Gluten-Free The New Diet Buzz

By Vicki Glunta, ND

NOVA Family Health

. https://learnchangelive.wordpress.com/

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Gluten-Free The New Diet Buzz

The gluten-free diet is beginning to infiltrate northern Virginia. Herndon just welcomed a pizza place that has a gluten free insert in its menu. Several months back, an Arlington paper published an article on six different gluten-free restaurants in the area. Almost every grocery store, including Walmart, has gluten free options on their shelves. But what is it? What is all this hype about, and is it actually “hype?”

The only people who absolutely have to be 100% gluten free are those with Celiac Disease, which is a disease that includes structural damage of the small intestine. When people with that disorder eat gluten they are seriously miserable with a range of symptoms. However, there is a growing number of people who are not Celiac that notice a dramatic improvement in their symptoms when they eliminate gluten from their diets.

Gluten is a naturally occurring protein found in many grains. It is responsible for dough rising, and that pleasant, chewy mouth-feel of baked goods. Somewhere along the evolution spectrum today's wheat was forced into new hybrid-formations and many believe that is why gluten has become so different than in the past.

Also contributing to a change in gluten content of baked goods are the market research teams for large fast food chains. They have found that Americans prefer (therefore, will buy more of) their products if the gluten content is higher resulting in a softer chewier bun or dough.

With these unbeknownst changes we have basically been assaulting our digestive tracts with a brand new protein and our bodies haven't quite figured out what to do with it. Some bodies decide it is food and digest it, other bodies decide it is an invader and attack it.

The latter can lead to many health problems that range from intense abdominal pain and bloating, to migraine headaches, arthritis, psoriasis, and even infertility. Many of those symptoms may be due to a sensitivity that can't be documented or proven through testing.

The medical world is seeing more and more gluten sensitivities. Patients will arrive at their doctor with a health concern and no matter what they try nothing seems to help. A friend will inevitably tell them about being gluten-free and they will give it a try. After their trial diet they will notice, without a doubt, that they feel better when they avoid gluten. The association is so dramatic that no one can dispute the findings.

Gluten-free can be a tough lifestyle for many people, as gluten is found in the strangest of places including on postage stamps and in play-dough. While it is not recommended that everyone live a gluten-free lifestyle it is important to realize that there may be an association between your state of health and your diet. For the most comprehensive information on gluten sensitivities and gluten-free diets talk to your local naturopath.