Although celiac disease was identified over 2000 years ago, we’ve only understood it as gluten intolerance since the 1950’s. Now, some 60+ years later, it’s becoming clear that it’s not just gluten….and it’s not just a concern for those with a wheat-allergy!
Those with celiac disease can actually react to any of the wheat proteins listed below (not just the first 2 proteins found in gluten)
- Gliadins – alpha, beta, gamma, omega
- Glutenins
- Agglutinin – proteins that bind to sugar (WGA)
- Prodynorphin – proteins involved in cell communication
As well as the enzymes, like transglutaminase (1, 2), that break them down into these proteins:
- Deamidated gliadin
- Gliadorphins (gluteomorphins)
Yet classic celiac testing, only looks for an immune response to one type of gliadin protein (alpha) and one type of transglutaminase (tTG-2).
So before we even get into gluten and wheat sensitivity, it’s clear that the celiac population in the U.S. of <1% is heavily underreported. With some statistics suggesting:
Less than 17% of people with celiac disease know they have it
At least 6 unreported cases for every new diagnosis of celiac disease
Aside from poor testing, a big reason for this is because a good chunk of people with celiac disease don’t exhibit symptoms in the gut. With some research finding:
33% of newly diagnosed celiac patients have no gastrointestinal issues (clinically silent).
Am I saying you have celiac disease?
No, not at all. But I am saying that those with celiac disease have an allergic reaction to various components in wheat (not just gluten), and the majority of the time they have no symptoms. Which begs the question – is there any reason to think that this would be any different for those with a sensitivity to wheat?
How many of us have a ‘clinically silent’ sensitivity to gluten, and no obvious gut discomfort?
Or better yet, how many have a negative reaction to the non-glutenin and non-gliadin components in wheat?
As discussed in Eat Meat And Stop Jogging, wheat is not just a concern for those with an obvious allergic reaction (celiac disease), as many of us exhibit an immunogenic response (release cytokines and experience inflammation) after consuming it. And since these sensitivity symptoms don’t always present themselves in the gut, those without noticeable discomfort could be experiencing inflammation and tissue damage elsewhere. With research like this, from the Lancet (Neurology) showing neurological dysfunction with no gastrointestinal problems whatsoever.
Image from Grain Brain, by Dr. David Perlmutter.
Like celiac disease, gluten (or wheat) sensitivity actually has the potential to ‘silently’ affect every tissue in the body (skin, brain, thyroid, gastrointestinal, reproductive, neurological). And there’s a boat-load of research showing it’s connection to a variety of SERIOUS degenerative conditions. Including but not limited to:
- Depression
- ADHD
- Autism
- Neuropathy
- MS
- ALS
- Ataxia
- Schizophrenia
- Fibromyalgia
- Skin Conditions (dermatitis)
- IBS
- Endometriosis
- Type 1 Diabetes (1, 2)
So, whether you feel like your sensitive to wheat or not, eliminating it from ‘Feast Days’ for a couple weeks is highly encouraged. Not only because there’s zero risk and PLENTY of potential reward, but because research suggests this is the only reliable test for diagnosing non-celiac gluten-sensitivity (NCGS).
“Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity - a reaction to gluten that resolves when gluten is removed from the diet and CD and allergy have been ruled out.”
And likewise, the only reliable test for diagnosing Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity (NCWS). Which, based on the evidence above, I’d argue is MUCH more of a concern.
Interestingly, it wasn’t until I went Wheat-Free on Feast Days that I noticed a considerable change in my cognitive abilities. Suggesting that my sensitivity to gluten, or any 1 of the other proteins in wheat, was negatively affecting the tissue in my brain and/or exposing it to excessive inflammation.
You may notice better skin, fewer headaches, improved gut health, less inflammation, more energy, or something completely different. But you’ll never know unless you give it a shot.
Stay Lean!
Coach Mike
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