Glue-tenacious Gluten & Elana’s Pantry

Photo by emiline220.

In honor of my favorite gluten free food blog, Elana’s Pantry and being in  Qatar at the moment surrounded by the most tempting freshly baked  flatbreads of all shapes and sizes I thought I’d pay my dues to the protein we  all love to hate – gluten (actually a combination of gliadin and glutenin).  A  complex found in almost all grains, for a nice list of gluetenacious foods  check out celiac sprue association.  If you have ever kneaded dough, it is what makes it progressively stickier and gooier.  The ‘glue’ sticks together and forms a very hard to digest protein matrix (which is where the CO2 bubbles from the yeast fermentation get trapped and the reason the bread rises).  Unfortunately it is also what makes gives traditional bread its wonderful texture.

So proteins and chemistry aside, what’s the deal.  There are several different ways in which gluten can effect us.  At one end of the spectrum is a full out autoimmune condition called Celiac disease.  Here the body will severely react to any gluten found in the digestive system, this reaction causes massive amounts of inflammation which over time will erode away at the digestive lining causing a host of malabsorption problems.  More common than you might think, 3 million Americans are currently diagnosed with Celiac disease, and it often goes undiagnosed for years (fortunately awareness has been steadily growing over the last few years).

At the other end of the spectrum however are those of us who may or may not test positive to a Anti-gliadin antibody test, or tissue transglutanimase (blood tests often used when celiac disease is a suspicion.  For a nice summary check out this article), but who may have a mild sensitivity to gluten which most of the time shows up only after a serious gluten binge (Qatar has many opportunities for these!).

But why! Why do so many people have a problem to such an international food staple?  A few reasons.  Firstly, the grains we eat today are a far cry from the golden grains which fueled the Roman armies.  Even a few generations ago the breads that were eaten resembled nothing of the light, fluffy cotton candy breads we see in supermarkets today.  I had a conversation with my wife’s grandmother a few months ago, a wonderful Armenian lady who grew up in Russia.  She told me how the breads they used to eat were hard, firm beasts of a food.  That chewing through a few mouthfuls would decommission your jaw muscles for a few hours!  The grains today are hybridized beyond botanical recognition and contain several times natures intended gluten load.  Thats the more or less unavoidable reason, unless someone somewhere has a stash of old world Roman grains! (Spelt is actually an example of this, however it still contains gluten and is therefore still a no-no if you have Celiac disease)

Secondly, is the phenomenon loosely called leaky gut syndrome.  When the cells of your intestinal tract are subject to inflammation or cell damage, tiny gaps appear in them.  This allows food particles into the bloodstream.  The body essentially goes on red alert when it encounters anything foreign in the circulation and responds with the cellular equivalent of a World War.  From that moment onwards, the offending particle is blacklisted in the bodies immune memory, and anytime the immune system tracks this food, there are subsequent immune reactions.  A gluten sensitivity as it were.

Common symptoms of the above are joint pain, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, migraines along with probably one of the longest lists of seemingly unrelated symptoms for a condition (as a lot of the symptoms are due to malabsorption and inflammation).

So now what?  There is a lot of naturopathic medical options which can help tame a hyperactive immune system along with nutritional guidelines which can bring our eating habits back to center.  If you live in the United States go to the AANP’s physician finder for a nice referral list.  If you live in the Northwest of the United States anywhere near Portland, Oregon don’t hesitate to make a trip to see Dr. Igor Schwartzman, who specializes in G.I. conditions such as Celiac and gluten sensitivities and was recently featured on Skinny Chef with a great article about naturopathic medical training.

No matter where you live however please check out Elena’s Pantry for a creative, delicious and visually pleasing, food blog on how to cook with gluten free alternatives.  Elena is constantly trying and refining new ideas, and I have personally been using recipes from her blog for over a year now.  If you have Celiac disease it is a lifesaver.  If  you don’t, try and eat gluten free a few days a week, it is much easier than you may think, especially with this resource.  I find myself still using Elena’s Pantry for ideas half way across the world in Doha, Qatar and when I was in Thailand recently.

Go gluten free today and, if you will excuse me after this article, a lamb shawarma sandwich from the guy down the road.  Everything in moderation.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.