Discussion Board

I don't have gluten sensitivity, so I can't relate to that. I love bread, but I'm avoiding it and other wheat products because I'm following the MWL plan.

But I've often wondered about the whole gluten thing. How could something as simple and basic as wheat be harmful? Aside from the highly processed versions of wheat products.

I mean, wheat has been around for millennia and has been a major source of sustenance for countless millions. Why would modern day humans have a problem with it?

Then I came across this article.

The intriguing part was this:

Could human manipulation have something to do with it? Makes me wonder what we may eventually discover about GMOs that no one knows yet.

That book Wheat Belly had a chapter on how modern breeding changed the quality of the wheat and causes sensitivities in some people. I forget the exact details, but it was the most interesting part of the book.

There's an old strain of wheat from the 19th century called Red Fife. I grew it as part of a seed savers project in Canada. Now it's offered commercially and some people claim they can tolerate it better than modern wheat. (Personally, I didn't notice any difference.)

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune genetic condition. People with certain genetics have always been sensitive to gluten---mainly Northern Europeans. The reason given is that agriculture came to Northern Europe later than Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Other cultures have had time to adjust to the properties of grains. The main grains in the world are wheat, barley and rye. Most other so-called grains such as millet and buckwheat (which is not really wheat) are really "pseudo-grains" and even though they are used the same as grains, they are classed differently in scientific nomenclature. The proteins in wheat, barley and rye are the grains that cause problems by inflaming the villi of the small intestines. This causes nutritents to not be absorbed properly. Examples of this were seen in ancient times, but not much was known about it until the 20th century. During World War II doctors noticed that even though many children in occupied Europe were not thriving because of lack of food, the condition of children with Celiac Disease actually improved. That got doctors curious enough to investigate it further found the children with celiac improved because they were not getting bread to eat. Now much is known about the condition, esp. in Europe. Awareness in the U.S. was a little slower, but in the last 15 years much research has been done and now there are several major Celiac research centers. There are tests that can be done to find out if a person has Celiac Disease. Once thought of as exclusively a childhood disease, Celiac Disease has been diagnosed in people of all ages, including senior citizens like myself.

Gluten-sensitivity, while real, is another thing altogether.There are no tests to prove whether a person is gluten-sensitive. Usually with gluten-sensivity people go on an elimination diet to see which grains, are causing them problems. While gluten-sensitivity can cause a lot of discomfort, Celiac Disease can be life threatening if left unreated. Both however can be controlled with a diet that excludes food with gluten.

The main reason there are more people being diagnosed with Celiac disease is because there is more awareness of it in the medical community, however I have also read that manufacturers have been adding extra gluten to flour products in the last 20 years.

Dr. McDougall has written an excellant article about it here:

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/ ... celiac.htm

and here is another article about Celiac disease:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001280/

It's very interesting to think about. I do think GMO's are much more harmful than we know and the truth is being hidden. There's obviously something going on with the rise of allergies and food sensitivities and our food could very well be the answer. It would be interesting to see how it all plays out 100 years from now.

Gramma Jackie, thanks for that great explanation.

I guess there's a lot more to this issue than I imagined. It's not as simple as "Wheat is a perfectly good whole grain and it should be good for everyone."

I mean... that's where we get bread. Where would the world be without bread!?

"Bread deals with living things, with giving life, with growth, with the seed, the grain that nurtures. Its not coincidence that we say bread is the staff of life."
Lionel Poilne

I read an article from a doctor about the whole gluten free movement and whether or not people should get on board and he said no. His message was that only those with celiac disease, apx 2% of the US population, need to avoid gluten. The rest of us are perfectly fine eating gluten, which provides good nutrients.

Yes but bread made out of wheat, barley and rye which contain gluten are not they the only ones. I make homemade gluten-free bread out of rice, millet, sorghum, teff and/or other grains and psuedo-grains that do not contain gluten. So although I do not eat gluten, I eat bread almost every day. So even though bread has been a staple in most households for millenia, it wasn't always wheat, rye or barley. Agriculture began in Asia or the Middle East or both simutaneously and spread northwards and southwards. Europeans, especially northern Europeans are more likely to have a problem with gluten. My ancestors came from Ireland. So it's not surprising that genetically I am predispostioned to have a problem with gluten. Same is true with many people. Medical experts are finding that there are about as many people with diagnosed Celiac Disease as people with Type 2 Diabetes and many more who are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and still more with some type of non-Celiac gluten sensitivity. I thank Dr. McDougall for helping me find the right diagnosis. I was having worsening gastro-intestinal issues as well tingling in my fingers and intense skin itching. Then I read, Dr. McDougall's Digestive Tune-Up . There was a section about Celiac Disease. My symptoms seemed to match some of the ones listed, so I urged my family physician to give me a blood test which she reluctantly did and the test came back positive for the antibodies. I was then referred to a gastroenterologist who did an endoscopy and biopsy. Things began to improve within a week after eliminating gluten from my diet. Like I said, I still eat bread, but not bread with gluten in it.

Excellent thread (IMHO).

I guess the hybridding could well be the problem.

My hunch, after reading various sources, is that the modern flour being finer than it used to be is also part of the problem.

Also, the fact that most wheat products are cooked with dry heat, whereas other grains are usually boiled. I wonder if gluten sensitive people react as badly to cous-cous as they do to bread.

Theodore

There is also this article.

And this article.

Actually it is more like 3+ percent of the population, but it certainly isn't everyone. However for those who don't want to eat gluten, there is nothing that says they must. Afterall the MWL program virtually eliminates gluten from the diet since it doesn't allow flour. With people who don't have diagnosed Celiac it's a choice. With those of us who do, it's not a choice. We have to avoid gluten.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/42173 ... tolerance/ :
Figures

Approximately 3 million Americans, 1 in every 133 people, has celiac disease, reports the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Dr. William Sears notes that approximately 3 percent to 7 percent of people experience true food allergies, 90 percent of which are caused by just seven foods: soy, shellfish, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts and egg whites. The exact number caused by wheat is unknown.

Considerations

While gluten intolerance and wheat allergy are different conditions, people who suffer from either of these conditions must avoid wheat altogether. Anything listing whole wheat, spelt, triticale, bulgar, semolina, frumento, durum, graham, farina, cous cous, seitan, matzoh and cake flour should be avoided by those with wheat allergies and those with gluten intolerance. While foods labeled as gluten-free are safe for both conditions, products labeled as wheat-free may still contain gluten and should be carefully researched before being consumed by celiac patients.


http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/ ... ergies.htm

Just because "wheat has been a major source of sustenance for countless millions for hundreds of years" doesn't mean it wasn't a problem for some of them. Nutrition science is new. Connections between wheat and illness would have been easily missed. Stop and think about it for a second. During some periods of history, in cases of mental health, illness was often attributed to the devil.

It's possible that breastfeeding, or rather the reduction of breastfeeding in modern society, may be a factor in the increase of allergy and intolerance. Less immunity.

Its possible to be allergic to gluten and not have celiac disease. For me exposure to gluten leads to sneezing, watery eyes, asthma and dysphagia (inability to swallow). But I don't have celiac disease. According to my GI, wheat is one of the top 5 food allergies and off the table for people like me. Not a big issue for me bread-wise as I stopped eating processed grains a year ago, but hidden sources of gluten are a literal pain. Pretty much gotten me off ANY processed food anymore.
Kate

I think it's one of those things that's kind of a fad. Yes, some people have diagnosed celiac or other sensitivity problems, but many people just decide they should avoid wheat (usually due to that "Wheat Belly" book). For most people there is absolutely no reason to avoid wheat--their problems are more likely due to eating meat, dairy, added fat, etc.