Should you not eat gluten?

It gives me an advantage of traffic. Yeah. I met a girl once, um who actually had she I can't remember. I think she'd like worn out, like her fingers from typing, or she broke it or she did something, and she actually had that splint like this, like her middle finger sticking up. I was like, I envy you, right, you know you can get a splint and do that and just tell people I could. I'm very lazy though, Sure so, Chuck,

how you doing great? God a, you're getting ready for Christmas? Yeah, this is our last couple of shows here before we break, and actually this will come out in two thousand eleven. Yeah, mind meld. But this is this is what's really going on in our world right now, Chuck. You remember Norman Borlog, I know this is this is unique Nobel Prize winning

I guess agriculturist, botanist. He is. He was responsible for the green revolution, which, ironically, the people of the green environmental revolution like to point out, is like the scourge of the environment because basically what Borlog did in the forties, I think the fifties and sixties, there was a lot of um famines predicted, right, Apparently up to a billion people were predicted to die because the agriculture head reached its carrying capacity, which is the number of people that

can support I think, without any help whatsoever, agriculture can support like um, a couple of billion people something like that, Right, And we'd reached that point, or we were about to, and everybody was about to be in big trouble, and then Borlog steps in just at the nick of time, goes down to Mexico, basically forces wheat to evolve super quickly so that you have these high, high yields over

very small areas. More output exactly um, but like se more output UM and literally saves about a billion lives. That's what he's credited with. The problem is he's also credited with creating these really intensive agriculture techniques that pollute water sheds from you know, intensive fertilizer and pesticides. Um. These things don't just grow on their own, like. It requires a lot of intensive farming. Right. I didn't know

if there was a downside to his work. I know, it's it's kind of weird to think about, but yeah, he's actually kind of a whipping posts or um for the the environmental movement. He just passed away this last year, right, uh yeah, within the last year too. Yeah, I think he was last year, maybe two thousnine, um. But yeah, so he's kind of he's been vilified unfairly in my opinion, for creating a lot of ecological problems. I think when you say that, you missed that he saved about a

billion lives, you know. Um. But there's also possibly one other thing that he created inadvertently with his green revolution, and that is what we call Celiac disease. Interesting, yeah, because this this will think think about this Celiac disease, which is an allergy or an autoimmune disorder that results from an allergy to gluten. But it is an autoimmune disorder though it's not a food allergy. It's an autoimmune

disorder brought on by a food allergy. Okay um. But a study I think from two thousand nine found that it's UH that gluten allergies or seal the act disease is UM about four point five times more common now

than it was fifty years ago. And a lot of people suspect that it it's because wheats become such a staple crop that it's found everywhere, and so since we're more exposed to it than ever thanks to this green revolution, um, we have started to develop this disorder because of it now, so is bore logs uh was his plan or not? Obviously it wouldn't plan, but was his technique of making the wheat and more yield high yield? Did that actually increase the amount of gluten? I would imagine so, because

there's just more weeks. But I think also what's behind it is wheat is everywhere because in the West there's so much of it that we just use it for everything. Because and we'll see in a minute, it shows up in some pretty random places that wouldn't notice, Yes, that you wouldn't notice. Well, you could put some wheat and water and drink it. Well, yeah, wheat water right, also called beer wheat water. I'm gonna order one of this next time we're going to a bar. Yeah, can I

have some wheat water kind of wheat water. I'm gonna order fire water when you order wheatwater. Okay, Well that would be whiskey or something in firewater liquor whiskey. Yeah, So, Chuck, let's talk about Celiac disease. Let's talk about gluten. Let's let's just lay it out on the table and see what happens. Man. Yeah, because I mean it's all over

the place. Now, it's a big I would say there's some controversy because a lot of people are jumping on gluten free diets because, like Gwyneth Paltrow said, she lost some weight, so people are using it to lose weight, which weight Like, she's not two dimensional, she's a sheet of paper. Um. So let's talk about the small intestine. So if we want to absorb what's going on here with this podcast. The small intestine is absorbs nutrients. That's

what it does. Thanks to little villian there. If you have Celiac disease, that means the lining of your intestine is destroyed to the point where, uh, it's not doing that job, and the nutrients go straight through to your poop, right, And that's just pretty much it. Yeah, it's it's just as straightforward as that. Yeah, that's celia. I mean there's a lot of twist and turns along the way. Obviously.

Well one of these is not exactly straightforward. One of the um we we absorb nourishment in the small intestine, right, Yeah. So one of the side effects of Celiac disease of an inability to absorb the nutrient gluten um is malnourishment, which also happens if you've had a significant portion of your intestines removed. Malnourishment is often a result as well. Yeah, and that can lead to potentially anemia, osteoporosis, bad things,

very bad things. Mal Nourishment just isn't good period. So a lot of people think, well, you know, Celiac disease is an allergy to wheat. It is um. But like you, like you just pointed out, you can get malnourishment. You can develop malnourishment from it um. And it is also an autoimmune disorder where the body is warding off something unnecessarily, right, like your immune system is not functioning correctly. Yeah, what is this? They said that of sufferers have one of

two histo compatibility leucocyte antigens. Right, So what I take from it is that's what they search for when they do a blood test disease, right, So I think what happens is it's we're exposed to wheat, right, Uh, our body mistakes the gluten. Actually, in this case, in Celiac disease, our body mistakes the protein we make ourselves for the enzyme we make ourselves that breaks down gluten as a foreign invader. Gluten is a protein, and we even said

that I don't know gluten is a protein. Yes, it's a protein, we should say, yeah, found specifically in wheat bar early and rye. Yeah right, okay, yeah, okay. But the weird thing about Celiac disease is our body is not even warding off the gluten. It's warding off the enzyme our body makes to break down the gluten. So it's all kinds of confused, right, So we're introduced to we here's some gluten our body produces and time to go break it down. Some of our immune system goes, whoa, wha,

what's going on? Forms antibodies that are that are um developed just to destroy these enzymes that break down gluten. So then anytime we're exposed to gluten again these enzymes are produced, our immune system mounts a defense unnecessarily and therefore we we this As a result, the gluten is not broken down. It passes through the stool or the poop, as you said, And um, we're malnourished because the villa just basically lies down on the job or is destroyed

all together. And about one and one hundred and thirty three people suffer from it. But it is under diagnosed because it can mistake You can mistake it for irritable irritable bowel syndrome. Yeah. Well, let's talk about the bowel symptoms. Right. There's um, you can have an upset tummy, irritable bowel syndrome. Um. You can also have chronic diarrhea, which is one of the worst kinds of diarrhea. Yeah, I would say the worst. You can lose weight even though you're eating just a

normal diet. Right, Um, foul smelling bowel movements. Yeah, what what is that all about? It means your poop stinks bad? Yeah, but I mean does not always. I think that this is like even in the notice, in the realm of poop. This is bad like dad poop, except without the tang of shaving cream also mixed in with it. Right, it's funny. There's a break like when you're a little baby. It's like the worst thing on earth. And then I remember being a kid specifically and might go and ask my

dad a question. Then he would just open the door and I would be like, oh my lord, what is happening in there? I wonder what it is? So I would say, then your poop smells best between the ages of like two, and so if you're ever gonna have to smell poop, do it during those ages. Right, this is going downhill fast. There's also some non bowel related symptoms. Well, excessive gas. We didn't say that. Oh yeah, that's a

big one, toot um. The non bowel related symptoms are like muscle cramps, joint pain, uh, irritability, and depression, which I think actually are probably comorbid with smelly poop. Fue. Yeah, yeah, you're just like, oh God, I can't take this more.

A A one unmistakable sign is a well, not unmistakable because it could be other things, but a skin rash known as dermatitis herpetiformists and that's like blistering and itching on the elbows and knees and your but yeah, so if you've got that going on, you may want to get that looked into. And then part of the big problem with Celiac disease um like if you go to a doctor and say, my poop smells really bad. I often have chronic diarrhea, I'm irritable, gassy, and I have

joint pain, and I have this rash. The doctors can be like, you have Celiac disease. You may also be asymptomatic. And this is where it's it's a problem because if the symptoms are UM, you know, not too terrible, like you can deal with it and you don't even really think about it. Or if you're asymptomatic, entirely your your small intestine is still being ravaged by UM, this autoimmune disorder that you have. Yes, you may not feel terrible,

but it's it's wrecking you. Yeah, you're gonna become malnoursed you're at risk for in India and osteoporocess and all this other stuff as well. Well. One stat that's in this article. Um I think Molly Edmonds wrote this, right, she did, of stuff Mom never told you, and our our chief medical correspondent. Uh. For every person that is diagnosed, about thirty people habit and are undiagnosed. Yeah, that's that's huge. That's huge underdiagnosis. So they think you're just gassy and

fatigued and irritable. Right. And one of the problems why or one of the reasons why it's so underdiagnosed, as a lot of these symptoms mimic other um more or other better understood disease like cystic fibrosis. Yeah, we mentioned IBS and Cron's disease, which I thought was interesting, which I think is related somehow, is it? Though? They usually

have to take out part of your intestine for chron disease. Uh. So Molly suggests, you know, to be your own advocate, which is always a good idea and because a lot of doctors will bypass that. But I bet these days doctors are hearing more and more from people saying I think I might have Celiac disease, right, and also a lot of people as Celiac disease and the idea of gluten and eating a gluten free diet, which as it stands right now is the only treatment for Celiac disease.

Is eating a gluten free diet. Um is more and more people are become aware of it. I think a lot of a lot of people are starting to adopt that um not only because of celia disease, a lot of people consider it to be healthier. Yeah, that possibly gluten is responsible for the widespread depression, murder rates, like everything that's wrong with the world, it can be traced to gluten or case in, which is I think, what

the what is the responsible party for lactose intolerance? Right, It's a lot of people are eating what's called gluten free casein free diets, right, Well, gluten, you can have a gluten sensitivity without having Celiac disease, So that's important to point out. Without having full blown Celiac disease, you

can't have a sensitivity to it. But the things that I've read say that if you don't have a sensitivity to it and you're not celiac, you're not Celiac disease, then there's really no reason to avoid it, and a lot of it is. It's sort of the fad now, yeah, it is, but it makes you wonder. Sometimes the mob mentality is correct. You know. Um, if you do think you have Celiac disease though, and you're considering adopting a glute and free diet, hold off and actually go to

the doctor first, that you want to be properly diagnosed. Um, because once you start, once you adopt the gluten free diet, it's going to mess with the results of the blood test. Yeah, you can actually show a false positive for celiac because you're avoiding gluten in the blood. Or no, it won't show up. Oh no, I thought it said you can appear to have Celiac disease. Oh see what I took from it is that you it won't show up because your body is not producing the antibodies that they look

for in the blood test. Because adopting a gluten free diet is so um effective that your body starts healing itself pretty quickly. Am I wrong? I don't know. You know, it just says it can distort the blood test, So it just messes. It just messes with it one way or the other. Right, So, if you want to be diagnosed with celiac disease, I think you have it. Go

get diagnosed, and then adopt the gluten free lifestyle. And that is the good news that, um, you're gonna stop experiencing symptoms in the first within a couple of days, possibly a week or so, and then your small intestine will begin to repair itself and function correctly. Yeah, because it's really it's just the gluten that your body's reacting to. And if there's no gluten, hey, yeah, they call it disease. I guess it qualifies, but it's to me it's more

of a condition. If you can just quit eating gluten, it will repair itself, although it's uncurable, so I guess it is technically disease. And we talked about UM diets, right, the gluten free case and free diet is actually UM A lot of parents of autistic kids, which, by the way, I checked with the guy who has an autistic kid, and he said it's cool to call him autistics yet

autistics rather than people with autism or both. He said he thought it was he'd been doing it for the last twenty years, So that's just his opinion, right, but

at the very least he won't be offended. But there's a certain amount of logic to UM feeding kids with autism a gluten free case and free diet, And basically the logic behind in it is that kids with autism overproduced certain peptides that break down these things, and for some reason, this process in the brain treats these the compounds when they're broken down as opiates and cause kids to behave differently from other kids, which apparently explains autism.

And it's it's not vetted enough. There haven't been enough studies apparently to prove or disprove it, but that there's a lot of parents of autistic kids who are not feeding them gluten or case and well, we're just learning so much about autism now we need to do that as a podcast at some point. Oh, definitely, because all the controversy around the UH shots that kids get causing autism and stuff like that. Yeah, there's and it still remains even after that one doctor who basically started that

whole thing was completely discredited. Yeah, well, there's just so much cynicism and UM suspicion towards you know, the establishment. So we'll we'll do autism. We're promising that. Uh. So we were talking about the fact that gluten products are lousy with this stuff these days. It's obviously if it's in wheat, barley and rye, it's gonna be in any

kind of baked good with this stuff, crackers, pasta, cereal bread. Um. But it's also and some weird things, not weird things, but it's weird that it's in these things, like salad dressing is so weird, Uh, salad dressing, soy sauce, peanut butter, ice cream, pudding, lipstick and toothpaste, beer, obviously, vitamins, an envelope adhesive. Yeah, which makes me wonder is that when she has like a really heightened uh gluten allergy perhaps So, Yeah,

it's in all those things. Obviously any kind of anything made with flour, so you don't might not think about soup like a chowder or a gravy that's sticking with flower. I wouldn't want to live if I couldn't eat gravy. Yeah, you can want to live a vy free life. Either that or my my bowel movements would stink because I would not stop eating gravy. What's the point If you can't eat gravy, what's the point of eating anything. I'm with you, either you do the dark brown gravy or

like the light brown, pretty anything. I prefer brown gravy, like dark brown like KFC. Yes, but I will eat any gravy really, alright. Uh. The other good thing about the fact that gluten is all over everyone's radar now, UM is that if you do want to live a gluten free life, it's a lot easier now too, because there's tons of products now that are touting being gluten gluten free, including gluten free beer. Yeah. What do you know the brands? It was curious about that. No, but

there's there's there's several out there. I think Terrapin, one of our breweries from beloved Athens, Georgia, has a gluten free beer. I think, yeah, I think there's that. Several brands have started to UM carry to produce gluten free beer. Because really all you need is is some sort of starch to get things going. It doesn't have to be wet. You should consumably use rice. There's also a soy vodka

that's awful, but it's out there. UM because think about it, gluten vodka is often made from grain, and you're in big trouble with with whiskey vodka. They I have had it. It was one of the few shots free shots I've ever given back in my life. It was now when you mean give it back, you spit it back at the bar to no. Um. I grabbed two and I did one and actually caught the the girl who was handing him out attention and put it back on the tray.

Put the little test tuo back in the thing. Bad. Uh. What was I gonna say, Josh, oh, if you're eating out, you're gonna want to talk to your waiter or chef. And a lot of you know, trendy restaurants these days have a little gluten free sections too, because everyone thinks that they're they have celia because he's now well right well. And not only that, there's a lot of people out there who, like you said, think it's healthy. It's it's

kind of the fad. So there's strengthen numbers as far as consumer ship goes UM And apparently between two thousand and two, No, two thousand four and two thousand nine, in five years UM, the amount of gluten free products on the market increase, according to the neil Thing Company. Well, and they know what they're talking about. Well, they want to make a buck. Well it's who the neil Thing company. No, just people that make the products that you consume. They

want to make a buck. So they know that gluten free is a big deal, so they slap gluten free on there and obviously remove the gluten. I'm not saying they're lying to everyone. You know, Mellow Mushroom has a

gluten free pizza. Of course they do. Uh. Molly points out that one thing you can do is um instead of to try and avoid gluten, just look at a list of safe foods that might be easier, just to think in the realm of vegetables and fruits, nuts, dry beans, milk and get clear soup, no gravy, dairy and by the chuck, I want to correct myself corn rice. So I re tales sales of gluten free products have increased,

se not the number of products on the market. Okay, retail sales, but still I think that that's directly proportionate to the number of products on the market. Also, Josh Potato and Chema, I like how you say that, How should I say it? I think that's right, okay, instead of quinola quella. How I've always said, um, what chuck, what happens if you are a Catholic? You're in big trouble,

aren't you. Yeah? Like it's it's made with with wheat and they're not going to bend on that, right, And that the the the Pope the Catholic churches actually issued a ruling. Pope, Yeah, oh yeah, you're right. He just he looks creepy. That's the reason. Okay, I'm glad you said that. Um. The the Catholic Church issued a ruling on the presence of gluten in the communion wafers and said that the true Eucharist bread must be made with wheat. Right.

Apparently there is a young girl whose um communion was nullified by the Catholic Church because she had been she had received her first communion as a low gluten wafer, which the Protestants have come to embrace. So they said they didn't count. They said she's not a Catholic like she she didn't. There are several rights to Catholicism. There's baptism, first communion, first penance, confirmation, marriage, and last rights right

and she can still off right. Um, so one of her I guess points of Catholicism was literally overturned hers personally by the Catholic Church because she had received a low gluten wafer. And they wonder why Catholicism is losing It's it's a members because they're basically saying to her, you're we're forcing you to have stinky poop, little girl, girl, we don't care if you can die from this. Well

it's only one little wafer though. Well the problem also is, um, the Protestants have embraced low gluten wafer, but low gluten doesn't mean no gluten, so there's kind of that too. I mean, people with severe Celiac disease can you know, still have a pretty bad reaction to a comedian wafer? And check? This is a big deal. I mean it's not to you and me, but to you know, devout cast who have Celiac disease, this is a big deal. Yeah,

it's a very important right for them. And it is very disappointing that the Church came out and ruled like no, sorry, it's like roll with the changes a little bit, you know, which is weird because the Church has been known to you know, evolve over time, like there used to be such a thing as purgatory. Not anymore, according to the Catholic Church. But the Eucharist has to be made with wheat. Interesting,

it is interesting. I think we said the word gluten enough now to where it sounds funny to me in my head. Yeah, it sounds very Midwest, northern Midwestern gluten. Yeah, gluten like sh Morgan's board or something. Do you have anything else? I got nothing else, So I mean I could keep talking for a while. No, I just say if you if you think you have a gluten sensitivity, uh, you can. You should go see a doctor, get your blood test. I think after the blood test, I'll even

do a biopsy. If you're small intestin, I guess. And if you're a heavy smoker and you're not sure if you have a gluten sensitivity, ask a friend or loved one who lives with you. They'll tell you, oh, because

you can't smell, got you. And if you want to learn more about Celiac disease, uh, and whether or not it's plural, you can type that in C E L I A C in the handy search bar at how Stuff Works dot com they'll bring up a very interesting and concise article by Molly Edmunds who manages to marry Greek mythology and autoimmune disorders of the intestine pretty definitely really Yeah in the intro, Yeah, since I said a handy search bar, that means then it's time for the

listener mail. Yeah, Josh, I'm gonna call this. Uh, a couple of emails from the same girl. Okay, first kiss stuff, And then there was an update you'll see what I mean from Alison. Yes, guys, you asked for a story about a first kiss. I think I have just the one. Uh. If you hold on through the cheesy parts, you'll see how it all comes back to you. Guys. Is this the girl from who had her first kiss at seven? Uh? Now I already read that one. Yeah, I thought this

was a follow up. Now this is different girl. When I was eighteen, she was a late bloomer too, because she was eighteen to late bloomers. I interned for a summer in Paris, staying at an international house students in turns like she she wasn't allowed to leave parents. She said, I met the most wonderful people there, two English brothers and an Irishman became my particular friends and we decided to go on a weekend trip to Venice, and it

turned of fortune. Our last night landed me alone on a dock in Venice with one of the Brits that had shyly been flirting with me for months. It may have been pheromones, It may have been that our teeth did not smash together here, but my first kiss led to my first love. Well, we have been together for two years now, all of it long distance. On a return vacation to Italy we took last winter, the brit

introduced me to stuff you should know. I've been hooked ever since, and as sad as it may sound, you guys helped to stay connected by either sharing of our headphones l O L ngto your podcast as we traveled, or listening separately before we go to bed and ocean apart, only to discuss the newest episode in the morning. Here's an update. She sent me an update a couple of weeks later. The brit and I actually broke up for

a few months. Uh with his career about to start in London and my graduate studies starting next year in New York, and a few other complications. However, he said he's made a mistake and he's trying to win me back. He's even willing to move to New York for me. Sweet. He's just waiting for me to decide if that's what I want. And I've been getting me I've been giving

him a hard time as I make up my mind. Uh. I quote directly when he said, listening to Josh and Chuck it and I before I go to bed without you his torture, Well that it's really sweet. This guy's pretty cool. It read a different way listening to Josh and Chuck his torture. I told you, Uh, I told you that you guys play an important partner lives. To make a long story short, I want to give him

a second chance. He's a love of my life. Would there be any chance that you could read my email and perhaps let him know that I am still those Wow? I just got chills. Chuck so nameless. Brett Alison says she still loves you. It sounds like you're moving to New York. But it's like the Big Apples calling your name my friend. So if you had a secret, I'm sorry, not so secret. Kiss on a dock in Venice with

the girl named Alison. Then then we're talking to you because she didn't give a name, so she calls him Britt. Maybe his name is Britt, maybe Britt from Great Britain. So that's it. Wow. Wow, And she since bugged me a couple of times like, are you gonna read it? It's like, have you not talked to him? Right? Yeah? Refusing to contact him until it comes out. It's weird. Well I hope they don't. Actually, I hope he doesn't move on because he didn't because we didn't publish fast enough. Wow. Wow.

I can't even think of something to call for. That was really sweet. Um. If you've ever been on a boat that started sinking, we want to hear about it. Yes, hopefully the brit will be flying actually to New York rather than sailing a steamership here. If you've ever been on a boat that started sinking, Uh, we want to hear about that story. You should probably just go ahead and put it in an email and you can address that email to Stuff podcast at how stuff works dot com.

For more on this and thousands of other topics. Is it how stuff works dot com. To learn more about the podcast, click on the podcast icon in the upper right corner of our homepage How Staff Works iPhone app has a ride. Download it today on iTunes, brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you