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Why Should I Care About Gluten?

Gluten sensitivity is quite a popular topic of discussion these days. With its connections to osteoporosis, acne, allergies, and other conditions, it's no wonder there's so much interest in gluten. But what precisely is gluten? In what ways can it effect your health? And why should you care? These are some of the questions we'll tackle now.

To begin, let's define what gluten is and is not. Gluten is a substance (technically a protein) that is found in certain 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 these grains are called "gluten grains".

Gluten occurs naturally in only three grains: rye, wheat, and barley. Whenever you eat even a small serving of any of those grains, you'll be ingesting gluten. This includes flours made from these grains, as well as any other foods made from these grains, such as bread, beer, and pretzels.

Gluten causes health problems when susceptible individuals eat it, it causes damage to the intestinal lining and also causes the immune system to malfunction. This leads to a whole host of problems, including anemia, autoimmune diseases, nutrient deficiencies, 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 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" when purchasing oats to be sure don't contain gluten.

Gluten can also be found in places you wouldn't expect. 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 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.

Gluten grains became an important foundation of our diet around 10,000 years ago, as the first agricultural societies began farming with cereal grains. 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 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 likely responsible for such a large number of people being 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.

Get the answer on whether 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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