Hey, guys, Dr. Axe here. Welcome to Maximize Your Health.
Today I want to talk about going gluten-free and ask you the question, "Should you be going
gluten-free and why?" Now for starters, gluten is a protein molecule, kind of a sticky protein
that's found in wheat, rye, and barley, and some other grains. So wheat is a protein molecule,
and the reason it can cause problems is many people are allergic to it and it can be hard
to digest.
Now listen to these stats. 1 out of every 133 people has Celiac disease which means
they do not digest gluten at all. If those people eat gluten they're going to have a
severe allergic reaction. But that's not the only number, 1 in 130. You also have 1 out
of every 7 people who are gluten intolerant, which means they're basically going to have
allergic-like reactions to gluten. That's 1 out of 7. That's quite a few people. And
really, the numbers of people that don't digest gluten today is not just 1 in 7; it really
is most people, and the reason being is most gluten isn't prepared properly.
So if you take a certain type of bread, let's say Ezekiel bread, and you sprout and soak
the grain, so sprouted breads like Ezekiel bread, gluten isn't as bad. In fact, when
you sprout grains it also kills off something called phytic acid. Phytic acid is found in
most grains today and it blocks vitamin and mineral absorption. So if you're eating any
grain at all, any bread whatsoever, it should only be from sprouted grains.
Now back to gluten here. Let me go over some side effects. If you're eating gluten and
it's affecting you, here are some of the main side effects. Number one, it can cause digestive
problems like bloating and gas. Also, it can cause stomach pains. A few other things it
can cause; it can cause depression, it's been linked to fatigue, it's been linked to brain
fog, it's been linked to rashes, ulcers and mouth sores. So there are a number of things
gluten can cause, a number of problems gluten can cause.
Now the other thing I want to say is, again, gluten isn't the most terrible thing in the
world for everybody if it's sprouted grain like Ezekiel bread. It's not as bad, but for
many people, even though it's Ezekiel bread, it's still going to create some health problems.
Again, gluten is a protein that's very hard to digest. So listen to this. Even professional
athletes now are going gluten-free. The second-ranked tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic,
decided he's going to go gluten-free, reason being, he says that gluten causes inflammation
and it's going to cause him not to be able to recover as fast and decrease athletic performance.
Also Team Garmin, one of the number one cycling teams in the entire world - this team did
the Tour de France and finished as one of the top teams - their entire team decided
to go gluten-free. That way they could recover faster from their cycling events. So whether
you're a professional athlete or a stay-at-home mom feeding your kids, or a business man on
the go, going gluten-free is a good option.
Let me tell you what I personally do. I do not eat gluten very often. I would say I maybe
have it every other week or probably closer to once a month. I may have a piece of Ezekiel
bread and butter. I may have some sprouted tortilla grains. Again, I don't do a whole
lot of gluten because I want to be at my very best, but if I do gluten, again, it's always
sprouted.
Now, here are some of the foods that you have to be careful, because gluten is in almost
everything. Again, gluten is in wheat. So if you are doing any wheat product like wheat
bread, there's going to be gluten in there. Also, it's not only going to be in bread.
You're going to find it in other things. It's even starting to cross-pollinate so it can
be in stuff like oats. It's in ketchup, it's in mustard, it's in pasta sauces, it's in
cold cut meats. Again, gluten is almost everywhere in our food supplies and that's why you're
starting to see more labels of gluten-free. I went to P.F. Chang's here recently. There
was a gluten-free menu there. I see gluten-free, again, you go to a health food store or even
your typical grocery store, you're seeing these gluten-free menus.
So here's my challenge to you. I challenge you to go gluten-free, unless you're doing
some sprouted grains here and there, but again go gluten-free as much as possible. It's not
that hard. You'll see here, for an example, you know, I still eat most of the things I
love. For instance, I still eat pancakes, but I use a gluten-free pancake mix. Some
good gluten alternatives, if you're used to using white flour or wheat flour which contain
gluten, some good gluten-free options are bean flour, that's kind of the main ingredient
in here, it's got bean flour. Also almond flour, coconut flour, and if you're trying
to get some good carbohydrates, sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, most rice products, rice
flours, those are also gluten-free.
So again, I challenge you to go gluten-free. Thanks for watching another episode of Maximize
Your Health.