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Ashley Cox Carol Sieverts English 2010 November 19 2013 A Very Large Effect Gluten has created a popular stir in modern American society. Yet many people cannot define what gluten is and those who can define gluten do not agree with each other. Definitions range from just a piece of bread, to a harmful and destructive chemical. Many would argue that gluten is causing an epidemic of gluten-free populations; however gluten is not something to fear. It has a medical history, a cure, and it affects relatively few. Gluten is a protein that can cause an autoimmune effect on the body. This protein is found in a mature grains or kernels, of wheat, barley, and rye. When these grains or kernels are ground up to create flour, the hard outer shell is cracked open exposing the gluten proteins, germ, and bran. Usually the bran and germ are removed from the mix because these affect the shelf life of the final product. The endosperm is then heated and cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While this kills any bad bacteria, it also kills most of the nutrition of the kernel. This leaves the gluten protein and preservatives as the final ingredients in many types of flour (Auer 1). Gluten is one of the main components found in nearly every grain especially in wheat. Gluten is a glue like substance that gives wheat and other grains their chewy structure. Its properties make it a binding quality that makes it ideal for use in cooking and baking which is

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why wheat in particular is so prevalent in American diets. For most people gluten is nothing to worry about. It is simply in the chemical makeup of flour, the same way an engine is in a car. However, there are a few people who do need to be worried about gluten. 1 in 133 people have what is called Celiac Disease or a Gluten Sensitivity. Celiac Disease is a classified autoimmune disease which means that the immune system reacts to normal body tissues that it would normally ignore (MedlinePlus). When someone with Celiac Disease eats gluten, their body attempts to absorb it into the stomach. But their body rejects it and attacks it. Unfortunately to attack gluten, the body sends out white blood cells which attack the tiny villi in the small intestine, which are attempting to absorb the gluten. This attack may seem like little to worry about until put into perspective. If a Celiac doesnt know they are a Celiac, and they continue to eat wheat daily, and hourly, this means their body will attack itself daily and hourly.

With the villi in the small intestine constantly inflamed and under attack, the body cant absorb nutrients and keep the body healthy. This in turn causes malnutrition and anemia which, if left untreated can turn into Osteoporosis, Lactose intolerance, and have an increased risk for

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developing an intestinal cancer called Lymphoma. Celiac Disease is a very serious and painful disease. Symptoms include chronic diarrhea, pain in the stomach, constipation, headaches, fatigue, nervous system injury, joint pain, acid reflux, and heartburn. The only known cure is to remove gluten completely from the diet, or go on a gluten-free diet (Mayo Clinic). Gluten also affects a second group of people, but not quite to the same degree as Celiac Disease. This group has a sensitivity to gluten. They experience the same symptoms as those with Celiac Disease but the small intestine doesnt suffer the same extensive damage. Researchers are currently unsure what cause both Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity. But the cure for both lies in removing gluten from the diet and letting the body recuperate so that it can begin to digest nutrients again. Neither Celiac Disease nor Gluten Sensitivity are contagious or catchable. Most often it is genetic. Many people have the gene for Celiac Disease, but it never becomes active and is never a problem. When the gene is active it is usually in families. People who have relatives with Celiac Disease are much more likely to have it then those who do not (Mayo Clinic). But just because a mother has Celiac Disease doesnt mean her children or grandchildren will have it. With studies on gluten just beginning there are still many unanswered or incomplete questions. Gluten would seem to be a relatively new medical concern, though gluten has been growing some form of wheat or grass since man started agriculture. The earliest recordings of a civilization which domesticated and cultivated large quantities of wheat are the ancient Egyptians. However the first possible recordings of Celiac Disease, were by the ancient Greeks. A Greek doctor named Actaeus of Cappadocia, began to keep a record of an unnamed disease that gave his patients terrible stomach pains around 250 A.D. While he did not draw the line between their pain and wheat, but he did think food was to blame. Unfortunately there are

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few more reports or diagnoses of anything Celiac related until the industrial revolution when it began to be diagnosed in small numbers (Auer 1). The 2012 medical records state that Celiac Disease affects 1 in every 133 people in the United States, and a Gluten Sensitivity could affect as many as 5% to 10% of the US population (Gluten/Celiac Disease Statistics). This creates a jump between people affected now, verses a virtual nonexistence disease thirty or forty years ago. And many people have several theories as to why this jump has been made. Several doctors have suggested that gluten intolerance is merely a mental belief in illness rather than an actual illness. Others suggest that with the explosion of technology it is only natural to discover what the real problems are. One of the most popular theories is based on the fact that wheat is processed differently now than it has been in the past. With the turning point in the industrial revolution came a new way of harvesting wheat. Before the change, wheat was grown traditionally in the field but it wasnt harvested until it had been rained on and then dried in the sun. The process of being wet and then dried, removed the toxins found in the grain such as phytic acid and aflatoxins. The wheat would then be harvested, soaked, and then fermented. When it had completed that process, the entire kernel would be ground into flour (Agatston). Today wheat is processed on farms and in factories that are admittedly interested in efficiency. The wheats growing cycle has been genetically modified through hormones and chemicals to take less time. The modern day wheat kernel is also only partly used to make flour. The theory is that the natural process of removing toxins from the wheat is easier for the human

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body to digest. It has also been suggested that modern day wheat growers remove most of the essential nutrients from the wheat making it unhealthy. This would lead to the conclusion that it isnt the wheat thats harmful, but rather the new production process. Regardless of whether this is an old or new disease, gluten has had a large impact on modern American society. Gluten-free products are sold in nearly every convenience and grocery store. Celebrities and talk show hosts often brag about their ability to be gluten-free. For such a small protein is would seem to have a very large effect.

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Works Cited Agatston, Arthur. "Gluten: 5 Things You Need To Know." CNN. CNN Health, 12 Apr 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013. Auer, Daniel. "Understand Gluten and the Effects of Grain Based Diets." Doctorauer. N.p.. Web. 15 Nov 2013. "Celiac Disease." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 22 May 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013. "Gluten/Celiac Disease Statistics." Statistic Brain. statistic Brain, 07 Apr 2013. Web. 19 Nov 2013. Mattes, Mitchell. "Food Studies: What's Up With Gluten?"Girst: A Beacon in the Smog. Girst Magazine, 11 Nov 2011. Web. 15 Nov 2013. "What is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity?." National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. NFCA, n.d. Web. 15 Nov 2013.