THE SITUATION WITH GLUTEN
1. Definition of Gluten
Gluten is the protein portion of cereal, composed of glutenins and gliadins. It has the appearance of a viscous and sticky amalgam that provides the essential elasticity and consistency in the production of many agricultural food products. Cooked, it has a rubbery consistency (seitan).
2. Pathologies Linked to Gluten
Gluten is involved in an impressive number of pathologies: alcoholism, anxiety, ataxia/loss of balance, autism, cancer, depression, bone pain/osteoporosis, chest pains, encephalopathy, sugar cravings, epilepsy, miscarriages, intolerance to dairy products, Charcot disease, Parkinson's disease, heart diseases, migraines, nausea/vomiting, growth retardation, sterility, irritable bowel syndrome, malabsorption syndrome, ADHD, auto-immune disorders (diabetes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis or acute lymphocytic thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), digestive disorders (gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, intestinal spasms, etc.), neurological disorders (dementia, Alzheimer's disease, schitzophrenia, etc.), urticaria.
3. Gluten Intolerance
Dr. Aristo Vojdani estimates that, currently, 30% of the Western world suffers from gluten intolerance, which is enormous. About 40% of the world population cannot metabolize it, and the remaining 60% may be going in the same evolutionary direction. Close to 50% of people affected by a gluten intolerance also have an intolerance to dairy products. There is also a cross-reaction between gluten and coffee.
One in four people show risks of being afflicted by diseases that are triggered by their genetic heritage, especially populations from Northern Europe or their descendants.
4. History of Gluten Intolerance
This pathology dates back many centuries, since the first description of celiac diseases goes back to the 1 st century BCE, with Arataeus of Cappadocia.
But it is the Dutch pediatrician Willem Karel Dicke who first established a cause and effect relationship between the pathology and wheat flour (he reported that there was no longer any celiac disease during the German occupation, during the 2nd World War, due to a break in the supply of wheat).
5. Sources of Gluten
We find gluten almost everywhere in our diets, and even in medicines and cosmetics, although under different names. Its sales are exploding.
But, even though it is found in these quantities, today's cereals do not have much in common with what was eaten ten thousand years ago. They contain up to 40 times more gluten than the varieties used only a few dozen years ago.
Cereals containing gluten are: wheat (semolina, germ, etc.), bulgur, kamut, barley, matzo, rye, triticale.
Gluten is found in the following foods: seasonings, energy bars, beer, certain drinks (wine-based, fruit juice, sparkling waters, instant hot beverages), industrial bouillons, meatballs, hamburgers, flavored coffees and teas, industrial chocolate milk, ice creams, lactose-free creams, French fries (sprinkled with flour before being frozen), blue cheeses, reconstituted cheeses, fruits with grilled hulls, garnishes for fruits and puddings, white beans in tomato sauce (canned), communion wafers, gravies, ketchup, sautéed vegetables, malt, malt flavoring, marinades, mayonnaise, dried fruit mixes, tempura, matzo, breaded preparations, soy and teriyaki sauces, seitan, syrups, oat bran (unless certified gluten-free), soups, egg substitutes, fish cake, tabouleh, malt vinegar, vodka.
Ingredients indicating the presence of gluten: modified food starch, natural flavors, liquid caramel (usually made from barley), complex amino acids and peptides, cyclodextrin, dextrin, yeast extract, hydrolyzed malt extract, phytosphingosine extract, sprouted cereal extractHordeum distichon (a subspecies of barley), hydrolyzate, maltodextrin, soy protein, vegetable protein (hydrolyzed or not), brown rice syrup, tocopherol/vitamin E.
Non-food products containing gluten: capsules, modeling clay, cosmetic products, lipstick/lip balm, stamps, non-adhesive envelopes, food supplements.
6. The Digestion of Gluten
It is the digestion of these substances that poses a problem – unless the dough is kneaded for an extremely long time, which is technically difficult to achieve (only a very few bakers do this).
It is the “sticky” portion of the gluten that interferes with the breakdown and absorption of nutrients. Poorly digested foods are found in the intestines as a pasty residue. The immune system then reacts, causing an inflammation of the intestinal wall and an intestinal hyperpermeability (Leaky Gut Syndrome). The elements that then pass into the blood abnormally may promote the onset of autoimmune diseases.
7. Pathogenic Effects on Physiology
It is not an exaggeration to say that gluten is a poison.
Above all, it is gliadin that is involved in all pathologies caused by gluten, as evidenced by the high number of antibodies directed against it.
Gluten intolerance can affect any organ, even when the intestine is spared. It triggers intolerance and allergy, which give rise to an inflammation (by cytokines).
In this way, as a result of the gluten, the inflammatory reaction is particularly strong and devastating, as evidenced by significant levels of the COX-2 cyclooxygenase enzyme and of TNF–α (TumorNecrosis Factor), among others.
As with all food intolerances, these pathologies are therefore due to a reaction by the immune system. It is as if the presence of gluten switches off the immune system, which has become overwhelmed.
People who are intolerant to gluten have have a clearly higher level of free radicals than normal, causing damage to the lipids, proteins and DNA. In addition, it becomes a lot harder for their bodies to produce antioxidants (glutathione, vitamins C, E and A – or retinol).
Gluten greatly increases glycemia, promoting an increased secretion of insulin, which over the long term leads to insulin resistance. It is not surprising that the glycemic index (GI) of wheat-based products is higher than sugar-based ones.
8. Physical Diseases Caused by Gluten
Celiac diseases (from koiliakos, meaning “abdomen”) or chronic diarrhea, is one of the most serious manifestations of gluten intolerance. It attacks the intestines, as well as the skin and all the mucous membranes (oral ulcers).
9. The Impact of Gluten on the Brain
It was not until 2006, with work from the Mayo Clinic, that an indisputable link was established between gluten intolerance and certain neurological pathologies (in this study, a strong correlation was established between celiac diseases an progressive cognitive deficit[1], as well as ataxia[2] and neuropathy[3]). In particular, it identified appreciable changes to the white matter, particularly visible with an MRI (the photo on the right is one of a normal brain – photo taken from the book by Dr. David Perlmutter, p. 76 French edition).
Gluten intolerance always affects the brain. Dr. Rodney Ford adds: “it is scientifically proven that gluten prioritizes attacking the nervous system. (...) Gluten is heavily involved in the damage caused to the neurological system.”
Inflammation triggered by the immune system due to gluten intolerance (a reaction between antibodies and the protein or antigen – in this case gliadin) is manifested by the production of cytokines. These very aggressive substances damage all tissues, making the brain more vulnerable a dysfunction or a disease. Pro-inflammatory cytokines attack the brain. Anti-gliadin antibodies may come into contact with proteins from the brain resembling gliadin and attack them (not differentiating them), triggering autoimmune pathologies.
A high level of cytokines is also found in patients suffering from Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or Charcot disease, and even fromautism.
Gluten in particular and a diet rich in carbohydrates in general are therefore among the most significant stimulators of inflammatory pathways that affect the brain.
No organ is more sensitive to the deleterious effects of inflammation than the brain since it is not well protected against attacks by inflammatory molecules, which are not stopped by the blood-brain barrier.
The digestion of gluten produces exorphins, a mixture of polypeptides capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and binding to cerebral opioid receptors, causing a sensation of pleasure and a dependence– blocked by naloxone and naltrexone. Gluten is an addictive substance.
The most dangerous thing is that, more often, we ignore that our brains are affected (lack of symptoms). “Gluten intolerant individuals may see their brains damaged without experiencing any further gastrointestinal or other disorder.” (Prof. Marios Hadjivassiliou)
Gluten is the No. 1 triggering element in dementia, epilepsy, headaches, depression, insomnia, schizophrenia, chronic migraines, Tourette syndrome, ADHD, etc. and even disorders of the libido. More and more studies confirm the causal relationship between gluten intolerance and neurological dysfunctions.
As stated by Prof. Marios Hadjivassiliou, “a number of patients suffering from a neurological disease with an unknown cause are intolerant to gluten, a discovery of paramount importance in etiology.” He also states that “gluten intolerance would essentially, and in many cases exclusively, be a neurological disease.”
— The risks for descendants:
Another disturbing element is that pathologies may be transmitted to our descendants on account of this. In this way, infants born to a mother suffering from a gluten intolerance have an increased risk of one day suffering from schizophrenia or another neurological disorder.
10. Sources
The information above has been taken from the book by Dr. David Perlmutter: Grain Brain (New York, Little, Brown & Co, 2013). The author is an internationally renowned American neurologist. President of the Perlmutter Health Center (Naples, FL), he is also the cofounder and president of the Perlmutter Brain Foundation and a member of the American College of Nutrition. Lauded for his works, he is the author of many publications.
Author of the compilation: Thierry Fustier (04/10/15).
1
[1] Here, amnesia, confusion and personality changes.
[2] Ataxia is the inability to control voluntary muscular movements and to maintain balance.
[3] This neuropathy designates a group of disorders affecting the peripheral nervous system (as opposed to disorders of the brain and the spinal cord) and produces numbness, muscle weakness or pain.