LOW
CARB VS GLUTEN FREE DIETS
Low carb diets are gaining in
popularity largely because many people feel good on them. The theory
is that excess carbs stimulate excess insulin production, which
leads to all kinds of health problems. It's a valid theory I am
sure, but that's not all there is to it. A large part of American's
calories currently come from sugar, refined fats, and white flour -
which contain few nutrients. A switch from a diet based on empty
calories to a nutritionally dense diet of meat and green leafy
vegetables would dramatically improve any lab rat's health. But the
situation is much more complicated than that.
Some low carb dieters discover quite by accident that when they
cheat on the diet, they don't feel particularly bad unless the meal
contains products made from wheat. Even a bit of breading on the
meat in a low carb meal may give them a shaky "hypoglycemia attack"
or their headaches or joint aches may return. Sensitivity to wheat
products is masked by the fact that most Americans eat some flour in
every meal and most snacks. When someone avoids refined foods and
carbs in general long enough for symptoms to recede, occasional
exposure may reveal the true cause of their symptoms. Not everyone
spots the connection, but when it is pointed out and they begin
paying attention, a significant number of low carb enthusiasts begin
to see it plainly, and switch to gluten free.
Gluten is the protein that "glues" bread and pasta together. It
is very abundant in whole wheat flour, white refined flour, and to a
lesser degree in rye and barley. It is not found in oats, but
American sources of oats tend to contain about 1% wheat, from
contamination in harvest and processing.
The gluten free diet excludes all the baked
floury and sugary junk foods, the buns and breads and pastas that
were off limits on the low carb diet anyway. But it allows all
fruits and vegetables, and rice and corn. Rice and corn pastas are
available. There are also gluten free breads, which range from
terrible to pretty good, but none are quite like real bread. Label
reading is required, just as on the low carb diet, but with a
different slant. Products containing wheat, spelt, barley, and rye
are must be avoided, including hidden gluten from malt or soy sauce.
People who accidentally discover their reaction to wheat assume
it is an allergy. In most cases, it is an intolerance, not an
allergy. That means that shots or other allergy treatments will not
eliminate all the problems and dangers of gluten for those people.
Unless proven otherwise, it is best to assume that gluten reactions
may change, but will never be "grown out of" as so many doctors say
of childhood celiac cases. What are the symptoms of gluten
sensitivity? There are so many that it's best to categorize them as
A) deficiency symptoms, B) brain effects, and C) immune system
effects.
A) The classic reaction is Celiac Disease, a slow
progressive damage to the villi of the small intestine. It begins in
the duodenum, where iron should be absorbed, lactase should be made,
and where the hormone to tell the gallbladder to dump should be
made. Thus iron deficient anemia, lactose intolerance, and
gallbladder problems should be red flags for this condition. Poor
gallbladder function means poor absorption of fats and oil soluble
vitamins, with dry skin a common symptom. As the damage spreads, the
celiac may eat more and more just to maintain a normal weight, or
may lose weight no matter how much they eat. (Paradoxically,
obesity is also frequently linked to celiac disease.) Deficiency
symptoms that eventually occur can include anemia, sore mouth, numb
or tingly feet, even senile dementia from B12 deficiency. Poor dream
recall, stiff hands, sciatica or carpal tunnel syndrome, and
eventually arthritis may result from B6 deficiency. Depression or
grouchiness from B3 deficiency. Anemia, fatigue, cervical dysplasia,
fibrocystic breasts, miscarriage, or birth defects from folic acid
deficiency. Low thyroid function and fibrocystic breasts from iodine
deficiency. Poor sense of taste and smell, stretch marks, body odor,
smelly feet, white flecks on the fingernails from zinc deficiency.
Poor night vision from zinc and vitamin A deficiency. Chronic low
back pain, leg cramps at night, and allergies from calcium
deficiency. Bruising, varicose or spider veins and osteoporosis
from vitamin K deficiency. In general the damage done to the
intestine probably leads to leaky gut and susceptibility to Candida
overgrowth. But intestinal damage is only the classic reaction, and
years of other symptoms may precede them.
B) Gluten and a similar protein found in dairy
products, casein, both resemble opiates. Some people become very
sleepy after meals containing wheat. Severe cases have been
diagnosed as "narcolepsy". Others may develop panic attacks. ADD and
ADHD have been associated with gluten intolerance. Autism has been
repeatedly been associated with gluten and/or casein. Many cases of
schizophrenia have been caused or worsened by gluten. Any regular
intake of an opiate-like substance implies that addiction could take
place, and certainly many people have admitted a sort of addiction
to baked goods or dairy products. This may be an explanation for
some obesity cases. Some allergy specialists say that the foods you
love and the foods you hate are most likely to be trouble makers for
you.
C) Many "incurable" autoimmune diseases such as
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, thyroiditis, pancreatitis, and
juvenile diabetes have been linked to gluten and/or casein. In vitro
tests have shown that when gluten is added to the blood of celiacs,
the cells that fight cancer stop working. Non Hodgkins Lymphoma is
the #1 cause of death in untreated celiacs.
Now for the really little known information:
Gluten intolerance is often associated with poor Sulfation.
Glucosamine sulfate builds joints, but other sulfates are needed to
repair the lining of the gut to keep out undigested food. Poor
sulfation may cause or worsen allergies or gluten sensitivity, and
may cause the dark circles around the eyes known as "allergic
shiners".
The antigliadin test is notoriously insensitive, so another test
is often done with it, for "endomysial antibodies". This is a very
sensitive test, but all it means is that you are attacking your own
muscles. This may explain why so many people with Fibromyalgia turn
out to have gluten sensitivity.
Spelt is very controversial. Beginning in the 1940's American
wheat breeders brought in germplasm from high protein Russian wheats,
so that modern wheats are very different from the oldest wheats like
spelt. Spelt contains gluten too, but some people swear they react
to wheat but not spelt. These people may simply have a wheat
allergy.
A totally different theory says that it is the molds in stored
wheat and bread that are really wrecking people's health. Spelt is
usually grown on a direct contract and bypasses the usual storage
and milling routes that common wheats go through.
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For more information, including how to get tested and whether you
can trust the tests, see
www.celiac.com and
www.enterolab.com. Try to
get your hand on the excellent book, DANGEROUS GRAINS, by Dr. Braly
and Ron Hoggan. You can also find articles by Ron Hoggan on the
net.
This information is given for educational purposes only. For
comments and corrections, contact
redherring@tnaccess.com
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