Do you think this whole gluten-free thing is just a fad or is it real?
There’s been a lot of debate on gluten in the health world and even in the media.
Many medical doctors claim that if you don’t have celiac disease than you don’t have to worry about gluten because the whole gluten sensitivity thing is really just a fad.
Why does this six-letter word strike up so much controversy?
Here to talk about it is my dear friend Dr. Tom O’Bryan.
Dr. Tom is an internationally recognized expert on the complications of non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) so who better to join us on The Randy and Christa Showto give us “a grain of truth” on the topic. 😉
Here’s how the interview went:
Christa: Is it true that many people often go undiagnosed or get false negatives when tested for gluten sensitivity?
Dr. Tom: This is a major issue because the common celiac disease tests that are done today are not sensitive enough to identify all the possible ways a person may have a problem with gluten.
Christa: So what is the most accurate testing out there for both celiac and Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity?
Dr. Tom: For people with advanced cases of celiac disease the test is called transglutaminase and that’s a very good blood test. Studies shows its 97% to 99% accurate. The problem is that researchers compare this test with the blood of people who have end stage celiac disease and their intestines are worn down. So if your intestines are really worn down then this test is very accurate.
However, if you have partial wearing down in your intestines or if you only have the inflammation and your body is just staring the whole process, the test is only accurate 27% to 30% of the time.
This means, 7 out of 10 times the test comes back saying there is no problem when there really is a problem. The chances are, this test won’t catch an early stage of celiac or gluten sensitivity.
Fortunately, there is a more accurate test that looks not just at transglutaminase but also at the earlier markers of celiac disease. That’s called gliadin transglutaminase complex, which identifies the earlier mechanisms in the gut that are occurring, as opposed to having celiac disease, which is the end stage.
The third test mentioned is for gluten sensitivity, which is called alpha gliadin.
The test for celiac disease looks at the end stage, when the microvillus is completely worn down. The earlier test, gliadin transglutaminase complex looks for the earlier stages so we can catch it before its too late.
Christa: Who should get tested?
Dr. Tom: Anyone who is not feeling well should consider a food sensitivity as the potential problem and get properly checked. We don’t want to find out when it's already too late. It’s like cancer or any other disease, the earlier you catch it, the better it will be.
Christa: What are the main reasons to avoid gluten?
Dr. Tom: It’s causing a lot of problems by giving us less blood flow into the brain, making our hormones out of balance and giving us digestive issues. If you keep consuming gluten on a regular basis and you have a sensitivity (not celiac), you are exposing your body to a slow form of poison.
Christa: What are the symptoms of gluten sensitivity?
Dr. Tom: Most doctors were trained that the main problem lies in the gut/intestines with bloating, gas and diarrhea. That’s actually the old school of knowledge. Now we know that for every 1 person who has a problem in the gut there are 8 who don’t.The main system of the body is the brain, that’s where we mostly see a problem, however, it could be the joints, muscles, bones or most anywhere.
For example, if we pull a chain, the chain will always break at the weakest link. Wherever your genetic weak link is, that’s where you will get the symptoms. When you eat a food that you are sensitive to, that’s pulling on the chain because it’s causing inflammation in your body. So wherever the inflammation is accumulating, that’s where you will have your symptoms,
If you have brain fog, memory loss, seizures, attention deficit disorder, fatigue, digestive issues, joint pain, muscle pain, or bone loss, you should get checked for gluten sensitivity right away.
Christa: What are the top 5 benefits for people with gluten sensitivity who stop eating gluten?
Dr. Tom: The most common system that is affected by sensitivity to gluten is the brain. Therefore, we see most improvements on people with brain fog, seizures, attention deficit disorders (children or adults), but also on people with fatigue, joint pain, skin lesions, rashes, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
In children who have a sensitivity to gluten where it’s affecting their brain, when they are taken off gluten, they improve in school, get better grades and participate more in class.
Christa: What do you say about non-celiac gluten sensitivity being a fad?
Dr. Tom: There was a study done by Professor Umberto Volta, chair of the Celiac Society in Italy, where the government designated 37 medical specialty centers for gluten related disorders. They had over 17,000 people who thought they may have a sensitivity to gluten (not celiac disease).
When they asked about their symptoms, 68% of people reported a lack of well-being, 64% fatigue; others reported brain fog, joint pain, skin lesions, dizziness or asthma.
ALL the patients felt better when going off gluten.
These were all patients without celiac disease, so the conclusion was, Yes; absolutely some people have sensitivity to gluten. The old way of thinking was, if you don’t have celiac, you don’t have a problem, but we now know that’s nonsense.
To dive deeper into this topic, you can find Dr. Tom at thedr.com. He recently interviewed one of his mentors, Dr. Jeffrey Bland who he calls “the godfather of functional medicine” on this same topic. That interview can be found here.
If you have food sensitivities and are in need of supplement support to feel safe eating out, try our new Food Sensitivity Support Formula that destroys the proteins in gluten, dairy, soy, corn, rice, fish, and peanuts within 90 minutes of consumption (it’s really hard to find another enzyme that can do this so quickly).
This is an incredibly effective shield to use when eating out or as a tool to clean up OLD gluten and casein (dairy) molecules when you are newly eliminating these foods from your diet.
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Hi! I have actually a different view of this after processing it for about a year or more now. No, it is not the gluten that Causes the reactions, but the flour -made foods make VISIBLE the s.c. defects we have in our metabolism. Which means that if we take it a way we are not going to get well but we are going to hide from them.
Christa, loved this segment! What are some examples of products that are not using hybridized wheat or what should we be looking for on the labels?
Thank you very much for the information. I first found out that wheat is bad two years ago. I have rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid deficiency, osteoporosis, and already had a fracture of the spine. Now I will soon 2 years without gluten, do not take prednisone and methotrexate, and I have no pain in the joints. Later I learned about gluten.
Does anyone with an actual allergy to corn have any experience with Glutenza? I messaged Dr Tom at the very end of last year to ask, but the response was vague. After my correspondence, I noticed the glutenza ads included mention of corn. I’ve asked on various corn allergy forums and everyone agreed that glutenza is promoting a dangerous sense of security. Until I hear of someone with and actual corn allergy using the product with success, I will remain very sceptical. I also am continually disappointed that Christa is so inconsistent when it comes to corn. IN the GT5 program, she mentioned a few times how important it was to eliminate corn and yet the recipes include corn based meals?!? and the recent blog about popcorn!! I also could never get a straight answer about whether any of the supplements contained corn… because no added corn is not the same as corn free. I know you can’t meet everyone’s needs, but if there was at least a consistent line of thought … that would be a start.
Hi Laura. It’s important to note the distinction of GMO versus non GMO corn. I always suggest avoiding ALL GMO corn as much as possible. Some of the recipes in GT5 included corn for those who routinely eat it or were new to clean eating but there were many caveats for those who were best suited to avoid grains completely. GT5-2.0 does not include corn until the transition phase as a test. Once the microbiome is strong and has developed the ability to adapt and survive, many will be able to tolerate organic popcorn from time to time.
Thanks for the really interesting information. There was no mention of the effect of gluten sensitivity on teeth. My holistic dentist suggests that this could be a possible cause of my daughter’s cavities despite her clean diet and only occasionally having gluten. Have you heard of that?
http://celiac.nih.gov/DentalEnamel.aspx
Thanks Lynn!
I wasn’t aware you could have gluten in small amounts. I thought it had to be all or nothing for people with sensitivity – not celiac. If you think you have a sensitivity, is it ok to eat things like Ezekiel?
Hey Courtney. We recently called Food for Life who makes Ezekiel and they are now using hybridized wheat so I can’t recommend them. To be clear, I am not saying that it’s okay to have gluten if you have a gluten sensitivity. IF you’ve done considerable gut repair work and strengthened the microbiome, then a little bit of gluten with a minor gluten sensitivity will be less damaging to the body (b/c your gut flora has cultivated the ability to adapt and survive). However, if you have a gluten sensitivity and you have some here and there without having done GI repair work, then it would be damaging. It’s all relative to each individual and their current state of gut and immune health.
I do not have an issue with Gluten, so I don’t take it out of my diet. If I do have an issue then I would most likely cut it out. My digestion works fine with or without gluten. However I no longer eat white bread, I eat Ezekiel bread or sprouted breads that I buy from Trader Joe’s. Now my friend has a gland issue, so she is trying to lose weight, so she is at t his moment cutting out gluten to see if it makes a difference, so I can’t wait to see what happens. The info about the testing was very interesting though.
I suspect that gluten isn’t the root of the problem. I think that those who are gluten sensitive have a gut imbalance where they don’t have the right bacteria available to help break down the gluten.
I tested neg for celiac twice over the years before I became aware of the gluten connection.
I decided to avoid gluten as my own test to see if I noticed any difference…and my IBS symptoms went away.I suffered for 10 years with so called…”IBS-D and have lived symptom free for almost a year now. I was shocked wheat products, innocent until proven guilty, had such devastating impact on my digestive system :0
I must admit giving up pasta was the most challenging, as I loved pasta and cooked it to perfection, but had to let it go. I’ve yet to find a gluten free pasta I like, as I avoid corn for GMO reasons.
I’m the perfect example that gluten can make you sick even though your test for celiac came back negative. Doctors could not find anything wrong with me. Only when I took gluten, process & refined foods out of my diet did I start feeling better. My brain fog lifted and my energy came back. Whenever I go out and eat something that may have a little bit of gluten without me knowing it, I feel bad within 1 to 2 hours of eating it, and it last for a few days. So YES, gluten sensitivity exist even if doctors don’t believe it.
I’m limiting it but it seems to be taken to extremes, in my opinion.
Time will tell Sue if you are one of the lucky ones or not. Hope you are lucky.