Gluten and the Whole Body
Gluten Sensitivity is very real. If you don’t test clinically positive to Celiac Disease you could still have issues with digesting and assimilating gluten. Gluten can have huge implications in the body; it impairs the absorption of beneficial vitamins and nutrients, creates inflammation in the gut lumen and circulatory system, and can affect the nervous system by way of balance, stability, mood and sleep.
Here is a list of symptoms NOT related to the digestive system that can be caused by gluten:
• Craving high sugar foods • Difficulty keeping weight normalized • Iron deficiency anemia • Frequent headaches • Sinus congestion • Migraine Headaches • Vertigo • Poor memory or Brain fog • ADD or ADHD • Depression • Anxiety • Neuropathy • Irrational irritability • Mood swings • Restless leg syndrome • Muscle & Joint Symptoms • Joint pains with or without activity • Chronic muscle aches or spasms • Fibromyalgia • Autoimmune arthritis • Bone pain • Fatigue • Infertility • Thyroid issues • PCOS • Asthma • Yeast infections • Eczema • Psoriasis • Dermatitis Herpetiformis • Gall bladder problems • Elevated liver enzymes
Some common issues with Gluten that are often missed by conventional physicians include: • Gluten can cause vitamin B12 deficiency • Excessive gluten consumption can cause both excessive weight gain or loss • Lab tests for gluten sensitivity may not be accurate and tend to deliver false negatives • Gluten can cause asthma symptoms • Gluten can cause iron deficiency anemia • Gluten can cause seizures • Gluten can cause migraine headaches • Gluten can cause thyroid disease • Gluten can cause liver damage • Gluten can cause IBS • Gluten can cause Ataxia • Gluten can cause many different skin diseases • Gluten can cause nerve pain and neuropathy • Gluten can cause gallbladder disease • Gluten can lower testosterone in men
Science shows us that even the healthiest gut which consumes gluten in the quantity of a breadcrumb, can have intestinal damage that takes three hours to repair. Gluten is one of the leading causes of leaky gut, which comes with its own set of inflammatory and auto immune issues. However, eliminating gluten isn’t always that simple. There are many medications that can mimic gluten sensitivity and cause the same symptoms in a person avoiding gluten. The same inflammation caused by gluten, can be caused by corn, soy, dairy, and parasite infections in some individuals. Processed food that is assumed (or labeled to be gluten free) can be cross contaminated with gluten up to 41% of the time. It is estimated that over 90% of the people following a gluten free diet continue to have health problems because of cross contamination, processed food, and consumption of corn, rice, sorghum and other grains. Gluten can be found in products used at the dentist or orthodontist. Gluten is often found in cosmetics and skin products. Gluten free on the label doesn’t make the food healthy. There are many proteins found in grains that can mimic gluten and therefore create symptoms in a sensitive individual. In many cases, gluten gets blamed for health problems that are caused by the pesticides found on gluten containing grains. Almost all processed products that contain gluten also contain folic acid which “enriches” the product; this folic acid can also create inflammation in individuals sensitive to it (with or without MTHFR). The good news Vitamin C can help heal the damage caused by gluten Probiotics can help reduce inflammation and enhance digestion while healing from gluten sensitivity Children with learning disabilities respond well to a gluten free diet Gluten sensitivity can be recovered, but it can take 3 years There are thousands of unprocessed whole foods that do not ever contain gluten that are delicious and nutritious and help heal your gut!
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