GLUTEN – WHY THE OBSESSION?
By Katie Greeley, DC, CACCP
The nature of my practice is that my clients are like extended family. We share great dialogue on all aspects of health and well-being. I always expose my patients to the latest research or information whether from a recent seminar, peer review research journal, local publication or social media.
In turn my patients know that I am always interested in all things to keep us healthy and well-informed. Since we have a primary focus on pediatrics and family care, nutrition is something I strongly advocate. Some families need to look at diet and habits; for others we need to analyze their recent blood tests and see how they are functioning and trying to get ahead of problems by prevention.
What Has Happened to Nutrition?
Recently in the last decade or so I have noticed a disturbing trend in the decline of our children’s health and diet. New documentaries have surfaced about the fast food epidemics and the decline in our food sources which has led to some elimination of sodas and junk food from our schools. But our children’s health continues to decline.
Obesity, diabetes, stomach pains, and learning disorders are at an all-time high. Could it be that what we think is healthy for our children is really adding to the problem? A wonderful patient brought to my office a book she had recently read by William Davis, MD, called Wheat Belly. I was absolutely fascinated with the information and the great recipes presented. I have donemy best below to give a quick synopsis of what I know about gluten and what is discussed in much further detail in this book.
What Does Gluten Do?
Let’s talk about that pesky protein called gluten. It is in just about everything we eat and even if we don’t have a severe wheat allergy as experienced in Celiac disease, this pesky protein can still cause a lot of problems.
Gluten is the protein in bread that makes it chewy or doughy. Why is wheat so bad for us? We have been told that the whole grain is good for our hearts, and what really is a meal without the rolls?
In a study showing the effects of the rise in blood sugar after consuming carbohydrates, table sugar had a rise of 59 on the glycemic index whereas whole grain wheat bread had a rise of 72. This means your toast in the morning causes higher blood sugar than eating sugar straight up, and that over time this will result in accumulation of glucose-insulin-fat deposits especially in the abdomen.
The higher the blood sugar, the more insulin must be released to move that sugar into the body’s cells such as liver and muscle. If our bodies cannot produce enough insulin from our pancreas then we will develop diabetes.
In fact, children with insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes usually have a greater likelihood of having positive markers for Celiac disease and are 20 times more likely to develop Celiac disease. Gluten also can cause an increase in triglycerides by triggering fatty acid synthesis in the liver from the stimulation of insulin and can increase our cholesterol levels. What is worse, not only does our blood sugar go sky high, but gluten has an unique ability to be degraded to a mix of polypeptides from the pepsin and HCL in our stomach, which can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and bind to the brain’s morphine receptors.
Gluten is one of the few foods like ethanol in wine, that can alter behavior, induce pleasurable effects, and generate withdrawal symptoms upon its removal. Wheat is also an appetite stimulant. It can make you want more cookies, pretzels, pizza, sandwiches, pastas, bagels and muffins. So why are we having trouble with wheat now, when it seems like it was not such an issue 50 years ago? Most authorities on the subject speculate that with our new techniques in farming, crossbreeding and hybridization that we have changed the wheat plant genetically and now we are paying the price. Wheat used to be tall and flowing. Now it is short and stiff. We have managed to cross-breed traits that make the plant hardier and less likely to be destroyed by pests.
The question is now, how do we go about our day without eating gluten—it’s everywhere? And we are addicted to it. From our morning cereal or bagel, to the lunch sandwich, to our children’s snacks like goldfish, pretzels and PB&J sandwiches, we’re eating it. Then we move to dinner with our spaghetti or mac ’n cheese or breaded chicken. We can’t get away from the stuff.
Many of us buy gluten-free pasta, chips, and other gluten-free foods, but too often those also convert to high blood sugar. And while they will not cross your blood-brain barrier, they will cause the same insulin surge in your body, contributing to all the effects such as high glucose and triglycerides and weight gain.
The Solution
We need to start eating real food again—food that actually grows from the ground—not premade in cute little bags and boxes. We need fruits and veggies, meats and eggs, nuts and legumes. Have we actually stopped and thought about what a goldfish really is?
We have fabulous cookbooks and easy recipes that are very tasty. This is not so much a fad as something we all need to think about, especially if we are in the group already experiencing digestive health issues, ADHD or diabetes.
We need to involve our children in the prep work in the kitchen to get them excited to try new foods and take them to farms to show them how foods are grown. They need to know that food doesn’t start in a box but rather from a seed that grows from the sun and water to give us nutrients that allow our bodies to grow.
Dr. Katie Greeley is a family wellness doctor of chiropractic and mother of two. She is Webster and Pediatric technique certified by the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice and the Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics (C.A.C.C.P.). Dr. Greeley has participated in numerous practice-based research projects. She is a featured guest speaker at numerous events on natural alternatives topics. A copy of this article can be found at http://www.yhconnection.com/Article.php?a=726&i=201212