How much Arsenic is too much?

How much arsenic is too much?  If you remember the book 'Flowers in the Attic', it can take years to slowly poison someone with this isotope.Symptoms of arsenic poisoning begin with headaches, confusion, severe diarrhea, and drowsiness. When the poisoning becomes acute, symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, cramping muscles, hair loss, and stomach pain.The organs of the body that are usually affected by arsenic poisoning are the lungs, skin, kidneys, and liver.

Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease have virtually all the same side effects.

But gluten is not just dangerous to those who are outwardly sensitive as previously thought.  90% of people with gluten sensitivity are unaware of the fact that they should not be eating gluten. If you consider fatigue, undernourishment  rashes, and a beer belly normal (or something you have always dealt with), you may not realize that you are sensitive to gluten.

Over time, consumption of gluten will cause them to gain weight, have elevated triglyceride levels, elevated blood glucose levels, lipotoxicity, glycotoxicity, increased LDL levels, and eventually could lead to serious liver damage, also referred to as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease typically attributed to alcohol abuse.

So with all this bad press, why can we not get past our obsession with wheat?

In part it comes down to what is between our ears.  Elements of gluten bind to the same receptors in the brain that narcotics do, causing some people to become 'addicted' to bread and pasta.  Like anyone who has a soft spot for ice cream to those who are fighting an addiction like drugs and alcohol, some people are literally addicted to wheat.  They suffer withdrawals, headaches, and after 3-5 days off gluten are able to function again.

Further exacerbating the issue is the USDA and the American Diabetic Association.  Both organizations recommend eating whole grains as part of a healthy diet.  The USDA recommended changes to the American diet in 1985 to include generous portions of whole wheat.  While I do remember a couple of larger folks in 1985, there was nowhere near the volume of morbidly obese individuals we see on a daily basis now.   The American Diabetes Association perpetuates the same misinformation that some hospitalists are now recognizing as harmful.  What always confused me about the diet recommendations for diabetics was how they could recommend staying away from sugars and alcohol lest the diabetic risk elevated glucose levels, but they largely ignored and even recommended eating breads and pasta.  If you remember high school science, breads are carbohydrates that turn into sugars when digested.  Even with the advent and popularity of the glycemic index, the organizations still clings to whole wheat recommendations despite the fact that a piece of whole wheat bread will spike your insulin levels higher than Snickers Bar.

I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to what I put in my body. If elevated blood sugar is bad for diabetics, it is probably bad for me too. If elevated blood sugar was the only reason to reevaluate my consumption of wheat products, I would probably do it anyway. But there is more evidence.
When there has been shortages of bread due to war, such as in France in World War I, doctors noticed an increase in the health and wellbeing of the diabetics in their care only to watch them deteriorate once bread was reintroduced. Hospital staff who work with hospitalized diabetics are starting to recommend a gluten free diet because they have seen the benefits first hand. Knowing that some diabetics are able to reverse the progress of the disease by eliminating wheat from their diet.well that is good enough for me!

But there is more reason to refrain from that Panini.

The genetic change in wheat over the last 100 years has been pretty astounding.  All commercial wheat has been genetically modified to create a dwarf strain that grows faster and shorter with more kernels. Ancient wheat had many less chromosomes than modern wheat.  Modern wheat has evolved into something that looks like wheat on the outside, but once broken down and absorbed into your system behaves very differently than ancient grains.  In fact, no one has bothered to test the modern wheat to see if it is safe for human consumption.  Why?  Because it looks virtually the same...but your body knows the difference.

A study was conducted on blood samples from military personnel during WWII. Specifically they were looking for the dreaded celiac marker which would indicate someone is gluten sensitive. About .10% of the samples showed sensitivity. Fast forward, and comparing apples to apples, scientists compared modern blood samples from all male military personnel and found a staggering difference.  More than triple the sensitivity levels were evident in the modern samples.  More and more people are becoming resistant to modern wheat proteins and the numbers are accelerating at an alarming rate.

I haven't even touched on how wheat affects schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, skin disorders like psoriasis, or those with compromised immune systems.  In my opinion, a single one of these reasons would be enough to get me off wheat.The collection of reasons gathered in the book 'Wheat Belly' are enough to make me an evangelist!  People deserve to know how desperately their beloved hamburger bun is hurting their health.  I am almost envious of celiac patients.  The discomfort they get from ingesting anything wheat is enough motivation to refrain forever. The physical manifestations of their reactions to wheat are so obvious and so dreadful that there is no doubt about the damage being done internally. Those of us who don't have those effects need to be vigilant against wheat with the potential of improvement as our only reward. Unless you believe you are malnourished, weak, loosing hair or memory, or sporting a beer belly due to your consumption of wheat, you have no belief basis to make that drastic and critical change for your health.

Wheat is pervasive and in almost every processed food out there: peanut butter, soy sauce, corn chips, ice cream (cookies and cream anyone?).  It is not an easy undertaking, but start somewhere.  Eliminate or change your bread and pasta habits. Substitute spaghetti squash for pasta. Drink tequila or potato vodka (Chopin) instead of beer. Start reading labels. Start reading websites. Read 'Wheat Belly'! I started my dad on the book and by page 71, he was a convert.  Instead of phasing wheat out of his diet by year end, he quit cold turkey and lost 5 lbs by eliminating two pieces of bread a day from his diet. Many people I have heard of, read about or talked to have lost significant weight after cutting wheat from their diet.  That alone is a fantastic reason to at least try a gluten free life.  Most people simply end up feeling better and don't have that 'bloaty' feeling. Bottom line, take charge of your life and longevity through what you eat. Don't let your dietary choices make you a 'Flower in the Attic'.

Take aways:
Eat no gluten!
Eat Whole foods where you are in control of the ingredients.

Resources:
Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health - William David, MD