This Thing with Gluten . . .

I know alot of people have a tough time understanding this gluten-free movement spreading around the world.   I certainly did. There are so many gluten-free options in the supermarkets and so many restaurants have taken great pains to label the allergens on their menus.  Why?  People never used to be allergic to gluten and they didn’t seem to have any real problems eating bread.  Is this all marketing hype?  Is it just an attempt by Big Food to have us buy more specialty items?   

Truly, I don’t think it is all hype and scheming.  To me at least, the gluten-free craze is quite understandable.  

Why?

Because I’m one of those people who - surprise surprise - is gluten intolerant.  Ten years ago, I pooh-poohed this whole thing gluten-free thing.  But then, for a whole variety of reasons, I become quite convinced that functional medicine testing was important for us all.  I specifically wanted to better understand the health of my children, and especially wanted to know if they might have gut issues.  So, I signed them up for a battery of tests. Of course, they were reluctant to submit to the needles, so in an effort to get them to go along with the gag,  I agreed that I, too, would complete the tests. 

Were my kids allergic or ‘sensitive’ to gluten?   No, not at all.  They had other issues, but not with gluten.  It was just me.  On my sensitivities report, all the gluten-related items - wheat, barley, rye - were presented in big, bold, red print. I was floored.

Naturally, these results prompted me to dig a bit deeper into the research and learn a bit more about the symptoms and consequences of gluten sensitivity. It was this learning that helped explain a number of my health issues.  For example, I have not one but two thyroid concerns: both an underactive AND an overactive thyroid.  Sadly, they don’t just cancel each other out.  However, both are clearly explained by my gluten sensitivity. 

Unfortunately, even though I have attempted a fully gluten-free diet for years, my antibodies against gluten have been climbing steadily.  (I think I’m not careful enough with the oat milk.) It’s not an impossibility that one day, I might be diagnosed with full blown celiac disease.  So, for me at least, this gluten-free thing is getting serious.  Maybe you or someone you know, is in a similar boat?  I hope not!  But in this blog, I look to shed some light on what gluten-sensitivity is, why its prevalence is rising, and what might be driving the increase. In short, the blog presents quite a story of how wheat has changed, how food production now relies heavily on increased levels of gluten, and how (and why) wheat is so heavily treated with the pesticide glyphosate. 

What IS gluten?

Let’s start with the basics; let’s define what gluten is.  Gluten is a protein composite, i.e., a mix of (mainly) two different types of protein:  gliadin and gluten.  This ‘composite’ is found in several types of grains, including wheat, barley, and rye.  Gluten is what gives dough its elasticity, helping it rise and keep its shape, and often gives the final product a chewy texture.

But however we define it, this protein is beginning to give alot of people problems.  While the figures vary wildly across countries, it seems that the percentage of people suffering from gluten-related disorders can be anywhere between 0.1 and 10%.  But ‘gluten-related disorders’ is a pretty broad category, including both celiac disease and simpler gluten sensitivities or, more technically, what is known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).    

Regardless of how they are named, these disorders are becoming more common around the world, with notably higher prevalence rates in the United States compared to Europe.   In the Middle East region, the country most severely affects seems to be Saudi Arabia with a full 3% of the population being diagnosed with celiac disease. Finland is also severely affected, with some 2.5% of adults between the ages of 30 and 64 having been diagnosed with the disorder.  The least affected country here in the Middle East is Tunisia with only 0.1% of the population experiencing the disorder.   Interestingly, while it seems that Asia is less affected, India, Pakistan, and China have all recently begun to report an increase in the incidence of celiac.   

Of course, the prevalence of celiac is significantly lower than that of gluten sensitivity, or NCGS.  Recent studies suggest that approximately 6% of the US population is affected by NCGS, while celiac disease affects about 1%.  Numbers elsewhere in the world are somewhat hard to come by; however, the site World Population has taken a stab at it, estimating roughly, that NCGS affects between ranges from 0.6-10.6% of people around the world.

A Possible Cause:  Hybridisation of Wheat

But, again, the big question is ‘Why’?  Remember again that the prevalence of gluten-related disorders in Europe is certainly lower than in the US.  Clearly, what needs to be explained is not just the increasing levels of NCGS but its variability across countries.   

Of course, it may be that there are certain environmental and/or dietary factors that contribute to an increased sensitivity in the US.  Haven’t almost all of us heard of people going to visit Italy, for example, and finding that they can quite happily eat pizza and pasta. 

Clearly, more research needs to be done into this; but it seems that certain European countries, especially Italy, have invested themselves less significantly in a certain process that now seems to be at least partially a driver of our gluten sensitivities:  the hybridisation of wheat.  Indeed, over the past century, especially in the US, wheat has been hybridised and genetically modified both to increase yields and improve disease resistance. This hybridisation has  apparently, and perhaps inadvertently, altered the protein composition of wheat, significantly increasing the percentage of gluten proteins in today’s modern strains compared to their ancestral counterparts.  It is hypothesised that this increase in the ‘density’ of gluten proteins may be what drives the higher incidence of gluten-related disorders:  our bodies may not have fully adapted to the changes.

But actually, this hybridisation explanation may be only one part of the explanation for the increase in gluten sensitivity. Apparently, we’re being exposed to increased amounts of gluten in other ways as well.  Along with using more gluten-intense strains of wheat, the food industry has begun to dramatically increase the use of gluten as an additive. ‘Vital wheat’ gluten is frequently added to bread and other baked goods to improve the product’s texture and elasticity, to enhance it’s shelf life, and to speed up production times.  Furthermore, gluten is used as a binding agent in many processed foods, from sauces to lunch meats, increasing our overall exposure to gluten.

Truly, gluten is everywhere, especially in ultra processed foods. This heightened exposure could be sensitizing our immune systems, potentially leading to NCGS in susceptible individuals.

Is it Gluten or Glyphosate?

But there’s still another explanation being floated for the world’s increased sensitivity to gluten.  There are an increasing number of scientists who are looking at glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, better known actually as ‘Roundup,’ a product originally produced by Monsanto but recently acquired by the German behemoth, Bayer. 

As an herbicide, glyphosate is an odourless, colourless crystalline powder, widely used as a broad-spectrum systemic means of killing weeds, primarily perennials.  It is now apparently the most widely used herbicide, not just in the United States, but around the world.  Indeed, the global market for glyphosate is expected to reach almost $9 billion dollars by 2026.  One reason for its popularity is because it doesn’t act simply as an herbicide but also as a drying agent.  Glyphosate is applied regularly not just to wheat crops but also to soy, corn and a variety of others before harvest to accelerate drying, a process known as desiccation.  ‘Dryer’ crops are far easier to harvest and store and result in far less ‘loss’ from mold or rotting. 

Of course, spraying the crop leaves residues of glyphosate on the plants themselves.  That residue can end up in our food, impacting human health, potentially significantly.  Indeed, studies have shown that glyphosate can disrupt gut bacteria, leading to dysbiosis, a condition associated with various gastrointestinal disorders, including NCGS.

Glyphosate's impact on gut health is particularly concerning. The chemical specifically inhibits the shikimate pathway, a seven-step metabolic route used by bacteria, fungi, algae, parasites, and plants to synthesise aromatic amino acids like phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan.  By disrupting this pathway, glyphosate can contribute not only to an imbalance in our gut bacteria but also to an imbalance in an individual’s supply of important neurotransmitters. 

Indeed, the health concerns for human around glyphosate are growing rapidly.  The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A) in 2015, based on evidence linking it to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This classification was based on studies indicating an increased risk of cancer among those exposed to glyphosate, such as agricultural workers.  Research has also raised concerns about glyphosate's potential to disrupt the endocrine system, impact reproductive health, and affect the microbiome, which can lead to broader health implications. Despite these findings, regulatory agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) maintain that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans at current exposure levels. Clearly, this discrepancy highlights the need for ongoing research and a precautionary approach to glyphosate use, considering the potential long-term health effects and the differing interpretations of existing data.

Managing Gluten Sensitivities

While there is obviously significant controversy over both the extent, severity, and cause of gluten sensitivities, those of us who have them must consider how to manage them.  Without question, adopting a gluten-free diet is the primary strategy. While this can be challenging, especially given the prevalence of gluten in processed foods, it is essential for mitigating symptoms and preventing further complications. Choosing organic wheat products, which are less likely to contain glyphosate residues, can also help reduce exposure to glyphosate and support better gut health, which seems a very important thing for all of us to work on.    

To sum this all up, I must say that while once I was a nonbeliever, I am clearly and thoroughly a convert.  I am convinced that  mon-celiac gluten sensitivity is not just a fad but a genuine health concern that affects many individuals worldwide.  But again, why does this challenge exist?  I believe that the rising prevalence of gluten sensitivity is likely the result of all of the issues discussed above:  changes in the structure and density of gluten in our crops, increased use of gluten in food production, and the pervasive use of glyphosate in agriculture. 

Of course, I believe that glyphosate may be doing a great many other nasty things to us as well as increasing our sensitivities to gluten . . . But that is for another blog.   Until then, let me just suggest that we attempt to be a little more patient with our gluten-free friends and perhaps cut back on the gluten a bit ourselves! 

Low carb is a great way of life!