To many, gluten is a 'big deal'

Dear Pharmacist

Q: I saw Jenny McCarthy on "Oprah" talking about her son's autism and how changing his diet helped him. She talked about a

gluten-free diet. How can gluten matter to the brain so much? We're just talking about a loaf of bread.

E.C., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

A: Gluten is the protein in wheat products, found in most breads, pastas and pastries. It's also found in rye, barley and some oats (because oats are often milled in factories that process other grains and get contaminated). Most people eat all these whole grains, so what's the big deal?

Such foods are a big deal if you're sensitive to gluten, like Elizabeth Hasselbeck from "The View" and millions of other people in the U.S. with neurological diseases or intestinal problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Celiac sprue. In sensitive people, gluten causes a bad reaction, where immune system cells find their way out of the intestine, hitch a ride in the bloodstream and glue themselves to various organs in your body, especially the brain and spinal cord. Your body then attacks the "foreigner" now glued to your own tissue, hence the term "auto-immune" or "attack of the self."

There are many auto-immune disorders such as Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Sjogrens Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Graves' disease, Hashimoto's and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Some experts feel strongly that an underlying allergy to gluten (or the dairy protein, casein) could be a source of neurological insult and auto-immune dysfunction.

In the case of autism, some experts theorize that the condition results from brain insult from vaccinations, or mercury (thimerosal), the preservative in vaccinations. Often, putting autistic children on gluten-free and casein-free diets helps ease symptoms. Anyone with food sensitivities or auto-immune conditions should visit livingwithout.com (they also publish a magazine). Those with Celiac sprue should visit csaceliacs.org or glutenfreeforum.com.

A good online resource for gluten-free recipes is glutenfree.com. You can buy gluten-free foods easily at health food stores, Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Market, or online from Glutino, De Boles, Tinkyada, Orgran, Pamela's Products, Mona's, Ener-G and Bakery on Main. There's a longer list of gluten-free companies and more information about all of this on my Web site (dearpharmacist.com), including popular restaurants that offer gluten-free menus.

So how can a loaf of bread be one man's meal and another man's poison? Follow the trail of crumbs to the brain, and see how destructive gluten (and casein) can be to sensitive people. To test for these sensitivities, ask your doctor for an Anti-gliadin IgA Antibody test.

This information is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Suzy Cohen is the author of "The 24-Hour Pharmacist." For more information, visit dearpharmacist.com.