<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
Yesterday, Don Kasarda said:
 
>I estimate very roughly that a normal diet would include about 10-40 g of
>gluten per day. I estmate (also roughly) that normal wheat bread contains
>about 0.04 grams of gluten per gram of bread.
 
>To the best of my knowledge, the smallest amount that has been tested with
>patients and shown (biopsies taken) to have a definite effect is 0.1 gram
>per day (Catassi et al.).  The biopsies demonstrated an increase in
>intraepithelial lymphocyte count, one of the earliest signs of an effect.
>The challenge was on 10 patients (children) for 28 days each.  Four of the
>patients showed an increase in IgA antigliadin antibodies.  The intestinal
>permeability test remained normal.
 
In my private emails with Don today, it appears that the above estimate of 0.04
grams of gluten per gram of bread may be too low.  Don told me that the protein
in bread flour is typically about 80% "gluten" (the fractions which are
considered toxic to celiacs).  The whole wheat bread which happens to be in my
breadbox right now says one slice weighs 50 grams and that it contains 6 grams
of protein.  Applying Don's 80% number to 6 grams, this implies there are 4.8
grams of gluten, or about 10% gluten by weight (4.8 divided by 50).  The
product information is rounded, so this 10% could be off by several percentage
points in either direction.
 
Unless my numbers are off, this implies that only 1/48th of a slice of bread
(i.e. 0.1 grams of gluten) is enough, if eaten daily, to show a measurable
impact on celiacs!  As Don said,  intestinal
permeability test remained normal at the 0.1 g/day level, so it is not clear
how much, if any, true damage was being caused.
 
Pasta appears to be similar:  One serving is 56 grams for the box in my pantry,
with 8 grams of protein.  If 80% of the 8 grams is gluten, this implies about
6.4 grams of gluten, or 64 times the amount Don said was used in the Catassi
study.
 
If anyone has more accurate numbers, please email me privately at
<[log in to unmask]> and I will summarize the replies for the list.
 
Bill Elkus
Los Angeles