Gluten Is DESTROYING Your Health (Stop Eating It TODAY!) | Mark Hyman

Summary

This mini-episode of the Doctor's Pharmacy podcast, featuring Dr. Hyman and GI health expert Alessio Fasano, explores the rise in gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. They discuss why these issues have become more prevalent despite gluten being a part of human diets for centuries. The conversation delves into the environmental changes, food production methods, and gut microbiome shifts that may be contributing factors. Dr. Hyman also cautions against the popularity of gluten-free products, emphasizing the importance of consuming real, whole foods instead of processed alternatives.

Takeaways

• 🌾 Hundreds of years ago, people ate gluten and wheat without the levels of autoimmune diseases we see today.
• 📈 There has been a significant rise in celiac disease and gluten sensitivity in recent times, raising questions about environmental factors.
• 🇺🇸 People often find they tolerate gluten better in Europe than in the United States, possibly due to differences in food processing and pesticide use.
• ⏳ Traditional bread-making methods in Europe, which allow for longer fermentation, may reduce gluten's inflammatory potential.
• ⚙️ The acceleration of food production processes in the U.S., such as shortening fermentation times, may contribute to gluten sensitivity.
• 🌱 The use of pesticides, like glyphosate, in the U.S. but not in Europe may affect the microbiome and contribute to gluten-related issues.
• 🧬 The rapid environmental changes, rather than genetic mutations, are likely driving the increase in gluten-related health problems.
• 🔬 Changes in the gut microbiome, influenced by diet, stress, antibiotics, and other factors, may increase susceptibility to gluten-related issues.
• 🌍 Humans co-evolved with microbes, and disrupting this balance may lead to increased inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
• 📜 Modern wheat varieties have been bred to contain more gluten, which may contribute to the increase in gluten sensitivity and related health issues.

Q & A

Why have celiac disease and gluten sensitivity become more prevalent in recent years?

The rise in celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is likely due to changes in the environment and food production methods, not genetic mutations. Modern practices, such as the accelerated bread-making process and the use of pesticides, may be contributing factors.

How does traditional European bread-making differ from modern methods in the United States?

Traditional European bread-making involves a slow, overnight process that allows enzymes to break down potentially harmful gluten fragments. In contrast, modern methods in the United States accelerate the process to just a few hours, which may not allow sufficient time for these enzymes to work effectively.

What role do pesticides play in the increased sensitivity to gluten?

Pesticides, which are more commonly used in the United States than in Europe, can alter the landscape of food production and potentially affect how our immune systems react to gluten and other food products.

Is the gluten in modern wheat different from the gluten in ancient wheat?

Yes, modern wheat has been bred to contain more gluten and to be more resistant to drought and other environmental factors. This increase in gluten content, especially in dwarf wheat varieties, may be contributing to higher levels of inflammation and gluten sensitivity.

Why do some people tolerate gluten better in Europe than in the United States?

People may tolerate gluten better in Europe due to the traditional food preparation methods and stricter regulations on GMOs and pesticide use. These factors may reduce the inflammatory response triggered by gluten.

How does the gut microbiome relate to gluten sensitivity and autoimmune diseases?

The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system. Disruptions in the microbiome, potentially caused by changes in diet, stress, antibiotics, and other environmental factors, can lead to increased gut permeability and a heightened immune response, contributing to gluten sensitivity and autoimmune diseases.

What changes in modern wheat production have contributed to higher gluten content?

Modern wheat production has focused on increasing yield by breeding wheat to be shorter and contain more starch and gluten. This has led to a significant increase in gluten content compared to ancient wheat varieties, which may be contributing to the rise in gluten-related disorders.

Can reducing gluten content in wheat help those with celiac disease?

Reducing gluten content in wheat may help some people with gluten sensitivity, but it is not sufficient for those with celiac disease. Even a small amount of gluten can trigger an autoimmune response in individuals with celiac disease.

What is the relationship between food production methods and the increase in chronic inflammatory diseases?

The increase in chronic inflammatory diseases may be linked to changes in food production methods, such as the use of pesticides and the accelerated processing of foods. These changes can affect the gut microbiome and the immune system, leading to higher rates of inflammation and disease.

Why is it important to be cautious about gluten-free products?

Many gluten-free products are still highly processed and contain unhealthy ingredients like artificial sugars, processed oils, and additives. It's important to focus on whole, unprocessed foods rather than relying on gluten-free alternatives that may still contribute to poor health.

Outlines

00:00

🌾 The Rise of Gluten Sensitivity: Why Now?

In this section, Kate Bro, a producer of the Doctors Pharmacy podcast, introduces the topic of the growing prevalence of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. Dr. Hyman discusses with GI health expert Alessio Fasano the reasons behind the sudden increase in gluten-related issues. They explore how environmental changes and food production practices, particularly in the U.S., might be contributing to this rise. The conversation touches on how differences in wheat production and processing between the U.S. and Europe might explain why some individuals experience gluten sensitivity in the U.S. but not in Europe.

05:00

🌍 Microbiome and Environmental Impact on Gluten Sensitivity

This section delves deeper into the environmental and microbiome changes that may contribute to the rise in gluten sensitivity and autoimmune disorders. Dr. Fasano explains how modern agricultural practices, like hybridizing wheat to increase yield, have altered the gluten content in wheat, potentially leading to more inflammatory responses. The discussion also highlights the importance of the gut microbiome and how changes in food processing, pesticide use, and lifestyle factors have disrupted the balance between humans and their microbial environment, leading to increased gut permeability and inflammation.

Keywords

💡Gluten

Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat and other grains like barley and rye. In the video, gluten is discussed as a potential trigger for autoimmune diseases and gluten sensitivity. The speakers explore why more people are experiencing issues with gluten today, suggesting changes in food production and environmental factors as possible causes.

💡Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. The video highlights the increasing prevalence of celiac disease, questioning why it has become more common and discussing factors such as changes in the environment, diet, and food production methods.

💡Glyphosate

Glyphosate is a herbicide used in agriculture, often mentioned in discussions about its potential impact on health. In the video, glyphosate is discussed as a pesticide sprayed on wheat in the U.S., which may affect the microbiome and increase gluten sensitivity. The comparison is made between American wheat treated with glyphosate and European wheat, which is not.

💡Microbiome

The microbiome refers to the community of microorganisms living in the human gut, which plays a crucial role in digestion and immune function. The video discusses how changes in the microbiome, influenced by diet, environmental toxins, and lifestyle, might contribute to the rising cases of gluten sensitivity and autoimmune diseases.

💡Autoimmunity

Autoimmunity is a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells. The video explores how factors like gluten, environmental changes, and microbiome alterations could be contributing to the increase in autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, in recent years.

💡Hybridization of Wheat

Hybridization of wheat refers to the breeding process that has altered wheat's genetic makeup to increase yield and resilience. The video discusses how modern wheat, bred to contain more gluten and starch, might be more inflammatory, potentially contributing to the rise in gluten sensitivity and autoimmune conditions.

💡Leaky Gut

Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, is a condition where the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, allowing harmful substances to enter the bloodstream. The video mentions that gluten can negatively impact the gut lining, even in those without celiac disease, contributing to inflammation and other health issues.

💡Traditional Food Preparation

Traditional food preparation refers to older methods of preparing foods, such as the longer fermentation times for bread, which allowed enzymes to break down gluten more effectively. The video contrasts these methods with modern, faster processes, suggesting that the traditional methods might reduce gluten-related issues.

💡Environmental Factors

Environmental factors encompass the various external elements that can influence health, such as pollution, pesticides, and lifestyle changes. The video suggests that rapid environmental changes, including the use of pesticides and altered food production methods, may be contributing to the rise in gluten sensitivity and autoimmune diseases.

💡Whole Foods

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible. The video promotes the consumption of whole foods over processed foods, especially those labeled as gluten-free but still containing unhealthy additives, as a way to maintain better health and avoid issues related to gluten sensitivity.

Highlights

Discussion on the rise of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, and why these issues are becoming more prevalent.

The difference in how wheat is processed in the United States versus Europe, particularly regarding the use of pesticides and GMOs.

Dr. Hyman's wife experiences stomach issues with pasta in America but not in Italy, raising questions about the impact of food processing.

The role of gluten in inflammation and the human body's partial inability to fully digest gluten, leading to health issues.

Discussion on how traditional bread-making methods in Europe allow for better digestion of gluten compared to the faster, artificial processes used in the U.S.

The impact of pesticides on food and how they might contribute to immune system reactions and inflammation.

The connection between changes in the environment, diet, stress, and lifestyle, and the rise in autoimmune diseases and celiac disease.

The historical changes in wheat cultivation, including the development of dwarf wheat, which contains higher levels of gluten.

The influence of modern agricultural practices on the composition of wheat and its potential to trigger inflammatory responses.

The importance of the gut microbiome in overall health and how it can be disrupted by modern dietary and environmental factors.

The concept of leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, and how gluten can negatively affect the gut lining even in non-celiac individuals.

Dr. Hyman's recommendation to avoid gluten as part of his Pegan diet, due to its potential impact on gut health.

Caution against gluten-free junk food, which can still be unhealthy due to additives, sugars, and processed oils.

Advice to carefully read food labels, avoiding foods with long lists of unrecognizable or artificial ingredients.

Emphasis on the benefits of sticking to real, whole foods rather than processed options, particularly for those sensitive to gluten.

Transcripts

hundreds of years ago we were eating

gluten we're eating wheat and we didn't

see them levels of autoimmunity we can

see the levels of celiac disease that we

do now

is the world overreacting to this gluten

issue is it a fad or is there something

there hi I'm Kate bro at one of the

producers of the doctors pharmacy

podcast we are all aware that gluten has

become a major topic when it comes to

our food in our health in this mini

episode dr. Hyman speaks with GI health

expert Alessio Fasano about the rise and

celiac disease and gluten sensitivity

and why so many of us are suddenly

experiencing challenges when it comes to

eating gluten my wife now is in Sardinia

I wish I was there with her and she has

trouble eating pasta in America because

she always gets a stomachache but she

said she's in Italy now and she does and

I know they don't allow GMOs and all the

other wheat is not Jimoh although they

spray our wheat here with glyphosate at

harvest which may have an effect on the

microbiome but how do you sort of

explain why we all of a sudden got this

way what are the changes that happened

that make people more susceptible

because the gluten has always been there

is the gluten different in the we we

have is something else changed in our

guts and environment like what is this

driving force first of all the timeline

that this epidemic is materializing is

telling us that it's not genetic

mutation a human kind that makes us more

susceptible so most likely we're

changing the environment way too fast

for us to adapt and the example unit

were you know mentioning about your wife

and actually I hear this many time here

in a lot yeah I hear this I said you say

how come that I go to your bed I'm fine

looks that I can tolerate stuff that

cannot even look at when I'm in the

United States yeah definitely I don't

think the GMOs is the issue because you

know of course Europe in general a very

strict regulation GMOs more much

stricter than us when you talk about

grains like wheat there is no such money

and it's not an isolated you know

phenomenon and every chronic from flower

diseases are on rice you know allergic

disease autoimmune disease disease like

everybody's inflamed that's right we as

human beings we do not have enzymes to

completely dismantle gluten

it's basic elements amino acids what we

do we is a partial digestion and what is

left over this and adjustable fragments

that can instigate inflammation we know

that to make bread you take heats you

take water you take the flour and you

make your dough east F those enzymes

they can completely dismantle these

toxic elements in Europe bread is still

made the old-fashioned this is an

overnight process so you have 10 12

hours that is enzymes can dismantle the

load of this you know fragments not here

the process takes 2 hours because now

it's accelerating artificially so you

give only two hours to these enzymes to

crazy the lower so risk the grain is the

same the culture what I say you know no

but but again it the way that you

prepare pasta is there are processes

that you have to go through the

education strong of the past and so on

and so forth again give less time if you

speed up the process to make this right

that's one the other is you know as you

were alluding to pesticides we use

pesticides here they are not allowed in

Europe and you know again that changed

completely landscape because now you

introduce another variable that can

affect the way that we in terms of our

immune system can react yeah or any

given product and then it happened to be

grain but it can be any other product

that can give you the same kind of

reaction so and then of course the great

unknown we still don't understand

because even here in the United States

is not I'm a genius so you have pockets

of places in which this phenomenon seems

to be much stronger than other pocket

some ways so gotta be some environments

of situation that we still poorly

control so there's the quality of food

how we produced the food all those

things in terms of traditional methods

it may affect people's sensitivity but

you also talk about the changes in the

gut microbiome and you know you you

originally came into this through your

study in cholera that's right now you're

sort of coming back to it looking at

wait a minute why are people so

sensitive it's not oh you're sensitive

to gluten let's get Jeff gluten it's

like why is this happening and and how

is our change in our environment toxins

stress diet antibiotics c-sections how

has that led to this increase in

autoimmunity increase in celiac disease

and allergic and inflammatory disorders

and of course you lose some of the

factors so you know our lifestyle you

know mostly we're living a rural

lifestyle you know one or two

generations ago so living you know

vicinity animals cause a lot more

microbes that's right a variety but you

name it parasites viruses you know but

bacteria but there was a full exchange

and then again we make again these are

the convention that we are isolated

Zyliss in terms of environment we are in

a continuous sequel of life so soil

animal human back to soil and and the

waters you know we conventionally

analyze them separately but there are a

unit a co system yes and you we are

whatever we are because we evolved with

microbes it's not that we take him away

sterile right that's right from Mars and

then all of a sudden we've been exposed

something never seen before we look and

act and and and you know are shaped the

way that we are because we co-evolved

with this ecosystem if you affect food

you affect the composition microbiome

if you print the microbiome back

imbalance were supposed to be based on

our evolution plans the immune system

will defend us rather than be

belligerent against us and will unleash

inflammation only when i Stefan Utley

needed if you have a balanced microbiome

you also will have it got permeability

they will go back to where they're

supposed to be and in a good gut

permeability will make the immune system

to be less bit Legion so it's all

interconnected one of the things I ran

out of it's true is that in the in the

effort to increase food production we

hybridize and bread wheat to contain

more starch and to be shorter and

drought resistant and grow better and

produce more carbohydrates which is a

dwarf wheat and in the process we

combine the genes of different

weed strains which led to more gliding

proteins in the dwarf wheat and that

those blood proteins seemed to be more

of the ones that trigger inflammation is

that part of why we've seen this

increase there's been such a change no

question about that

so Romans and Greeks we used to eat you

know a very tall you know yeah there is

wheat we eat is not the week we ate no

no absolutely but you know was it all

plant

you know only 5% of the top had seeds 4%

of the dry weight was gluten at that

time and then you know later on during

you know the Renaissance we increase the

heel to make you know more you know

produce book you know and useful wheat

by doubling the amount of you know

gluten in there so from four to eight

percent and then the last irrigation was

doing the Agricultural Revolution that

we're this dwarf we so one-third of the

plant now is seeds so the efficiency is

much higher and now we're about twelve

percent rather than four percent as we

journey a thousand years ago the

epidemics that we have seen materialized

after this event so I don't think that

is the cultivars that I've been pretty

much fueled by Farmer Stinky's he'll

that's what is it is fueling the you

know the epidemics I really do believe

that is more the way that we handle the

products and you know what your wife is

experienced in Sardinia it's testimony

that is not that the genetics and the

load weeds a lot of gluten in which is

the culprits not like they grow more

ancient stream no well you know of

course there's gonna be less gluten in

there and ancient grains can be

beneficial for example people we don't

see like the corn we that's right you

know up to decrease the the load of

gluten will not be beneficial for celiac

because no matter if it's 4% of 12% it's

it's it's way too much yeah yeah

fascinating gyoon has been found to

negatively impact the lining of the gut

creating leaky

or intestinal permeability even in those

who do not have celiac disease this is

why as a part of his Piggin diet dr.

Hyman recommends avoiding gluten as

you've surely noticed many food

companies restaurants and supermarkets

have hopped on the gluten-free bandwagon

don't let the food industry fool you

gluten-free junk food is still junk food

loaded with artificial sugars processed

vegetable or hydrogenated oils trans

fats added gums and other additives to

increase their shelf life pay attention

to the ingredients in the food you eat

and the order in which the ingredients

are listed if a real food is list at the

end and sugar or ingredients you don't

recognize are listed at the top it might

be best to avoid the food the most

abundant ingredient is always listed

first others are listed in descending

order by weight if you see any words on

a label you can't pronounce you might

also want to avoid the food as much as

possible take it one step further and

avoid foods with extensive labels

altogether and stick to real Whole Foods

thank you for tuning in to this mini

episode of a doctor's pharmacy I hope

you enjoyed it

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