3531: Gluten by Becca Shern of Minimal Wellness on Gut Health

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Gluten by Becca Schoen of MinimalWellness.com and I'm Dr. Neal Malik, reading you some of the most popular health and fitness blogs out there, with permission from the websites, of course. I'm going to keep this intro nice and short, so with that let's get right to the post on gluten and optimize your life. Gluten by Becca Shern of MinimalWellness.com

[00:01:29] For the past decade, gluten has been one of the most polarizing topics in the health and food worlds. Many health practitioners are only now beginning to recognize and validate the spectrum of symptoms and diseases associated with gluten. At the same time, many people working in the restaurant industry continue to view the consumer demand for gluten-free foods as an annoying fad that will pass. However, the trend has not passed, and diagnosis of gluten-related issues continue to rise. Why?

[00:01:58] Gluten is a protein component of several grains, including wheat, barley, and rye. Wheat, and therefore gluten, is ubiquitous in the Western food supply because it's easy to grow, is a good source of calories, is relatively high in protein, and it can be stored whole or processed into an enormous array of products. Especially during times of food scarcity, wheat helped ensure entire populations did not starve.

[00:02:23] In the U.S., wheat is a subsidized crop, making it artificially cheap for food manufacturers to use as an ingredient. So, for many people, consuming a diet full of highly processed wheat products feels like an economic necessity. Although wheat may help prevent hunger and starvation, the gluten it contains can contribute to other unintended health consequences.

[00:02:44] One of the reasons some individuals struggle with gluten is that it is difficult to completely digest, especially when it's in its flour form, like in the form of bread, cereal, and pastries. Many processed wheat products are made with extra gluten. It provides structure to baked goods, as well as other additives, such as enzymes and preservatives, that may further impair digestion. Although many people have no noticeable symptoms of incomplete digestion, it does not mean digestion and nutrient absorption are functioning properly.

[00:03:12] Current research shows that gluten is a critical factor in gut health and gut functioning. The gliadin fraction of the gluten protein is the only dietary substance known to trigger the release of a gut mucosal hormone called zonulin. Zonulin regulates the opening of tight junctions in the small and large intestinal mucosa, dramatically impacting the permeability of the gut. Both the amount of zonulin release and tight junction responsiveness to zonulin differs dramatically between individuals,

[00:03:41] likely due to genetic variation and exposure to environmental factors like stress, exercise, toxins, etc. When tight junctions are opened by zonulin, larger sized particles in the gastrointestinal tract that are not supposed to leave the gut are able to do so. Now depending on a person's susceptibility and immune system status, these larger particles may be problematic, potentially leading to immune system activation, food allergies, and other autoimmune diseases.

[00:04:08] It is important to recognize that research has shown wide variation in individual responsiveness to the gliadin protein and subsequent zonulin release. Therefore, dietary gliadin, gut bacterial composition, genetic susceptibility, and the environment all factor into a person's zonulin secretion and tight junction regulation. The interplay between those factors and undoubtedly others creates a spectrum of reactivity to gliadin with extremely responsive individuals sometimes developing celiac disease.

[00:04:38] Now celiac disease is an immune-mediated inflammatory reaction to the gliadin protein. Ingestion or exposure to gliadin results in an immune response with substantial intestinal inflammation, nutrient malabsorption, larger releases of zonulin, and opening of those tight junctions. The inflammatory response eventually leads to intestinal scarring and increased risk for gastrointestinal cancers. The only current treatment for individuals with celiac disease is complete avoidance of gliadin,

[00:05:08] which allows for normalization of the immune response and alleviation of celiac disease symptoms. I believe what we are seeing with increasing rates of celiac disease, food allergies, autoimmune diseases, and people reporting gluten sensitivity is that the respective roles of diet, genetics, gut microflora, and the environment in tight junction regulation are changing. In the past, genetics likely played the largest role with relatively few people developing celiac disease and autoimmune diseases.

[00:05:36] I speculate, however, that the combination of the standard American diet, compromised gut microflora, and other environmental triggers have primed many individuals to be more reactive to zonulin than in previous generations. Translating all of this information into dietary recommendations is not straightforward. I don't believe there is sufficient evidence to categorically recommend avoidance of gluten to everyone. However, there is clear evidence of gluten's role in compromised intestinal permeability,

[00:06:02] systemic inflammation, and generalized gastrointestinal problems like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc. Of course, an exacerbating issue of the largest source of gluten in the Western diet is not from unprocessed forms of wheat, barley, or rye, but from highly processed, often sugar-laden and nutrient-devoid food products, such as shelf-stable cereals, breads, pastas, crackers, pretzels, and other baked goods.

[00:06:29] Regardless of their gluten content, these foods shouldn't be the foundation of any diet. I believe a healthy, disease-free person should focus on consuming whole foods, whole vegetables, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, eggs, unprocessed meat and dairy, fruit, legumes, and unprocessed grains, without particular worry about gluten content. Coincidentally, by focusing on whole foods, gluten content almost certainly decreases while other health-promoting qualities of the diet increase. But if you already consume a whole foods-based diet

[00:06:59] and are curious about exploring how you feel on a gluten-free diet, there's nothing wrong with giving it a try. You might find it beneficial. For the large and growing number of individuals with diseases or symptoms linked to increased intestinal permeability, like leaky gut, or those who are concerned about gastrointestinal functioning, switching to a gluten-free, whole food-based diet is a reasonable and achievable step toward improving health. Personally, I follow a gluten-free diet most of the time and have for several years. My choice to be mostly gluten-free is partly because of convenience.

[00:07:29] My partner is gluten-sensitive and partly for personal health. I love cooking for our family and cooking gluten-free is no more difficult than any other type of cooking. It just requires a little more knowledge about food composition. However, I don't obsess over being gluten-free. Unless my health status changes or the research showing ill effects of gluten becomes conclusive, I'll continue to enjoy an occasional slice of sourdough, a pint of craft beer, or a perfectly made croissant. You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:59] Gluten, by Becca Schoen of minimalwellness.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Now, it's just me and a small team behind this show, so I get how much the right hire matters. When you need the right person, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Stop struggling to get your job post even seen on other sites. Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed are 95% more likely to report a hire than non-sponsored jobs. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates

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[00:08:58] Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun. An army hung on her every word. My champions! I have sold my chariot on Carvana! It was a lovely SUV! An inexplicably queenly offer! They're even coming to the castle to collect it!

[00:09:28] Tonight, we feast! An offer you can feast on. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pick up fees, mail, buy. Dr. Neal Malik here for my commentary. Yes, definitely many things are being blamed on gluten. It is certainly a hot topic. And right now, as Becca mentioned, there is no consensus with regards to whether gluten will negatively impact our health or whether it's safe for us to consume.

[00:09:53] She's right that certain people seem to be more susceptible to gluten's effects. Now, here's how I describe gluten to most of the lay public who aren't really, like, biochemists or interested in nutrition. I say it's the glue that holds your breads and pastas together. But if you really want to know what gluten is made of, it's really made of two proteins. Gliadine and glutenin. And it turns out, as Becca mentioned, that gliadine may be the one that triggers some reactions in some folks.

[00:10:22] What we're learning from the research is that those that voluntarily go gluten-free, even though they don't have any of these symptoms after eating gluten, may be nutrient deficient. So you may end up consuming less of the B vitamins, for example, than you should be. So if you do decide that you want to try going gluten-free, be sure to talk to your doctor and or a dietician or nutritionist first to make sure that you don't set yourself up for some nutrient deficiencies.

[00:10:49] Also, what we're learning is that since most of us get our fiber from grains, if you go gluten-free and start avoiding some of those grains, you may miss out on a lot of dietary fiber, which may lead to constipation. So as Becca mentioned, it's important to have a well-planned out gluten-free diet if you do choose to do this. And in all honesty, I usually don't encourage folks to try going gluten-free, again, unless their doctor has recommended they do so. Now, if you want to know more about this topic,

[00:11:17] I highly encourage you to Google Alessio Fasano. His last name is spelled F as in Frank, A-S-A-N-O. Dr. Fasano is a medical doctor, and he's a lead researcher when it comes to zonulin, celiac disease, gluten, and leaky gut. But when you have a moment, I highly recommend you look him up and some of the research that he's done. All right, that's enough out of me for today. I'll be back here tomorrow for our usual Friday Q&A, so definitely stay tuned for that

[00:11:46] where your optimal life awaits. Let's go.