by Dr. Brett Saks

Created on: August 06, 2008

I have found wheat to be one of the most abundant and problematic foods available today. I believe it to be the single largest contributor to intestinal dysbiosis, parasitic infections, and universal food allergies. Over-consumption and genetically-modified grains are the greatest causes of wheat intolerance and gluten sensitivity.

It's important to first note that some people can be severely allergic to wheat. They're often medically diagnosed with the disease called Celiac or Celiac Sprue. This is an illness that's treatable, but can be painful and confusing for patients and their families, as there are a lot of lifestyle changes that must be made to accommodate the celiac patient. Celiac patients are also often allergic to wheat's "sister" grains, rye, oats and barley.

Fortunately, most people don't suffer from Celiac disease. Most problems are from simply consuming too much wheat. Generally, people can assimilate a small to moderate amount as a PART of their diet. It's when we make it the MAJOR part of our diet (western/industrialized diets) that it often becomes a problem. There are many people who just can't break down wheat and similar grains, as they lack certain enzymes to do so. We see this more in O blood types than others, as they don't fare well on a diet with regular grains.

Consuming too much wheat can lead to decreased pancreatic function, the decreased output of insulin and digestive enzymes. This can lead to blood sugar regulation problems such as hyper- or hypoglycemia and chronic digestive disorders.

Symptoms of wheat intolerance may include fatigue, memory loss, sleep disruption, allergies, muscle and joint pain, high blood pressure, asthma, headaches, visual disturbances, obesity, chronic digestive disorders, ulcers, food allergies, diarrhea/constipation, inability to absorb vital nutrients, parasitic infections, intestinal dysbiosis (unbalanced normal bacterial count), sinusitis, candidiasis, hypo/hyperthyroid, learning disabilities such as hyperactivity and attention deficit, and menstrual/hormonal difficultiesjust to name a few.

Over-consumption of wheat can also lead to a sensitized intestinal tract, which is a big contributor to personal discomfort. At this time, I understand there's a cascade of deterioration as follows:

Normal digestive tract then
over-consumption of wheat then
intestinal dysbiosis then
heightened intestinal immune response then
degradation of the intestinal lining then
pancreatic dysfunction (insulin and digestive enzyme deficiency) then
parasitic infection susceptibility then
inability to absorb micro-nutrients then
absorption of un-digested, antigenic proteins ultimately leading to
degraded health, lost vitality, and even chronic sickness and disease.

While there's no substitute for moderation when it comes to wheat and the other gluten containing grains (oats, rye and barley), there is a product that can help you when you've over-indulged in them. Glutenzyme is an enzyme product that is designed specifically to break down the proteins within wheat that are very hard to digest. With the use of Glutenzyme, you can improve your body's ability to digest and process wheat and other similar grains. A very popular product in Europe, Glutenzyme can help relieve gastric distress, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and other symptoms associated with wheat/gluten intolerance. People who use Glutenzyme may lose a good bit of water weight when undigested grains seen as a toxin are reduced and inflammation in the bowel is decreased. Patients have stated they feel lighter and less "bloated". They also feel more energetic and have greater mental clarity than they can ever remember!

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