More and more products are now advertising that they are gluten-free. What does “gluten free” mean anyway? Good question! Gluten is the protein found in wheat. Any wheat containing product will also have gluten in it. As a nutritionist, I am noticing many people are confused with the emphasis on the recent gluten-free craze. Because we have seen the Atkins Diet, and low-fat diets, and many other diet plans, it is easy to dismiss the gluten-free acronym as just another diet. The truth is, gluten sensitivity is becoming epidemic in the world. Symptoms are often seen within 20 minutes of eating wheat containing foods, but may take up to 6 hours. These symptoms can include: headache, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, anemia, congestion, itchy ears, phlegm, malabsorption of nutrients, moodiness, and the list goes on and on. HOWEVER – gluten sensitivity may be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all!). But prolonged exposure can lead to serious health consequences. Gluten sensitivity at its extreme is diagnosed as celiac disease. But can also show up as colitis, crohns disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Long term exposure to wheat in sensitive individuals is directly linked to elevated liver enzymes and/or cirrhosis, faulty thyroid function, and alzheimer’s disease.
So how come so many of us are having problems with wheat nowadays?
The underlying reason, in my opinion, is genetically modified wheat. When we genetically modify a food, we change its chemical structure. This new structure is unfamiliar to our bodies and our bodies react to it. This causes autoimmune responses. Wheat was the first genetically modified food, thus we are now seeing reactions to this food. Next, we will most likely see allergic responses to corn and soy – two other foods that are genetically modified.
The big problem I see with these modified foods is that once you eat them, your body sends signals against that particular food. Meaning, if you eat a genetically modified wheat product, your body now will react to ALL wheat that you consume – regardless if it is modified. Your body views it as an intruder.
Unlike normal food allergies, a person can’t eat gluten in moderation. Any bite or sip of a gluten containing product will cause harm to a sensitive person’s body regardless how long they have avoided gluten. This is very scary considering that wheat is in so many of our foods, cosmetics, lotions and shampoos. If you are gluten sensitive, I would advise you to google gluten-containing foods because it will freak you out just how many products have gluten in it. For example: soy sauce, ketchup, artificial maple syrup, chips, breaded items, frozen entrees, pasta, and salad dressing may contain gluten.
So how do you know if you have a sensitivity if you don’t have any symptoms? There are two ways to find out. One is a blood test by your doctor. The other is by doing a non-invasive (no needles!) sensitivity screening at my office.
Tags: diet, food allergies, gluten, gluten sensitivity, gluten-free
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my mom suffered colitis last year and it was quite an expensive disease.’-~
my dad suffered from colitis a couple of years ago, this disease is quite painful,;~
i am always on a gluten-free diet and we use gluten-free substitutes when baking bread~–
i was suffering from colitis a couple of months ago and believe me, the pain is horrible -,~
. Your position regarding genetically modified grains causing the autoimmune dissorder is very logic, but is only a theory in process. If we apply good reasoning and good analytics, every genetically mofified food could cause autoimmune diseases (why not?) so we are probably (based on your theory) confronting a “modern problem” that is just the beginning. We will then become allergic to meat, tomatoes, corn, rice, oranges, apples, watermelons, etc, most of then genetically modified. I recently had a patient that went to my pharmacy ( he receives 17 medications a month to treat diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, hypo thyroidism, ocular problems, circulatory problems, depression, etc.) and demanded a detailed report of the Gluten contents of his drugs for him and his wife also. In total he was refilling 32 medications l for that month at that moment. As clinical pharmacist, I approached my patient and explained that the FDA (2006 FDA bulletin) made official that Gluten does not occur in medication manufacturing and that information was not mandatory for any manufacturer to label Gluten contents in their manufactured drugs. I know however, that wheat is used as excipient in tablets (some tablets, not all) but it is mandatory for the manufacturer to list and report wheat, peanuts, eggs, and other allergenic products by law in their label. I also know that cross contamination could occur in grains regardless is oat, wheat, corn, barley, rye, and that they are all agriculturally cross contaminated at the source of distribution. Gluten is not mandated to be reported in any way in medicinal product (OTC or prescriptions). I offer my services (for free) to review each medicinal product (by calling each manufacturer during my time off- since we dispense 1000 Rxs per day) for this patient, but the patient refused and demanded the whole pharmacy staff to stop everything and address immediately his 32 medications in relation to the possibility of containing Gluten. I referred the patient to a nutritionist or dietician to address this situation. That same day, I received a call from a clinical dietician asking me if the medications of this patient contained Gluten. As you see Gluten is becoming a headache not only for the patients but also for the healthcare practitioner. Gluten hysteria is causing problems in medicine, and I think that this type of patient should be seen by a dietician and or nutritionist only (that is your specialty), after been diagnosed well diagnosed by a gastroenterologist, and not by a person who just purchased a book in Barnes and Nobles called “Gluten Diets for Dummies”. A day later, the family care physician called me informing that the patient was not diagnosed with any Gluten problems, and that it was all in his imagination after reading the Gluten book. He also told me that the day before a patient told him: “Doctor, I am not here for a diagnosis, since I already diagnosed myself with the internet; I am only here for a second opinion”.
Thanks for your time commenting, Dr. Perera. I understand your frustration with “gluten hysteria”. In your example, this patient should be more concerned with taking 32 medications than his sensitivity to gluten! He seems to be grasping at straws, trying to blame someone or something for his health condition. I agree that people should get properly diagnosed as well as taking the time to talk to a nutritionist about their concerns before making radical decisions about their health. I do feel strongly about GMO foods and their connection to autoimmune disease. It does paint a scary picture, doesn’t it? And I don’t think that picture is too far fetched. I will continue to eat organic foods until further research and theories have been confirmed.
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