Gluten Questionnaire

Why Should I Care About Gluten?

Sensitivity to gluten is quite a popular topic of discussion these days. With its relationship to acne, osteoporosis, allergies, and other conditions, it's no wonder there's so much interest in gluten. But what is gluten? How can it have effects on your health? And why does it matter anyway? These are some of the questions we'll tackle now.

First off, let's define what gluten is and is not. Gluten is a substance (it's actually a protein) 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 we call these grains "gluten grains".

Gluten occurs naturally in only three grains: wheat, rye, and barley. If you eat any amount 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 beer, bread, and pretzels.

Gluten can cause health problems because in certain individuals, it causes damage to the intestinal lining and also causes the immune system to malfunction. This then causes of 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 problems for most people. The real issue has to do with contamination. You see, 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. Look for labels stating "gluten-free" when purchasing oats to be sure they truly are gluten free.

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. soy sauce usually contains wheat. Shop for tamari instead, it is usually gluten-free. Lastly, gluten can be used as a food additive in foods such as candies, to provide texture and consistency.

Grains containing gluten became a staple of our diet around 10,000 years ago, when the first agricultural societies began farming with cereal grains. Since then, our dependence on cereal grains, including gluten-containing grains, has become a global phenomenon.

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. Because 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 suffer 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.

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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