Study showing that non-celiac gluten intolerance is real

[Zizzle]

This article on celiac.com talks about an Australian study showing that non-celiac gluten intolerance is real.

http://www.celiac.com/articles/22430/1/ ... Page1.html

For their study, a team of researchers led by Peter Gibson, professor of medicine at Eastern Health Clinical School at Monash University in Australia, recruited 34 people with irritable bowel syndrome, but who were clinically proven to be free of celiac disease. All participants had previously benefited from a gluten-free diet.

The 34 volunteers were all fed bread and muffins, half of which contained gluten, half of which were gluten-free. Nearly 70 per cent of the volunteers who ate the gluten reported pain, bloating, toilet problems and extreme tiredness.

...

In no cases did gluten-consumption trigger anti-gliadin antibodies. Moreover, there where were no significant changes in fecal lactoferrin, levels of celiac antibodies, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, or intestinal permeability. There were no differences in any end point in individuals with the DQ2/DQ8 and those without.

[irisheyes13]

Interesting reading.

It was important for the team to exclude celiac disease for several reasons, including the fact that although it was safe to use gluten to test people who may have an intolerance, it could harm people with celiac disease.

How did they know it was safe to use gluten on people who have any intolerance?

Gibson calls the general lack of research into gluten intolerance "almost unbelievable." He plans to now investigate the prevalence of non-celiac gluten intolerance, why it occurs and whether low levels of gluten can be eaten safely.

Cudos Dr. Gibson.

[MBombardier]

Good question, Kelly.

[tex]

How did they know it was safe to use gluten on people who have any intolerance?

The sad answer, of course, is, "They don't know." They simply chose to presume to know.

I find the following quote hard to believe - I suspect that they selectively picked the subjects to include in the study, in order to get the results that they wanted, (that may be why there were so few subjects in the study).

In no cases did gluten-consumption trigger anti-gliadin antibodies. Moreover, there where were no significant changes in fecal lactoferrin, levels of celiac antibodies, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, or intestinal permeability. There were no differences in any end point in individuals with the DQ2/DQ8 and those without.

Tex