"Why all these discussions about gluten in the past couple of decades, while before we didn't hear much of it - gluten was around for centuries !?"
It is a question I hear often, and before discussing the effects of gluten on our systems, it is important to clarify one thing: the gluten we consume nowadays is not anymore the gluten our grandmas used. The cereal grains have been modified, and the old ones are not even available anymore on our markets nowadays.
The gluten was around for centuries indeed, but not the one from the wheat used in the randomly available bread, cookies or white pasta nowadays.
And definitely not sprayed with glyphosate, a herbicide heavily used these days on wheat crops, and proved to be very invasive for our microbiome.
Beyond that, even the old gluten produced in fact a lot of bad, especially on women, and here are 5 reasons why, well known and confirmed repeatedly by medical studies, yet not enough talked about:
1. Leaky gut
Gluten triggers the body to release a protein called zonulin, that has a negative effect in our body: it loosens the tight junctions in the lining of the intestinal tract.
When the lining of the intestinal tract is healthy, only the nutrients which are good for our bodies are allowed through the intestinal walls.
When the vili and the tight junctions of the intestines are weakened, other substances (like larger food particles and dangerous pathogens) are allowed to sneak through the intestinal walls.
This is called “leaky gut”, and triggers inflammation in the body.
The inflammation will further trigger rather quickly digestion and immunity issues, but also hormonal imbalances, to which women are way more prone than men because of their highly complex hormonal systems (i.e. thyroid issues, PMS, PCOS etc.).
2. Gluten & Anemia
Here things complicate even more. Women are more prone to anemia, as they lose blood every month during their reproductive years (this, amongst other causes).
The main cause of the iron deficiency anemia is an impaired iron absorption.
And the consumption of gluten, as we've just discussed above, damages the intestinal villi. As a result, women are less able to adequately absorb enough iron (and other micronutrients) from their diets - and even from their supplements.
Now... if you've struggled with anemia at one point in your life (and if you're a lady older than 25yo you probably did) you know how hard it is to live with its symptoms and how annoying it can be to fix it.
Let me make this clear: eating gluten very likely puts your iron absorption in danger, especially in late perimenopause (when repeated, heavier bleedings often lead to anemia).
You want to support the body, fix and further prevent anemia - and unless suffering of a special condition, it is advisable to take small amounts of iron with vitamin C every month during your menstrual phase (to keep your levels stable).
3. Autoimmune conditions
As the gluten damages the intestinal lining and causes leaky gut, toxic substances find their way into our bloodstream, which causes inflammation.
Inflammation can trigger either a direct immune response, or an auto-immune response, like Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Thyroiditis Hashimoto/ Grave, psoriasis, rectal or ulcerative colitis, MS and diabetes in some cases.
If you've been diagnosed with any of the above or another autoimmune condition, you will truly live better if gluten becomes an exception for you.
For that matter, the same goes for all the situations when your body struggles with inflammation ...of any kind (a cold, acne, too much stress, a long term thyroid condition, etc.).
Especially for the ones struggling with a thyroid condition: limiting gluten is of a great importance: the molecular structure of gluten is similar with the one of the thyroid hormones, creating potential cross reactions and causing the immune system to fight not only the inflammation caused by the gluten, but also the thyroid itself.
Let's not forget: women are 7 times more likely to have hyperthyroidism, and 8 times more likely to have hypothyroidism than men.
4. Physical training performance
Are you a sporty lady, looking for training performance - better endurance, speed, strength, or improving your explosivity?
Well, gluten isn't your friend here either, especially in the hours before and after your trainings - simply because during an intense physical effort the intestinal lining suffers.
So just think: what happens with your performance and recovery if you eat a sandwich or a pizza before or after your hard training !?
5. Weight management
Do you struggle to lose or to put on weight?
Well, staying away from gluten for at least a while may help you a lot here, too.
We saw how gluten creates inflammation, and we know that inflammation plays on our cortisol levels, creating the stress response - in consequence destabilizing our blood sugar levels.
And we know it by now: it is hard to impossible to lose or to put on weight in a healthy way for someone that can not manage to stabilize their blood sugar levels.
CONCLUSION
Gluten disturbs the lining of our intestines, each time we consume it: not only for the ladies diagnosed with Celiac disease, with "non-celiac gluten sensitivity" or with "gluten intolerance" but for ALL LADIES , disregarding the fact that we have identifiable symptoms or not.
This is, nowadays a proven, medical fact.
If by any chance you suspect that your hormones aren't well balanced (which is the normality during the perimenopause and at least the first postmenopausal years), you may want to try to go gluten-free for a while, just to see what effects it has on you.
Challenge for the ladies in their perimenopause:
How about, for example, trying a full menstrual cycle, gluten-free? :)
Or, if a full cycle sounds too long, try it at least for the luteal and menstrual phase, for starters.
Journal the way you feel... believe me, you're in for A LOT of pleasant surprises!
Symptoms like acne, bloating, water retention, mood swings, fatigue, PMS are likely to decrease greatly, you'll feel lighter and sleep better, too.
Now, let's make it clear: going gluten-free won’t heal your hormones all on its own - but it is a piece of the puzzle.
Working on our stress levels and eating balanced is crucial: enough protein and good fats intake, limiting fast sugar and alcohol as well as other inflammatory elements (dairy from cow, excess of caffeine etc.).
I know it can sound a little sad, this letting go of gluten... but at least we are lucky to be living in a time where so many gluten-free options are available.
Make your exceptions, it's not all or nothing: try to aim at having the exceptions just 1-2 a week maximum - and just 1 meal a day 😊
Having, for example, a sandwich in the morning, pasta at lunch and some cake in the afternoon = 3 times a day gluten intake, and is really not good for you, even if you will not overpass the correct caloric intake.
Remember, that when it comes to inflammation, it is not about the quantity of your calories intake, but about their quality!
P.S. Men are also negatively affected by gluten, but as their hormonal system is less changing, most of them tend to have less symptoms.
However, when they struggle with inflammation or auto-immune conditions, when they are highly stressed or when they train hard, it is best for them to limit gluten, too.
I'm here if you have questions or if you need assistance to implement any of the above in your lifestyle - I know that sometimes the start can be rough!
