Is gluten unhealthy? How wheat poisons us (book recommendation)

How now? Wheat is supposed to be bad now, too? Julien Venesson comes to this conclusion. He also supports his theses very conclusively with several hundred sources. More and more people today suffer from gluten intolerance. But is gluten unhealthy for everyone? Beside the intolerance, there is however additionally still a gluten allergy and a gluten sensitivity. Venesson's research found that wheat, which has degenerated greatly due to many cross-breeds over the last few centuries, has developed much higher levels of gluten compared to times past. 

Many complaints that we have clustered in Western culture obviously have their origin in the consumption of wheat products. Complaints such as chronic fatigue, repeated digestive problems (diarrhea), stomach upsets, dry skin, joint pain, nocturnal muscle cramps, affective disorders, depression, sleep disorders, pelvic and urinary bladder pain, ulcerative colitis, allergies, neurodermatitis, type 1 diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis (chronic polyarthritis) schizophrenia, and probably Hashimoto's and multiple sclerosis often stem from an autoimmune reaction triggered by gluten or other substances that attack the body's own intestinal wall. 

More precisely, the autoimmune response is caused by zonulin, which is secreted by the body and regulates the permeability of the intestinal mucosa. It increases rapidly with the consumption of certain foods, and this increase leads to a disruption of the "tight junctions" that sit on the intestinal villi. As a result, these become permeable and can be destroyed by prolonged consumption of harmful foods. Macronutrients can now enter the bloodstream and lead to severe disorders and diseases such as those mentioned above. One speaks of the so-called "leaky gut".

It is important to remember that not only wheat contains gluten. Spelt, rye, oats, barley, kamut and einkorn also contain celiac toxic prolamins that increase zonulin. Quinoa, corn, and potatoes, unfortunately, are also known to decrease intestinal tightness. If one wants to get rid of his symptoms, a gluten diet for at least 3 months is a good option.

Alternatives that can be consumed without hesitation are sweet potatoes, chickpeas, buckwheat. Turmeric (fixes leaky gut). Legumes i.e. lentils, beans, peas and soybeans are also suitable, but they should be well cooked, ideally even soaked for hours, to make them more digestible. Rice, amaranth, millet, sorghum, or fonio millet and teff (dwarf millet), cassava, taro, yams and parsnips are also beneficial if you suffer from any of the above diseases or generally often suffer from bloating, abdominal pain and headaches after eating.

When choosing oils, you should stay away from corn, sunflower, grape seed and safflower oil. Olive, rapeseed, macadamia, linseed, hazelnut and walnut oil are more suitable. However, linseed oil must not be heated. Vegetables, fruits, etc., of course, are spared from the whole problem, but dairy products are also known to increase the permeability of the intestine. 

We advise everyone to ban gluten from their diet as much as possible, especially in the case of the above-mentioned diseases, a strict diet should be considered. However, if you want to achieve quality of life until old age, it is worth it. You will be rewarded when you start looking for tasty alternatives.