gluten free familyA mum's blog about gluten-free living in Australia

Worldwide studies are showing Coeliac disease is four times as prevalent than just 30 years ago – and it’s not just down to better diagnosis.

The numbers themselves don’t surprise me. What did surprise me was that researchers found the rise isn’t down to awareness and better diagnostic tools according to Medscape Today.

Many of the researchers are analysing samples taken from people many years ago using modern techniques and are finding a true underlying increase.

A study by Mayo Clinic researchers, for instance, found that the prevalence of coeliac – now at 1 in 100 – was not mirrored in a test of blood samples from the 1950s. Read the rest of this entry »

Sydney gluten free expo

Is gluten intolerance a real condition?

This was one of the topics debated at the gluten free expo in Sydney, and Dr Robert Anderson, the man leading development of the coeliac vaccine, took to the stage to address this sensitive issue.

The gluten intolerant now far outnumber those with coeliac disease, but according to Dr Anderson finding a true diagnosis for either condition is far from straightforward.

I won’t go into too much of the science here, suffice it to say that he believes coeliac disease is being underdiagnosed by the medical communiy owing to over-reliance on things like preliminary blood tests which may give false negatives – as well as the less common issue of biopsies that can miss damage in the small intestines.

He says a gene, blood test and biopsy (where evidence of coeliac disease exists) are all required to build up an accurate diagnosis. (The coeliac society now has a diagnostic flow chart that is designed to steer prospective sufferers on a path of investigation that will prevent such misdiagnoses and I will write more on this at a later date).

This brings us to the other side of the equation – gluten intolerance. Dr Anderson believes that most cases of gluten intolerance in the wider society have been confused with fructose malabsorbtion. Read the rest of this entry »

There is more to say about the Sydney Gluten Free expo than I can possibly put into one blog post so please stay tuned over the next few weeks as we report on the many new products, write about some of the experts’ opinions and more importantly review some of the wonderful new products we got out hands on at the show. Here’s a quick summary and a taste of some of the things we will be reporting on here in coming weeks:

Coeliac Vaccination: we’ll give an update on where the vaccine development is at – plus write up some of the (possibly controversial) thoughts about Coeliac disease v gluten intolerance from the man who is leading the research, Dr Robert Anderson.

Lots of brand redesigns and product launches: Prepare for the battle of the cake and bread mixes as some of our favourite brands expand their product ranges substantially.

Bakeries open their doors: A bunch of bakeries are springing up all over town with fresh and gorgeous gluten free baked fare. Read the rest of this entry »

gluten free expo fare

Fellow Sydneysiders, it’s almost time to pull out your walking shoes and an extra-large shopping bag because the Gluten Free Expo is coming to town on the 6th and 7th of August.

It’s no secret that we at GFF absolutely adore a gluten-free shopping shindig. It gives us (and our wee ones) a chance to sample a staggering quantity of delicious sweetmeats and sniff out new products that might make our lives easier when they hit the shelves.

We also try to grab the chance to lobby manufacturers and distributors about what we would like to see in the future, and quizz them on the small print of their ingredient lists.

Homebush’s Sydney Olympic park will play host to the annual fest organised by the NSW Coeliac Society and organisers say the expo is not just about showcasing the latest gluten free fare.  It has also lined up a bunch of authors, medical professionals and chefs to conduct live demos and presentations. Read the rest of this entry »

is glucose syrup gluten free?

Have you ever noticed that all of the truly delicious stuff has glucose syrup in it? Of course you have because the treat makers usually flag that it is derived from wheat on the label.

This declaration alone has kept me safe from thousands of calories in recent years.

Most lollies and a lot of dessert products like icecream have glucose syrup on their ingredients lists.

Then my co-blogger Lucy casually asked a few weeks ago: “So what’s the deal with glucose syrup?” And I said: “I don’t really know”.

So here we are again, finding out together.

For those who like the sciency angle, glucose syrup is a liquid sweetener that is made through the “enzymatic hydrolysis” of starch. It can be made from any type of starch including corn or potato though wheat seems to be pretty common.

The Coeliac Society of Australia says that glucose syrups are so highly processed that no gluten can be detected in them (that means they have less than 20mg/kg). That means for official purposes glucose syrup is gluten free even though, confusingly, manufacturers who use it declare gluten on the label.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Finnish study a couple of years ago found that starch hydrolysate products (ie glucose syrup, dextrose and maltodextrins) were safe for coeliac sufferers to consume on a daily basis.

Some still choose to avoid trace gluten.

And me? Ignorance was bliss.

MB

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gluten free labels

How much gluten is too much? Standards bodies around the world have been mulling that one over in recent years.

When it comes to trace quantities of gluten in food products, Europe decided two years ago that 20 milligrams or less (20 parts per million) is safe, down from 200 parts per million. The US looks set to embrace similar standards.

To be labeled gluten free in Australia, though, products must have no “detectable gluten” which at present means 5 milligrams or less per kilo (5 parts per million).

Some local coeliac sufferers are concerned. They say that overly tough standards inhibit local manufacturers and of course it also means many gluten free products made overseas cannot be sold here.

As a result, the gluten free among us could missing out on heaps of choice and paying higher prices for our goods thanks to a lack of competition.

For this reason the Coeliac Society of Australia late last year lobbied the ACCC to pull the standards back into in line with the rest of the world.

However some coeliac sufferers in other countries would like to see the same tight standards applied to manufacturers in their part of the world. Especially those who find they suffer after eating goods labeled gluten free.

Of course that could also be attributed to non-compliance to the standards. A survey conducted by the NSW Food Authority in 2007, for example, found that of 211 gluten free retail food products it tested, 4.7 did not meet the Australian standard.

One product, prawn crackers, had 160 parts per million though only 2.8% of the products exceeded the internationally recognised levels of 20ppm.

So there seems to be a trade-off: choice and price versus higher trace levels of gluten. I guess your level of gluten sensitivity would determine which side of the fence you sit on this one.

MB

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gluten free cooking

I was doing it a bit of internet research on gluten the other day and it struck me how many different reasons there were for taking gluten out of your diet.

Unless you have been ordered to avoid it by a doctor, I figure it must be pretty confusing for anyone weighing up the pros and cons of this inconvenient dietary regime.

So I have decided to do a quick review of the multitude of reasons so many of us are taking this path.

Coeliac disease This is a well documented medical condition in which the stomach lining is damaged by gluten. It might cause many painful symptoms or none at all, but sufferers must strictly avoid all gluten – even trace fragments that could be picked up by accident from other nearby foods. A blood test from your doctor can determine whether you might be suffering from this condition.

Gluten intolerance It might be eczema, regular tummy aches, IBS or some other annoying condition that leads many to avoid gluten. Taking gluten out of the diet or even just reducing it can be enough to help sufferers of these sorts of irritating conditions,  but doctors are unlikely to suggest gluten free regimes because little research has been done on their effects beyond the very serious coeliac condition. There are some tests that can be done to detect intolerances but they are not easy to track down.

Sick, grumpy children They could be included in the category above, but many gluten intolerant children are not able to articulate particular health issues. Instead they may eat poorly, sleep poorly, suffer constipation or diarrhea and demonstrate unhappy or disruptive behaviour.  They may also have particular behavioural issues or poor concentration and could be underweight (though some may also be big for their age).  The medical community at large does not really acknowledge this condition though some dieticians and paediatricians are starting to cotton on to the devastating impact of food intolerances on children.

Because there are such a wide range of reactions in children, key clues to gluten and or dairy intolerance may be  things like chronic ear infections, stuffy noses, and strong favouritism of the very foods they have trouble with. Ironically it is this key symptom that makes it so difficult for parents to choose a gluten and/or dairy free diet because they are unsure what their child might eat instead.

Of course most adapt quite happily to alternatives once the offending foodstuffs are removed but its quite a big leap of faith (I know because I have taken it!).  A dietician who specialises in food intolerances could help you conduct an elimination diet if you want to be sure that these are the offending foods, and could also advise you on the type of dietary supplementation you may need to do to rebalance the diet.

Autism, ADD, ADHD At the core of this gluten and dairy (casein) free regime is the belief that gluten and the dairy protein called casein have an opiate effect on the brains of some children with these conditions.

While the number of doctors promoting this diet as a treatment for conditions such as autism are still in the minority, there are many stories to be found online of a reduction of symptoms in some children (though not all) in response to this diet. The theory is that for these children the food particles are not properly digested because of damage to the stomach called a leaky gut. The opiate effect of these undigested food particles in the blood stream is then thought to act on the brain exaccerbating many behavioural and physical symptoms.

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So there you have it – a potted summary of the many reasons we might choose to avoid gluten. While I cannot vouch for the science behind any of these beliefs, what I can vouch for is my own experience. Taking dairy and gluten from my son’s diet was a revolution for us. It was scary and challenging but we could never go back. (and believe me we have lapsed from time to time on holidays or at special events but we always live to regret it)

We would love to hear your stories and please tell us if you think we have missed something important.

LH

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gluten free: should you supplement?

Since going gluten free I have benefited in some unexpected ways, my favourite being in the waistline department.

I don’t eat as many carbs overall and am less tempted to over indulge when I’m out and about. As a result I feel healthier in general.

So it never occurred to me that by ditching some of those old baddies, me and mine may now be missing out on some important dietary elements.

A few studies cited by experts show that gluten free diets are lower in vital nutrients including calcium, iron, B vitamins and vitamin D as well as folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, zinc and magnesium.

Moreover many of the packaged gluten free products are higher in fat and cholesterol than their gluten-based counterparts. And gluten free diets in general are said to be too high in protein and fat and too low in carbohydrates and fibre.

Of course many people who are not on gluten free diets are also not getting enough of the good stuff. Even back in my gluten glory days, I was no stranger to an unbalanced diet. Like most people, I knew what I should be eating but actually doing it was another matter.

The difference is that now that I have done some digging on this particular topic, I can no longer cry ignorant. And having young gluten free mouths to feed provides additional pause for thought.

While I am not qualified to offer dietary advice, here are some of the tips that I found online that may help get things back in balance:

- see a nutritionist who is experienced in gluten free diets

- take vitamin and mineral supplements as advised

- increase your helpings of oats if you can have them, as well as brown rice and quinoa and fruit and vegetables

- ensure your gluten free flours come from whole grains rather than refined sources

MB

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My son and I discovered gluten didn’t agree with us at the wrong end of a lengthy elimination diet. It was the last thing we tested for of course because we were pretty sure we could never be sensitive to something so delicious.

My son’s attention problems in class drove us to it and inconveniently, gluten was the only thing that eased the problem. It was an added bonus that the eczema that had plagued me since having children also vanished.

But we have never had any medical tests to confirm our suspicions because the Coeliac tests for gut damage are not applicable to us. However there is an antibody test – though it’s hard to find – that can indicate a sensitivity to gluten.

I am curious about it so I have done a bit of digging and will share my findings here:

What is the test? The IgG-gliadin antibody blood test. There is also an IgA-gliadin antibody test but most gluten sensitive folk test positive to the former.

What does it tell you? It measures your immune reaction – the antibodies you produce – to gliadin, a protein that is part of the gluten molecule. This is different to the blood tests that diagnose Coeliac, the tTG test and a new test called Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP), which both measure gut damage.

Do you need to be eating gluten to have the test? No, but after a few months of being off gluten, the results become progressively less accurate.

Can my GP order it? Non-Coeliac gluten intolerance is not widely acknowledged by the mainstream medical community. Most GPs therefore consider it an outdated test because it does not measure gut damage and is therefore an unreliable indicator of Coeliac disease.

Who does it? Most labs don’t do it anymore for the same reason. You will need to ask around or check out the website of gluten expert Dr Rodney Ford.

Who can interpret it? As most GPs no longer order this test, they are not accustomed to interpreting it so you may have to swat up on the results yourself or, again, consult Dr Ford’s site.

MB

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My mission: follow the progress of the experimental gluten vaccine that was developed and is being tested in Melbourne.

My incentive: the idea of scoffing into delicious spongy white carbs again.

My problem: several years of waiting as that is how long it is likely to be before the vaccine is available to the masses.

Things are underway however. The first clincal tests started last May to test the safety of the treatment – which desensitises sufferers to gluten – and to determine dosages and the like. 40 people were involved and it is meant to go for about 11 months.

If all goes well, the next phase will involve another small study to look at how effective the vaccine is against gluten intolerance. It has already been successful in mice.

Phase three would be a much larger version of phase two but would require significant funding, a potential hitch in the speed of delivery of this treatment.

Funding usually comes from pharmaceutical companies but to date, gluten intolerance and celiac disease may be rife and dangerous but diagnosis of these conditions is still very low, especially in North America, which makes the financial returns uncertain for a backer.

The upshot? Its all very exciting but don’t hold your breath.  But do watch this space for updates.

MB

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