Gluten Europe

What Does Gluten Have To Do With My Health?

Gluten sensitivity has become a hot topic 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? In what ways can it effect your health? And why does it matter anyway? These are some of the questions we'll tackle now.

To start, 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 bacteria, virus, or some kind of artificial food additive. 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 only three grains: barley, wheat, and rye. Whenever 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 causes health problems when susceptible individuals eat it, it damages the lining of the intestine and also causes the immune system to malfunction. This leads to a whole host of problems, including anemia, nutrient deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and more.

Some confusion has arisen over whether oats should be considered gluten grains. Unfortunately, the answer is sometimes. Oats do contain a substance similar to gluten, but it is different than the gluten in wheat, barley, and rye. This substance in oats doesn't cause problems for most people. However, the issue lies in cross-contamination. Oats are typically grown next to 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.

Surprisingly, gluten can show up where you least expect it. Because they are dipped in gluten-flour based batter prior to frying, fried foods often contain gluten. Another surprise is soy sauce; it actually contains gluten. Look for tamari to put on your favorite Chinese food 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, as the first agricultural societies experimented with relying on cereal grains for sustenance. Our dependence on cereal grains, including gluten-containing grains, hasn't fallen out of favor.

It is interesting to note 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. Because many of our genomes aren't fully adapted to eating gluten is likely responsible for such a large number of people being sensitive to gluten.

If you suffer from frequent stomach or bowel problems, autoimmune diseases, anemia, arthritis, or skin conditions, you should consider that perhaps you too have a sensitivity to gluten.

To determine whether 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.
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