News for microscopic colitis patients
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This page covers recent news articles based on research that may be of interest to microscopic colitis patients, caregivers, and medical professionals. News stories about medical research, or treatments, or living with the disease are discussed here.
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Why We Recommend Against Eating Out When Trying To Recover From a Flare
October 13, 2018
When the American College of Gastroenterology held their Annual Scientific Meeting on Monday (10/08/2018), a research paper was presented that showed that when foods at restaurants that were claimed to be gluten-free were tested, almost a third of them actually contain more than the legally allowed limit of gluten.1 According to the data, the problem is much worse at dinner than at breakfast. The problem progressively increases during the day, suggesting that contamination levels possibly continue to accumulate on utensils and facilities over time.
Although the staff at most restaurants surely have good intentions, they apparently lack the knowledge or understanding, and the expertise required to be able to consistently and reliably prepare meals that are actually gluten-free.2 The worst culprits seem to be pizza and pasta. About half of the "gluten-free" pizza and pasta dishes failed the test.
It's pretty obvious that if you're serious about recovering, eating out is not a safe policy to follow. The risk of being served food contaminated with gluten is way too high to be acceptable. But an important point here that is rarely even considered by most people is the fact that even if the levels of gluten contamination are slightly below the legal limit, that's enough gluten to keep almost anyone's immune system active enough to perpetually maintain a state of low-level background inflammation. The existence of that background inflammation means that the immune system will remain at a "ready" or "high-alert" condition at all times, and the intestines will not be able to completely heal. In that state, an exposure to even a small to moderate dose of gluten might trigger a surprisingly severe flare — much worse than if the intestines were allowed to heal first.
1. 8 - Gluten contamination of restaurant food: Analysis of crowd-sourced data
Lerner, B. A., Phan Vo, L., Shireen Yates, S., Rundle, A.G., Green, P.H.R., & Lebwohl, B. (2018, October 8). ACG 2018, Retrieved from https://www.eventscribe.com/2018/ACG/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=442112
2. One-third of 'gluten-free' restaurant dishes actually contain gluten, study finds
Pawlowski, A. (2018, October 8). Retrieved from https://www.today.com/health/are-gluten-free-restaurant-dishes-really-gluten-free-study-results-t138963
Although the staff at most restaurants surely have good intentions, they apparently lack the knowledge or understanding, and the expertise required to be able to consistently and reliably prepare meals that are actually gluten-free.2 The worst culprits seem to be pizza and pasta. About half of the "gluten-free" pizza and pasta dishes failed the test.
It's pretty obvious that if you're serious about recovering, eating out is not a safe policy to follow. The risk of being served food contaminated with gluten is way too high to be acceptable. But an important point here that is rarely even considered by most people is the fact that even if the levels of gluten contamination are slightly below the legal limit, that's enough gluten to keep almost anyone's immune system active enough to perpetually maintain a state of low-level background inflammation. The existence of that background inflammation means that the immune system will remain at a "ready" or "high-alert" condition at all times, and the intestines will not be able to completely heal. In that state, an exposure to even a small to moderate dose of gluten might trigger a surprisingly severe flare — much worse than if the intestines were allowed to heal first.
1. 8 - Gluten contamination of restaurant food: Analysis of crowd-sourced data
Lerner, B. A., Phan Vo, L., Shireen Yates, S., Rundle, A.G., Green, P.H.R., & Lebwohl, B. (2018, October 8). ACG 2018, Retrieved from https://www.eventscribe.com/2018/ACG/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=442112
2. One-third of 'gluten-free' restaurant dishes actually contain gluten, study finds
Pawlowski, A. (2018, October 8). Retrieved from https://www.today.com/health/are-gluten-free-restaurant-dishes-really-gluten-free-study-results-t138963
Artificial Sweeteners are toxic to gut bacteria
October 2, 2018
Our policy has always been to avoid artificial sweeteners, not only when treating microscopic colitis, but at all times. Now we have published medical proof that at least six artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium-k) showed toxic effects toward normal gut bacteria when mixed in sports drinks at a concentration of as little as one mg/ml of the artificial sweeteners.1 This is strong evidence that using these artificial sweeteners is likely to lead to adverse health consequences. And in the case of microscopic colitis patients, we know from experience that most artificial sweeteners can cause flares and prevent remission. Artificial sweeteners may be an even greater threat than we realize because they have been identified as environmental pollutants. They can often be found in drinking water, lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers, making them difficult to avoid completely.2
1. Measuring artificial sweeteners toxicity using a bioluminescent bacterial panel
Harpazm D., Yeo, L. P., Cecchini, F., Koon, T. H. P., Kushmaro, A., Tok, A. I. Y., & Eltzov, E. (2018). Molecules, 23(10), 2454. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/10/2454
2. Artificial sweeteners have toxic effects on gut microbes
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. (2018, October 1). [Web log message]. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181001101932.htm
1. Measuring artificial sweeteners toxicity using a bioluminescent bacterial panel
Harpazm D., Yeo, L. P., Cecchini, F., Koon, T. H. P., Kushmaro, A., Tok, A. I. Y., & Eltzov, E. (2018). Molecules, 23(10), 2454. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/10/2454
2. Artificial sweeteners have toxic effects on gut microbes
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. (2018, October 1). [Web log message]. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181001101932.htm