Stomach Acid: Why You Need It

Stomach acid is vital to good health. It is the first major step in breaking down your food, which is so critical to proper nutrition. The myth is that you are what you eat. But in fact, you are what you absorb.

Acid is especially important for breaking down proteins into amino acids and is required for the optimal release and preparation of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron for absorption. Vitamin B12 also isn’t adsorbed without it. The same cells that produce acid produce intrinsic factor, which is required for B12 absorption. Without B12 you become B12 deficient, leading to fatigue and neurological problems. 
Decreased acid levels can also cause digestive problems further on down the line.

Pancreatic enzymes, bicarbonate and bile are all released in the small intestine in response to the acidic load that normally leaves the stomach. Without these digestion continues to degenerate, resulting in a far less than optimal nutritional gain from your food and potentially damaging byproducts. The pH, now off in the entire digestive tract, damages the environment for billions of normal/good bacteria, critical to proper digestion and good health.

Case Study: Risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome in Turkish population: role of food allergy.

The following IBS case study can also be found on the National Institutes of Health website.

Risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome in Turkish population: role of food allergy.

Goals:

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of food hypersensitivity
in Turkish patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Background:

The IBS is a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by abdominal pain, distension, meteorism and either diarrhea or constipation. The role of diet in the pathogenesis of IBS remains controversial.

Many investigators have shown that individual foods can trigger symptoms in some patients; nevertheless, the percentage of patients that benefit from dietary manipulation ranges from 15% to 67% in different reports.

High Blood Pressure Can be Caused by Hidden Food Allergies

According to the National Health Statistics Reports for the United States, the single most frequent diagnosis given out by doctors is “Hypertension,” commonly known as high blood pressure.

In 2006, the most recent year for these statistics, over 35 million visits to doctors resulted in a diagnosis of high blood pressure.(1)

In simple terms, high blood pressure is an increase in the pressure within your arteries (your pipeline) over 140/90. This increase in pressure is much like an increase in the pressure within a pipe. The higher the pressure, the harder the pump has to work, and the harder it is to contain that pressure within the pipe.

Therefore high blood pressure is well known to increase your risk for heart disease and heart attack (damage to your pump), and to increase the risk of stroke (blowouts in the pipe). An increase in blood pressure is well recognized to be related to weight gain.

However, there are many other causes, and not everyone who is overweight develops high blood pressure. One of the more interesting and certainly overlooked causes of high blood pressure may be food allergies.

Causes of IBS: Stress Reduction

So you think that you carry your stress in your abdomen. It's a common belief.

If you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it is likely that you have been advised to reduce your stress level.

You may have been told to get regular exercise and adequate sleep, and to practice stress reduction techniques such as yoga, meditation, tai chi, deep breathing, journal writing, relaxation therapy, biofeedback, hypnotherapy, or psychotherapy.

All of these practices can indeed improve physical, mental, and emotional health. They provide a host of benefits, from improved personal relationships to enhanced productivity to increased energy and mental clarity, and they just might help with your IBS symptoms.

But chances are they won't cure your IBS.

DNA Microbial Profile: Measuring Intestinal Bacteria, Yeast (Candida), and Parasites

If you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other digestive problems then it is very possible that you have a microbial imbalance in your digestive tract.

The IBS Treatment Center is proud to be one of the few clinics in the country where you can now get DNA testing to measure the presence of the bacteria, yeast and parasites in your digestive tract. This is done via a stool sample. All microbes have DNA, and that DNA can now be detected and quantified with Nobel Prize-winning PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology, which is commonly used in other forms of DNA testing.

DNA testing is far superior to all previous tests that assessed the presence or absence of microbes in the digestive tract. In the past, bacteria and yeast had to be grown or cultured on a Petri dish, and parasites and yeast were looked for under the microscope. In both cases there were numerous factors that could affect the test and result in inaccurate results. With DNA testing these problems have been eliminated, and an incredible range of microbes can be detected (see graphic).

Causes of IBS: Good Bacteria Deficiencies

Healthy people live in harmony with their "good" bacteria, or normal intestinal flora. This is called symbiosis. We provide the bacteria with a home and food, and in return they do some great things for us. These bacteria are called "probiotics."

Although there are thousands of different bacteria, the best-known friendly bacteria are Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium. Lactobacilli are also the bacteria that change milk into yogurt, and they are present in acidophilus milk. Bifidobacteria, which have been shown to provide many health benefits, are particularly high in the intestines of breast-fed newborns. A healthy intestinal system has more of both these friendly bacteria than other unfriendly bacteria.

One of the most important services good bacteria provide is preserving the correct balance of bacterial populations within the body. By their very presence they prevent the establishment and spread of "bad" bacteria and yeast, because harmful bacteria and yeast generally have no place to grow if friendly bacteria are thriving. You can never have too many of these great bacteria.

Pecan Pie Recipe

This delicious recipe comes to us thanks to the Innate Health Foundation's wiki page. It's a fairly simple, mostly allergen-free Pecan Pie. Just don't tell people it is dairy-free, egg-free, and sugar-free. They won't believe you anyway!

Also, please feel free to add your own recipes to the IHFwiki page - it was created as a resource for us to share with each other.

Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients:

• Standard 10 inch pre-baked (Gluten-Free if desired) pie crust
• 3 cups of chopped pecans,
• 2 tablespoons of brown rice syrup
• 1 cup of maple syrup
• 1 ½ tbsp of pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp of arrowroot flour
• 3 ½ tbsp of flax seeds
• 1/3 cup soymilk (or hempmilk or coconut milk - needs to be fairly fatty so rice milk may not work)

Directions:

Where's the Gluten?

If you are following a gluten free diet, watch out for products with these ingredients listed -- they likely contain gluten unless specifically noted (i.e. “gluten free oats”).

Where's the Gluten?

Abyssian hard
Avena (oats)
Barley
Barley malt
Bran
Couscous
Durum
Edible starch
Einkorn wheat
Parina
Fu (dried wheat gluten)
Germ; wheat germ
Glutamate; glutamic acid
Hordeum

WSJ.com: When Everyday Foods are Hard to Digest

This article has been making the rounds online and we wanted to take a moment to review. The argument is that people who have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are simply having trouble digesting certain carbohydrates.

The challenge is that the idea behind this hypothesis are close to correct. The down side is that the diet probably restricts a lot of foods that any given specific individual IBS patient doesn't need to avoid. They are removing many of the common food allergens, but in a shotgun fashion. So it's not surprising that people are getting better.

Another challenge is that people don't really know exactly why they feel better, so when they cheat they don't know why the consequences differ from one food to the next. And when it doesn't work, which these shotgun approaches often won't, then they don't understand that either. And of course it's not nearly as effective as they claim. Those claims are always overstated. If we took every study that said that 75% of IBS sufferers improved, then we'd have over a 1000% success rate!

Excerpt from WSJ.com:

As many as 20% of adults at some point suffer from a painful digestive disorder that is difficult to diagnose and has no cure. Treatment is hit or miss, and many sufferers never seek help because they find the symptoms hard to discuss.

Case Study: Camel milk an alternative for cow's milk allergy in children.

Treatment of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in children includes avoidance of cow's milk and providing a milk substitute.

This study was designed to determine whether CMA children could safely consume camel's milk as an alternative, and skin-prick test (SPT) to camel's milk could be a reliable tool in selecting them.

Between April 2007 and February 2010, children with confirmed CMA seen at the Allergy-Immunology Clinic, Hamad Medical Corp., were enrolled into this prospective cohort study.

Subjects had a detailed history and medical examination, complete blood count with differential count, total serum IgE, and specific IgE test and SPT to cow's milk. Patients with positive SPT and an elevated cow's milk-specific IgE had negative SPT to camel's milk.

Medscape: Milk Thistle Proven Ineffective for Treating Liver Disease

This recent piece from Medscape highlights the finding that milk thistle extract is not helpful to patients with hepatitis C.

Patients with hepatitis C virus infection who failed interferon treatment showed no symptom improvement or slowing of disease progression with the popular herbal extract silymarin (milk thistle), compared with placebo, in a randomized trial. (The results were presented here at The Liver Meeting 2011: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 62nd Annual Meeting.)

"Silymarin is widely used as a botanical treatment for liver disorders," said Michael W. Fried, MD, professor of medicine and director of hepatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The extract is a mixture of flavonolignans, and is approximately 50% silybin A and B. Silymarin has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties in vitro, as well as effects on the HCV core and CS5A expression in the replicon system.

Evidence for the clinical effects of silymarin are not well validated, Dr. Fried noted. Clinical studies of the compound have been conducted in patients with cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, and viral hepatitis, but results have been inconsistent. Previous studies were confounded by a lack of well-defined efficacy end points, the inclusion of heterogeneous populations of patients with liver disease, and the use of nonstandardized silymarin preparations.

Medscape.com: Single Flu Shot Safe for Kids With Egg Allergy

Studies have shown for some time now that the flu vaccine is safe for most people with egg allergies. It is not something that worry about in our patient base.

This is not a statement on the value of the flu vaccine, which is an entirely different topic and one which each individual must personally decide.

Details from Medscape.com:

Trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) is safe to use in children with severe egg allergy, and can be given as a single dose, according to research presented here at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting.

This finding, from the interim results of a 2-year multicenter trial, confirms the recommendation made earlier this year by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — that egg allergy is no longer a contraindication to vaccination with TIV.

Previously, the AAP Red Book considered anaphylaxis to egg or severe egg allergy a contraindication to receiving the vaccine.

Article continues on Medscape.com

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Image thanks to aroundtownkids.com

WebMD: Anti-Reflux Drugs, Antibiotics May Raise C. diff Risk

This article from WebMD is yet another occassion for us to point out that taking antibiotics and Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) is not a way to address the cause of GERD, but rather a high-risk symptom band-aid.

Whenever possible it is much better to find out why the patient is refluxing.

From WebMD:

Nov. 2, 2011 -- About 500,000 people in the U.S. become infected with the potentially fatal diarrhea bug Clostridium difficile(C. diff.) each year. Now a new study sheds light on who is most at risk -- and why.

Some people show evidence of C. diff in their gut but never have any symptoms. Others develop a range of symptoms from mild diarrhea to severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, bleeding, and fever. C. diff is typically seen in the health care setting, such as hospitals.

In the study of 4,143 people who were hospitalized, 2.8% were infected with C. diff and 3% had evidence of the bacteria, but no symptoms (colonization).

Gluten Free Recipe: Apple-Cranberry Cake

Thanks to our friends at Jules Gluten Free for this week's recipe!

Apple-Cranberry Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup (approximately 165 grams) fresh cranberries
• 1 apple, peeled, cored & diced (I used Gala)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 Tbs. orange zest (optional)
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 eggs (or favorite egg substitute like 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal steeped in 6 Tbs. warm water)
• 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or non-dairy alternative, melted (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
• 1/4 cup “natural” (unsweetened) applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (Neilsen-Massey® Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)
• 1/4 cup plain coconut yogurt (So Delicious®) or sour cream, dairy or non-dairy
• 1 1/4 cup Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• Sugar-cinnamon mixture for topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F (static) 300° F (convection).

Testing for IBS Triggers: Fatigue Panel

The Fatigue Panel includes lab tests for ruling out the most common causes of fatigue. These causes include hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), iron deficiency, anemia, and vitamin B12 deficiency.

These problems along with food allergies are the most common causes of fatigue and the easiest to diagnose with blood tests. They are also readily treatable. This panel is highly recommended if you suffer from fatigue.

Hypothyroidism is a frequently missed diagnosis, even if you’ve been told that your thyroid was tested and is normal.

Gastroenterologists and IBS Experts: Two Different Specialties (Part II)

This is the second of a two part series in which we're exploring the underlying differences between Gastroenterologists and IBS Experts. The differences are significant and a deeper understanding of the various approaches to your health will help you to make more informed decisions about your own.

IBS Specialty

IBS specialists are experts in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A gastroenterologist may diagnose IBS, but that will only tell you what you already know, that your bowel irritates you. To the IBS specialist the label of IBS only serves as a starting point for further investigation, nothing more.

The IBS specialist focuses on assessing and diagnosing the cause of your digestive problems, not on the gross structural integrity of the digestive tract. Rather than focusing on the patients symptoms, or simply treating the symptoms, the IBS specialist is devoted to identifying the condition or conditions in the patient that are causing the symptoms.

Gastroenterologists and IBS Experts: Two Different Specialties (Part I)

This is the first of a two part series in which we're discussing the underlying differences between Gastroenterologists and IBS Experts. The differences are significant and a deeper understanding of the various approaches to your health will help you to make more informed decisions about your own.

Part 1 - Gastroenterology

People often make assumptions about medical specialists and their areas of expertise. This is certainly true with gastroenterology, where many people assume that gastroenterologists are experts in all things related to the digestive tract.

Gastroenterologists are experts in diseases of the digestive tract, not syndromes or symptoms. While Gastroenterologists do primarily pay attention to the digestive tract, there are some surprising gaps in their training on the science of digestion. Gastroenterologists primarily focus on performing colonoscopies and upper endoscopies. They may also do other imaging work of the GI tract, such as an ultrasound, CT scan,MRI, x-rays, and even “pill cameras”. And they may perform studies that assess the motility of the digestive tract. Therefore, if you go to a gastroenterologist your diagnosis will be based on this testing.

Understanding Food Allergies: IgE and IgG

Your immune system serves as a guard against foreign invaders. In the case of an allergy, the invaders are called allergens.

The primary weapon that it uses against invaders is the production of antibodies. The antibodies cause reactions that result in the offending allergens being removed from the body.

In many people, foods act as allergens rather than nutrition. This can result in the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

The immune system produces numerous kinds of antibodies, called immunoglobulins. IgE and IgG are acronyms for the two different kinds of antibodies produced by the immune system in allergic reactions to food.

You might be asking why you need to know this...

Case Study: Hypersensitivity to Cow's Milk Protein and Gluten in Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A recent study published in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Journal is finally recognizing that food has something to do with IBS and that some people are reactive to some foods.

Unfortunately they misstate that there are no good tests to determine if a person is hypersensitive to a specific food. Their exact words: "No assays identify patients with FH with satisfactory levels of sensitivity".

Apparently they didn't look very hard.

We (at the IBS Treatment Center) use food allergy testing that is very accurate, highly repeatable, and has helped many hundreds of patients identify the foods to which they are allergic and which cause them to have symptoms. We have the experience and the data to know that some types of food sensitivity testing are very good. We also know that other types of testing are not so good.

This is the kind of crucial, practical insight that you can't get from looking at small studies.
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The study, from Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology:

Background & Aims

Some patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms suffer from food hypersensitivity (FH); their symptoms improve when they are placed on elimination diets. No assays identify patients with FH with satisfactory levels of sensitivity.

Food Allergies, Sinusitis and Runny Nose

Chronic congestion of the sinuses, ears and/or the nose can be an extremely frustrating sinusitis problem that does not ever truly seem to go away. 

All too often I hear patients state that they have not found relief even after many rounds of antibiotics or multiple surgeries. This is because antibiotics and surgery often don’t address the cause of the congestion.

What Causes Sinusitis and Runny Nose? 


Sinus infection (sinusitis) and runny nose are inflammatory conditions that result in mucous production and congestion. This leads to the resulting problems of sinus pressure headaches, a runny nose, or stuffy ears. 



What Causes Inflammation? 


Inflammation is caused by anything that can activate the immune system. It can be caused by a bacterial, fungal, or viral infections, or by environmental or food allergies. 
Bacterial and fungal infections are readily treated by antibiotics, and viral infections generally resolve on their own.

Food allergies are the most under-rated cause of inflammation and congestion, and frequently exacerbate known environmental allergies. 



What is Hypoglycemia?

People suffering from one or more of these problems have what is commonly referred to as hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.

Technically, hypoglycemia is not diagnosed until it is very severe, so you are unlikely to have your doctor diagnose you as having hypoglycemia. But in the general public this problem is commonly referred to as hypoglycemia. Unfortunately, many doctors will not explain the difference to you or acknowledge that you may have a form of hypoglycemia.

Some people assume that hypoglycemia is risk factor for developing diabetes. However, diabetes involves an elevation in blood sugar and is therefore the opposite of hypoglycemia.

The only connection is that when people who have diabetes are overmedicated they can
develop low blood sugar, which can be very dangerous if blood sugar levels get too low.

WSJ.com: When Everyday Foods are Hard to Digest

More one size fits most solutions - this time it is the FODMaps diet. The argument is that people have trouble digesting carbs.

But there is plenty of evidence that many people are allergic to some of the foods eliminated in this diet. That point, plus the evidence that many people have allergic reactions to gluten is likely a better explanation as to why.

The cited theory, (that people with IBS have difficulty absorbing certain carbohydrates) doesn't explain the dairy part of the diet at all.

Diet May Provide IBS Relief

Eating guidelines called the low-Fodmaps diet are gaining attention as a way to relieve irritable bowel syndrome. The diet calls for eliminating certain foods, including dairy products, wheat, rye, corn syrup, fruits, artificial sweeteners and vegetables, on the theory that people with IBS have difficulty absorbing certain carbohydrates.

Case Study: Irritable bowel syndrome: gender, infection, lifestyle or what else?

The article below just came out in the journal Digestive Diseases.

Even though they overemphasize the psycho-social factors, at least they acknowledge the food and antibiotic factors in IBS.

From Karger.com:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterised by abdominal pain and an erratic bowel habit, which depending on the definition used affects 5-10% of the population.

As a typical complex disease, it is likely that the condition will develop when a genetically susceptible individual is exposed to an appropriate environment stimulus.

This bio-psycho-social model assumes that there is no one cause of IBS, but rather that it is the product of complex interactions between host and environment.

Host factors include gender, age and psychological characteristics, while environmental factors include psychosocial stressors, gastrointestinal infections, antibiotics and food.

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Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Source
University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, Nottingham, UK. robin.spiller@nottingham.ac.uk
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Image thanks to blogs.voices.com

Homemade Gluten-Free Bagels Recipe

This great recipe thanks to our friends at DelightGlutenFree.com:

Homemade Gluten-Free Bagels
Yield: One Dozen Bagels

• 2 packets active quick-rise dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 5 ½ cups Cup4Cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 quarts boiling water
• 2 teaspoons canola oil

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine yeast and warm water. Allow the yeast to dissolve in the water, about 5 minutes.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixing using a dough hook, combine gluten-free all-purpose flour, sugar and salt. Mix using the dough hook until a well forms.

Causes of IBS: Parasites

Parasites, another cause of IBS symptoms, can cause diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, cramps, nausea, poor digestion, fatigue, muscle aches, bleeding, rectal itching, and abdominal pain.

Parasites cannot live without you. You provide them living space and food, but unlike friendly bacteria, parasites do nothing for you in return. They only act against you.

Parasites vary in size from the very tiny, which can be seen only under a microscope, to inches long. Some can find their way into just about any area of the body, but most are found only in the digestive tract. The severity of your symptoms and the amount of damage they cause varies depending on the parasite involved, the number of parasites, and the level of resistance your body has.

Parasites damage the body in a number of ways, by absorbing nutrients that you need and by directly damaging your digestive tract; and, if they are capable of migrating, possibly damaging other areas of your body as well. They often reproduce rapidly and by the thousands, and are easily spread to other people. Unfortunately, a strong population of good bacteria does little to protect you from parasites.

Understanding Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is not a particularly useful acronym for the person suffering from the problem.

In both cases the acronym provides a label for describing the condition, but it does not provide any information for understanding the cause of the problem or to attempt to cure it.

Our goal is to find the cause of the problem so that it can be cured. And IBD sufferers are just as surprised as IBS sufferers to discover that there is much more to learn about digestive health than what they learned from their gastroenterologist.

What is the difference between IBS and IBD?

IBD is much like IBS except in one major area. IBD sufferers are found to have ulcerations in the digestive tract.

Case Study: Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with a Food Elimination Diet Followed by Food Challenge and Probiotics

The following food allergy case study comes from Journal of the American College of Nutrition and the University of Kansas Medical Center.

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Objective:

In Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the gut-associated immune system may be up-regulated resulting in immune complex production, low-grade inflammation, loss of Class I bacteria, and translocation of inflammatory mediators and macromolecules outside of the GI lumen.

Since food intolerance may be one of the reasons for this upregulation, our goal was to investigate the role of food intolerance in IBS patients.

Methods:

In this open label pilot study, we enrolled 20 patients with IBS by Rome II criteria (15 women, ages 24–81) who had failed standard medical therapies in a tertiary care GI clinic.

8 Quick Facts about Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is defined by a set of symptoms affecting a patient’s gastrointestinal system. These symptoms, or immune system reactions, can be produced by a wide range of different medical conditions.

Most often, IBS symptoms are caused by one or more of the following: chemical mechanisms resulting from reactions to certain foods; microorganisms in the gut including bacteria and parasites; yeasts; or celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

8 Quick Facts about IBS:

1. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 10-20% of the general population, with women 20-40 years old accounting for the majority of patients. (Astegiano et. al. 2008)

2. Irritable bowel syndrome affects approximately 10-15% of the European population and up to 70% of individuals with IBS may not be formally diagnosed. (Quigley et. al. 2006)

3. Patients with IBS cost a average $1300 more per year than non-IBS patients (Levy et. al. 2001)

The Top 9 Causes of Heartburn

In order to cure acid reflux disease, you must remove the cause of the problem and promote the healing process.

The following are the most common causes: 



1. Food allergies
In my practice I have found that a majority of cases of heartburn are caused by food allergies.

Food allergies often cause a host of other problems and can be diagnosed with a simple blood test. 



2. Foods
Certain foods cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, thus leading to heartburn.

These include peppermint, coffee, alcohol and chocolate. 



3. Hiatal hernia
This is a physical condition where part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm. It can generally be reduced without surgery, though even when present it is not necessarily the sole cause of heartburn 



4. Low Acid Production
Ironically, low stomach acid levels can result in heartburn. This is much more common than increased acid. This problem can be assessed clinically and is readily treatable. 



Testing for IBS Triggers: What's Included?

Foods Included in the Standard Food Allergy Panel - 96 foods

Dairy: Cow's milk, whey, casein, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, goat's milk.

Meat and Poultry: beef, chicken, lamb, pork, chicken, eggs white (chicken), egg yolk (chicken), turkey.

Grains: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, gliadin (wheat), gluten (wheat), oat, rice, rye, spelt, whole wheat.

Seafoods: lobster, clam, cod, crab, halibut, oyster, salmon, shrimp, snapper, sole, tuna

Vegetables: asparagus, avocado, broccoli, beet, bell pepper (green), cabbage (white), carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, mushroom, olive (black), onion (white), potato (white), pumpkin, radish, spinach, squash (green), squash (yellow), sweet potato, tomato, zucchini squash.

Nuts: almond, coconut, filbert, peanut, pecan, sesame, sunflower seed, walnut

What are Food Allergies?

Food allergies may be one of the most prevalent health problems in our country and are certainly the biggest problem that I see in my clinic.

But if you're like most of my patients, you're probably thinking, "Not me, I don't have a food allergy." 
Most people think they have a pretty good idea about food allergies. They may know someone who has one and think, "My problem isn't like theirs."

Or they may just think that food allergies normally result in hives, a rash, or some kind of medical emergency. 
In fact, food allergies can be the cause of many chronic health problems.

What Is An Allergy?

An allergy is what results when your immune system is inappropriately activated. Your immune system is designed to attack bacteria, viruses and parasites. It is not intended to attack the food you eat. But this is exactly what happens with some people. This is called a "food allergy" or "food intolerance."

Everyday Painkillers, High Blood Pressure and Stomach Damage


Americans consume an estimated $2 billion per year in over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol, Advil and Motrin. The most common reason for taking them is for arthritis.

However, these drugs are not without side-effects. It also doesn’t take as much as you might think to cause damage. And the variety of side effects includes high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and other problems.

A study of more than 80,000 women found that women who used acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, for 22 days or more a month had the greatest risk of high blood pressure, estimated at twice that of non-users. And even those who used the drug as little as one to four days a month had a 22% greater risk of having high blood pressure than non-users.

The risk for those taking NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), including ibuprofen products such as Advil and Motrin and naproxen drugs such as Aleve, was similar. Heavy users had a risk of high blood pressure 86% higher than those who didn't use the drug. Light users carried a 17% higher risk. (Journal Hypertension November 2002 20(11):2301-2307)

Gluten & Egg Free Recipe: Pumpkin Brownies

Thanks to our friends at Gluten Free Mama for this week's delicious recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¾ cup butter or dairy free margarine
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• ¾ cup Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. baking power
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Advanced Gluten Intolerance Testing

We've been receiving many questions on testing for celiac disease and gluten intolerance and wanted to repost information about the latest testing methods.

Testing for celiac disease and gluten intolerance has in the past been grossly oversimplified.

Traditional celiac testing has involved screening for one or maybe two tissue transglutaminase antibodies. Gluten, the culprit in celiac disease, is not really just one protein but rather is composed of a group of various gliadins and glutenins. Until now none of the many gluten components have been available for antibody testing. And since reactions to wheat can involve proteins other than those involved in gluten, the testing has had its limitations.

Previously physicians have only been able to offer testing for reactions to whole wheat, barley, rye, and spelt. Although these tests have been very successful in diagnosing individual food allergies, new tests are now available which can offer much more specific information about reactions to wheat and different kinds of gluten reactions.

Case Study: A vegan diet free of gluten improves the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

The following food allergy case study comes thanks to National Institutes of Health.

A vegan diet free of gluten improves the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: the effects on arthritis correlate with a reduction in antibodies to food antigens.

OBJECTIVE:

Whether food intake can modify the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an issue of continued scientific and public interest. However, data from controlled clinical trials are sparse. We thus decided to study the clinical effects of a vegan diet free of gluten in RA and to quantify the levels of antibodies to key food antigens not present in the vegan diet.

METHODS:

Sixty-six patients with active RA were randomized to either a vegan diet free of gluten (38 patients) or a well-balanced non-vegan diet (28 patients) for 1 yr. All patients were instructed and followed-up in the same manner. They were analysed at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months, according to the response criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Testing for IBS Triggers: Fatigue Panel

The Fatigue Panel includes lab tests for ruling out the most common causes of fatigue: hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), iron deficiency, anemia, and vitamin B12 deficiency.

These problems along with food allergies are the most common causes of fatigue and the easiest to diagnose with blood tests. They are also readily treatable. This panel is highly recommended if you suffer from fatigue.

Hypothyroidism is a frequently missed diagnosis, even if you’ve been told that your thyroid was tested and is normal. Click here to learn more about this subject.

Iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, and anemia are common causes of fatigue and are frequently overlooked. Click here for more information about this topic.

The Fatigue Panel includes the following tests:

• 
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)

• Ferritin (Iron Storage level)

• Vitamin B12 level

• CBC (Complete Blood Count, for assessing anemia)

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Vitamin B12 image thanks to fmhsloudspeaker.wordpress.com

Introduction: Lab Testing for IBS Triggers

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has conventionally been defined not by what it is, but by what it is not.

Therefore successfully discovering its cause has been impossible, because the cause was thought to be unknown.

It has really been nothing more than a guessing game, and you get to be the guinea pig. Fortunately that has now all changed.

Now we can define the cause of your IBS, and therefore treat it. IBS symptoms are almost always caused by either food allergies, bacterial imbalances, yeast, or parasites. If you want to learn more about these topics and how they relate to IBS, then this website is for you. (You may also refer to the book, The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution.)

Two kinds of tests are recommended – food allergy testing, which is a blood test; and testing for bacteria, yeast, and parasites, which is done by stool testing. Problems in any of these areas can alone cause IBS, but most people who suffer from IBS have a combination of both a food allergy and a bacterial imbalance.

Blood and stool tests provide an easy way to sort this out. These tests are available, reasonably straightforward, and affordable, especially when you consider the benefit of having better health for the rest of your life. There is no need to continue wondering, guessing what is wrong and blindly spending money trying to find something that will help you.
 You can know. And then you can do something that will end your IBS for good.

More information on testing for IBS at IBSTreatmentCenter.com

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Image thanks to healthdoctrine.com

Is There a Connection Between Restless Leg Syndrome and Food Allergies?

Like most days, I recently had a patient that came to the IBS Treatment Center seeking help with her food allergies and digestive issues.

We went through the necessary steps, testing for all food allergies, discussing next steps, etc. But what was most interesting about this particular patient's story was the message we received following her visit.

The message:

My restless leg twitching that always would occur when I'm at the movies is gone. I only thought of this the day after I went to the movies. I recalled that "Hey my legs didn't twitch at all the whole time like they usually do". I could never figure out why my legs would do that.

Since I took the allergens out of my diet, I just don't have the restless legs. This is huge for me. I was always so worried that I would irritate the person sitting next to me. Going to the clinic and getting tested for allergies is one of the smartest things I've ever done. The restless leg problem was an added benefit since I didn't originally go there for that.

I'm very thankful to the doctor and staff.

Susan from Renton, WA

I thought that this was a very interesting case because I have often wondered if there was a relationship between restless leg syndrome and food allergies. There is very little record of this in the medical literature and I do not believe that it has ever been well studied. Hopefully someday it will be. It is certainly worth pursuing.

Do you have restless leg syndrome? How have you treated and/or cured it? Please share your thoughts in our comments section.

Milk Allergies and Lactose Intolerance

Milk allergy or dairy allergy are the most common food allergies seen in my practice and cause a multitude of health problems. 


Dairy may be the most misunderstood food of our culture. It is often assumed to be of high nutritional value and even mandatory for good health, although it can create serious health problems. 


Lactose intolerance is frequently confused with milk allergy, but the two conditions are not the same. We'll discuss these two dairy food disorders below.

What's a Dairy Allergy?


An allergy is an immune response that results in inflammation and tissue damage. Such a response to food can be exhibited in any part of the body, therefore it can cause a wide range of problems. Food allergies also interfere with nutrient absorption, resulting in conditions such as iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, and fatigue.

Digestion Basics: Diarrhea

The word diarrhea is derived from the Greek word diarrhein, meaning 'to flow through.' And while it's not a favorite subject for anyone, it's important to understand what your body is telling you.

Basically, diarrhea is characterized by frequent, watery bowel movements. As you might suspect, diarrhea indicates that too much water is being retained (and therefore is not being absorbed) in the digestive tract.

There are several possible causes for this. For example, food may be moving through the tube too quickly for water to be absorbed, creating stools that are watery instead of formed.