Gluten, Genes, and Good Health

When our youngest daughter went gluten free about 10 years ago, it was amazing as a mother to see the many health benefits she experienced - improved mental clarity, better mood, more energy, and better GI health to name a few. Then our oldest daughter was tested and found to have an allergy to gluten. Her esophageal reflux has improved, her sinus congestion is gone and her frequent stomach cramps are no more.

So it's not surprising that I have found it of great interest to know more about gluten sensitivity and the role it plays in causing chronic illnesses and health problems. Reading Wheat Belly by cardiologist, Dr. William Davis, was enlightening and as I shared some of the info in the book with my husband, I was able to convince him to see what happens if we go gluten free for 6 months.

Chronic Inflammation

But a book by David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM a Board-Certified Neurologist and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, called Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers, was so compelling that I knew that I had to share what he has to say with the readers of Macular Degeneration News.

Although he does not specifically address macular degeneration, he does address inflammation and the role gluten plays in diseases caused by chronic inflammation. Here are some of the things he writes about:

1. Gluten sensitivity represents the greatest and most under-recognized health threat to humanity

2. Food choices can bring inflammation under control by actually changing the expression of your genes

3. The cornerstone of all degenerative conditions, including brain disorders is inflammation

Find out more about what Dr. Perlmutter has to say about gluten, what foods and products it is in and what healthy foods we should be eating:

Gluten, Inflammation and Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Leslie Degner, RN, BSN

Better Health for Better Vision

www.WebRN-MacularDegeneration.com

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