Gluten: should you be afraid of it?

Author: Mikhail Ziborov - author of the site makefitness.pro.
2020-11-14

What Is Gluten or Gliadin in Foods?

Gluten (gliadin, as we say) is a protein derived from cereal grains that is demonized all over the place today. Yes, gluten intolerance is called celiac disease, and about 1% of the world's population suffers from it. However, for healthy individuals without celiac disease, gluten poses no danger.

Today, the media and bloggers (YouTube, Instagram, etc.) instill fear in people, claiming that gluten is the source of all problems. It doesn’t matter that the diet is unbalanced, containing "junk food," fast food, and that individuals are not getting enough protein, etc. The main thing is to find an enemy. Today, that enemy is gluten. Gluten and lactose. As well as sugar.

People are literally trying to adhere to gluten-free diets—gluten-free products, gluten-free bread, gluten-free flour, pasta, and so on. The turnover of such products grows year by year. Because it’s fashionable! Because of marketing!

Gluten-free bread is no better than regular bread.

Gluten: What It Is and Why It’s Allegedly Harmful

Gluten is a protein. It is also used to make glue (hence the name—gliadin).

People who claim that gluten is dangerous and harmful usually present arguments such as:
- Our ancestors did not eat as much gluten and were healthy, while we eat it and are sick;
- Our grandmothers and grandfathers ate different bread with lower gluten content;
- Wheat (the primary source of gluten) used to be different, natural, and now it is genetically modified (GMO).

The book "Grain Brain" by David Perlmutter is often cited as evidence, where the main idea is the harmful effects of gluten on the brains of children and adults. It is also promoted that eliminating gluten-containing foods will essentially cure all ailments. Here’s a short video about gluten: https://www.instagram.com/p/CG41WRHK3Wm/?igshid=jukknv7fb9xr

Is Gluten Dangerous?

Let’s analyze each argument presented by those opposed to gluten (as described in the previous section).

1. Our ancestors did not eat much gluten and were healthy. Indeed, our ancestors (those before our era) did not consume gluten-laden foods in the same quantity as we do. But then why did our ancestors' life expectancy not exceed 30 years? They didn’t eat gluten and were healthy! Why did they live so short? While we, who consume this protein "by the tons," can quite possibly live until 90?

2. Our grandmothers and grandfathers ate different bread. The fact is that our grandmothers and grandfathers began eating the same bread that we do. In the post-war years, it was essential to feed the population. Bread was a cheap product. Through selection, the gluten content in wheat indeed increased (the wheat became, in a sense, more productive), which allowed for feeding the entire population.

And after the war (WWII), our grandmothers and grandfathers were already consuming wheat that was cultivated by this new technology. Yet somehow, our grandmothers and grandfathers live about as long as modern people—70-80-90 years—and they never complained of celiac disease!

It is precisely because bread was a staple in our parents' diet that we can still observe older people eating bread in large quantities at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Previously, it was common to have a breakfast of a glass (or two) of milk and a slice of bread.

3. Wheat used to be different, and now it is GMO. Indeed, wheat was different before. It differed externally and internally. However, if we were to cultivate that old wheat now, we would hardly be able to feed everyone with such a simple product as bread.

What Is Gluten or Gliadin in Foods?

Gluten (gliadin, as we say) is a protein derived from cereal grains that is demonized all over the place today. Yes, gluten intolerance is called celiac disease, and about 1% of the world's population suffers from it. However, for healthy individuals without celiac disease, gluten poses no danger.

Today, the media and bloggers (YouTube, Instagram, etc.) instill fear in people, claiming that gluten is the source of all problems. It doesn’t matter that the diet is unbalanced, containing "junk food," fast food, and that individuals are not getting enough protein, etc. The main thing is to find an enemy. Today, that enemy is gluten. Gluten and lactose. As well as sugar.

People are literally trying to adhere to gluten-free diets—gluten-free products, gluten-free bread, gluten-free flour, pasta, and so on. The turnover of such products grows year by year. Because it’s fashionable! Because of marketing!

Gluten-free bread is no better than regular bread.

Gluten: What It Is and Why It’s Allegedly Harmful

Gluten is a protein. It is also used to make glue (hence the name—gliadin).

People who claim that gluten is dangerous and harmful usually present arguments such as:
- Our ancestors did not eat as much gluten and were healthy, while we eat it and are sick;
- Our grandmothers and grandfathers ate different bread with lower gluten content;
- Wheat (the primary source of gluten) used to be different, natural, and now it is genetically modified (GMO).

The book "Grain Brain" by David Perlmutter is often cited as evidence, where the main idea is the harmful effects of gluten on the brains of children and adults. It is also promoted that eliminating gluten-containing foods will essentially cure all ailments. Here’s a short video about gluten: https://www.instagram.com/p/CG41WRHK3Wm/?igshid=jukknv7fb9xr

Is Gluten Dangerous?

Let’s analyze each argument presented by those opposed to gluten (as described in the previous section).

1. Our ancestors did not eat much gluten and were healthy. Indeed, our ancestors (those before our era) did not consume gluten-laden foods in the same quantity as we do. But then why did our ancestors' life expectancy not exceed 30 years? They didn’t eat gluten and were healthy! Why did they live so short? While we, who consume this protein "by the tons," can quite possibly live until 90?

2. Our grandmothers and grandfathers ate different bread. The fact is that our grandmothers and grandfathers began eating the same bread that we do. In the post-war years, it was essential to feed the population. Bread was a cheap product. Through selection, the gluten content in wheat indeed increased (the wheat became, in a sense, more productive), which allowed for feeding the entire population.

And after the war (WWII), our grandmothers and grandfathers were already consuming wheat that was cultivated by this new technology. Yet somehow, our grandmothers and grandfathers live about as long as modern people—70-80-90 years—and they never complained of celiac disease!

It is precisely because bread was a staple in our parents' diet that we can still observe older people eating bread in large quantities at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Previously, it was common to have a breakfast of a glass (or two) of milk and a slice of bread.

3. Wheat used to be different, and now it is GMO. Indeed, wheat was different before. It differed externally and internally. However, if we were to cultivate that old wheat now, we would hardly be able to feed everyone with such a simple product as bread.

Yes, wheat was different. But who said that we are NOT different from our ancestors? We are Homo sapiens. Before us, there were Homo erectus and Neanderthals, who can also be considered our ancestors. Yes, they ate different wheat, but they were also different. Today, we eat GMO wheat, yet we are significantly different from our ancestors.

Our bodies are capable of adapting to the environment, and they have long adapted to increased gluten content in food. But disruptions occur, and they manifest in a disease called celiac disease! If you have not been diagnosed with celiac disease (in any form), there is no reason to fear gluten.

4. The book "Grain Brain" by David Perlmutter. In summary, it promotes avoiding flour and sugar and advocates a high-fat diet (i.e., keto diet). The keto diet is presented as a cure for everything, supported by cases from Perlmutter's medical practice.

Yes, the keto diet can be a lifesaver in certain situations: it is beneficial for those with celiac disease and can alleviate many issues for people for whom modern diets do not suit them. However, it should not be used by individuals without celiac disease. Research shows that it has many side effects.

Regarding gluten, the book presents it, alongside sugar, as pure evil. The approach is not objective (viewing the problem from different perspectives) but rather one-sided (subjective).

How Do People Feel Better When Eliminating Gluten?

The fact is that these individuals are not just removing gluten from their diets; they are also eliminating a multitude of products, including fast food and junk food like chips, etc. In reality, they simply stop overeating (they stay within their daily calorie limits) and thereby improve their well-being and health.

If anyone doubts that this is not about calories (not about food excess and overeating), there are plenty of examples of people losing weight while consuming unhealthy foods, provided they fit within their daily caloric allowance. Information from a chemist (Part 1). Information from a doctor (Part 2).

By the way, significantly improving one's well-being can be aided by health supplements. You can find the entire list and verified manufacturers HERE!

Conclusion

Following a gluten-free diet just for the sake of health, supposedly supporting a healthy lifestyle, or for the prevention of certain issues is simply a waste of money. You're sponsoring the gluten-free product market, whose products are vastly more expensive than the same products containing gluten (in one study, the price was 240% higher). More details: https://cmtscience.ru/article/suhie-dannye-o-neperonosimosti-gljutena

By the way, a healthy lifestyle is not about eliminating harmful things. It's about establishing proper nutrition and dosing your food.

"Everything is harmful, and everything is beneficial. It’s just a matter of dosage."

You can damage your health even with seemingly healthy foods—buckwheat, vegetables, etc.

And if you do not know how to balance your diet, how to create a menu, and how to lose weight or gain muscle based on that menu, then you will find our PLANS FOR HEALTHY EATING tailored to your caloric intake and training conditions through the link.

You can find interesting information on NUTRITION, various tips, and life hacks (tricks) through this link. For example, how much fat you need, whether you can eat at night and what exactly helps you lose weight or gain weight. Everything is here: https://makefitness.pro/category/pitanie/

Interested in exercises and clear techniques for performing them? Then here is a visual guide: https://makefitness.pro/upragnenia/