Gluten, which is found in wheat, may exacerbate Parkinson's-related symptoms in some patients. A brain scan was done on the man that showed abnormalities that were consistent with lower levels of dopamine production, which when combined with the clinical data, led the doctor to diagnose him with PD.
The case study involves a major recovery of a patient thought to have PD who, after a three month gluten-free diet, had an almost complete elimination of symptoms.
Avoiding grains is kinda the basis for ketogenic diets. Grains contain gluten so gluten is now the bad actor. I read a lot about what causes PD. And I'll respond that this or that doesn't help me. So avoiding gluten doesn't help me. And ketogenic diets don't help me. But if PD is affecting my cognition how can I be sure whether other modalities are not involved?
Thanks for sharing!
Wish it were this easy: cut gluten and everything would be alright.
Did not happen: the first thing we cut out of my spouse’s diet on diagnosis was gluten. Made my gluten free bread for six months. Not easy to eat ‘cardboard bread’. Yes, it was that bad as I learned how to make gluten free bread.
So we switched back and now use whole grains mixture – Wheat/Rye/Spelt.
We have however – out of an abundance of caution – kept the bread consumption low: one slice per day.
Casey, I learn from you which of course I am grateful for. But it’s your dedication as a husband that I appreciate the most. ❤️ You are an example to follow.
Wheat/rye/barley may not be enough. All grains technically contain gluten (rice, oats, corn etc) - just different branches of the gluten family. I've had success in reducing or eliminating many symptoms after dietary changes such as going grain-free.
There is no gluten in rice
There is also no gluten in corn or oats..
There is gluten in both corn (maize) and oats, but very often those who are sensitive to wheat gluten are not sensitive to maize or oats gluten
The point being made here is that my spouse does not have a problem with gluten.
So yes Wheat/Rye/Spelt are all gluten grains. But I do understand it can be troublesome even to those who do not show glow gluten sensitivity, so we minimize its use.
I was gluten sensitive and elected to get tested for celiac but the intestinal biopsy surprisingly showed negative to be defined a true celiac years ago. Now we know you don’t need to be tested as a celiac to show gluten sensitivity. My removing all known gluten did not help but eventually going whole/organic and avoiding glyphosate (including filtered water) did help tremendously. Now I eat sprouted whole organic grains of all varieties and have zero food intolerance and all my gut issues resolved. I believe eating sprouted grains helps my gut microbiome and feeds the beneficial bacteria strains to keep in optimal balance for butyrate/SCFA and essential minerals. Even Dr. Mischley’s data shows positive correlation for whole grain consumption for PWP for better long term outlook. briangrant.org/wp-content/u...
I doubt Mischley has looked at a grain free diet where grains are substituted with prebiotic plant foods. Whole grains is often indicative of someone making an effort to mark good choices which is indicative of other good choices but does not mean the whole grains are necessarily good.
Have you seen Dr. Kara Fitzgeralds trial ?
"Whole grains is often indicative of someone making an effort to mark good choices which is indicative of other good choices "
- I basically agree, especially with her trend data analysis.
However, you do need to remember the true guts of the nutritional issues come down to maintaining the optimal "balance." Gluten isn't "bad" in essence but when you eat loaves of pastries and bread to feed more pathogenic gut bacteria, hurt gut junctions, and cause nutritional deficiencies, it becomes a big problem. Iron is absolutely essential (especially for low BP and anemics) but bad at higher levels. Boron is also toxic at high levels but we know most people are deficient nowadays with depleted soils causing problems with mineral homeostasis, etc. It's all comes down to balance and addressing deficiencies.
I don't know about Dr. Kara Fitzgeralds trial? I know she's a proponent of the ketogenic diet, but at the same even she even admits she doesn't discount the validity Blue Zone diets for true longevity.
She refers to her recommended diet as the “Methylation Diet.”
Regarding iron, given the extreme importance of it but the fact that the PD brain has a disproportionate amount of it, I’m endeavoring to determine how much and what sources.
I’ve added chia seeds to my diet in part for the iron. Now it’s a matter of which type of chia seeds. What’s your preference?
My kids munch on sprouted grains. Yum yum! 😊
I'll watch the above video later (long cc!). Check out the below at around 30:28 for a few minutes leading up to the finite period of the anti-inflammatory keto-leaning diet used and then transitioning to the blue zone diet reintroducing grains and legumes.
Iron is a double-edged sword for sure with altered metabolism and compromized detox pathway, but you can't risk being deficient in it either since the deficiency is also associated with increased risk for PD and negative outcomes. For a while, I was eating my breakfast with coffee (which interferes with iron absorption) and dinner with tea (which also blocks iron absorption) and I had a hell of a time with an undetected iron deficiency and anemia. If your hands and feet get very cold while eating, suspect problem.
The best choice for addressing the deficiency is probably organic liver and I also supplement with organic pumpkin, sesame, and flax seeds since spirulina is out for possible BMAA contamination. You can buy organic liver supplements online and see if that helps because it's almost impossible to find a good source for organic liver at grocery stores. I got by with calf liver out of desperation as it's a good source of heme iron best for absorption and other supportive essential nutrients. Organ meats are nutritional powerhouses.
While concurring with rescuema here is another view point.
Humans have existed on grain diets for eons. Agriculture with grain as a central crop is what made large complex cities - civilization - possible. (Hope I have not oversimplified to the point of distortion.)
So there must be something wrong with modern grain to cause all these problems. It may well be the glycophosphate, our bio-engineering of wheat, or our preparation methods.
So these are the options (once one is not unduly sensitive to gluten)
[1] Opt for organic grains [avoid glycophosphate]
[2] Add some non-engineered strains - Spelt/Kamut/Rye
[3] Go for spouted grains [ a traditional preparation]
The Paleo people would have you go back to the hunter gather days. And that's fine - if you think it would solve your current food sensitivities. But the historical record indicate that nothing is wrong with grain. We would not be here - at this point in history - if grain was 'bad' as some claim.
As an addendum, for those who have compromised immune health and food sensitivities, a period of avoidance and shifting of microbiome balance is probably a great idea, meaning a measured period of fasting or ketogenic diet will help towards microbiome rebalancing and gut healing. You can then slowly reintroduce food items to the maximum variety & polyphenols for long-term maintenance and for your particular methylation needs, addressing deficiencies.
More on sprouted grains
I understand. Do you think the same applies to seeds like chia and flax? I’m hoping to at least reintroduce seeds
Indeed. The bread I make contain chia seeds and flax meal. You are always trying to maximize the nutritional content of the food you prepare.
According to many sources, rice has a gluten protein called orzenin composing ~5% of the total protein, as compared to ~70% for wheat.See here for example:glutenfreesociety.org/why-y...
Point well made
But its a bit of an Alice in Wonderland Humpty Dumpty point
Rather depending on your definition of gluten
I know a couple of true celiacs, and spent a long time dealing with dog nutrition (where gluten allergies are a common problem)
In both human cases, and all dog cases, rice did not cause a gluten reaction
All grains are not equal. Ancient wheat is genetically different from modern wheat which was crossed with grass.
Kamut wheat is a tetraploid grain, which means it has four pairs of chromosomes for a total of 28. Modern wheat is hexaploid, with six pairs totaling 42 chromosomes.
Modern hybridized wheat varieties came on the scene about 50 years ago. Wheat-x is not genetically modified (inserting foreign DNA) it is produced by crossbreeding.
The bigger problem is how wheat (and virtually all non-organic crops) are cultivated. They are sprayed with chemicals to terminate growth (burn down). This increases yield and uniformity and makes harvest more efficient. Roundup is non-selective, it kills everything that is not GM. The chemical is taken up by the roots and leaves and is systemic - you can't wash it off.
We had a small scale organic farm - the neighbors drift put us out of business.
SE
More glyphosate relevant discussion below including Dr. Hyman's podcast not to be missed. healthunlocked.com/cure-par...
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