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The Facts About GLUTEN

The next big NO NO is GLUTEN.  I know there is so much information about gluten, what is it, and is it really harmful?   

Gluten (from Latin gluten, "glue") is a mixture of proteins found in wheat and related grains, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture.  The problem with gluten is two fold.  The first problem with gluten is that each gluten molecule comes in two parts: a larger, polymeric glutenin molecule that confers the stretchiness, or viscoelasticity, of wheat dough, and gliadin, a smaller protein.  Both glutenin and gliadin share overlapping sequences also, but it’s the gliadin that is the source of most of the health issues associated with wheat, and thereby rye and barley.

Confused, Anxious, Impulsive, Angry

Glutenin is a less common cause of problems, but changes in amino acid sequence introduced by geneticists are increasingly being found to exert their own range of health problems, especially allergy. Also, recall that gluten is just one protein among thousands in wheat and other grains. Just because a protein is not gluten does not mean it does not pose its own health implications. Wheat germ agglutinin, for instance (mentioned above), is a direct bowel toxin and underlies gallbladder dysfunction, blocks pancreatic enzyme release, and contributes to changes in bowel flora and dysbiosis. Amylopectin A, not a protein but the carbohydrate of grains, is responsible for sky-high blood sugars, explaining why two slices of whole wheat bread raise blood sugar higher than 6 teaspoons of table sugar. There is more to wheat and grains than gluten.  MORE

Note: that the gliadin protein of wheat also resembles the zein protein of corn and, to a lesser degree, the avenin protein of oats, which therefore share some of the same effects, including activation of the immune system. (That’s right: While there is no gluten or gliadin in corn and oats, they have related proteins that have similar effects. Corn products in particular are not immunologically safe for people following a gluten-free lifestyle.)  

more on cross-reactivity

Intestinal “leak”–Separation of the tight junctions between intestinal cells is the first step in allowing foreign proteins and other fragments access into the bloodstream. This is how autoimmune conditions begin. It allows gliadin itself, gliadin fragments, wheat germ agglutinin and other lectins, bacterial lipopolysaccharide, and other bacterial components to enter the bloodstream. This is why wheat, rye, barley and corn are associated with type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto’s thyroiditism, and rheumatoid arthritis.

 

 

Molecular mimicry–In an odd twist of nature, the gliadin protein overlaps in amino acid structure with a number of human proteins, such as transglutaminase, synapsin, and endomysium: molecular mimicry. Should gliadin activate an immune response, the immune response of T and B lymphocytes, antibodies, and other inflammatory mediators will now be misdirected towards an organ of the body–autoimmunity.

 

 

Mind effects–While intact gliadin molecules activate intestinal leak and molecular mimicry, gliadin can also be partially digested to peptide fragments, many of them 4- or 5-amino acids long. The unique amino acid sequences of these peptides allow them to act as opiates on the human brain. As opiates (more properly “opioids”), they activate hunger, increase calorie intake, create mental “fog,” and trigger a number of other effects that vary with individual susceptibility: anxiety, anger, food obsessions, repetitive behavior, paranoia, mania, deterioration of attention span, and impulsive behavior.

 

 

Intestinal disruption–The unique amino acid structure of gliadin-derived peptides also make them direct bowel toxins that compound the toxicity of another wheat/rye/barley/rice protein called wheat germ agglutinin. Interleukin-mediated inflammation is best documented here.

 

 

Allergies–While the various forms of gliadin have always posed potential allergic risks to humans, recent changes in the amino acid structure of gliadin introduced by agribusiness and geneticists have increased allergic potential, especially in the omega-gliadin (one of three classes of gliadin proteins).

 

 

Increased celiac disease potential–There is a 33-amino acid long sequence within gliadin that is most powerfully associated with triggering celiac disease. One gene, in particular, coding for this amino acid sequence, Glia-alpha9, was uncommon in the wheat of 1950, but is common in modern semidwarf strains of wheat, explaining why there has been a 400% increase in celiac disease over the last 50 years.

 

 

 

What Does Gluten Do?

Eating Gluten free isnt as hard as it may seem.  I wont say I dont miss fluffy white homemade bread, but I as much as I miss it I remember thebacklash afterwards.  Heres a list of amazing foods you can eat, try something new today, you might find something wonderful

Shopping List of Gluten-Free Food

 

PRODUCE


All fresh fruit, All fresh vegetables, Fresh herbs and spices

 

FATS AND OILS
Coconut and olive oil, Mayonnaise, Salad dressings

 

FROZEN FOODS
Plain frozen fruits and vegetables, ices, Gluten-free frozen waffles

 

REFRIGERATOR SECTION
Yogurts, Eggs,Tofu, Jello, Rice pudding, Tapioca pudding, 100% fruit juices

 

PACKAGES, CANS, JARS
Plain canned fruits and vegetables, Applesauce, Cranberry sauce, Canned beans and lentils, Spaghetti sauces, Organic packaged soups, Gluten-free pastas, Corn tortillas(Organic)

 

MEAT AND FISH
All fresh beef and poultry

 

GRAINS, SEEDS, AND STARCHES
Quinoa, Rice, Buckwheat, Chickpeas, Flax, Sunflower seeds, Cornstarch, Potato starch

 

CONDIMENTS
 Apple Cider Vinegar only, Mustard, Ketchup, Horseradish, Jams and jellies, Honey, Maple syrup, Relish, pickles, olives(not in vinegar)

 

BREAKFAST FOODS
Cream of Rice cereal, Puffed rice, puffed corn, Gluten-free cereals, Gluten-free frozen waffles

 

BAKING SUPPLIES
Sugar, Salt and pepper, Herbs and spices, Evaporated or condensed milk, Corn meal, Tapioca, Baking soda, Baking powder, Gluten-free flours, Baking chocolate, Cocoa

 

NUTS AND BEANS
Dried beans and peas, Plain nuts, Almond butter, Cashew butter
more

GLUTEN-FREE FOODS

KNOW YOUR ENEMY- where gluten hides

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