Studies show that celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to the gluten found in wheat, barley and rye, affects more than three million Americans. Researchers are not sure how to explain the recent increases in this disease. It has quadrupled in the last 50 years. But our penchant for consuming foods containing gluten may be at least partly to blame.
An article in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry points out that even though the gluten in various forms of wheat haven’t changed that much since the 1920s, the average American now eats about 15 pounds of gluten a year. That’s a 25 percent increase since the 1970s.
Researcher Donald D. Kasarda points out that many foods now contain an additive called “vital gluten.” The amount of vital gluten added to foods has tripled since the 1970s. This additive is made from wheat flour and consists of almost pure gluten.
Celiac disease can cause your immune system to attack and destroy your intestinal tract, nerves, brain tissue and other parts of the body.
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