Gluten Glycemic Index

What Is Gluten And Why Should I Care?

Gluten sensitivity is quite a popular topic of discussion today. Because of its relationship to acne, osteoporosis, allergies, and other conditions, it shouldn't be a surprise there's such a buzz around gluten. But what precisely is gluten? In what ways can it effect your health? And why should you care? Let's explore these questions now.

To start, I'll define what gluten is and is not. Gluten is a substance (it's actually 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: wheat, rye, and barley. If you eat any amount of any of those grains, you are eating gluten. 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 leads to a whole host of other health conditions, including anemia, nutrient deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and more.

There's now some growing confusion over whether oats contain gluten. The short answer is: maybe. 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. Oats are often grown near gluten grains, and are transported and processed on the same machines as gluten grains. This leads to traces of wheat, barley, or rye gluten being found in oats. Shop 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 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 gluten in their diets for the longest period of time, 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 the large percentage of the population that are sensitive to gluten.

If you now or in the past have suffered from anemia, autoimmune diseases, frequent stomach or bowel problems, arthritis, or skin conditions, you should consider that perhaps you too 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.
What is glycemic index?

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