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

A Common Genetic Variant Increases the Risk of Obesity Only in People Born After 1942, The Scientist

Gene x Environment x Time                                                                                                 

The curve starts to climb around 1942

When I try to explain why our older generation with gluten sensitivity seems to tolerate and have less problems with gluten and grains I often quote the year 1945, as the turning point, although I have been known to say that I may revise this turning point year to some year earlier.

Let me explain why I have focused on 1945. Vitamin D is a very powerful gene protector, and influences some 2000 genes of our 20,000 genes in total. In 1945, the governments of Canada and the USA stopped giving out free cod liver oil to families with children, giving the idea that vitamin D supplementation is not important, and the tradition to supplement with cod liver oil or vitamin D went into decline. Leading to widespread vitamin D deficiency especially above the 30th parallel. The vitamin D levels in the population is still continuing to decline mainly because of declining exposure to sun, more work and recreation done indoors, and impaired vitamin D metabolism ) I say turning point to explain an observation that I have that those born in North America after 1945 have more complications of gluten sensitivity and increased morbidity and mortality before the age of 65, than the older generation (or those born with more sun exposure or more traditional foods with vitamin D, like cod liver oil, traditionally raised pork lard and wild fatty fish in their diet). 

Dr. Murray showed  in his study published in 2009, that those who were gluten sensitive and born around 1930 had a 400% increased risk of dying by the age of 65. Very disturbing information and worth getting the word out the undiagnosed gluten sensitivity is a public health issue. Note his subjects were born around 1930.

Now we have a study where researchers analyzed changes in body mass index (BMI) over time from 5,000 people enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study in 1948, as well as their offspring, whose health has been tracked since 1971. They all live in and around Framingham, which is at the 42nd degree parallel.

I am going to focus on the the observed turning point year from this study: 1942.  Those https://www.cspinet.org/nah/pdfs/article-epigenetics.pdfpeople, born before 1942, with the obesity associated gene seemed to have the gene dormant, meaning low risk of obesity.Those born after 1942, on the other hand, tended to have higher BMI levels, and the effect was stronger in the people born later.

What else happened around 1942?
The average person in North America was getting increasingly exposed to chemicals, now known to influence genes through the methylation processes, on/off switches on genes ( now called Epigenetics). Chemicals were introduced into every aspect of life in increasing numbers and numbers of ways. 

Some examples are:

• Where soap was used, they were replaced with chemical detergents with chemical scents, at home and in industry.
• Where dental care was non existent except to the upper middle class or more wealthy individuals, now the average American was becoming more affluent than the years before, and so could buy dental care which for the most part was mercury amalgams. Now we have titanium (nickel) implants and BPA containing composites.
• More makeup was being used by women, and makeup is a source of toxic chemicals. See www.ewg.org makeup and lead in lipstick.
• Air pollution has increased, which leads to toxins being inhaled. 
• Organic small farming was changed over to large scale commercial farming and the use of pesticides and herbicides, all patented chemicals. And now GMO crops.
• Fire retardant chemicals on our clothes, and mattresses. 
• BPA in our plastics, even those that contain food and drink which we then ingest. (And in our medical supplies like IV lines).
• The diet has increasing amounts of processed food containing larger and larger amounts of chemicals. 
• Public health officials wrongly promoting low fat (margarine), high omega 6, vegetable oil based diets that are inflammatory. Watch the movie Oiling of America.

The estimate is that we are now exposed to 84,000 chemicals, all influencing our genetics, through our microbiota and direct contact through the food we eat and the air we breath.

From The Scientist (my bold):

The study focused on a particular variant in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene, which has been found in several recent studies to confer an increased risk of obesity. Strikingly, the FTO variant was not associated with a higher BMI in people born before 1942. Those born after 1942, on the other hand, tended to have higher BMIs, and the effect was stronger in people who were born later.

Although specific environmental risk factors were not addressed in the study, the researchers propose that the rise of high-calorie diets and more sedentary lifestyles in the U.S. after World War II contributed to the observed effects of the FTO variant. (from my comments above, you know that I don't agree with this proposal as to the cause of these effect, but that severe pervasive vitamin D deficiency along with environmental exposure to chemical, even those in food are more likely to blame).

“We know that environment plays a huge role in the expression of genes, and the fact that our effect can be seen even among siblings born during different years implies that global environmental factors such as trends in food products and workplace activity, not just those found within families, may impact genetic traits,” study coauthor James Rosenquist of Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement.

“Our results underscore the importance of interpreting any genetic studies with a grain of salt and leave open the possibility that new genetic risk factors may be seen in the future due to different genetically driven responses to our ever-changing environment,” added Rosenquist.

This isn't to say that you can't bypass those genetic tendencies; that your health is predetermined. 

Along with gluten sensitivity, you may have the FTO gene. You can bypass the genetic sensitivities with methylation practices (B vitamins and treat any homocysteine levels above 8), exercising in moderation, sauna detoxification, removing toxins from your environment, doing intermittent fasting, and having a vitamin D level between 50 and 80 ( 120 -200 nmol/l).

An important step I would advise is to replace the obesogenic microbiota, as the microbiota contains 90% of your DNA, and communicates with all your tissues and metabolism. This is done by doing a GAPS programmen: eat fermented vegetables and supplement with probiotics, and starve the bad bugs by withholding, as in not eating carbs from grains, sugar or fructose ( minimal amounts of fructose is advised: keep below 20 -25 Glycemic load points). You can call this way of eating anything you want, but I call it GAPS, the natural treatment.

For my part, I have updated the year I think is the turning point for the increased incidence of gluten sensitivity and other "thrift" genes to 1942. But I think the incidence is on an exponential curve with younger generations more affected.

The hope for the future lies in the fact that we can do something about this. 
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

To Celebrate 150 Posts, I Will Answer Three Questions from Readers!

Hello, 

To celebrate 150 posts, I thought I will answer three questions from readers!

Here are the guidelines: 

One question per person. 

The first three questions regarding celiac disease, this "Celiacbrain" blog or gluten sensitivity will be answered. 

Leave your question in the comment section, please, and I will get to it as soon as I can.

Undiagnosed gluten sensitivity is rampant, only one in 20 are diagnosed and 1 in 2 is affected. Undiagnosed gluten sensitivity is a leader in the development of chronic illness and early death. It is a public health issue!

Gaining control over your health leads to control over your future. 

Empowering you with information to maximize your health and healthy longevity.

Dr. Barbara