90 replies to this topic

[DogWalkerNYC]

I received an email from Gluten Free Society at 8:30am this morning. The subject of the email is: Gluten Free Bread Causes Celiac Damage.

Here is a blurb from the article:

"A recent study found that patients with celiac disease can react to "gluten free" bread made with maize (corn) protein. Serum IgA was measured against the prolamine in corn. Previous studies have found similar reactions with corn in patients with gluten sensitivity."

Upon reading this, I immediately sent the following email to Schar:

"Hi Schar,

I just received an email from Gluten Free Society saying:

"A recent study found that patients with celiac disease can react to "gluten free" bread made with maize (corn) protein. Serum IgA was measured against the prolamine in corn. Previous studies have found similar reactions with corn in patients with gluten sensitivity."

I am very upset to read this because I have been enjoying your bread and rolls for awhile now, but your products contain corn starch, and if eating them is harming me I will find another manufacturer that does not include corn in their ingredients.

Please let me know your thoughts on this. Is corn starch the same as corn protein? If it would be helpful I can forward you the complete article.

When people on the celiac.com forum and members of celiac sprue read about this I'm sure they too will stop purchasing these products if eating them is causing us harm.

Thanks,
Laura"

Forum members, Schar products are sold in the Gluten-Free Mall. Is this nothing to be concerned about? If not, great. But if it is, why are these products for sale in the mall and why is this company being touted as a trusted gluten free company? If this is new research why isn't it on the main page of celiac.com, and if it's old research why am I receiving an email today about this? And again, why are these products for sale in the gluten free mall.

I am trusting my health to forums like this one and expect consistent, updated info.

[kareng]

Corn doesn't bother me. All of the reputable Celiac associations and Celiac Medical Centers do not warn against corn.

Why say bad things about only Schar? Lots of certified gluten-free foods have corn in them. Do you have a personal issue with that company?

[DogWalkerNYC]

It may not bother you but it may bother others who are continuing to have symptoms despite strictly adhering to what they think is a gluten free diet.

Are you saying The Gluten Free Society is not a reputable resource or do you not believe the study? Here's a link to their website: www.glutenfreesociety.oMy linkrg

The issue is not that corn doesn't bother one person with celiac, the issue is that corn may bother many others.

[DogWalkerNYC]

Apparently I'm not able to link their name because the note says they spammed your forum and are banned. If their information is accurate why would you ignore it? I will do further research about the effects of corn on celiac disease. Isn't the idea here to share information so that we can all heal and feel better?

[kareng]

I think you can only read thier "studies" if you subscribe to thier website.

I know that some people with Celiac and some people without Celiac have issues with corn, or potatoes or strawberries. If corn was a concern, don't you think the Celiac Medical Centers would warn us?

I still wonder why you have targeted one manufacturer of gluten-free products when many use corn?

[DogWalkerNYC]

I just called Gluten Free Society and left a voice message. I will follow up on Monday and track down the research on corn and celiac damage. If I track the research to reliable sources I will share that info here and I sure hope members on this forum will take note. The alternative, which is to ignore the info because it's from Gluten Free Society, and to continue eating corn and suffering seems rather ridiculous. I will also let you know Shar's response to my email.

[Jestgar]

Is this the same article?

[GFinDC]

HI,

The study about corn affecting some people with celiac has been posted here not too long ago. Actually corn has been suggested as a possible problem for several years. But there isn't a lot of information about how many people it affects or how much damage it causes yet. Most likely it doesn't affect a lot of people or we would hear about symptoms from people here who eat corn. There are some people here who react to it and I don't eat a lot of it myself. But it doesn't seem like it is a problem for most people at this point. There is still a lot to learn though.

[DogWalkerNYC]

Here is the article. I don't know if this info is new or old, but I just received it by email at 8:30am this morning:

Gluten Free Bread Damages Celiacs…

A recent study found that patients with celiac disease can react to “gluten free” bread made with maize (corn) protein. Serum IgA was measured against the prolamine in corn. Previous studies have found similar reactions with corn in patients with gluten sensitivity.
Source:
J. Agric. Food Chem, 2008, 56 (4), pp 1387–1391.
Gluten Free Society’s Stance:

Gluten Free Society recommends the avoidance of corn. Typically, people with celiac disease are instructed that corn is a safe food to consume. They are told that is is “gluten free”. The reality is – corn contains gluten. The gluten in corn has not been studied as aggressively as the gluten in wheat and other common grains associated with gluten intolerance. Several recent studies have shown that people with gluten sensitivity react to the gluten in corn.

Remember that most studies focus on antibody production as the outcome for a reaction. Because many celiac patients have IgA deficiency, the test often yield false negative results. The above study used IgA as an outcome measure and (fortunately) found that celiacs react to corn gluten.

The immune system is complex. IgA, IgG, IgM, IgD, and IgE antibodies are only a small part of immune system reactions. Immune cells create a myriad of different inflammatory molecules in response to the environment. Leukotrienes, prostaglandins, eicosanoids, histamines, cytokines, serotonin, etc. Most lab tests being used to identify gluten sensitivity focus only on antibody production. This is a major part of the problem in accurately diagnosing food reactions.
Are You On A Traditional Gluten Free Diet & Still Having Problems?

Remember, some research shows that up to 90% of celiac patients don’t get better on the currently defined “gluten free diet”. Is it because the current definition is wrong? GFS supports the notion that it is. It has been scientifically established that the hallmark villous atrophy found in celiac patients can be caused by more than just wheat. As early as 1972, corn has been shown to create this atrophy.

[psawyer]

Is this the same article?

If it is, that one refers to corn sensitivity in a subset of people with celiac disease and specific genes. It does not suggest that everyone with celiac disease will react to corn.

We know that some people, including some people with celiac disease, are intolerant to corn.

Laura, as previously asked, why have you specifically targeted Schar when many, many gluten-free foods contain corn? Why just Schar?

[DogWalkerNYC]

Hi Pete, I was just about to answer that question. I was actually in the supermarket when I read the email from Gluten Free Society. Guess what I was buying? Dag has an entire gluten free section and I was stocking up on some items, including bread. Schar is the only manufacturer of gluten free bread and rolls sold in Dag. When I read the email I grabbed the bread in my shopping cart and read the ingredients. Standing in the gluten free aisle in the supermarket I sent the email to Schar. I came back home and came online to post in the forum and start doing research. I will definitely avoid all corn products and all manufacturers who have corn in their ingredient list, and if it would be helpful I'll list them here. If there is a kernel (little play on words) of truth to this corn thing, trust me, I will avoid corn products like the plague.

[kareng]

I would like to know what research shows that 90% of us don't get better on a gluten-free diet? If that is true, why would we bother? Why would medical research centers recommend the gluten-free diet?

[DogWalkerNYC]

In my opinion, the point is if corn affects even one celiac it may affect many. How many posts have I read from people saying they are sticking to the gluten free diet and still having symptoms? How many of those may be eating corn thinking it's a safe food, but for them it's not. Isn't it worth it for even one of those sufferers to be told that corn may be the culprit? It should be noted on the home page of Gluten-Free Mall: "Attention Celiacs: Some celiac sufferers react negatively to products containing corn. If you are sticking to the gluten free diet and still having symptoms, you might want to consider removing corn products from your diet to test if corn is an irritant." Something like that would really be helpful.

[DogWalkerNYC]

I would like to know what research shows that 90% of us don't get better on a gluten-free diet? If that is true, why would we bother? Why would medical research centers recommend the gluten-free diet?

I will try and find out.It did not say "ALL" research. You must admit, there are many (many) celiacs following all the rules and still suffering. You bother, as I do, to understand what affects us negatively and positively. You are correct, medical research recommends the gluten free diet. The question is, is corn gluten free?

[mushroom]

It should be noted on the home page of Gluten-Free Mall: "Attention Celiacs: Some celiac sufferers react negatively to products containing corn. If you are sticking to the gluten free diet and still having symptoms, you might want to consider removing corn products from your diet to test if corn is an irritant." Something like that would really be helpful.

If we did that, we would also have to put similar notes about soy, nightshades and several other different foods to which many of us are also intolerant. As a celiac, you need to be aware that you may be intolerant to other foods or food groups than gluten -- you just have to learn by trial and error which your particular foods are. If you removed from gluten free foods all the things that many of us are intolerant of also, the gluten free shelves would be pretty empty. Not all celiacs react to corn; I happen to be one who does but I don't want to inflict my restrictions on others.