It isn’t that more people are becoming sensitive, it’s that more people are becoming AWARE that their health issues are caused by gluten. I’d be willing to bet you have one or more issues that you are so used to that you are not even aware of them on a conscious level anymore that would be relieved if you gave up wheat.

In evolutionary terms, 10,000 years is not long at all and it’s very unlikely for much genetic change to have occurred in this length of time (see references 1-3 at the bottom of the page). Based on this, if 1 in 7 are sensitive to gluten, then 6 in 7 can merely tolerate it. Just because some people can tolerate grain based foods doesn’t mean it’s an evolutionary adaptation. More importantly, simply being able to tolerate them certainly doesn’t qualify them as a good choice for supporting optimal health. Either way, 1 in 7 is a lot and indicates that there are probably many people suffering from the consequences of gluten sensitivity without knowing that the grain based foods they’re eating on a regular basis are a problem.

There hasn’t necessarily been an increase in the incidence of gluten sensitivity. I think it’s more of an increase in the awareness of it. Besides, modern society continues to embrace unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits that impair the health of the intestinal lining, and in turn, impair digestion and increase intestinal permeability. This increases the chance of incompletely digested food particles inappropriately getting into circulation and provoking immune reactions. This applies to any food, not just gluten, and it’s one of many possible reasons why autoimmune disorders are on the rise.

Aside from celiac disease, gluten sensitivities can be difficult to diagnose. This is pretty much the case for any food sensitivities that aren’t type I allergies. Because sensitivity to gluten is common, and given the damage that gluten is capable of provoking, some people avoid gluten or even all grains even if they don’t notice any adverse reactions. Just because they don’t notice them doesn’t mean they’re not occurring. It’s a personal choice, and it’s one that I think is pretty smart. However, I’m certainly not trying to prevent you or anyone else from enjoying grain based foods. I’m just trying to help people be more informed about what they’re eating.

I’m not aware of any research showing gluten to be harmful to those who aren’t sensitive to it. However, as I previously mentioned, the problem is that identifying the sensitivity isn’t always easy. Regardless of this, foods derived from grains are generally highly processed and high in refined carbohydrates. They are indeed bad for everyone. I wrote an article about the risks associated with sugar and refined carbohydrates that references over 100 research papers. I suggest you read this article as well as the referenced research and come to your own conclusion. I suggest reading Dangerous Grains as well.

I suggest you read the book (Dangerous Grains). It’s well referenced.

Not only that, but the number of people who are gluten intolerant has risen in the last few years. Now why would the number of gluten intolerant people decrease over several millenia, and then increase again only over the last few years? Since this is an autoimmune disorder, this makes sense in the context of other autoimmune disorders that have been on the rise recently. In the sterilized environment we live in, our bodies become disoriented and believe that harmless things such as wheat, peanuts, cats, maple trees, pollen, etc. actually pose a threat.

So please allow those of us (the majority of people, really) who derive nutrition and pleasure from gluten products to continue to do so, rather than suggesting that just because gluten is bad for you, it is also bad for everyone else.

If you disagree with what I said, please point me to one scientific study that indicates that any negative effects of gluten outweigh positive effects, for people who are not gluten intolerant or allergic to wheat.

Because there are a variety of factors that influence adverse reactions to foods, the reasons for extreme sensitivity can vary. I’ll use yeast overgrowth as an example since that seems to be your focus.

Over time, yeast overgrowth can damage the intestinal lining to the point of allowing undigested food particles, toxins, and other substances to enter the bloodstream more easily. Since these substances don’t belong in the blood, they can cause adverse reactions. The longer someone is in such a state, the more likely it is that they’ll have a weakened immune system and compromised function in general. As a result, they’ll probably be more sensitive than normal to the foods that trigger the adverse reactions, and in turn, have little tolerance for them even in moderation. Strict avoidance of such foods gives the body an opportunity to recover, and once it does, tolerance to some of these foods will likely increase. For example, aside from people with a condition like celiac disease, once the intestinal lining has regained its health, gluten won’t enter the bloodstream as easily and may be tolerated better.

Sugar is a completely different story and is an example of how sensitivity to unfavorable food reactions can result from a variety of factors. Because of sugar’s ability to cause blood sugar fluctuation and influence hormone and neurotransmitter levels, it can cause a variety of symptoms. One of the most obvious is the boost of energy and subsequent fatigue and drowsiness followed by consuming a snack or beverage that contains a lot of sugar. Some people are simply more sensitive to such effects than others regardless of how healthy they are. In this case, it’s usually more a matter of nutritional individuality than anything else, although conditions such as insulin resistance or diabetes can obviously have a significant influence.

With the exception of completely avoiding an entire type of food such as how a vegetarian avoids meat, I disagree with the idea of a “narrowed scope.” Some adverse food reactions are caused by low grade immune reactions that aren’t the same thing as a true allergy. Completely avoiding a such a food for about 6 months can sometimes eliminate the reaction when the food is reintroduced in moderation. However, if the food is reintroduced after a period of complete avoidance that is too brief, sometimes it can result in a stronger immune response, and in turn, cause symptoms that one would describe as being much worse.

In regard to fighting yeast overgrowth, the primary factor is the immune system. It’s true that carbohydrates, especially from simple and refined sources including rice noodles, feed yeast and encourage them to proliferate. However, as long as the immune system isn’t strong enough to maintain order, the yeast will likely still be able to thrive despite strictly avoiding such foods. I recommend reading Gut and Psychology Syndrome for a more in depth explanation of this. Although it’s better for your health in general to avoid processed and refined carbohydrates anyway, I agree that you might want to reconsider using Diflucan except as a last resort. Even then, Nystatin is a probably a safer option since Dlflucan can be damaging to the liver.

Thoughts?

It doesn’t matter if wheat is whole or more refined. Either way, it will still contain gluten. In fact, whole wheat may even contain more gluten because more of the original grain is retained in the final product.