Celiac.com 09/28/2010 - Buckwheat-enhanced gluten-free breads taste better than regular gluten-free breads, and have properties that may benefit people with celiac disease, according to a new study.

Moreover, buckwheat-enhanced gluten-free flour could be used to create high quality, antioxidant rich bread products that benefit people with celiac disease and offer new market possibilities, says the team behind the study, M. Wronkowska, D. Zielinska, D. Szawara-Nowak, A. Troszynska, and leader M. Soral-Smietana of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Soral-Smietana notes that buckwheat's mineral content and antioxidant activity make it ideal for new buckwheat-enhanced gluten-free breads. Buckwheat flour contains high-quality proteins, and is rich in antioxidants and minerals such as, flavonoids, phenolic acids, B vitamins , and carotenoids. Because of these properties, Buckwheat has recently caught the attention of food scientists.

In their study, the research team found that enriching gluten-free flour with 40 per cent buckwheat flour creates gluten-free bread “with more functional components and higher anti-oxidative and reducing capacities,” in addition to offering health benefits to people with celiac disease.

To produce their buckwheat-enhanced gluten-free breads for the study, the team replaced between ten and 40 per cent of corn starch with flour made from common buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. Corn starch is a common ingredient in gluten-free breads.

They found that gluten-free bread enhanced with 40 per cent buckwheat flour had the highest antioxidant capacity and reducing capacity, and this was positively correlated with their total phenolic contents. The 40 per cent enhanced bread also demonstrated the highest overall sensory quality when compared to a gluten-free bread control.

The team found that higher buckwheat concentrations made for higher levels of magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. From their results, they concluded that gluten-free bread formulated with 40 per cent buckwheat flour could be developed and dedicated to those people suffering from celiac disease. In addition to being healthier than current gluten-free breads, such bread would also likely taste better, because the “…overall sensory quality of buckwheat enhanced breads was significantly higher than that obtained for gluten-free bread.”

Source:

• Open Original Shared Link

Gluten is a protein found in the grains wheat, barley, and rye, and is inherently lacking in grains such as oats, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, soy, sorghum, flaxseed, rice, and amaranth seed. A study tested 22 of these "naturally" gluten-free grains, and 7 of them had a gluten amount higher than 20 ppm, which would disqualify them from being labeled as gluten-free under the proposed FDA guidelines.

One type of soy flour tested had nearly 3,000 ppm of gluten, two millet flour products had an average of between 305-327 ppm, and the sorghum flour had a mean average of 234 ppm. Four of those seven products didn't have allergen advisory statements.

What's the reason behind these alarming research results? Dr. Mercola, an osteopathic physician and board-certified family medicine doctor, attributes the cause to cross-contamination during the processing of these grains and also to a lack of testing of final products for gluten.

Dr. Mercola, who is trained in both traditional and natural, or holistic, medicine, raises the question, however, about whether not only celiacs but people in general should even be consuming grains in the first place.

According to Dr. Mercola, "Most people need to avoid grains." On his website, he states that several autoimmune disorders, not just celiac disease, can be "significantly improved by avoiding grains," and eliminating grains from your diet can also decrease your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, and cancer.

This is due to the fact that, as Dr. Mercola explains, "grains and sugars are inherently pro-inflammatory and will worsen any condition that has chronic inflammation at its root – and not just inflammation in your gut, but anywhere in your body." In his experience, about 75-80% of all people benefitted from going grain-free.

According to Grain Free Living, the health benefits of going grain-free have been proven "through the personal experience of hundreds of people worldwide who have experienced significant relief from symptoms of Crohn's disease (and many other illnesses of the digestive system) and also for chronic fatigue." The mainstream medical community has been critical of the "anecdotal evidence" from the testimonies of those who have reported an improvement in health. Clinical studies on the matter have yet to be carried out.

A grain-free diet doesn't have to be boring. In fact, grain-free cookbooks have come out with grain-free recipes for favorite American foods such as pancakes, muffins, lasagna, cakes, and cookies. For those who have a digestive or other condition or who wish to eliminate health risks, I would recommend talking to your healthcare practitioner about a grain-free diet.

For the gluten-free community who wishes to continue to eat grains, this study of the gluten content of "naturally" gluten-free grains can be startling. Look for grain products that are certified gluten-free by such organizations as the Open Original Shared Link (GFCO) or make sure to do thorough company research before you try "inherently" gluten-free grains.

References:

• Thompson T, Lee A, Grace T. Gluten contamination of grains, seeds, and flours in the United States: A pilot study. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010;110:937-940.  Abstract available at: Open Original Shared Link
• Thompson, T. Contamination of Naturally Gluten-Free Grains. Living Gluten-Free. June 1, 2010. Available at: Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com 06/30/2010 - Presently, the only proven treatment for celiac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet. As part of a gluten-free diet, people with celiac disease are encouraged to avoid consuming foods containing rye, along with avoiding wheat and barley.

However, there is surprisingly little evidence to document the adverse effects of rye in cases of celiac disease. To address this deficiency, a team of clinicians set out to determine conclusively whether rye should be excluded from the celiac diet.

The team included S. M. Stenman, K. Lindfors, J. I. Venäläinen,  A. Hautala, P. T. Männistö,  J. A. Garcia-Horsman,  A. Kaukovirta-Norja, S. Auriola, T. Mauriala, M. Mäki, and K. Kaukinen

They are affiliated variously with the Department of Pediatrics, and the Pediatric Research Center of the Medical School University of Tampere, the Department of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Tract Surgery at Tampere University Hospital, the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Kuopio, the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Helsinki, and Technical Research Centre of Finland.

The goal of the team was to determine whether rye secalin triggers toxic reactions in vitro in intestinal epithelial cell models to the same degree as wheat gliadin.

Moreover, they examined whether the harmful effects of secalin can be reduced by germinating cereal enzymes from oat, wheat and barley to hydrolyze secalin into short fragments as a pretreatment.

The data showed that secalin did trigger toxic reactions in intestinal Caco-2 epithelial cells in a similar manner to gliadin. Secalin triggered epithelial cell layer permeability, tight junctional protein occludin and ZO-1 distortion, and actin reorganization.

High-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS), showed that germinating barley enzymes best degraded the secalin and gliadin peptides. Further in vitro analysis showed that germinating barley enzyme pretreatment ameliorated all toxic secalin-triggered reactions.

From these results, the team concludes that germinating enzymes from barley offer efficient degradation of rye secalin.

In future, these enzymes might be utilized as a novel medical treatment for celiac disease or in food processing in order to develop high-quality celiac-safe food products.

Such enzyme treatments might pave the way for either new treatments for celiac disease, or, new methods of processing rye for production of new, celiac-safe foods.

SOURCE: Open Original Shared Link

While this section is still limited in many respects, the food production industry as a whole has become aware of the need to cater to the expanding gluten-free community.  Gluten-free snacks, prepackaged meals, and baking supplies are no longer elusive, and the variety is continually expanding.  While rice, potato, and corn flours are common strongholds in a Celiac’s kitchen, there is now a new wave of flavorful flours from Peru making their way into the United States.

Many Peruvian heritage grains, dating back to pre-Incan times, have been found to be naturally gluten-free and incredibly nutritious.  The first wave of these grains and flours to hit the U.S. market come to us from Zocalo Gourmet.  Marching to shelves are kaniwa, mesquite, purple corn, and sweet potato flours.  Each has a distinct flavor and “personality” that is sure to delight any gluten-free baker and reinvigorate their favorite recipes. 

Kaniwa is a species of goosefoot, closely related to quinoa.  This tiny grain is packed with protein and has an Earthy taste that lends itself well to breads, pancakes, and muffins.   

Mesquite is also protein rich and imparts a warm, sweet, slightly smoky taste on foods while enhancing the flavors of cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, and coffee.  Adding mesquite flour to your favorite recipes will transform their flavor and put a completely new spin on your old favorites.

Purple Corn can be used in any recipe calling for traditional corn meal or flour while providing an antioxidant boost. Although similar in nutrition to yellow corn, purple corn contains substantial amounts of phenolics and anthocyanins, among other phytochemicals, which gives the corn its vibrant color. Its main colorant is cianidin-3-b-glucosa which is a known antioxidant. The high anthocianin content does not degrade with heat exposure.
Sweet Potato is a velvety flour that holds moisture well, imparts a subtle sweetness on baked goods, and is incredibly versatile. 

With these flours come more complete flavor and nutritional profiles for the gluten intolerant.  To learn more about these flours and how they can be used check out:
Open Original Shared Link
and
Open Original Shared Link

Celiac.com 05/29/2009 - Quinoa is making a comeback as a "wonder grain." Before going gluten free, most people have never heard of quinoa. But, once you embrace the gluten-free lifestyle, you should learn more about this amazing grain.

Quinoa is an ancient grain that has been grown in South America for thousands of years and was called the "gold of the Incas." The grain resembles millet and has a bitter protective saponin coating that protects the grain from being eaten by birds and insects.

Today, many companies that sell quinoa in the United States remove the bitter saponins. This allows you to prepare the quinoa without having to rinse it first.

Quinoa is gluten-free, high in fiber and a complete protein, meaning it has all nine amino acids. Quinoa also contains high amounts of lysine, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. Due to quinoa being a complete protein, it is an excellent food choice for the gluten-free vegan.

To prepare the quinoa for cooking, either purchase pre-rinsed quinoa or rinse the quinoa in a strainer until the saponins are removed. To cook the quinoa, add one part of the grain to two parts liquid in a saucepan. After the mixture is brought to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover. One cup of quinoa cooked in this method usually takes 15 minutes to prepare. When cooking is complete, you will notice that the grains have become translucent, and the white germ has partially detached itself, appearing like a white-spiraled tail.

Serve quinoa as a replacement for rice or couscous. Quinoa is delicious served cold or warm and can be frozen and reheated. It is recommended to prepare the entire box of quinoa and freeze the unused portions for later use.

Tuscan Quinoa Salad Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups cooked quinoa
¼ cup scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic,minced
1 box cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
3 T olive oil
juice from half of a lemon
kosher salt and pepper to taste

To Prepare
Prepare quinoa according to recipe on package. Add remaining ingredients to quinoa. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. You may replace oil and lemon juice with Italian dressing. 

Sources for info on quinoa:
Quinoa Corporation
Eden Organics
Homegrown Harvest

In eliminating gluten grains from your diet, have you wondered what you are missing nutritionally?  Are you able to get adequate replacements for the nutrients in wheat, barley, rye, and oats, from the other nutritional components of your diet?  The answer is a qualified yes.  We know this on several levels.  For tens of thousands of years, entire cultures have thrived without growing or consuming any of the gluten grains.  We also know, from looking at what nutrients gluten grains provide, that there are more than adequate sources of these nutrients in alternative grains, and from vegetable sources.  Fiber is something we do need to be aware of, though.  Studies have shown that standard gluten-free diets are low in fiber, especially when baking with the “white” alternative products like white or sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch.  We can remedy this by eating alternative grains in whole, unprocessed states, and by including nuts, seeds, and other sources of fiber such as dried coconut and legumes in our diets.  Wheat is an excellent source of Vitamin E, so those on gluten-free diets might want to supplement with a good brand of Vitamin E.

Some commercial gluten-free flour blends seek to duplicate white flour, and are made primarily of white rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch (see the nutrition comparisons on the next page).  These products are nearly devoid of nutrition and contain almost no fiber.  Using these types of products result in baked goods that are the nutritional equivalent of wonder-bread.  If you didn’t eat wonder-bread before going gluten-free, why should you attempt to duplicate it now?  When making your flour blends, coming up with new recipes, and altering traditional wheat-flour recipes, try to include alternative grain products (and sometimes nut flours) that contain substantial amounts of fiber, protein, calcium, and iron, all nutrients found in whole grains, but in much smaller amounts in highly processed grains.  Quinoa, sorghum, teff, amaranth, brown rice and millet flour are all good products to try.

See the chart attached to this article (the link to it is in the "Attachments" section below) for the nutrient content of the many gluten-free alternative grains, starches, and nut flours.  The highest levels of nutrients in each category are noted, and you can see what nutritional powerhouses grains like teff, quinoa, sorghum, and amaranth are compared to white rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch.  

Researchers tested the safety of sorghum in duodenal biopsies (tissue samples from the small intestine) from 8 celiac patients and 4 patients with other gastrointestinal disorders (i.e., not celiac disease). Biopsies treated with sorghum protein digests showed no increase in proteins involved in the immune response to gluten. By comparison, biopsies of celiac patients treated with gliadin or wheat protein digests showed an increase in these proteins, as expected. The immune response was not induced in biopsies of non-celiac patients, regardless of treatment.

In the second part of the study, the safety and palatability of sorghum foods were tested in 2 female celiac patients, known to be compliant with a gluten-free diet. The patients ate sorghum in bread, cookies, and cake for 5 days. Antibodies for transglutaminase, known to be elevated after gluten consumption in celiac patients, did not increase in the patients during or after the sorghum challenge. The celiac patients rated the palatability of the foods as good or excellent and reported no increase in gastrointestinal (GI) or non-GI symptoms.

Researchers from Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States carried out this preliminary study. The data indicates that sorghum is highly likely to be safe for consumption by those who are gluten-intolerant. Additional studies are required to determine the long-term safety of sorghum in the diet of celiac patients.

References:
Ciacci, C. et al. (2007) Celiac disease: In vitro and in vivo safety and palatability of wheat-free sorghum food products. Clin. Nutr. 26, 799-805.
U.S. Grains Council Web Site. Sorghum.  Accessed Dec 1, 2007.

These features make sorghum favorable for use in wheat-free food products. While sorghum is considered as a safe food for celiac patients, primarily due to its relationship to maize, no direct studies have been made regarding its safety for individuals with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

Thus, further study was warranted to clearly demonstrate the safety and tolerability of sorghum for celiac patients. A team of researchers set out to determine the safety and tolerability of sorghum flour products in adult celiac patients

The team consisted of Carolina Ciacci, Luigi Maiuri, Nicola Caporaso, Cristina Bucci, Luigi Del Giudice, Domenica Rita Massardo, Paola Pontieri, Natale Di Fonzo, Scott R. Bean, Brian Ioerger and Marco Londei.

Study participants who consumed sorghum-derived food product for 5 days straight experienced no gastrointestinal or other symptoms and the level of anti-transglutaminase antibodies was unchanged at the end of the 5-day medical challenge.

Sorghum protein digests produced no morphometric or immunomediated alteration of duodenal explants from celiac patients.

In both in vitro and in vivo challenge, sorghum-derived products show no toxicity for celiac patients. Sorghum can thus be regarded safe for people with celiac disease.

Clinical Nutrition, 24 August 2007

Scand J Gastroenterol. 2006 Nov;41(11):1305-11.
Lack of intestinal mucosal toxicity of Triticum monococcum in celiac
disease patients.
Pizzuti D, Buda A, DOdorico A, DInca R, Chiarelli S, Curioni A, Martines D.

Einkorn Breadmaking Sites:

Cereal Chem. 73 (2):208-214
Breadmaking Quality of Einkorn Wheat (Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum).
http://www.aaccnet.org/cerealchemistry/backissues/1996/73_208.pdf

Cereal Chem. 76 (5): Pub. no. C-1999-0804-01R
Einkorn Characterization for Bread and Cookie Production in Relation to
Protein Subunit Composition.
http://www.aaccnet.org/cerealchemistry/abstracts/1999/0804-01r.asp

Gastroenterology 2005;129:797-806,1111-1113.

Celiac.com 10/28/2005 – According to Dutch researchers, it may be possible to produce varieties of wheat that are safe for people with celiac disease. Dr. Spaenij-Dekking of Leiden University Medical Center and colleagues examined public databases that contained data on the many different varieties of wheat gluten proteins which can be found in wheat. Their goal was to identify the wheat varieties that contained the lowest levels of T-cell- stimulatory epitopes. The researchers found that the level of toxicity of the different types of wheat varies greatly, and the more ancient and grass-like the variety the less T-cell- stimulatory epitopes it contained, and conversely, the more modern the variety the greater its level of toxicity for those with celiac disease. They concluded that the use of selective breeding and screening could create a variety of wheat that is safe for those with celiac disease, and one that could prevent disease in those who are at risk.

Gastroenterology. 2005 Feb;128(2):393-401.

Celiac.com 02/09/2005 – Norwegian scientists have been mapping gluten T-cell epitopes in various wheat ancestors and have found several varieties that may be suitable for those with celiac disease. The trigger for celiac disease has been identified as the epitopes that cluster within a stable 33mer fragment of wheat chromosome 6D. The scientists extracted and screened gluten from a variety of modern wheat ancestors to look for any T-cell stimulatory gluten peptides. They found that the 33mer fragment is encoded by alpha-gliadin genes on wheat chromosome 6D, which does not exist in the gluten of diploid einkorn or in certain types of tetraploid pasta wheat.

These findings indicate that there may be grains that have long since been considered unsafe for those with celiac disease, but which may actually be safe and not contain any harmful gluten proteins. The most encouraging thing about this research is that baking and pasta-quality wheat ancestors could one day be added to our Open Original Shared Link, which would greatly increase the quality of gluten-free products.

Note: We strongly advise against celiacs including these grains in their diet until more testing and research is done to verify their safety.