Posted on June 30th, 2009 by Craig Maltby, Editor
For immune health’s sake, beware of blanket advice.
How many times am I and others hearing the advice: “Eliminate gluten from your diet.” Or: “Get rid of all dairy
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Don’t ever make me give this up.
Don’t ever make me give this up.
products. You can get your protein and calcium from other foods.” Many “eliminators” claim that any given person’s health will improve. I can see where some might be swayed by this advice. I had an office colleague years ago whose mother suddenly became very ill. Overnight she began experiencing severe gastrointestinal problems, skin irritation, joint pain and constant fatigue. Medical specialists were fairly stumped, thinking it might be an autoimmune condition that didn’t have much of a solution. Then, almost as a last resort, she saw a nutrition counselor who recommended she get rid of gluten-containing foods from her diet. Bread and wheat-based foods, pastas, etc.
That did the job. She improved dramatically. Certainly, if one is diagnosed as gluten intolerant or is a celiac disease sufferer (a genetic condition that triggers an autoimmune response to gluten, present in approximately .5% to 1% of the population), dietary restrictions as prescribed by a health professional are a must. However, that does not mean gluten-free should be a universal mantra.
A recently published summary here shows how gluten is helpful in maintaining proper gut health, and in turn, immune health. A big part of the human immune defense system resides in the gut in the form of beneficial microflora. In addition, dairy foods with quality probiotic content–yogurts, aged cheeses–can also play a role in maintaining immune health.
And another fine blogger also has similar thoughts.
The EpiCor immune-balance supplement I take happens to be gluten free, but that’s simply a function of the raw material and process deployed to achieve the finished, desired ingredient profile. I think in the end, a diet that’s balanced and in moderation across a variety of whole foods is a good bet for most.
