Let's learn about... gluten

Food should be thy medicine, but what if the staff of life is poison for some? Maybe more of us than we realise. Plus the alternatives.

I began formally studying nutrition at the end of last year because it felt like a knowledge gap for me in the intricate puzzle of home/health in which I am so passionately invested. After all, we are a vital part of the energy metric of our homes — if you feel sluggish, stressed or depleted, your home will reflect this. And eating well has little to do with a gadget-packed, double dishwasher, massive islanded, copper pans hanging from a rail kitchen! It’s all to do with the food.

Personally, I think you rarely need more than a sharp knife and a wooden chopping board to prepare good food. Steer clear of most things that come in a packet, and max out on the leafy green veg has always been my mantra. But what if you do all this and still suffer from cramps, bloating, gas, perhaps psoriasis, heartburn, wheezing, even asthma? It could be a sensitivity to gluten.

Caveat: I am not professing to give medical advice here, I’m still on my first unit of study — carbohydrates, fats and proteins — but I majorly diverted into a deep dive into carbs via one of the recommended texts to study, a book called Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains May Be Hazardous to your Health by James Brady MD, and Ron Hoggan MA (published in 2002).

I myself am gluten-sensitive (as opposed to having Coeliac’s, a genetic condition that results in intestinal damage on ingesting gluten) so I was already primed to learn more. But after reading it, when I consider some of the issues I suffered with growing up (chronically aching joints, horrible rashes, suspected Lupus, even once a case of spontaneous bruising all over my legs!), I was shocked that it was never once suggested that I be tested for food sensitivities. My diagnosis eventually came in my late 30s and it would be no understatement to say it transformed my life.

So, I wanted to share some of the key learnings from the book, very much an overview based on what jumped out to me personally. Clearly, if you want the full picture, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy.

Note too, I’m aware that this book was written some twenty years ago, so I cross-checked all of the statements below with current research. I found no discrepancies (and have included up-to-date explanatory links where I felt it was relevant).

Rather, what were suppositions have now been confirmed. Albeit, the link between gluten sensitivity and cancer (or indeed diet and cancer) still seems to be deemed controversial in some circles. Here’s what I wanted to share…

17 facts about gluten

• Most of us eat wheat and grains every day, several times a day. It’s called the ‘Stuff of Life’, it’s our daily bread, and it sits at the top of the ‘healthy food’ pyramid that you’re no doubt seen. And yet, it’s estimated that anywhere between 1- 6% of the global population could be gluten sensitive (equivalent to 20 million people in the US alone). With some studies putting the figure significantly higher.

• Why does this matter? While it’s long been known that certain whole grains (wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kaput and possibly oat) can cause Coeliac’s Disease, an intestinal tract disorder that can be mild to life threatening, more recently, it’s been shown that the offending proteins in these cereal grains can cause symptoms, and sometimes entire diseases, in nearly any area of the body ie not just in the intestinal tract.

• The book lists over 150 diseases that the authors had credible evidence to link to a sensitivity to gluten, stating that undiagnosed gluten sensitivity could be the root cause of many cancers, autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, chronic pain syndromes, psychiatric and other brain disorders. They also believe there is clear causal connection to some cases of osteoporosis, epilepsy, ADHD, recurring middle-ear disease in children, infertility, miscarriage, liver disease and short stature (yep, you read that right, undiagnosed gluten sensitivity in children inhibits the production of their growth hormones).