I wrote this article for a local newspaper many years ago. Today, I update it.
Gluten, derived from the Latin word for glue, is a protein that helps make bread chewy, spongy, and airy. Yum!
Theoretically, all grains contain gluten-like proteins. However, the gluten of concern for those with celiac disease, the condition I focus on in this article, is found predominantly in wheat, rye, barley, triticale, and sometimes oats.
Is gluten-free a dietary fad?
Make sure the food you love loves you back.
~ Leo Lourdes
Many people report that they feel better when they stop eating gluten.
Is this just a new dietary fad, driven by fear-based marketing to increase demand for gluten-free packaged foods, or is there a legitimate reason for concern?
Unfortunately, gluten can be debilitating for those suffering from celiac disease. A 2009 study concluded that those afflicted, but misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, have a fourfold increased risk of death. The occurrence of celiac has also increased fivefold since the 1950's.
Dr Alessio Fasano, chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Mass General for Children, has talked about a three-legged stool for autoimmune conditions like celiac:
Genetic predisposition
Environmental trigger (gluten for celiac)
Intestinal permeability or leaky gut
Genes may load the gun but ultimately the environment pulls the trigger.
Genes have not changed since we started eating grains 10,000 years ago. The National Institute of Health (NIH) states that 30 to 35% of us have a genetic predisposition to celiac, but under 2% succumb to it.
Celiac presents with hundreds of symptoms including recurring abdominal pain, bloating, chronic diarrhea/constipation, weight loss, headache, difficulty concentrating or forgetfulness, mood disorders, tingling/numbness in hands and feet, chronic fatigue, joint and muscle pain, iron deficiency anemia, unexplained infertility, low bone density, skin rashes or eczema, and tooth decay.
The only effective treatment for celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet for life.
Please keep in mind that while gluten is difficult for humans to digest and can irritate our digestive tract, given the right food, lifestyle habits and mindset, the body has an incredible capacity to repair and heal itself. And, current research suggests that by maintaining a healthy diversity of bacteria in our gut, most of us can break it down and absorb it.
Why the dramatic increase in celiac?
. . . our body is an ecosystem. This ecosystem must be maintained . . .
~ Ilchi Lee
Several recent changes combined, create the perfect storm to increase the prevalence of celiac and gluten sensitivity. These include:
Increasing levels of isolated gluten and food glues added to processed foods.
Excessive hygiene (germ phobia, overuse of antimicrobials) leads our under-utilized immune system to be hyper-vigilant, overreacting to harmless substances like pollens and food proteins like gluten. We have reduced the diversity of gut microbes, including those that create short-chain fatty acids that heal and seal the gut.
A change in the production of wheat, and other crops, over the last two decades, has farmers drench fields with Roundup, an herbicide and desiccant, days before harvest, leaving residue on our food supply. The science is now revealing that this herbicide can cause intestinal permeability (leaky gut), allowing undigested food particles and toxicants directly into the bloodstream. The active ingredient in this herbicide, glyphosate, also impairs our ability to detoxify.
What to do?
How can you begin to uncover whether gluten sensitivity is causing some of your health issues? Symptoms occur shortly after eating gluten and improve or disappear within hours or days after gluten is withdrawn. Symptoms return again if gluten is reintroduced.
~ Kris Carr
The gold standard for food sensitivity testing is the elimination diet. Eliminate the food of concern for several weeks and assess how you feel. Re-introduce the food. Re-assess.
Before cutting gluten, get tested for celiac if you have a legitimate concern.
Eliminate wheat, rye, barley, triticale, and gluten-contaminated oats from your diet for at least 30 days to determine if any symptoms you may be experiencing are alleviated.
Avoid processed food. Food glues are widely used to hold meats and plant-based meat alternatives together, to extend the shelf life of packaged foods, and to create a desirable texture of cheese, yogurt, and milk drinks by cross-linking casein proteins. It can be found in artificial and natural flavours without disclosure.
Consume organic bone broths (if not vegan or vegetarian) to help heal and seal the intestinal lining.
Eat high-quality cultured foods, rich in active bacterial cultures, including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi, to repopulate the gut with healthy gut microbes.
Even if gluten is not a problem, vote with your fork. Say “no” to harmful herbicides. Choose baked goods made with organic flour and bread made from organic sprouted or sourdough-leavened whole grains, rendering gluten easier to digest. Help increase demand, and decrease cost, for higher quality more sustainably produced food.
Create healthy barriers physically and metaphorically. When we feel invincible, we become less vulnerable. When we feel safe we produce chemistry that heals and seals the linings of tissue throughout the body.
Our body teaches us that health lies in balance and harmony, rather than in conflict and fighting.
~ Ilchi Lee
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