Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity – Is it real?
I have been in the restaurant business for many years. Over the last 7
to 8 years or so, there had been a dramatic rise in people asking about
gluten free menu items claiming they were gluten intolerant, gluten
sensitive, or had a gluten or wheat allergy. I figured it was all in
their head, or that this was just another fad diet trend. But it got me
curious, and got me thinking about why the massive rise. Not just a
slight rise, but a truly huge rise in people claiming gluten
sensitivity. Surely it is not possible that all of a sudden, many people
have wheat allergies or Celiac Disease. So I decided to do some
research to satisfy my curiosity.
A couple of quick research facts:
A search for “gluten sensitivity” in Google returns over 562,000 results.
A search for “gluten free diet” in Google returns over 722,000 results.
There are over 100,000 medical papers published on Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity.
It is estimated that 17 Million Americans claim gluten sensitivity.
It is best estimated that around 2% of the population have Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivities.
Celiac Disease, Wheat Allergies, and Gluten Sensitivity:
True Celiac Disease is a serious, genetic, autoimmune disease where
the ingestion of gluten causes damage to the small intestine. This is a
genuine, diagnosable medical condition. Wheat allergies are another
serious health condition and those with a true allergy would likely have
a reaction with anaphylaxis (an allergic reaction requiring
epinephrine).
But what about non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS)? Gluten
sensitivity or intolerance is a condition that causes a person to
negatively react after ingesting gluten, a protein found in wheat,
barley and rye. Those with NCGS have symptoms similar to Celiac disease
such as “foggy mind”, depression, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea,
constipation, headaches, bone or joint pain, and chronic fatigue.
Confusing Information about NCGS:
NCGS has variable and wide-ranging symptoms which overlap with a
number of other diseases (like Irritable Bowel Syndrome) making it
difficult to study. Many have argued that NCGS does not exist at all or
that it may not be caused by the gluten portion of foods.
A lot of food companies have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon in
order to profit from gluten-free products. There are now many purveyors
of the ketogenic and paleo style diets. Their associated companies,
supplements, and programs have also jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon
as a result of populist consensus and consumer demand.
Interestingly, it is difficult to find good information on the topic that includes
solid science. Most of the articles and ‘studies’ have inconclusive evidence of NCGS as a medically founded condition.
Predominant Media Outlets like Forbes, NY Times, and Time Magazine
all publish articles that question if gluten sensitivity even exists.
They cite a 2011 study that failed the nocebo effect involving all of 37
people and conclude that NCGS is all in people’s head or that another
condition exists instead.
FODMAP’s and ‘Leaky Gut Syndrome’; More Confusion and Overlapping Issues:
FODMAP’s (which is an acronym derived from “
Fermentable,
Oligo-,
Di-,
Mono-saccharides
And
Polyols”,
and are short chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small
intestine) are now being blamed for IBS instead of gluten. Some studies
have been done to justify this prognosis. Without going into great
detail on this extensive subject, NONE of the studies that have been
done are ruling out one thing first without the other. At least one of
these studies have been funded by a big food company Nestle. Nestlé owns
over 8,500 brands in over 80 countries which includes a heavy
investment in the wheat industry.
In addition to not having solid science on this topic, big industry
often confuses this issue as there are many fad foods and supplements
out there to ‘help’ people with FODMAP issues and IBS. Perhaps you have
heard the term ‘Leaky Gut Syndrome’. It is also called ‘Increased
Intestinal Permeability’. This ‘syndrome’ lumps IBS, food sensitivities,
inflammatory conditions, mood disorders, and even autism together. Many
online ‘doctors’ suggests that those with a ‘leaky gut’ should buy a
certain e-book, paleo cure book, take certain probiotic supplements, and
even consume bone broth (all conveniently available on their websites).
Increased Intestinal Permeability is somewhat of a medical mystery.
The possible cause of leaky gut is increased intestinal permeability or
intestinal hyperpermeability. That could happen when tight junctions in
the gut, which control what passes through the lining of the small
intestine, don’t work properly. That could let substances leak into the
bloodstream. According to gastroenterologist Donald Kirby, MD, director
of the Center for Human Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic: “Physicians
don’t know enough about the gut, which is our biggest immune system
organ.” He goes on to say, “‘Leaky gut syndrome’ isn’t a diagnosis
taught in medical school. Instead, leaky gut really means you’ve got a
diagnosis that still needs to be made. You hope that your doctor is a
good-enough Sherlock Holmes, but sometimes it is very hard to make a
diagnosis. We don’t know a lot but we know that it exists.”
If you do a search for “Leaky Gut Syndrome”, every self-help online
medical adviser, every magazine, many fad diets, and many supplement
companies have just the answer you need in only 4 easy steps. Huffington
Post (The leader in investigative journalism –
Note sarcasm) has
‘ Everything You Need To Know About Leaky Gut Syndrome’ in 10 simple
paragraphs. Yet we can’t come to a scientific conclusion about gluten
and wheat sensitivities, and this syndrome is a medical mystery!
Non-Profits ‘Helping’ Those With CD and NCGS:
What about the organizations that are supposed to help with Celiac Disease and NCGS?
I looked at some of the large non-profit organizations on Celiac
disease. The Celiac Disease Foundation is funded by big players in the
wheat industry: Lance Foods, Cheerios, Frito Lay, General Mills, Lucky
Charms, Nature Valley, Pepsico, etc. On their website, they are
extremely careful about what they say about gluten sensitivity:
“The gluten-free diet is sometimes
promoted as a way to lose weight, or as a “healthier” diet for the
general population. These claims are unfounded. The gluten-free diet
is healthier for people with gluten-related disorders (celiac disease or
gluten sensitivity), but there is no evidence that it is beneficial for
people who do not have these conditions.” They go on to say: “The
prevalence of non-celiac gluten sensitivity is not established.”
https://www.gluten.org/resources/getting-started/the-gluten-free-diet-facts-and-myths/
Another 501c3 organization called Beyond Celiac takes in around 3
million USD per year and boasts an impressive list of food manufacturers
as their donors. They are also careful about their stance on NCGS and
point to the possible link of FODMAPs stating:
“The science on gluten sensitivity is
evolving and we’re learning new information on the condition regularly.
New research suggests that gluten alone may not be responsible for the
symptoms produced by the condition currently called gluten sensitivity.
Instead, it is showing that perhaps FODMAPs, a group of poorly digested
carbohydrates, may be the cause of the symptoms instead. In addition,
they encourage people to check out: ‘Is Gluten Really the Problem? The
Role of FODMAPs in Gluten-Related Disorders’.”
Big Business:
You can imagine that wheat is a big business. There are billions of
dollars at stake in the wheat industry. From the farmers, to the big
agriculture companies, to the food manufacturers, to the crop insurance
companies, to the commodities brokers, to the transportation companies
(which also would includes fossil fuel), to the fertilizer and pesticide
manufacturers. Some of these companies fund studies to confuse the
issue and cast doubt on NCGS. Incidentally, the goal of the National
Wheat Growers Association is to double the wheat production by 2030 to
meet demand of a growing population.
Additional Scientific Information:
Another study was conducted from 2013 to 2015 on patients with IBS
(but without Celiac disease or a wheat allergy). A gluten-free diet
helped those those with IBS and symptoms associated with gluten
sensitivity. This was a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled
study. The conclusion was that:
One of my personal favorite nutrition experts that I highly respect
is Dr. Michael Greger from NutritionFacts.org. He suggests that NCGS is
certainly a condition that cannot be dismissed, but perhaps it is not
just gluten. He states: “Most people with wheat sensitivity have a
variety of other food sensitivities. Two thirds are sensitive to cow’s
milk protein as well, then eggs were the most common culprit [of gut
symptoms].”
Lack Of Science:
I could not find any studies that eliminate dairy products first in
NCGS patients. However, approximately 70 percent of African Americans,
90 percent of Asian Americans, 53 percent of Mexican Americans, 74
percent of Native Americans, and 14 percent of Caucasian Americans are
lactose intolerant!! 90% of the population in China is lactose
intolerant!
I also could not find any studies conducted on those that seem to have IBS with NCGS that included introducing
organic wheat. All studies only refer to wheat or gluten in general.
Other Possible Links to NCGS, IBS, Leaky Gut:
What percentage of people do you suppose are glyphosate intolerant?
Glyphosate is Roundup. It is a pesticide used in agriculture. It is
also used in the desiccation process (drying of wheat prior to harvest)
in a lot of our wheat supply. It is also used on 70 different crops in
the US including wheat, soy, tomatoes, sugar, nuts, oranges, apples,
beans, and corn . Glyphosate has been banned in Italy, Malta, Sri Lanka,
The Netherlands, and Argentina. It is part of the reason for Brexit
(The E.U. was close to a ban on glyphosate and Britain framers didn’t
want the regulation). The World Health Organization’s research arm
declares
glyphosate a probable carcinogen, and it was just recently placed on the list of ‘Probably Carcinogenic’ in California.
A search for ‘antibiotics healthy gut’ give 728,000 results and the
prevalent theme is that antibiotics wreak havoc on a healthy gut.
Facts:
FACT: Glyphosate is antimicrobial. An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth.
FACT: Antibiotics are used to kill microbes.
FACT: Much of our food supply is loaded with antibiotics (namely meat and dairy).
FACT: Gut Health or ‘Healthy Gut Flora’ requires the presence of microbial bacteria.
FACT: The standard American diet is low in healthy bacteria.
FACT: Each year in the United States, at
least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant
to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct
result of these infections. Source: CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/index.html There has been a surge in
antibiotic-resistant microbes.
Unanswered Questions:
What percentage of animal waste contains antibiotics? This is the
same waste (manure) that we use to fertilize our soil for crops.
Is antibiotic laden animal waste contributing to antibiotic resistant strains of harmful bacteria?
Is the manure that has been found to contain antibiotics and thus fertilizing our crops contributing to unhealthy gut flora?
Conclusion:
If we are killing off all of our healthy gut bacteria by what we
consume, wouldn’t that contribute to IBS, NCGS, Leaky Gut, and Food
Intolerance? If we change our diet to include foods that nourish us and
aren’t full of pesticides and antibiotics won’t that change our insides
and ultimately our health?
I am convinced that nutrition is the primary factory that contributes
to our health. I have tried various health and diet fads. In the long
run, they don’t work. I am also convinced that eating a whole foods,
plant based diet that is completely organic is the best thing for
optimal health. That will be the topic for my next post.
In the mean time, watch the documentary ‘What The Health’ on Netflix.
It is an eye opening look at the effect of big business and lobbyists
on the organizations like the FDA, the American Cancer Society, the
American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association. They
are supposed to be helping us but are unduly influenced by big business.
‘Let Food Be Thy Medicine And Medicine Be Thy Food’ Hippocrates
Please check out my other
blog posts. As always, if you have any questions about my content please feel free to reach out to me directly.
JT
