Cross-Reactivity Between Gluten and Other Foods
If the expected improvements are not seen on a gluten-free diet, it is often due to a phenomenon called cross-reactivity—that is, the consumption of other grains previously labeled as “gluten-free,” such as corn, rice, or “gluten-free” oats, which still contain their own fractions of this protein that your gut—where 70% of your immune system resides—may react to.
A new study suggests that the problem may actually be caused by another phenomenon known as cross-reactivity, meaning an immune reaction to other foods that are similar in structure to gluten.
What do the studies say?
The most well-known study on cross-reactivity showed that gliadin, the main protein in gluten, does have a statistically significant cross-reaction with foods such as:
- Dairy products
- Yeasts
- Other grains previously labeled as “gluten-free”: oats, millet, and rice
Source: Cross reaction between gliadin and different food and tissue antigens, Food & Nutrition Science, 2013, 4, 2032.
If you are sensitive to gluten, keep in mind that foods like dairy, yeast, corn, and rice can cause cross-reactive immune responses.
This study supports another one: “The use of corn in gluten-free food preparation should be reconsidered.” (Plant Foods Human Nutrition, 2012 Mar; 67(1):24–30).
That’s why at NutriWhite, we recommend that if you need or want to eliminate gluten, do not replace it with grains like corn and rice, but instead with tubers, fruits, and legumes to help you recover your health (3R Protocol).
Study Abstract
Cross-Reaction Between Gliadin, Different Foods, and Tissue Antigens
A subgroup of patients with celiac disease continues to experience symptoms even on a gluten-free diet (GFD). We sought to determine whether these symptoms could be due to gluten contamination or cross-reactivity between alpha-gliadin and gluten-free foods consumed on a GFD.
The reactivity of purified polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to the alpha-gliadin 33-mer peptide was measured against gliadin and other common food antigens using ELISA and dot-blot. Immune reactivity of these antibodies with various tissue antigens was also examined.
Significant immune reactivity was observed when these antibodies were applied to cow’s milk, milk chocolate, butyrophilin, whey protein, casein, yeast, oats, corn, millet, instant coffee, and rice. To investigate whether cross-reactivity existed between gliadin antibodies and tissue antigens, the degree of antibody binding to these antigens was measured.
The most significant binding occurred with asialo gangliosides, hepatocytes, glutamic acid decarboxylase 65, adrenal 21-hydroxylase, and various neuronal antigens. The binding capacity of anti–alpha-gliadin antibodies to food and tissue antigens was demonstrated through absorption and inhibition studies.
Significant cross-reactivity was also observed between the alpha-gliadin 33-mer and several food antigens, although some of these reactions were related to gluten contamination in supposedly gluten-free foods.
Consumption of cross-reactive foods, as well as foods contaminated with gluten, may explain why some patients with celiac disease continue to experience symptoms.
The lack of response in certain patients may also be due to cross-reactive antibodies to non-gliadin foods. These should be treated as gluten-like peptides and excluded from the diet when a gluten-free diet seems to fail.
Other Conditions Related to Gluten Sensitivity
The following conditions have been linked to gluten sensitivity:
- Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Autism, ADD/ADHD
- Mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
- Infertility
- Osteoporosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
References:
1. Cross reaction between gliadin and differente food and tisuel antigens , Food &Nutrition Science 20013, 4, 2032 .
2. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: A critical review of current evidence. Javier Molina-Infantea, , Santos Santolariab, Miguel Montorob, María Estevec,d, Fernando Fernández-Bañaresc,d a Servicios de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital San Pedro de Alcántara, Cáceres, España. b Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital San Jorge, Huesca, España. c Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Mutua Terrassa, Barcelona, España. d Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas(CIBEREHD), Madrid, España. DOI: 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2014.01.005
NutriWhite Editorial Team
