Gluten is the protein from the family of prolamins that is found in wheat and a few other grains. Prolamins such as gluten are difficult to digest and have a negative interaction with the brush border of the intestinal tract. This interaction can and often does lead to intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut). Gluten is very difficult for the human body to digest since we lack the necessary enzymes to do so. Not only do we lack the necessary enzymes to digest gluten, but gluten has the ability to destroy or damage other enzymes used in digestion and absorption.Gluten does an excellent job of tricking the intestinal barrier in to permitting passage through openings in the tight junctions of the intestinal walls or using a carrier to accomplish desired passage.
Gluten has been implicated in the development of many autoimmune conditions including, but not limited to, Celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, arthritis, and dermatitis herpetiformis. In addition, there are now strong scientific connections between the consumption of wheat and the development of various mental health conditions such as depression and schizophrenia.
Gluten is not only found in wheat, but also is found to cross-contaminate other non-gluten containing grains. This occurs most frequently during production but can also occur during growth and harvest of a crop.
Sources of gluten (a partial list from The Paleo Approach, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne PhD.)
*Asian Rice Paper *Bacon *Barley *Barley Grass *Barley Malt
*Beer *Bran *Bread *Brewer’s Yeast *Bulgur *Seasonings
*Farina *Condiments *French Fries *Gravies *Ice cream *Imitation Fish
*Kamut *Lunch Meats *Malt/Malt Vinegar *Marinades *Oats *Rye
* Nutritional Supplements *Panko * Salad dressings *Sauces *Seitan
*Some medications *Soy or rice drinks *Soy Sauce *Starch * Syrups
*Wheat Grass *Thickeners
There are many more sources of gluten so it is important that you are forever diligent to remove them from your diet as much as possible. If you find that you are suffering from an autoimmune condition, it is ESSENTIAL that gluten be removed from the diet strictly. It is one of the environmental triggers of many autoimmune conditions that can be controlled.
