What is Teff?

As awareness of gluten intolerance grows, and our diets become more multicultural (so, not boring!), alternative grains such as quinoa and amaranth have gone from unknown to relatively mainstream. Now, we have a new addition to the formerly bland Anglo-Western diet: teff, a gluten-free grain originating from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Although it has been used in African and Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries, only in the last few years has there been a market for it in the West.

So, why eat teff? As above, teff is another gluten-free grain, making it safe to eat for those of us with coeliac disease or a gluten sensitivity. It has a mild, nutty flavour, and can thrive even in harsh climates, a possible win for Australian farmers who would like to try growing it. Teff is not just a filler food, like white wheat bread, either. Among other essential amino acids, teff is an excellent source of lysine, where most other grains have a low lysine content. As for minerals, teff is rich in potassium, calcium and iron, and is also an unusual grain in the case of its vitamin C content. And unlike conventional, super-processed gluten-free bread, teff is high in resistant starch and has a low glycaemic index (GI).

Injera, a traditional bread made from teff.
Source: Maurice Chedel

And what do these nutrient stats mean for our health? As a nutritious food with a higher tolerance for harsh conditions than most other grains, teff has the potential to benefit everyone, from American hipsters with IT careers to African farmers. First, the fact that it is a tough grain, and considered to be very resistant to insects and storage pests, means that it can be stored using traditional methods instead of those using chemical protection. Therefore, it is easier to grow teff organically. Teff has an estimated protein content between 8.7-11%, and is comparable to wheat, barley, maize and pearl millet; while it is superior to brown rice, rye and sorghum. Its amino acid balance has been described as comparable to eggs, despite a relatively lower lysine and isoleucine content (lysine is still present in higher levels compared to other grains). This is important for poorer people, who cannot always afford animal sources of protein as easily as grains. When compared to other grain in the case of mineral content, teff usually stands out for its levels of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorous and copper. "Usually", because sorghum contains a similar amount of magnesium to teff. Calcium is necessary to help prevent osteoporosis, as well as colon cancer according to at least one population study. Research in Ethiopia has also found higher haemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein) in the blood of teff consumers, and an association between the grain and lack of iron deficiency-anaemia. It has even been shown that people who eat teff do not develop hookworm anaemia, even when infected with the parasite. Malaria is another issue in many areas of Africa, but a higher haemoglobin status helps to prevent being affected by the disease. And besides vitamin C, which is present at 88mg per 100 grams of teff, the cereal also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3 and plant equivalents of vitamin A.

But are we stealing food from impoverished African families? Several years ago, a similar story about quinoa circulated, shaming anyone who dared to eat quinoa and simultaneously exist in a wealthy nation. But the truth is much more positive and nuanced: farmers usually do set aside some of their quinoa harvest for personal use; and higher prices have led to greater economic, and therefore social, power for these farmers. So many are now diversifying their diets to include more vegetables and meat, and an exit from extreme poverty means an ability to protest for economic and environmental rights. Going back to "staying in your lane" and feeling sorry for rural South Americans could send them back into poverty and powerlessness. And chances are, the growing popularity of teff will have the same benefits as that of quinoa.

Could Gluten Make You Go Crazy?

Despite much progression towards a free, individualistic society, a considerable amount of conformity unfortunately remains. This results in bullying and harassment towards people who simply make different choices, even when those different choices are simply what is best for their health. In this case, I am talking about people like me who need to stay on a gluten-free diet. Some of us (like me) cannot or should not be tested in order to get an "official diagnosis" because of often torturous neurological symptoms. I lose balance, co-ordination, memory and feel like I have been partially erased from existence; that is the main reason why I will not get tested. Others, such as a woman in a case study recounted by Dr Kelly Brogan, have it much worse - by "worse", I mean "psychosis". Gluten has been known for years, at least in limited circles, to trigger chronic and disabling psychiatric conditions.

Source: Panaderia La Colegiala

The woman in this case was 37 at the time and studying for a PhD. Partly because of stress related to studying, she began to believe that people were talking about her. Then, it progressed to paranoid accusations that her parents had assisted in a burglary targeting her home. She was initially hospitalised and given the label "psychotic disorder", and was prescribed risperidone and sertraline. Ultimately she was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and Coeliac disease, because of her nutrient deficiencies, weight loss and inability to absorb thyroid medication. Unfortunately, she refused to stick to a gluten-free diet, believing that her doctors were lying to her. She lost her job, became homeless and attempted suicide before being put back into hospital where she was made to stay on a gluten-free diet. Her delusions resolved in three months, but she later relapsed after accidentally eating gluten. In other unfortunate events, Dr Alessio Fasano repeats conventional warnings to not start a gluten-free diet until after intestinal biopsy, in order to avoid a false-negative result. But as Kelly Brogan writes, simply trialling a gluten-free diet could be a path of less harm, as it doesn't result in further damage and more symptoms. Then there is the question of a negative biopsy result, despite the growing acknowledgement of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity and its potential psychiatric manifestations. As Dr Hadjivassiliou states, gluten intolerance can be totally neurological, with no intestinal damage. One paper states:
"If gluten is the putative harmful agent, then there is no requirement to invoke gut damage and nutritional deficiency to explain the myriad of the symptoms experienced by sufferers of celiac disease and gluten-sensitivity". 

Want to know how long gluten has been suspected as a cause of neurological disorders? About 60 years...and it still hasn't been recognised in the mainstream! The oldest reports of emotional disturbances being resolved after the removal of gluten date back to 1951. In 1966, a study was published showing an association between schizophrenia rates and wheat consumption. Less wheat consumption, which required a world war to happen, was linked to significantly lower first-time admissions for schizophrenia. More recent research has found a drastically higher incidence of anti-gluten antibodies among schizophrenics, and a 2006 review found at least significant reductions in schizophrenic symptoms after initiating a gluten-free diet. In a study published in 1984, only 2 people out of over 65,000 Pacific Islanders eating a traditional, grain-free diet had chronic schizophrenia. Westernisation of their diets resulted in a Western-level prevalence of the disease. In a 1996 study (why is this not common knowledge?), anti-gluten (gliadin) antibodies were found in 27% of the population, and in up to 57% of people with neurological problems of unknown cause. There is no excuse for bullying or harassing people who do not eat gluten, whether or not they have the medical records to satisfy your questions.

New Gluten-Free Beer Available in Germany



Coming soon to Oktoberfest? Source: Usien.

Thanks to Australian scientists and farmers, German consumers now have access to gluten-free beer made from a new strain of barley, a breakthrough for manufacturers seeking alternatives to rice and sorghum. Approximately 70 tonnes of the new Kebari strain of barley have been sold to Germany’s largest brewer, Radeberger. Kebari barley is non-GMO, instead, it is the product of decades of breeding out gluten by cross-breeding low-gluten varieties of barley. Production of this new strain will be strictly controlled in Australia, in order to prevent any cross-contamination which could have negative effects on the health of coeliac or gluten sensitive consumers. Kebari barley only contains tiny amounts of gluten, but at 5 parts per million it is well below the WHO qualification of 20ppm. European beer drinkers have embraced gluten-free varieties more than other regions, with most growth in the sector coming from those who do not suffer from coeliac disease, although diagnosis of the condition has increased. Coeliac disease is largely genetic, with an estimated prevalence of 0.5-1% globally, and features an immune reaction to gluten that usually involves intestinal damage, rarely only symptoms involving other organs, or both. The majority of patients with coeliac disease will have damage to the small intestinal villi, which negatively affects nutrient absorption. Therefore, the need for gluten-free options, or foods with a gluten content low enough to not trigger a reaction, must be taken seriously as untreated coeliac disease can lead to increased risk of disease and higher mortality rates. Additionally, patients with certain other diseases, such as hepatitis B, may have a higher prevalence of coeliac disease, whether it is a cause or effect of these other conditions.

But what about those who have no reason to suspect coeliac disease, and are just eliminating gluten to maintain general health? Are they simply following a “fad” that will pass eventually and give way to another dietary “no-no”? There is a theory, in fact, that gluten may be bad for everyone. Some say that gluten is indigestible in humans, and that gluten sensitivity, where there is no damage to the intestines, may affect millions more than the 18 million already known. This is harder to diagnose, as patients could have anything from a list of around 100 symptoms, with varying degrees of similarity to coeliac disease. Some autoimmune diseases may be triggered by gluten intake, as similar antigens to those made by our bodies may “confuse” the immune system. Gluten has also been implicated in a range of neurological issues, particularly neuropathy and ataxia. For example, there has been an association made between gluten and schizophrenia, and there has also been evidence linking gluten to cerebellar degeneration in ataxia of “unknown cause”. Ataxia is the best description of my symptoms. In addition to gluten, the lectins, opioid-like compounds and high levels of aspartate and glutamate found in wheat may also cause damage, particularly to the nervous system. The lectins in wheat can cause intestinal damage and inflammation. Gliadomorphin, an opioid found in wheat, can activate brain opioid receptors and thus damage neurological function. Aspartate and glutamate are “non-essential” amino acids which stimulate the nervous system and can kill neurons by over-stimulation (excitotoxicity). Therefore, wheat may be the worst out of the several grains that contain gluten. While it has not been concluded that gluten is harmful to most, or all, people, mounting evidence that it can cause harm, along with the value of personal choice, mean that the production of gluten-free beer may benefit many of those who choose to consume alcohol (in moderation, of course).

Wheat May Be Bad For Everyone

Source

Is wheat bad for everyone, not just those with coeliac disease or NCGS?

Possibly.

Conventional dietary advice instructs the world to increase consumption of "complex carbohydrates", or "whole grains", and then champions wholegrain bread and other wheat products as a solution to many health problems.

However, in the original 1981 study from The University of Toronto, that which began the concept of Glycaemic Index, paints a much more negative picture. This original study showed that the GI of sucrose (table sugar) was 59, while the GIs of white bread and wholegrain bread respectively were 69 and 72. A Mars Bar has a GI of 68, and a Snickers bar has a GI of 41, also beating bread. A dramatic rise in blood sugar levels will also trigger a dramatic rise in insulin, which encourages energy storage: first to glycogen (stored sugar) in the liver, then to fat if glycogen stores are plentiful. Excessive fat can also lead to chronic inflammation, as fat tissue produces pro-inflammatory cytokines known as adipokines, as well as tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukins1, 1-RA, 6, 8 and 10. One adipokine, called adiponectin, can be anti-inflammatory in the blood vessels, but is pro-inflammatory in the skeletal joints and is associated with rheumatoid arthritis and degradation.

This inflammation contributes to the pancreatic injury described in the main source of this post. Even if consistently high blood sugar levels do not cause insulin resistance and then diabetes, you do not want them. It is the consistently high blood sugar levels in diabetic people that is the cause of retinopathy (eye damage), neuropathy (nerve damage) and nephropathy (kidney damage); in fact it is said that diabetes is a model for accelerated aging, with the "age-related diseases" often appearing years earlier than "expected" in non-diabetics! Unabsorbed blood sugar has a tendency towards getting tangled in cells and tissues and forming advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. These are useless, disrupt normal functions and have no currently known method of removal. Their only "function" is to cause even more oxidation and inflammation, adding to the already existent tissue damage, with the most visible result being wrinkling and sagging of the skin! (then you age and die, and I am expected to have babies to replace you. Ain't the "circle of life" wonderful(!?))

Fortunately, there are now known substances that can impair AGE formation, and a way to clear them may be discovered. AGE levels in the red blood cells do have the ability to decrease because these are recycled every 120 days; this is what gets measured in the HbA1c blood tests that are recommended for diabetics. Also fortunately, gluten-free and blood sugar-friendly recipes (such as those from the Palaeo diets) taste great and can encourage you to be creative in cooking.