I’ve been gluten free for over 3 years. Well, I’m 100% gluten free about 95% of the time. The other 5% is all the sneaky little places gluten likes to hide, like the wax on my apple, or in my toothpaste, or that bite of French toast that accidentally snuck into my mouth off my friends plate when she wasn’t looking. As an acupuncturist, I get asked often for advice on diet, weight loss, food allergies and gluten. These days, gluten-free diets have essentially become a fad, but with very good reason. With the alarming increase in autoimmune diseases and al
lergies, becoming gluten free is more about optimizing health, than about doing the hip thing. I’m here to offer a bit of background on the evolution of gluten in our diets, and tips for living a gluten free lifestyle.
The question I often hear in the mainstream is “why do so many people suddenly have a gluten intolerance?” Gluten sensitivity is a spectrum, with some people having virtually no problems with gluten, to a mild, moderate, or severe intolerance as in the case of Celiac disease. The reason more and more people are having increased sensitivity is because the wheat grown in this country today is very different from the wheat our ancestors ate. It now contains many new protein structures that can trigger an immune response in the gut. Dr. Perlmutter, the author of Grain Brain has a great blog that goes into the science behind the evolution of wheat.
Gluten is now used in multitudes of processed foods, beverages, and even shampoo and toothpaste. It can be found in sauces, salad dressing, ketchup, food starch, deli meat, malt extract and even red wine. People who are sensitive to gluten can also have a cross reaction to other foods like oats, corn, dairy and even instant coffee.
One thing that is important to know, is that the common blood test run by most doctors, isn’t always a complete “gluten sensitivity panel”. When testing for gluten antibodies in the body, all of the following should be tested: transglutaminase-2, transglutaminase-3, transglutaminase-6, alpha gliadin, omega gliadin, gamma gliadin, wheat germ agglutinin, deamidated gliadin, gluteomorphin and prodynorphin. The company that tests all of these is Cyrex Labs. (referenced from the book Why Isn’t My Brain Working by Datis Kharrazian).
There is enough research out there to show that genetically modified foods actually lead to a breakdown of the lining of the digestive tract, in addition to an atrophying of the liver. When the lining of the gut is unhealthy, proteins and amino acid sequences that should be broken down in the small intestine, are able to pass through into the bloodstream. When these “foreign” proteins circulate, they trigger an immune system response that can contribute to the big picture of food allergies, auto-immune reactions, and gluten sensitivity. To learn more about genetically modified foods, go to the Institute for Responsible Technology. GMO’s are also becoming insidious in the American food supply (Europe isn’t fooled so easily). High fructose corn syrup is almost always from GMO corn, so anything containing HFCS should be avoided. Thanks FDA for not watching out for us, but by all means, keep printing those gosh darn helpful food pyramids with all the gluten pics! On a side note…if you’re looking for a phenomenal sci-fi novel, check out The Windup Girl. It envisions a future ruled by Monsanto-esque companies.
What’s wrong with gluten-free grains, one might ask? Well, some people are sensitive to lectins, which are found in most grains – gluten free or not. Lectins can contribute to leaky gut syndromes in much the same way GMO foods can. They also enter the bloodstream and bind to insulin receptors, thereby interfering with blood sugar levels and weight. People who have a gluten sensitivity often have an unhealthy intestinal lining situation already, due to the inflammation caused by eating gluten for many years. By continuing to eat gluten free grains which contain lectins, the lining of the gut may not heal as quickly. To learn more, check out Dr. Mercola’s article on leaky gut.
If you are having trouble with chronic fatigue, gas, bloating, loose stools, constipation, migraines, or chronic low back pain, you might want to look into testing for a gluten sensitivity. Other neurological symptoms that may be directly associated with gluten are epilepsy in kids, vertigo, and brain fog. For a more complete list of symptoms, click here.
Many people with gluten sensitivity need additional help in addressing the chronic inflammation in the gut. Often simply avoiding gluten is not enough. For more information on how acupuncture, Chinese herbs, digestive enzymes and nutritional supplements can help you feel better, please e-mail me at amymoll@hraclinics.com.
