Are Gluten and Dairy the Devil in Disguise?
If you’ve been even mildly aware of the latest health trends, you’ve probably been bombarded with gluten-free labels, and people practically waging war against gluten and dairy. Before you start trying to exorcise your bread and cheese, let me write to you about what is going on, where and why this trend started, and what you should do about it.
DON’T TAKE MY BREAD AWAY!
So, let me start by explaining what gluten is. Gluten is a protein found in several grains such as wheat, spelt, kamut, durum, barley, rye, bulgur, semolina, triticale and farro. When people who have Celiac’s disease or are gluten sensitive or intolerant ingest gluten, it can lead to damages of the intestinal walls. This damage causes inflammation, malabsorption and what is called leaky gut, which translates into symptoms of bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, gas, developing rashes, nausea, fatigue, headache, mouth ulcers… the list goes on. (1) Not only are these symptoms uncomfortable but leaky gut can also lead to bigger problems such as various autoimmune disorders. (10) Now what about people who don’t have Celiac’s disease or gluten sensitivity? Here’s the thing, Celiac’s disease and gluten sensitivity are widely underdiagnosed, which means there are a whole bunch of people out there who have issues with gluten and have no idea! (4) This is why many health practitioners are suggesting eliminating gluten from the diet if you are experiencing any symptoms that could be related to gluten intolerance. For those who like to argue that they don’t have any problems and that our ancestors have been eating bread for eons, you’re not off the hook yet. The simple reason is this: the wheat we have today is no longer the same wheat our ancestors ate. The wheat that exists now has been hybridized (cross-breeding plants to obtain a certain goal) over centuries of agriculture, to become more adaptable, to become more tolerant of pests, all things that in theory are good, however in this process of hybridization the plants have developed new proteins.(2) These new proteins can now cause havoc in our digestive systems by triggering our immune responses and lead to systemic inflammation because our body does not recognize these proteins. Not to mention that there are even mechanisms that can mask the detrimental effects of gluten which can explain asymptomatic Celiac disease, yeah that’s a thing too. (3) I know many of you reading now are probably sad or in denial, but before you fall into a major depression let me give you some advice: If you currently have zero health problems you can allow yourself the occasional bread/pasta/whatever. One of the reasons more people have been developing problems with gluten is that we eat so much of it! You do not need to be eating bread and pasta every single day, everything in moderation, right? Also, try varying your grains, instead of going for standard wheat all the time try some kamut bread! Feeling adventurous? Try buckwheat pancakes (they’re great)! For those who are experiencing health issues*, especially if they are digestive-related, I’m sorry but you may need to suffer a 4-week elimination diet to see if it may be related to gluten intake.
Now for devil-in-disguise number 2: Dairy As a Swiss-Canadian, I understand people’s love for cheese and I also understand that a lot of people are upset to see that cheese and other dairy products might be on the naughty list after all. So here we go, again it is much the same situation as with gluten in that it has to do in part with undiagnosed lactose intolerance and casein or whey allergies. Many of you are probably aware of what lactose intolerance is and what that looks like, but if you want a short review the symptoms include abdominal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea, gastric reflux shortly after ingesting dairy products. Casein and whey are two proteins found in dairy products, and if one is allergic you’ll know pretty quickly by the hives, lip swelling, itching, and other common allergy symptoms that would come shortly after ingesting dairy. (7) However, again, that does not mean that everyone who isn’t allergic to dairy or intolerant to lactose is off the hook. The problem remains that casein (type A1) is highly inflammatory to susceptible or sensitive people. (5) This inflammation can be linked to chronic joint pain, swelling, heart disease, a stronger presentation of autism behaviours, schizophrenia, the onset of type 1 diabetes, and so on. (6) That being said, some people have no problem digesting the proteins and sugars of dairy. To these people, I still caution: dairy products are often full of antibiotics excess hormones that can cause havoc on your digestive system and disrupt your own hormones. So what is a dairy loving person to do? Well, again, if you are experiencing any sort of symptoms* mentioned above try eliminating dairy for a month, reintroduce it and see how your body feels. Alternatively, some people tend to react less to goat or sheep milk because it contains a different kind of casein protein (type A2), there are also certain cows that will produce this A2 rich milk, including Guernsey and Swiss Brown cows. (8,9) If you are absolutely sure you are fine with cow dairy, opt for organic and or raw products, fermented products such as yoghurt or kefir, and in moderation please.
So to sum up… no pizza? To bring it all together, it comes down to paying attention to your body and its reactions to food. The main reason why dairy and gluten get such a bad rap is because they are 2 of the most common reasons for people’s health problems, and it is worth investigating for sure if you are having health issues. And for the rest of you who have a great digestive system, you can enjoy your pizza once in a while. Key words there being “once in a while”, moderation is important, because don’t kid yourself having too much of anything can cause health problems. So there you have it, as always feel free to leave your comments or questions below.
Thanks for reading, and stay healthy!
*My blog posts in NO way can replace medical advice, if you have any health issues please prioritize booking an appointment with your doctor and discuss your concerns. For more info:
- 2. http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full/10.1139/G09-085#.W32s3LgpDcs
- 3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186%2Fs41043-015-0032-y
- 4. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/celiac-disease-1.4343691
- 5. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8646/the-dangers-of-dairy.html
- 6. https://www.larabriden.com/the-inflammation-from-a1-milk-is-mind-boggling/