staying healthy in the fast laneIn my opinion wheat sensitivity is a more difficult intolerance
to deal with than milk since it is found in nearly everything in the
United States as a refined wheat or whole-grain product. Its whole-
ness really doesn’t matter, though I must admit I think sometimes
the whole grain is more reactive than white flour foods, which
are less nutritious. People are really attached to bread and a lot
of refined wheat confectionary foods (crackers, pastries, pretzels,
etc.), which are not only vehicles for sweet-fat calories but may
also trigger food intolerance. Interestingly, if you ate a traditional
rice-based Asian diet, you would not even think about dairy prod-
ucts and wheat in bread. They wouldn’t be in your normal diet. The
rice-based Asian diet is a “low allergy” diet by nature.
Why Are Wheat and Dairy Products Addictive?
Wheat, like dairy products, contain opioid compounds: gliado
(or gluteo) morphin or exorphins. These are addictive compounds.
Gliadin is a fraction of the wheat protein gluten. Exorphins are
found in food proteins, while endorphins, the “feel good” neuro-
chemicals, are made within the body. These exorphins, opioid-like
peptides (small chains of amino acids), can alter neuron function
in the brain. The gliado- and casomorphin (milk opioid) com-
pounds can also trigger inflammation in the gut, making it more
permeable (intestinal permeability). This can allow for a variety of
components from the intestinal tract to be absorbed and trigger a
reaction that results in a systemic complaint, meaning somewhere
else in your body (e.g., headache, joint pain, fatigue, etc.).
Why “Food Intolerance” and Not “Food Allergy”?
I choose the term “food intolerance” because there is no single
good definition of food allergy that includes all reactions to foods.
When most allergists say food allergy, they generally mean an IgE
mediated response. This is usually immediate, can be severe or
life threatening, and is most commonly diagnosed by RAST testing