Fight Inflammation by Going Gluten Free!
It’s widely believed that wheat causes many allergies, aggravates arthritis, intensifies irritable bowel syndrome, is the root cause of celiac disease, and works against ADHD and autistic youth and adults. The specific allergen in wheat, which causes such allergic responses, is called “gluten”. While you may have heard of gluten-free foods, what you might not know is that they’re generally expensive. Even though a gluten-free diet is costly, there are some convincing reasons why you may want to consider removing gluten from your diet. But first, a word of caution. Nutritionists say if someone is considering going gluten free, they must also add dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals to their diet, to maintain health.
Because wheat isn’t fully digested in the gut, it sometimes causes flatulence, also known as “gas”. Sometimes the gas can be quite painful, too. So if you find yourself bloated, and gassy, maybe it’s the undigested wheat in your gut. A diet devoid of wheat may bring you relief.
If you have any form of arthritis, and many of us do, you need to know that the Arthritis Foundation lists gluten as one of the food ingredients you should avoid. And it’s not only found in regular and whole wheat breads but in rye, and barley breads as well. Also, any type of food made with wheat flour should be avoided. Crackers, pastas, sandwich breads, pizza, and other processed foods contain gluten.
Suffer from leaky gut syndrome? If you do, you, too, should avoid wheat products. Some believe that wheat causes leaky gut syndrome, a condition whereby things that shouldn’t be leaked into the bloodstream find their way inside, by way of the “leaky gut”. According to one source, “gluten directly impacts the intestinal lining through zonulin production. Zonulin is a protein that causes leaky gut.”
For those who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) and others who may have Autism, there’s hope for you as well. Eliminating gluten from the diet, according to one study published in the United Kingdom, indicates an improved ability to focus for the ADHD individual, and a more relaxed mood for the autistic individual.
Do you have any form of allergy and cannot diagnose the root cause? Your allergies might be related to an underlying allergy to wheat. So many people are allergic to wheat that the grain has made the top 10 allergens list.
Research suggests wheat allergy can also contribute to hives, indigestion, upper respiratory illnesses, headaches, asthma, and other allergies. So, before you reach for the antihistamine as a preventative medicine for your allergies, take a moment to ask yourself if you, too, might be allergic to wheat. It’s easy to test. Go a week without eating any food made with flour, wheat, or grains. It will be difficult, and a bit more expensive, but you can do it. After a week of wheat elimination, see if your allergy symptoms have improved. Then, go ahead and go back to your old diet for a week to see if your allergies return. If they do, you may have determined you’ve been suffering from wheat allergies.
