Harris Whole Health

Free sessions on a low FODMAP diet. You can be located anywhere in the world. Great opportunity to support research & support yourself, too.

Tomorrow night! EDS nutrition series. Looking forward to it! https://www.dietitiandeepdive.com/

planting some special varieties of seed this year that I've never grown before. Anyone want to guess what this is?

July gluten-free newsletter: travel, EDS & mast cell research & more. https://www.harriswholehealth.com/9748/

FYI--a long-term cornerstone in the gluten-free community. I'd hate to see it close. Hopefully someone is interested.

Wanted - A New Happy Tart Owner!! Click here for an update from The Happy Tart!

New paper about the long term outcomes of POTS.
"Nearly three quarters of patients had diagnostic delays, and over half were told that their symptoms were “in their head.”
Believe it or not, this is an improvement...and is completely unacceptable

Long‐Term POTS Outcomes Survey: Diagnosis, Therapy, and Clinical Outcomes | Journal of the American Heart Association BackgroundLimited data exist on long‐term outcomes in individuals with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). We designed an electronic questionnaire assessing various aspects of outcome...

What is leaky gut? and how do you fix it? From Washington Post (gift link)

Advice | How do you fix a ‘leaky gut’? Here’s what the latest science says. Many people claim you can “cure” a leaky gut. These claims are not backed by science, but there are well-studied ways to improve your gut lining.

Naughty little mast cells...all about nutrition for mast cell disease. If you're interested, download it now because it's only open access for the next month https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1jKsS7t0kQ2EwZ

If you're gluten-free for medical reasons, an important read...and yes, I eat these too, so it's frustrating to have so many recalls and problems in the food supply.

Gluten Free Watchdog statement on gluten testing commissioned by Moms Across America. The following is an interim update on the gluten testing commissioned by the group Moms Across America that reported finding gluten at levels above 20 ppm in 3 certified gluten-free products. Forty-six gluten-free products were tested.

On June 24th, Adrian Rogers and I spoke with Dr. John Fagan, the Chief Scientist at Health Research Institute, the lab that conducted the testing for MAA.

For those of you unfamiliar with Adrian, he is the Development Manager at BioCheckUK and is a specialist in immunoassay development with a focus on gluten and food allergen detection. He helped develop the AgraQuant gluten G12 ELISA from Romer Labs (this is the assay used by HRI to test for gluten). Adrian no longer works for Romer Labs. Therefore, he can’t comment on the performance of the G12 kit in this specific instance. Any questions about the performance of the assay should be addressed to Romer Labs.

Based on our conversation with Dr. Fagan, Adrian and I have no reason to doubt the testing procedure followed by the lab. According to Dr. Fagan, the products tested were sent unopened to the lab. Samples were tested in duplicate with good agreement. While the lab is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited, it is not accredited specifically for gluten ELISA testing. Based on our impressions, Dr. Fagan does have a good working knowledge of ISO 17025 and he seems to operate the ELISAs to the same standard as the MS methods (HRI is accredited to run LC MS/MS). Laura Allred from GFCO points out that there is a difference in running ELISAs every day, and doing it as a one-off.

All analyses, even those undertaken following best practice guidance and with the same samples, may yield different results. This can be due to differences in sampling (e.g., gluten may not be evenly distributed) or it can be due to differences in antibody reactivity. For example, the R5 ELISA from R-Biopharm (used by Bia Diagnostics to test food for Gluten Free Watchdog) is based on the R5 antibody. It recognizes the 5 amino acid sequence QQPFP* found repeatedly in gluten protein (*glutamine-glutamine-proline-phenylalanine-proline). This assay is used to detect and quantify gluten proteins from wheat, barley, and rye. It is a Codex Alimentarius Type 1 Method and is one of two assays the FDA will use to test food for gluten if necessary for rule enforcement. The G12 ELISA from Romer Labs is based on the G12 antibody. It recognizes a 33-mer peptide which is a fragment of the gliadin protein. This assay is an AACC international method and an AOAC official method. While test results for the different gluten ELISAs are often in agreement, test results can vary. Different ELISA methods can overestimate or underestimate the gluten content when compared to each other due to variation in the antibody reactivity, variation in calibration material used to produce the kit standards and differences in the extraction buffers between methods. In fact, no single analytical method is perfect for every different sample type.

According to Laura Allred from GFCO, all of the labs doing repeat testing on retained sample have been using the R-Biopharm R7001 method (i.e., the sandwich R5 ELISA). All results have come back below the lower limit of quantification of 5 parts per million of gluten.

Going forward, it would be best to test retained sample from the HRI lab with both the R5 ELISA and the G12 ELISA. Short of that, it might be helpful to test new samples with both assays. To that end, Gluten Free Watchdog will be sending Simple Mills almond flour crackers, Simple Mills brownie mix, and Made Good double chocolate cookies to the lab for testing using both the R5 ELISA and the G12 ELISA.

We will update the community when we have more information.

FYI:

Yay! We have exciting news! 🎉🙌

We're thrilled to announce just *three* openings in our virtual supportive adolescent group (ages 14-18), specifically designed for individuals dealing with:

- POTS/dysautonomia
- ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
- Long COVID and related conditions

Join us every other Wednesday beginning in August from 4pm-5pm in a virtual setting accessible to all PSYPACT states, including New York, Virginia, Maryland, and more.

Here’s what you (or your teens) will gain 🥰:

🪴Acceptance and Understanding: Connect with peers facing similar challenges.
🪴Empowerment: Share and receive support, feeling validated in your experiences.
🪴Practical Tips and Life Hacks: Learn strategies for managing anxiety, anger, grief, and more.
🪴Personal Growth: Cultivate self-acceptance, inner calm, and set achievable goals.

Interested in joining? Click the link in bio or email [email protected] to learn more and become part of our compassionate community! 📩

a low FODMAP/Mediterranean diet + PEN (partially just shakes) helps people with mild/moderate active UC

rdcu.be

Excited for a webinar series on EDS nutrition coming up:

Ugh. I'm all for the environment, but...recently companies have been using wheat-based biodegradable products, and a new paper shows the potential for gluten get out of the packaging and into "gluten-free" foods. this is a problem--and clear labeling is needed.

Gluten migration from biodegradable food contact materials poses a risk to celiac disease patients - European Food Research and Technology Due to the ban of certain single-use plastics in the European Union, food contact materials (FCM) from biobased and/or biodegradable polymers are increasingly being used. Some FCM are made from wheat or rye and therefore contain gluten, which is a food allergen and known to cause celiac disease. Leg...

excited this is finally available online
"Nutritional Considerations for Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome"

practicalgastro.com

Really excited to see the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)'s new statement on iron deficiency anemia. Does that sound a bit strange? Well, it's often hard to get doctors to order IV iron for people with IBD, and now there's a recommendation...

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Management of Iron Deficiency Anemia: Expert Review In this Clinical Practice Update (CPU), we will Best Practice Advice (BPA) guidance on the appropriate management of iron deficiency anemia.

My blackberries are early this year. Blueberries, too...

All plant-based foods aren't created equal. Minimally processed foods are still best. Note--I'm not a fan of the concept of food addiction mentioned here, which is still controversial, but aside from that, this article is sound. Gift link here:

When plant foods are ultra-processed, the health benefits disappear Eating plant-derived foods that are ultra-processed, including meat substitutes, increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes

The data is stronger than before...eating peanuts early is protective. (always consult your medical team and all those disclaimers)
Gift link: https://wapo.st/4dSV8qN

Babies exposed to peanuts less likely to be allergic years later, study says An author of the study said the correlation was “extraordinary.” She advised parents that “plain old peanut butter mixed in warm water can work for a 4-month-old.”

Promising data in an oral presentation at DDW from a new medication for Celiac
https://anokion.com/press_releases/anokion-announces-new-clinical-data-from-the-phase-1b-2-aced-it-trial-supporting-kan-101-as-a-potential-disease-modifying-treatment-for-celiac-disease/
https://www.beyondceliac.org/research-news/new-results-from-clinical-trial-shows-continued-progress-for-a-drug-to-treat-celiac-disease/?utm_content=294013698&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-81225128705

New results from clinical trial shows continued progress for a drug to treat celiac disease | BeyondCeliac.org KAN-101 is well tolerated at increased dose levels, study presented at DDW shows By Amy Ratner, director of scientific affairs Increased doses of a drug being studied for the treatment of celiac disease tempered the response to gluten in celiac disease patients and remained as safe and well tolerate...

Critters got some, but nice strawberries this year.

Happy Celiac awareness month! The newsletter system isn't quite working this month, so here's what I've got for now:

Happy Celiac Month! May G-Free Newsletter – Harris Whole Health Posted on May 19, 2024May 19, 2024 by Cheryl HarrisHappy Celiac Month! May G-Free Newsletter And somehow it’s already May. Happy Celiac Awareness Month! To celebrate, here’s a roundup of research on Celiac & digestive conditions, with some resources & recipes below. peas growing in my garden Glu...

Really excited to see this paper on EDS & pregnancy out. It was a lot of hard work & very early hours. Diet guidelines are in table 4.

Management of childbearing with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorders: A scoping review and expert co-creation of evidence-based clinical guidelines Objective To co-create expert guidelines for the management of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery in the context of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). Design Scoping Review and Expert Co-creation. Setting United Kingdom, United States of Amer...

Silk almond milk yogurts have chicory as an ingredient...if that bothers you, make sure to check labels. https://silk.com/plant-based-products/dairy-free-yogurt-alternative/unsweetened-vanilla-almond-dairy-free-yogurt?pr_rd_page=1&bvstate=pg:2/ct:r

Happy Celiac Awareness Month!
One of my most popular posts: gluten-free grab & go items https://www.harriswholehealth.com/3945/

Cats are interested in asparagus! who knew?
Fresh from the garden.

Mindfulness shifts stress eating. Often my experience.
You?

Mindfulness meditation modulates stress-eating and its neural correlates - Scientific Reports Stress-related overeating can lead to excessive weight gain, increasing the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Mindfulness meditation has been demonstrated to reduce stress and increase interoceptive awareness and could, therefore, be an effective intervention for stress-related...

My favorite time of year!
The hummingbirds have landed. Time to put the feeders up. (picture from last year, these are juveniles)

Interesting. Celiac & IBS are associated. Someone with Celiac is more likely to be diagnosed with IBS than someone in the general population, and siblings are more likely to receive an IBS diagnosis, too.

Redirecting