Gluten and other grains, can cause a sensitivit... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

141,246 members166,490 posts

Gluten and other grains, can cause a sensitivity, that manifests as Autoimmune Disease and Mental Health disorders, Migraines and pain etc..

faith63 profile image
24 Replies

glutenfreesociety.org/sympt...

A number of research studies have linked gluten exposure to brain and neurological dysfunction. Some researchers believe that nerve damage caused by gluten is more common that celiac disease.

Written by
faith63 profile image
faith63
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
24 Replies
Marz profile image
Marz

I gave up gluten when I read Dr Datis Kharazian's Book - Why Isn't My Brain Working ? He mentions that gluten molecules can penetrate the blood brain barrier and cause inflammation in the brain. Now Angela Rippon forgot to mention that in her programme on TV :-)

Josiesmum profile image
Josiesmum in reply toMarz

Someone hold tell Angela Rippon that her fatty liver is probably caused by gluten as well.

lelin profile image
lelin in reply toJosiesmum

I am sure that her fatty liver is sugar related!!

hathi999 profile image
hathi999

Personally I think that is oversimplified but nevertheless correct. My personal opinion is that the sensitivity to gluten creates issues in our guts that mean we can't absorb B12 effectively from our food, lack of vitamin B12 causes a deficiency that leads to brain fog, nerve damage, I had dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) which is nerve damage of the esophagus, I blog about it here and how I cured myself difficulty-swallowing.com/s... completely with B12 supplements, and if you still don't get the B12 you need it can lead to dementia. I also think the gluten sensitivity runs in families, as I just have to look around me to see issues, as described in the link above, in the older generation that similarly come back to B12 deficiencies.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tohathi999

my b12 is fine..it is just one of many things gluten can do. My mom, was anemic since her 20's, lost 2 babies and developed full blown celiacs, the same year, died of intestinal lymphoma, a complication of celiac, in her 50's. Mainstream medicine, has me sitting and waiting to do the same thing. Going gluten free is not enough..cross reactive foods, dairy, oats, rice, corn, sesame etc.. maybe even nightshades too..it should go for 1-3 months, then, add it back, to see what you react too. our lives are at stake and mainstream medicine offers us nothing! We already have autoimmune thyroid and then some! What is next..cancer, ms?

hathi999 profile image
hathi999 in reply tofaith63

When you say your B12 is fine, are you aware that a blood serum B12 test isn't a good determining factor as to a deficiency? Here is part of an article by Chris Kresser below, it is quite interesting and although you may test 'normal' you may find that you are still deficient and I can't tell you strongly enough how much of a difference extra B12 can make in some peoples lives (like mine, I am a complete convert and now off ALL medications, except B12 supplements). Also Sally Pacholok R.N. is in the UK for a thyroid conference shortly, she is amazing and made this video difficulty-swallowing.com/r... Diagnosing and Treating B12 deficiency's. I too tested completely normal for B12, but I can't state strongly enough how I managed to get my life back just by introducing this little over the counter vitamin. But it is, of course, completely possible you don't have a deficiency at all, just with your description of your mother's issues as well as yours, and I know first hand how this deficiency runs in families, I thought I would share this just in case you are one of the many of us whose Doctor has said, 'no your B12 levels are fine' when in fact they aren't using a correct measure, not used by many doctors.

Why is B12 deficiency so under-diagnosed?

B12 deficiency is often missed for two reasons. First, it’s not routinely tested by most physicians. Second, the low end of the laboratory reference range is too low. This is why most studies underestimate true levels of deficiency. Many B12 deficient people have so-called “normal” levels of B12.

Yet it is well-established in the scientific literature that people with B12 levels between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL – levels considered “normal” in the U.S. – have clear B12 deficiency symptoms. Experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiency, like Sally Pacholok R.N. and Jeffery Stewart D.O., suggest treating all patients that are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL. They also recommend treating patients with normal B12, but elevated urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA), homocysteine and/or holotranscobalamin (other markers of B12 deficiency).

In Japan and Europe, the lower limit for B12 is between 500-550 pg/mL, the level associated with psychological and behavioral manifestations such as cognitive decline, dementia and memory loss. Some experts have speculated that the acceptance of higher levels as normal in Japan and the willingness to treat levels considered “normal” in the U.S. explain the low rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia in that country.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tohathi999

my b12 levels, in blood, were like 1200..way over range. I am not sure what else to do. i take high doses of b complex daily to hopefully help my metabolism. I have been scoped 3x in 10 years..my stool tests show good absorption of nutrients. if i ever go to a doctor again, i will have to ask for urine testing then? Right now, my main concern is growth hormone and cortisol and insulin resistance. I am on the 30 day autoimmune pale rest and have screwed up, because i am unable to digest any food currently, which is scarring me terribly. I am very brain foggy and weak. Good for you for being your own advocate!

I appreciate all of your time in your reply.

hathi999 profile image
hathi999 in reply tofaith63

Excellent with a B12 level that high you likely have the MTHFR gene mutation!!!

You can find yourself with high folate or high B12 i.e. your body will have problems converting inactive forms of folate and B12 to the active forms. So the inactive folate or B12 will simply build up in your blood serum, also inhibiting the active forms. Most serum folate tests are actually measuring folic acid, which needed to be converted to methylfolate to be used metabolically.

If you have been taking another form of B12 other than methylcobalamin your body won't be able to use it.

Here is a link to some further information but there are some great websites out there on the MTHFR gene mutation stopthethyroidmadness.com/m...

You will likely have to get yourself tested privately via 23andme or other gene testing centre. I would recommend looking to find if there is an integrated health professional near you that understands something of gene mutations, that part is going to be the hard bit, but the good news is that you will likely be able to heal really well with sublingual methyl B12, some metafolin (not folate) zinc and a couple of other things you can find some further info here...

This website knowyourgenetics.com/ offers suggestions on how to treat your defects.

***And here’s an excellent website to upload your 23andme raw data to if you can't find an integrated health professional or anyone who can read gene expression information because it tells you what supplements to take and/or avoid: nutrahacker.com/

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tohathi999

thanks for the info..

i take the sublingual methyl b12 and the regular, which is in my melting b complex. i have the folate too, but have not taken it in awhile. The doctor says i am on too many supplements. The functional medicine doctor, has not recommended the gene tests. i am many thousands of dollars in debt, with supps, tests and doctors..for 2 people right now. Don't see myself getting the gene mutation looked into any time soon... My son had it done and was negative, if that means anything.

hathi999 profile image
hathi999 in reply tofaith63

Was your son looking specifically at the MTHFR gene expression when he said he was negative? Or was he looking for Pernicious anaemia or something else? I'm not an expert but you should be able to load your son's test here geneticgenie.org/ for free and see if there are any gene mutations that show up. Or here and then get a list of supplements that are useful knowyourgenetics.com/ and which to avoid. His gene expression won't be the same as yours (obviously) and I could be wrong, but if the MTHFR mutation shows up in his result you have a strong suggestion on how to proceed without having to spend money on your own test. epigenetics is a totally new field and there are very few doctors or health professionals who know anything about it, but if you have come to the end of trying absolutely everything else it is at least one more thing you can look into, albeit often on your own. All the best.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tohathi999

thank you..

All i know is the tests for the gene said negative as a result..

all the best to you too

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tohathi999

also, i don't convert thyroid either, now, very inflamed and don't use my insulin..insulin resistance..i think it is about the missing cortisol and GH, at this point.

DonnyJam profile image
DonnyJam in reply tofaith63

I read somewhere a while back that even walking through the bakery section in the supermarket causes immune responses because the flower particles are in the air.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toDonnyJam

luckily, i am not that sensitive.but too ill to go to the grocery. I wish i felt well enough to try it!! lol!!

DonnyJam profile image
DonnyJam in reply tofaith63

I'd be interested to know if my antibodies have dropped since first going gluten free and the starting ldn but no doubt my doctor would say there's no need testing. In the same article it said that gluten is found in lots of skin and maybe hair products so sensitive people will probably find it near on impossible to avoid.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply toDonnyJam

the worst seems to be corn, actually..every single supplement that i have contains a corn ingredient..magnesium stearate, magnesium calcinate..all corn. They say to give up corn on the 30 day paleo reset for autoimmune. ldn, for me, is a very last resort, i stopped using it. It would mean a pill, again, for life and i would rather get rid of common food issues first, like grains, dairy ,nightshades and legumes.. for now, anyway and see what the issue is. i have leaky gut, as do all autoimmune sufferers and i am trying to heal my stomach.

linlow profile image
linlow

I had a friend who was totally crippled with arthritis who sought help from yorktest.com/ and had amazing results. It is pricey but worth every single penny she spent.

For me, I haven't a clue what triggered my 5 to 6 migraines a week, I never found out but I did totally cure them with dried feverfew. My osteoarthritis was different. I was about to book in to York Test myself when, by sheer chance, I identified that the trigger for that was animal flesh. Half a dozen influences came together at the same time culminating in my I stopping eating anything that breathed and the pain went away. I stayed stopped. Simples ;)

Dairy I am fine with. Gluten, I am not so sure. I had my first gluten for more than a month on both of the last 2 days and felt uncomfortable afterwards. However I don't know if that was the gluten or the food group (processed carbs). It is back to the fresh fruit, for me, I think.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tolinlow

i will look into the york tests. You most likely have leaky gut, because of the odd animal flesh issue. Heal the gut and go back to eating , mostly normally? So all you eat is fruit?

Too bad more aren't interest in natural healing.

linlow profile image
linlow in reply tofaith63

I possibly did at the time but there was very little information about that sort of thing then. Having said that, red meat is a known inflammatory. And with all the hormones, antibiotics and goodness knows what else they pump into animals to keep them alive long enough to get to the slaughter house, it is little wonder that folks have a bad reaction.

:) no the fruit thing was just a throwaway comment because that was what I was about to have for breakfast. To all intents and purposes I went ovo/lacto vegetarian but more the latter part than the former.

My interest in natural healing came on the back of frustration with the standard of medication I was being offered by my GP. They rarely worked, certainly not satisfactorily, and always caused more problems. My investigations led me to find that nature provided more powerful options if only you took the time to look.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tolinlow

no eggs and milk or yes, to eggs, milk and veg?

I am trying to do the 30 days paleo autoimmune reset diet and am failing due to stomach issues, which the diet, could ultimately help.

i am desperate, terribly depressed and have never been offered anything other than pills, by doctors. Diet has to be the way out, yet, i am unable to digest food, it just sits there, in a horrible 7 week flareup. Today, i am swelling again. Being unable to eat, i had to do liquid. My liquid nutrition shake..had org. rice sugar and soy, i ate dextrose corn, , in 2 supplements. My thyroid meds, have corn and lactose and i cannot get a prescription for anything else. I diod eat kosher dill pickles last night. Do you know which is most likely the cause of the swelling?

Thank you

faith63 profile image
faith63

That is true. The problem could be that they are not removing cross reactive foods, like corn, oats, rice and sesame and others. There are deadly illness that are very linked to gluten..it seems a person would try anything, since mainstream medicine does not address the immune system, except to make it weaker with suppressing drugs.

a person would have to look for infections, look for any hidden food allergies and sensitivities, which may show other things and repair their guts, which are leaky and it is found in all autoimmune disease.

i am at the point that i have to get my immune system well, because my family died young of autoimmune disease. Mainstream doctors are letting me sit and wait for it to happen. I don't want my son to go down that road. I can keep him from getting Hashimotos and reverse mine, with the functional med. approach..

here is a link that i hope you will read..

drhyman.com/blog/2015/07/24...

faith63 profile image
faith63

i am in the US, but i can say that izabella wentz website, has suggestions and so does the one i sent before... i ordered my own food sensitivities testing and saw the doctor for food allergy..the stool tests confirmed a leaky gut, which is present with all autoimmune disease. I have barely any good bacteria, but no yeast, infections or bugs. I ordered my own thyroid labs, often, without a prescription, which showed i didn't convert well.. a reverse t3. A person can do the 30 day autoimmune paleo reset diet to get a better result than food testing and save lots of money, plus it gives the immune system a rest. I would start there and it's free:

wellnessmama.com/22689/auto...

it is all such hard work, but there's just nothing else that a person can do. I think we have been taught to expect that there is a pill for everything,..certainly easy, but it isn't helping me to have a life. The immune system is ignored with mainstream medicine and it makes no sense. Our thyroids were/are fine, our immune systems are attacking it. This problem is never addressed and it makes no sense to me whatsoever.

linlow profile image
linlow in reply tofaith63

So very true and will continue to be so as long as Big Pharma continues to hold the power it does. Fortunately the internet is flaming the seeds of discontent that will, hopefully, fuel their demise.

Have you come across kefir at all as a cure for leaky gut? I can vouch for the fact that it is effective. christinebailey.co.uk/why-i... It is possibly the most powerful natural probiotic available, though the commercial varieties are not as potent as home-made. It has many other health benefits too. Because the kefir grains digest the milk proteins it is also well tolerated by all but the most severely lactose-intolerant.

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply tolinlow

i have tried making water kefir and failed each time, throwing it out. Have you had any luck with kombucha tea or tried making that?

i can barely stand thinking about big pharma and what they are doing to us..the deaths, the poison and the lies!! Criminal, but made perfectly legal, thanks to their big donations in all the right places.

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Research: Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity and Rheumatic Diseases [plus other autoimmune diseases and fibromyalgia]

Hey guys Came across this in a Spanish journal and don't think it's been posted before. They...
Saggyuk profile image

Constant sore throat and feeling like something is stuck in my neck.... can only a slightly inflamed thyroid cause that?

I have had on and off sore throat since Sept 2013 when I think I developed hypothyroidism but the...
Piret profile image

Gluten or dairy free?

Hi everyone. I have posted previously about raised antibodies (Anti-TG 347 range <115, and Anti-TPO...
Sweetpea1234 profile image

Gluten free for how long?

I tried going gluten free 2 months ago is that enough to try gluten again of should I wait and if...
lisan1 profile image

Why am I trying gluten free?

I read on here that @[40134] said this on another post: "Gluten free will not affect your TSH....
mountainice profile image

Moderation team

See all
PurpleNails profile image
PurpleNailsAdministrator
Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.