WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH
GLUTEN
Presented by: Alex J. Swanson, M.S.
ALEX J. SWANSON, MS
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Co-Owner of Swanson Health Center in Costa Mesa, CA
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Founder of iGreen Nutrition
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Masters in Applied Nutrition and Business Entrepreneurship from Northeastern University
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Sustainable Farming Certification From WSU
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NASM Certified Personal Trainer
TODAY’S DISCUSSION
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What is Gluten?
A Brief History of Gluten
Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease Statistics
Reasons Behind the Dramatic Increase in Gluten Allergies
Gluten and Genetics
How Gluten Affects Your Digestive System
Symptoms and Increased Risks
Is Gluten the Root Cause of Multiple Disorders?
Gluten and Brain Fog
Hidden Sources of Gluten
The Gluten Test
Gluten Free Grains and Brands
Gluten Free Recipes
WHAT IS GLUTEN?
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Gluten is a hard-to-digest protein found in wheat, rye,
spelt, kamut, barley and sometimes oats– and is often
hidden in processed foods as binders, starch and
fillers in bottled and canned products.
It received a lot of attention over the years due to
numerous health complaints and disorders being
directly associated with it’s consumption.
THE HISTORY OF GLUTEN
Agriculture
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About 10,000 years ago, our
ancestors discovered that instead of
hunting and gathering, they could
stay in the same spot and create a
food supply through planting seeds
and domesticating animals.
It was this simple direction in
human history that started an
explosion in the human population,
and grains or “the staff of life” as
they have been called, entered the
human diet.
Today, grains have been modified in
the U.S. to contain a much higher
gluten content than their ancient
relatives so that bread will rise
faster and be fluffier. White bread
is a prime example of this.
Ancient Grains
CELIAC DISEASE AND GLUTEN
INTOLERANCE
Celiac Disease
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Celiac disease is an
autoimmune disease
that results in the body
attacking its own small
intestine whenever you
eat products containing
gluten. According to
Columbia University
Medical Center, the two
main causes for celiac
disease come from
wheat consumption and
genetics.
Gluten Intolerance /
Sensitivity
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Gluten sensitivity occurs
in individuals (particularly
first degree family members
of those with celiac disease)
who have circulating
antibodies characteristic of
celiac disease, but could be
asymptomatic or have fewer
symptoms of celiac disease.
Gluten sensitivity is a less
extreme reaction to gluten,
but it can occur at any age
and has a wide range of
connections to different
health-issues.
STATISTICS
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A 2009 study from Gastroenterology comparing
the blood of 10,000 people from 50 years ago to
10,000 people today found that the incidences of
celiac disease increased by 400 percent!
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
estimates that 2 million people in the US (or 1 in
133 people) have celiac disease, possibly more
due to underdiagnosis.
THREE REASONS FOR THE DRAMATIC INCREASE
IN CELIAC DISEASE AND GLUTEN SENSITIVITY
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1. Ubiquitous amount of wheat in our diet: We went from “our
daily bread” to our daily bagel, sandwich, cracker, pasta, cookie,
muffin and any condiment that often has gluten or wheat. The food
pyramid for many years recommended 6-11 servings of grains,
promoting whole wheat as one of the healthiest options.
2. Modified Wheat: Wheat has been modified in the United States to
have higher gluten levels so that bread can rise faster for mass
production and be fluffy. When gluten sensitive individuals visit
Europe, they often report that they do not react to the bread or
pastries like they do in the United States. Chemical companies are
also currently trying to get GMO wheat approved for US
consumption.
3. Degeneration Effects: People around the age of 30 or older do not
recall going to a birthday party and having children not be able to eat
the pizza or cake because of gluten. Now, almost every birthday party
has a child that has to avoid it. The reason is that celiac disease and
gluten sensitivity become stronger with each generation. The more
exposure and damage done to the body, the more likely the next
generation will be even more sensitive. This is called epigenetics.
GLUTEN AND GENETICS
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Research has found that celiac
disease runs in families,
although first degree relatives
may or may not have
symptoms. However, the
sensitivity can come out at any
age. In our practice, we have
seen a trend of Caucasian,
northern European heritage
being the most sensitive.
Wheat, which is actually a
modern adaptation of it’s
ancient ancestor, was
introduced into Europe during
the Middle Ages. About 30
percent of people of European
descent carry the gene for celiac
disease which increases
susceptibility to health
problems from eating gluten.
HOW GLUTEN AFFECTS YOUR
DIGESTION
GLUTEN DIGESTION
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In a healthy digestive tract, the mucosal
walls of the digestive tract are lined with
tiny fingerlike protrusions called villi,
which facilitate the absorption of
nutrients from food.
Gluten causes degenerative changes in
the villi, impairing their function. Once
damaged, the villi are less able to absorb
nutrients from food, which leads to
assorted problems, including fatigue,
abdominal bloating and water retention.
This slows the metabolism, causing
sluggish digestion and accumulation of
waste.
Over time, this can lead to "leaky gut
syndrome," in which intestinal walls
deteriorate and become more permeable,
allowing waste, toxins, bacteria and
partially digested food particles to escape
into circulation and cause inflammatory
damage elsewhere in the body.
DAMAGED VILLI
SYMPTOMS AND INCREASED RISK
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Bloating, abdominal pain,
gas, low immunity,
diarrhea, constipation,
fatigue, depression,
anxiety, hair loss, itchy
skin, seizures and tingling
or numbness in the hands
and feet.
Celiac disease increases
the risk of the following:
autoimmune disorders,
Addison’s disease,
intestinal cancer,
intestinal lymphoma, Type
1 diabetes, thyroid issues
and dairy allergies
IS GLUTEN THE ROOT CAUSE OF MULTIPLE
DISORDERS?
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A large study in the Journal of the
American Medical Association found
that people who were diagnosed,
undiagnosed or have latent celiac
disease or gluten sensitivity had a
higher risk of death from cancer and
heart disease.
Gluten sensitivity may be
masquerading as other disorders.
The New England Journal of
Medicine listed 55 diseases caused
by eating gluten including
osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease,
anemia, cancer, fatigue, canker
sores, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,
multiple sclerosis, and almost all
other autoimmune diseases.
Gluten is also linked to anxiety,
depression, schizophrenia, dementia,
migraines, epilepsy, neuropathy and
autism.
GLUTEN AND BRAIN FOG
Gluten
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Do you find yourself getting
brain fog? It may be gluten. In
gluten sensitive individuals,
gluten can actually shut
down blood flow in to the
frontal and prefrontal
cortex, the part responsible
for focus, managing
emotional states, planning,
organizing, consequences of
actions, and our short term
memory. This process is called
“hypoperfusion” and is strongly
associated with ADHD,
depression and anxiety.
Brain fog, ADHD,
depression and anxiety
HIDDEN SOURCES OF GLUTEN
The following terms found on food labels may mean that gluten is in the product.
 Malt or malt favoring
 Modified food starch, binders and fillers unless arrowroot, corn, potato, tapioca
or maize
 Vegetable gum, unless carob bean gum, locust bean gum, cellulose gum, guar
gum, gum Arabic, gum aracia, gum tragacanth, xanthan gum or vegetable
starch
 Soy sauce, unless it’s Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
 Alcohol – beer (gluten free can be found), gin, vodka (unless potato), scotch
 Flavored tea and coffee
 Artificial coffee creamer
 Imitation seafood products (like fake crab in sushi restaurants)
 Malt vinegar and white vinegar
 Flavoring
 Emulsifier
 Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
 Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
 Garlic salt, onion salt and some mustard powders
THE GLUTEN TEST
2-4 Weeks
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If you suspect that you are having
gluten related symptoms, eliminate all
gluten (including hidden sources) for 2
to 4 weeks and see how you feel.
Re-introduce gluten back and if notice
a difference in how you feel, then you
are sensitive and will be better off
avoiding it.
If you do not have celiac or a gluten
sensitivity and you are simply trying
to cut down on gluten, we recommend
eating it once every three days. It
takes about 72 hours for the lining of
an average person’s intestine to turn
over, exposing a new layer of healthy
mucosa and a new set of healthy villi,
which are ready to deal with a new
onslaught of gluten.
Gluten Free
GLUTEN-FREE GRAINS AND BRANDS
Gluten-Free Grains
Grains
 Quinoa
 Millet
 Brown Rice
 Wild Rice
 Amaranth
 Buckwheat
 Gluten-free oats
Flours
 Arrowroot
 Coconut
 Almond
Pasta
 Rice pasta
Gluten-Free Brands
GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES
Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
Coastal Millet Salad
Almond Flour and Arrowroot Quick
Pizza Crust
Ingredients
1/2 cup blanched almond flour 1/2 cup
arrowroot 2/3 cup water or milk 2 eggs 1
tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried
oregano
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425.
Mix ingredients together and pour onto an
oiled baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425.
Remove from the oven and add sauce, cheese,
and toppings and place back in the oven
until the cheese has melted.
Coastal Millet Salad
1 cup millet cooked ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup
lemon juice 1/3 cup currants or dried
blueberries 1/3 cup feta 6 TB mint
(handful) 6 TB parsley (handful) 1/3 cup
toasted sunflower seeds or pine nuts
Wash and rinse millet. Dry toast for a few
minutes until fragrant, then add 2 cups water
and ½ tsp salt. Bring to boil and simmer for
20- 22 minutes.
Let millet cool for 5 minutes and add olive oil
and lemon juice. Add sunflower seeds to a
pan and dry toast on medium heat while
moving with a wooden spoon. Turn off once
about half have turned brown.
Combine currants, feta, mint, parsley and
sunflower seeds or pine nuts to millet. Mix.
THE NEW MENU
The New Menu
for Diabetes
ebook is now
available on
www.amazon.com
FOR DIABETES
WEBSITES
www.swansonhealthcenter.com
 www.igreennutrition.com (go to the recipe section
for multiple gluten free recipes)
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OCTOBER’S
HERE’S TO YOUR HEALTH WEBINAR