EiR Blog

Apologies to readers who might have already read about this story. The UK Mail on Sunday (February 13th 2011) carries an article by Esther Rantzen on her daughter who has ME. UK viewers will know Esther from such classic TV programmes such as That's Life. In recent years she has discussed ME as a consequence of her daughter's diagnosis. The article in the Mail regarding a possible link between ingestion of gluten and ME/CFS can be viewed here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1356316/At-I-discovered-secret-Emilys-14-lost-years-Esther-Rantzen.html Many thanks, ESPA Research ...

This and last week have been bumper weeks for interesting studies related to autism and ADHD. First, the Lancet published the results of a controlled trial on the use of a few-foods rotation diet on the symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The link to the abstract for the study by Pelsser and colleagues is shown below: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)62227-1/abstract A break down of the study and the main findings can be viewed here: http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/ In short, a very well conducted and controlled study that showed that diet can affect some cases of ADHD. As to how and why it works is more of a mystery. Second, a review study has been published looking at the connection between gastrointestinal disorders and autism spectrum conditons. The link to the abstract for the article by Chen and colleagues is shown below: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21297509 The results: the studies so far have a number of methodological issues...

When thinking about how food sensitivities and/or intolerances may be affecting our health, something that is often overlooked is the role that biogenic amines may be playing. What are Biogenic Amines?  Biogenic amines are a group of chemicals derived from amino acids (and therefore protein-containing foods) that have a number of functions and effects within the body, some desirable, and some not. The most well known biogenic amines are the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, and histamine, best known for its role in allergies. Others, which are less well known, include tyramine, tryptamine, and phenylethylamine. These biogenic amines may act as neurotransmitters, be involved in local immune responses (such as the inflammation produced by histamine release), or regulate functions of the gut. The classic neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline are all essential to proper brain function. Imbalances causes problems such as depression and anxiety. In relation to food intolerances however, we are more concerned with...

 Christmas is obviously a time for celebration and partying but for those with allergies it can be like a minefield! While most people  generally eat and snack with abandon the millions who suffer from some form of food allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance must be extra wary. It may be easy to tell which foods contain common allergens such as wheat, dairy and eggs when eating the main Christmas dinner but when it comes to snacks and party buffets with lots of pre-packaged foods things get a little trickier. If you are planning your own party you can obviously check labels to make sure the foods you buy don't contain ingredients that you, your family members, or your guests are allergic to. If you are cooking or baking yourself there are also a large number of alternative ingredients to the common allergens that can be substituted. The most common allergens include:...

This week I was contacted by the producer of The Restaurant; a reality TV show made by the BBC here in the UK. For those who don't know, the premise of the show is that couples compete over the series/season to prove they have what it takes to run a successful restaurant. Each week they are set different challenges to test different skills required to be restauranteurs. The overall winners are set up in a restaurant of their own; financially backed and personally supported by Raymond Blanc who has a big hand in the show. The reason I was contacted by the shows producer is because in an episode to be aired on October 22nd in the UK the contestants are to be set the challenge of preparing meals for diners with special dietary needs, with a particular focus on those with coeliac/celiac disease. The contestants must therefore prepare a...