Gluten: Friend or Foe?
I get asked this question a lot; “Are we more intolerant to
gluten now or have diseases like celiac’s and gluten sensitivity finally just
made it mainstream and so we are more aware of gluten?”
I think the answer is twofold, but a lot of the intolerances
to gluten have been fairly recent due to the way grains like wheat are grown
and farmed now.
Dr. Monroe says, “The wheat we have now is different than
what it used to be. It’s a
hybridized version. Wheat was about 4.5 feet tall and would fall down in bad
weather so a lot of the crops were wasted. In the hybridization process, they now have dwarfed wheat that
is much higher in gluten and they have found a bunch of new proteins that
weren’t in the original wheat. The
human body is having trouble dealing with those new proteins and higher gluten
content. I truly believe that’s
what happening now. The autism
rate is skyrocketing as well (from this and immunizations).”
In addition, it’s almost impossible to avoid. I’ve just discovered I’m gluten
intolerant (non-celiac) and was already sensitive to wheat and corn. It isn’t a huge adjustment because of
that, but I have to be more careful now when eating out, buying packaged foods,
or at social gatherings. It really
limits what you can consume…not to mention beer!
My general rule: stick with food you cooked yourself, healthy
staples like vegetables, meats, fruit, and food in its original form. If you
need a bakery fix: Rice flour works amazingly as a flour substitute. When I bake, people can’t tell the
difference. Unfortunately for me,
gluten-free baked goods sold in stores still contain ingredients that bother my
stomach- tapioca starch, corn, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, and corn starch are
all commonly used, so watch out if you think this may be a problem for you. If it's not, there are several stores and bakeries in the area offering options for you.
Dr. Monroe offers allergy testing in her office- no needles,
pricks, or blood tests involved.
Contact her if you think you might be suffering from a gluten
sensitivity, IBS, celiac disease, or just have questions. 916-448-9927 or drpjmonroe@gmail.com. She is located in Sacramento, CA.
· Contact us if you have any questions! drmomnaturopath@gmail.com! We're no strangers to gluten sensitivity and would be happy to help.
- -Briana & Dr. Mom
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Some
history about the changes in wheat:
In 1943, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(IMWIC) began to help Mexico achieve agricultural self-sufficiency. This grew into a worldwide effort to
increase the yield of corn, soy, and wheat. Hybridization took over soon, and many different strains of
wheat were being planted and harvested.
By 1980, thousands of new strains of wheat had been
produced. These new varieties were
geared towards making the plant resistant to environmental conditions,
developing a greater resistance to pathogens (such as fungus), and an increased
yield per acre (tenfold greater than farms of a century ago).
The increased yield meant top heavy plants. Grain losses occurred as plants could
not withstand the weight. Due to
this, manipulation occurred to produce a smaller “dwarf” variety of wheat.
There are numerous farms which grow and harvest wheat,
however these are not available on the commercial market.
Despite these increases in crop yield, no animal or human
safety testing had been conducted on these new strains of wheat. Geneticists were confident that
hybridization yielded safe products for human consumption. Products were released into the market,
unquestioned. The assumption was
that altered protein structures, enzyme qualities, and gluten content would
have no human consequence.
It was later discovered that wheat gluten had the most
significant changes with hybridization.
Upon comparison of two parent strains of wheat, 95% of the
proteins expressed in the offspring are same, 5% are unique, found in neither parent. When compared to century-old strains of
wheat, gluten proteins associated with celiac disease were found in higher
quantities.
New, never-before-seen gluten proteins are now being
discovered which are foreign to the body.
Some estimates suggest that the hybridization and genetic engineering of
wheat has resulted in an up to 500 fold increase in wheat gluten produced
today. This may be one of the
primary reasons behind the massive rise in incidence of wheat gluten
intolerance and celiac disease in recent decades.
- More than 99% of wheat crops are now “dwarfed,” growing to only 18” tall.
- New proteins are forming which the body is unfamiliar with.
(*Information courtesy of DiagnosTechs Gastrointestinal Health
Panel, 2012)
Additional resources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57483789-10391704/gluten-free-diet-fad-are-celiac-disease-rates-actually-rising/
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/opinion/sunday/what-really-causes-celiac-disease.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/gluten-free-whether-you-need-it-or-not/
