Gluten intolerance and avoidance has become quite a popular topic these days. Many natural doctors and television personalities are discussing the fatigue, digestive issues and other conditions that this condition can bring about.
Eliminating gluten altogether from the diet seems like a good idea but does it really work? Dr. David Pollack, of Creating Wellness Center of Commack, is not convinced. He says, “From what I have seen in practice and with a myriad of patients is that this strategy of avoidance is just that—avoiding the underlying problem. Gluten is a protein found in many grains including wheat, barley and oats, among others. When gluten or its two major subunits come into contact with the immune structures lining the small intestines, complex inflammatory reactions can occur ravaging multiple systems of the body. Very often the gut itself is irritated but even distant structures like the thyroid and adrenal glands can be involved as well. Avoidance certainly would lower the amount of these reactions, so some see a bit of improvement. But many notice that even while avoiding gluten, they seem to have become sensitive to other compounds that are similar like casein (dairy), soy, corn and many others. These compounds we become intolerant to are proteins just like gluten. That means you should be able to digest and break them down to their amino acid building blocks—that is, if your digestive tract is strong and competent.”
Pollack encourages his patients to focus on strengthening their bodies rather than avoiding particular foods and he attempts to find the underlying structures in the body that are actually dysfunctional.
“An overactive immune system or hormone imbalance can also lead to unnecessary reactions to food,” asserts Pollack. “By using a comprehensive approach towards normalizing function it is quite common to see improvement in function and symptoms in just a week or two.”
Source: Dr. David L Pollack. Location: Creating Wellness Center of Commack, 66 Commack Rd., Ste. 101, Commack. 631-462-0801, [email protected] or CreatingWellnessLI.com.
