In my Community Acupuncture Clinic in Boulder, I support clients successfully dealing with food sensitivities and allergies. Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture have much to offer, strengthening the digestive system and immunity.
Among thoughtful and informed medical providers and the public alike, there is an ongoing transition toward recognizing adverse health effects from grains as common and normal rather than rare and abnormal. Yet, if medicine is to be science-based, no credible medical provider can dismiss the possibility that a large proportion of the U.S. (and possibly the world) population may be sensitive to certain molecules present in most grains. Similarly, those that belittle the gluten-free movement as a fad might be an unknowing victim of grain sensitivity.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease reacting to a component of wheat gluten and gluten in barley, rye, and sometimes oats, as well. This autoimmune reaction produces specific findings within the small bowel and specific antibodies in the blood, both defining the diagnosis of Celiac disease. Just in the last two decades, the estimated prevalence of this gluten-related autoimmune disease has gone from 1/6000 to 1/130 or even 1/100 people in the U.S At 1% of the population, celiac disease is not exactly a rare condition. However, celiac disease may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to grain-related disease and distress.
It turns out that not all Celiac sufferers have the typical symptoms or any symptoms at all. Traditionally, Celiac disease is thought to result in diarrhea, intestinal cramping and bloating, malabsorption (often resulting in anemia), and weight loss. Yet, it has been more recently discovered that many people with positive antibody results and intestinal findings never complain of any symptoms. The term “silent celiac disease” has been coined to describe such cases.
Yet, silent celiac disease is not truly silent. Individuals with the silent version of the disease are just as likely (or even more likely) as those with symptomatic celiac disease to develop or have osteoporosis, lymphoma of the small bowel, and other autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (hypothyroidism), and perhaps even dementia.
Additionally, certain symptoms or disorders like constipation and bloating, diarrhea, gastroesophageal reflux, fatigue, depression, skin rashes, muscle aches and muscle damage, neuropathy, migraine headaches, seizures, kidney disease, type I diabetes, infertility, and mouth sores may be present but medical providers may fail to suspect an association with gluten. The prevalence of these genes in the U.S. population is around 30%! Could 30% of the U.S. population have celiac disease? Possibly, but not likely. The disease may require specific triggers or alterations of the immune system to develop. Celiac disease may develop at any age!
Evidence suggests that a common inflammatory response to gluten leads to increased intestinal permeability (so-called “leaky gut”)
From Gluten to Grains
Before you consider the possibility or the likelihood, that you have gluten sensitivity and alter your diet, there is still more to the story. It turns out that gluten, the common term for several different proteins in wheat, rye, barley, and oats, may not be the only cause of the adverse health effects of these foods. Grains contain molecules called lectins. Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity result from a gluten-lectin combination effect. Grain, after all, is a broad term that refers to food seeds and includes grasses and legumes. Wheat, rye, barley, oats, sorghum, millet, maize, corn, soybean, rice, peanut, and most beans fall under “grains.” While lectins are prevalent in nearly all plants and animals, grains contain very high concentrations. Therefore, if lectins cause health problems, we would expect those problems to be most strongly associated with grain consumption.
Lectins are a general class of mostly indigestible proteins which bind to sugar molecules. When ingested, lectins bind to the sugar molecules present on and in the cells that line the intestines. Several effects may be produced, including intestinal cell dysfunction and inflammation, both of which subsequently lead to increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Increased intestinal permeability, then, allows proteins (including lectins) that are not typically absorbed into the body to enter the intestinal veins and lymph vessels and circulate to vital organs. This is part of the mechanism that is thought to contribute to various autoimmune conditions, but other outcomes are also possible.
Finally, lectins that enter the blood may increase platelet activation and increase the likelihood of forming blood clots. After all, the term agglutinin refers to the ability of these molecules to make blood clots…
These are good reasons to stay away from wheat.
