What is the whole “gluten free” craze all about?

What is the whole “gluten free” craze all about?

We have been seeing more and more people switch to gluten free diets and seeing bigger variety of gluten free products coming up in the market, gluten has been linked to lots of health concerns, digestive issues, autoimmune conditions, autism, depression, inflammation, you name it.

It makes me wonder, since grains and especially wheat has been the foundation of many civilizations, it has been used to make porridge and bread centuries ago. Why is it suddenly causing so much trouble? What has changed? Is it the wheat? Is it how we process it? Or is it our bodies?

Let’s first get to know Gluten

Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keeps its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture. Gluten is used in cosmetics, hair products, and other dermatological preparations.

Gluten has always been there, and people have been always depending on it as part of their diets. Something must have gone wrong along the way.

What has changed?

The way we grow it, the way we process it and the way we eat and the amount we eat it.

 Industrialized grain milling

•     we separated the component parts removing the bran, germ, shorts, and produce fine pure white flour at low cost, by this removing all the nutrients, vitamins, protein and minerals.

•     It stores perfectly for long times without risk of getting pests, no wonder the pests know there is nothing for them in there.

•      A very high glycemic index meaning It raises your blood lever a lot faster and thus contributes to weight gain, diabetes and inflammation which are linked to heart disease and arthritis to name some.

•      Also that rapid rise is sugar, followed by a rapid drop in sugar causes addiction that will make you hungrier for sugar and carbs to fix that drop, and the cycle goes on forever.

•      Some of the nutrients that were removed with the bran and germ are added in the “enriching” process, where iron and synthetic B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid are added back in. Other agents are added to the dough which keeps the bread fresh and pliable for a longer period of time.

 Hybridized wheat 

• In the 1950s a movement called the “Green Revolution” changed the wheat that we always knew. Scientists started cross-breeding wheat to make it hardier, shorter, and better-growing.

•      species of semi-dwarf wheat was introduced, together with complimenting fertilizers and pesticides, increased yield. Another result of the hybridizations is that gluten levels increased in the new wheat, a good thing for making tall, fluffy breads that last longer.

•    In 2003 Clearfield wheat was introduced, which is tolerant to the herbicide “Beyond” .

•   They proudly proclaim that the wheat is not the product of genetic engineering, but of “enhanced traditional plant breeding” methods.

• The technique is called “chemical mutagenesis”. Using a highly toxic chemical – sodium azide – as well as gamma and x-ray radiation. Clearfield is now supplied in 20 varieties and nearly a million acres are planted with it in the US and Canada.

• The poison control people will tell you that if someone accidentally ingests sodium azide, you shouldn’t try to resuscitate the person because you could die, too, giving CPR. This is a highly toxic chemical. 

•  This hybridized wheat contains foreign proteins that aren't typically found in either the parent or the plant  some of which are difficult for us to properly digest.

   Processing

Traditionally bread was made with a slow rise sourdough method, using native yeast from the air to raise the dough. The long hours of rising allowed a lot of the gluten to be digested which makes it easier on our bodies.

Today’s bread is made with fast-rising yeast that has been cultured specially to raise bread dough faster and higher than any sourdough can, which in turn makes it more indigestible, not forgetting that it already has more gluten than its ancient versions to start with.

 Amount

We are eating wheat and wheat products more than ever before, bread, cookies, cakes, breaded chicken, meat loafs, cereals, crackers,..

Not to mention how many processed food contain gluten in them, from ketchup, soy sauce, salad dressings, sauces…

Are we really meant to be able to digest all that amount of processed, hyberdized, chemically sprayed gluten?

Our bodies

Last but not least our digestive systems are already compromised to start with, with all the toxins, pesticides, and especially antibiotics that we get through medications and through meat and chicken fed antibiotics, sugar, chemicals and additives in food, all compromise and weaken our immunity and our digestive health which makes it harder for our bodies to digest a complex proteins.

Antibiotic use and chemicals also causes “ leaky gut” where the intestinal wall is permeable and leaks undigested food particles into the blood stream, which cause a series of immune reactions against this foreign material.

Gluten can sometimes cause an autoimmune reaction in the body like celiac disease or other auto immune conditions that are triggered with gluten, or just cause damage to the intestinal wall over the time that can cause all sorts of other health issues which is called “ gluten intolerance”. In this case the symptoms are hard to pinpoint and also the tests are not very reliable.

If you have " gluten intolerance" that was undiagnosed, it can cause damage to your intestinal wall causing it to be preamble, and thus leaks undigested food particles into the blood stream causing the immune system to react to it, the continuos stress on the immune system can cause havoc in the body.

 Health issues that can be related to “ gluten sensitivity” or “ gluten intolerance”:

Research estimates that 18 million Americans have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. That’s 6 times the amount of Americans who have celiac disease.

1.     Gastrointestinal effects: bloating, diarrhea and constipation

2. Mal-absorption of vitamins: If a person is gluten sensitive or intolerant, their stomach lining can no longer absorb essential nutrients from food. Low iron is a common indicator of gluten intolerance.

3. Skin rash

4. Migraines

5. Joint pain

7. Chronic fatigue

8. Fibromyalgia.

9. Depression and brain fog

How to know if you have gluten sensitivity?

•      Completely eliminate gluten for 3 weeks.

•     Write a food diary and write down how you feel every day, Notice if your symptoms were relieved.

•     Reintroduce gluten and notice any adverse reaction: headache, gas, mood swings, constipation, mood swings, anxiety.

     Gluten free grains 

     Quinoa

      Amaranth

      teff

      Rice

      Oats : Oats are inherently gluten-free, but are frequently contaminated with wheat during growing or processing. Several companies (Bob's Red Mill, Cream Hill Estates, GF Harvest (formerly Gluten Free Oats), and Avena Foods (Only Oats) are currently among those that offer pure, uncontaminated oats.

      Millet

      Sorghum

      Buckwheat