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Most interesting, he believes, is the


discovery that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup used on genetically modifi ed (GMO) corn and soy crops, contributes to dysbiosis, as verifi ed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists in a study published in Interdisciplinary Toxicology. They concluded with a plea to world governments to reconsider policies regarding the safety of glyphosate residues in foods. GMOs: While this issue has been less widely analyzed, a 1996 study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin added to Monsanto’s GMO corn crops to kill pests is not destroyed during human digestion. Danish researchers at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University suggested it may damage cells of the intestinal lining. Gluten: “Gluten causes leaky


gut,” says Port Jefferson, New York, naturopathic doctor Doni Wilson, author of The Stress Remedy, voicing one side of the controversy based on her review of scientifi c literature. She’s concluded, “Whether you are sensitive to it or not, gluten increases the production of zonulin, which can result in damage to intestinal walls and cause the cells on the outside of the intestines to set off an immune response to anything that passes through. In this condition, what we’re eating—cheese, milk, eggs, corn, soy—is leaking through the gut lining, triggering an immune response and potentially creating multiple food sensitivities.” Wilson also notes that in her clinical experience, only about half of her patients with gluten sensitivities complain of digestive issues. “I’ve found that gluten causes the immune cells on the outside of the small intestine to affect the nervous system, causing headaches, anxiety, depression and insomnia,” she says. Her fi ndings are backed by research from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Celiac Research and Italy’s University of Catania. The same researchers confi rm that non-celiac gluten sensitivity or intolerance can also foster depression; a University of Cincinnati study published in the journal Headache links gluten and headaches. Other proteins in wheat can be problematic, advises Fiona McCulloch, a Toronto doctor of naturopathy, citing a


As a gluten tolerance test, substitute an amount of non-gluten carbohydrates for the same amount of


gluten-containing products. For example, instead of two pieces of bread, substitute three-quarters of a cup of brown rice—a rough


equivalent in carbohydrate content. A positive difference in hunger,


cravings and energy levels when gluten is eliminated indicates a condition of gluten intolerance.


~Fiona McCulloch


study presented at the annual European Gastroenterology Conference, in Vienna, last October. The report showed that a family of proteins called amylase trypsin inhibitors can lead to the development of infl ammation in tissues beyond the gut, including the lymph nodes, kidneys, spleen and brain.


Glyphosate residues can be a factor in gluten intolerance. Although wheat crops produced in the U.S. are not yet genetically modifi ed, many non-organic wheat crops are sprayed with glyphosate to promote rapid drying, according to the Environmental Working Group. Inadequate digestive enzymes: Lactose intolerance is the most common result of missing digestive enzymes like lactase, according to the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. Avoiding milk products may relieve digestive distress for some.


Eliminate Items,


Then Challenge Most experts believe the easiest way to deal with food sensitivities is to stop eating the food in question. The so- called “elimination and challenge” diet, which has been in use for decades, is effective, free and addresses the foods responsible for common food intolerances, says Virgin.


Simply avoid the food of concern completely for at least three weeks, then eat a small amount of it and catalog the results. For some people, it may only take a couple of hours for symptoms to return after eating a piece of bread, cup of milk, an egg or bit of tofu. Virgin’s seven-food challenge is a bit more rigorous, but improves feelings of general well-being so readily that many people don’t even want to bring back the eliminated foods because they feel so much better, she says. Her three- week diet completely eliminates the most common food sensitivity triggers: gluten-containing foods (largely wheat), dairy, eggs, soy, corn, peanuts, sugar and artifi cial sweeteners. “When I say eliminate these foods 100 percent, I mean it,” cautions Virgin. “You need to give your immune system at least that much time to cool off.” She adds, “You can do anything such as this for just three weeks.” Virgin also recommends the elimination diet for weight loss because it helps overcome food cravings triggered by the immune system response and leptin resistance, leveraging the hormone that turns off the body’s hunger signals, a fi nding confi rmed by independent studies performed by Sweden’s Lund University and Italy’s University of Palermo. She’s also documented other positive effects through her own research and experience with participants in her programs, including improvements in energy, focus, joint pain, skin clarity and bloating, all in the designated short time frames.


Other Approaches People with food sensitivities may be able to tolerate occasional indulgences in their trigger foods once they’ve healed their digestive systems, notes Krishnan. Probiotics can help, especially those encapsulated in spores so they can pass through the barrage of stomach acid and reach the small intestine where they are most needed. Krishnan’s research, to be published this spring, showed that half of otherwise healthy young people suffering from leaky gut had a dramatic reduction of symptoms by taking a spore-forming probiotic Bacillus indicus product for 30


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