only a partial list, and the full list can be found at www.gaps.me. 

Damage from gluten free foods made with grains, legumes and others can come from:

-cross reactivity

-gluten reaction because of contamination

-allergic reactions- an elimination diet helps to identify which foods one is allergic to

- disaccharide content of these foods which encourage the growth of pathological microorganisms especially yeast which triggers gluten reactions. 

-additives and different forms of anti nutrients present in grains and legumes. For example, Glyphosate made by GMO plants and sprayed on all grains and legumes, disturbs the Shikimate system of the microbiota and interfere with proper nutrition leading to for example sulfur deficiency and bowel damage.

A common cause of gluten damage is eating a food with gluten contamination, up to 40% of gluten free cereals are contaminated with measurable amounts of gluten. Gluten free flours found to have a high rate of contamination include chickpea flour, buckwheat flour, white rice flour, millet, and soy flour. Many gluten free flours start off gluten free, but become contaminated in their processing. 

The foods-to-avoid list then includes foods with too many disaccharides (like corn, tapioca and sweet potatoes), and foods that cause cross reactivity to gluten (like corn and potatoes). 

In this article I want to focus on cross-reactivity, a reaction to a food that does not have gluten in it, but it still triggers a gluten reaction. Here is a very good description of how and why many grains trigger a cross reactivity reaction from Dr. Sarah Ballantyne's blog "The Paleo Mom", - my bold.

For those 20% of us with celiac disease or gluten-intolerance/sensitivity (whether diagnosed or not) [I think this number is much higher as the threshold of the testing equipment to determine the levels of antibodies in the tested people, may not be able to pick up the smaller amounts, but these smaller amounts of antibodies are still active. If you have an autoimmune disease, it is my opinion you have the antibodies to gluten and the cross reactive foods], it is critical to understand the concept of gluten cross-reactivity. Essentially, when your body creates antibodies against gluten, those same antibodies also recognize proteins in other foods. When you eat those foods, even though they don’t contain gluten, your body reacts as though they do. You can do a fantastic job of remaining completely gluten-free but still suffer all of the symptoms of gluten consumption—because your body still thinks you are eating gluten. This is a very important piece of information that I was missing until recently.

Proteins are made of long chains of amino acids (small proteins may only be 50 amino acids long whereas large proteins may be 2000 amino acids long) and it is the specific sequence of these amino acids that determines what kind of protein is formed. These amino acid chains are folded, kinked and buckled in extremely complex ways, which gives a protein its ‘structure’. This folding/structure is integral to the function of the protein.



Proteins are made of amino acids hooked end-to-end like beads on a necklace.

To become active, proteins must twist and fold into their final, or "native," conformation."

An antibody is a Y shaped protein produced by immune cells in your body. Each tip of the Y contains the region of the antibody (called the paratope) that can bind to a specific sequence of amino acids (called the epitope) that are a part of the protein that the antibody recognizes/binds to (called the antigen). The classic analogy is that the antibody is like a lock and a 15-20 amino acid section of a protein/antigen is the key. There are 5 classes (or isotypes) of antibodies, each with distinctive functions in the body. The IgE class of antibodies are responsible for allergic reactions; for example, when someone goes into anaphylaxis after eating shellfish. The two classes IgG and IgA are critical for protecting us from invading pathogens but are also responsible for food sensitivities/intolerances. Both IgA and IgG antibodies are secreted by immune cells into the circulation, lymph, various fluids of the body (like saliva!) and tissues themselves. And both IgG and IgA antibodies are found in high concentrations in the tissues and fluids surrounding the gut (this is part of why the gut is considered our primary defense against infection).

The formation of antibodies against an antigen (whether this is an invading pathogen or a food) is an extremely complex process. When antibodies are being formed against a protein, the antibodies recognize specific (and short) sequences of amino acids in that protein. Depending on how the antigenic protein is folded, certain amino acid sequences in that protein are more likely to be the target of new antibody formation than others, simply because of the location of that sequence in the structure of the protein. Certain sequences of amino acids are more antigenic than others as well (i.e., more likely to stimulate antibody formation). This is also part of why certain foods have a higher potential to cause allergies and sensitivities.

Read the whole thing. Proteins look like a string of pearls, where by digestion, the string can be broken down into sets of one or more pearls, and can be recognized by the immune system as a different peptide ( a building block of a protein) such as dairy or corn fragments. 

More than one study has shown gluten cross reactivity to all dairy products, information which may explain why you are not as healthy as you would like when you are strictly gluten free, but are still eating dairy. Try being truly dairy free for six months (gluten reaction damage lasts from 6 months to a year) and see what happens.  

The study mentioned in the piece above uses alpha gliadin as the positive control to ascertain which foods cross react to alpha gliadin. The researchers made a list of foods which probably injure people with the abnormal autoimmune connective tissue reaction. But the list of foods to avoid to avoid internal injury is probably longer than the one mentioned in this article.To complicate the picture, foods can have other gliadin proteins in them such as gamma gliadin which are also thought to be triggering autoimmune disorders. From communication with Cyrex lab, the company that can test for cross reactivity: “The gluten associated cross reactive foods were only tested against alpha-gliadin-33, so in that regard we do not know if these foods cross react with any other gluten peptides (like gamma-gliadin). So the cross-reactive potential of Array 4 would currently only apply to an individual who has positive alpha-gliadin-33 antibodies. Although the article mainly addresses CD we would extrapolate the information to a person with NCGS with positive alpha-gliadin-33 antibodies who is refractory to a gluten-free diet.”
This suggests there could be more grains or other foods that trigger a gluten reaction and more research is required. A subject for another blog.
While not all people with gluten sensitivities will have gastrointestinal or other obvious signs that they are reacting to these foods listed in www.gaps.me or in the article, these foods stimulate parts of the immune system that are trying to protect you but in the process, harm you. You may not feel it, until you get a diagnosis. You have to link that diagnosis with the possibility your food is behind it.

We know in persons with celiac disease, trace amounts of gluten can cause a reaction, inflammation and immune responses ( antibodies attacking body parts like the thyroid or the balance system, called cerebellar ataxia) that can last up to one year. Can trace amounts of gluten cross reactive foods cause the same abnormal, autoimmune connective tissue reactions? Dr. Vojdani has shown just this and warns of the production of autoimmune disorders. "In the absence of the proper dietary elimination of gluten, the present study supports the hypothesis that if the high prevalence of antibodies against dietary proteins and peptides and their cross-reaction with various tissue antigens are not taken seriously, and if proper measures are not implemented, the result may be the development of autoimmunity in the future."


This is important when you decide to eat food you haven't prepared. Think of the small amounts of corn (citric acid, or ascorbic acid usually derived from corn) found is so many foods and supplements. Not to mention casein and other trace milk proteins in so many products like store bought pesto or butter. These foods can hurt you far beyond the gastrointestinal tract. 

Here is the list of cross reactive foods from Dr. Ballantyne's investigations: (it may need to be updated with time, and your own experience with the food in question):

• oats
• all dairy
• Yeast (brewer's. baker's, nutritional)
• instant coffee (Nestle's unflavoured instant coffee are gluten free)
• milk chocolate
• millet
• soy
• corn
• rice
• potatoe

As mentioned above there are multiple mechanisms for inflammation and damage from eating certain foods, and cross reactivity is only one of the ways. The GAPS protocol has been researched and in use for healing gastrointestinal and extra gastrointestinal diseases for 80 years, starting as a specific carbohydrate protocol, and helps to manage the multiple ways food can injure especially the person with celiac disease. I recommend using the list provided at www.gaps.me. Add clean, pesticide free, unprocessed to the characteristics of your food choices and you should feel better. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara (TM)

CeliacBrain (TM) is the trademark and copyright of Dr. Barbara Powell. The right of Dr. Barbara Powell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.

References:

Illustrations of protein and protein folding: https://publications.nigms.nih.gov/structlife/chapter1.html

A. Vojdani and I. Tarash, “Cross–Reaction between Gliadin and Different Food and Tissue Antigens,” Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2013, pp. 20-32. http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=26626

Thompson T et al. Gluten contamination of grains, seeds, and flours in the United States: a pilot study.J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Jun;110(6):937-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.03.014.

Free Screening of "What's with Wheat" Movie until June 30, 2016

Still wondering why wheat is causing so many health problems when it used to be a staple in many societies? This is a great documentary, and there's free screening for the next few days (until June 30th). Among many other problems, the pesticide glyphosate kills off many of our good bacteria in the gut, leading to imbalances in our neurotransmitters and fructose intolerance.

https://whatswithwheat.com/screening-checkin                                                                                                                                           

Wheat? Watch for FREE

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Brain Shrinkage in Older Adults Proven with the Use of Anticholinergic Drugs such as Ranitidine- JAMA

Indiana University School of Medicine published a study in JAMA Neurology  which showed brain shrinkage and larger ventricles on MRI's of the brains of persons taking commonly used drugs called anticholinergics and cognitive impairment more so than those who took no anticholinergic medications. These anticholinergics can be found in over the counter medications to treat colds and flu, heartburn and in prescriptions.

Researchers write:The use of anticholinergic (AC) medication is linked to cognitive impairment and an increased risk of dementia. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the association between AC medication use and neuroimaging biomarkers of brain metabolism and atrophy as a proxy for understanding the underlying biology of the clinical effects of AC medications.

They studied 480 older adults mean age of 73 who had no cognitive impairment and followed them for an average of 32 months.

To reach their conclusions, the researchers used PETs, a type of scan, to measure brain metabolism, MRI's to scan brain structure, and a series of cognitive and memory tests.

The Researchers  conclude:

The use of AC medication was associated with increased brain atrophy and dysfunction and clinical decline. Thus, use of AC medication among older adults should likely be discouraged if alternative therapies are available.

From ScienceDaily:

Drugs with anticholinergic effects are sold over the counter and by prescription as sleep aids and for many chronic diseases including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

A list of anticholinergic drugs and their potential impact [called an ACB score]is at http://www.agingbraincare.org/uploads/products/ACB_scale_-_legal_size.pdf.

Scientists have linked anticholinergic drugs cognitive problems among older adults for at least 10 years. A 2013 study by scientists at the IU Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute found that drugs with a strong anticholinergic effect cause cognitive problems when taken continuously for as few as 60 days. Drugs with a weaker effect could cause impairment within 90 days.

The current research project involved 451 participants, 60 of whom were taking at least one medication with medium or high anticholinergic activity. The participants were drawn from a national Alzheimer's research project -- the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative -- and the Indiana Memory and Aging Study.

As noted at Aging Brain Care.org: (my bold)

- each definite anticholinergic may increase the risk of cognitive impairment by 46% over 6 years. (1)

- for each on point increase in the ACB total score [see the link which explains how to do this addition], a decline in MMSE (memory test) score of 0.33 points  [out of a total of 30] over 2 years has been suggested. This means if you take 3 drugs with an ACB score of 1 and one drug with an ACB score of 3, your total ACB score is 6 and your risk over 2 years time is the loss of 2 points off the MMSE (memory) test, which is a very large drop in cognitive function. (2)

- additionally, each one point increase in the ACB total score has been correlated with a 26% increase in the risk of death.  Anticholinergics not only affect your brain but your whole body. 4 

In conclusion: Older adults might want to avoid using a class of drugs commonly used in over-the-counter products such as nighttime cold medicines, heartburn medicines or allergy medicines due to their links to cognitive impairment. 

And you may want to talk to your doctor if you are over 65 and you are on one or more of the anticholinergic prescription drugs listed in the list at this link.




References:

1. Campbell N, Boustani M, Lane K, et al. Use of anticholinergics and the risk of cognitive impairment in an AfricanAmerican population. Neurology. 2010;75:152-159. 

2. Fox C, Richardson K, Maidment I, et al. Anticholinergic medication use and cognitive impairment in the older population: the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 2011; 59(8): 1477-1483.

The Gut:Brain Connection. Educate Yourself About GMO's Through the Institute for Responsible Technology

IRT brochures have a brand new design.

So many people ask us “what can I do to stop GMOs?” The first thing is always to educate yourself. The next step is to share the information.

IRT’s new brochures are a great way to let others know about the health risks of GMOs and how to avoid them.

Did you know that 1000s of doctors like pediatrician, Michelle Perro, M.D., D. Hom., are now prescribing non-GMO diets for their patients?

As a practicing clinician, Dr. Perro has witnessed the decline of children’s health in the last two decades especially gastrointestinal dysfunction, which often manifested as neurocognitive disorders.

Use our brochures to start a conversation about GMOs.

Available at near cost in small quantities.

Click HERE to order.



Institute for Responsible Technology
PO Box 469 - Fairfield IA 52556
641-209-1765 info@responsibletechnology.org

Also see my previous articles on GMO's. 

http://celiacbrain.blogspot.ca/2014/11/the-future-of-agriculture-dr-thierry.html

http://celiacbrain.blogspot.ca/2014/12/more-gmo-news-russia-announces-ban-on.html

http://celiacbrain.blogspot.ca/2014/10/nestle-sustainability-champion-gm-food.html

http://celiacbrain.blogspot.ca/2014/07/why-should-i-avoid-gmos.html

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Do Yourself a Favour! Sauna on a Biweekly Basis to Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Death!

Sauna: what is the risk of cardiovascular death?


Whether you have a diagnosis of celiac or gluten sensitivity or not, it is a good idea to use a sauna. FIR sauna is the sauna I recommend but if you are not used to doing sauna, start off slow with perhaps only 5 to ten minutes. And always get out of the sauna the minute you don't feel well. Prepare with a drink of electrolytes and have another glass of electrolytes part way through or after the sauna to replace the electrolytes.


Researchers asked the question: what is the risk of cardiovascular death with regular use of sauna?



Monday 16 May 2016


The regular practice of sauna by middle-aged men, depending on the number of sessions per week and/or their duration (dose response relationship [DRR]) is associated in the long-term, as concerns cardiovascular (CV) death, with:

Select an answer
1. Decreased risk, without DRR
2. Decreased risk, with DRR
3. Increased risk, without DRR
4. Increased risk, with DRR


Correct. The correct answer is: 2. Decreased risk, with DRR

Commented answer



The result is based on the prospective monitoring for nearly 21 years of a cohort of 2,315 Finnish men initially aged 42 to 60 years old. The CV death was defined as sudden cardiac death, a fatal coronary heart disease or another fatal CV event. After adjustment for CV risk factors, the average number of saunas in a week (1; 2 to 3; 4 to 7) and their average duration (11 min; 11-19 min. > 19 min.) were inversely correlated with the risk of CV death. The reduction of all-cause mortality was also inversely correlated with the frequency of sessions, but not with their duration.


Source: http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2130724

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara