Don’t breathe a sigh of relief because you don’t have whiskers and a tail. Our digestive systems, and their immune response to gluten, happen to be very similar.
If you’re a new patient at any of the WholeHealth Chicago offices, arriving for help with a symptom or symptoms that may have been going on for years but tests have been negative, you’ll notice we spend a lot of time on your eating habits. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates apparently said, “All illness begins in the gut.” I myself wasn’t there to write his exact words, but I believe him.
Here’s a problem with modern medicine and the mega medical centers.
Suppose you complain of: “I can’t think clearly” or “brain fog”. You’re referred to a neurologist.
If you have a variety of digestive symptoms, a gastroenterologist (with various probings and scopings).
Joint aches and pains, a rheumatologist (who draws more blood for tests than you knew you had).
Skin rashes (to a dermatologist for likely biopsy).
Since none of these docs talk to each other, you’ll just be told there’s nothing wrong and aren’t you lucky your tests are normal.
Are you getting the drift why many chronic conditions can go undiagnosed for years?
So, let’s get on to gluten, inflammation, and your brain.
Gluten is a family of proteins found in many grains, most commonly wheat, but also barley and rye. The two best known of these are Glutenins and Gliadins, and when gluten causes health problems it’s the Gliadins causing trouble. On the plus side, gluten gives wheat products their exceptional texture and taste. The perfect croissant just can’t be managed with gluten-free flour. Here’s a cute two-minute cartoon about gluten, but press the Skip Ad button FAST.
The current guesstimate says roughly 20% of the population believes they are intolerant to gluten. Note: “believes they are intolerant” is not the same as “definitely intolerant”, which in itself is part of the problem.
Celiac Disease: 100% Gluten Intolerant
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