Gluten Sensitivity; it’s a real thing! Get relief from gluten sensitivity symptoms.

Do you notice that you experience uncomfortable gluten sensitivity symptoms when you eat too much gluten? Even though your test results have come back all clear? Not only is it a real thing, but you can get relief from gluten sensitivity symptoms too!

It used to be thought that only those with coeliac disease react to the protein gluten found in wheat, barley and rye grains. But recent studies now suggest that sensitivity to gluten affects up to 13 per cent of the population. However, gluten sensitivity is difficult to diagnose using medical diagnostic methods, so most cases are self-reported.

In our clinics we see many Positive Association Technique (PAT) clients reporting gluten sensitivity symptoms. Using muscle testing we’re not only able to confirm their suspicions, but also provide relief from gluten sensitivity symptoms with our completely natural, innovative treatment method called PAT.

In this blog I will go through the the factors that have contributed to the rise of gluten reactions, the different ways gluten can affect people, be it a gluten sensitivity, allergy or full blown coeliac disease, and most importantly how we can help.

But firstly, let’s look at what gluten actually is and why it has become such a problem.

What is gluten?

In the plant, gluten is found in the endosperm which is the part that nourishes plant embryos during germination and is the main storage protein of these grains. Gluten is a complex mixture of hundreds of related but different proteins, but the main ones are gliadin and glutenin in wheat, secalin in rye, hordein in barley, and they are collectively referred to as gluten. 

The earliest recorded use of the word gluten was in the 16th century, and it has its origin in the Latin word ‘glutinum’ which means ‘glue’, as it has a sticky elastic texture when flour is added to water. Its protein composition gives bread its chewy flexible texture and when yeasts are added to the dough, gluten’s elasticity allows it to rise easily and consistently making it an essential ingredient in baked goods like bread, cakes, crackers.

Gliadin makes up about 70% of the protein in gluten and it’s gliadin that is responsible for causing an immune response in the body. It contains peptide sequences that are resistant to being completely broken down in the digestive system, which can cause gluten sensitivity symptoms after eating foods that contain gluten.

Common sources of gluten

Gluten is a protein found in certain grains, specifically the different species of wheat, barley, rye and triticale, (which is a cross between wheat and rye).

Oats are also often included as containing gluten and although their protein (avenin) is similar in structure to gluten, several studies have shown it doesn’t affect the body in the same way. Oats are often grown, processed and transported alongside wheat barley and rye and so often there is some cross contamination that can affect you if you are sensitive to gluten.

Gluten is heat stable and can act as a binding or extending agent; so is commonly used as an additive in processed foods for improved texture, moisture retention, and flavor in soups, sauces, meat products, sweets, ice creams, medication and supplements. 

Because gluten is sticky, it’s also used in the food industry as an adhesive for processed foods. For example, gluten is added to potato chips so they attach to the chips and don’t all collect at the bottom of the bag. It is even used in the envelopes where you have to stick down the seal!  

The different types of reactions to gluten

Coeliac Disease

Coeliac disease affects only about 1% of the population, and is a hereditary autoimmune disorder where consuming gluten damages the small intestine. When a person eats gluten, an immune response is triggered, leading the immune cells to attack the small intestine.

This alters the mucosa of the small intestine which flattens and inflames the microvilli, causing symptoms throughout the body, especially in the digestive system where there can be diarrhoea, malnutrition and malabsorption of nutrients among other symptoms.

Blood tests are used to screen for coeliac disease, where they measure antibody levels in your blood that your body has produced in response to gluten. It can also be assessed with a biopsy of the lining of the small intestine, to look for damage and inflammation.

Although, not all coeliac patients have flattened mucosa, coeliac disease can also occur without flattened mucosa, which is then called latent coeliac disease.

The autoimmune response to gluten that causes your body to attack its own tissues, can also affect your skin, rather than classic coeliac disease where it damages the small intestine. Dermatitis herpetiformis is a is a chronic, intensely itchy, blistering skin condition that results when gluten induces an autoimmune response in the skin rather than the gut.

Wheat Allergy

A wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to the gluten proteins, called gliadin. The onset of symptoms can take minutes to hours to develop and include itching, swelling, sneezing, runny nose, headaches, asthma, stomach aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, skin rash, and even life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Its mediated by a different immune response than coeliac disease. Wheat allergies are mediated by IgE class antibodies, whereas coeliac antibodies are mediated by IgA. If you have a wheat allergy, you can safely eat spelt as well as barley and rye, while those with coeliac disease cannot. 

Most cases of wheat allergy are found in children, and it is usually diagnosed through a skin prick test and/or a blood test. Some children can grow out of it, unlike coeliac disease which is for life.

Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity

If you have gluten sensitivity, you may not test positive for coeliac disease or gluten allergy on a blood test, but still experience symptoms when you consume gluten.

Gluten sensitivity has been clinically recognised as less severe than coeliac disease, as they’re thought not to have damage to their small intestines as those with coeliac disease.

Although like coeliacs, the symptoms are linked to gluten consumption that promotes a chronic inflammatory state, with uncomfortable symptoms, and symptoms resolve when they avoid gluten containing foods.

If you have a non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, you’re likely to experience extra-intestinal (non-gastrointestinal symptoms), such as eczema, headaches, brain fog, ADHD, behavioural issues, joint pain, and numbness in the legs, arms or fingers alongside the classic gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, gas, nausea, diarrhoea, constipation.

If you’re struggling with suspected non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, you can get a copy of our Free PAT Information E-Pack to learn more about how Positive Association Technique (PAT) may be help you confirm your suspicions and get relief from gluten sensitivity symptoms.

Are gluten reactions more common these days?

A recent study compared frozen serum samples collected between 1948 and 1952 to serum samples collected in 2002. After verifying the stability of IgA antibodies in the old samples, the investigators concluded that gluten allergies and celiac disease are at least four times more prevalent today than they were sixty years ago.

So if wheat has been in our diets since the beginning, why do so many people react to it now?

Loaves have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, dating back to around 1500 BC but it wasn’t until about 300 BC that humans discovered adding yeast made the bread rise.  Over the decades, we’ve created new strains of wheat, making the grains larger and, at the same time, increasing the amount and changing the composition of the gluten they contain.

Initially bread wasn’t eaten a lot due to the amount of labor required to turn it into bread. Early forms of wheat were not frequently consumed by humans due to the heavy milling and cooking required. While some cultures did eat wheat berries or grind wheat into flour for certain uses, gluten consumption was not nearly as high as it is today.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that wheat was milled in large quantities and gluten assumed a more prominent place in the diet. As global transportation improved, railroads were built across America, and the industrial revolution progressed, it became easy and inexpensive to mill and distribute wheat flour.  

Due to cross-breeding over many years, modern wheat’s composition went through a drastic change. The worldwide rise in coeliac disease occurred at the same time as the introduction of modern dwarf wheat in the 1960’s, which contains much higher amounts of the genes for gluten.

So not only has wheat’s composition has changed, but it is also the amount we now eat that is a big part of the problem. In 1992 the American Food Guide Pyramid, created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1992, was released and listed whole grains as one of the most important food groups, stating that one should eat at least 6-11 servings of whole grains per day.

This further solidified the prevalence of wheat and other grains in the American diet, around the time that coeliac disease cases began rising. The irony of this was that at this time there was a surplus of grains in America and they needed to use it up, originally the food pyramid only suggested it to be 3 to 4 servings but they increased the servings so they could use the extra grains up. Today wheat is the most widely grown crop in the world!

The other problem is how we make bread and other baked goods.

In commercial bakeries, rising time has been winnowed from hours or even days down to mere minutes, thanks to fast-acting yeasts and additives. Up until 100 hundred years ago, bread was left to rise for at least 12 hours.

This long fermentation process allows bacteria to fully break down the carbohydrates and gluten in bread, making it easier to digest and releasing the nutrients within it, allowing our bodies to more easily absorb them. This is why you may be able to tolerate sourdough bread (made the traditional way) better if you have gluten sensitivity.

Commercial bakers also add a lot of extra gluten to their products. If you read the label on supermarket sliced bread, especially a whole-wheat one, you are likely to find “wheat gluten” among the top four ingredients. Because whole-wheat flour has a lower gluten density than white flour, industrial bakeries add extra gluten to make the bread more elastic, like white bread.

How you can get relief from gluten sensitivity symptoms

Gluten sensitivity symptoms is a very common issue we see in our clinics, all over Australia and New Zealand. We also work with many coeliac’s, and while we cannot address the autoimmune issue directly, we can help provide relief from other sensitivities you have developed as a result of the condition.

Our natural allergy treatment, called Positive Association Technique (PAT), can help you get relief from gluten sensitivity, with our innovative approach to managing your symptoms.

Positive Association Technique (PAT) for gluten sensitivity

Our qualified Naturopaths utilise a form of muscle testing (or kinesiology) to assess for gluten sensitivity, as well as a wide range of other foods and food components which may be contributing to your symptoms.

We then use a chiropractic tool called an Acustim to gently stimulate the nerve bundles and acupressure points that lie down either side of the spine. This provides a positive conditioning effect, while you’re holding onto a sealed sample vial of gluten and it’s components, to help retrain your body to no longer produce gluten sensitivity symptoms.

To find out more about how we can help you get relief from gluten sensitivity symptoms, get in touch!

• Call us on 1300 853 023 / 09 479 5997 (NZ) to chat to our friendly staff
• Send us your question HERE
• Request a Free PAT Information E-PACK HERE

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Please note that this blog post contains general information only. Always consult your health care professional before changing your diet, starting new supplements or regarding any medical condition.