5 Surprising Ways Wheat Ruins Your Health
Did you know you may be allergic to wheat and not even know it?
It’s true, according to some experts.
If you’re concerned about your health and mental health, and you currently eat gluten-containing foods, here are 5 unusual and surprising wheat allergy symptoms you should know about.
Gluten and ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is thought to affect mostly children, but it also affects adults.
According to Dr. Ron Hoggan, Ed.D, co-author of Cereal Killers, gluten may be responsible for some of these learning disorders and mental health problems.
Another doctor, Dr. Charles Parker, uses this idea in his own approach to patient treatment.
Dr. Parker looks at the gut first because healthy bacteria produce certain neurotransmitters when they break down food in the digestive system.
When a person’s gut is inflamed from overexposure to gluten proteins, these beneficial bacteria may be killed off. This, in turn, may disrupt a person’s mental health and well-being.
Gluten-Free to Reduce Depression and Anxiety
Depression is a very serious problem that affects millions of people each year.
Symptoms can include feeling hopeless and lacking interest in activities you used to find interesting.
You might also experience appetite changes, changes in your sleep patterns, and emotional outbursts.
Some people require medication to control their depression.
However, most doctors do not investigate the underlying causes.
New research shows testing positive for Celiac disease and gluten intolerance are linked to depression and mood disorders.
They’re also linked to anxiety. Once gluten is removed from a person’s diet, these issues disappear.
Autoimmune Disease and Gluten
According to Sarah Ballantyne PhD, author of The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body, “Every single autoimmune disease in which gluten as a contributor has been investigated has shown that gluten sensitivity is a contributor to that disease.”
For example, Celiac’s disease is known to be caused by gluten proteins. Other diseases in which gluten was thought to be a contributor showed gluten was the contributor, like Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Graves’ Disease, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Other diseases where gluten is suspected of being a contributing factor include Type 1 Diabetes, Vitiligo, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, Multiple Sclerosis, Sjogren’s, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn’s Disease.
Dental Problems and Gluten
You may not think of cavities, canker sores, broken teeth, and tooth decay as stemming from gluten sensitivity but some research says that’s exactly why it happens.
A study published in the journal of BMC Gastroenterology showed a link between recurrent mouth ulcers and gluten.
People who eat high levels of gluten-containing foods also have lower calcium levels and weaker teeth and bones.
Gluten and Migraine Headaches
According to Mark Hyman MD, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, millions of Americans suffer from migraines.
While not all of them are linked to wheat or gluten proteins, many are.
A study measuring migraine headaches found 56% of the test group had chronic headaches and were gluten-sensitive but not diagnosed with celiac disease.
Roughly 30% of the test group had chronic headaches and were celiac patients.
Just 14% of the control group reported headaches.
This suggests a link between gluten and headaches.
Whether or not you suffer from any of these symptoms, it’s important to recognize the many ways gluten and wheat-based products may impact your health.
They can extend beyond gastrointestinal distress reported by many celiac patients.
If you’re not sure whether you have a gluten sensitivity, you can ask your doctor about the latest diagnostic tests.