I have known for many years that wheat is the most common allergen in adults, followed by milk. DANGEROUS GRAINS, by James Braly, M.D. and Ron Hoggan, M.A., Avery/Penguin, N.Y., 2002, raises awareness of a much more serious complication of wheat and many grains. Gluten is found in wheat, semolina, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, triticale, oats, and many wheat starch products, such as binders in prescription drugs as well as supplements. Even some baking powder has wheat starch!

Gluten sensitivity has long been known as the cause of celiac disease. Frankly, celiac disease is relatively uncommon but the DANGEROUS GRAINS book emphasizes the remarkable association of gluten with virtually every known disease!

A partial listing of the diseases which have an association with gluten includes:

• All autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, pemphigus, myasthenia gravis, Graves and other thyroid diseases, ulcerative colitis, etc!
• Asthma
• Diabetes mellitus, type 2, and perhaps type 1
• GERD!!!!! All aspects of heartburn, esophagitis, etc
• Thrombocytopenic purpura
• Chronic itching
• Epilepsy
• Neuropathy
• Food cravings
• Gall stones
• Diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome
• Every known endocrine disorder
• Increased infections of many kinds
• DEPRESSION
• ADD and ADHD
• Autism
• Schizophrenia
• A vast array of cancers, including malignant brain tumors
• Pernicious anemia and many vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Indeed, the book has 16 pages listing all the diseases which appear to be strongly related to our intake of gluten!

If you have ANY significant disease or symptom, especially those ignored by physicians, but including the serious ones, the good news is that you need to have the following tests ASAP:

Gluten Sensitivity Stool Test. This test is offered by www.Enterolab.com for $99 (as of 11/19/2020). If your test result is positive, you know you need to avoid gluten. If it is negative then you need the following blood tests:

HLA-B 8

Tissue transglutaminase, tTG

Endomysial antibodies, EMA

Antigliadin antibodies, AGA

If any of these tests are positive, you must consider a gluten-free diet. It will not be easy but it could save your life!

On a gluten-free diet, you should also avoid dairy products, as they are often synergistic with gluten sensitivity. And peanuts are not uncommonly associated as aggravators.

The only grains that may be safe are rice, chia, and amaranth. You should be able to use sorghum flour, potato flour, tapioca, arrowroot flour, and probably cornstarch or corn flour.

Many people assume that restricting their diets in any way means they cannot enjoy food any longer. However, that is simply not the case.

In Gluten-Free 101: Easy Basic Dishes Without Wheat by Carol Fenster, Ph.D., you will find recipes for crusty french bread, chewy pizza, decadent brownies, and more delicious treats.

It may interest you to know that I recently received the results of my own anti-gluten test, below! So I am one of the one-third of people who are sensitive.

Interpretation of Fecal Antigliadin IgA: Intestinal antigliadin IgA antibody was elevated, indicating that you have active dietary gluten sensitivity. For optimal health, resolution of symptoms (if you have them), and prevention of small intestinal damage and malnutrition, osteoporosis, and damage to other tissues (like nerves, brain, joints, muscles, thyroid, pancreas, other glands, skin, liver, spleen, among others), it is recommended that you follow a strict and permanent gluten-free diet. As gluten sensitivity is a genetic syndrome, you may want to have your relatives screened as well.

Discovering you have a gluten sensitivity or allergy does mean that you will need to change your diet which might be challenging. However, there are plenty of resources to help you become healthier while still enjoying what you eat.

Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. is the father of holistic medicine. He recommends autogenic focus (the basis of the Biogenics System) as part of your overall commitment to self-health. Register to download your FREE autogenic focus MP3 now.