Gluten, found in all grains, can cause cancer, asthma, depression, thyroid disease, arthritis, migraines, skin inflammation, and approximately 190 other diseases. Symptoms often disappear quickly if gluten is stopped completely. Source: Dr Peter Osborne
The prolamine (gluten) fraction of proteins in grains
All grains have gluten, not just the specific grains that have traditionally been blamed for celiac disease. Grains are the seeds of grass, and that seed contains a starchy endosperm, which contains gluten. Here is a partial list of grains, along with the specific type of prolamine that it contains. The percentage given is the ratio of the specific prolamine to the total protein content of that grain.
| Grain | Prolamine | % total protein |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat | Gliadin | 69 |
| Rye | Secalinin | 30-50 |
| Oats | Avenin | 16 |
| Barley | Hordein | 46-52 |
| Millet | Panicin | 40 |
| Corn | Zien | 55 |
| Rice | Orzenin | 5 |
| Sorgum | Kafirin | 52 |
“Gluten-free” Packaged Foods
Many packages that are labeled “gluten free” actually do contain gluten. In most of these cases, the manufacturer of the product has replaced one grain, such as wheat, for another grain, perhaps rice, so the net effect was to substitute one gluten for another while perhaps reducing the percentage of gluten without eliminating it altogether. This may provide a solution for some people, if they were sensitive to wheat gluten (gliadin) but not rice gluten (orzenin). But others are sensitive to all gluten, and therefore will not get relief until they eliminate all grains from their diet.
Gluten Allergy vs. Gluten Intolerance vs. Gluten Sensitivity
With gluten allergy, the immune system responds to the presence of gluten, and produces an unwanted effect, like pain or inflammation. The term gluten intolerance is used to describe individuals that are not able to digest gluten where there is no apparent reaction from the immune system. The term “gluten sensitivity” is ambiguous. It can be used to describe individuals that do not do well with gluten but are unsure of whether they are allergic to gluten or are simply unable to digest it.
Conditions that may be Directly Caused by Gluten Sensitivity (Allergy or Intolerance)
An allergic reaction to gluten, or an ability to digest it, could be the primary direct cause of any of the following diseases. But these diseases may be caused by other factors as well, so it is crucial that you consult your doctor so as to rule in or out gluten sensitivity before you can know the exact cause of the disease. If you have any of the following conditions, it would be wise to suspect that gluten may be a causal factor until your doctor has helped you rule it out: Angina pectoris (chest pain/pressure), anorexia, immunoglobulinopathies, antiphospholipid syndrome, anxiety, apathy, apthous ulcers and canker sores, aortic vasculitis, arthritis (enteropathis, psoriatic, rheumatoid, juvenile rheumatoid), abdominal pain and distention, spontaneous abortion, addison’s disease, ADD/ADHD, alopecia (hair loss), anemis (iron deficiency, folate deficiency, B-12 deficiency, B-6 deficiency, Vitamin C deficiency, Vitamin e deficiency, Copper deficiency*), ataxia, atherosclerosis, autism and other learning disorders, cholangitis (gall bladder), dermatitis herpetiformis, autoimmune hepatitis, polyglandular syndrome, thyroiditis (hypothyroidism), bitot’s spots, blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid), abnormal blurry vision, bone pain, bone fractures, cachexia, bronchiectasis, bronchoalveolitis, adenocarcinoma of the intestine, small cell esophageal cancer, melanoma, asthma, cardiomegaly, cardiomyopathy, cataracts, cerebral perfusion abnormalities, cheilosis, chorea, coagulation abnormalities, chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic constipation, coronary artery disease, diarrhea, lymphoma, cutaneous vasculitis, cystic fibrosis, delayed puberty, failure to thrive, dementia, depression, dermatomyositis, diabetes mellitus type I, Down syndrome, dysmenorrhea, dysgeusia, duodenal erosions, edema, eczema, dysphasia, epilepsy, spontaneous nose bleeds, erythema nodosum, CFS, growth retardation, mental retardation, secondary food allergy response, blood in the stool, gastric bloating, grave’s disease, bleeding gums, hair loss, heartburn, H pylori infection, hives, NAFL, malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies, infertility, hypogonadism, hypoglycemia, hypospenism, thrombocytopenia, impotence, osteoporosis, insomnia, IBS, keratomalacia, lactose intolerance, loss of smell, non-hodgkin lymphoma, early menopause, migraine headache, multiple sclerosis, muscle wasting, myopathy, obesity, osteomalacia, osteopenia, parathyroid carcinoma, pancreatic insufficiency, polymytosis, PMS, biliary cirrhosis, psoriasis, dermatitis, sjogren’s syndrome, short stature, scleroderma, steatorrhea, spina bifida, SLE, tremors, parkinson’s disease, glossitis, vitiligo, vomiting, vaginitis, UTI (urinary tract infections), PCOS.
* any of these nutrient deficiencies can lead to many other conditions that are not listed above.