Gluten is a protein you find in grains (which, gluten is not the only protein found in various grains). Over time, the challenge with gluten is the process of hybridization of the kernels, which is has increased the amount of gluten found in wheat.
Gluten is sticky, and when consumed on a regular basis, can impair the little finger-like projections in the intestine from absorbing minerals. We have a tool in our practice which measures the sounds of your heart valves as the open and close, and then translate them into a graph. Practice members who have a diet heavy in wheat often have more “chatter” on their graphs versus a non-wheat eater who has a straight or flat line.
Besides digestive distress, gluten can create a variety of body signals. I have noticed chronic sinus and skin problems halt with a reduction or elimination of grains for three months and by starting a digestive aid.
The major issue I notice with practice members after reviewing their diet journals, is people tend to eat grains with every meal. Grains which are based in the US are difficult to digest, and if you have any type of health challenge and eat toast or pasta daily, stop for a month and evaluate. If you decide to go “gluten-free” DO NOT buy processed gluten-free products. Gluten-free foods still have sugar, preservatives, taste enhancers and other ingredients that may create distress.
We perform the Adrenal Stress Index to evaluate if the patients have a positive response to gliadin (gluten in wheat). You can have chronic health challenges because of gluten, while chronic allergies, back pain and hormonal issues are quite common because of adrenal fatigue caused by gluten.
