The Dangers of Gluten are Real
“An estimated 99% of people who have a problem eating gluten don’t even know it. They ascribe their ill health or symptoms to something else - not gluten sensitivity, which is 100% curable.” ~ Dr. Mark Hyman
Nutritional bandits gum up our body signals, confuse our internal conversation, create a toxic overload in the body, and rob us of our health when consumed regularly. Today we take a look at Nutritional Bandit #6: Gluten.
Gluten (from the Latin word meaning "glue") is the composite of two proteins called gliadin and glutenin. Gluten "intolerance" is a well-known and mostly undiagnosed food sensitivity that causes a mucotoxic inflammatory reaction in the intestines. This inflammation may go undetected for years, but the ultimate effect of this hidden wear and tear is the slow destruction of the healthy mucosa, or lining tissue of the small intestine which ultimately leads to all kinds of health problems.
The term gluten intolerance refers to three types of conditions:
Celiac disease (occurs in 1 out of 100 people) - an inflammatory autoimmune disease caused by genetic or environmental factors.
Wheat allergy - an abnormal immune response to specific proteins in wheat.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (occurs in 1/3 of the population) - when a person doesn’t have either of the above conditions, yet still experiences intestinal symptoms, headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and more when consuming gluten.
SO THE QUESTION IS WHY IS THIS HAPPENING AFTER EATING GLUTINOUS GRAINS FOR CENTURIES?
It’s important to understand that modern day gluten is not the same as our grandparents ate. Scientists have developed hybrid strains containing new forms of gluten that our bodies are unfamiliar with.
In 1943, in a world-wide effort to increase the yield of corn, soy, and wheat, hybridization took over and soon many different strains of wheat were being planted and harvested. By 1980, thousands of new strains of wheat had been produced - with no regard to possible alterations to gluten proteins. These new varieties were geared toward making the plant resistant to environmental conditions, greater resistance to pathogens such as fungus, and increased yield per acre - tenfold greater than farms of a century ago. Increased yield meant top-heavy plants and grain losses occurred as plants could not withstand the weight. Continued manipulations produced smaller plants considered "dwarf" wheat. More than 99% of wheat crops are now "dwarfed", growing to only 18" tall compared to non-hybridized wheat that grows naturally to 4.5 feet tall. These modified strains have a much higher gluten content and have now affected nearly all wheat strains in America.
Unfortunately, no animal or human safety testing had been conducted on these new strains of wheat. Geneticists were confident that hybridization yielded safe products for human consumption. So, all products were released into the food supply unquestioned. Assumption was that altered protein structures, enzymes and gluten content would have no human consequence ~ but they were wrong. It has now been discovered that these new, never-before-seen gluten proteins are actually foreign to the body.
“Gluten is an umbrella term that refers to a family of proteins know as prolamins. These proteins are resistant to human digestion.” ~ Healthline.com
IT ALL STARTS IN THE GUT
Research suggests that human digestive systems haven’t evolved to digest the kind of proteins common in this modern wheat. The simple truth is that humans can’t digest gluten anymore. While we can consume some foods that we can’t digest in small quantities and not have a problem, the danger comes into play when we consume large amounts (every day and sometimes every meal), and especially if we have a genetic tendency to react to gluten.
So it’s no coincidence that, at that same time, we experienced a huge increase in health challenges. In fact, the New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 “diseases” that can be caused by eating gluten. Ingestion of gluten triggers an immune response that causes inflammation in the intestinal mucosa. This breaks apart the tight junctions in the intestines and allows unwanted proteins or other large molecules to gain entry directly into the blood stream. This is known as Leaky Gut Syndrome and is associated with inflammatory and infectious bowel diseases, and can ultimately lead to a variety of intestinal dysfunctions such as food allergies, malabsorption, anemia, vitamin & mineral deficiency, chronic diarrhea or constipation, abdominal distension, and celiac disease.
In addition to inflammatory and infectious bowel diseases (such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, etc), conditions that have also paralleled this process and are related to gluten are several types of arthritis (including Rheumatoid Arthritis), acne, psoriasis, AIDS, chronic liver disease, pancreatic disease, thyroid disease, insulin resistance & diabetes, lupus, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, MS, intestinal cancers, heart disease, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, acid reflex, osteoporosis & osteopenia, muscle weakness, bone or joint pain, migraines, accelerated aging, infertility, miscarriage, numerous hormone related problems, and more. Ingestion of gluten has also been linked to a multitude of neurological problems including schizophrenia, bipolar disease, seizure disorders, Bell’s palsies, neuropathy, nerve pain syndromes, depression, ADD/ADHD, autism and other developmental disease.
Some estimates suggest that the hybridization and genetic engineering of wheat has resulted in an up to 500 fold increase in wheat gluten produced today. This may be one of the primary reasons behind the massive rise in incidence of wheat gluten intolerance, celiac disease and other autoimmune conditions in recent decades. In fact, today’s gluten has the potential to create an autoimmune epidemic.
And, if all that wasn’t enough, common wheat and other glutinous grains harvest protocol in the United States is to drench the wheat fields with Roundup (glyphosate) several days before the combine harvesters work through the fields as the practice allows for an earlier, easier and bigger harvest!!! YUCK!!!
While there are lab tests that can help determine if you have a gluten intolerance, the most effective way to know if you would benefit from a gluten free diet is to avoid it completely and monitor your symptoms. At the very least, it’s important to seriously reduce gluten in your diet. And if you (like me) do choose to consume it occasionally, definitely be sure to go organic to avoid the glyphosate poison. You can also choose sprouted forms of gluten - as the sprouting process activates key enzymes that help to digest and metabolize it.
WHERE IS GLUTEN FOUND?
Wheat, rye, barley, kamut, spelt, couscous and oats all contain gluten. Oats are actually NOT a glutinous grain. However, they are grown next to or rotated with glutinous grains, and processed on the same equipment as glutinous grains so are cross-contaminated, and are usually included in lists of glutinous grains. (Gluten-free oats can be purchased at most health food stores.) It’s also found in soups, salad dressings, sauces & gravies, rice mixes, some ice creams, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, frozen vegetables with sauce packets, imitation bacon bits, beer, barbecue sauce, anything with malt flour, chocolate bars, farina, sausage products, imitation crab meat, meat marinades, candy coatings, and even lipstick, medications, glue on envelopes & stamps, and hundreds more!!!
As a Certified Diet Counselor and Holistic Nutrition Educator, I offer education and guidance about health factors that are within our own control — the use of nutritious foods, dietary supplements, and lifestyle choices — and, by optimizing these factors, restore, develop, or maintain optimal health, life quality and well-being. It is always my intention to present these basic principles of health in a way that is easy to understand and incorporate into your life.
Happy, Healthy Living!
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