Certainly you have all heard about gluten-free diets by now. Why is this all the rage? Why is avoidance of gluten helping so many people battle various problems from digestive issues to allergic symptoms? Theoretically it comes down to the proteins gluten and gliadin. These are proteins found in wheat. So what’s the big deal with these proteins found in wheat you ask? Well, certain individuals form antibodies to these proteins which essentially attack the gut lining. This is called Celiac Disease. This is the most severe form of gluten intolerance and it literally represents an autoimmune process. Autoimmune issues are some of the most difficult problems to treat and often involve heavy duty drugs that basically suppress the immune system (not good for fighting infections and overall health). If these people eat gluten, they will have serious problems. The gut lining is only one cell layer thick! That means it is very sensitive to the many insults it faces daily. The standard American diet is already a nasty insult. Add an autoimmune process on top of that and you have chaos!
But what about people who test negative for Celiac Disease but still have intolerance to gluten? These individuals often exhibit the same symptoms as those people with Celiac Disease but they don’t form antibodies to these proteins. That means the body is not attacking itself like the autoimmune process of Celiac Disease, but harmful inflammation occurs which irritates the gut lining in much the same way. How do you know you have this intolerance? One way is simply to avoid gluten and see whether this eliminates your symptoms. A more sophisticated way is to come to our office and have this tested with a food sensitivity test. It’s a simple blood test and will show exactly what foods your individual body is intolerant to. Simple!
There are patients I have seen that have tested negative for Celiac Disease and negative for intolerance to gluten but they still say to me that their symptoms get better when avoiding gluten. Why would this be? Almost always it’s because of another intolerance. The beauty of the food sensitivity test is that we also test for various chemicals and food additives. I’ve seen many intolerances to glyphosate in these individuals. What the heck is glyphosate you ask? Well, it’s in most of the food you eat. It’s a chemical and you may even be familiar with it. You probably spray it on a lot of the weeds in your back yard. It’s called Round Up. That’s right. You are all ingesting Round Up when you eat many foods including most of the wheat that is available to us. This makes sense now, doesn’t it? These patients are not intolerant to the food, but rather they are now intolerant to the chemicals that are sprayed on the food as pesticides. It’s sprayed on so many things that sensitivities develop. Amazing and disturbing!
If you have any symptoms of gluten intolerance including gastrointestinal upset, gas, bloating, diarrhea, cramping, etc, please consider getting tested. Don’t stop with a simple Celiac panel. Get tested for food and chemical intolerances as well. We offer this testing and it’s covered by most insurances. Simply call to schedule an appointment to discuss your issues and get on a path to wellness today!
