by Dr.O
Have you seen all the gluten-free foods that are now carried in all grocery stores? Wondered what it is all about? I’ve attached a couple of links from news channels in Texas that I came across when I was recently there for you to take a look at (see below). However, I would like to give you just a brief explanation why gluten has become a prevalent health issue.
One of the reasons why we think that gluten is a problem for most people, is not just because it is hard to digest, but also because the way wheat berries often are stored after a harvest. Wheat is one of 7 grains that contains gluten, and when the berry of this grain has been harvested it is put in to large containers such as silos or big barrels. This grain is often left in this barrel for a while until the farmer can sell it at the best price possible. These containers are so large with low air circulation and often this leads to increased heat that promotes growth of fungus and bacteria. This is a known byproduct of storing the grains thus farmers find themselves having to spray with pesticides to prevent the wheat berry to go bad. By the time the wheat berry is sold, you now have a mixture of wheat berry, fungus spores, bacterial toxins and pesticides. When the berry is ground up for flour and used in food, your immune system will see the fungus and bacterial particles and create antibodies against this. Unfortunately, you also have the presence of gluten protein, which the immune system sees in this mix, hence antibodies against gluten is also being made. This creates food sensitivity to gluten that could cause multiple health problems in people. First of all, if you have hypothyroidism (the Hashimoto’s thyroiditis type), you are most likely also gluten-sensitive. If you have any autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus you may also have gluten sensitivities. Dr. Kwaazarian, a well renowned alternative physician specialized in neuroimmunology, has seen patients with symptoms like Lou Gehrig’s disease also known as ALS that was all cleared when patients stopped eating gluten containing foods. Research is suggesting that gluten has a direct toxic effect on brain and neurological tissue if you are one these people that cannot tolerate gluten. Unfortunately, I am seeing more and more people testing positive for gluten antibodies and having health problems going away when they stop eating gluten. These health problems are often not even GI related, but rather symptoms like fatigue, body aches, inability to focus and memory issues, weight gain and more. Before
I direct you to watch these weblinks for more information on gluten, I want you to know what type of grains to avoid if you are gluten intolerant:
Gluten-containing grains:
Wheat
Rye
Spelt
Oats (there are gluten-free oats available)
Barley
Triticale
Kamut
These grains do not have gluten:
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Quinoa
Here are the links to more information about gluten free diet:
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/health/090716_gluten_free_dieting
