About Wheat & Gluten Archive

Is Gluten Really the Culprit!

Posted November 19, 2014 By Sandy

Before anyone gets upset with what I am inferring in my title, I want to share some findings with you.

With years and years of people eating wheat, many have asked why, all of a sudden, are so many people have serious problems with it.  Some are convinced that wheat is genetically modified (GMO wheat is not legally grown in the US at this time).  Others feel that the hybridization of wheat is the problem. Here is another theory:  Wheat is full of pesticides that are slowly killing us! Following are excerpts from a Report written Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist:

Common wheat harvest protocol in the United States is to drench the wheat fields with Roundup several days before the combine harvesters work through the fields as the practice allows for an earlier, easier and bigger harvest.
Roundup significantly disrupts the functioning of beneficial bacteria in the gut and contributes to permeability of the intestinal wall and consequent expression of autoimmune disease symptoms.

Is Gluten Really the Culprit!

In a nutshell, Dr. Seneff’s study of Roundup’s ghastly glyphosate which the wheat crop in the United States is doused with uncovers the manner in which this lethal toxin harms the human body by decimating beneficial gut microbes with the tragic end result of disease, degeneration, and widespread suffering.
 Personally, I find the chart very disturbing.  It is obvious that the incidents of gluten sensitive/celiac issues is increasing as pesticide use is increasing.  But is there a firm correlation?  The author and the study she sites in her article think there is!!

In my case, I am sensitive to BOTH wheat and gluten, so it is a non issue for me.  But it does pose an interesting theory in light of our overuse of pesticides on our crops.

I suggest you read the article(s) and form your own opinion.  And share with us what you think!!
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Why Gluten May Be Bad for Everyone

Posted September 1, 2014 By Sandy

With all the new studies and article on the dangers of gluten, it may be safe to assume that gluten may be bad for everyone. But why?

Dr. Vikki Petersen wrote an article on the subject:

Wheat is a Threat to Your Health, Even if You’re Not a Celiac

Gluten is the protein that is mostly present in wheat, about 85% of all the protein present. However, there are, unbelievably, 23,000 different proteins present in modern wheat that can create inflammatory, negative reactions in the human body, according to Dr Perlmutter. I will admit that this is a number far beyond any I have heard, but I do trust the source….

However, and we have discussed this many times before, WE, meaning humans, may also be a ‘predator’ when it comes to wheat. And as a predator the wheat we eat is attacking us. How?

The WGA protein has a liking for a protein in the human body called N-Acetylglucosamine and binds to it. Don’t worry about the long name, what’s important is where the protein is found: namely tendons, joint surfaces, cartilage, the lining of the entire digestive tract and the lining of the miles and miles of blood vessels within all of us.

When WGA ‘binds’ to this protein it can leave the cells of the particular structure, e.g. the cells lining the digestive tract, vulnerable. Whether it’s damaging the lining of the gut that could potentially result in leaky gut or damaging the lining of blood vessels putting them at risk to inflammation, it is thought that WGA has truly direct toxic effects on the heart, brain, immune and endocrine systems.

According to Dr. Vikki, this can affect anyone whether they are celiac, gluten intolerance or gluten sensitive.

Personally, I find this information very scary!  How many years have we, as human beings, been The Gluten Effecteating wheat and how long has it been doing this kind of damage to our bodies?

If you have read Dr. Vikki’s book, The Gluten Effect, she mentions mention that populations who consume wheat are at higher risk to certain degenerative and inflammatory disease. These diseases, she says, were not present prior to the introduction of wheat and are less present in those societies that do not consume it, even today.

With the studies I have seen, maybe she is right:  We should leave wheat to those who can digest it — animals with 4 stomachs!!

What do you think?

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Identifying Gluten

Posted February 15, 2014 By Sandy

Identifying gluten in your foods can be very challenging.  Gluten comes in so many different forms and under so many different names that the average person can easily become confused.

We all know to avoid wheat, barley and rye, but are these the only places to find gluten?

Following is a list of food containing gluten that you may not be aware of:

  • Spelt, kamut, triticale (a combination of wheat and rye), durum,  farina, cake flour, matzo (or matzah), bran, couscous,  semolina — all are forms of wheat or gluten!
  • More forms of wheat:  Orzo, couscous, einkorn, farro, seitan, and freekahGrains 2
  • Wheat starch, modified wheat starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein and pre–gelatinized wheat
    protein.
  • Barley malt syrup, malt extract, malt flavoring and malt vinegar.
  • Licorice, imitation crab meat, beer, most is fermented from barley.
  • Any breaded food or vegetables
  • Processed foods containing soy sauces or teriyaki sauces

Also, gluten MAY BE found in some of the following:

  • Dextrin, flavorings, modified food starch and caramel coloring
  • Oats (unless specifically marked gluten free)
  • Processed cheeses
  • Seasoning, seasoning mixes and soy sauces
  • Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) and Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
  • Artificial or natural flavorings

Gluten can also be found in the following non-food items:

  • Pharmaceuticals, including some vitamins
  • Lotions, Soaps, Face washes, Shampoo, Hair Products, Hair Spray, Makeup and other cosmetics, Play dough and other clay modeling toys, Dental pastes and creams

Do not become overwhelmed at the lists above.  With a little work, you can quickly become familiar with these “hidden” names.  Personally, I avoid processed foods — especially those with ingredients I am unfamiliar with.

As a substitute, try some of the following gluten free grains:

  • Amaranth, Buckwheat, Cornmeal, Job’s Tears, Millet, Montina Ryegrass, Gluten Free Oats, Quinoa, Rice, Sorghum, and Teff
  • See my mini-website:  Gluten Free Grains for more info and recipes

NOTE:  For more information, check out:

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Wheat and Gluten Intolerances on the Rise

Posted October 19, 2013 By Sandy

As most of you have probably read, wheat and gluten intolerances, as well as celiac disease is on the rise:

“The prevalence of celiac and gluten intolerance has increased significantly over the last 50 years. A 2009 study published in Gastroenterology showed that celiac disease has increased from one in 650 people to one in 120 people over the last 50 years.”

Why is it rising?

According to Amy Myers, MD (posted on HuffPost Healthy Living where the above quote was taken):

This Is Your Gut on Gluten dramymyers

We’re no longer eating the wheat that our parents ate. In order to have the drought-resistant, bug-resistant and faster growing wheat that we have today, we’ve hybridized the grain. It’s estimated that 5 percent of the proteins found in hybridized wheat are new proteins that were not found in either of the original wheat plants. These “new proteins” are part of the problem that has lead to increased systemic inflammation, widespread gluten intolerance and higher rates of celiac.

Today’s wheat has also been deamidated, which allows it to be water soluble and capable of being mixed into virtually every kind of packaged food. This deamidation has been shown to produce a large immune response in many people.

She goes on to explain what happens to gluten sensitive people when they eat glutenized foods:

 In people who have no issues with gluten, the proteins are absorbed. In those with gluten sensitivity, the GALT identifies gliadin as a dangerous substance and produces antibodies to attack it. In celiacs, these antibodies don’t just attack the gliadin, they attack the tTG as well, which is what originally broke down the gluten into its two parts….

When the antibodies your body produced to defend itself against gliadin attack your tTG, these microvilli (hair-like fingers, existing in your intestines to absorb nutrients) can atrophy and erode, decreasing your ability to absorb nutrients and allowing the walls of your intestines to become leaky. This can manifest itself in digestive symptoms, including bloating, constipation, diarrhea, weight loss, fat malabsorption and malnutrition, such as iron deficiency or anemia, low vitamin D or even osteoporosis.

Excellent article with many references to back up her statements.

READ FULL ARTICLE

Check out Amy Myers, M.D. website for more information on healthy practices

 

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Gluten Free Flour Mixes

Posted April 17, 2013 By Sandy

Substituting Gluten Free Flours in your favorite recipes is not as easy as it sounds.  Gluten is the element in breads and baked goods that produces the texture and ‘glue’ to your finished product.

If you do much Gluten Free Baking, you probably already know that you can’t just substitute any ‘ole Gluten Free flour for wheat flour in recipes!  A mix of flour is necessary to give your baked good the good tastes and mouth feel.

You can make your own flour mixes or you can do what I do and purchase a ready-made mix.

Personally, I use Pamela’s Amazing Bread Mix for making bread and muffins.  To me, it has the right consistence and tastes for me.  Following is a list of ingredients from the package:

 Sorghum Flour, Tapioca Flour, Sweet Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Organic Natural Evaporated Cane Sugar, Chicory Root, White Rice Flour, Millet Flour, Honey and Molasses; Rice Bran, Sea Salt and Xanthan Gum

NOTE:  If you purchase the individual 19 oz. package, it will include a yeast packet.

Following is a list of Pamela’s Amazing Bread Flours in the different sizes available. We purchased the 25 pound bag and keep it in the freezer.


I also use Jule’s All-Purpose Flour whenever I bake cookies or bars.  I prefer the softer texture that Jule’s flour gives to the ‘dessert’ type foods.  Following is the list of ingredients:

Expandex™ Modified Tapioca Starch, potato starch, corn starch, corn flour, white rice flour and xanthan gum.

You can see the ingredients are much different with each flour mix.

Of course, there are many more Gluten Free Flour Mixes available.  Following are some of the more popular ones:


Learn more about Gluten Free Flours from my Squidoo Page: Gluten Free Break Baking Tips

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Dangers of Wheat

Posted February 17, 2012 By Sandy

Dr. Mark Hyman posted a length article on the negative impact and dangers of wheat consumption.  The article goes way beyond just the dangers of gluten …..

Yes, gluten is a real problem.  But the problem is not just gluten.  In fact, there are Dangers of Wheatthree major hidden reasons that wheat products, not just gluten (along with sugar in all its forms) is the major contributor to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and so many other modern ills. …

The three hidden reasons according to Dr. Hyman ….

  1. It contains a Super Starch – amylopectin A that is super fattening.
  2. It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory.
  3. It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more.

He talks about the genetic manipulation that have drastically changed our wheat into what he calls “FrankenWheat” — and this is the wheat we are all using!  The article does go on to address the high gluten in our wheat and what it does to our bodies ….

Five Ways Gluten Makes You Sick and Fat

Gluten can trigger inflammation, obesity and chronic disease in five major ways.

  1. Full-blown celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that triggers body-wide inflammation triggering insulin resistance, which causes weight gain and diabetes, as well as over 55 conditions including autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel, reflux, cancer, depression, osteoporosis and more.
  2. Low-level inflammation reactions to gluten trigger the same problems even if you don’t have full-blown celiac disease but just have elevated antibodies (7% of the population or 21 million Americans).
  3. There is also striking new research showing that adverse immune reactions to gluten may result from problems in very different parts of the immune system than those implicated in celiac disease.  Most doctors dismiss gluten sensitivity if you don’t have a diagnosis of celiac disease, but this new research proves them wrong. Celiac disease results when the body creates antibodies against the wheat (adaptive immunity), but another kind of gluten sensitivity results from a generalized activated immune system (innate immunity).  This means that people can be gluten-sensitive without having celiac disease or gluten antibodies and still have inflammation and many other symptoms.
  4. A NON-gluten glycoprotein or lectin (combination of sugar and protein) in wheat called wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)(1)   found in highest concentrations in whole wheat increases whole body inflammation as well. This is not an autoimmune reaction but can be just as dangerous and cause heart attacks (2).
  5. Eating too much gluten free food (what I call gluten free junk food) like gluten free cookies, cakes and processed food.  Processed food has a high glycemic load.  Just because it is gluten free, doesn’t mean it is healthy. Gluten free cakes and cookies are still cakes and cookies!  Vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds and lean animal protein are all gluten free – stick with those.

READ FULL ARTICLE

An interesting article that EVERYONE should read to find out what “FrankenWheat” is doing to our bodies and why we should not eat it!

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