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GMO

Gluten, GMOs, Probiotics and Monsanto; the Web Tightens

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gluten and GMOs
Photo courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/kattebelletje/

I’ve had many people ask me about this “gluten free” thing and whether it’s “real.” Or is it just a fad?

First and foremost, the entity known as celiac disease is nothing new. The traditional acceptance of celiac disease is a condition where the immune system of the gut attacks the gluten containing portion of grains (namely wheat, but also to a certain degree in oats, barley and rye). This attack results in the lining of the gut (the villa) being flattened out. While a normal gut may have the area of a tennis court, in someone with celiac disease that eats gluten, the destruction of the lining of the gut leaves you with a ping pong table.

The shrinkage of the area that is needed to absorb nutrients wreaks havoc long term and leads to most of the issues associated with traditional celiac disease (osteoporosis, neurological disturbances, shortened life span, etc…). This is the far end of the spectrum and is usually diagnosed via biopsy of the lining of the gut. Moving up the spectrum (from worst to less-worser), the blood markers anti-transglutaminase and anti-gliadin antibodies will be elevated and can be checked in a blood test.

This is generally where mainstream medicine stops at the definition of celiac disease. However, as I mentioned, it is a spectrum and not a set point. As you move away from the biopsy proven gluten allergy to the other end of the spectrum, “sensitivity” becomes a much better word to use. At this end, the number of people with sensitivity to gluten is quite high and it is very real.

And the numbers of people with gluten sensitivity keep going up. But why?

A portion of this may due to a cross reaction between a protein found in the yeast Candida albicans and a protein found in gluten. This means that a prescription for antibiotics, which will increase the number of yeast in your gut, can initiate the onset of celiac disease in genetically susceptible patients.

Combine the wanton use of antibiotics with conventionally grown grains given high amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizer (more nitrogen leads to more gliadin for the gut to react to) and you’ve got a recipe for more gluten problems.

But it turns out the story may be more complicated. This particular article looks at the role of glyphosphate (the principle component of the herbicide Roundup used heavily in GMO crops) and the realionship to celiac disease. While the article is quite complex, here are the high points:

• Fish exposed to glyphosate develop digestive problems that are similar to celiac disease.
• Glyphosphate triggers imbalances in gut bacteria (reduced Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which break down gluten).
• Disrupts detox P450 enzymes, interrupting the activation of vitamin A and D, the maintenance of bile acid production as well as the breakdown of environmental toxins.
• Glyphosphate chelates and leads to deficiencies in iron, cobalt, molybdenum and copper.
• Glyphosphate leads to deficiencies in the amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, methionine and selenomethionine.
• In addition, both celiac patients and glyphosphate exposure increase risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
• Both are associated with reproductive issues like infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects.

Making matters worse, glyphosphate residues in wheat and other crops are likely increasing due to the growing practice of crop desiccation just prior to the harvest.

So, is it glyphosphate toxicity or gluten sensitivity? I’m pretty sure that this article didn’t entirely clear things up for many of you. The bottom line is that the answer likely lies somewhere in between. Either way, it would seem smart to take away two needed changes from this article. First, living a naturally gluten-restricted diet is a good idea. This does NOT mean buying the same types of foods you have always eaten but just buying them gluten-free. Not a good idea.

Second, if you do take in any gluten-containing grains, make sure they are organic or at least GMO free to reduce the likelihood that you will be exposed to glyphosphate.

AMA promotes benefits of “genetically improved” foods – (10-18-01)

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AMA promotes benefits of “genetically improved” foods

The concept of GMO (genetically modified organism) is very controversial. The main problem is that we are creating new proteins that the body has never before been exposed to, creating a myriad of opportunities for new food allergies/sensitivities. On the other hand, many of the GMO products are produced to make the organism grow better or more hardy and resistant to disease. Personally, I choose not to put any GMOs into my body if I can help it. And, by the way, when did the AMA become such a wonderful reference source?

bmj.com Hopkins 323 (7317): 828f

Read entire article here

BENEFITS OF BROCCOLI – (06-06-05)

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Selenium Enrichment of Broccoli: Interactions between Selenium and Secondary Plant Compounds

Most people are unaware of what genetically modified foods are and have little more than an idea of what GMO truly means.  I can guarantee that anytime we mess with Mother Nature, there will be consequences.

This article highlights yet another aspect of changing foods–raising the selenium content of broccoli artificially inhibits the production of other beneficial compounds normally found in this food.  The net effect, in a situation like this, may actually be a product that is not as good and protective as what we starting with.

Read entire article here

 

ARE YOU REALLY WHAT YOU EAT?

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The answer to this question is probably far more accurate than anyone could imagine. Sure, we can envision the poster of a child looking like a banana or a piece of broccoli and feel all warm and fuzzy that we’re doing the best for our body.

“You are what you eat” is a saying that has been around for decades now, if not centuries. The connotation is that, if you eat healthy foods, you will be healthy. Few picture the concept in reverse.

The concept of “xenohormesis” is not a new one. This suggests that stress messages from lower down on the food chain are ingested by those higher on the food chain. Consider that in the context of today’s society. Imagine that every molecule of the foods we eat can pass a message down to the very heart of what you are–your DNA. What kind of message does a fast food happy meal send to your child’s genes? The foods we eat can truly create health or create disease at the genetic level in a very direct pathway.

Consider the intake of abused, contained, poorly fed, stressed out commercial livestock. The physiology of these creatures are screaming stress. This message than gets passed to the oblivious consumer eating the McDonald’s hamburger, increasing the stress messages within his or her own body.

What about GMO foods (foods that have been messed with genetically so that they can be resistant to wanton spreading of toxic pesticides without being killed themselves)? The messages sent from these foods may be of a nature that the human body has never, ever experienced before.

This particular article is a little biochemically oriented, but adds some fascinating touches to xenohormesis. Researchers have actually identified small RNA fragments that clearly get absorbed into our bodies and affect cell behavior at the genetic level.

This brings xenohormesis out of the realm of theory and into the realm of fact. It also creates and almost overwhelming range of possibilities for what we really mean when we say, “You are what you eat.”

Consider this the next time you opt for a processed meal, a fast food lunch, genetically altered GMO foods (most commonly in soybeans and corn). Realize that the foods you are eating are sending a screwed up, dangerous message to your very DNA.

Contrast this with eating a diet filled with unprocessed foods as organic as possible in an environment that is soothing and relaxing and continues to promote food as a celebration of life and an experience to be enjoyed to its fullest.