Gluten-Mimicking Proteins that can affect some Celiac individuals.

[Florence Lillian]

Hi all:

I have had Celiac for 47 years. I have not seen much info on the following, and 3 of these  affect me. In case this info helps someone else, I offer the following:

Gluten-like proteins is a topic I want to share, as they have added bad reactions to my Celiac condition.  Reactions can range from Gut discomfort such as Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting, and inflammation causing a feeling of being very warm to hot. The following are considered  Gluten-Mimicking Proteins: Corn (Zein protein) (this causes inflammation with me). Millet Panicin protein) Sorghum (Kafirin protein).  Potato (Patatin protein, is NOT considered a Gluten-Mimic, nor is Oats (Avenin) but they do cause reactions in some Celiac people... I eat potato and I vomit, and get diarrhea. gluten-free Oats causes me to have Nausea, and Corn causes me  Inflammation.  I hope this helps someone.  Wishing the very best to all.   Florence.

 

[Scott Adams]

Thank you for sharing your experience, Florence. It’s important to clarify, though, that proteins like zein in corn, panicin in millet, and kafirin in sorghum are not considered gluten and have not been shown to trigger the same autoimmune intestinal damage seen in celiac disease. Some people with celiac disease do report symptoms with certain gluten-free grains, oats, or other foods, but that reflects individual intolerance or sensitivity—not a proven “gluten-mimic” effect that damages the small intestine. Certified gluten-free oats are considered safe for most people with celiac disease, though a small subset may react to avenin. If specific foods consistently cause symptoms for you, it makes sense to avoid them personally, but it’s helpful for readers to know that these foods are still medically classified as gluten-free and generally safe for the broader celiac community.

[Florence Lillian]

Hi  Scott

 Thank you for the feed-back. I fear I did not correctly state what I was 'attempting' to convey. So much for writing at 11:30 at night.  To be specific, I was concerned about Gluten Cross-Reactivity e.g. Cross- Reactivity between a-gliadin and non-gluten foods consumed on a GFDiet.

The following comprises my reading so far on this subject:  (If you cannot find these let me know and I can send them to you via email.) "Good for You Gluten Free" article Titled "Understanding Gluten Cross- Reactivity & Gluten Cross- Reactive Food.  Their reference is "Food and Nutrition Science Vol 4#1 (2013).  Further, a scientific paper written by:  Aristo Vojdani & Aristo Tarash titled "Cross-Reactions between Gliadin and Different Food & Tissue Antigens". A very interesting paper.  As several of the non-gluten foods affect me, as I mentioned in my letter, I am wondering if it could be connected to this topic.

I would be interested in your thoughts on this. The paper by the gentlemen listed above is particularly interesting.       All the best, Florence 

 

 

 

[Scott Adams]

Hi Florence, thank you for clarifying — and no worries at all about late-night writing. I appreciate you explaining that you’re specifically asking about gluten cross-reactivity, particularly the proposed immune cross-reaction between alpha-gliadin and certain non-gluten foods on a gluten-free diet. It’s an interesting and often confusing topic. The Vojdani & Tarash paper you mentioned did report antibody cross-reactivity in laboratory settings, which has led to a lot of discussion in the gluten-free community. However, it’s important to note that in-vitro antibody reactions (in a lab dish) don’t always translate into clinically meaningful reactions inside the human body. At this point, major celiac research centers generally conclude that true immune cross-reactivity to non-gluten foods in people with celiac disease hasn’t been clearly demonstrated in well-controlled human studies. That said, many individuals do report symptoms with foods like corn, dairy, oats, or others, and those reactions can absolutely be real — they just may involve different mechanisms, such as food intolerance, FODMAP sensitivity, separate immune responses, or individual gut permeability differences rather than molecular mimicry of gliadin specifically. If certain foods consistently trigger symptoms for you, keeping a structured food and symptom log and discussing it with a knowledgeable gastroenterologist or dietitian may help clarify patterns. It’s a nuanced area, and your question is thoughtful — we just have to separate what’s biologically plausible in theory from what’s been conclusively demonstrated in patients.

[Florence Lillian]

Hi Scott:

A wonderful, thoughtful explanation. Controlled human studies would be very interesting and quite informative. I have been eliminating certain foods and have narrowed it down considerably. Having other autoimmune diseases along with Celiac has become rather challenging. I appreciate your input, thank you.

All the best, Florence

[Scott Adams]

Here are some articles on cross-reactivity and celiac disease: