Wheat, Gluten and You - Are we eating the same grain? (Part 1)

I remember when I was young, about 20 or so years ago, wheat-based foods, used to be my staple food. Breads, cereals and grains are part of my diet, these foods were my primary source of calories. My parents' knowledge about health, nutrition and diet is close to zero, and of course I don't blame any of them, and it is quite rare to find someone within the family who is extremely knowledgeable about health, especially holistic lifestyle. Back in my childhood days, I was severely malnutritioned and often sick and none of the doctors had any clue what was wrong with me. Not until I gradually found out what went wrong and why my health suffered poorly back in those years. Apart from generally poor diet and lack of nutrition, what have I discovered? What could be one of the culprits in our diet which degenerate our health, making us sick, malnutrition and even triggers autoimmunity and chronic diseases? 

Today, it's all about wheat. Arguably, the most common ingredient found in processed foods, restaurants and most foods which we eat regularly on daily basis. It is known as 'staff of life' by the western population, but how much truth do we know about the wheat we are eating right now? A common question people asked me, "Haven't we been eating wheat for countless generations?" Some debate that wheat existed since the biblical time. Yes, it is true, and I totally agree. But, is the wheat the same as hundreds or even thousands of years ago? The answer is NO. 

I realized that most of my personal trainers friends, are eating wheat-based diet. Most of the people I know, including doctors are living on wheat and grains. Most conventional doctors are overweight and unhealthy, and most personal trainers suffers from various gut disorders and unspoken health symptoms. Wonder why a lot of fitness instructors in gyms are having that 'inflamed' belly attached to the big-size muscular structure? Most people are so obsessed with how they look outside, but they have mostly forgotten about the inside, the pillars of health and what enable them to live a quality disease-free life. 

How much do we know about wheat? How much do we realize what is causing most of us to gain weight? Have you wonder what wheat can do to your body?  Do you even know that 2 pieces of whole wheat bread raise blood sugar level higher then a snickers bar? Most people, believe that wheat or grains is safe and beneficial for the body, in terms of nutrition and general health. How can we be wrong right? I mean the USDA food pyramid tells us to consume more grains (7-11 servings per day) in order to be healthy and maintain an ideal BMI. But, why are we sicker and fatter then ever? 

Let's start off by discussing the origins of this grain. Back in ancient time, or what we could call it biblical time, wheat is known as einkorn. This ancient grain, is known to be consumed by mankind for approximately 20000 years ago, before agriculture. This hard-hulled einkorn contains 14 chromosomes, unlike the wheat we consume in the 21st century. Back in Neolithic times, another type of wheat called Emmer was mated with goat grass, thus combining total of 28 chromosomes. In early years, plant hybridization was rare and modern wheat remain the same until 20th century. Over the years, hundreds and even thousands of varieties were created to increase yield. Today, China is the largest producer of wheat in the world. Both India and USA are also two huge wheat producers. Remember, we are not eating the same wheat Jesus Christ had, and the biblical wheat is safer for human consumption.

An average person, consumed easily more then 100 pounds of wheat per year. That's equivalent to the weight of an average adult female. Since the last 50-60 years or so, at least hundreds of hybridization done on the modern wheat. This high-yield semi dwarf strain, is the concoction of the agriculture genetics. Genetics, protein composition, biochemistry and components are different from wheat back in 1950's. The wheat which our ancestors ate are not the same with what we eat today. Bear in mind, Celiac disease has quadrupled since 40-50 years ago. Is that a coincidence? On top of that, autoimmune disease has soared sky high and we are facing obesity and diabetes epidemic.

The modern wheat, experienced change in gliadin genetic sequence. What is gliadin? Well, first of all, it is a protein found in wheat. It is a poison, and can cause whole host of problems and havoc in the body. Please take note that grains are the seeds of grass. We can only eat the seeds if we processed them. For some people, when we talk about wheat, first thing in mind is gluten. Yes, gluten is arguably the primary culprit in this grain which series of destruction in the body, but there are other harmful compounds in wheat, which we must all realize before we suffer its consequences. Dr. Alession Fassano, who was awarded the Linus Pauling award, for demonstrating gliadin protein in wheat which can trigger the disruption of normal intestinal barrier, a process which is associated with autoimmune disorders. It was demonstrated by Dr. Fassano, that with presence of gliadin, foreign substances can enter the bloodstream, which are supposed to be kept within the intestinal tract. Thus, increased intestinal permeability which lead to higher levels of zonulin, which is a protein that could trigger problems in the body. Gliadin, can also cause inflammatory cascade in the body, which triggers cytokines, histamines and prostaglandins. It's bad news for anyone who is concern about heart disease, and other autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. 

Gliadin, is also characterized as a collection of degraded opioid peptides called exorphins. If you heard of morphins, you will know the level of addiction and why you can't get rid of the bread and wheat from your diet. Exorphins can pass your blood-brain-barrier (from the gut), and bind to opiate-receptors in the brain, to induce appetite. Meaning, you feel hungry faster and more often when everytime you consume wheat based foods. Studies have also shown that these chemicals can cause neurological problems especially in children, namely ADHD and Autism(link of the studies below). Bipolar disorder has also been linked (link of the study below) with wheat consumption, as exorphins are neurotoxic and addictive. Other mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia are some of the known associations to wheat (study link below). Some call it plant morphin or heroin, as your cravings for wheat will go from bad to worst, after years of ingestion. 

Imagine, if I would to tell you that your cereals and breads contain morphins, would you believe or accept it? Well, I know the look on that face and it's no surprise most people are not aware of the addictive compound found in modern wheat. In the next post, I will discuss more about other toxic compounds in wheat and what it does to the body. Stay tuned. 

Gliadin, Gluten, Zonulin (Some of the journals)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21248165
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22731712
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10801176
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16635908
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18485912
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22902773
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16456012
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1808742/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11191281
http://www.nature.com/pr/journal/v16/n12/abs/pr1982238a.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19814655
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21890812
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18166587
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6609726
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9276449
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7637543
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8422933
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1309704
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20545470
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20471632
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3747763/
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1399-5618.2011.00894.x/full
http://www.faim.org/glutenfree/root-cause-autoimmune-disease.html