In this week’s video blog, Kelly Patterson, a concerned mom asks: “What is your opinion on the relationship of gluten to conditions such as fibromyalgia, ADHD, and anxiety?”
Without getting too scientific, gluten (a Latin word meaning “glue”) is a protein that gives bread its airy and fluffy texture and dough its sticky texture.
DID YOU KNOW?
Gluten is also used as a stabilizing agent in many processed foods, such as salad dressings and mayonnaise. It’s in almost everything from beauty products to packaged foods to medications and supplements.
That’s right—medications!
BUT WHY IS GLUTEN GETTING SUCH A BAD RAP NOW?
Since the era of “The Andy Griffith Show” (that’ll be over 50 years ago), conditions like fibromyalgia, ADHD, and anxiety have increased like you would not believe.
We’re no longer eating the wheat that our grandparents ate. In order to have the drought-resistant, bug-resistant and faster growing wheat that we have today, the “mad scientists” in the lab have hybridized the grain. Hybrid grain is an “offspring” from two plants of different varieties for specific stronger genetic characteristics.
It’s estimated that five percent of the proteins in hybridized wheat are new proteins that were not found in either of the original wheat plants. These “new proteins” are part of our health problem.
In other words: your body cannot recognize these new proteins, so your immune system sends out inflammation to try to kill it.
But sometimes your immune system causes it to mistake your body’s own healthy cells as invaders and then repeatedly attacks them.
This is called an autoimmune disease. (“Autoimmune” means immunity against the self.) The inflammatory response (inflammation) happens when your tissues are injured by a cut or scratch, bacteria, trauma, toxins, heat, or any other cause.
Here’s where the magic happens: The damaged cells release chemicals including histamine, bradykinin, and prostaglandins. These chemicals cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, causing swelling. This helps isolate the foreign substance from further contact with body tissues.
The chemicals also attract white blood cells called phagocytes that “eat” germs and dead or damaged cells.
If you or you know someone who has pain all over his or her body, along with headaches, joint problems, fatigue, sleep, memory or mood issues, you are going to want to watch this video!
