Enjoying Gluten-Free Life

Continuing an excellent interview with author, editor and teacher, Ron Hoggan. This is on the technical side, but full of good information.

 “With current trends in obesity, insulin resistance, learning disabilities, behavior problems, and addiction, gluten grains may well be contributing to each and all of these enormous social ills.” Ron Hoggan

Q: Describe what opioid peptides are and what they do?

A: This is an enormously broad question and one that I am only partly qualified to answer.

Christine Zioudrou and colleagues discovered morphine-like peptides (partial proteins) in the incomplete digests of wheat gluten and alpha casein, a protein in milk. They reported their discovery in The Journal of Biological Chemistry in April of 1979. Since that time, their findings have been repeatedly replicated, and the characterization of the moprhine-like peptides from gluten has been further characterized into five separate opioids. Because they behave like endorphins but come from outside the body, they were originally dubbed exorphins by Zioudrou and colleagues.

The morphine-like action of these opioids leads to a variety of changes in the body. These include addiction, appetite enhancement, altered neurotransmission, altered tension in blood vessel walls, and they sometimes seem to inhibit our ability to foresee consequences and feel empathy.

One of my own publications suggests that the elevated cancer risk, in the context of celiac disease, is the result of the down-regulation of natural killer cells by opioid peptides from gluten. Natural killer cells are part of the innate immune system (more on this later) and they are our bodies’ first line of defense against cancer. So the down-regulation of these cells can have a powerful impact on whether we develop malignant tumors and whether we can recover from them.

One difficult patient with lymphoma is a powerful case in point. He was diagnosed with a B cell lymphoma. He refused all other treatments except Naloxone, which blocks attachment of opioids to opioid receptors. The patient experienced a full recovery from his lymphoma on Naloxone treatment alone. That certainly suggests the possibility that my hypothesis is correct.  

Addiction is also a very important facet of the impact of gluten because, as with other addictions, there is a large component of denial involved. We are habituated to these peptides from infancy, when we are first given a cookie to slobber on. And by the time we were weaned, most of us were eating breakfast cereals, porridge, bread, cake, pasta, processed meats, and many of the other foods that increasingly contain gluten.

Gluten opioids, as with morphine and other opioids, slow the speed of neurotransmission. That is how they attenuate pain. Sometimes that is a good thing, except that pain is one of the tools by which we learn. I remember the pain of burning my hands by sliding down a rope on a swing my father built in our back yard. I think that was before I started school. I can tell you that I have always been reluctant to hold a moving rope or climb on a rope without gloves since that experience. Thus, by feeding our children gluten grains, we may inhibit their learning capacities.

But that is just a small facet of the tremendous impact that grains can have on learning and behavior. Alexandra Blair reported in the Times Online that the gluten free diet induced improvements in reading and writing for between 70% and 90% among two groups of children with dyslexia. One group (70%) lived at home with their parents, while the other group (90%) resided at the school where the school had total control over their diets.Over a six month period, these children achieved improvements expected for one year’s schooling in children without learning disabilities. Some of these children experienced up to 3 years’ progress in just six months. My own professional experience echoes this report. I have seen startlingly positive results from a gluten free diet alone.

Many children with attention deficit disorders also experience dramatic improvements from a gluten free diet.Gluten has been reported to alter blood vessel-dilation, thus altering blood flow patterns in the brain. Perhaps this is a factor in these learning and behavior problems. We can only await relevant research in this area.

We also know that ingesting these exorphins leads to decreases in endorphin production in the brain. Again, more research is needed to determine what impact that has on learning, cognition and other brain functions.

One way we can tell that these opioids may sometimes be involved in unwanted weight gain is that when binge eaters, obese subjects, and people of normal weight are given Naloxone, a drug that blocks opioid attachment, there is a spontaneous reduction in appetite without any sense of hunger or being deprived. One study reported those reductions at 400 kilo-calories per day. (It is not hard to see why this would lead to rapid weight loss.) Thus, by implication, gluten opioids cause unwarranted appetite enhancement.

With current trends in obesity, insulin resistance, learning disabilities, behavior problems, and addiction, gluten grains may well be contributing to each and all of these enormous social ills.

“The dramatic improvements must speak for themselves, recommending the diet for each and all who suffer from psychiatric illness, learning problems, mood disorders, behavior problems, or any of the host of other problems that frequently improve after removing gluten from the diet.” Ron Hoggan

Q: How can someone’s mental and emotional state be changed by removing gluten?

A: There is clear evidence that a subset of people with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorders are benefitted by a gluten free, dairy free diet. Whether gluten’s impact is with a major psychiatric disorder or a relatively minor emotional disturbance, the gluten-free diet can be enormously beneficial for some of these people. They may experience a period of withdrawal and anxiety, but once they have passed through this stage they will experience newfound calmness, peace, and serenity. I was fortunate in my own experience. On the third morning after beginning the gluten-free diet, I awoke to a pervasive sense of anticipation and joy. I don’t know why I was spared the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms, but I am grateful. As with many such things, I now take these feelings for granted.

There are many theories about what causes these changes in mood. Chronic intestinal inflammation may consume most of the available serotonin, leaving little of its precursor, tryptophan, for the brain to convert into this feel-good neurotransmitter. Or there may be many other issues at work. Only further research will solve this mystery.

From the earliest descriptions of celiac disease that I’ve read, children with celiac disease are characterized as cranky and whiny. Some researchers have attributed this to their illness. Others harken to the nutrient deficiencies these children experience. But neither of these explanations is satisfactory. Why do some experience a wave of well-being after just a few days on the diet, long before they have been restored to good health or their nutrient deficiencies have been corrected? There is something more there, but it we just don’t know enough about gluten’s impact on the psyche to go beyond the observations.The dramatic improvements must speak for themselves, recommending the diet for each and all who suffer from psychiatric illness, learning problems, mood disorders, behavior problems, or any of the host of other problems that frequently improve after removing gluten from the diet.

“. . . our results show that a gluten free diet induces dramatic changes in school readiness . . .” Ron Hoggan

Q: What do we know about gluten and learning disabilities? How can removing gluten from the diet help a child improve in school?

A: As mentioned earlier, dramatic improvements are often seen following removal of gluten from the diet. Supporting evidence does not seem to be found in the peer reviewed medical literature, but that may be explained by the gate-keeper function of the peer review process. Dr. Rodney Ford and I conducted a retrospective study of the school readiness of more than 900 children both before and after six months on a gluten-free diet. Our work has repeatedly been refused publication. I suspect that the pre-conceived notions of the reviewers are what have led to these denials. Perhaps they cannot bring themselves to believe that our results could be correct. But the reality is that our results show that a gluten-free diet induces dramatic changes in school readiness across a number of gastrointestinal complaints and a variety of other variables.

Thank you again Ron!

Gluten Free 101

I talk to a lot of people who want to know more about the gluten-free way of life so I decided to write this post, Part 1 of what will be a running series of articles about living gluten-free. This one is simply 10 easy tips for those just starting out on a gluten-free diet. This is for you if you or a loved one have recently been diagnosed or you believe you/they have a problem with gluten so want to give the diet a try. (Note: Remember that once you’ve stopped eating gluten, the blood test or endoscopy will show negative so you can’t have these tests later, they must be done first if you ever want to have them done. Gluten would have to be added back in the diet to test later.)

To be clear, gluten is in wheat, rye and barley. Oats must be certified gluten-free because of possible cross contamination*.

1. Rule One. If you have to become gluten-free, Don’t Panic. If this advice comes too late, go to step 2.

2. You’re wondering if there’s anything left to eat. Am I a mind reader? No, we ALL wondered. Go to your favorite grocery store and browse the produce department. All of those fruits and vegetables are gluten-free. If you’re like my husband and these weren’t your favorite foods to start with (unless the peaches were in a peach cobbler), go to the meat department.

3. Meat is also naturally gluten-free. This department can trip you up, though, because poultry can be injected with gluten-containing ingredients and marinades can be added. Be particularly careful if buying processed meats like bologna and ham. Eggs are naturally gluten-free.

4. Now go check out the dairy department. This is generally safe but you’ll have to read labels more here.  Cheese, other than possibly blue cheese, is generally safe. Of course, milk is fine. I have read that some lower fat sour creams can contain gluten. (The brand we see most here in Nashville doesn’t.) When other ingredients are added to dairy products as with flavored yogurts and cheese spreads, you’ll need to be more careful about checking labels, but it can’t be said enough, read all labels! If you don’t eat dairy, there are many non-dairy alternatives including milks such as almond and coconut, coconut yogurt and vegan “cheeses” that can be found in many regular grocery stores today.

5. The freezer section has good and not-so-good choices in it. Frozen veggies, fruit, and plain meat (no seasoning) are generally fine but – yes, I’m going to say it again, read the label. Most mainstream frozen dinners contain gluten. (There are some frozen meals that are gluten-free but these will most likely be specialty brands, not Stouffers or Healthy Choice.) Anything that comes with a sauce or seasoning packet has to be carefully checked out because you’ll often find gluten containing items in them. Canned foods such as soup almost always contain gluten but other canned goods like beans can be fine.

6. Many condiments – mayo, ketchup and mustard – are ok but check to make sure. Some mustard has gluten in it so check it carefully. Vinegar, other than malt vinegar, is considered safe. Plain herbs and spices* are generally fine but be careful of seasoning mixes and packets: look them up online or call the company if you don’t find anything online.

7. Most regular grocery stores now have gluten-free bread in the freezer section. Ours also has good gluten-free waffles. They also have sweets such as muffins and donuts. Just remember that you knew you shouldn’t live on sweets before so it isn’t a good idea now. Take care of yourself, give your body all the nutrients it needs, and don’t overindulge.

8. Snacks may seem challenging. My husband likes bars such as Larabar and Kind Bars which are both gluten-free. Larabar recently added uber bars that are nuttier than their regular bars (and taste less like a date bar.) I like apple slices and nut or seed butter. Other snack ideas include nuts (read the label), fruit, dried fruit, cheese, ants on a log (celery topped with peanut butter and raisins), bread with a nut/seed butter and yogurt (dairy or non-dairy).

9. Go International. Western cultures focus more on wheat and other gluten-filled grains than many other cultures. Make a stir fry over rice (brown or white); spaghetti – many sauces are gluten-free and gluten-free pasta can be quite good (we like Tinkyada); tacos (read the label – some corn tortillas have gluten) and refried beans; or one of the many Indian curry dishes. Don’t forget, there are many delicious gluten-free dishes that are still made with grains or foods that act like grains: try polenta, a wild rice pilaf, a quinoa salad or a gluten-free version of buckwheat pancakes.

10. Check out the growing list of gluten-free products that are available. If you have a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or other similar healthy foods store, also see what they have to offer. If these stores aren’t available to you, shop online. Possible places for an assortment of gluten-free foods are Amazon, celiac.com’s gluten-free mall or iherb (use this code – PEM 300 – to receive $5 off your first order**). If you’d like to bake with almond flour, after trying two others, I’ve found Honeyville’s is my favorite.

One last time, say it out loud with me: Read the label.

Here are a couple of posts from this site with great info for beginners:

Shreve Stockton used her oven for storage and didn’t own plates so she really started from scratch. Then wrote a gluten-free cookbook: http://enjoyingglutenfreelife.com/cookbook-author-shreve-stockton-2/

Shirley from glutenfreeeasily.com has great advice for beginniners. http://enjoyingglutenfreelife.com/shirley-braden-of-gluten-free-easily-gfe/

*We must have a discussion about things that appear gluten-free but can have gluten on/in them. This is called cross contamination and can happen when a food is handled by anyone other than you. It could happen during manufacturing or in a restaurant. Wheat flour hangs in the air for days, so a place that manufactures wheat bread and gluten-free bread side-by-side would most likely have wheat in the “gluten-free” bread. A company that makes gluten-filled seasoning mixes could bottle plain spices on the same line so do research. Chips (or fries) might be made in the same oil as something with gluten. Do the research on the chips and ask the restaurant about the fries. (If anything with gluten is ever in the same oil, it isn’t gluten-free.)

**I will be compensated if you use the iherb code for your order. Someone gave me one for my first order which I appreciated even more after I’d experienced their fast service and knew I’d found a company I would shop at again.

This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

This is not to be taken as medical advice. I am not a medical professional. You are responsible for your own research and for choosing what you/your family eat and drink.

Photo Credit: USDA