Last week I mentioned that I would be discussing a very common allergen that has surfaced in the U.S. Gluten has become highly allergenic for two main reasons, one, the concentration of gluten is much higher than it used to be and two, gluten is in nearly everything.
The problem with gluten is it irritates the intestines, causing inflammation. Of all the grains, wheat, by far, contains the greatest amount of gluten. Over the past 50 years, wheat in the U.S. has been altered from 3% gluten to 50% gluten. Gluten is part of almost every meal in the standard American diet.
Allergies and sensitivities can develop in foods that are consumed on a regular basis. In addition to wheat, gluten is also found in oats, barley, rye, spelt and kamut. Gluten makes breads light and fluffy. It’s also a cheap filler found in canned meats, hot dogs, dairy products, such as ice cream and blue cheese, and used as a thickener in salad dressings, soups, sauces, gravies and even fruit cocktail with a “heavy syrup”. As you can see, gluten is found in much more than the commonly known breads and cereals.
To avoid acquiring a gluten sensitivity or if you think you may have one already, next week I’ll discuss ways to minimize gluten exposure.