It was first discovered in the mid 1940s that removing wheat from the diet of those with coeliac disease could drastically improve their symptoms. [R1] The mechanisms behind coeliac disease and behind its recommended treatment, gluten-restriction, have become more and more fleshed out ever since. With this, however, more evidence has come to light suggesting that wheat does not only affect the 1% of the population with whom are coeliacs but a far higher percentage indeed. [R2]

More recently researchers have begun to investigate the phenomenon and prevalence of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity but some in the community are crying out for a separate category entitled, “non-coeliac wheat sensitivity,” due to the other compounds in wheat that cause symptoms in addition to gluten. [R3]

What’s Wrong with Wheat?

Gliadin

Gliadin is a kind of gluten that increases gut permeability by increasing a protein called Zonulin. Though it was originally thought that this only occurred in those with coeliac disease, new data suggests that this might occur in everyone irrespective of genetics. This effectively opening the floodgates allowing anything to pass into your blood via the gut. Gut permeability has been highlighted as a potential causal factor in autoimmune diseases, cancer and neurological disorders. [R4] [R5]

Once across the gut barrier gliadin peptides can exert immunomodulatory and cytotoxic effects. [R6] Stimulation of immune cells by gliadin occurs in individuals with coeliac disease but also in non-coeliacs as well. This was seen in one study where gliadin increased the production of IL-23, IL-1β and TNF-α pro-inflammatory cytokines in all participants regardless of health background. [R7] [R8]

The literature states that the symptoms associated with non-celiac gluten sensitivity include bloating, abdominal discomfort and pain, altered bowel habits, flatulence, rash, fatigue, headaches, mental disturbances, irritability, depression and bone and joint pain, a symptom list akin to that of chronic inflammation so there at least seems to be a gluten-inflammation connection. [R9] [R10]

The effects of gliadin and gluten seem to be so powerful that they predominate over those of the macronutrient composition of one’s diet. For example, mice fed a gluten free diet lost weight, improved their insulin sensitivity (and thus diabetes risk) and had reduced whole-body inflammation in comparison to mice fed the exact the same diet, which contained an addition of just 4% wheat gluten. [R11]

Lastly, gluten seems to enhance the production of GAD antibodies. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is an enzyme that converts glutamate to GABA. Meaning that gluten may decrease GABA levels and increase glutamate levels. Decreased GAD levels are a trigger for autoimmune conditions and neurological disorders such as OCD and schizophrenia. [R12] [R13] This may have been a contributory factor in the findings that areas with lower average grain consumption have lower rates of schizophrenia and that a milk and cereal free diet improves schizophrenic symptoms. [R14]

Exorphins

Wheat also contains exorphins, which are exogenous (from outside) proteins that attach to human opioid receptors. They are, of course, in contrast to endogenous (produced within) endorphins. Gluten exorphin intake has been shown to increase both insulin and glucagon release post-meal, an unideal hormonal situation due to its high likelihood of negatively affecting insulin sensitivity and promoting type 2 diabetes. [R15]

Wheat Germ Agglutinins

Named due to its ability to agglutinate (clump together) blood cells, wheat germ agglutinin is a plant lectin in the same category as ricin, the agglutinin derived from castor beans and used in chemical warfare. [R16]

Similar to gluten, wheat germ agglutinins increase gut permeability and inflammation and trigger insulin resistance in adipocytes as well as fat gain. [R17] [R18] [R19] Consumption of wheat germ agglutinin might, also, based on some findings in mice, increase the bodies immune response to other foods, such as egg white protein, in turn causing either tolerance or intolerance. [R20] [R21]

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