Gluten Sensitivity and Magnesium Deficiency

Most people are aware that gluten can induce malabsorption of nutrients.  Gluten can cause damage to intestinal cells can reduce the production of digestive enzymes that help break down foods and aid in nutrient absorption.  Additionally, it can contribute to villous atrophy, leaky gut syndrome, and diarrhea.  All of these issues are associated with poor nutritional absorption.

The following video discusses the causes and consequences of magnesium deficiency.  Lack of this mineral is extremely common in those with food intolerance issues, and often times the symptoms mimic other diseases.

Signs & Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency:

• Poor immune function
• Bone Loss
• Muscle pain and muscle twitching
• Depression
• High Blood Pressure
• Increase cholesterol
• Hypoglycemia or other blood sugar problems
• Fatigue
• Thyroid Disease

Magnesium has been shown to be beneficial in the following conditions:

• Migraine Headaches
• Infertility
• High blood pressure
• Type I and Type II Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Thyroid Disease

Drugs or additives that may deplete or interfere with metabolism:

• Alcohol
• Corticosteroids
• High Blood Pressure Medications (diuretics)
• Caffeine
• Birth Control Pills (estrogen)

Laboratory Testing:

• Lymphocyte proliferation assays (Spectracell labs)
• Red Blood Cell testing
• Serum testing (not accurate)

Food Sources:

Vegetables and fruits, pumpkin seeds (very high)

If you suspect that you have a magnesium deficiency, talk with your doctor about testing your levels.  Supplementation is very safe and has been shown to be extremely beneficial for those with malabsorption issues.  For a high quality, TRUE gluten free source of magnesium, go here now <<<

photo courtesy of iStockphoto / Thinkstock

Eating healthy is not always as easy as it may seem. Many foods that are pitched to us as “healthy” are anything but. As you look to improve your eating habits, be on the lookout for these Top 5 “Often Disguised As Healthy, But Harmful” Foods:

5. Frozen Yogurt – Some frozen yogurts can be okay, but you must look very closely at the ingredients list. Most of the tasty yogurts promoted as healthy alternatives to ice cream are pumped full of sugar or even aspartame and high fructose corn syrup.

4. Multi Grain Breads – When deciding to move away from white bread to a more healthy option, beware that multi-grain is not always healthier. That’s because multi-grain products try to pretend they are whole grain products. Whole grain can be good for you in moderation if you are not gluten sensitive.  It contains every part of the grain that provides health benefits – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Whole grains can be a good source of dietary fiber.  Multi-grains, on the other hand, are refined, meaning they have been milled. This refining process removes the bran, which is the part of the grain that is healthiest.  In some cases, multi-grain bread is little different from white bread.

3. Vitamin Drinks and Diet Drinks – TV commercials encourage us to replenish our electrolytes by purchasing vitamin drinks or to quench our thirst by choosing diet sodas as a lighter option, but the truth is these are just sales gimmicks. Popular vitamin drinks actually contain loads of sugar and some even contain caffeine. One popular producer of vitamin drinks has even been sued for trying to deceive consumers with their health claims. Even the diet sodas that claim to have eliminated sugar have only substituted toxic chemicals that may be even worse for you. Aspartame, a popular sugar substitute in many diet sodas, has been linked to brain tumors, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.

2. Low Fat Fakers – We often see food labels touting “low fat” or “reduced fat,” but even when these labels are true, they can be deceptive. Read the label carefully.  Oftentimes, low fat “diet foods”are high in sugar, making them counterproductive for weight loss.  Also, keep in mind there are good fats and bad fats. Good fats, like in some oils, avocado and nuts, are part of a healthy diet.  

1. Soy Substitutes – While organic soy can be healthy, conventional soy like in many soy burgers or soy milk may increase the risk for thyroid problems, breast cancer, and brain damage.  Conventional and processed soy contains anti-nutrients that can interfere with the digestion of protein, hemagglutinin, which can clot your blood, and goitrogens that can damage thyroid functions. Soy is also packed with compounds called isoflavones that can mimic human estrogen and cause such complications as infertility, altered menstrual cycles, and even increased risk for breast cancer.

Perhaps you noticed the theme here:  many food makers are taking advantage of your desire to make healthy food choices by selling you “healthy” food options that are actually no better than the junk you are trying to abandon. To protect yourself, always read the labels and learn to separate facts from jargon.

The Grain Manifesto

We’re continuing our “manifesto” series (refer back to dairy and peanuts for earlier offerings) with the one topic most likely to spur controversy – grains. Our Whole30 program doesn’t include grains of any kind – no breads, cereals, pasta, rice, not even fake grains like quinoa or gluten-free substitutes. We’re about to tell you why. (Note, we are well aware that this information may run counter to everything you’ve ever been told by your parents, doctors, personal trainers, government agencies and TV advertisements. For that, however, we make no apologies… because all the people who have been selling you Whole Grains for Health all these years have been just. Plain. Wrong. We understand if this makes you kind of angry. It makes us angry too.. but that’s a topic for another post.)

Why We Don’t Eat Grains

A. Grains provoke an inflammatory response in the gut

Lectins are specialized proteins found in many plants and foods, but are found in high concentration in grains (particularly wheat), legumes (particularly soy), and dairy. The most commonly referenced grain lectin is called “gluten”, but there are many others which are found even in pseudo-grains like quinoa. Lectins serve many biological functions in animals, but foods with high concentrations of lectins are harmful even if consumed in moderate amounts.

Lectins are hardy proteins that do not break down easily, and are resistant to stomach acid and digestive enzymes. They migrate through your digestive tract largely intact, and disrupt the intestinal membrane, damaging cells and initiating a cascade of events leading to eventual cell death. (Translation: lectins destroy the cells that line your intestines, leading to small “microperforations” or tiny holes in your intestinal lining.) These holes allow intact or nearly intact proteins, bacteria and other foreign substances to cross into the bloodstream – where they do not belong. As the immune system notices foreign substances in the body, it responds and attacks. The immune response can manifest in an unlimited number of conditions (not just in the digestive tract!) commonly referred to as “auto-immune” in nature.

It’s important to note that these cautions are not just critical for those with a diagnosed Celiac condition. These negative downstream effects happen to everyone who eats grains, to various degrees.

B. Grains spike insulin levels

Grains pack a whopping amount of carbohydrates in a very small package. As most grains are also heavily processed (yes, even whole grains) they are broken down into blood sugar (glucose) in your body very quickly. A high amount of ingested carbohydrate broken down very fast leads to a spike in blood sugar. The body, demanding homeostasis, then releases a massive dose of a hormone called insulin to pull blood sugar levels back down. This is often referred to as an “insulin spike”.

When too much sugar in the blood (blood sugar) is present in the system, your body quickly runs out of places to store it as useful energy, and will store any excess as body fat. In addition, when too much insulin is present in the system, the cells in your body become desensitized to the hormonal “message” insulin is trying to send. Since the message isn’t getting through, your pancreas is prompted to release even more insulin when your body doesn’t need it. Finally, chronically high insulin levels lead to a condition in which your body has trouble releasing the energy already stored in your cells. This is a bad place to be. If (via a diet high in carbohydrates) this pattern continues, insulin levels continue to rise, fat stores continue to grow and the body becomes completely incapable of responding to its own directions.

C. Grains have an acidifying effect on the body

A net acid-producing diet promotes bone de-mineralization (i.e. osteopenia and osteoporosis), and systemic inflammation. Grains are one of the highest acid-producing food groups. By replacing grains and grain-containing processed foods with plenty of green vegetables and fruits, the body comes back into acid/base balance (and a more positive calcium balance). Recent research out of Tufts University has also shown that a more alkaline diet preserves muscle mass.

D. Grains are “empty calories”

All grains – things like oatmeal, pasta, breads and cereals – have two things in common. They are calorically dense, and nutritionally meager. A small portion of grains packs a whopping amount of calories, almost all in the form of carbohydrates. All those calories, however, contain a very small amount of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (also called phytochemicals). Compare the calories, carbohydrates and vitamin profile of two large slices of whole grain bread (100 grams) to one cup of chopped, cooked broccoli (184 grams – nearly twice the mass). (Nutritional stats from NutritionData.com)

Note that we’re not saying there is nothing good to be found in grains. They do contain vitamins and minerals in various proportions and amounts. But the serious down sides of grains far outweigh any potential health benefits. Bottom line – there is NOTHING found in grains that you can’t get from a better source with NO down sides (like vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds).  Do your best to eliminate grains from your diet for 2 weeks and watch the weight come off and see your energy and mental clarity rise!