I liked this article in the NY Times which paraphrased Mayo Clinic studies in 2009 that found that Celiac Disease (and gluten intolerance) is 4X more prevalent than it was in the 1950s—and not just because doctors are testing for it more frequently.
Many people surmise that there is a new variable causing this massive increase in gluten intolerance and not surprisingly it coincides with great changes to wheat production – and genetic modification of wheat.
The hybridisation and genetic engineering of wheat has resulted in a 500X increase in the gluten content of modern day wheats compared to the wheat grown and produced prior to 1950. This massive increase of gluten content sure seems like a likely culprit for the steep increase in people who have become gluten sensitive or intolerant.
Not to be overly simplistic, but perhaps we humans just aren’t adapting to the higher gluten content at the same rate as the wheat is being radically genetically modified. If you’ve seen the new transgentic wheat it doesn’t even look like wheat used to look—it’s kind of shocking, really. I live in farming country so I really notice the difference. It’s stocky, short and doesn’t move in the breeze anymore.. No more amber waves of grain!
If you’re interested there are lots of websites out there where you can learn more about wheat production and transgenic wheat..like here.
Personally, I’m not gluten intolerant – but I did see firsthand how a gluten free diet radically improved my mother’s health.
My mother (now in her 60s) began suffering from debilitating cramping in her face, scalp and eventually her entire body about a decade ago. After extensive neurological testing over years and years it was diagnosed as Fibromyalgia and no medication could prevent the cramping of her muscles or ease her pain. It grew worse over time and was looking like it would force her into an early retirement – and was robbing her of all the things she liked to do like golf, play tennis and play with her grandkids.
After one of her doctors mentioned in passing that they were finding new links between gluten intolerance and Fibromyalgia it was suggested she might try a gluten free diet.
After over 7 years of increasingly debilitating symptoms (to the point where she could not operate a motor vehicle safely) and facing disability retirement – she tried going gluten free.
She had a miraculous reversal of ALL her symptoms. She was shocked and amazed that a diet change did what no surgery, pill or modern medicine could do to end her nearly constant cramping/muscle spasms and pain.
She remains entirely symptom free (no Fibromyalgia pain) to this day – as long as she is careful to maintain her gluten free diet. It takes a little extra effort and lots of label-reading but she’s thrilled to be finally pain free and able to walk, drive and get active again after years of pain and muscle cramping.