Have you heard about the benefits of going gluten-free? Maybe you heard that going gluten-free can help children and adults with Asperger’s, autism, ADD, and bipolar disorder. You may have heard that some people lose weight going gluten-free. You may have also heard that people with chronic disorders like headaches, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies and eczema were healed by going gluten-free. All of these things are true statements, but what makes them true?
First, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Since our body needs protein to survive, why would gluten be bad for us? Most products that contain gluten are genetically modified organisms, which means they are no longer the food of our ancestors. They are modified at the genetic level to keep away pests and to increase their growth rate. This makes the protein harder for our body to digest and use as a nutrient. Our body needs our proteins to be broken down to a size that is accepted by our cells to build and repair our bodies, and gluten in its modern form cannot be broken down enough. What happens when we eat gluten? When we eat gluten, a lot of us no longer have the enzymes or ability to break down the protein to the level that our bodies recognize them. The protein is able pass through the walls of our small intestines into our blood stream. Our body doesn’t recognize this protein as a nutrient and it recognizes the protein as an invader and attacks it. Our body then builds up antibodies to the protein, causing an allergic reaction or an inflammatory response. The more we eat gluten, the more inflammation is caused in our bodies. How the body manifests the inflammation to cause chronic conditions such as allergies, eczema, headaches, fibromyalgia, and IBS is based on each person’s inpidual DNA.
How do we stop this from happening to us, our children, our families, and our friends? We start by healing the digestive system from the inflammation. First, we stop eating products that contain gluten. Wheat, barley, rye, and products like malts and MSG that are derived from these grains contain gluten. Then, we start to soothe the digestive system by bringing good bacteria into our bodies, with glutamine, digestive enzymes, and antioxidants. The good bacteria, which most of us are familiar with as probiotics, help to reline and heal our digestive tracts and bring balance to the bad bacteria. This balance creates a symbiotic relationship between the good bacteria and the bad bacteria so they can digest our food completely and help to boost our immune system. Eighty percent of our immune system is found in the gut and our immune system helps to control our inflammatory response. The digestive enzymes help to break our food down to be used by our cells. Glutamine is an amino acid that aids in wound healing, therefore, helping to heal inflammation in the digestive system and to help decrease and heal inflammation in other areas of the body. Antioxidants are a good resource for the body to attach to the toxins that are released in the healing process and to carry them out of the body. Each of these steps will work to reverse the effects that long term ingestion of gluten has had on the body.
More and more scientists and doctors are researching the effects of gluten on the body and the relationship it has to inflammatory and chronic conditions. If you think gluten could be an issue for you or someone you love it is encouraged that you eliminate gluten from your diet for 60 days and see how the body feels. There are many resources for you to do your own research and many health care practitioners in the Concord area that can help you on your quest for a healthier lifestyle.
Here are some recommendations for reading:
Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD; Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM; Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, MmedSci.
A few locations for gluten sensitivity testing and going-gluten free in Concord include: All Elements Healing Revolution, 51 S. Main St., 225-5554, allelementshealing.com; Concord Naturopathic Clinic, 46 S. Main St., 228-0407, naturopathicclinc.net; Center for Integrative Medicine, 81 Hall St., 228-7600, cfim.org; Whole Health Concord, 314 S. Main St., 369-4626, naturalmedicinenh.com.
Jessica Gorhan, LMT, is the director of All Elements Healing Revolution at 51 S. Main St. She leads a gluten-free lifestyle.
