>
>On Fri, 12 Sep 1997, Don Wiss wrote:
>
>> In Ron Hoggan's article:
>>
>> Hoggan R, "Considering Wheat, Rye, and Barley Proteins as Aids to
>> Carcinogens" _Medical Hypotheses_ 1997; 49(3): 285-288
>>
>> Ron postulates that cereal grains effect the immune system, in part, by
>> downregulating the activation of natural killer cell activity, thus
>> reducing or eliminating the body's first line of defence against
malignancy.
>
>I also would be very interested in amplification of something
>that Ron stated in this forum recently, namely that cereal grains
>actually *cause* reduced stomach acid levels, by provoking a
>histamine reaction (I think I have that right).

Well, you may be capturing what I said, but if that is so, I should have
gone into more depth than that.

Histamine secretion by mast cells, in response to ingestion of an
allergenic food, would lead to vasodilation and permeability, which allows
the leucocytes greater latitudes of movement so they may respond to foreign
proteins. The result is inflammation and consequent increased cellular
acidity.

HCL production is actually increased in response to these increases in
histamine and inflammation. But this increase is fairly chronic, as the
inflammation lasts much longer than the food that was in the stomach.

At subsequent meals, when large amounts of HCL are needed to digest meat,
etc. they are not available because the body's finite reserves have been
depleted. And there is the discomfort of acidity between meals, but a sense
of leaden slowness of digestion of meals including meats, as there is less
HCL available for digestion  of these meats.

I'm sorry for any confusion I may have caused with my simplistic statement.

best wishes,
Ron Hoggan