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Celiac.com 11/22/2018 - Figuring out the best way to make sure that oats are gluten-free is an interesting and important piece of the gluten-free manufacturing puzzle. That’s partly because getting representative test samples for antibody-based testing is challenging when analyzing whole grains for gluten. Moreover, when whole grains are ground into flour for testing, confocal microscopy studies have shown that gluten tends to exist as aggregates within the starch background, making single-sample testing inaccurate and complicating the ability to arrive at an accurate average from multiple samples. In addition, whole-grain products are riskier for gluten-free consumers, because contamination is localized to specific servings, rather than being distributed throughout the product. This makes parts-per-million values less relevant for whole-grain products. Intact grains, seeds, beans, pulses, and legumes offer an alternative opportunity for gluten detection, in that contaminating gluten-containing grains (GCGs) are visible and identifiable to the trained eye or properly calibrated optical sorting equipment. A team of researchers recently set out to assess the use of visual inspection for assessing levels of gluten-containing grains in gluten-free whole oats, grains, seeds, beans, and legumes, and to determine a Gluten Free Certification Organization threshold level for the maximum number of GCGs within a kilogram of non-gluten grains sold as specially processed gluten free product. Researchers LK Allred, C Kupper, and C Quinn are affiliated with the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, 31214 124th Ave SE, Auburn, WA 98092. In their study, they ran 180 samples containing one or two wheat, rye, or barley grains through an optical sorter at the Grain Millers, Inc. facility 30 times each. In every base, the sorter diverted the GCGs into the smaller stream of rejected material. The calculated probability of detection, or in this case probability of rejection from the oat sample for all three grain types, was 1.00, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.96–1.00.” Their study showed that a gluten grain threshold of 0.25 GCG/kg can be achieved for oats, and is, likely achievable in other cereals, beans, pulses, legumes, and seeds with naturally lower levels of GCGs. Their conclusions rest in part on data quality, and the assumption of a low false-negative rate. Their conclusions were supported by optical sorting verification done by Grain Millers, Inc., and by Discovery Seed Laboratories and Kent Agri Laboratory Ltd, which are CFIA-accredited seed testing facilities. One way to ensure that gluten levels in gluten-free flour remains below 20 ppm might be to visually examine intact grains, seeds, beans, pulses, and legumes; this process is called “hand sorting.” GCGs are generally visible and identifiable to the trained eye or properly calibrated optical sorting equipment. This potentially offers exciting possibilities for creating a system to physically spot-check batches of gluten-free oats. Basically, gluten levels below 20ppm are achievable by both hand and optical sorting. However, a properly calibrated optical sorter is much faster, and much more accurate than hand sorting. Also, as the report states, “even with well-trained personnel, hand picking for grading has shown accuracy in the range of 86–90%, and we have assumed a 14% non-detection rate with the proposed sampling plan presented.” A non-detection rate of 14% could lead to gluten levels as high as 140,000 ppm, compared with optical sorting alone. General Mills claims their optical sorting equipment achieves under 20 ppm. For companies that have access to optical sorting equipment, such as General Mills, employee performance can also be checked by running the batch of material they have accepted through the sorter to determine whether any GCGs have been missed. Employees who do not accurately detect the GCGs in these samples must be retrained and monitored to ensure accuracy. Properly calibrated optical sorting looks to be the best way to sort gluten-containing grains from large quantities of oats and other materials. Any human role in such an undertaking would largely be relegated to spot-checking and re-scanning sub-samples to confirm overall results. This study authors rather diplomatically note that their study does not serve as a validation for either the Purity Protocol or the mechanical sorting method of producing gluten-free grains, “but rather demonstrates that achieving the proposed threshold is possible under both systems.” However, the fact is that even Purity Protocol oats will have to be inspected at some point, using either optical sorting, human sorting, or a combination of both. The reality is that inspecting oats for GCGs using humans alone is both time-consuming and fraught with error. That potentially means increased production costs. In the end, a combination of optical sorting systems and humans checking each other might be the way to go. For now, studies like this one will help us narrow down the best practices and help to ensure that we take the best path toward the manufacture of gluten-free oats. Read more at the JOURNAL OF AOAC INTERNATIONAL VOL. 101, NO. 1, 2018

Celiac.com 02/08/2018 - Have you ever considered being tested for a genetic defect called MTHFR? If you have a family history of heart disease or stroke, migraines, trouble getting pregnant or have a child with Autism you might want to consider reading on to learn more. These are just a few of the list of conditions linked to MTHFR mutation. Surprisingly, 60% of our population has this mutation and most do not even know what MTHFR is. I recently came up positive myself for MTHFR A1298C. We will talk more about the two common markers in a bit. This changes everything when it comes to choices and is important to have the knowledge when choosing foods and supplementation. It's also important to monitor your folate levels. More to come. Interestingly, Untreated celiac disease may be associated with hyperhomocysteinemia caused by a combination of vitamin deficiencies and variants in the MTHFR gene. If you are not healing with a gluten free diet this might be a test to consider. [1] So, what is MTHFR? The MTHFR gene (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) is an enzyme that plays an important role in processing amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Now you know why it's an acronym! Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is important for a chemical reaction involving forms of the vitamin folate (also called vitamin B9). This enzyme converts a molecule called 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to a molecule called 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. This reaction is required for the multistep process that converts the amino acid homocysteine to another amino acid, methionine. The body uses methionine to make proteins and other important compounds. [2] Although, there are over fifty known MTHFR variants, two are commonly tested C677T and A1298. Some of the key things methylation process is responsible for are: Cellular Repair – DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome (genetic material of an organism). Detoxification and Neurotransmitter Production – The interconversion of amino acids. Healthy Immune System Function – Formation and maturation of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelet production. What's the Difference Between the Two Most Common Types? The 677T Variant is associated with heart disease and stroke whereas the 1298C is associated with a variety of chronic illness. Either one however can cause general health problems. Homozygous vs Heterozygous An organism can be homozygous dominant, if it carries two copies of the same dominant allele (allele - one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.), or homozygous recessive, if it carries two copies of the same recessive allele. Heterozygous means that an organism has two different alleles of a gene. If you are homozygous (2 abnormal copies) your enzyme efficiency drops to 10% - 20% of normal which can be problematic. A more serious combination is 677T/1298C which has both genetic anomalies. If you are having symptoms and can't quite put your finger on it I would suggest getting tested for the MTHFR. That will help your practitioner determine what supplementation best suits your needs. Diet will also be a factor as with MTHFR the body cannot process synthetic folate which is in fortified foods such as cereal, nutritional yeast (can get unfortified), breads, rice, pastas, flour, etc., This explains why I always got a headache after I ate fortified nutritional yeast. I switched to unfortified and I don't have the headaches. As mentioned above, there are many chronic conditions linked to MTHFR. Here are a few: Alzheimer's Autism Autoimmune Disorders Breast cancer Chronic Fatigue Down's Syndrome Fibromyalgia Heart Disease IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) Infertility in both men and women Mental disorders such as bipolar and schizophrenia Migraines Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Sensitivity to chemicals Stroke The Great Detoxifier Glutathione is the body's main antioxidant and detoxifier. What happens with MTHFR mutation is it can make you susceptible to disease by lowering your body's ability to make glutathione. Most people with MTHFR have low glutathione levels. With low glutathione levels, you are more sensitive to toxins and chemicals including heavy metals. The good news is you can supplement glutathione in the correct methyl form and change up your diet. More to come on this. With oxidative stress, we are more likely to have premature aging as well. Another reason to be aware of MTHFR and maintain a healthy high folate diet along with supporting supplementation. Testing If you have any of the symptoms above or have a family history with MTHFR mutations I highly recommend testing for both C677T and A1298. Testing can be done through a practitioner. You can go to 23andme and order the test or work with your health practitioner. It's inexpensive and well worth it. Also, testing your levels of glutathione and folate would be beneficial so your practitioner knows where your levels are before recommending supplementation. Supplementation for MTHFR If you are taking a B vitamin, make sure it's methyl-B12, methyl-folate. Taking synthetic forms (folic acid) can be more harmful than good because the body cannot do the conversion. It's essential to make sure that your method delivers the antioxidant efficiently to your cells. One of the B vitamins I recommend from Pure Genomics is their B Complex available on our marketplace. Glutathione is also important but hard to absorb so a liposome form is recommended or get one with a precursor called NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine). Glutathione is important for detoxification as mentioned. Here are a few to consider – Liposomal Glutathione by Pure Encapsulations as a liposome form With any supplement, you can have adverse effects so make sure you work with a knowledgeable practitioner. Diet and Lifestyle Folic Acid vs. Folate While folic acid and folate may be marketed interchangeably, as mentioned earlier, their metabolic effects can be quite different, especially for those with the MTHFR mutation. Folate is the bioavailable, natural form of vitamin B9 found in a variety of plant and animal foods. Folic acid, on the other hand while readily utilized by the body is synthetic. Folate is found in supplements and fortified foods such as cereals and might I add nutritional yeast. The body is more adept at using folate and regulates healthy levels by discarding excess folate in urine. With MTHFR folic acid can be problematic so make sure you purge the folic acid rich foods and supplements. For those who love the flavor of nutritional yeast and use it in vegan recipes there are a few companies who make unfortified versions you can get off amazon. Daily lifestyle activities such as dry brushing (lymphatic circulation) Epsom salt baths, exercise, sauna's (infrared sauna is amazing) and of course a healthy diet rich in natural forms of folate such as: Beans and lentils Leafy green vegetables including raw spinach Asparagus Romaine Lettuce Broccoli Avocado Bright-colored fruits, such as papaya and orange Here are just a few examples of some folate rich foods. As you can see spinach packs a powerful punch of folate as well as papaya and lentils coming in the highest. [2] Source Spinach Asparagus Papaya Orange Lentils Pinto Beans Sunflower Seeds Serving Size 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 papaya 1 orange 1 Cup 1 Cup ¼ Cup Folate 263 mcg 262 mcg 115 mcg 40 mcg 358 mcg 294 mcg 82 mcg DV % 65% 64% 29% 10% 90% 74% 21% Did you know your liver needs glutathione to produce bile in addition to the detoxification process? Look at addressing health issues such as leaky gut, IBS and Inflammation as these can affect absorption and neurotransmitter levels as well as hormones with MTHFR A1298C mutations. MTHFR mutations are tied to higher mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar and schizophrenia as well as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. It's important to find ways to manage the stressors in addition to healing the gut as symptoms can be heightened with MTHFR. Protect the heart with an anti-inflammatory diet rich in omegas, fiber and plants. Omega 3 and COQ10 supplementation is helpful. A good multi is beneficial as long as you get one with B12 (methyl cobalamin) and Folate (methyl tetrahydrofolate) forms. Drug Interactions to consider You should not use any supplements without first talking to your health care provider. For example, folate should not be taken at the same time as the antibiotic tetracycline because it interferes with the absorption and effectiveness of this medication. Folate is necessary if taking medications for birth control, cholesterol or seizures for example as they may lower folic acid levels in the body. Dosage and timing is important to know. Here are some medications to keep in mind: Antacids, H2 blockers, proton pump inhibitors Bile acid sequestrants Carbamazepine Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Sulfasalazine Triamterene When taken for long periods of time, these medications, as well as other anti-inflammatory and anti-seizure medicines, can increase the body's need for folic acid. Also consider drugs used for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis as those also reduce the folic acid in the body. Supplementing folic acid can help reduce symptoms of these disorders however with cancer, folic acid may interfere with methotrexates effects on treatment. Talk with your practitioner if you are taking any medications. [3] Knowing your DNA make up is important as is knowing your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) so you can keep a handle on your health and do your best to control stress. Getting tested for the MTHFR mutation is worth knowing whether it comes up or not. It can make all the difference in aging and detoxing and give you a peace of mind. Sources: https://draxe.com/mthfr-mutation/ http://doccarnahan.blogspot.com/2013/05/mthfr-gene-mutation-whats-big-deal.html https://www.jillcarnahan.com/2014/02/23/health-tips-for-anyone-with-a-mthfr-gene-mutation/

Celiac.com 12/18/2018 - Evidence compiled by Quaker Oats shows that 4% of the purity protocol oats the company uses to make "gluten-free" oatmeal products are contaminated with trace amounts of gluten. Overall, these batches may contain under 20 ppm gluten, and thus be considered gluten-free. But somehow, isolated kernels of wheat, barley or rye flakes were making their way into the final oatmeal products and onto store shelves. Because these kernels were rolled flat the same way as the oats, it was possible for one of these flakes to find its way into a bowl of otherwise gluten-free oats, and to render the bowl over the 20 ppm standard, meaning it is technically not gluten-free, according to FDA standard. Quaker found a solution in a stricter testing method. The testing method used by Quaker mirrors the testing method recently adopted by the CFA. Under that method, "oat groats are collected from gluten-free oat production following a robust attribute-based sampling plan then split into 75-g subsamples, and ground. R-Biopharm R5 sandwich ELISA R7001 is used for analysis of all the first 15-g portions of the ground sample. A less than 20-ppm result disqualifies the production lot, while a greater than 5 to less than 20-ppm result triggers complete analysis of the remaining 60-g of ground sample, analyzed in 15-g portions. If all five 15-g test results are less than 20 ppm, and their average is less than 10.67 ppm (since a 20-ppm contaminant in 40 g of oats would dilute to 10.67 ppm in 75-g), the lot is passed. Most oatmeal is made from rolled whole oats. That means that, even with just 4% gluten contamination, products made with whole oats, even rolled oats, can contain pockets of gluten that might render a given serving over the 20 ppm standard. Because Quaker, or their oat supplier, lacks a sorting process for eliminating or reducing gluten-contamination in its raw purity protocol oats, and because its oatmeal is minimally processed, the problem of loose individual flakes of wheat, barley or rye remains unsolved at the manufacturing level. This is true for Quaker in a way that is not true for General Mills. No matter how much Quaker mixes rolled oats, a single wayward flake of wheat, rye or barley will remain intact and eventually turn up in a serving portion. That's true, even if it's just an isolated flake. That means that Quaker must look for a solution in its supply chain. So, Quaker's approach makes sense for products made with whole oats. However, the challenges faced by Quaker in making gluten-free oatmeal are substantially different than the challenges faced by General Mills in making a product like Cheerios. That's because of differences in the processes used to make the two products. Because General Mills uses a process to sort its raw oats to below 20 ppm allowable gluten, and because it then grinds the raw oats into oat flour, there is no danger that intact flakes of wheat, rye or barley will make their way into any given serving. The flour is mixed thoroughly, and, thus, any flour from the wayward oat flake is now blended evenly into the rest of the batch. The oat flour is then mixed further with other ingredients to become the raw material for making Cheerios. So, it's extremely unlikely that Cheerios would suffer from the types of gluten "hotspots" that Quaker found in their supposedly gluten-free purity protocol oats. The process greatly increases the likelihood that any gluten would be evenly distributed into the final product, and thus be gluten-free below 20 ppm at the serving level. Essentially, the two studies by scientists at Quaker show a couple of things. First, whole oats, and products made with whole oats, even those labeled gluten-free, even those which are harvested as "purity protocol," can contain isolated pockets or "hotspots" of gluten. This may mean that these products can cause symptoms in people with celiac disease. People with celiac disease should be vigilant about these products. Trust your gut and eat accordingly. Second, the data gathered, and the conclusions reached, by the Quaker scientists regarding Quaker's efforts to produce gluten-free oatmeal, have little or no connection to General Mills and the process used to make Cheerios. It would be a mistake to project Quaker's challenges onto General Mills. For its part, it seems that General Mills has actually solved the challenges of removing wheat, rye and barley from oats to reach levels below 20 ppm, and to manufacture products that reflect that gluten-free status. General Mills has solved the challenge at the manufacturing level in a way Quaker has not. For all its refined testing procedures, Quaker is still reliant on its suppliers to deliver gluten-free oats. Somewhere, somehow the problem of quantifying the gluten content of raw oats and rendering that level to be within gluten-free standards still has to be solved. Quaker is relying on oat growers and suppliers to solve the problem, to develop a way to quantify and reduce the gluten contamination levels of raw "purity protocol" oats. Perhaps Quaker might benefit from optical sorting technology, or other processes that allow them to exert more control over their finished product at the manufacturing level? Celiac.com is not alone in saying that optically sorted oats likely safe. That view is also held by the Gluten Intolerance Group. Read articles on the original studies by scientists at Quaker Oats at Food Chemistry, and the International Journal of Food Science Technology. Sources: Food Chemistry. Volume 240, 1 February 2018, Pages 391-395 Int J Food Sci Technol, 52: 359–365. DOI: 10.1111/ijfs.13288 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijfs.13288/full General Mills Describes the Success of its Gluten Detection System