Diet enriched with gluten led to brain inflammation in mouse study
THIS food additive could DAMAGE your brain
Friend, I’m not one to jump on the gluten bandwagon.
I love the results I’m seeing from people who say they’ve gone “gluten-free”… but I suspect they started eating healthier overall and are feeling better as a result of that.
Don’t get me wrong – gluten can be a SERIOUS problem for some folks.
But NOT that many of us have a full-on ALLERGY to this substance… which is actually a type of protein naturally found in wheat and other grains.
The way I see it, the REAL problem comes in when gluten is ADDED to processed foods… which can wreak havoc on our bodies in a myriad of ways.
And that’s what piqued my interest about the latest research behind gluten – especially since it wasn’t extolling the virtues of “gluten-free” foods (which are ALSO often heavily processed and packaged).
See, scientists wanted to find out what would happen if they SUPPLEMENTED regular, healthy diets with EXTRA gluten…
And, friend, the news wasn’t good.
In a new study on mice out of New Zealand, the researchers traced this “extra” gluten to brain inflammation…
Specifically in the area of the hypothalamus, which helps control many metabolic processes… like, for example, blood sugar balance and weight management.
Now, excess inflammation ANYWHERE in the body can wreak havoc in a NUMBER of ways…
And it’s often the HIDDEN culprit behind mystery symptoms and even chronic disease.
But inflammation in the brain… particularly THIS PART of the brain… could set off a domino effect.
And it starts with two types of brain cells: astrocytes and microglia.
They’re both key parts of the central nervous system… and they RUSH IN to the hypothalamic region as part of an immune response.
As you’ve probably heard, immune-released inflammation often SPIKES to try to fight off an invader…
And, in this case, the invader is gluten!
Now, it appears as though this “food additive” really turns up the heat in the ol’ noggin…
Which could result in, you guessed it, brain damage.
And an injured brain could mean memory loss.
These latest findings haven’t changed my mind about why Big Food has been so enthusiastically slapping a “gluten-free” label on their boxes and bags – that is, to make their packaged foods seem healthy!
And giving up gluten STILL doesn’t give you a free pass to eat however you want.
This recent study just CONFIRMS what I already knew about gluten: That eating foods ENRICHED with the stuff is bad news.
And if you’re feeling bad after eating plain ol’ wheat… it may not actually be gluten’s fault.
It might be the PESTICIDES that the grains are too often SOAKED in!
Before giving up gluten-containing whole grains altogether… try going organic first.
In order to receive organic certification, foods MUST NEVER be treated with any chemicals… and certainly not the weedkiller glyphosate, which is a suspected culprit behind some of the “food allergies” that Americans have been experiencing.
And while you’re at it, just skip the processed and packaged foods altogether. Don’t even walk the aisles in the middle of the grocery store.
Stick to the fresh food at the perimeter… and I GUARANTEE you’ll start to feel better.
In pursuit of the truth,
Dr. Marc Micozzi M.D., Ph.D.