What is Gluten Sensitivity and What Causes it?
What is Gluten Sensitivity?
When you think “Gluten Sensitivity” most likely you will think of abdominal pain, diarrhea and intestinal destress, as those are the symptoms that are commonly associated with Celiac Disease. But you may be as shocked as I was that the effects of gluten go well beyond the gut and bowel. Gluten Sensitivity can show up through eczema, a migraine, rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety, depression, seizures and even as autism. But what is it?
Based on my research and experience with it, I believe it is best defined as an unintended inflammatory response to one of the proteins, or subcomponents of gluten, typically the gliadin protein is the culprit. When the immune system decides that gliadin is an enemy (possibly because it does not allow for the proper digestion of food), it tags the protein and begins producing anti-gliadin antibodies. When these antibodies find the gliadin protein, inflammatory cytokines are the result. If gliadin is continuously introduced into the system (via gluten) the inflammation can become out of control and can cause an array of issues including neurological disorders and potential autoimmune diseases.
Why now?
I commonly hear things such as “Wheat has been around for thousands of years, the bible speaks of eating grains. Wheat is recommended by all of the major health organizations. Wheat and grains are the base of our food pyramid!” Unfortunately, these statements hold many false-truths.
Let’s tackle each one of those concerns so we can see, why now.
Jesus ate grains… First, the grains of today are nothing like the grains eaten 2,000 years ago. What Would Jesus Do just doesn’t work here. Jesus’ 3 types of grains looked significantly different than the over 25,000 types of grains we have today. What we have today is the result of years of human intervention through selection and breeding practices. Our farmers and scientists have cross-bread grains for specific features. Usually the features that were favorable for hardiness and yield were the ones that resulted in a higher protein makeup of the wheat. More wheat protein means more gliadin containing gluten.
In addition, it was common for the wheat/grains of the past to be stored, washed, fermented and even sprouted prior to eating. This helps break down the wheat and reduce the inflammation response that that body has to the glutens, lectins, and phytates found in wheat. For Christians debating this a good quick read is Katie Wells’ blog @ https://wellnessmama.com/2359/bible-grains/
Hyper-exposure to gluten… In addition to the increase of gluten in grains, because of its sticky nature and addictive properties, gluten is now being used in a vast majority of the products we consume today as an additive.
It can be found in almost any processed food product including your coffee, on your dried fruit, in processed cheese and in fillings. More surprisingly though it can be found in non-food products such as shampoo and cosmetics.
Our bodies are designed to handle a level of inflammatory response from the immune system, the purpose of the response is to isolate the contaminate in order to protect us. However, when the body is being hit at every angle with a substance that it deems as poison, eventually it won’t be able to keep up and there will be side-effects.
Paired with other inflammatory habits… The rapid progression of gluten sensitivity has also been made worse by the American dietary habits of the last 80 years. Too many carbohydrates and sugars, trans-fats, and pro-inflammatory foods are also causing inflammation in the body. When we pair this with the inflammation caused by the anti-gladin antibodies, we create a storm system that has broken out of the gut and can now cause issues in every system of the body.
“Gluten sensitivity is best defined as a state of heightened immunological responsiveness in genetically susceptible people. This definition does not imply bowel involvement. That gluten sensitivity is regarded as principally a disease of the small bowel is a historical misconception. Gluten sensitivity can be primarily and at times exclusively a neurological disease.” Dr. Marios Hadjivassiliou
Marios Hadjivassiliou, et al., “Gluten Sensitivity As a Neurological Illness,” Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 72 no.5 (May 2002): 560-63 https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/72/5/560#
The Major Health Organizations Cannot Be Wrong! Yes, yes they can. If we want to go back to the bible for a minute here. Let’s talk about money and pride. These are two reoccurring themes we see throughout the bible that have led even the most well-intentioned individuals down dark and misleading paths. That is no different in today’s world than it was in the time of Moses and Jesus.
Unfortunately, our food pyramid and the recommendations of the major health organizations are so backwards and have vastly contributed to the downfall of health in America by recommending a high-carb, low-fat diet. Gluten aside, this type of diet sets the body up for all kinds of inflammation and deprives the brain of the fat it needs to function. In addition, at least half of the carbohydrates are recommended to be obtained from grains. For most Americans this means wheat, and thus gluten. I am going to go more in depth on this in a later blog, but I will state two simple facts to get us started:
The food Pyramid, and the recommendations from most major health organizations increased American’s consumption of grains and is based on faulty/bad science
Pride and money are the only excuses for the major health organizations to still be recommending a high-carb, low-fat diet
Bad Science… In 1955, with the heart attack of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Americans became terrified at the prospect of cardiovascular disease. In 1958 Ancel Keys seemed to have the answer with his “Seven Countries” study. According to his study, countries that consumed high-fat (specifically saturated-fat) diets where at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This study was used as justification for our new low-fat, high-carb diet. However, the Seven Countries Study was biased. Keys intentionally removed countries that had high-fat diets and low rates of cardiovascular disease.
The media, American Heart Association and large corporations quickly adopted Keys’ research. The recommendation for a diet full of wheat and man-made fat alternatives grew quickly and the money began pouring in. When other scientists of the time, such as John Yudkin, tried to point to sugar and refined carbs as the main player in cardiovascular disease, smear campaigns were ran against them and they were not allowed to be heard.
Cue the start of the Obesity epidemic, followed shortly by the type 2 diabetes epidemic, and now our current state of the diabesity epidemic.
To make matters worse, as an attempt to combat cardiovascular disease and the rise of nutritional insufficiencies amongst the poor, in 1977 George McGovern led an American committee of the U.S. senate and published what would become our first Food Pyramid based on the conclusions drawn from the Seven Countries Study.
The food pyramid recommended significantly limiting the fats and cholesterol that our brains and bodies so desperately needed, and utilizing carbs (mostly gluten containing wheat) as the core of our nutrition.
In 2011, as an effort to simplify the food pyramid, the USDA released MyPlate. Unfortunately, MyPlate still dedicated a large portion of every meal to the grains category, and fats were removed from the graphic all together.
Pride and Money… If there are published, peer reviewed studies that show that consuming healthy dietary fat (not the man-made trans-fats) and limiting carbohydrates (specifically gluten containing grains) can cure type II diabetes and obesity, then why is it still recommended to consume wheat and “heart healthy grains” daily on the American Diabetes Association website, The American Heart Association website and by the other major health associations? Why does the “My Plate” replacement of the food pyramid still have such a large portion of every meal dedicated to grains? It really comes down to pride and money, as there is no sound scientific evidence to support consuming grains (specifically gluten containing wheat) at every meal is good for anyone. Many of those associations receive funding from large corporations who produce products made from wheat and other grains. They would quickly be met with vast opposition and monetary consequences if they were to suggest that going “wheat-free” is better than any medication out there. In addition, there is pride. These corporations have been suggesting a grain filled diet for years, it takes a lot to say “We were wrong, you came here for advice on how to get better and we gave you advice that may have taken you in the opposite direction, we are sorry.”
So Now What?
If you, or someone you love, suffers from ADHD, depression, migraines, eczema, seizures, diabetes, autism, bone pain, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or any other condition that may be the result of inflammation educate yourself on gluten sensitivity and on an elimination diet. Many conditions can be linked back to inflammation and studies have shown reducing inflammation can slow progression and even reverse some major diseases. It can also help eliminate or significantly reduce the symptoms.
Through an elimination-diet individuals are able to determine if gluten is contributing to their symptoms and if there are other pro-inflammatory foods that do not work with their unique biological make-up.
The following books are great resources on Gluten:
Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers
Wheat Belly (Revised and Expanded Edition): Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health by William Davis
If you would like more education on gluten and its sources, pro-inflammatory foods or want education on how to conduct an elimination diet – book a free discovery session with me and we can discuss if one of our programs would be a fit for you.
By Anna Morris
About the Author
Anna Morris is a CTNC, Personal Trainer, has a BBA in Sales and Marketing and is the founder and owner of Morris Success and Fitness, LLC. Her life revolves around God, her Husband Kurtis and her two Boys, Waylon and Rowan. In addition to God, family and friends, her passions include: nutrition, cooking, developing routines, mobility training, soccer, running, and camping, Her mission is to spread the knowledge that God has given her to help 2,000 individuals define and achieve their personal vision for success and fitness in the next decade.