What’s Wrong With Gluten

Diet: What’s Wrong With Gluten

Gluten is a protein found in most cereals and therefore flours. Difficult to avoid, and yet, according to a market survey conducted in the United States by the NPD Group, nearly 30% of Americans have removed gluten from their diet against only 1 to 2% of French.

Gluten: true or false problem?The story begins in the United States where stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey, or Jessica Alba praise the benefits of diet gluten free. This protein is present in wheat, rye or barley, ie in 80% of cereals, becomes the pet peeve of consumers. We are talking about the “gluten free diet”. Goodbye prepared meals, pizzas and pastries. And for good reason, gluten is everywhere. It is he who gives his mellow bread but also to link the sauces.

“To live without gluten is possible and it makes you lose weight” Remove all gluten-based foods as part of a diet strict is not simple but not impossible either. Benjamin Dariouch , nutrition expert, and Marion Kaplan , bio-nutritionist and author of the book Food without gluten or dairy products Editions Jouvence, we deliver some tips.

Does the gluten-free diet really make you lose weight?Benjamin Dariouch: “Reduce pasta and the breadit’s good for the line. This is not new. And remove fast food from his daily life, it’s even better! But the best advice is to relearn how to cook fresh products. “

Several Processed Foods And Other Items

Many processed foods and other popular items may also harbor gluten. These include:

• meat substitutes, such as veggie burgers and hot dogs
• prepared lunch meats
• canned soups and soup mixes
• puddings and instant dessert mixes
• certain ice creams
• french fries and other fried foods

Summary

Foods that contain gluten include breads, pastas, crackers, baked goods, many grains, and several beverages and processed items.

Though it may seem as if most foods are off-limits when youre intolerant to gluten, many delicious and healthy foods are naturally gluten-free. Plus, quality gluten-free breads, pastas, and crackers are available in most grocery stores.

If youre gluten intolerant, you can enjoy the following foods.

Do We All Need To Be On A Gluten

Much of the research on gluten focuses on patients with diagnosed gluten disorders. Many medical professionals insist that only those with gluten disorders benefit from a gluten-free diet. However, there is a growing body of evidence that shows all of us could prosper from avoiding gluten. Consider:

• In this small pilot study, one of the first to examine glutens effects on non-celiac patients, researchers tested biopsies of both celiacs and non-celiacs and concluded that gluten elicits its harmful effect, throughout an IL15 innate immune response, on all the individuals.
• This study examined four groups: those with active celiac disease, celiacs in remission, people with NCGS and non-celiacs . After exposure to gliadin, researchers collected biopsies from the small intestine. All individuals showed an increase in intestinal permeability, with active celiac and NCGS patients showing the most compared to celiacs in remission and the controls.
• In this six-week study of 34 patients, people received either glutenous bread and muffins or gluten-free versions but they didnt know which version they were having. The group eating gluten reported more gastrointestinal symptoms such as pain, bloating, inconsistent bowel movements and fatigue. No intestinal permeability or inflammatory markers were detected.

For those who are dealing with challenges, examining the diet both what youre eating and not eating is always a sensible step on the path to good health.

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Wheatgrass Contains No Wheat Or Gluten And Offers Hundreds Of Nutrients

Despite having the name wheatgrass, this superfood doesn’t contain wheat. Humans can’t eat wheatgrass the way a cat does we can only consume wheatgrass as a supplement after it’s been processed. Wheatgrass stems and leaves have no gluten or wheat in them. Only the seed kernels in wheatgrass contain gluten/wheat, and they aren’t used in the manufacture of wheatgrass supplements.

One ounce of wheatgrass has 240% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A, 356% of the RDA for iron, and 8 grams of fiber. Wheatgrass increases the amount of oxygen in your blood. This stimulates circulation to improve skin tone and energize you.

Wheatgrass pills made from high-quality wheatgrass offer hundreds of nutrients, including all the vitamins you’d find in a typical multivitamin and lots more. Wheatgrass contains Vitamin A for skin and eye health, Vitamin C for a better immune system and Vitamin K to aid blood clotting. The Vitamin E in wheatgrass helps skin retain moisture, contributes to a healthy heart and promotes circulation, and B-complex vitamins boost energy and improve mood.

Early Childhood Celiac Disease

A large-scale study of 6,605 children genetically predisposed to celiac disease tracked their gluten consumption from birth until they reached the age of five. After five years, 7% of the children were diagnosed with celiac disease and 18% developed celiac disease autoimmunity, the presence of tTG antibodies that indicates the possibility of celiac disease or pre-celiac disease. The studys researchers concluded that eating gluten was a definitive risk factor for the development of celiac disease. After the age of two, even small daily amounts of gluten such as one slice of bread or serving of pasta greatly increased the risk of celiac disease.

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Increased Vulnerability To Gut Autoimmunity

Items #1-4 on this list discussed how wheat makes the gut more permeable, so all kinds of stuff can get into the bloodstream even though it shouldnt be there. Included in that stuff isgluten! Specifically, gliadin, which is a component of gluten. Once its inside your bloodstream, gliadin runs into your immune system, and thats where the problems really start, in the form of molecular mimicry.

Molecular mimicry works like this: some foreign thing gets into the bloodstream. The immune system forms antibodies against it. So far, so good: thats how the immune system is supposed to work. But if that foreign thing looks enough like your own bodys tissue, then the antibodies formed to fight it might start attacking your own body as well.

Molecular mimicry may be the reason why people with celiac disease mount an attack on their own gut cells: to your immune system, gliadin looks a lot like the cells lining the gut. But its not just celiac disease! Gluten-related inflammation may also be a factor in the development of Crohns Disease, another autoimmune gut disease. In this study of patients with inflammatory bowel disease , a gluten-free diet helped a majority of people who tried it.

And gut cells arent the only cells affected by gluten-related autoimmunity

Whats Wrong With Gluten

So after a month of super clean recipes and lots of hard work from many of you sticking with your new healthier lifestyles, I thought I would start February off with the low down on gluten. After all, if youre doing something to improve your health, its important you know why, right?

First, just so were clear, gluten is a protein that is found naturally in wheat, barley and rye . The most common gluten containing foods are things like bread, pasta, cereals, cakes and pastries. For many people, there is not very much at all wrong with gluten. Grains on the whole are best eaten in moderation, as they offer little goodness as well as quick releases of sugar compared to other, more nutrient rich options. If you do choose to eat them, always eat them in the wholegrain variety, rather than the refined versions as these have been been stripped of most, if not all, of their nutrients and will simply fill us up providing calories, without essential nutrients.

If you need any more convincing, theres also the added benefit of weight loss. Having a food sensitivity can seriously inhibit weight loss due to inflammation within the gut and the immune system activation. The process inhibits glucose from entering our cells and instead it get converted straight into fat. Also, cutting these high calorie, low nutrient foods from our diet and swapping them for highly nutritious and natural alternatives brings amazing benefits.

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Are Gluten Intolerance And Celiac Disease The Same Thing

Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are different. People with celiac disease have an autoimmune response to gluten. This means their bodies try to fight against gluten as if it were a virus. This reaction causes inflammation and damage to their digestive tracts. Celiac disease is the result of an abnormal gene. People with celiac disease also have high levels of certain antibodies in their blood, which are substances that fight gluten.

Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease cause a lot of the same symptoms. But people with gluten sensitivity dont have an abnormal gene or antibodies in their blood.

What Does Gluten Do To Your Body

Humans have digestive enzymes that help us break down food. Protease is the enzyme that helps our body process proteins, but it cant completely break down gluten. Undigested gluten makes its way to the small intestine. Most people can handle the undigested gluten with no problems. But in some people, gluten can trigger a severe autoimmune response or other unpleasant symptoms.

An autoimmune response to gluten is called celiac disease. Celiac can damage the small intestine. Some people who dont have celiac disease still seem to feel sick after eating foods that contain gluten. They may experience bloating, diarrhea, headaches or skin rashes. This could be a reaction to poorly digested carbohydrates, not just gluten. These carbs, called FODMAPS, ferment in your gut. People with sensitive guts may experience discomfort from that fermentation, not necessarily from gluten.

Research suggests that some people could have small intestines that dont work properly. The lining might be too permeable, allowing some undigested gluten, bacteria or other substances to go through the lining and into the bloodstream, causing inflammation.

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Why Would You Celebrate Salad

Celebrate because salads offer a WIDE range of options. You can build a salad with whatever you have on hand grab your greens, veggies, and add a protein how awesome and delicious is that!

When we make salads for dinner in our home we call this The Big Salad.

It always amazes me how filling it actually is and ALL healthy for you!

Ditch The Gluten Improve Your Health

• By Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

Thinking of going gluten-free? If you are, you have plenty of company. Interest and enthusiasm around gluten-free diets continues to grow dramatically. You can find plenty of books, diet experts, and advertisements supporting the idea. But does it really improve your health or sense of well-being? Or might it just be a widely amplified health fad?

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Wheat Today Is Different

Wheat was first cultivated about 10,000 years ago. As you might imagine, what our ancestors ate back then was an entirely different type of wheat than the super-fluffy breads that you find in supermarkets today, which frequently contain artificial colors, added sugar, glyphosate and other problematic ingredients.

Wheat does provide some nutrients, including essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals, and dietary fiber. But wheat today is far different than even what your grandparents ate. Modern baking practices have shortened bread leavening, which potentially means increased exposure to gluten.

Todays bread is a product of cross-breeding and genetic manipulation that began in the 1960s to create a higher-yielding, lower-cost crop. Modern wheat has also been bleached and heavily processed. Specific nutrients in wheat such as zinc, iron, copper and magnesium have decreased significantly since the mid-1960s due to farming practices but also the quality of wheat.

Overall, we have limited data to compare ancient grains with what we have today. Researchers have particularly focused on Kamut® or Khorasan wheat, which has less gluten and more protein than regular wheat, supposedly making it healthier and easier to digest. While I am always wary about marketing hype, ancient grain breads typically have quality ingredients, are higher in fiber, and are naturally free of gluten.

How To Know If You Suffer Gluten Intolerance

First, avoid eating products that can contain gluten for 60 days. To do so, it is not enough to just stop eating bread and pasta with gluten. Lets not forget that gluten is also a food additive in many processed products. Therefore, read the product label carefully. Moreover, you will have to order a gluten-free meal if you go to a restaurant.

It may be difficult to give up the products that you usually eat as well as the belief that whole bread is always healthy.

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Autoimmune Reactions In People Without Celiac Disease

Point #6 above gave a lot of reasons why celiac disease is associated with other autoimmune diseases, but its not limited to people with celiac disease. If you thought non-celiac gluten sensitivity was unrelated to autoimmune disease, you thought wrong! This study found that a lot of people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity have autoimmune markers in their blood, suggesting that the wheat exposure might be causing autoimmune issues even without celiac disease.

One interesting aspect of this is that patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity may have a different type of autoimmune reaction, which just underlines that celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity are two different things. But the point is that both involve potentially serious autoimmune responses.

It’s Not Just For People With Celiac Disease But Is It For You

In the world of trendy diets, gluten-free continues to be one of the most popular. This eating style is absolutely essential to people with celiac disease, who can’t tolerate even small amounts of the protein gluten, which is found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. However, many people who dont have celiac disease follow a gluten-free diet.

Also Check: Is Hello Fresh Gluten Free

Most Breads Crackers And Wraps

Most breads, crackers, and wraps contain gluten. The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredient list and check to see which grains are used.

If you have a gluten intolerance, avoid the following:

As an alternative, you can make your own condiments from gluten-free ingredients or purchase ones that are certified gluten-free.

What’s So Bad About Gluten Other Potential Health Problems

• Like sugar, caffeine and alcohol, some people may find wheat gluten addictive. Cravings for doughnuts, pastries, cakes and even crackers are pretty common, and certain people may crave gluten. Studies have shown that when broken down, gluten contains peptides that may activate opioid receptors in the brain, causing addiction. This is a long-shot theory, but it’s certainly possible gluten may cause food addiction in some people.

• Gluten may lead to brain disorders known as gluten-sensitive idiopathic neuropathies. Cerebellar ataxia, which causes balance and coordination problems and difficulty talking, is partially caused by gluten intake. Patients with this condition improved when placed on a gluten-free diet. A gluten-free diet has also proved effective for some people with autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia.

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Glutens Impact On The Gut: An Essential Factor

Our digestive tract and gut microbiome play a key role in our overall health.

Our small intestine is like a wall around a city. It allows some things through and keeps other things out. It is known as a semi-permeable membrane because of this selective quality. The small intestine is designed to control what goes in, but when the intestinal lining becomes damaged, this protective barrier is compromised. When the gut becomes more permeable we call it leaky, or leaky gut syndrome, or intestinal permeability. Undigested food particles then leak through, and our immune system reacts to the proteins in undigested foods.

Evidence shows that gluten consumption negatively affects our gut barrier. Gliadin, one of the proteins found in wheat, triggers the release of zonulin a protein that increases intestinal permeability. This sets off an immune response and inflammatory reaction, and high zonulin levels are implicated in both inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

This pro-inflammatory immune response happens in both patients with gluten disorders such as celiac disease and healthy controls, though the response is much heftier and stronger in celiac patients.

Gluten consumption can also lead to dysbiosis, a disruption in the bacteria in our microbiome. An altered microbiome can also prompt intestinal permeability. Studies indicate that a gluten-free diet can enrich the composition of gut bacteria for celiac disease patients.

How Is Celiac Disease Treated

The treatment for celiac disease or gluten intolerance is to eat a gluten-free diet. Removing gluten from your diet allows the intestines to heal. Healing time is different for each person.

If youre diagnosed with celiac disease, youll have to stay on a gluten-free diet even after you feel well because eating gluten can damage the small intestine, cause nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition, keep the immune system from working properly, and make it hard for the body to fight infections.

Avoiding gluten means more than giving up traditional breads, cereals, pasta, pizza, and beer. Gluten also lurks in many other products, including frozen vegetables in sauces, soy sauce, some foods made with natural flavorings, vitamin and mineral supplements, some medications, and even toothpaste. This makes following a gluten-free diet extremely challenging.

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