Gluten benefits

Why Should I Care About Gluten?

Sensitivity to gluten is quite a popular topic of discussion today. With its relationship to osteoporosis, acne, allergies, and other conditions, it shouldn't be a surprise there's so much interest in gluten. But what exactly is gluten? How can it have effects on your health? And why should you care? Let's explore these questions now.

First off, let's define what gluten is and is not. Gluten is a substance (technically a protein) found in a handful of specific grains. Gluten isn't a virus or bacteria, nor is it artificial. It is a natural part of the grains in which it is found, and these grains are called "gluten grains".

Gluten occurs naturally in just these grains: rye, wheat, and barley. If you eat even a small serving of any of those grains, you are eating gluten. Don't forget that this includes flours made from these grains, as well as anything made from these grains, such as pretzels, bread, and beer.

Gluten can cause health problems because in certain individuals, it damages the lining of the intestine and causes the immune system to become imbalanced. This then causes of whole host of problems, including anemia, autoimmune diseases, nutrient deficiencies, and more.

There's now some growing confusion over whether oats contain gluten. Unfortunately, the answer is sometimes. While it's true that oats do contain a substance that is similar to gluten, it is different than the gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye. This substance in oats doesn't cause problems for most people. However, the issue lies in cross-contamination. You see, oats are typically grown next to gluten grains, and are transported and processed on the same machines as gluten grains. This often means that traces of wheat, barley, or rye gluten can be found in oats. Look for labels stating "gluten-free" on your oats to be sure don't contain gluten.

Surprisingly, gluten can show up where you least expect it. Fried foods often contain gluten because the foods are dipped in a batter that contains gluten-containing flour before frying. Another surprise is soy sauce; it actually contains gluten. Shop for tamari instead, it is usually gluten-free. Gluten itself is sometimes added as agent in foods such as candies, to provide texture and consistency.

Grains containing gluten became an important foundation of our diet around 10,000 years ago, when the first agricultural societies began farming with cereal grains. Our dependence on cereal grains, including gluten-containing grains, has become a global phenomenon.

One interesting factoid is that the geographical areas that have had gluten in their diets for the longest period of time, also tend to have the lowest incidence of gluten allergy (celiac disease). Common scientific thought on this reveals that it likely takes many generations for our bodies to adapt to eating this gluten as a food. The fact that many of our genomes aren't fully adapted to eating gluten is a likely reason for such a large number of people being sensitive to gluten.

If you now or in the past have suffered from frequent stomach or bowel problems, autoimmune diseases, anemia, arthritis, or skin conditions, you may have a sensitivity to gluten.

To find out if gluten may be causing your health condition, visit your Portland Chiropractor for an evaluation. You should look for a Portland Chiropractor experienced in treating gluten-related conditions and begin your road to recovery.
Reflection on 1-Year of Gluten-free / Dairy-free living. Work.Love.Play.Daily 71 #hr #benefits

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to visit our website
and hope that we were able to assist you in your search for the information that you are looking for.
We do understand that with so many articles written, it is possible
and even likely that you will discover mistakes along the way.
We would appreciate you using the "contact us" page to let us know if you come across any mistakes
in our articles or if you simply have any ideas for articles that you would like to see in the future.
Thanks again for taking the time to visit,
we hope you have enjoyed you stay and hope that you will visit our web site again someday very soon.