Gluten Allergy in Mothers Increases Risk of Schizophrenia / Psychiatric Disorders in Offspring

Are your Children at Risk?

Study Links Women's Gluten-Sensitivity During Pregnancy to Psychiatric Disorders in Children

I just finished reading about a rather concerning study from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Johns Hopkins University (United States). We all know that there is a genetic component of Celiac Disease and heritability implications, but this new study goes beyond examining whether your offspring may end up with a gluten-sensitivity alone, and looks into the potential implications for lifelong mental-health in the offspring of women who are gluten-sensitive.

I would argue that the sample-group size was rather limited, as it only involved 764 birth records (and neonatal blood samples collected) between 1975 and 1985 and the patient followup since then. But, this data is still significant enough to merit further study and attention.

Researchers were looking at both casein (cow's milk protein) and gliadin (a gluten component-protein), and found the concerning mental-health correlations only when a mother produced antibodies to gliadin (gluten). The neonatal blood samples collected decades ago allowed researchers to determine whether a newborn had elevated IgG antibody levels at birth (thus, indicatating an immune response to gliadin proteins in the mother, since the mother's antibodies during pregnancy are essentially "shared" with the baby).

Double the Risk

This is the first study to point to maternal food sensitivity as a potential trigger for non-affective psychoses, and other psychiatric disorders later in life for their offspring. "Non-affective psychoses" refer to psychoses not related to emotions or moods (e.g., schizophrenia and delusional disorders) as opposed to affective psychoses (e.g., bipolar disorder, which does involve mood/emotion abnormalities).

211 of the children in this study subsequently developed non-affective psychoses. This was about twice the incidence rate as the standard population:

The results of the study show that children born to mothers with abnormally high levels of antibodies to gliadin [gluten] had nearly twice the risk of developing non-affective psychosis later in life, compared with children who had normal levels of gliadin antibodies. The risk for psychosis was not increased among those with elevated levels of antibodies to casein [milk]. The link persisted even after researchers accounted for other factors known to increase schizophrenia risk, such as maternal age, gestational age, birth by Caesarean section, and birth weight.

Should you be Concerned?

That is a tough question. I found myself thinking about all the people I know with Celiac Disease or any other strong reaction to gluten (wheat, rye, barley) proteins, and then I though about how many were female and how many of them have children. Even in my small circle of friends, family, and acquaintances, I can count a LOT of children of women with gluten allergies.

I could not help but wonder: are some of these children going to suffer some mental disorders later in life because of a gluten-allergy their mothers had? Wow, that is just something nobody wants to see happen, yet the statistics from this particular study sure raise concerns.

I do think follow-up studies will be important, and larger study-populations should be helpful too. The doctors running this study clearly feel the same way:

"There are studies in the past that show that people diagnosed with schizophrenia more often than others are suffering from various forms of immune responses to gluten. We will now conduct follow-up studies to clarify how gluten or sensitivity to it increases schizophrenia risk and whether it does so only in those genetically predisposed,"

I am looking forward to any further studies that shed more light on the details of the causal relationship between gluten allergies in women and the mental health of their children throughout life. This is certainly an important topic to any of us that come from bloodlines with gluten-sensitivity (especially on the mother's side of the family tree).

There are just tons of questions that come to mind that will hopefully be answered in the future. I think of things like: what about mothers that have kids prior to developing Celiac (i.e., I wonder if in their pre-Celiac-diagnosis years if they still had increased antibodies to gliadin without knowing), etc.  I also wonder if women with Celiac, but on a very strict gluten-free diet, still have enough antibodies present in their blood to still impart potentially negative inputs into their child during formation.  Many questions like this run through my head...

The study will be published in the June issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, and the summary I refer to was available here on Science Daily.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available

Dominos Gluten Free Pizza Option : Not for Celiac Disease Sufferers

Domino's Pizza Announces "Gluten-Free" Pizza Option

But, "Gluten-Free" is a Bit Subjective...

My wife just sent me a link to a business article about how the major national pizza chain Domino's Pizza has just announced the availability of a "gluten-free" pizza crust option. There is a reason I keep putting "gluten-free" in quotes like this... and, the reason is due to the following quoted text from the announcement (note my bold and orange highlights):

The country's largest pizza-delivery chain worked with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness to develop a crust that people who suffer from mild gluten intolerance can eat.

"Safe" for Celiac Disease Sufferers or Not?

OK, I love pizza. But, the part of that announcement qualifying this pizza as safe for those with "mild gluten intolerance" immediately removed any chance that *I* will be trying this pizza. My sensitivity to gluten is anything but mild, and I cannot afford to take any chance that I will be consuming something that contains enough gluten to cause a reaction.  But, this pizza is good news for many GF folks.

Dominoes Understands the Severity of Celiac Disease and Advises Persons with Celiac to Avoid

Further text quoted from the original article makes it quite clear that Domino's Pizza recognizes the limitations of their "gluten-free" pizza and its (lack of) suitability to Celiac Disease patients and highly-sensitive portions of the gluten-free community:

Domino's gluten-free pizza, which is available in the small, 10-inch size only, will cost a few bucks more than the regular crust. (It's more expensive to produce gluten-free baked goods than their conventional counterparts.)

Domino's cautions that its new pie isn't for anyone with severe gluten intolerance, otherwise known as celiac disease. Since the gluten-free pizzas will be prepared and baked in kitchens that also cook standard pizzas, people whose symptoms are triggered by cross-contamination should steer clear.

I am very glad Domino's Pizza is offering such a menu option for all the people that are simply trying to reduce the amount of gluten in their diet or have an otherwise mild allergy to gluten (and grains containing it: wheat, rye, barley).  It would of course be nice if there was a way to ensure the product was truly 100% gluten-free and safe for all the gluten-free diet crowd, including highly-sensitive Celiac Disease sufferers. Then again, when baking a "gluten-free" pizza at a business location that churns out millions of regular (i.e., wheat-flour-based) pizzas, it seems like it would be very difficult (if not impossible) to prevent some potential unintentional cross-contamination.

No matter what, I definitely applaud Dominos and other businesses for recognizing the gluten-free market and accommodating this diet in some fashion. It is perhaps mostly about economics for them, given the statement that "as many as 8 percent of Americans have cut gluten [...] out of their diets. [...and...] gluten-free foods has grown to a $6.2 billion market". No matter what the reasons for the new gluten-free pizza offering, it's a good thing to have more options out there in the market. I sure hope it tastes good (even though I will personally not be trying it).

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site (including some great Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipes) where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available

Chocolate Diet : Eat Chocolate, Stay Thin

Eat Chocolate to Lower Fat / BMI

More reasons to include chocolate in your gluten-free diet

I love chocolate! And when I read about the health benefits of including chocolate in my gluten-free diet, I can enjoy this delicious treat even more. The latest scientific study results that caught my attention were about how people who frequently ate chocolate had a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who did not. As always, exercise also helps with this outcome, but the contribution that dietary chocolate made to the BMI results is quite nice.

This research (published in the March 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine) comes from a study that enrolled more than 1000 healthy men and women, average age of 57 years (with no pre-existing heart disease, diabetes or cholesterol problems), to measure the effects of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, while a second study simultaneously assessed how often participants consumed chocolate.

The chocolate-consumption portion of the study showed that the typical participant consumed chocolate an average of twice weekly while exercising approximately 3.5 times per week. But, the interesting part is how those that consumed chocolate more frequently had lower BMI numbers. Perhaps this is my secret to staying thin? I exercise vigorously at least 3 days/week (weights, resistance-training) and try to walk, bike, hike or such on other days; and, I eat chocolate (or cocoa) nearly every day. I realize that my own results do not comprise a "scientific study", but it is working for me, which is great given my love of chocolate!

The first question about chocolate diet results is usually: what makes it work? Generally most research points to the abundance of antioxidants and flavanols and other compounds in chocolate that may promote weight loss. And, cocoa has caffeine in it as well as theobromine — a related, though slightly weaker, alkaloid that can act as both a stimulant and a vasodilator — perhaps those help as well. Whatever the root-cause for its diet assistance, the fact that cocoa-products taste fantastic are what matters most to me :)

Related Studies Promoting Health-Benefits of Chocolate

This is just one of many studies over the years showing scientific evidence that cocoa / chocolate (especially dark-chocolate) is beneficial to our health. And, this is just a few weeks after another (semi-related) study showed that eating chocolate and dessert items with breakfast helped people lose more weight. Chocolate remains the constant factor in many of these studies (accompanied by exercise, of course), and surely merits attention by anyone that is looking for beneficial diet items to include in their weight-loss plans.

I personally need no further incentive: I will continue to consume cocoa and/or chocolate along with my gluten-free diet and workout plans!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available

Gluten-Free Diet Improves Autism Symptoms

Gluten-Free Casein-Free Diet Improves Autism Symptoms in Children

Autism Researchers Examine Link to Allergies — Gluten and Casein in Particular

For those readers that are looking to a gluten-free diet in hopes of improving the symptoms of autism, new research from Penn State College of Medicine is lending some scientific basis to what many suspect: that a gluten-free and casein-free diet may lead to improvements in behavior and physiological symptoms in some children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

As noted in their findings, "...autism may be more than a neurological disease -- it may involve the GI tract and the immune system." And, "Gluten and casein seem to be the most immunoreactive [allergens]", and were therefore the allergens chosen for further examination by this study.

Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, or Both: Which Diet Is Best for Autism?

Having followed this discussion for years, I have been looking forward to more in-depth scientific research on the subject. This particular Penn State study relied on information provided by 387 parents / primary-caregivers about their autistic children; a 90-item online survey on "GI symptoms, food allergy diagnoses, and suspected food sensitivities, as well as their children's degree of adherence to a gluten-free, casein-free diet"..

The study results did seem to indicate that the combination of gluten-free and casein-free works best:

"According to the researchers, some of the parents who filled out the surveys had eliminated only gluten or only casein from their children's diets, but survey results suggested that parents who completely eliminated both gluten and casein from their child's diet reported the most benefit."

The full results appeared online this month in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.  But, i

But, I am glad the researchers also hinted at the following fact, since I consider the results a bit subjective even as they are quite valuable for spotting commonality and trends:

"While more rigorous research is needed, our findings suggest that a gluten-free, casein-free diet might be beneficial for some children on the autism spectrum," Pennesi said. "It is also possible that there are other proteins, such as soy, that are problematic for these children."

That is something to keep in mind. Although the results indicate that improvements were seen in GFCF diets, this study is not concluding that gluten and/or casein are the cause of autism or something that, if completely removed from the diet, will cure autism. Autism is a complex condition, and this is just one piece of the puzzle.  What the study definitely suggests, per the aggregate subjective feedback provided by parents of autistic children, is that a gluten-free/casein-free diet may help some children with autism improve their symptoms.

Remove Gluten and Casein to Improve Autism?

So, if you have a child with autism, should you move them to a gluten-free, casein-free diet? The researchers offered the following advice regarding this:

"If parents are going to try a gluten-free, casein-free diet with their children, they really need to stick to it in order to receive the possible benefits," she said. "It might give parents an opportunity to talk with their physicians about starting a gluten-free, casein-free diet with their children with ASD."

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, science-articles, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are availabl

Chocolate Cake Diet to Lose Weight?

Eat Desserts with Breakfast to Lose More Weight

Finally, a Diet Plan I can get Into!

Since I am such a fan of Desserts, I was absolutely intrigued by a recent article about some Tel Aviv University research that found "dessert, as part of a balanced 600-calorie breakfast that also includes proteins and carbohydrates, can help dieters to lose more weight — and keep it off in the long run." Now, that is something you don't see diets pushing every day!

The goal of the research was to determine whether meal time and composition impacted weight loss (both short term and long term) or if calorie count was the main factor. The findings were fascinating. Over a 32-week long dietary study, 193 clinically obese non-diabetic adult participants were placed in a group that either added dessert items to their breakfast (e.g., cookies, cakes, chocolate, etc) or not; both groups consumed the same total calories per day. The group that consumed dessert with breakfast lost an average of 40 pounds more than the group of participants that avoided those items. Even more amazing is how the group consuming desserts with their breakfast managed to keep those pounds off longer.

Wow! It almost sounds counter-intuitive, but, the researches offer the following explanations:

"They key is to indulge in the morning, when the body's metabolism is at its most active and we are better able to work off the extra calories throughout the day, say Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz, Dr. Julio Wainstein and Dr. Mona Boaz of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Diabetes Unit at Wolfson Medical Center, and Prof. Oren Froy of Hebrew University Jerusalem. Attempting to avoid sweets entirely can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long-term, explains Prof. Jakubowicz. Adding dessert items to breakfast can control cravings throughout the rest of the day."

I'm Sold! Bring on the Desserts with Breakfast.

I am probably not the only one that will find the prospects of Gluten-Free Desserts with my breakfast to be an enticing one. In fact, I will admit that I have always tended to consume most of my "desserts" early in the day, and I actually consider my homemade gluten-free pancakes to be almost-dessert ("cake" is in the name for a reason).  And, though I cannot guarantee results for anyone else, my own weight is well within the "normal" range (note: I do exercise regularly also, which certainly helps and should go along with any diet).  Now, there is a bit more to this research report that is worth mentioning...

Calories were rather limited for the participants, even as they had dessert with their breakfast.  Men were limited to 1600 calories per day and women had a 1400 calorie allotment.  That is definitely less that what I consume on a typical day, but I am also not trying to lose substantial amounts of weight.  The makeup of the breakfasts were either a 300-calorie low-carb diet version for the "no dessert" group and a 600-calorie high-protein and carbs diet (always including desserts like chocolate, etc).  But, total daily calories remained the same (i.e., the dessert-breakfast group had to consume 300 calories less during lunch/dinner).

Interestingly, the weight-loss results were essentially a "tie" at the mid-point of the study period, with both groups losing 33# on average.  But, in the coming weeks, the low-carb (no dessert) group regained 22# on average while the group eating desserts with breakfast lost another 15# on average.  The long-term results greatly favored the cake and chocolate eaters!

The researchers offered more insight into why things turned out this way:

"One of the biggest challenges that people face is keeping weight off in the long-term, says Prof. Jakubowicz. Ingesting a higher proportion of our daily calories at breakfast makes sense. It's not only good for body function, but it also alleviates cravings. 

Highly restrictive diets that forbid desserts and carbohydrates are initially effective, but often cause dieters to stray from their food plans as a result of withdrawal-like symptoms. They wind up regaining much of the weight they lost during the diet proper. Though they consumed the same daily amount of calories, "the participants in the low carbohydrate diet group had less satisfaction, and felt that they were not full," she says, noting that their cravings for sugars and carbohydrates were more intense and eventually caused them to cheat on the diet plan. "But the group that consumed a bigger breakfast, including dessert, experienced few if any cravings for these foods later in the day." Ultimately, this shows that a diet must be realistic to be adopted as part of a new lifestyle. Curbing cravings is better than deprivation for weight loss success, Prof. Jakubowicz concludes.

I agree.  Do you?  I base my agreement on the fact I can feel those cravings more on days where I don't include some "treats" (delicious carbs) with my breakfast.

Diet Plan: Eat Desserts for Breakfast

These results are certainly worth of hands-on research!  I don't know if I can afford to lose any weight per se, but I do know that when I get my tasty carbs early in the day that I experience the effect mentioned in the study: I crave carbs less later in the day. As such, I am looking at this latest information as confirmation that my current habits have at least some scientific backing now, and I will continue to enjoy my Gluten-Free Desserts with my breakfast.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are availabl

Kettle Cuisine Gluten-Free Thai Curry Chicken Soup Review

Gluten-Free Soup Review

Delicious Thai Curry Soup from Kettle Cuisine

Image from Kettle Cuisine's web site

I have reviewed Kettle Cuisine soup in the past here on the Gluten-Free Blog, and found their products to be consistently high-quality and worthy of recommendation. I always intended to post additional reviews of the various Kettle Cuisine soups  — having only taken time to formally review the fantastic Chicken Noodle variety thus far — since I also really enjoy the New England Clam Chowder and some other varieties.  And, I just had to finally make time to review another delicious variety I just came across: the Kettle Cuisine Thai-Curry Chicken Soup.

This soup is really, really good!  My wife and I both tried this for the first time recently, and we were absolutely amazed it was a "prepared" product.  We both commented that if we had been served this soup at a restaurant, we would have enjoyed it and never suspected it came out of the freezer!  And, that is saying something, since we both enjoy a variety of Asian / Thai cuisine.

Here is how Kettle Cuisine describes this wonderful Gluten-Free Thai-Curry Chicken soup:

All natural chicken, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, bell peppers and brown rice are combined with aromatic green curry, lemongrass and coconut milk in our made-from-scratch chicken stock to create a perfect balance of authentic Southeast Asian flavors.

I think the description is accurate, as I believe they really managed to come up with a near-perfect balance of flavors.  I could distinctly detect the lemongrass in among the curry spices and the coconut-infused base, and the synergistic flavors were quite pleasing.  My only complaint (not at all specific to this product) is that I wish the sodium-levels were reduced some (vs. the current 560mg/bowl), but I also understand why the salt is there and how it will help the flavor-appeal for many consumers  — we just happen to be oddballs that do not add salt to most things we cook.

I found the soup enjoyable and will eat it again... a little added salt will not keep me away from this, and certainly makes up for the preparation simplicity! The product comes in a 10-oz frozen container that you simply microwave for 3-4 minutes (time may vary a bit depending on your microwave); no thawing is required... you just take it from your freezer (where it has a nice, long shelf-life/freezer-life of a year or just over), place it in the microwave, and heat.

Delicious Soup, in a Hurry...

Bottom line: I can recommend this soup since it is a high-quality gluten-free product.  As with any product, personal preferences may vary, but I feel pretty comfortable thinking this soup will appeal to anyone that enjoys Southeast Asian inspired flavors and cuisine. It was delightful!  And, it just happens to be gluten-free! The soup happens to be dairy-free also, if that is a concern.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available for free.

Kaia Foods Coupon: Gluten-Free Granola Review too

Kaia Foods 20%-OFF Coupon / Discount-Code!

Great Gluten-Free Sprouted Granola and more!

I came across the fantastic Kaia foods granola products at our local Whole Foods store recently, and I really enjoyed the fact that they are a hearty 100% Raw, Certified Organic, Certified Gluten-Free, Vegan, Sprouted and dehydrated (not baked) high-quality and nutritious granola.  This is by no means average granola, but instead it is a robust premium blend of completely raw ingredients that comes together to form a tasty treat with excellent texture.

I especially enjoyed the "Cocoa Bliss" variety (pictured above) which features sprouted buckwheat*, agave nectar*, raisins*, flax seeds*, sprouted sunflower seeds*, cacao powder*, sprouted pumpkin seeds*, sprouted walnuts*, dried coconut*, vanilla extract*, and sea salt. (*organic)

When reading the ingredient list, I has some questions about the sprouted walnuts and contacted Kaia foods for more detail.  I was particularly curious as to how they acquired sprouted walnuts as I had never seen such a thing.  Here is a quoted response from Kaia foods about this ingredient and their current plans for further improving on a great product:

We do have sprouted walnuts listed on our packaging when in fact they are soaked outside of their shells, but not soaked to the point where they form sprouts. We found that soaking our walnuts cuts down on the harsh acid that they release that can cause soars on the roofs of our mouths. The soaked walnuts also make for a creamier bite. Just so you know, we are in the process of revamping our recipes and we are actually removing all of the walnuts from our recipes. We found that the overall package stays fresher, longer, without the walnuts. So please stay tuned for our new and improved Cocoa Bliss flavor, we hope that you enjoy it.

Well, that was neat to hear about.  I definitely like the current formulation and I expect their next iteration will be equally tasty (not sure what they plan to replace the walnuts with, but hopefully something that complements the other ingredients nicely as the walnuts currently do).

The Kaia Foods 20%-OFF Discount for an entire year!

When I inquired about their Coco Bliss granola, Kaia foods was nice enough to not only explain their ingredients and manufacturing process, but they also were kind enough to offer me a Coupon-Code for 20% off all their products for all my Gluten-Free Blog readers.  You can get this discount when you shop on their online store (which I have done and confirmed this coupon-code works fine), and during the checkout process there is a field for entering the following coupon code:

GLUTENFREEBLOG

The Kaia foods web-store can be found here: http://shop.kaiafoods.com/

This is a great deal, and this coupon-code should be in effect til approximately December, 2012!  I can get the various Kaia granola, cookies, and snack foods now via their online web store for a better price than I recently purchased a batch for at Whole Foods.  There is a $5.00 fixed-price shipping (per order) which is easily outweighed by this 20% discount (e.g., just purchasing 3 bags of granola at this sale price covers the shipping, and above that is all a bonus savings).

I ordered some of their other organic and raw-ingredient products and look forward to trying them and perhaps even posting more comments about them here.  They offer the following products:

• Buckwheat Granolas: Cocoa Bliss Buckwheat Granola, Cherry Pie  Buckwheat Granola, Date & Spice Buckwheat Granola, Raisin Cinnamon Buckwheat Granola,
• Alive and Radiant Cookies: including the "Raweo" cookies — these are what Oreo cookies should be! All  organic, gluten-free, vegan, and raw-ingredients!  It is about as healthy as you can get with a "cookie".  There are a few varieties: the Original Raweo Cookie and the Oh So Fudgie Raweo Cookie and even a Raweo Chai cookie.  Kaia foods cookies also include a Luscious Lemon Swirl variety and a Contrast Cookie.
• Alive & Radiant Kale Krunch and the Kaia Kale Chips: I have not tried these yet, but I do like toasted kale so I would bet I would like these.  I toast my kale in the oven and turn it into a light and crunchy snack, but you could never package such a delicate creation.  Kaia seems to have created some interesting snacks based around kale and other sprouted ingredients that sounds rather yummy; if anyone has tried these and wants to share comments, please do do.

I hope you are able to enjoy these products and especially make use of this wonderful Kaia foods discount for 2012!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available for free.