Gluten, fats, nutrition and you
QUESTION: Masters, I am quite confused about all the contradictory information concerning nutrition. For instance, it seems inconsistent everything that is written about gluten a substance which seems to be harmful in many ways. Most people eat wheat products daily and are not having any significant problems. Is it really such a poison? The ongoing discussion about different fats and their harmfulness is also very tiring; nobody seems to know the answer. How do you know what is best for the human body? ~Ella, Finland
ANSWER: Your human body is, in many ways, very sensitive to its environment. The manner in which you utilize food depends on the genetic makeup of your cells and the substances with which you have come in contact that may have initiated a reaction similar to an allergy within your body. There is no common factor running through all of humanity when it comes to nutrition. What one person can eat will kill another.
Food is fuel to the physical body. Just as various types of engines within motor vehicles require different types and grades of gasoline or diesel fuel, dissimilar bodies can use or reject food provided for their nutritional needs. You have to find out what combination of foods powers your engine most efficiently.
If your family genes tolerate or thrive on cholesterol-laden products, you will be able to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast every day and fatty foods whenever you choose with no dangerous effect. If cholesterol is a family problem, eggs once a week can clog up your arteries and cause heart problems.
Gluten can be a problem for different reasons, mostly having to do with genetically altered grains. With the desire to increase crop yields and make plants more resistant to bugs and blight, scientists have altered the genes within the seeds. These alterations are like acid to some sensitive peoples’ systems, creating a reaction similar to that from ingesting a poison. Other people are not affected because a tolerance for change is built into their bodies.
The human body is a very complex assortment of systems, each with varying tolerances for outside interference. There is no one answer to your question. It is trial and error to see if someone is allergic to peanuts, shellfish, gluten, or any other food source.