I know this may be controversial because it regards GMO versus GMO-free gluten. I was talking to my sister about going gluten free because of my hashi. She asked me what if I just ate gmo-free gluten? She’s wondering if it’s mainly gluten with GMO in it that causes issues or gluten in general? And why haven’t people always been sensitive to gluten if it isn’t something like the gmo causing it? Just curious as to what you all think.
Answers ( 4 )
I am very glad you asked this question. First I’ll say that with Hashimoto’s all Gluten is not good. This is because the protein in gluten, i.e., Gliadin mimics the thyroid. This, in turn, causes an immune response.
I have done a ton of research on wheat. I’ve looked at scientific studies of gluten down to its protein sequence (my eyes glaze over because it was over my head lol). The wheat our great grandparents or even our grandparents ate is not the same today I can’t remember the exact year, but I believe it was in the 50-60s that wheat started to be genetically modified. Wheat contained only 5% gluten back in the day but today’s GMO wheat contains 50% gluten. With Hashimoto’s, even that 5% can cause an immune response.
With all that said, I am doing my own experiment, with my Hashi teen’s permission on Organic non-GMO bread. He is allowed to eat 2 slices a day along with being fully gluten-free. We will then keep an eye on his antibodies and hope we see a big change. We are also working on cutting dairy too. If there isn’t a significant change in his antibodies, we will eliminate all gluten across the board (including watching cross contamination even more thoroughly). I am doing this because I cannot find any studies on non-GMO wheat and autoimmune disorders.
Wheat is one of the big three GMO crops. The key is to read your nutrition labels… especially your ingredients. If there are multiple items that you cannot pronounce, do not buy it. That’s the slippery slope with gluten-free products. They tend to add more sugar, fat, and engineered foods to make them more palatable. Your body doesn’t understand engineered foods, so they are immediately stored as fat. This is why the average person GAINS weight drinking diet soda.
For me, when I see non-GMO 99% of the time, the ingredients are whole and natural because that’s what a customer that buys non-GMO foods wants and they want it to sell. Gluten-free folks don’t look at ingredient lists as often as they look at nutrition facts, so they just add whatever is going to make it taste the best natural or not.
This sounds awesome… just be sure to see if the ingredients on the non-GMO bread are natural. Otherwise, your results could be skewed.
This is the bread (http://www.daveskillerbread.com/) I use – it's so good! Over a week ago I gave in to a pizza craving and ate one little piece. Messed me up for over a week, just now starting to feel the way I did before my screw up. I can eat two slices of this bread and feel the same — no extreme exhaustion and nausea. Toast is still something I can eat, woohoo!
Several studies show a strong link between AITD (both Hashimoto’s and Graves’) and gluten intolerance. The link is so well-established that researchers suggest all people with AITD (Autoimmune Thyroid Disease) be screened for gluten intolerance, and vice versa.
What explains the connection? It’s a case of mistaken identity. The molecular structure of Gliadin, the protein portion of gluten, closely resembles that of the thyroid gland. When Gliadin breaches the protective barrier of the gut and enters the bloodstream, the immune system tags it for destruction. These antibodies to Gliadin also cause the body to attack thyroid tissue. This means if you have AITD and you eat foods containing gluten, your immune system will attack your thyroid.
It's not about a "gluten sensitivity or intolerance" it's about molecular mimicry. I have had a food tolerance test done, and I am not intolerant of gluten, but my Naturopath still wants me to avoid it like the plaque because of how the body reacts to it and the subsequent attack on the thyroid.
Also, one cheat with gluten can take a year to clear up! This is my motivator to avoid! ????
There is a documentary on Netflix called What’s with Wheat. Check it out. It talks about why so many people have gluten problems because of the way it is grown and harvested.
Until the hypervigilant immune system settles down, it's not going to respond well to proteins that tax it, like wheat. Possibly, even grains. It would be nice if it were that simple. None of us would need to go on gluten-free diets. Reintroducing foods only works once the immune reaction has been arrested. Maybe try when you don't have symptoms.