Wheat - What is it Good For? Absolutely Nothing!

Wheat – What is it Good For? Absolutely Nothing!

The smell of homemade bread on Sunday mornings. Wholesome. Comforting. Safe.

Except it's not.

Every time you eat bread, pasta, crackers, or any product made from wheat, you're triggering inflammatory processes that damage your gut lining, dysregulate your immune system, and contribute to chronic disease.

Heart disease. Autoimmune conditions. Brain disorders. Joint pain. Fibromyalgia. Depression and anxiety. Chronic fatigue. MS. ALS.

Wheat doesn't cause all of these conditions. But it plays a significant role in most of them—either as a primary trigger or as an aggravating factor that prevents healing.

Here's why wheat is a problem and what you need to know about gluten, celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity.

What Is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. The name comes from Greek and Latin, meaning "glue"—it's the protein that holds dough together and gives bread its chewy texture.

High-gluten flours make better pizza dough and artisan bread. They also create more severe inflammatory responses in the human gut.

The problematic component: Gliadin, a fraction of gluten found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. This is the protein that triggers immune reactions and intestinal damage.

Two Types of Gluten Reactions

1. Celiac Disease (Autoimmune)

Celiac disease is an inherited genetic disorder. When someone with celiac consumes gluten, the gliadin protein acts as an antigen and combines with antibodies to form immune complexes in the intestinal lining.

This triggers killer (K) lymphocytes—immune cells that attack and destroy the villi (finger-like projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients).

Result: Mucosal damage, chronic inflammation, malabsorption, and nutrient deficiencies.

Symptoms:

• Bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain
• Malabsorption (iron deficiency, B12 deficiency, osteoporosis)
• Skin rashes (dermatitis herpetiformis)
• Neurological symptoms (brain fog, ataxia, neuropathy)
• Fatigue and weakness

Celiac can manifest at any age—infancy, childhood, or adulthood. It often goes undiagnosed for years because symptoms are attributed to other conditions.

Traditional diagnosis: Intestinal biopsy. The problem: if the biopsy doesn't sample a damaged section of the intestine, you get a false negative. You're told you're fine when you're not.

Better diagnostic methods:

• Blood tests (anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies, anti-gliadin antibodies)
• Genetic testing (HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 genes)
• Applied Kinesiology muscle testing
• Elimination and challenge testing

Approximately 3 million Americans have diagnosed celiac disease. The actual number is likely much higher due to underdiagnosis.

2. Gluten Sensitivity (Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity)

This is far more common than celiac disease. In clinical practice, 80-90% of people test positive for gluten sensitivity.

Gluten sensitivity is acquired, not inherited. It develops over time through:

• Chronic gluten exposure: Wheat is the staple grain of the Western diet. You're eating it multiple times daily.
• Increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut): When tight junctions between intestinal cells break down, gluten proteins cross into the bloodstream and trigger immune responses.

Unlike celiac disease, gluten sensitivity doesn't destroy villi. But it creates chronic inflammation, immune activation, and systemic symptoms that degrade health over time.

Symptoms overlap with celiac:

• Digestive issues (bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation)
• Brain fog, headaches, migraines
• Joint pain and inflammation
• Fatigue and low energy
• Mood issues (anxiety, depression, irritability)
• Skin problems

The key difference: celiac is autoimmune and permanent. Gluten sensitivity is inflammatory and potentially reversible with gut healing—though most people remain sensitive long-term once the reaction develops.

Why Gluten Causes Systemic Problems

Gluten doesn't just affect your gut. It triggers mechanisms that create inflammation throughout your entire body.

Zonulin Release

Gliadin triggers the release of zonulin, a protein that opens tight junctions between intestinal cells. This increases intestinal permeability (leaky gut).

Once the barrier is compromised, partially digested food proteins, bacterial endotoxins, and other inflammatory compounds enter the bloodstream. Your immune system attacks them, creating systemic inflammation.

This is why gluten sensitivity manifests as brain fog, joint pain, skin issues, and autoimmune conditions—not just digestive symptoms.

Read more: What Causes a Food Allergy

Immune Cross-Reactivity

The molecular structure of gliadin resembles proteins in your thyroid, cerebellum, and other tissues. When your immune system creates antibodies against gliadin, those antibodies sometimes attack your own tissues (molecular mimicry).

This contributes to:

• Hashimoto's thyroiditis
• Cerebellar ataxia
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Other autoimmune conditions

Opioid-Like Effects

When gluten is digested, it produces gluteomorphins—peptides with opioid-like activity. These cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to opioid receptors in the brain.

Result: addictive cravings for bread and pasta, mood changes, brain fog, and cognitive dysfunction.

This is why people say they're "addicted to bread." They actually are, neurologically.

Where Wheat Hides

Avoiding wheat means eliminating more than just bread and pasta.

The wheat family includes:

• Wheat, spelt, kamut, durum, semolina, farina
• Bulgur, couscous, triticale
• Many "ancient grains" marketed as healthy alternatives

Foods containing wheat/gluten:

• Bread, pasta, noodles, macaroni, pizza
• Crackers, cakes, pies, scones, brownies
• Bagels, croissants, rolls, hot dog buns
• Pastries, donuts, cookies, pretzels
• Beer (made from barley)
• Soy sauce (made from wheat)
• Gravies, sauces, soups (thickened with wheat flour)

Hidden sources:

• Candy and chocolate (barley malt)
• Flavored coffees (barley flavoring)
• Distilled vinegar (from wheat)
• Processed meats (fillers)
• Supplements and medications (wheat-derived excipients)
• Even envelope and stamp glues (historically wheat-based)

Reference guide: A to Z Guide to the Foods that Contain Your Food Allergies

The "Gluten-Free" Trap

Don't trust "gluten-free" packaged foods.

Most are highly processed, made with rice flour, corn starch, potato starch, and tapioca—refined carbohydrates that spike blood sugar and create their own inflammatory problems.

They're also often loaded with seed oils, sugar, and additives to mimic the texture and taste of wheat products.

You're trading one inflammatory trigger for several others.

What Actually Works

1. Complete elimination for 12-18 months.

Remove all wheat, rye, barley, oats, and gluten-containing grains. This gives your gut time to heal.

After 12-18 months of strict avoidance and gut repair, some people with gluten sensitivity (not celiac) can tolerate small amounts of gluten occasionally. But most remain sensitive long-term.

2. Heal intestinal permeability.

Gluten damaged your gut barrier. Repair requires:

• L-glutamine
• Zinc carnosine
• Collagen peptides
• Bone broth
• Removal of all inflammatory triggers

3. Restore gut bacteria.

Gluten-induced inflammation disrupts the microbiome. Rebuilding requires:

• Probiotic supplementation
• Fermented foods
• Prebiotic fiber (from non-grain sources)

4. Support immune regulation.

Chronic immune activation doesn't shut off immediately when you remove gluten. Support requires:

• Vitamin D
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Adequate protein
• Stress management

For comprehensive guidance on anti-inflammatory eating and gut healing, visit the Fuel Your Body pillar page.

The Bottom Line

Wheat isn't food. It's an inflammatory trigger masquerading as nutrition.

The USDA food pyramid told you to eat 6-11 servings of grains daily. That recommendation created an epidemic of obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disease, and chronic inflammation.

You don't need grains. Your body doesn't need grains. Every nutrient in wheat is available in higher quantities and more bioavailable forms from meat, vegetables, and other whole foods.

Remove wheat entirely. See what your body does when you stop poisoning it three times a day.

Struggling with chronic symptoms despite "eating healthy"? Dr. JJ Gregor uses Applied Kinesiology to identify gluten sensitivity and other hidden food reactions in his Frisco, Texas practice. Schedule a consultation to uncover what's driving your symptoms.