GLUTEN or NOT

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BREAD, THE STAFF OF LIFE?

I am selective about what I eat, therefore, I appreciate that the truth came out about wheat. It's not that we don't give proper eating a second thought, it's that sometimes we just are not aware of the pitfalls in eating some foods. I believe as much as 70% of the population are not aware they are falling short on food safety knowledge. What is it that makes our bread dangerous? To answer the question, let us take a closer look at wheat.

Ever heard of Celiac Disease or (CD)? Many people have CD, which causes an allergic reaction to anything with gluten. People who are allergic to gluten cannot indulge even if the food is organic. I believed that our wheat products were wholesome and healthy choices. Unfortunately, the evidence indicates that whole grains, and whole wheat especially, can be detrimental to our health, this includes mental health. According to studies from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, an average of one out of every 133, otherwise, healthy people in the United States, suffers from CD. An estimated 20-30 percent of the world's population may carry the genetic susceptibility to CD--, the way to avoid turning these genes on, is by avoiding gluten. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S.D.A, do not address this issue for some reason. The evidence is there, these foods may be keeping us from the enjoyment of good health.

What Is Agglutinin

Wheat contains a high amount of the wheat germ, agglutinin, (wga), this is a glycoprotein classified under lectin. agglutinin is responsible for the vast number of wheat's ill effects. When you consider that undiagnosed CD causes a 4 fold increase in premature death, you have to take note, this is deadly serious. Agglutinin primarily causes chronic inflammation, and chronic inflammatory and degenerative conditions, that are endemic to grain-consuming populations. Other grains which contain a large amount of lectins are rice, spelt, and rye. That's not all, wheat also contains other health harmful components, including, gliadin, (an alcohol soluble protein component). Gliadomorphin (exorphins, or a group of opioid peptides that form during digestion of the gluten protein). Other harmful components found in wheat are, aspartic and glutamic acid (potential excitotoxins), and enzyme inhibitors.

Sprouting and fermenting anti-nutrients is useless because lectins can withstand degradation at high temperatures. [Sources for the investigative material can be located here:] [Biological Psychiatry July 1 2010; 68(1):100-4]

[Biological Psychiatry March 1984;19(3):385-99] [Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology October 2010;45(10):1197-202] [Green Med Info]

Gut Brain Connection

According to these Studies which show, the gut to brain Connection: You and I fail to realize that our gut is quite literally connected to our brains, it has the ability to influence our mind, our mood and our behavior. Therefore, WGA can damage both our gut and our brain. Let me clarify this further, by virtue of the gut to brain connection WGA can alter your mind, mood and behavior all by itself. Anxiety and depression are part of the signs and symptoms of CD. Our gut and our brain are created out of the same type of tissue. During gestation one part turns into our central nervous system, while the other develops into our "enteric" nervous system. These are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. This explains why you feel butterflies in your stomach when you are nervous, for example.

According to a 1984 study:

"If, as hypothesized, neuro-active peptides from grain gluten is the major agent evoking schizophrenia in those with the genotype, it should be rare if grain is rare. To test this theory, we analyzed the results of our clinical examinations, and observations of anthropologists on people consuming little or no grain. Only two overtly insane chronic schizophrenics were found among over 65,000 examined or closely observed, adults in remote regions of Papua, New Guinea and Malaita. When these people became partially westernized and consumed wheat, barley beer, and rice, the prevalence reached European levels. Our findings agree with previous experimental results, indicating that grain gluten is harmful to schizophrenics.

Serotonin-a game changer

Another more recent study found that, "Individuals with recent-onset psychosis and with multi-episode schizophrenia who have increased antibodies to gliadin, may share some immunologic features of CD, but their immune response to gliadin differs from that of CD." One piece of evidence that should help explain the connection between wheat and mental health problems, is the fact that wheat inhibits production of serotonin, which can be found not just in the brain, but also in our gut. In fact the greatest concentration of serotonin, (involved in mood control, depression and aggression), is found in our intestines, not our brain. So it's a good idea to nourish our gut flora with probiotic foods and supplements, to maintain optimal serotonin function. This conclusion is supported by a recent animal study, which found that the absence or presence of beneficial gut microorganisms during infancy, "permanently alters gene expression." This refers specifically to genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control. In addition, other health afflictions having free reign include depression, ADD/ADHD, and Alzheimer's disease, these are only a few. Excessive wheat consumption is the culprit, in fact there's evidence that gluten sensitivity may be at the root of many neurological and psychiatric conditions.

It is evident that all types of grains contribute to insulin and lectin resistance, they are the enemy causing most, if not all, chronic diseases, from diabetes to cancer. Isn't that reason enough to drastically cut back your grains, and especially wheat?