{"id":820,"date":"2016-11-11T06:00:25","date_gmt":"2016-11-10T19:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.delina.com.au\/?p=820"},"modified":"2017-12-03T08:14:48","modified_gmt":"2017-12-02T21:14:48","slug":"gluten-or-gliadin-intolerance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.delina.com.au\/health\/gluten-or-gliadin-intolerance\/","title":{"rendered":"Gluten Intolerance or Gliadin Intolerance?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Today\u2019s article is the second article dedicated to the gut and sensitivities, this week will focus on gliadin a protein found in many gluten containing foods.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This article has been adapted from an article written by Ben Greenfield –\u00a0https:\/\/greenfieldfitnesssystems.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Gluten has become an \u201cinflammatory\u201d subject with many people believing that they have a gluten intolerance. The food industry has jumped on the bandwagon labelling many food products as gluten free, even when there has never been gluten in the product. It is no wonder that consumers are confused and as soon as we feel bloated or uncomfortable – gluten gets the blame. However many people that think they have a gluten intolerance may have a completely different issue altogether.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Gliadin is a protein molecule found in most (but not all) gluten-containing foods \u2013 primarily the grains of wheat, rye, barley, kamut, spelt, teff and couscous \u2013 with wheat being the biggest gliadin containing culprit, wheat is also more commonly used in our western culture. An inflammatory reaction to gliadin can take place in the small intestines of many individuals who do not have Celiac disease or a full-blown gluten intolerance, but who instead have what is called a \u201csubclinical\u201d sensitivity to gliadin.<\/p>\n

If you feel as though you have an uneasiness in the gut after consuming gliadin rich foods you may have this sensitivity. If you are an athlete or have an important event coming up you would be best to avoid foods high in gliadin which may exacerbate gut issues, so take care when eating out and preparing foods. This is when you would be best to order \u201cgluten free,\u201d however make sure it is not an overly processed alternative.<\/p>\n

What happens when we consume Gliadin?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>When gliadin is consumed, there is an inflammatory reaction in the gastrointestinal tract that involves heat, redness, swelling, and a change or interruption in the normal function of the small intestine. As your body attempts to fight off a foreign, indigestible substance, blood vessels in the gut enlarge and become more permeable. This brings more white blood cells and other immune system cells to the site of injury to provide protection.<\/p>\n

In addition, fluids exudates (leaks) from these blood vessels into surrounding tissues, bringing more white blood cells into those tissues for enhanced immune protection. A thin filament called fibrin (the same substance used for blood clotting) also forms in the site to aid in the intestinal wall\u2019s physical repair process.<\/p>\n

Within 12-15 hours after the gliadin-containing meal has hit the gut and the inflammatory response has occurred, the body\u2019s reaction diminishes and the gut is able to slowly heal, assuming there is no further gluten exposure. But if you eat a gluten-containing food again, the entire inflammatory response and damage to the intestinal wall is repeated and a vicious cycle sets in.<\/p>\n

\"Gluten\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And this entire scenario can create some serious issues.<\/p>\n

First, there can be a loss of nutrient absorption.<\/strong>\u00a0Your small intestine is lined with tiny, fingerlike projections called \u201cvilli\u201d, which stick out from the wall of the intestine and increase the surface area for absorption by up to 1000 times (which means the absorptive area of your small intestine can be roughly the size of an entire basketball court!). The presence of these villi allows you to efficiently absorb significant quantities of nutrients from your food.<\/p>\n

However, any substance like gliadin that irritates the lining of the small intestine can destroy the villi and significantly reduce the total area available for absorption.<\/strong>\u00a0This not only affects your ability to absorb vital nutrients from the food that you\u2019re eating to support your training and racing (and normal functioning), but also results in indigestion as less food is absorbed in your intestine. Typically, this manifests in gut bloating, feelings of tiredness, a hyperactive bowel, and very sizeable or uncomfortable bathroom stops \u2013 especially during exercise.<\/p>\n

Next, there can actually be an increase in the permeability of your gut.<\/strong>\u00a0Your gut permeability already increases a bit as soon as you begin exercising, especially if you\u2019re exercising in the heat, but what we\u2019re talking about now goes way above and beyond that permeability. Your small intestine also has mucosal lining \u2013 which is the same type of tissue that lines your sinus passages, your lungs, your urinary tract, your mouth and your throat. The reason these areas are lined with mucosae is to defend your body from infection. Under the chronic inflammatory stress you experience with repeated gliadin exposure, the mucosal tissue breaks down and your gut becomes extremely permeable, resulting in an uncomfortable condition you may have heard of called \u201cleaky gut syndrome\u201d.<\/p>\n

Leaky gut syndrome is like having a water filter installed on your house that has big holes in it everywhere.<\/strong>\u00a0Anything you don\u2019t want to be drinking suddenly ends up inside you because it hasn\u2019t been filtered. In the case of leaky gut, this means that undigested food particles, particularly proteins, pass through the intestinal barrier and into the bloodstream, resulting in an immune response in the blood and an enormous amount of immune stress as your body tries to fight off these foreign invaders that aren\u2019t supposed to be in your bloodstream.<\/p>\n

\"Gliadin\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As I mentioned earlier, gut permeability is already increased with exposure to heat and during intense exercise. When combined with a leaky gut from gliadin exposure, you vastly increase your chances of getting sick, feeling \u201cbrain fog\u201d, having a hard time sleeping, and feeling much less than adequate.<\/p>\n

But nutrient malabsorption and leaky gut aren\u2019t the only issues. Regular consumption of gluten foods can also cause fat malabsorption and lactose intolerance \u2013 even if you weren\u2019t prone to those annoying and embarrassing issues in the first place.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For example, in the tips of those villi that can be destroyed by inflammation are \u201clacteals\u201d, which are responsible for breaking fat down into tiny, absorbable droplets. When these lacteals are compromised, you lose the ability to properly absorb fat, which is crucial for hormone formation and cell membrane building. You also miss out on absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A and Vitamin E, as well as essential fatty acids.\u00a0And yes, this means you may not be getting any benefit from that expensive fish oil pill you\u2019re popping.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are learning more about the importance of fat, so as you can probably imagine, fat deficiencies can also result in poor blood sugar control, inability to repair central nervous system damage, poor nerve cell function, low hormone production, low antioxidant levels, and many other issues.<\/p>\n

\"Gluten\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the issue with lactose intolerance, which is also aggravated by gluten. As you probably know, milk products contain lactose sugars, which are normally digested by lactase, an enzyme that breaks down the milk sugars to a digestible and absorbable form.<\/p>\n

However, because a damaged intestinal wall cannot properly produce lactase enzymes, lactose intolerance often accompanies gluten intolerance \u2013\u00a0and people who can normally eat foods like cheese, yogurt or ice cream simply cannot do it when gliadin is present in their diets, and this is why it is necessary to avoid milk products for several months after going \u201cgluten free\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In summary gliadin exposure from\u00a0consumption of gluten-containing foods can cause inflammation, nutrient loss, leaky gut, fat malabsorption and lactose intolerance. The consequence of these problems can be gut discomfort, poor food absorption (especially while exercising in the heat), lots of bathroom stops, feeling of extreme tiredness, and trouble focusing or getting motivated.<\/p>\n

Below is a basic list of easy-to-find foods that will give you ample calories and essential nutrients without exposing you to the chain-reaction of inflammation from gliadin.<\/p>\n