Gluten Intolerance- Part 1

If you've been into a health food store recently, you probably saw a variety of gluten free products on the shelves. Even popular brands like Chex Cereals boast of gluten free products like their popular Rice Chex.

Let's answer two big questions today. What is gluten? Why is it bad?

What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley products. While oats do not typically contain gluten, conventional processing methods commonly contaminate the oats with gluten. Conventional breads, pasta, crackers, waffles, pancakes, cookies & cakes contain gluten. Wheat products are ubiquitous in today's society. Many processed foods like sauces, soups, gravies, chowders, cereals, flavorings, baking products & seasonings contain gluten.

Why is it bad?
Gluten isn't necessarily bad. Some people can consume gluten and live healthy lives. But many others have a reaction to gluten that may lead to significant health issues. For whatever reason, in some people, the immune system reacts and actually starts attacking gluten. As this battle wages on, there are casualties such as the lining of your intestines. In some situations, this war actually destroys the intestines so much that food is poorly absorbed. This malabsorption may lead to weight loss and other signs of nutrient deficiency. In some individuals, that battle will turn inward as the immune system starts to attack your own tissues. This is an autoimmune component to gluten intolerance.

If you feel like you don't suffer from gut issues, don't breathe that sigh of relief just yet. Rather than thinking of gluten intolerance as a gut issue, it is more appropriate to think of it as an immune issue that may or may not affect the gut.

Once the immune system gets riled up in the gut, it can be activated throughout the body and may result in symptoms/conditions such as:

• Osteoporosis, anemia, depression, behavioral problems, skin conditions
• Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid conditions
• Cognitive impairment, ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, epilepsy, attention problems
  
• Infertility, recurrent miscarriage
• ... and more
  

To be clear, this is not to say that gluten is the single cause for all these symptoms. But it is likely to play a significant role in many cases.