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There are many reasons to avoid gluten

Awareness of the negative health effects of gluten has increased in the past few years. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and any foods made with these grains. Avoiding wheat can be especially hard because this means you should avoid all wheat-based flours and ingredients. "Wheat-free" does not automatically mean "gluten-free." While a product may not contain wheat, it can still contain rye or barley in some form.

Grains used to be soaked, sprouted, fermented and bread was then baked using slow rise yeast. Sprouting and fermenting grains leads to many beneficial effects, such as increasing the amino acid lysine, reducing anti-nutrients (like phytic acid and lectins), disabling enzyme inhibitors and making nutrients more accessible.

New techniques in grain processing in the late 19th century made it possible to create massive amounts of refined wheat for a low cost. We are now able to separate the nutritious components of the grain (the bran and germ) away from the endosperm, where most of the starchy carbohydrates are contained. Today, the flour is bleached and the bread is baked with quick rise yeast. Introduced around the year 1960, modern wheat was developed via cross-breeding and crude genetic manipulation, which changed the nutrient and protein composition of the plant.

The Broadbalk Wheat Experiment is one of the longest running scientific studies in history. Since the year 1843, the scientists have grown different strains of wheat and analyzed various factors, including nutrient composition. From 1843 until about 1960, the nutrients in wheat didn’t change much. However, from the year 1960, which coincides with the introduction of modern wheat, the nutrient content starts trending downwards. Concentrations of Zinc, Copper, Iron and Magnesium were 19-28% lower in the years 1968-2005, compared to 1845-1967.

One 2013 survey by NPD Group, a market research firm, shows that a third of Americans are actively trying to eliminate gluten from their diets. Here are five reasons to avoid gluten:

Gluten consists of two proteins known as gliadin and glutenin. It is the gliadin that produces negative effects in people. When flour is mixed with water, gluten forms a sticky cross-linked network of proteins, giving elastic properties to dough and allowing bread to rise when baked. When gluten reaches the digestive tract and is exposed to the cells of the immune system, those cells mistakenly believe that it is coming from some sort of foreign invader, such as bacteria. In certain people, this causes the immune system to mount an attack against it.

In celiac disease (the most severe form of gluten sensitivity), the immune system attacks the gluten proteins, but it also attacks an enzyme in the cells of the digestive tract called tissue transglutaminase. Gluten exposure causes the immune system to attack both the gluten as well as the intestinal wall itself in those with celiac disease, which is classified as an autoimmune disorder.

The immune reaction can cause degeneration of the intestinal wall, which leads to nutrient deficiencies, various digestive issues, anemia, fatigue, failure to thrive as well as an increased risk of many serious diseases. Celiac disease is believed to afflict about 1 percent of people, but it may be more common (over 2 percent) in the elderly. There are also studies by the National Institute of Health showing that the rate of celiac disease is increasing rapidly in the general population.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 40 percent of people carry the HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 genes, which make people susceptible to gluten sensitivity. When these people eat foods that contain gluten, they also experience uncomfortable symptoms. However, they test negative for celiac disease and there is no actual damage to their small intestine. Given that there is no clear definition of gluten sensitivity, or a sure fire way to diagnose it, the only true way of knowing is by eliminating gluten temporarily from the diet, then reintroducing it to see if there are symptoms.

There are also studies showing that individuals with neither celiac disease nor diagnosed gluten sensitivity have adverse reactions to gluten. For example, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) involves various digestive issues with an unknown cause. IBS afflicts about 14% percent of people in the U.S. According to clinical studies in various parts of the U.S., some cases of IBS may be either caused or exacerbated by gluten.

Even though gluten primarily affects the gut, it can also have severe effects on the brain. Many cases of neurological illness may be caused and/or exacerbated by gluten consumption. This is called gluten-sensitive idiopathic neuropathy. The main neurological disorder believed to be at least partly caused by gluten is cerebellar ataxia, a serious disease of the brain that involves an inability to coordinate balance and movements, as well as presenting problems with talking. It is now known that many cases of ataxia are directly linked to gluten consumption. Studies in Europe and North America, available via the National Center for Biotechnology Information, show strong statistical associations between gluten consumption, gluten sensitivity and cerebellar ataxia. There is also a controlled trial showing that ataxia patients improve significantly on a gluten-free diet.

There are many people who believe that wheat may be addictive. Getting unnatural cravings for bread or donuts is fairly common. Even though unproven, there are some studies suggesting that gluten may have addictive properties. When gluten is broken down in a test tube, the peptides that are formed can activate opioid receptors. These peptides (small proteins) are called gluten exorphins. Some believe that these exorphins can find their way into the bloodstream, reach the brain and cause an addiction. Nutritionists and dieticians believe that wheat is second only to sugar in creating feelings of addiction.

For many, not eating bread may seem impossible. Nonetheless, the trend to minimize or eliminate gluten from the diet has spurred the creation of a niche market: gluten-free edibles. So much is available that we simply have to train ourselves to read the ingredient listings on packages and to educate ourselves as we aim for.