I wonder how many people with these problems are poorly nourished, feeding themselves with fare that is way short of essential and adequate nutrients. Most of the commercially available food also carries toxic residues which further complicates the problem. Their poor body is doing the best it can to keep functioning and their digestion struggles to manage. You probably never see patients who are well nourished on nutrient-dense food to know how many of them suffer from conditions like gluten intolerance. I realise that health is dependant on a whole suite of factors but most of them are dependant on a well nourished body as a foundation.
You've raised an incredibly important point, which is that most people's exposure to gluten is in the context of ultraprocessed food, which is deficient in many essential nutrients and loaded with additives. Supermarket bread, and for that matter bread that's bought from most chainstore bakeries, is a good example. Legally, manufacturers do not have to list all the additives in the ingredient 'breadmaking flour' - these additives can include free-flowing agents, fungicides, synthetic vitamins and minerals, and bleaching agents, among others. So if a person eats this ultraprocessed bread and experiences gut discomfort, joint pain or brain fog, is it rational to blame these symptoms on gluten? Clearly not!
Hello Robyn,
Thanks for another thought provoking article.
I wonder how many people with these problems are poorly nourished, feeding themselves with fare that is way short of essential and adequate nutrients. Most of the commercially available food also carries toxic residues which further complicates the problem. Their poor body is doing the best it can to keep functioning and their digestion struggles to manage. You probably never see patients who are well nourished on nutrient-dense food to know how many of them suffer from conditions like gluten intolerance. I realise that health is dependant on a whole suite of factors but most of them are dependant on a well nourished body as a foundation.
Be pleased to hear your thoughts,
Doug
You've raised an incredibly important point, which is that most people's exposure to gluten is in the context of ultraprocessed food, which is deficient in many essential nutrients and loaded with additives. Supermarket bread, and for that matter bread that's bought from most chainstore bakeries, is a good example. Legally, manufacturers do not have to list all the additives in the ingredient 'breadmaking flour' - these additives can include free-flowing agents, fungicides, synthetic vitamins and minerals, and bleaching agents, among others. So if a person eats this ultraprocessed bread and experiences gut discomfort, joint pain or brain fog, is it rational to blame these symptoms on gluten? Clearly not!