If you’re considering going gluten free, there are some things you need to know!
First, know that there is nothing wrong with gluten. However, the bread and wheat we eat today is not the same as what our ancestors ate – or even our grandparents ate!
In 1980 scientists had found a way to hybridize gluten, modifying the grain seed, to grow faster & bigger than how it grows in nature. Initially this sounded like a great thing – farmers didn’t have to work as hard to produce a crop as harvesting time could now be cut in half. Plus it appeared this new invention of ultra-fast growing grain could help reduce world hunger.
Unfortunately this new hybridization created new strains of wheat & during this process the gluten component in particular undergoes significant structural change.
Now studies link a diet weighted in gluten can cause inflammation in the gut & in the rest of the body. Sadly, most American’s do have a diet weighted in gluten. The standard American diet is something like cereal or a pastry for breakfast, a sandwich or wrap for lunch, crackers for snack and pasta or roll for dinner. Not only can a diet that look like this lead to inflammation but now we know that inflammation is the leading cause of over 98% of all diseases!
Think of eating gluten like consuming alcohol. Is it okay to have a small glass every once in a while? Sure, for more of us that won’t be a big deal. Now, drinking every day, or even a couple times a day – that’s not a good idea.
For these reasons, I recommend everyone reduce the amount of gluten in his or her diets – if not get rid of it all together. A good rule of thumb – if it’s made in a lab, stay away from it.
References:
Davis, William. Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health. Emmaus, Penn.: Rodale, 2011. Print.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16320856
