To Be or Not To Be Gluten Free

Lots and lots of buzz has been going around lately about gluten and gluten-free diets. New studies have been published and received a lot of press showing that evidence previously provided showing non-celiac individuals still exhibited signs of gastrointestinal distress was incorrect. The press and individuals have run wild with this claiming that this proves gluten is completely safe and it is all just "hype" to sell gluten-free products. While I agree, the market for gluten free products is a corporate industry like most all food industries, this point of view misses the whole point and problem with gluten in the diet today.

The problem is not the protein gluten. Gluten has been used in the diets of indigenous people for thousands of years. We do know from other research that those on a high "gluten" containing diet exhibit all kinds of health problems. Asthma, Allergies, learning developmental disorders, Autism, Auto-Immune disorders, Hormone and Infertility Issues, Cancer, Alzheimer's, ADHD, gastrointestinal conditions like Chron's and diverticulitis. So if the protein gluten is not the problem, what is the problem with gluten products. The problem is 3 fold:

1. How Wheat is Grown - The problem is not gluten, the problem is Gliatin

Whether it comes in the form of organic, sprouted multigrain bread, a squishy white loaf or a strand of spaghetti, all wheat is bad for you, says cardiologist William Davis, MD, author of the bestselling book Wheat Belly. Davis claims that today’s wheat, he calls “Frankenwheat”, is both addictive and toxic and causing a myriad of health problems.

The vast majority of wheat grown and harvested today is only a distant ancestor of the real wheat that your forebears ate. Over the years, wheat has been genetically modified in order for American farmers to produce a high-yield crop of dwarf-size plants that was never tested to see if it was healthy for human consumption. While mass production of wheat has allowed us to feed more people, it has also resulted in producing a “supercarbohydrate” wheat plant that is far less healthy than its predecessor.

2. Processed Foods

Most Americans live off a diet of highly processed foods. Even those claiming to be on a healthy diet, get most of their foods from a can, box or package of some form. These are processed foods, even if they have the words "Organic" or "Natural" you are still eating a processed food if you are eating a food out of a package.

Most all processed foods have today's form of wheat in them.

Today’s wheat, found in these types of foods, may be dangerous because it greatly elevates blood sugar levels, leading to insulin spikes that cause chronic inflammation and excess belly fat (visceral fat). By eating some form of wheat morning noon and night – which many of us do – you’re not only gaining weight, but are also becoming more susceptible to a whole range of inflammatory diseases and ailments including heart disease, diabetes, fatigue, acne, arthritis, IBS and even dementia. (William Davis, MD)

According to Dr. Davis, modern wheat is also a highly addictive complex carbohydrate since it contains a special protein called gliatin, which has the same effect on brain receptors as opium. Gliatin stimulates the appetite, creating incessant hunger and cravings for more wheat products and refined carbs leading us into a an endless un-healthy cycle.

3. The Quantity of Gluten Products in the SAD Diet

Our ancestors grew, harvested and ate wheat in far less quantities then the modern American consumer does today. Every single meal did not contain some form of processed wheat. Our bodies where designed for variety. We get the right amount of nutrients when we keep our diets fresh and ever changing, like with the seasons. That is the natural way to eat and keep our body in balance. Anytime we get too far off in one direction, with one food group for instance, we throw our body out of balance. Long term imbalance creates distress, inflammation and leads to chronic health conditions over time. The over consumption of wheat products, over extended periods of time, has caused a condition in the body called oxidative stress, most especially in the gastrointestinal tract. Oxidative stress is especially harmful, beyond inflammation, because it causes DNA mutations, mutations that have led to conditions such as Celiac disease. This type of mutation is a clear signal from the body that it cannot tolerate the amount of wheat and wheat products we continue to feed ourselves. 

It is not gluten that is the main problem in our diet today, but rather the type of Frakenwheat we are subjected, the amount of processed foods and quantity of wheat in the diet today.

Moving to a fresh natural eating practices is the best approach for long term health, the prevention and reversal of chronic health conditions. Eating practices like that taught in Raw Vitality. 

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