DR. WALKER

Problems with Gluten

Gluten is a protein naturally found in some grains including wheat, barley, and rye. It acts like a binder, holding food together and adding a “stretchy” quality—think of a pizza maker tossing and stretching out a ball of dough. Without gluten, the dough would rip easily.

When Is Gluten a Problem?

What’s not great about gluten is that it can cause serious side effects in certain individuals. Some people react differently to gluten, where the body senses it as a toxin, causing one’s immune cells to overreact and attack it. If an unknowingly sensitive person continues to eat gluten, this creates a kind of battleground resulting in inflammation. Sometimes people believe they have allergies or sensitivities to gluten when in fact it might be that their diets consist of too many lectins. Remember that every gluten-based food contain lectins, which a natural cause of overall inflammation. The side effects of gluten can range from mild (fatigue, bloating, alternating constipation, and diarrhea) to severe (unintentional weight loss, malnutrition, intestinal damage) as seen in the autoimmune disorder celiac disease.

Who should definitely avoid gluten?

• Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine’s lining. When a person with celiac disease consumes gluten-containing foods, their immune system reacts, causing damage to the small intestines. Gluten causes swelling in the internal lining of the intestinal wall, which in turn stimulates the immune system to attack the injured lining of your small intestine. Over time, this results in small intestinal damage and inflammation, and other nutrients are less likely to be absorbed.
• Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a condition with symptoms similar to those of celiac disease and is usually diagnosed when a person doesn’t have celiac disease but still has intestinal discomfort when eating gluten. However, there hasn’t been a lot of conclusive research on gluten sensitivity, and there is no test to diagnose the condition.
• Wheat allergy occurs when the immune system misidentifies wheat protein as a pathogen that causes illness, such as bacteria or viruses, rather than as a nutrient. An allergic reaction occurs. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may include swelling or itching of the mouth or throat, hives, itchy eyes, shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, cramps, and anaphylaxis. People who test negative for this condition may still have gluten sensitivity.
• Dermatitis herpetiformis is when gluten triggers a severe rash on the elbows, knees, head, buttocks, and torso. Most people with dermatitis herpetiformis will also experience the same small intestinal damage as those with celiac disease. However, unlike people with celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis patients might not experience digestive symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or constipation. A gluten-free diet is recommended to treat dermatitis herpetiformis, although medications can also help control symptoms in the short term.

Should I stay away from gluten:

In your quest to avoid gluten, try first to eliminate all lectins. Consider removing things like rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, legumes, soybean as they are heavy on the lectin train. So eliminate whatever gluten products you can, but if you do not have digestive symptoms, then just enjoy your good health.

References:

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/gluten/#:~:text=Gluten%20is%20a%20protein%20naturally,out%20a%20ball%20of%20dough
https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_gluten_and_why_is_it_bad/article.htm