Why Is Gluten Such An Issue For So Many People?

For years I thought gluten intolerance was just a health fad and that any presumed intolerance was all in peoples heads. But after being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and watching my body almost completely heal itself after waving goodbye to gluten, my stance on gluten has changed. You may be wondering – haven’t people been eating gluten for centuries without issues? Why is the gluten of today so much different from the gluten that our ancestors lived and thrived on for so many years? These are questions that I hear time and time again, so allow me to explain.

First off, in case you are confused on what exactly gluten is – gluten is the protein component in wheat, rye, and barley. It is true that people have been eating gluten for centuries with little known issues. However, the gluten we eat today, particularly in America, is not the same gluten that people have been eating since the dawn of humanity. This is due to the hybridization of wheat which started around the 1960’s. Originally wheat was hybridized to increase production and create hardy, pest-resistant wheat with a long shelf life. This in an effort to avoid famine and minimize world hunger which of course is a real issue. However, what the hybridization of wheat did was it changed the structure of the proteins in wheat making it far more inflammatory. In fact, wheat has been hybridized to such an extent that it has increased the gluten content exponentially and it has even created new strains of gluten. One of those strains is called gliadin and research is revealing that this hybridized protein triggers the release of an intestinal peptide called zonulin in the small intestine, which essentially leads to leaky gut and increased gut permeability.

To explain this further – our guts are only one cell wall thick and connected by tight junctions…God created our bodies this way so that nutrients can get in but bacteria, toxins, and other foreign proteins can’t get out and seep into our bloodstream. What zonulin (triggered by gluten) does is essentially open up those tight junctions in our gut allowing for toxins, proteins, and other undigested food particles to pass through into our bloodstream. This can trigger an immune response leading to inflammation and autoimmunity. Unfortunately research has found that zonulin production is increased regardless of whether you have an autoimmune reaction to gluten or not. Which means that even in people who do not have celiac disease, the gluten and gliadin proteins that are found in wheat can trigger the release of zonulin and increase intestinal permeability.

So how do you know if you have an intolerance to gluten? The symptoms are many and varied – they can be digestive problems, headaches, migraines, arthritis, poor memory, fatigue, infertility and skin rashes around the joints. These are all signs of gluten sensitivity. Since many of these symptoms are so general, many people live for years with gluten intolerance, never knowing that gluten is the trigger for their symptoms. On the far end of the gluten-intolerance spectrum is celiac disease, which is considered an autoimmune disease. For those with celiac, the body sees gluten as a foreign substance and the body makes antibodies against it; unfortunately those antibodies also attack the tissues of the body. So for those with any level of gluten intolerance, eliminating gluten is essential to healing the gut and avoiding further symptoms and complications.

You may be wondering – does non-hybridized wheat still exist? And the answer is yes. It is called Einkorn wheat and there have been some studies that have suggested that it doesn’t trigger the same zonulin pathway as hybridized wheat does. Furthermore there is tons of anecdotal evidence that suggests those with gluten intolerance don’t have the same reaction to Einkorn wheat. However, if you are someone with celiac or a gluten intolerance, make sure to talk with your doctor before considering trying Einkorn wheat. This ancient wheat is often still used in many locations across the world, such as in certain parts of Europe. Which is why many people with gluten sensitivity who live in America, can often tolerate the wheat used in other parts of the world.

The other primary issue with wheat is that it is a GMO crop often highly contaminated with glyphosate and other herbicides. This is why it is SO important to opt for organic when purchasing any wheat products. The reason wheat crops are so highly contaminated with glyphosate is because glyphosate is often used as a drying agent just before harvest on wheat crops (as well as on barley, beans, and oats). So when purchasing flour or oats for baking, or when purchasing bread, or pasta, always opt for organic.

BUT before you decide to jump on the gluten free train it’s important to know that many highly processed gluten free breads aren’t much healthier than breads containing gluten. In fact most gluten free breads contain tons of unnecessary additives such as gums, added sugar, and highly refined seed oils. So if you decide to experiment with a gluten free diet, I recommend avoiding most highly processed “gluten free” products. And instead opt to eat whole foods that are naturally gluten free. If you crave a gluten free bread, the cleanest brands that I have found are AWG Bakery, Base Culture, and Arise Bakery. Or if you have a minor gluten intolerance, homemade sourdough bread can be a good option because the fermentation process breaks down much of the inflammatory protein in wheat, as well as the starch and sugar.

Of course everything in balance! We don’t need to be fearful of gluten, but it can be helpful to understand the health implications that it can cause for some people.