Why doesn’t everyone know about gluten?

Once a person begins to understand the magnitude of the gluten problem both in numbers of people affected and the amount of damage it causes, the next question invariably is: why don’t more people know about this and why isn’t my doctor up on this.

You have to understand how “the system” works to understand the answer. If there were a drug for this condition and they could charge you $25 a day, you would see a 90 second commercial every couple of hours on all major networks along with newspaper and magazine ads.

Drug reps would be talking to doctors all over the country giving them free samples and convincing them that this was the best thing ever.

Because doctors are busy and since it impossible to keep up, they will naturally prioritize their diagnosis and treatment. They are less likely to look for a condition they can’t really treat with a drug. You have to remember that doctors get kickbacks from prescribed drugs. Where to you think the average doc is going to focus their energy?

The other factor has to do with delivering an unpopular message. The doctor has to first diagnose the condition which in this case has not been a very reliable process or at least hasn’t been simple. Then you have to tell people they will have to go off the most popular food items, breads, cereals and pastas. They may have actually tried this with poor success because gluten restriction doesn’t work, only gluten elimination.

Only a doctor dealing with type of condition in their own life will likely persist in this line of diagnosis and treatment.

Also keep in mind that the number of people on medications for chronic conditions in the US is staggering. If most of these have their roots in gluten poisoning, how much revenue would be lost when most of these people get off their meds? Will the corporate controlled media outlets jump on this bandwagon with enthusiasm? Probably not.

The problem isn’t going to go away so little by little people interested in their health are going to find their way to their diagnosis of gluten intolerance. At some point it will seem natural and not strange.

Gluten Intolerance Introduction

As I mentioned earlier, I found my way to alternative health and chiropractic due to a personal health quest. That quest has taken me in many different directions and I learned something important every step.

One key component that has escaped me is wheat intolerance. In the mid to late 1980′s, I strongly suspected I had a wheat intolerance and knew a little about gluten. I tried going wheat free for a couple of months and didn’t see much benefit so little by little, I drifted back to a more normal American diet. The reason the diet failed for me is something that I will emphasize over and over. My diet might have been mostly wheat free but wasn’t gluten free. I didn’t have a clue as to the amount of gluten that is hidden in unlikely places. One dirty trick was the contamination of oats. Oats don’t have harmful gluten but are almost always contaminated by wheat, rye or barley gluten.

Problems just don’t go away because of a lack of understanding. I would have to wait until this year for science to adequately explain the gluten problem and provide reliable testing for the first time in human history.

How do you know if you have gluten issues? Typical and common symptoms include: neurologic issues such as depression, headaches, insomnia etc and/or have auto immune type problems such as diabetes (Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3), thyroid problems, osteoporosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, MS etc. gluten intolerance means that the person lacks the enzymes that can break down the gluten so the body mounts an immune response.

I will discuss more of the mechanism at another time. I do want you to know that we are aware of this problem. As testing continues to improve, the estimates of who is affected by gluten intolerance continues to climb. Original estimates were about 1:5000. Recent data shows it to be closer to 60% of the American population. Those who have studied the issue agree that anyone with the symptoms described above should be tested to see if gluten is a problem and the chances are extremely high.

If gluten is a problem and you don’t practice a strict gluten free diet, other remedies won’t work as well as they might. That includes use of the supplements we recommend to help balance your metabolism and your neurotransmitter landscape.

You will notice I didn’t say a gluten limited diet. One piece or bread is enough to cause damage in 48 gluten sensitive people. Gluten restriction won’t work, only gluten free. It can be done but it does take resolve and knowledge.