Do you think that you know a thing or two about bone density? Are you pretty sure that consuming dairy products has a lot to do with having strong bones?
There is a brand new book that not only challenges these assumptions but will show you that there isn't even any evidence to support them. The book is titled "Building Bone Vitality."
If you've read my book on gluten intolerance then you already know where I stand on the issue of dairy consumption. Frankly, it's all fairly obvious if you just know two simple facts. Do people who consume more dairy have higher bone density? No. Do countries where people don't consume dairy have lower bone density? No.
The myth that dairy consumption is a prerequisite for strong bones is so pervasive and so ingrained into our culture that you'd think that it is one of the few truths of our world. Even doctors believe this, even though it's not taught in medical school. But if you the kind of person that thinks that marketing and advertising has relatively little influence on how you think or what you do, think again.
I highly recommend reading "Building Bone Vitality." It will put you light years ahead of your healthcare practitioner on the subject of strong bones.
IBS and Celiac Disease
Some people mistakenly think that because I specialize in IBS and in gluten intolerance that everyone with IBS must be gluten intolerant. That would be a very poor assumption to make, so please don't do that. Anyone who has read my books or my website knows that IBS is not nearly that simple.
Of course, some people with IBS are in fact gluten intolerant. An interesting study was recently published that found that of 742 patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), 3% were found to have celiac disease. That is only 3 out of every 100 people with IBS. (World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009 November 14; 15(42):5321-5.)
This study did not take into account people who are gluten intolerant but who do not have celiac disease. (If you don't know what I mean by that, then please read my book, "Healthier Without Wheat.") In my experience that number is much higher. Something like 20% of all IBS patients are gluten intolerant.
But what makes it all the more challenging is that most of the people who are gluten intolerant also have one or more other food reaction contributing to their IBS. Therefore removing only gluten from their diet may only make a slight difference in their symptoms. And many IBS patients also have other factors, such as microbial problems, that are also contributing to their symptoms.
So please keep in mind that although gluten intolerance can be an important trigger for IBS, there are literally hundreds of other potential causes.
Of course, some people with IBS are in fact gluten intolerant. An interesting study was recently published that found that of 742 patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), 3% were found to have celiac disease. That is only 3 out of every 100 people with IBS. (World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009 November 14; 15(42):5321-5.)
This study did not take into account people who are gluten intolerant but who do not have celiac disease. (If you don't know what I mean by that, then please read my book, "Healthier Without Wheat.") In my experience that number is much higher. Something like 20% of all IBS patients are gluten intolerant.
But what makes it all the more challenging is that most of the people who are gluten intolerant also have one or more other food reaction contributing to their IBS. Therefore removing only gluten from their diet may only make a slight difference in their symptoms. And many IBS patients also have other factors, such as microbial problems, that are also contributing to their symptoms.
So please keep in mind that although gluten intolerance can be an important trigger for IBS, there are literally hundreds of other potential causes.
Chronic Cough and Food Allergies
Today I was reminded about the potential connection between having a chronic cough and having it be triggered by a food allergy.
This can happen at any age, but patients often are middle aged or older. The patient that I heard back from today came in for a chronic cough. She had also been previously diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), though this need not be associated with a cough to be triggered by a food allergy.
Food allergy testing demonstrated that she was allergic to baker's and brewer's yeast (IgG antibodies elevated). After taking these two foods out of her diet, her cough resolved. She was also able to discontinue her nebulizer treatments. Upon ingesting these foods again the cough returned. Needless to say, her family has been very happy with the results.
I have seen several patients now that have been experiencing a long-term chronic cough for seemingly no known reason. They don't have pneumonia, their lung x-ray is clear, and they don't have a cold or the flu. These patients lungs are often otherwise healthy, although as we saw in this case, even COPD can be present.
The trigger need not be baker's or brewer's yeast. They just happened to be the culprit in this case. But each case is unique and the proper testing is required to determine which foods may be involved.
If you are not familiar with the intricacies and challenges of food allergy testing, then I encourage you to visit www.CenterforFoodAllergies.com for much more information. And by all means, if you have a cough that is bugging you and never seems to go away, consider that it could be caused by a hidden food allergy.
This can happen at any age, but patients often are middle aged or older. The patient that I heard back from today came in for a chronic cough. She had also been previously diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), though this need not be associated with a cough to be triggered by a food allergy.
Food allergy testing demonstrated that she was allergic to baker's and brewer's yeast (IgG antibodies elevated). After taking these two foods out of her diet, her cough resolved. She was also able to discontinue her nebulizer treatments. Upon ingesting these foods again the cough returned. Needless to say, her family has been very happy with the results.
I have seen several patients now that have been experiencing a long-term chronic cough for seemingly no known reason. They don't have pneumonia, their lung x-ray is clear, and they don't have a cold or the flu. These patients lungs are often otherwise healthy, although as we saw in this case, even COPD can be present.
The trigger need not be baker's or brewer's yeast. They just happened to be the culprit in this case. But each case is unique and the proper testing is required to determine which foods may be involved.
If you are not familiar with the intricacies and challenges of food allergy testing, then I encourage you to visit www.CenterforFoodAllergies.com for much more information. And by all means, if you have a cough that is bugging you and never seems to go away, consider that it could be caused by a hidden food allergy.
Dannon Settles
Dannon settles a class action lawsuit for misrepresenting Activia and other products. I'm not sure why the U.S. media is just now reporting it. The Canadian press publicized this at least 2 months ago and that is when I first reported it.
More recently I saw something about it in a U.S. article, so I want to give you the latest information. They have settled, and if you'd like to get some greenbacks from them for false advertising then you should read the article at http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/post_222.html.
See, it really does pay to read this blog! Just don't complain to me if "the check is in the mail" for awhile.
Or you can skip the article and just go straight to dannonsettlement.com. Or call 1-888-418-6122.
Maybe even more interestingly, the attorneys will seek up to $10 million in fees for the case. So who wins here? Dannon still got the marketing they wanted. They are getting very little negative press, which is their worst fear, and they get to continue selling their product.
More recently I saw something about it in a U.S. article, so I want to give you the latest information. They have settled, and if you'd like to get some greenbacks from them for false advertising then you should read the article at http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/02/post_222.html.
See, it really does pay to read this blog! Just don't complain to me if "the check is in the mail" for awhile.
Or you can skip the article and just go straight to dannonsettlement.com. Or call 1-888-418-6122.
Maybe even more interestingly, the attorneys will seek up to $10 million in fees for the case. So who wins here? Dannon still got the marketing they wanted. They are getting very little negative press, which is their worst fear, and they get to continue selling their product.
The 8th Degree
I'm back. As you can tell, the Olympics threw me off schedule. But now that we've got all of the medals awarded and all of the drama has has unfolded, it's time for me to get back to business.
I just recently learned about a new cookbook that is quickly climbing my list of favorite cookbooks for those with multiple food allergies and intolerances. It's called "8 Degrees of Ingredients."
"8 Degrees of Ingriedients" is free of 8 things: dairy, egg, wheat (mostly meaning gluten), soy, nuts, fish, and shellfish. (That's seven for those who were counting. But she separates peanuts and tree nuts into two different categories to reach her goal.)
Written by Melisa Priem, this book is unique in that what she has done is adapt the best of hypoallergenic cooking to replicate traditional meals. For example, knowing that it is much more difficult to make pizza, she teaches us that the pizza crust and available ingredients make a much better calzone. In fact, the calzone is quite scrumptious.
Due to the rarity of such books, I think that this one will make a huge impact on people who need to avoid several different foods. Many thanks to Melisa for taking on this project. You can learn more at www.eightdegreesofingredients.com.
While we're on the topic of food and cookbooks. I'd like to mention that Sue Gauen came and spoke to our food allergy group this Tuesday. Sue's book, "Celebrating Food," was reviewed in our October 2009 newsletter.
Although Sue's book cover focuses on gluten free recipes, she has put a great deal of thought and work into making those recipes egg, dairy and soy free. And she gives very specific directions for doing this for each recipe, not just a one size fits all approach.
Sue also made some key points about baking hypoallergenic foods. She stated that getting the correct measurement is VERY important. Don't just eyeball it. In fact, measuring flours by weight is much better than measuring them by volume (in measuring cups). And if you can use eggs, use exactly the volume called for, don't just throw in 2 eggs. And she specifies all of these measurements in her recipes.
It was wonderful to meet Sue. She shared a great deal of knowledge with us and I want to thank her for speaking to our group. Thanks Sue Gauen!
I just recently learned about a new cookbook that is quickly climbing my list of favorite cookbooks for those with multiple food allergies and intolerances. It's called "8 Degrees of Ingredients."
"8 Degrees of Ingriedients" is free of 8 things: dairy, egg, wheat (mostly meaning gluten), soy, nuts, fish, and shellfish. (That's seven for those who were counting. But she separates peanuts and tree nuts into two different categories to reach her goal.)
Written by Melisa Priem, this book is unique in that what she has done is adapt the best of hypoallergenic cooking to replicate traditional meals. For example, knowing that it is much more difficult to make pizza, she teaches us that the pizza crust and available ingredients make a much better calzone. In fact, the calzone is quite scrumptious.
Due to the rarity of such books, I think that this one will make a huge impact on people who need to avoid several different foods. Many thanks to Melisa for taking on this project. You can learn more at www.eightdegreesofingredients.com.
While we're on the topic of food and cookbooks. I'd like to mention that Sue Gauen came and spoke to our food allergy group this Tuesday. Sue's book, "Celebrating Food," was reviewed in our October 2009 newsletter.
Although Sue's book cover focuses on gluten free recipes, she has put a great deal of thought and work into making those recipes egg, dairy and soy free. And she gives very specific directions for doing this for each recipe, not just a one size fits all approach.
Sue also made some key points about baking hypoallergenic foods. She stated that getting the correct measurement is VERY important. Don't just eyeball it. In fact, measuring flours by weight is much better than measuring them by volume (in measuring cups). And if you can use eggs, use exactly the volume called for, don't just throw in 2 eggs. And she specifies all of these measurements in her recipes.
It was wonderful to meet Sue. She shared a great deal of knowledge with us and I want to thank her for speaking to our group. Thanks Sue Gauen!
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