The word gluten is dervied from the latin word glue! That is enough to raise a question don’t you think??
Gluten is found predominantly in grains such as wheat and it’s derivatives, durum, semolina, graham, spelt, kamut, and tritricale. Gluten is also in rye and barley. And is often found in oats because of the modern processing of this grain.
Sometimes other grains can also be contaminated by gluten. So for people who have any kind of problem or suffer ceoliac, all grains could still pose a problem in certain circumstances.
But we won’t explore that here now. Let’s look at 7 good reasons to avoid gluten in your diet.
7 Reasons To Follow A Gluten Free Diet Plan
1. It’s easy to overdose on gluten
Gluten has become a staple food that is frequently consumed by people. It has swamped our modern processed food sources. If you examine most ingredient labels you will often find gluten added or even hidden in the list somewhere under a number or alternative name. It can parade itself as many things other than ‘wheat or flour’. It can be labeled as vegetable protein, seitan, hydrolized vegetable protein, modified food starch, other food starches, artificial food colouring, food stabilisers, malt extract, dextrins, food emulsifiers, and who knows what else may be on the list!
Many people never stop to think they may be overdosing on gluten. Being that many people consume it everyday as a staple and as a hidden ingredient, it is very easy to overdose on it. And too much of any one thing is never good for us!
2. Gluten is difficult to digest
Many people can’t effectively digest gluten. Even if you’ve never been diagnosed as having some type of gluten sensitivity or suffering from cealiac disease, it doesn’t mean you’re not affected. Medical studies estimate that 1 in 30 people could be gluten sensitive and only 1% of people are currently diagnosed effectively. You’ll read in a moment how wide a grasp gluten can have on your health. And because of it’s difficulty to digest, it can play havoc on you gut health which is essential to immune function and the effective metabolism of all the nutrients you digest.
3. Increased risk of intestinal permeability
Intestinal permeability is one of the problems that can occur in the gut. Gluten increases an enzyme known as zonulin. Zonulin usually controls the ‘gates’ so to speak. The gates that control what substances are allowed to cross the gut wall. When the gates are left wide open, many undigested proteins that should be eliminated from the body actually re-enter your bloodstream. This can cause all kinds of health issues because toxins are leaching back into your body.
4. Gluten can effect all organ systems
The digestive system may seem like the obvious point to be affected. Given that 70% of your immune function is derived in the gut it is definitely and important consideration. Still, it’s not the only place gluten plays havoc. Gluten can have a negative impact on your nervous system, your brain, heart and kidneys, your musculoskeletal system-the bones, joints, and muscles, and your moods and emotions. So if you are suffering from any type of health issue, mild or major, don’t exclude gluten as a possible contributor especially if it’s something you think you’ve tried everything for.
5. Increased inflammation
Because gluten is a major irritant in the body, it can cause an inflammatory response that can further lead the body to deterioration and disease on various different levels as just mentioned above and below. Inflammation is a normal response to injury and usually helps the body to heal but when our bodies are constantly in a chronic low level inflammatory state many health issues can start to evolve because the cells in our body cannot cope and start to change.
6. Gluten can affect your mental health
The effects of gluten do not stop at physical health. It can also impact your mental health as well. We cannot separate our emotions and mental processes from the food we eat because they are intricately connected. So if you, your family, or anyone else you know suffers from anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, bipolar, dementia or other mental health issues, don’t exclude the fact that it may be gluten adding to the problem. If in doubt, try excluding it and see if it makes a noticeable difference.
7. Increased risk of disease
Apart from all the things mentioned above and how gluten can negatively impact health, gluten can increase your risk of disease on so many levels it’s not funny. All the cells in our body are build from the amino acid chains of proteins. Yes…we really are what we eat! Gluten contains a chain that can actively bind to other chains in our cells and attack them. For example, the gluten amino acid chain enters your bloodstream, travels through your body, finds it’s way to your thyroid, and starts attacking cells. This could result in various thyroid problems or even an autoimmune disease, which is not uncommon.
‘Currently, as a collective whole, autoimmune disorders are the number three killer, behind heart disease and cancer’ ~Gedgaudas pg.36
It’s important to note that gluten is not always the cause but it is often largely associated with many autoimmune disorders. It has been stated that there are over 55 diseases that are caused by gluten. Suffice to say that the effects of gluten are still being explored in the medical world, and I expect we’ll be hearing A LOT more about it into the future.
In many people’s diets gluten is included at almost every meal. But have you stopped to think if that piece of bread or bowl of pasta is really worth it?
Perhaps now you’ve read this article you will. That’s not to say you have to live without bread or pasta forever. Today there are many gluten free products on the market if you choose to consume them. I highly recommend following a gluten free diet plan so you can take your health into your own hands.
You may just be surprised at how much better you feel by simply cutting out this gluggy stuff 
References: Primal Body, Primal Mind by Nora T Gedgaudas. Dr. Tom O’Bryan-gluten specialist doctor.
P.S. Please share this article with friends so they can learn about gluten too
None of these claims are substantiated by clinical research. It is dangerous and irresponsible to put claims on severe health diagnoses on the use of gluten.
This article should be prefaced, that NO dietary restrictions should be considered without first consulting your physician.
Thanks for your opinion Jess. I don’t know if you know anything about gluten but I believe it is detrimental to many people’s health. There is also plenty of research to back it up so I apologise for not including it. All the cells in our body are build from proteins-amino acid chains. Gluten contains a chain that can actively bind to other chains in our cells and attack them. For example, the gluten amino acid chain enters your bloodstream, travels through your body, finds it’s way to your thyroid, and starts attacking cells. It’s because the protein chain in gluten can mimic other cells.
You will find plenty of research on Dr Tom Obrien’s site, he is a specialist gluten doctor. Go here to view the research http://www.thedr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=4. There are also many other medical studies. As for being irrespnsible, I don’t think so. If gluten could be the cause of someones health issues and it makes them look into it, then I have been responsible not irresponsible. And I have never heard of anyone experiencing ill health from eliminating gluten. As for NO dietary restrictions, well let’s just think about all the fad diets out there telling people what to do!! Cutting out gluten is not a dietary restriction compared to most and gluten free grains provide a wide array of nutritents. Of course people should consult a health practitioner if they have concerns about anything, this is a given rule. However when it comes to food and diet I personally wouldn’t trust the opinion of my physician as far as I could throw him. Thanks again for your comment and I hope you will do more research yourself.
Sure, there are many fad diets out there to tell you how and how not to eat, but isn’t cutting out gluten for no reason other than Celiac and Gluten intolerance in itself a fad diet? As a biology major, I don’t see why this amino acid chain would go straight for the thyroid gland.
Well it could appear that way Jacob. But the amount of evidence that now stacks up and points to non-celiac gluten sensitivity as being a problem in people and various different conditions is enough to convince anyone to try quitting gluten and see how they feel. Researchers have shown the protein chain in gluten can attack many cells, using the thyroid in this article is just an example.