Gluten / Weight Gain / Inflammation and Other Ailments

In recent years there has been a growing awareness in nutritional circles as to the negative effects of gluten (a protein found in grains such as wheat)  from weight issues to systemic inflammatory conditions ranging from allergies to autoimmune diseases and heart disease.

While the consumption of gluten bearing grains are not an issue in classical Oriental Medicine due to the historic lack of them in the Far East diet. I have found that a gluten free and low carb diet can be, for some, an indispensable adjunct to treating the roots of inflammation and reversing degenerative diseases with acupuncture and herbs.

Recently there have been studies that give credence to the practical experience of many many people and health practitioners who have experienced health improvements from eliminating or limiting gluten from their diets.

The official medical  diagnosis for gluten intolerance is called celiac disease which afflicts 1 in 100 people, and is a serious breakdown of the tissue of the small intestine due to gluten.
The big news is that a panel of celiac doctors meeting in Oslo Norway reached a consensus agreeing that gluten sensitivity is much more widespread than celiac disease. They call it “non celiac gluten sensitivity”
Here is the New York Times article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/gluten-free-whether-you-need-it-or-not/

As of yet gluten sensitivity has been linked to 300 ailments and symptoms. Some of the big ones commonly seen are 1) obesity, 2) malabsorption, 3) digestive disorders like colitis, IBS, Crohn’s, 4) allergies, 5) joint aches / arthritis, 6) heart disease

New evidence suggests that gluten is an endocrine (hormone) disruptor leading to blood sugar and insulin imbalances with increased bodily fat storage and inflammation. Also that modern wheat has been hybred to have many times the gluten content that wheat historically had.
Here is an article on those findings:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/wheat-gluten-newly-confirmed-promote-weight-gain

Here is an amazing New York Times article about a 3 year old boy who had medically diagnosed Juvenile Arthritis clear up from a gluten free diet:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/magazine/the-boy-with-a-thorn-in-his-joints.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&

While gluten by far is not the cause of all disease the avoidance of it can be a very helpful dietary adjunct for some to promote healing especially when used in conjunction with other focused therapies.
At Health Solutions I strive to discover and treat the ROOTS of disease to promote true wellness beyond the absence of symptoms. For a free mini consult please call or email me.

Thanks for reading!

Miklos Hubay LAc
805 895-6016
sbacupuncture.com