The Negative Effects of Gluten in Food - Research Paper Example

 Gluten is a form of protein which is generally found in wheat, barley and rye. It can be said that, it is found in many types of cereals and various types of breads. However, gluten is not present in all types of food from grain family. Some grains like rice, millet, corn quinoa and oats do not contain gluten. Hunter (1987)states that “One of the gluten’s main protein fractions is gliadin, which is a complex mixture”(p. 3). However, it is possible to remove the gluten from wheat flour, but complete removal is impossible. But according to food standard if certain amount of gluten is removed from food it can be termed “gluten free". Research suggests the negative effects of gluten in food are obesity, osteoporosis, depression, celiac disease and non-celiac related food allergies. Gluten is the major protein content in cereals like wheat, oat and rye. When this protein is metabolized in the body of a certain person, it can at times give tremendous problem. In short, the body perceives this protein as a toxic and, introduces an attack against it. The symptoms in a person, depends upon the tissues of body that are attacked. Diet always has a significant influence on our health and it is well said that, we are what we eat. Scientist continues to discover new minerals, vitamins and herbal nutrients year after year. So it is not an amazing fact that, we are only realizing now, how gluten can affect our health. While exploring the ill effects of the gluten, it is discovered that gluten has a tendency to create an addiction among the people. The grains do provide us with needed carbohydrate and nutrients, but this is at the expense of other essential nutrients which is very important for our body functioning .It is found that grains which contain gluten create digestive stress to our bodies. It is a thing to be noted that after the introduction of refined flours, diseases like diabetes, hypertension, gall bladder disease and colitis began to appear. Gluten is still a stable part of most people diet’s in the form of bread, pasta, bakery products. Active refined flour contain higher protein, it means that it contains high gluten as well. Gluten itself is the main protein in wheat, constituting eighty five percent of all wheat protein present. Gluten itself contains two forms of protein namely gliadin and glutenin .Gliadin is the protein which creates digestive problems in human body. Gliadin contains amino acids and other chemicals which cause body a problem in the digestion. . It has also been scientifically proven that individuals with certain genetics are more prone to gluten sensitivity. The reason why gluten’s effect was left unnoticed was because it set off indirect effect through our body’s own immune system system. It has been clearly shown that gluten can also cause neurological disorder along with bad effect on the skin, the thyroid, the heart and the reproductive system. Some terrible diseases caused by gluten can be classified as obesity, osteoporosis, depression, celiac disease and non celiac related food allergies. Let us have in-depth look into the cause and effect of gluten in relation with these diseases. Obesity In his book Gumbiner (2001) suggest that “Obesity is the condition of having an abnormally high proportion of fat …a complex multifactorial chronic disease that develop from an interaction of genotype and the environment”(p. 9). A condition of obesity creates many other diseases which can have bad effect on the health and well being of a person. Generally factors which contribute to obesity can be age, sex and genetic structure of a person. It can be seen that most obese people have a genetic predisposition but eating pattern can also cause obesity to an extent. When an individual is twenty percent over weight than their ideal weight then he is considered obese. Gluten is highly related to causing obesity among people who consume it in excessive quantity. Especially, consumption of food with excessive content of carbohydrate like bread, pasta, cakes biscuits etc accelerates the obesity factor. It is found that protein in gluten can create an addictive situation in the people consuming it, same like nicotin.These addictive substance are called “exorphins” and can highly contribute towards weight gain in a person. The exorphin suggest the person t o consume gluten contained products excessively, which, in turn, create mental disturbance and eating disorders among the person. When there is excess calorie intake the person naturally become subjected to obesity. It is noticed that once the person is on a gluten- free diet, they tend to lose weight. Family history of gluten sensitivity has a great role to play in causing obesity among people .The only real solution to gluten sensitivity and weight gain is to avoid gluten completely from the diet. Treating individuals to reduce weight with the help of surgery and medication is really concentrating on the symptoms and ignoring the cause. Only a healthy eating habit restricting gluten can help such people in order to stay at best health. Celiac disease Gluten is a very nutritious part of food, but it is proven that gluten can trigger several diseases to certain people who are sensitive to it.Celiac disease is one of a dangerous disease which occurs in people who consume excess gluten laden products. It is a disease in which the digestive system is damaged to an extent where it cannot absorb nutrients from food. According to Franklin (1997)“Celiac disease is characterized by small intestinal damage with loss of absorptive villi and hyperplasia of the crypts, typically leading to malabsorption” (p. 797 – 801 ) . People who are diagnosed with celiac disease are very sensitive to gluten. Gluten is said to be found not only in food but also in products like vitamins, lip balms and medicines. The immune system of people suffering celiac disease responds different to gluten than normal people. Once these patients consumes gluten, their immune system react by damaging villi- the small, finger like protruding element that lies in the small intestine. Villi, normally assist in the absorption of nutrients from the food. But in the case of celiac disease the patient become mal nourished despite excess consumption of food. Adams states that (1996) “Symptoms of celiac disease can range from the classic features, such as diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition, to latent symptoms such as isolated nutrient deficiencies but no gastrointestinal symptoms”. This disease is most commonly found in people of European descent , but recently cases o f this disease is also showing up among other ethnic groups. This disease is genetic, which means it is hereditary. At times the disease can surface in a person during pregnancy, viral infection, sever emotional stress or child birth. The symptoms of the disease appear to be different from person to person. It can show up in digestive system or in any part of the patient’s body. In infants and young children the symptoms commonly appear in the digestive system. The symptom usually observed is chronic diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal bloating, weigh loss and so on. Among common children a symptom of irritability is also found to exist. Since childhood requires appropriate nutrition for the healthy growth, malnutrition due to this disease can cause delayed growth, dental defects, delayed puberty a d short stature among young children. The symptoms among adults are distinctive from that of young children. Adults hardly show any signs of digestive problem, instead they have symptoms like iron deficiency, fatigue, arthritis, seizure, depression etc. Researches are underway to find out the reason why the disease affects people differently. The symptom of this disease also varies according to the age and the intensity of damage done to the small intestine. The symptoms some times appear in a person at a very late stage. If the disease is left undiagnosed and untreated, there are high chances that it can develop in to a complicated situation. Crangle (2006) claims that “One certainly can live well with Celiac Disease and, in fact, many of the popular diets followed by Americans today are actually severely gluten-restricted or gluten-free”(p. 13)This shows that the disease can be controlled if individuals become little cautious with their food habit. Osteoporosis Another condition caused by gluten intolerance is osteoporosis, where in the bone mass of the individual is greatly destroyed. Cembrowicz & Allain (2007) states that “Gluten intolerance also called ceoliac disease ,causes damage to the intestinal lining which leads to malabsorption of many nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D”(p. 29).The drastic malabsorption of calcium leads to loss of bone mass .When the loss of bone mass reaches a certain level, the individual get diagnosed with osteoporosis Osteoporosis can develop without pain until a bone breaks. These fractures of bone typically occur in areas like spine, wrist and hips .It can be affected by any bone, but usually hip and spine bone structures are affected. Meunier (1998) informs that “ Hip fracture is the most serious complication of osteoporosis and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality”(p. 4). This condition requires immediate hospitalization and surgery. Once affected by fractures, person become unable to walk independently and may even face with permanent disability or death. Recent studies show that body’s intolerance for gluten can lead to osteoporosis. The main reason how gluten causes osteoporosis is from chronic GI malabsorption as a result of continuous inflammation due to undigested gluten particles. Both inflammation in bowel and celiac disease can affect the bone health.Coeliac disease is caused by the intestine’s sensitivity to gluten, which run in the families. When the body cannot absorb the nutrients and calcium efficiently there can be negative effect on the body and result in osteoporosis. Women suffering from osteoporosis have a higher chance to have gluten allergies and even extreme form of celiac disease. According to (Ackerley) “In a recent study it was found that in eight patients who maintained a gluten free diet for a year six significantly improved their bone densities. This was also true for children with Celiac Disease where a gluten free diet quickly reversed low bone density”. So women have to be more cautious and should be alert as to their sensitivity towards gluten. An immense loss of calcium as a result of malabsorption can cause irreversible damage to them if left unnoticed. Any person with unrecognized osteoporosis is found to have unrecognized celiac disease. This condition cannot be detected with simple blood test. A detailed biopsy test is usually necessary to confirm a diagnosis of coeliac disease. A lifestyle with gluten –free diet is the best solution for a healthy living. Along with it a supplementation of calcium and vitamin D should also be followed. A regular exercise will also help one to build new bone mass. Depression Depression being a mental illness is not necessarily considered as a medical condition like diabetes or blood pressure, regardless people affected by this disease are millions. It is generally seen that people with gluten sensitivity are immensely affected by mental disorder called depression. Nordqvist (2004)states that“Depression is not uniform. Signs and symptoms may be experienced by some sufferers and not by others. How severe the symptoms are, and how long they last depends on the individual person and his illness”. The reason behind gluten causing depression lie behind the process of malabsorption of necessary vitamins, minerals and amino acids from the diet, immune inflammation of brain tissue or both process simultaneously. It has been consistently revealed that people with depression had sensitivity to gluten. The primary system affected by gluten is digestive system and the second is nervous system. There depression causing agent is the protein gliadin in gluten. The depression is triggered when there is confusion in the immune system about the protein gliadin. Interesting fact is that, the protein gliadin is similar in structure to other proteins present in the body like the brain and nerve cells. According to Peterson (2009) “A cross reactivity can occur whereby the immune system “confuses” proteins in the body for the protein gliadin.This is called cellular mimicry and the result is the body attacking it’s own tissues with inflammation resulting. When inflammation happens in the brain and nervous system, a variety of symptoms can occur, including depression”. Since malabsorption is a condition in gluten intolerance, it can cause a substantial deficiency in protein in the body. Especially the amino acid tryptophan can be insufficient in the body of a gluten sensitive person.Trytophan is a protein in the brain which gives the feeling of relaxation and well being. A deficiency in this protein can be related to the depressive mode of a person. Clinic depression is connected to the serotonin levels in the brain and, ninety percent production of this chemical happens in the digestive tract. So it is an understood fact that food has a direct impact on the production of serotonin. So when there is an incomplete digestion due to gluten sensitivity it leads to defect in the production of serotonin. Ultimately the individual becomes victim of depression. Once the patient cuts back gluten from diet, there can be seen a relief from depressive state. Non celiac related food allergy Allergies affect millions of people around the globe and they are mostly directly related to food. The people with gluten sensitivity also suffer from food allergies which is non related to celiac disease. The symptoms are difficult to differentiate as they are almost similar in nature. When blood tests are conducted, these symptoms shows negative result for celiac disease and this is when the doctor realizes it is allergy related to gluten intolerance. The only method to diagnose this condition is by the means of gluten free diet. In case of this kind of allergy a person might suffer from diarrhea and abdominal cramping.The patients with non-celiac gluten intolerance has the same kind symptoms like that of gastrointestinal problem. Many digestive disorders can show symptoms like that of food allergies. The person may not have celiac disease, but the experience can be the reactions of the presence of gluten in the food consumed. This food allergy can cause many difficulties in the patients. It can affect many areas of the body and cause discomfort to victim. The person can have indigestion, bloating, nausea vomiting etc. Sometimes fever, fatigue, sweating and chills can appear in the body. It can also affect lungs and as a result the individual can suffer from asthma, shortness of breath, sneezing and bronchitis. Muscles and connective tissue of the body are also affected in many cases. There can also be symptoms like pain and stiffness in the joints. Skin rashes and itching are also another symptom of food allergy caused by gluten intolerance. Unfortunately, the non celiac food allergy symptoms are poorly diagnosed and most patient misses out on many drugs and treatment .The elderly people are the one who suffer the most which such allergies as the condition worsens as age increase. However the sufferer can get back to normal health after the elimination of gluten from the diet. So the best solution for avoiding food allergy is completely avoiding gluten contained food products. The subject of gluten intolerance is still a matter of great research. One theory claims that gluten intolerance is due to one enzyme deficiency in intestine, a genetic metabolic defect. Lack of this enzyme result in an incomplete synthesize of gluten protein. Usually the procedure is that gluten break downs and detoxify before it damages intestinal villi. Gluten intolerance may appear at any age. It is an old disease but only its designation is new to world.. In many people the body reacts to gluten as if it is a virus and attacks its surrounding tissue violently. This damage done to the surrounding tissue can cause various health problems. Gluten’s side affects is just not creating diseases but encourage multi organ and multi symptom diseases. Fortunately, there are some methods to diagnose the side effects of gluten on the body. Tests like intestine biopsy are used nowadays to confirm the celiac disease in gluten sensitive people. However, gluten sensitivity can be observed in the form of extreme celiac disease to sub clinical sensitivity. As gliadin is the root cause of all the problems, testing for antigliadin– antibodies in saliva is believed to be effective. Another method is to discontinue the consumption of gluten fro several days. Then resume consumption with a slice of cake or freshly baked bread. If the person feel discomfort in the form of bloating or fatigue it is most likely that he is suffering from gluten sensitivity. Anyway it would be very beneficial if the people are more educated about the negative effects of gluten on our body and given a chance for prevention of the diseases. Bibliography Adams, S. (1996)A Summary of celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www.celiac.com/articles/572/1/A-Summary-of-Celiac-Disease-and-Gluten-Intolerance-by-Scott-Adams/Page1.html In this article the writer attempts to point out how peculiar are the symptoms of celiac disease. He also describes various symptoms of celiac disease and depicts the seriousness of the disease. He guides the people to take effective steps in order to prevent these abnormal health conditions. Ackerley, M. (2010). Far reaching effects of gluten sensitivity. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www.mypassion4health.com/articles/gluten_sensitivity.html. Ackerley, is a physician with MD and is a psychiatrist. She also specialized in hormonal replacement treatment and weigh loss problems. She shows here the result of the research conducted on a group of people regarding the gluten and bone loss. The research reveal that a gluten free diet can reverse effect to gluten sensitive people regarding their low bone mass density. Crangle, C. (2006). Living well with celiac disease: abundance beyond wheat and gluten. Victoria B.C.: Your Health Press. The author here stats that, if a celiac patient follow a gluten free diet, he/she can be successful in leading a healthy life. The writer also pin points that there are numerous Americans who are following gluten free diet to get relief form the side effects of gluten. Cembrowicz, S.,& Allain, T . (2007). Osteoporosis. London: Class Publishing (London) Ltd. The authors here suggest that the gluten intolerance is also called coeliac disease .They give insight to the readers that how gluten create defect in the digestive system of the people with gluten sensitivity by damaging their intestinal lining. This book written by them is explaining the topic of osteoporosis in detail, where they claim that gluten also can cause osteoporosis. Franklin, K.B. (1997). Identification of tissue transglutaminase as the autoantigen of celiac disease. Nature Medicine, (3), 797 – 801 This book is about celiac disease and how this disease develops in patients. It is stated by the author that a part of the intestine is damaged while synthesizing gluten by the body. A part of intestinal lining called villi is damages and the patient fall victim to mal nourishment. This makes the person sick and fall prey to various other diseases. Gumbiner, B. (2001). Obesity. U.S.A.: Versa press. The author discuss in this book about obesity and various factors contributing to obesity. He shows that the excess accumulation of fat in the body lead to weight gain and obesity. He explains that other factors like gene and environment also has certain influence in making a person obese. Hunter, B.T. (1987). Gluten intolerance. U.S.A.: Keats Publishing Inc. The author explains that nature of the protein gliadin in the gluten causes problems to gluten intolerant people. He states that gliadin has a complex structure and is difficult for the body to metabolize it. The author in this book has given extensive information about gluten intolerance in people. Meunier, P.J. (1998). Osteoporosis: diagnosis and management . London: Martin Dunitz Ltd. This book is all about osteoporosis and its diagnosis and management. The author here states that hip is the most affected part during osteoporisis. It is claimed that this disease can cause disability and even death in patients. Nordqvist , C. (2004). What is Depression? what causes depression?. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8933.php The author in the book states that people with depression not always portray same signs or symptoms. Some people may not show symptoms at all. The symptoms may be different according to the situation and illness of the person too. The author explains depression and its causes in this book elaborately. Peterson, V. (2009)Gluten sensitivity and depression. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www.celiac.com/articles/21758/1/Gluten-Sensitivity-and-Depression/Page1.html This book is mainly about gluten and its ability to trigger depression in people with gluten intolerance. The author specifies that gliadin is a protein very similar in nature to protein in brain and nerve cell. As a result body gets confused and attacks its own cells creating depression. This shows why gluten creates depression in patients. Video presentation -The negative effects of gluten in food Introduction Gluten is a special kind of protein found generally in wheat, barley and rye. As a result it is also found in different types of cereals and in all types of breads. However, gluten does not contain in all types of food from grain family. Grains like rice, millet, quinoa, corn, and oats etc does not contain gluten. According to Hunter 1987) “Gluten is a water- insoluble complex protein fraction presented in some cereal grains, notably wheat and rye, and to a lesser extent in oats and barley”(p. 3).The gluten can be removed from food to an extent, but a complete removal is impossible. If gluten is removed from food to a certain level then it is called gluten –free food product. Research suggests the negative effects of gluten in food are obesity, osteoporosis, depression, celiac disease and non-celiac related food allergies. Gluten constitutes as a major protein in cereals like wheat, barley and oats. Some people get toxic affect in the body when gluten is metabolized. This is because body perceives gluten as a toxin and launch attack against it. Ultimately, people suffer from various diseases as a result of gluten sensitivity. The negative effects of gluten can lead to various deadly diseases. Let us look in detail about gluten and its role in development of these diseases. Obesity Balentine(2010) states that “The definition of obesity varies depending on what one reads, but in general, it is a chronic condition defined by an excess amount body fat”. The contributing factors for obesity can be many like age, sex and genetic predisposition of an individual. Gluten is also found to be a culprit in causing obesity among people gluten sensitivity . The person with gluten sensitive has generally the tendency to consume gluten in an excessive amount. They have an uncontrollable craving for gluten contained food product like bread, cakes, pizza etc. It is discovered that protein in gluten can trigger addiction among the gluten sensitive person and force them to consume more gluten contained food products. The addictive substance which induces such eating pattern is called exorphins. The exorphins encourage the person in consuming food excessively which in turn result in obesity .So the people with gluten sensitivity has to follow a gluten free diet to avoid weigh gain and obesity. Celiac disease Celiac disease is another condition suffered by the individual with gluten sensitivity. In this disease the digestive system of the patient is damaged badly and, he can no longer metabolize the food consumed by him. The proteins of wheat, rye and barley are not easy to synthesize .A person with gluten sensitivity has a weak immune system and in the process of metabolizing gluten, the small intestine get damaged. As a result the food is not metabolized completely which lead to malnourishment in the patients. According to Thompson (2006)“Celiac disease is a genetically inherited autoimmune disease characterized by sensitive to protein found in the grains wheat, rye and barley”(p. 1) Our small intestine contains a small protruding structure called villi.Villi is the part of the small intestine which help in the absorption of nutrients and minerals. Person affected by celiac disease normally damage the lining of their small intestine and become unable to synthesize nutrients from food they consumed. Despite of excessive food consumption these people has malnutrition, which leads to various condition like anemia, weight loss, fatigue and several mineral and vitamin deficiencies People belonging to European descent were more seems to be affected from celiac disease, but recently there is emergence of this disease among other races too. Following a gluten free diet and avoidance of grains like wheat, barley and rye are the best way to get rid of negative effects of gluten. Osteoporosis In his article Shiel (2010)writes that “Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by a decrease in the density of bone, decreasing its strength and resulting in fragile bones. Osteoporosis literally leads to abnormally porous bone that is compressible, like a sponge” .Since the person with gluten sensitive suffer from celiac disease ; they have a defective digestive system. A defective digestive system result in mal nourished body. This means the person is not producing enough calcium for the healthy maintenance of the body. When the bone mass of the body weakens, the gluten sensitive person is diagnosed with osteoporosis. This disease can lead to bone fractures, especially in hips and spine of the individual. Ultimately, the person becomes unable to walk and mobilize which make him bedridden and even face death. Best way to avoid osteoporosis is to cut back gluten contained food products and have an adequate supplementation of calcium. Depression Depression is a mental illness which affects both the mind and body of an individual. Depression can lead to various physical and emotional problems in an individual. It has been discovered through studies that gluten has a significant role in triggering depression among gluten sensitive people. According to Philipott & Kalita (2000)“.Emotional and mental symptoms caused by reactions to gluten range from mild tension,anxiety,phobias, depression,obsession , compulsion, and so forth to severe psychotic depression, hallucinations and delusions.”(p. 16) Protein in gluten called gliadin is the main agent which causes depression and anxiety among gluten sensitive person. Since the protein gliadin and protein in brain and nerve cells are similar in nature, the body’s immune system get confused and attack its own tissue which result in inflammation in brain .This can result in depression and other mental distress. Even malabsorption due to defective digestive system resulting in defciency in chemical called trytophan also lead to depression among people. Non celiac related Food Allergy Food allergy is caused when the immune system of the body respond in an abnormal way to a certain food. Food allergy can at times cause serious discomfort and sickness to people. Mostly shell fish, egg, peanuts and tree nuts trigger dangerous allergic reaction which can put a person in serious trouble. Gluten is one such substance which can develop allergy among gluten sensitive person and make their life uneasy. Unfortunately, the symptoms of food allergy from gluten and celiac disease are so similar that it is difficult to differentiate one from another. The main symptom of the allergy is abdominal cramping and diarrhea. The allergy due to gluten can bring many problems in patient like bloating, indigestion, vomiting etc. The person can also experience itching on the skin and as a result rashes can appear on the skin. The lungs of the patient also get affected and they can suffer from asthma, shortness of breath, bronchitis and sneezing. The joints and muscles can show pain and stiffness in many cases. Fever, fatigue, chills are also commonly found in people as a result of this allergy. It is very much advisable for gluten intolerant people to follow a gluten free diet in order to lead a health life. Conclusion The gluten intolerance is not a new disease but has been victimizing people form ages. The disease got diagnosed in recent times and only refraining from gluten is the best solution to get relief form its negative effects. In gluten sensitive persons there can be eruption of various health complication and mental disorders. If people feel discomfort after the consumption of wheat, rye or barley products they should undergo tests in order to verify if they are gluten intolerant. Internal biopsy test can be conducted to detect gluten insensitivity so that further detoriation of health can be prevented. If diagnosed for gluten sensitivity the best solution is to stay away from gluten completely. People with gluten sensitivity should balance their diet with carbohydrate from other food products like rice, oats and potatoes. Bibliography Balentine, J.R. (2010, August 14). Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/obesity_weight_loss/article.htm Balentine in his article states that the definition of obesity depends on the information which a person reads. It is mainly the condition where there is excess amount of fat in the body .The article obesity clearly describes the obesity condition and methods to avoid this situation. Hunter, B.T. (1987). Gluten intolerance. U.S.A.: Keats Publishing In this book the author describes about gluten and its presence in grains like wheat , rye and barley. This book is written specifically to inform readers about gluten and its sensitivity .The author also describes the nature of protein gluten in this book. Philpott, W.H., & Kalita, D.K. (2000). Brain allergies: the psychonutrient and magnetic connections . U.S.A.: Keats Publishing. The books is mainly about allergies to brain and impact of this on person’s mental status. The writer explains that the gluten can lead to mental illness and create situations like depression, anxiety, delusion and so on. The book is about the brain allergy and it also reveals gluten’s negative effect on brain. Shiel, W.C. (2010, January 10). Osteoporosis. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/osteoporosis/article.htm This article is about osteoporosis and the factors leading to this condition. The writer explains what the condition of osteoporosis do to the bone structure of the person. He explains that this condition make the bone fragile and weak. Thompson, T. (2006). Celiac disease nutrition guide . U.S.A.: Diana faulhaber Publisher. This book here is giving the information about celiac disease and the diet that should be followedb by its patients. The writer states that celiac disease is caused by the genetic defect of the individuals and immune system inherited. . Read More