ReTHINK BreakFAST

Why Even Non-celiacs May Need To Skip Gluten.

Autistic Kids: It's A Nutrigenomic Issue!

Cute kid. Unfortunately, the stereotypical breakfast
of milk and cereal is one of the top triggers
of autism and the associated not-quite-so-cute behavior.
A breakfast overflowing with opioids found in milk and wheat gluten
- whole grain or not, besides the point here.

When kids suffer from behavioral disorders, looking into food allergies and nutrient therapy is crucial. Genetic traits and brain chemistry imbalances are hereditary and gradually worsened through generations; so if you haven't taken care of yourself by matching your lifestyle to your unique metabolic type, you can be sure to see a worsening of your vulnerabilities showing in your kids.

Autism have become one of the most widespread issues amongst kids these days; however, it is very easily treated if you understand how autistic symptoms relate to brain chemistry and triggered by opioids found in common food products.

So what characterizes the brain of a kid suffering with autism?
Autistic children generally have high levels of serotonin in their blood platelets, but LOW level of “free” serotonin. This may mean high serotonin in blood cells, but low serotonin in brain!

Research also comments on the fact that autistic children have high beta-endorphin levels. The literature does not reference baseline beta-endorphin but talks about an exaggerated stress response. Measuring beta-endorphin evokes stress, so the high levels they see may be a function of the exaggerated stress reaction. Stress evokes BE, and generally serotonin modulates the spike. If the serotonin system is impaired, there could be nothing to tone the beta-endorphin spike down so there would be a constant spiking and crashing.

BE is designed to kill pain, it creates “numb”. This can be life saving in a crisis, but it does not do well for bonding. Researchers used a drug called Naltrexone that sits in beta-endorphin receptor sites and does not allow the heightened BE reaction to charge the system; thus the kids treated had fewer autistic symptoms. However, this method does nothing but treat the symptoms temporarily (you can't be on these drugs forever - as with anything, there are side effects that only worsen over time causing a multitude of other health problems); it does not target the underlying issue.

Sugar, wheat gluten and dairy contain opioid peptides and raise BE levels more. So we know there is a direct link between the biochemistry imbalances that are associated with autism and that which are dietary related!

What to do now? 

Well, if your kid suffers with autism, even if you don't have the financial means to have a brain chemistry and metabolic typing done (contact for more info), you will want to try this out for 28 days (my experience is that in 90% of cases this solves the issue): move your kids to a food plan that has no wheat, no hard-core dairy (whey protein powder is ok because it does not have casein), and no sugar.

Anderson, G. M., D. X. Freedman, et al. (1987). Whole blood serotonin in autistic and normal subjects. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 28(6): 885-900.

Anderson, G. M., A. W. Zimmerman, et al. (2004). Autism clinical trials: biological and medical issues in patient selection and treatment response. CNS Spectr 9(1): 57-64.

Blum, I. , Y. Vered, et al. (1992). The influence of meal composition on plasma serotonin and norepinephrine concentrations. Metabolism 41(2): 137-40.

Buitelaar, J. K. (2003). Why have drug treatments been so disappointing? Novartis Found Symp 251: 235-44; discussion 245-9, 281-97.

Bursztejn, C., P. Ferrari, et al. (1988). Metabolism of serotonin in autism in children]. Encephale 14(6): 413-9.

Cazzullo, A. G., M. C. Musetti, et al. (1999). Beta-endorphin levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and long-term naltrexone treatment in autistic children. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 9(4): 361-6.

GI disorders on the rise: The case for WHITE rice.

Of course the Asian cultures with their influence

from Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine

have chosen to make white rice a stable part of their diet for a reason.

And now the West is finally beginning to grasp a grain

of what they have known and implemented for centuries: white rice is better than brown!

Just don't expect your health care practitioner to recommend this tomorrow

- as with all break-throughs in medicine it takes decades for it to reach the mainstream.

Just when you thought there were certain things in the health field that would never change - i.e. a pint of Haagen dasz is never going to be on the bottom of the food pyramide nor is anything white: white flour, white rice, white sugar... and so on.
After all, all things white is the reason why the West is getting fatter yet more malnourished by the minute, is it not.

Well, turns out it's not that simple - and cutting out white rice in exchange for brown may only be leading to further GI disorders. Now hang on a second before you just write this off as wish-washy alternative nonsense.

Let's start from the beginning.

Gastro intestinal disorders and gluten intolerance issues have reached epidemic proportions.
This is a catastrophe, because our knowledge of gluten intolerance is still at a baby stage and conventional medicine simply does not know how to treat (and much less properly diagnose!) inflamed gut and damaged villis.

Many of the meds you may be taking for secondary reasons are preventing your gut from healing by thinning the mucosal lining along with the fact that every Rx leads to your blood pH being more acidic. Now I'm not saying that Rx is always a no-no, it is always a question of pros vs. cons. However, in cases of inflamed gut you will have a load of symptoms that are all secondary: Osteoporosis, low T3, hormonal imbalance, mood disorders etc. etc. And they will continue to be present until you heal the primary reason for your disease - which is your gut.

With GI disorders every other disease under the sun follows, which is why it is critical to first heal your gut and then focus on any other issues you may be having. Simply because if your gut isn't healed step 1, whatever goes into your body either adds toxins and ferments due to indigestion or simply just exists your system without you having absorbed any nutrients at all.

Now back to the white stuff. Brown rice (which Asian cultures only use for the poor or to feed the pigs) contains something called phytic acid. Phytic acid binds to minerals in foods and limit our digestion of the minerals.

What about the fiber you ask? Well, turns out that more fiber is not the cure we thought it once was. Especially not the sort of roughage that stems from grains - bran, which is a typical recommendation to bulk up your fiber intake, literally tears your insides to shreds and prevents nutrient absorption (mind you, you still have to eat your fruit and veggies - it is only the grain roughage that is an issue). Brown rice is white rice with a thick hull around it. It is kind of like eating a walnut and not taking the shell off. There are nutrients in the hull, but they have a very poor bioavailability. Our bodies spend a lot of time and effort trying to break down the shell, which will use up energy and slow our metabolism.

Ever been on a juice diet where you actually consume zero fiber? Point: You do not get constipated from lack of roughage in your diet, you get constipated when you eat things your system cannot digest properly - i.e. most conventional casein a1 milk products and gluten (if this does not match your genotype).

(White) rice is one of the least allergenic foods there is on the grain side, and it is especially great as part of your diet for people low on serotonin as they need some quicker carbs to help boost insulin so that it can transport competing aminos out of the blood stream to the muscles, leaving the larger molecule tryptophan (precursor of serotonin) free to enter the brain-blood barrier.

Note: Also why a strict vegan or high protein diet is a disaster for people with low serotonin - first diet does not contain the building blocks for serotonin, and the second contains too many competitors so tryptophan will never be converted into brain-serotonin - and that's why some people experience crazy carb cravings on the Atkins diet (only those low on serotonin)!

..And is there anything more comforting 

than eating a bowl of steaming hot 

Indian spiced basmati rice glistening 

with pasture butter. And then we can get into 

the whole discussion of why saturated fats 

are not all created equal etc. - that's for another post!

Bottomline: You are what you absorb - so eat your rice WHITE like the Asians do!
I recommend the long-grain variety as they are slightly more nutritious.

If you want a great easy-read on why white rice is better (yesyes, I know you're almost suffocating there on your coffee reading this, admittedly it took me some time to get comfortable enough to finally put this down in writing even), then I recommend you grab the book by Jason Bussell  MSOM, Licensed Acupuncturist, The Asian Diet: Simple secrets for eating right, losing weight, and being well.
Mind you, this book is not a magic key per se, and admittedly I'd have preferred some more brain chemistry explanations and insights to be included, as this is always a pet-peeve of mine when determining if something is worth it - that said, it is still great on getting insight on why white rice indeed is better than brown from a gut-perspective!

And if switching from brown to white makes all your alarms go off due to the glycemic index, then read my case for why the gi index is a useless tool.

References:

Pharm Dev Technol. 2010 Sep-Oct;15(5):526-31.
Gastro-intestinal sustained release of phytic acid by molecularly imprinted microparticles.
Cirillo G, Curcio M, Parisi OI, Puoci F, Iemma F, Spizzirri UG, Picci N

Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009 Dec;60(8):688-93.
Iron absorption from brown rice/brown rice-based meal and milled rice/milled rice-based meal.
Trinidad TP, Mallillin AC, Sagum RS, Briones DP, Encabo RR, Juliano BO

Dig Dis Sci. 1990 Oct;35(10):1205-10.
Drug-induced esophageal injury. Histopathological study in a rabbit model.
Brewer AR, Smyrk TC, Bailey RT Jr, Bonavina L, Eypasch EP, Demeester TR

Drug Saf. 2000 Mar;22(3):237-49.
Drug-induced oesophageal disorders: pathogenesis, incidence, prevention and management.
Jaspersen D

Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2010 Apr;24(2):91-7.
Adverse effects of drugs on the esophagus.
Tutuian R; Clinical Lead Outpatient Services and Gastrointestinal Function Laboratory

Gastroenterol Clin Biol. 2004 Apr;28 Spec No 3:C58-61.
[Esophageal complications of non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs].
Bigard MA, Pelletier AL

Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2004;18 Suppl:73-81.
Aging and upper gastrointestinal disorders.
Pilotto A

Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2012 Jan 31. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2011.01872.x. [Epub ahead of print]
Life style in persons with functional gastrointestinal disorders - large-scale internet survey of lifestyle in Japan.
Miwa H

BMC Gastroenterol. 2008 Sep 23;8:43.
The clinical overlap between functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome based on Rome III criteria.
Wang A, Liao X, Xiong L, Peng S, Xiao Y, Liu S, Hu P, Chen M

Flawed Food Al!ergy Testing!

Most allergy testing labs limit what they measure. They typically only look at one or two types of antibodies or immunoglobulins.  Humans make five different types of antibodies, but also have other types of chemical reactions to allergens. The diagram below illustrates the comprehensive delayed allergy response.

When doctors look for gluten sensitivity, they typically only measure IgG response to the gluten protein gliadin (and gliadin is only one of thousands of different glutens).  It is widely known amongst those with a background in biochemistry and/or nutrigenomics that this type of food allergy testing is extremely flawed when it comes to measuring whether the individual has a problem with gluten. I cannot stress the importance enough of working cross disciplinary when it comes to your health.

If you only see a specialist they will not be able to connect the dots, but will be lost in symptom management - getting you nowhere but addicted to that specific prescribed symptom manager for the rest of your life!

If you have been tested for allergies, and you still aren’t seeing your health improve, you will want to consider a more accurate and more comprehensive test. At your initial appointment with The Nutrition Doctor you will be prescribed the appropriate tests that will reveal what is really causing your discomfort in order to enable us to put together your unique treatment protocol based on your genotype and biochemistry imbalances.

A new online medical consultation client service will be launching here January 2012. Meanwhile you can sign up for your first biochemistry typing appointment.

Food allergies: The underlying cause of food addiction?

Research has shown that ingesting compounds that we are unable to fully digest promotes opioid in the brain - this is not news under the sun and is backed by solid peer reviewed studies - thus it is not surprising that many with celiac disease (prior to diagnosis and abstaining from gluten - in addition to needing to stay away from casein a1 as this is biochemically similar in structure) often binge and describe their relationship with bread and cow's milk (casein a1; exception being milk from Guernsay cows as this is a2 casein - as is goat's and buffalo's milk) as " addictive" (food addiction as defined by the Yale Food Addiction Scale).

Considering the increasing rate of eating disorders both amongst females and males in all age groups, it is key as a health care practitioner to be aware of biochemically triggering compounds based on each individual client's genetic make-up, in addition to psychological aspects that need treatment via CBT. When the biology is stable, emotional aspects and psychological blockers become clear and can thus better be treated as that.

Join The Nutrition Doctor's group here to follow the discussion.

Reference:

Teschemacher H. Opioid receptors ligands derived from food proteins. Curr Pharm Des. 2003;9(16):1331-44.

Depression based on malabsorption

"... [A]n increasing number of clinical studies have shown that treating gastrointestinal inflammations with probiotics, vitamin B, D and omega 3 fatty acids, through attenuating proinflammatory stimuli to brain, may also improve depression symptoms and quality of life.
All these findings justify an assumption that treating gastrointestinal inflammations may improve the efficacy of the currently used treatment modalities of depression and related diseases."

Understanding how brain chemistry comes into play when treating depression should come as no surprise. However, as 95% of serotonin (the hormone that regulates our mood, sleep and is connected to various types of addictions) is found in our gut, the need to first explore malabsorption issues becomes evident.

We have long focused on simply adding in more nutrients that synergistically work to rebuild stable brain-serotonin levels - but if you are suffering from inflamed GI, you will not be able to absorb many of these valuable nutrients, before your GI is fully healed. The Nutrition Doctor works by having your brain chemistry analyzed, getting tested for food allergies in addition to having genetic screening done - many show up with celiac disease which explains the inflamed GI and lack of nutrient absorption, and thus depression-related symptoms.



Depression needs to be addressed from a genetic,
brain chemistry and behavioral level!

Your depression is simply a biochemical imbalance! And in order to recover you MUST have an assessment done to explore your metabolic type and what is causing your depression on a biochemical and genetic level.

Contact The Nutrition Doctor for more info and to make your appointment!


Reference: Fehér J. et al. Role of gastrointestinal inflammations in the development and treatment of depression. Orv Hetil. 2011 Sep 11;152(37):1477-85.