Gluten Parkinsonu0027s

What Does Gluten Have To Do With My Health?

Gluten sensitivity is quite a popular topic of discussion these days. Because of its connections to acne, allergies, osteoporosis, 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? These are some of the questions we'll tackle now.

First off, we'll define what gluten is and is not. Gluten is a substance (technically a protein) that is found in a handful of specific grains. Gluten isn't a virus or bacteria, nor is it artificial. It is a naturally occuring part of the grains in which it is found, and we call these grains "gluten grains".

Gluten occurs naturally in just these grains: barley, wheat, and rye. Whenever you eat any amount of any of those grains, you'll be ingesting gluten. Don't forget that this includes flours made from these grains, as well as any other foods made from these grains, such as beer, bread, and pretzels.

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 leads to a whole host of problems, including nutrient deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, anemia and more.

Some confusion has arisen over whether oats should be considered gluten grains. 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 in wheat, barley, and rye. This substance in oats doesn't cause the same health problems for most people. However, the issue lies in cross-contamination. You see, oats are often grown near gluten grains, and are loaded onto the same trucks and processed in 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 they truly are gluten free.

Gluten can also be found in places you wouldn't expect. Because they are dipped in gluten-flour based batter prior to frying, fried foods often contain gluten. soy sauce usually contains wheat. 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.

Gluten grains became an important foundation of our diet around 10,000 years ago, as the first agricultural societies experimented with relying on cereal grains for sustenance. Since then, our dependence on cereal grains, including gluten-containing grains, hasn't fallen out of favor.

One interesting factoid is that the geographical areas that have had the longest exposure to gluten in their diets, also tend to have the lowest incidence of gluten allergy (celiac disease). This means 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 haven't fully adapted to eating gluten is a likely reason for the large percentage of the population that are sensitive to gluten.

If you now or in the past have suffered from arthritis, autoimmune diseases, anemia, frequent stomach or bowel problems, 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 knowledgeable about gluten-related conditions and begin your road to recovery.

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