Gluten: A Gut Feeling

"Gluten: A Gut Feeling" investigates the health effects of gluten.

When I was a child, I never even heard of gluten, but in recent years, gluten has been all over the news.

The benefits of a gluten-free diet have become widely advocated. An ever increasing number of celebrities have also embraced a gluten free diet.

The New York Times Best Seller, "Grain Brain," was written by Dr. David Perlmutter, who is a neurologist. Dr. Perlmutter explains how processed grains can trigger neurological dysfunction and even contribute to dementia.

People with celiac disease have a severe gastrointestinal (GI) reaction to gluten. For them, a gluten-free diet is essential and most of them do quite well on that diet.

More physicians are also starting to recognize that many people, who don't have celiac disease, have some level of gluten intolerance or sensitivity. These people also benefit by being on a gluten-free diet.

Many of those individuals with gluten sensitivities, also have leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut syndrome is triggered by; herbicides, such as glyphosate (Roundup), chemical exposure, GMOs, medications and gluten.

The pores in the small intestine get larger in leaky gut syndrome. Larger molecules can then enter the bloodstream, which should not be there. This can lead to chronic inflammation and auto immune diseases.

What Is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein made up of glutenin and gliadin molecules, which in the presence of water form an elastic bond. Gluten is found primarily in wheat, rye and barley, but other grains may contain it as well.

Wheat hybridization has lead to a higher gluten content in today's wheat.

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