Wheat, the Bible tells us, is the "staff of life". It's been the cornerstone of human diet since antiquity. For over0 thousand years, wheat has occupied a prominent place in caves, huts and on modern tables. However, all wheat consumed today bears tiny resemblance to what our ancestors ate over the millennia. There the rub.
In the work of latter half of the 20th century, faced with the urgent issue of feeding the quickly growing world population, scientists conducted intensive research in to making a brand spanking new genetic wheat hybrid that would provide greater yield, & would be disease, drought, & heat resistant. Thus was born modern wheat: triticum aestivum. Today, modern wheat is the most consumed grain on earth & is responsible for0 percent of all human caloric consumption. While it is without a doubt true that this type of wheat prevented mass starvation in the third world, it is also responsible for a quantity of the most pernicious chronic degenerative diseases known to man.
Modern wheat contains forty two
chromosomes, which puts it thousands of genes apart from the einkorn
wheat of yore. Einkorn and modern wheat may look and taste the same, but
there are major biochemical differences. Up to 75% of the total
carbohydrate content in modern wheat consists of Amylopectin-A, a
compound composed of a chain of glucose units. This starch is
efficiently digested, and causes a sharp rise in blood sugar levels
immediately upon consumption. Its glycemic index (GI) - a measure of how
quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a type of food - is 72,
higher than sucrose (table sugar: GI 59). High GI foods are directly
implicated in hyperinsulinism, chronic inflammation due to excess
deposition of visceral fat in the body, and the collection of autoimmune
conditions commonly known as Syndrome X. In his bestselling book "Wheat
Belly", Dr. William Davis notes that while wheat and diabetes have
travelled hand in hand throughout most of history, the arrival of modern
wheat has precipitated an explosion in the rate of diabetes around the
world today.
Other insidious effects of modern wheat are caused by
the very component that gives it its unique cohesiveness and
malleability: the protein Gluten. In about 1 in 100 people (98% of whom
have the generic markers HLA-Q2 or DQ8), gluten triggers an immune
response characterized by severe inflammation of the small intestine.
This is manifested by incapacitating abdominal cramps, diarrhea,
bloating and fatigue, a collection of symptoms widely known as Celiac
disease. If left untreated, this condition has been shown to severely
damage intestinal walls. Celiac disease has been recognized and treated
by the medical community for several decades. However, gluten is also
responsible for another, less recognized condition known as non-Celiac
gluten sensitivity, which has very Celiac-like symptoms. This condition
lacks the immune response, intestinal damage and genetic markers of
celiac disease, but is linked to severe neurologic and psychiatric
conditions including schizophrenia and cerebellar ataxia.
Gluten
works its nefarious ways by stimulating the intestines to produce a
protein called Zonulin. Zonulin damages the gut lining by breaking up
the tight junctions between the intestinal cells thereby causing a leaky
gut. As a result, partially digested food and intestinal microbes cross
the gut barrier and enter the bloodstream. This exposure triggers an
immune reaction, generating antibodies that attack the body's own tissue
leading to systemic inflammation. Various conditions such as heart
disease, dementia, cancer and diabetes are linked to systemic
inflammation.
Another alarming aspect of gluten is that when
exposed to stomach acid and enzymes, it gets digested into shorter
proteins or polypeptides called exorphins. These are like endorphins
that one gets from an exercise high. The exorphins can cross the blood
brain barrier and bind to opioid receptors in the brain. These are the
same receptors to which opiates such as heroin bind. Wheat exorphins
behave exactly like a drug causing multiple problems with brain
physiology including schizophrenia and autism. They also cause addictive
behavior including cravings and binge eating. Thus gluten can alter
mood and generate withdrawal symptoms upon its elimination.
Beyond
gluten, there are about 20% non-gluten proteins can cause allergic or
anaphylactic reactions in human. Some of these non-gluten proteins
include agglutinins, alpha amylases, thioredoxin and
glycerinaldehyd-3-phosphare dehydrogenases. Exposure of these elements
triggers asthma, rashes and wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis
(WDEIA) in susceptible individuals.
Strict elimination of gluten
is the most effective way to reverse all the above conditions. A
gluten-free lifestyle is also recommended for ostensibly healthy
individuals because the majority of individuals who are sensitive to
wheat may not exhibit any visible problems. Yet when they cut wheat out
of their diets, they experience health benefits that include better
mood, clearer skin, less fatigue, clearer thinking. Gluten elimination
also helps those who struggle with autoimmune diseases, mental
disorders, migraines, eczema and psoriasis, and joint pain. If you are
suffering from any of the issues listed below it may be worthwhile to
try a gluten free diet for a period of six weeks.
1) Genetic predisposition or a family history of celiac disease or gluten intolerance
2) Presence of any digestive disease such as irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, poor intestinal permeability
3)
Presence of food sensitivities that manifest as migraines, chronic
fatigue, aches and pains, skin problems such as eczema, acne or
pityriasis,
4) Presence or a family history of autoimmune conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
5) Difficulty in losing weight.
