Gluten Peak Tester

What Does Gluten Have To Do With My Health?

Sensitivity to gluten has become a hot topic today. With its connections to acne, osteoporosis, 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 have effects on your health? And why should you care? These are some of the questions we'll tackle now.

To begin, I'll define what gluten is and is not. Gluten is a substance (it's actually a protein) that is found in certain 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. Whenever you eat even a small serving 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 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 nutrient deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, anemia 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 isn't a problem for most people. The real issue has to do with 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 leads to traces of wheat, barley, or rye gluten being found in oats. Look for labels stating "gluten-free" when purchasing 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 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 a staple 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.

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). 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 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 experienced in treating gluten-related conditions and begin your road to recovery.
Un cooking with Nimisha Raja Curried Sprouted Lentil Confetti Salad

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