On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 3:02 AM, Chantelle
<chantelles@cox.net> wrote:
I think I have read or heard more than once, that a large percentage of the population has some degree of gluten intolerance. Any comments from anyone else on this notion?
It's become a hot topic lately, but the research isn't all in. More and more, it's looking like the protein part of some grains ... wheat in particular ... is just plain irritating to human beings. Dr. Fasano's work shows that one particular peptide chain acts as a trigger to unlock the gut wall, making it temporarily permeable. It does this not only for human beings, but also for other mammals. But for some people the wall stays permeable for a lot longer than other people. This leads to autoimmune disorders.
Also, this peptide chain is "sticky" and gloms onto the gut wall, which is irritating. For some people, this triggers an overreaction from the immune system, which causes major damage. For other people, it "only" causes indigestion.
However, this peptide chain ALSO acts like an opioid for some people, particularly the ones where it triggers leaky gut (because it gets into the bloodstream). The opioid effect makes it rather addicting in a very real sense.
Another issue: this peptide is simply not digestible by ANY human being. It is possible to digest it using long ferments with certain bacteria, but if one does that, the bread doesn't rise well.
So the problem is: the peptide has so many effects, it's hard to know what to test for. There are tests that check for gluten-related IgA in the bloodstream ... it's not supposed to be in the bloodstream, and won't be unless you have leaky gut ... and in those tests it looks like over 10% of the population has that problem. 1% has it so bad that they are called "celiac". However, if you look at IgA in the stool, it looks like 30% of the population "overreacts". When you get to those numbers, it starts looking more and more like gluten is just not human-compatible food, but some people tolerate it better than others.
What gets even weirder is that when they tested *other* proteins in various grains, there were some 90 peptides that showed immune reactions in the blood after volunteers ate those grains, 10 of the peptides to a more major degree. So when people tell me that they fell better after not eating grains ... there's probably a reason for that. But the research is really just beginning.
At this point, getting a "celiac panel" would be a great first step, to check for IgA in the blood. You can also get a saliva test to check for the major celiac genes ... if you DO have those genes, and elevated IgA, then dropping all traces of wheat gluten is, I think, a really good idea. If you don't have the genes, or elevated IgA, but have some issues ... not eating gluten for awhile to see what happens is a good idea. Most people feel better and notice the difference, or they notice that they feel worse when they introduce it back into the diet.
But it's best to do the celiac panel first, because once you are on a gluten-free diet it's difficult to get accurate test results (the IgA antibodies go away eventually). If you aren't celiac, you don't have to be "so careful" about trace gluten. In our family, I am hyper-careful, but the rest of my family isn't, and it takes a fair bit of gluten (like, a whole piece of bread) to make them feel ill.
However ... getting a doctor to run a celiac panel has been very difficult, at least it was in the past. Also, there is the issue that if a person does have "classical celiac" (1% of the population) it makes your insurance rates go up, if in fact you can get insurance. Celiac is a very dangerous disease, and the insurance people know it! So going to a private testing lab isn't a bad idea. The blood and saliva tests are easy and relatively inexpensive, and sometimes during "awareness days" they are offered free.
Again, it is very much in your interest to know if you have a celiac-style reaction, because those reactions can be silent -- no symptoms at all -- but statistically they make you die earlier, generally from some seemingly unrelated disease. Personally I think *everyone* should be tested, just like we test for diabetes and high blood pressure.
So in summary: Best advice: get tested.
1. If you are celiac, DON'T EAT GLUTEN and avoid trace amounts (1% of the population)
2. If you have elevated anti-gliadin IgA, (10-30% of the population, depending you you ask) then you'll probably feel better and be healthier if you avoid gluten.
3. If you are in the other 70-90% ... no one knows. There is a good chance, based on what people report, that you'll feel better if you avoid high-gluten wheat products anyway, and they are mostly junk food.
Hope this helps. It doesn't relate directly to Fast-5, except that when you eat once a day, food intolerances sometimes become more obvious.
