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I have read where Tex explains why so many of us have to eliminate oats from our diet because of a similar protein(?) in the oats to a gluten protein(?).
I tested a +1 for oats on the Entrolab test, and I have also seen Tex mention that you can rotate +1 foods around every three days.
Does the +1 result for oats mean I could be ok having it occasionally, or does that test not allow for the fact that most with MC can't have oats at all because of the similar protein(?)?
Anybody know? :-)
+1 for oats results-Question
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Hi Karen,
I see that no one else has responded to our question, so I'll take a stab at it. Here are my thoughts:
A +1 result means that you are somewhat (but not highly) sensitive to oats. I have a hunch that a lot of us fall into that category. It took me 6 weeks of eating oats twice a week (once every 3 or 4 days, which is considered to be a rotation) before I began to react. By contrast, it would have taken 3 or 4 hours for me to react to my first gluten exposure. But once my reaction against oats began, it lasted for about 6 more weeks before it stopped, even though I stopped eating oats immediately at the first sign of a reaction. My reaction to a single gluten exposure only lasts for about a day or less.
Therefore, in my opinion, the rotation diet doesn't actually work, as claimed. It only slows down the onset of the reaction. If the rotation diet really worked, I would have been able to eat oats every 3 or 4 days without ever reacting. But here's another problem with the rotation diet:
Even if you don't have a reaction from the oats, eating it will guarantee the buildup of a low to medium background level of inflammation. That background inflammation is what makes our immune system super sensitive and ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. It makes us much more sensitive to everything else. If we happen to have an accidental gluten exposure, that background inflammation will often determine the difference between whether we have a short reaction or a full flare/relapse.
And last, but not least, since all autoimmune diseases are caused by chronic inflammation, it opens the door to a much higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases in the long term. Note that virtually all medical treatments are designed for immediate (short term) relief, usually at the expense of decreased long-term health. For example, the treatments that allergists use to induce tolerance of specific allergens by exposing the patient to trace amounts and then progressively increasing them, fall into this category.
But that's just my opinion.
Tex
I see that no one else has responded to our question, so I'll take a stab at it. Here are my thoughts:
A +1 result means that you are somewhat (but not highly) sensitive to oats. I have a hunch that a lot of us fall into that category. It took me 6 weeks of eating oats twice a week (once every 3 or 4 days, which is considered to be a rotation) before I began to react. By contrast, it would have taken 3 or 4 hours for me to react to my first gluten exposure. But once my reaction against oats began, it lasted for about 6 more weeks before it stopped, even though I stopped eating oats immediately at the first sign of a reaction. My reaction to a single gluten exposure only lasts for about a day or less.
Therefore, in my opinion, the rotation diet doesn't actually work, as claimed. It only slows down the onset of the reaction. If the rotation diet really worked, I would have been able to eat oats every 3 or 4 days without ever reacting. But here's another problem with the rotation diet:
Even if you don't have a reaction from the oats, eating it will guarantee the buildup of a low to medium background level of inflammation. That background inflammation is what makes our immune system super sensitive and ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. It makes us much more sensitive to everything else. If we happen to have an accidental gluten exposure, that background inflammation will often determine the difference between whether we have a short reaction or a full flare/relapse.
And last, but not least, since all autoimmune diseases are caused by chronic inflammation, it opens the door to a much higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases in the long term. Note that virtually all medical treatments are designed for immediate (short term) relief, usually at the expense of decreased long-term health. For example, the treatments that allergists use to induce tolerance of specific allergens by exposing the patient to trace amounts and then progressively increasing them, fall into this category.
But that's just my opinion.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Tex, thank you, as always for your thoughtful response!
Just to clarify, are you saying the rotation diet doesn't work just for oats or all +1 foods? I am also +1 for beef, pork and corn.
Also, while I have you ;-) , do you know if is there any test for gut inflammation that doesn't involve a colonoscopy?
Sorry I didn't respond yesterday, my dear beloved daughter(along with her husband and my granddaughter) is moving south and I'm helping out, something that, no doubt, isn't going to help me find remission.
Just to clarify, are you saying the rotation diet doesn't work just for oats or all +1 foods? I am also +1 for beef, pork and corn.
Also, while I have you ;-) , do you know if is there any test for gut inflammation that doesn't involve a colonoscopy?
Sorry I didn't respond yesterday, my dear beloved daughter(along with her husband and my granddaughter) is moving south and I'm helping out, something that, no doubt, isn't going to help me find remission.
Karen
That's a very good question. I probably should have worded my previous response a little differently, because actually I believe that the rotation diet will work for certain food sensitivities for many of us. The trick is to determine which foods we can tolerate that way, and which ones we can't tolerate. We have to determine that individually, because we're all different.Karen wrote:Just to clarify, are you saying the rotation diet doesn't work just for oats or all +1 foods? I am also +1 for beef, pork and corn.
Look at your overall score on the 11 other antigenic foods. If it's 11 or 12 you might be able to tolerate most +1 foods, especially if you rotate them. If that score is 20 or 30, or higher, you might not be able to tolerate any of them (even if you rotate them).
Virtually all of us react to oats (at least, in the long term). And because of that, I have a hunch that the rotation diet wouldn't work for oats, for any of us. It certainly didn't work for me.
I hope this clarifies my position somewhat.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Sorry, I forgot the inflammation question.
There's the old standby Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), or just Sed Rate test, but that test probably measures overall body inflammation level.
There's the C-reactive protein (CRP) test, which may be a little better for detecting inflammation.
The calprotectin test is probably the best for detecting inflammation associated with IBDs. It's usually used for Crohn's disease, I believe, but MC will sometimes show a test level over 100.
Your doctor should have an idea of whether any of these tests might be useful.
I doubt that any of them would be accurate enough to detect lower levels of inflammation.
Tex
There's the old standby Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), or just Sed Rate test, but that test probably measures overall body inflammation level.
There's the C-reactive protein (CRP) test, which may be a little better for detecting inflammation.
The calprotectin test is probably the best for detecting inflammation associated with IBDs. It's usually used for Crohn's disease, I believe, but MC will sometimes show a test level over 100.
Your doctor should have an idea of whether any of these tests might be useful.
I doubt that any of them would be accurate enough to detect lower levels of inflammation.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
My score was 10, so pretty low on the 11 other antigenic foods. I'm pretty sure that, although pork was a +1 for me that pork is not a food that really agrees with me..... I tested no reaction to tuna and found one with only extra virgin olive oil and salt added that is yummy, but I wonder (and will research) how often it is safe to eat tuna (mercury).
Thank you for the information about inflammation tests!
I haven't seen much from Gabes lately, I hope she is well.
Thank you for the information about inflammation tests!
I haven't seen much from Gabes lately, I hope she is well.
Karen
Personally, I'm not a tuna fan (I just don't much care for the taste or texture), but if it were really dangerous to eat, it shouldn't be legal to sell (but of course that doesn't make it safe).
Gabes hasen't responded to my last email.
Tex
Gabes hasen't responded to my last email.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I haven't heard from her since April. She was having health issues with an autoimmune disease (that she has mentioned on here before — not related to MC). She said that she was concerned, and she was waiting on biopsy results.
Tex
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.