FIVE.
Resistance Is Futile: "What We Have Here Is Failure to Communicate"
Think about yourself as a remarkably complex machine for a moment. What if one of the key control elements in your existence were to malfunction? What if the primary information messenger that determines how long you will live, if you are fertile, if you develop cancer, senility, and a host of diseases-what if that signal became lost in the shuffle? What if parts of you could not hear the signal at all and other parts of you were deafened by the noise of too much "signal"? What if we called that critical signal insulin? Or leptin?
This may seem esoteric, but I guarantee you have experienced something like this at one time. Consider a time when you walked into a room that had a very strong odor like perfume or cologne. Now, what happens to your ability to sense that perfume or cologne after ten to fifteen minutes of being in the room? It"s much less, right? How about an hour later? You likely cannot even smell the perfume at this point. What has happened is the olfactory nerves in your nose have down-regulated the receptors for that perfume. If you stepped outside for a breath of fresh air and then returned to the room, you would be able to sense the perfume again. Although a simplistic a.n.a.logy, this is quite similar to the down-regulation that happens when our bodies are subjected to abnormally elevated levels of hormones such as leptin and insulin.
The situation with hormones is far more complex than perfume because there are different mechanisms that can increase or decrease our ability to sense various hormones. For example, we will see how cortisol decreases our ability to sense insulin, while exercise increases our ability to sense insulin, so long as we do not do so much exercise that we release cortisol and damage our insulin sensitivity! That complexity considered, the perfume a.n.a.logy is still instructive. The take-home point is that a loss of hormonal sensitivity, in this case for insulin or leptin, can lead to chronically elevated insulin levels and a host of health problems. As you will see, controlling these hormones is critical to losing fat, improving athletic performance, avoiding cancer, preventing neurodegeneration, maintaining fertility, slowing aging, and sidestepping the ravages of Inflammation Gone Wild.
Requiem for a Dream.
If you have followed what I have written thus far and understand how we can become insulin resistant, the solution should be pretty obvious: control carbohydrate levels and other lifestyle factors influencing insulin and leptin sensitivity. Unfortunately, the medical response to this problem has been dietary and pharmaceutical interventions that generally raise insulin levels. It would be a joke if it was not so tragic.
We will now look at a few conditions that are particularly sensitive to the effects of insulin resistance, specifically cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. Keep in mind, inflammation is the cause of virtually everything that ails us-we are simply considering certain diseases that are heavily influenced by insulin, which itself influences or modifies inflammation. This is laying the foundation for understanding how your Paleo Solution will help you to avoid cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and a host of other ills. If you haven"t noticed, we are still looking at the "whys" behind all these problems: Soon we will look specifically at how to fix or prevent them.
Cholesterol.
What we generally refer to as "cholesterol" is actually a mix of proteins, TAGs (fatty acids and glycerol), and the actual molecule, cholesterol. We have met one of these players already in the form of VLDL, which is produced in the liver in response to carbohydrate feedings. The other players we will consider are LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). VLDL and LDL carry TAGs and cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body to be used for fuel and the structural elements of cells. HDL has the opposite role and carries lipids and cholesterol from the peripheral body back to the liver for reprocessing. Think about this as a conveyor system moving substances around the body.
The amount of LDLs in a person"s blood has shown some correlation to the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, but the a.s.sociation is far from perfect. There are people with "low" blood cholesterol with advanced atherosclerosis (deposits of fats and blood cells that narrow and eventually can block arteries) and there are people with high LDL with no atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease. What we now know is LDLs come in several varieties, some of which are far more problematic than others.
The variety we would "like" to have is a large, puffy flavor of LDL that floats benignly through the blood stream, dropping its contents at cells that require TAGs or cholesterol. This large, puffy, nonreactive LDL is born in the liver from a backbone of TAGs and structural proteins.
The LDL form we would do well to avoid is a small, dense variety that has a nasty tendency to get stuck in the surface of the epithelial cells lining our arteries. When this happens, our immune system attacks what appears to be a foreign invader and the process damages the arterial lining. Like fiddling with a missing tooth, once these blood vessels are damaged, our immune system will not leave the area alone and the process tends to feed-forward, getting worse and worse.
The small, dense, reactive LDLs are born from the VLDL that is the product of high-carbohydrate intake. Although the types of dietary fats we consume do influence these LDLs to a small degree, the main influence is the amount and types of dietary carbohydrate. In case you missed that, a high-carbohydrate diet, like the one your doctor, the government, and the pharmaceutical companies endorse, is the type of diet that makes small, dense reactive LDL particles. Good to know these people are fighting for your health! Imagine if they were really trying to kill you.
Cardiovascular Disease.
The processes that underlies stroke and heart attack involves two main features: Damage to the endothelium (the sensitive layer of cells that line the interior of our veins and arteries) and increased thrombic potential (the likelihood of making a blood clot). The endothelium has an important job of helping to control blood pressure by sensing blood volume and sending signals to the brain to contract or relax the vascular bed to help optimize blood pressure. The endothelium is also important in transporting nutrients throughout the body. All of the protein, carbohydrate, and fat we transport throughout the body for energy must pa.s.s through the endothelium on the way to our tissues such as the heart, brain, and muscles.
If our system is inflamed, the likelihood of the endothelium becoming damaged and irritated while transporting nutrients through its membrane is greatly increased. If an area is damaged, the immune system can overreact (especially if we are inflamed, see how all this starts fitting together?) and cause a scar or lesion in the endothelium. This sets the stage for a narrowing of the vessel, which can reduce the flow of oxygen-rich blood to vital organs such as the heart and brain.
This situation is bad, but the literal death blow can come from a blood clot that is caused by our increased levels of inflammation. Our modern diet conspires against us by not only damaging the vessels that carry our life"s blood, but also increasing the potential for developing a blood clot, which can cause a life-ending heart attack or stroke. High insulin levels make the whole inflammatory process worse. As do imbalances in essential fats, food intolerances and, as we will learn in the Lifestyle chapter, stress and lack of sleep.
High Blood Pressure.
As if effects of elevated insulin on cholesterol were not bad enough, we add insult to injury when blood pressure increases in response to elevated insulin levels. When blood insulin levels increase, we make more of a hormone called aldosterone. Aldosterone causes our kidneys to retain sodium. In biology cla.s.ses there is a common saying "water follows salt." If we retain sodium, we retain water. And when we retain water, the pressure increases in our arteries and veins, making it easier for them to become damaged. Turbulent flow irritates the vascular beds and causes them to thicken. This thickening, combined with arterial plaques, can narrow the vital arteries to our heart, brain, and other organs. If we want things to get really bad, we just need a little calcium. Luckily, that stuff stays locked away in the bones. . . . or does it?
Osteoporosis Link to Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).
Most people with CVD also have some degree of osteoporosis. The common feature is hyperinsulinism (elevated insulin levels). When our insulin levels increase, we tend to secrete the stress hormone cortisol, and the combination of cortisol and insulin work together to leach the mineral calcium from our bones. You may think of your bones as static and unchanging, but they are alive and change based on the demands placed upon them and the hormonal environment we present them.
We are told that we (particularly women) lose bone density as we age. This is only true if we present a hormonal environment that leaches calcium from our system. The Paleo Solution is the perfect antidote for this situation, as it provides adequate minerals to build bones, the proper acid/base balance to spare calcium, and it heals the gut, allowing us to absorb minerals and cofactors critical to bone health such as vitamin D (we will look at all these topics in subsequent chapters).
Now, this whole mess might not be that compelling until you realize that the bone you lost from your skeleton due to high insulin levels goes somewhere. Some of it gets excreted out of your body in the urine. However, some of that calcium just moves to a new place in your body: the lining of your arteries. This is the calcified plaque that lines your arteries and veins in CVD.
The solution we are given for CVD is a high-carb, low-fat diet that keeps insulin levels high. The solution for the osteoporosis is to take a calcium supplement. Little does our doctor know that calcium supplementation is known to be a precipitating factor in blood clots that lead to stroke and heart attack. Oops! Hey, it"s just your life folks!
A Paleo diet supplies more magnesium than calcium, which is what our bodies have adapted to over millions of years. High magnesium intake relaxes constricted arteries, lowering blood pressure, while providing the right building materials to keep your bones strong throughout your life, all while keeping your arteries clear and healthy. We will look at common questions and counterpoints to the Paleo diet later in the book, but the calcium/bone health issue is one of the first to be raised by most health "experts." I hope you see that a high-carb, low-fat diet is not the route to keeping your heart, or your bones, strong and healthy.
Insulin, Cancer, and Fertility.
It"s difficult to find a disease that is not affected by hyperinsulinism. All you need to do is use an Internet search engine, type in your disease of interest, and then add the term "hyperinsulinsim." Even susceptibility to infectious disease is modified by our insulin status, so it is a remarkably broad ranging problem.
I cannot devote a chapter to every nuance of hyperinsulinsim. I know, it"s a b.u.mmer, but I do need to hit some of the biggies. Just keep in mind, this is a small sampling and by no means a complete accounting of the problems caused by excessive inflammation born of our modern lifestyle.
Cancer: The Short Course.
In simple terms, cancer is a wee-bit of "us" that has lost its way. Normally our tissues grow, repair, and eventually die. Although the mechanisms for various types of cancer differ in specific ways, we can make a few generalities: 1. DNA damage. The DNA we have in every cell is the blueprint for everything our bodies make. Complex regulatory mechanisms control if we make a certain protein or if a cell replicates. Let"s say you start working out and develop some calluses on your hands. The irritation to the skin on your hands causes an increased rate of growth of the skin cells in your hand, producing a layer of thicker skin called a callus. Now, this is all well and good, but whenever a cell replicates (grows), the potential exists for an error to occur when those cells copy the DNA. The DNA can be hit by radiation or a simple replication error can occur, but the thing to keep in mind is the more replication (growth) that occurs, the higher the likelihood for an error. Imagine if you had to copy the contents of this book. Then, copy the copy and so on. The greater the number of copies, the higher the likelihood of problems.
2. Loss of growth control. Our cells have a mechanism called apoptosis that protects us from cancer. If a cell or tissue should become abnormal and start growing in an uncontrolled manner, a safety mechanism, apoptosis, causes the abnormal cell to die.
An Error in Our Ways, a Loss of Control.
Many types of cancer, including breast, colon, prostate, and various types of brain tumors share a common mechanism related to hyperinsulinism and it looks like this: Insulin is a growth promoter of various tissues. So, it causes increased rates of growth all by itself. Insulin also increases the potent growth promoter insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF), while also increasing the levels of androgens such as testosterone and estrogen by decreasing a control protein called s.e.x hormone binding protein (SHBP). The net effect is radically increased rates of growth of many tissues. This increases the likelihood of some kind of a DNA error that could cause uncontrolled growth (cancer). This is not an ideal situation, but thankfully the process of apoptosis normally saves us from cells that have become precancerous. Well, until elevated insulin levels derail the process of apoptosis. When insulin levels are chronically elevated, a key regulator of apoptosis, retinoic acid (a derivative of vitamin A) is decreased. The stage is now set for abnormal levels of growth, which increases the likelihood of DNA errors that lead to cancer. Our safety net, apoptosis, has also been taken off-line. Our total likelihood of developing cancer has increased dramatically due to hyperinsulinism.
How is that bagel and "whole wheat bread" looking now?
Even if this situation does not cause cancer, it can cause a host of other problems. Prostate enlargement, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), uterine fibroids, nearsightedness (myopia), fibrocystic breast disease, infertility (both male and female), alopecia (hair loss), and a host of other problems. It goes without saying that normalizing your insulin sensitivity (and other parameters of inflammation) can markedly improve these and many other problems. For folks trying to conceive, you need to really take this stuff seriously.
Ok, I suspect you are about to slip into the fetal position if we talk about insulin much more! Let"s take a break from insulin for a little while, but do keep its effects in mind while we look at the other primary sources of inflammation: How certain foods damage our digestion.
How an imbalance of fats alters how we respond to inflammation.
How the hormone cortisol is wreaking havoc with our health.
Once we are familiar with these issues, we will understand how they synergistically combine in diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, diabetes, and infertility. Then, we will finally get down to fixing these problems or, even better, preventing them in the first place.
SIX.
Grains and Leaky Gut.
or Keep Your p.o.o.p Where It Belongs.
Below I describe several people who at first glance appear different, but in fact they all share some common bonds. They had significant health issues with no apparent cause or solution and a.s.sumed they had no treatment options, as their doctors were stumped and could offer few solutions. Fortunately for these folks, they tried a simple experiment and discovered health and healing was only a meal away.
For you, this chapter may represent the "missing link" in your quest for improved performance, health, and longevity. Although our government recommends that you consume grains by the bushel, you will soon see this has everything to do with propping up a pathological oil-agriculture-pharmaceutical complex and nothing to do with your health. I think you will find these stories both interesting and eerily familiar.
Alex, Age Five.
I first learned of Alex from my friend Kelly. She related a story of a little boy who was very sick, underweight, and suffering from constant digestive problems. If you like kids and other small, scurrying critters, Alex"s features and symptoms were literally heartbreaking. He had painfully skinny arms and legs, attached seemingly at random to a torso dominated by a prominently distended belly. At night Alex thrashed and turned in his bed, wracked by diffuse pain in his arms, legs and, especially, his belly. Alex had severe lethargy and a "failure to thrive." His doctors ran extensive tests but found nothing conclusive. They recommended a bland diet of toast, rice puddings, and yogurt, but with no benefit to the little guy.
Kelly contacted me on behalf of the family and asked if I had any ideas that might help Alex. I made a few specific recommendations, which the parents enacted immediately. Within ten days, Alex"s perpetually distended belly was flat and normal. He gained six pounds in a little over two weeks and was noticeably more muscular in the arms and legs. His sleep shifted from the thrashing, restless bouts that left him listless and tired, to the sleep all kids should have: restful, unbroken, and filled with dreams. Alex"s energy improved to such a degree that the other kids and parents could hardly imagine he was the same kid. He was healthy and happy, all because of a simple adjustment he and his family made to his eating.
Sally, Age Sixty-One.
Sally was referred to us by her family physician. Sally"s doctor had worked with her on a variety of issues: low thyroid, osteoporosis, gall bladder problems, depression, and high blood pressure. It was an impressive and ever-growing list of ailments that both Sally and her doctor attributed to "normal" aging. Her doc was pretty forward thinking, however, in that she recommended that Sally perform "weight bearing exercise" to help slow the progression of the osteoporosis and muscle wasting that been accelerating in the past four to five years.
When this recommendation brought Sally to us, she was a bit reluctant to get started with a strength-training program and was very reluctant to modify or change her nutrition. We were gentle but persistent.
Our recommendations focused on specific changes to her nutrition and lifestyle. Within two months Sally was off her thyroid medications, her gall bladder issues were gone, she was four pants sizes smaller, while her symptoms of depression had disappeared. After six months of training with us and following our nutrition recommendations, it was discovered that she was no longer osteoporotic.
Of all the improvements, Sally"s doctor was most impressed with the increased bone density. She asked Sally what she had modified to affect this change. When Sally told her doctor how she had changed her nutrition, her doctor pondered things for a moment, then said, "Well, it must be something else! Food can"t do all that."
Jorge, Age Forty.
Jorge started working with us primarily to lose weight. At five feet nine inches and 325 pounds, Jorge was heading down a path of significant illness stemming from type 2 diabetes and obesity. Compounding Jorge"s situation was a condition neither he nor his doctors could figure out. Nearly every time Jorge ate, he would break out in a rash and his tongue would swell. Like really swell. Jorge had to keep an epi-pen on his person at all times, similar to someone who has a severe allergy to bee stings or peanuts.
Jorge is a practicing attorney and several times a week he would dash out of the courtroom on a mad trip to the emergency room, where he would receive antihistamines to bring his tongue swelling under control. His doctors were (again) stumped. His blood work did not show a specific allergy, nor did he appear to have a full-blown autoimmune disease. Certain immune cells were obviously overactive, but in an atypical fashion that left the allergists and rheumatologists scratching their heads.
We recommended a nutritional change for Jorge, which he fought tooth and nail. G.o.d has never made a person more appropriate to be an argumentative lawyer! Part begging, part threatening, we finally won Jorge over and told him, "Just do this for a month. If it does not work, what have you lost? If it does work, what will you have gained?"
Jorge gave things a shot and his tongue swelling disappeared. Now a year later, Jorge is down to 255 pounds and making headway toward his goal of a lean, strong 225 pounds. Thankfully, Jorge now argues for us instead of against us! Not to beat up on the physicians too much, but when Jorge told his docs what he changed, they too did not believe the cause and effect staring them straight in the face.
So, What the Frack Did We Do?
It will come as a surprise for most people that the underlying cause of all the issues described above, in these very different people, was the same thing-a common component in nearly everyone"s diet. Something medicine is only now discovering to be dangerous and unhealthy, despite its prominent role in our food supply. Gluten.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye oats, and barley. Other grains such as corn and rice have similar, but less problematic proteins (we will talk about that later). Just let that soak in for a minute. The usual response is BS! Grains are healthy! The government says so! I love bread and cookies!
OK b.u.t.tercup, calm down, I get it. Bread, pasta, and cookies are yummy. They are also likely killing you. The other sections of this book I"m willing to give you a "pa.s.s" on understanding the technical points. Most people kinda get the insulin/high-carb issue. People are slowly realizing there are "good fats." So, I"ll not hold you responsible for that material. However, I insist you read this grain issue, ponder it, and then do what I recommend. Why? Because left to your own devices you will argue and bellyache. Then you will generate an impressive but ultimately inaccurate list of counterarguments and excuses based on emotions, fear, and governmental inaccuracies. Then we have the teensy issue that you are likely more addicted to junk foods than a crackhead to his rock.
Let me be completely clear on this: Your understanding of this situation is clouded by failed governmental policy, the industrial food complex, and your addiction to these foods. You may think this is caca-de-torro*, but I"m going to prove you wrong and hopefully save your life in the process. I am not trying to be a jerk, but if you have any of the plethora of health issues for which gluten is a causative factor, the clock is ticking.
We are going to learn the whole story about gluten, grains, and their roles in disease. I"ll then give you quantifiable measures for determining how much healthier you are without them. Then it"s all up to you. If you want to be healthy, you will find some level of compliance that works for you. If not, we gave it our best shot.
*For the readers who lack a deep steeping in Spanish, here is the same statement in American sign language.
One Cannot Live on Bread at All.
We have all seen pictures or videos of smokers dying from lung cancer yet still smoking through tracheotomy holes in their throats. Amazing, right? How can people do that? Well, gluten consumption is on par with a pack-a-day smoking habit. And, it"s addictive. By the end of this chapter you will understand the health implications. I will try to motivate you to change your ways, but ultimately it"s up to you.
Like most things, we need to start at the beginning if we want to understand the whole (grain?) story, so put down that cookie-I"m trying to save your life! First we need to understand what makes up grains so we can understand what grains do to our health and wellness.
Grains Anatomy.
When I say "grain," I am talking about one of many domesticated gra.s.ses in the gramineae family. This includes staples such as wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, and sorghum. These plants are derivatives or descendants from wild gra.s.ses that have been managed and bred for 2,0005,000 years. All grains have the following anatomy: Bran.
The bran is the outer covering of a whole, unprocessed grain. It contains vitamins, minerals, and a host of proteins and antinutrients designed to prevent the predation, or eating, of the grain. When you see brown rice, the bran is the flakey outer covering of the rice.
Endosperm.
The endosperm is mainly starch with a bit of protein. This is the energy supply of a growing grain embryo. When you see white rice, this is the endosperm with bran and germ removed.
Germ.
The germ is the actual reproductive portion of the grain. This is where the embryo resides.
In the wild, the cereal grain is distributed by the wind, and when conditions are right, the germ (embryo) begins the process of growth using the endosperm for energy. It may come as a surprise, but plants are not benign, altruistic organisms just waiting to send their next generation of young into our mouths in the form of sushi rice or French bread. Grains, like all critters on this planet, face the challenge of surviving long enough to reproduce. This is particularly problematic for grains in that their most nutrient-dense portion (the part we eat) happens to be the reproductive structure.
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Hey Robb, I appreciate your concern, but my dietician told me Oats are gluten free, so no need to worry about my morning bowl of oatmeal? Yep, I love oatmeal too, but it contains similar proteins to gluten. Cereal grains tend to have proteins that are high in the amino acid proline. These prolamines (proline rich proteins) are tough to digest, and thus remain intact despite the best efforts of the digestive process to break them down. The result is gut irritation, increased systemic inflammation, and the potential for autoimmune disease.
Corn has a similar prolamine called zein. Now you can heed or disregard this information as you please, but grains are a significant problem for most people. Upon removal of these grains (as you will learn about in the implementation chapter), you will notice that you feel better. With reintroduction of grains...well, you feel worse. Keep in mind this inflammation is also a factor in losing weight and looking good, so don"t dismiss this if your primary goal is a tight tush. What I"m asking you to do is take 30 days and eat more fruits and veggies instead of the grains. See how you do. Not so hard, right? And just to head you off at the pa.s.s, let"s tackle two other grain related topics: "Whole grains" and Quinoa.
Whole grains are held up as some kind of miracle food, but did you guys read the Hunter Gatherers Are Us chapter? Have you been reading this grain chapter? Grains are NOT healthy! Be they whole or half a grain. You will see in a later chapter that grains are, calorie per calorie, remarkably weak as compared to lean meats, seafood, veggies, and fruit. You can look that stuff up yourself on the USDA nutrient database website. It"s an eye-opener, especially for vegetarians. Now this is just considering the value of grains with regards to vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients like protein, carbs, and fat. When we factor in their anti-nutrient properties, and potential to wreck havoc on our GI tract, grains are not a sound decision for health or longevity.
Quinoa pops up frequently and the refrain goes like this, "Robb! Have you tried this stuff Quinoa (the p.r.o.nunciation varies depending on how big a hippy you are). It"s NOT a grain! It"s fine, right?"
Well, you"ve likely heard the expression, "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck..." Quinoa is botanically not a grain, but because it has evolved in a similar biological niche, Quinoa has similar properties to grains, including chemical defense systems that irritate the gut. In the case of Quinoa, it contains soap-like molecules called saponins. Unlike gluten, which attaches to a carrier molecule in the intestines, saponins simply punch holes in the membranes of the microvilli cells. Yes, that"s bad. Saponins are so irritating to the immune system that they are used in vaccine research to help the body mount a powerful immune response. The bottom line is if you think grains or grain-like items like Quinoa are healthy or benign, you are not considering the full picture. Follow the 30 day meal plan and see how you look, feel, and perform. Then you can speak from a place of experience.
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One for Me and One for You.
Some plants, like blueberries or similar fruits, have evolved a strategy of "give a little to get a little." Critters (us included) eat these fruits, then pa.s.s the seeds in a convenient, warm fertilized package that all but guarantees the next generation. Sewage systems aside, this is a reasonable trade off. The critter that eats the blueberries gets a little nutrition in exchange for spreading the blueberry seeds for subsequent generations of blueberries.
Other plants take a different approach and try to dissuade all predation by shrouding themselves in nasty substances that are either irritants or outright poisons. Consider poison oak or poison ivy. These plants have developed chemical warfare capabilities and use oils that have a tendency to work their way through the skin of animals that come in contact with the leaves. This oil sets off an alarm that irritates the immune system. Lymphocytes and other white blood cells attack the oil and in the process release pro-inflammatory chemicals that lead to a rash. Keep this idea in mind as we talk about grains, as it will help you to wrap your mind around what is happening when we eat this "staple" food.
If we compare grains to the strategies listed above, "give a little, get a little," like the blueberry, or "b.u.g.g.e.r off," like the poison oak, we see that grains are much more like poison oak. If a critter eats a grain, that"s it for the grain. That does not mean that the grain goes down without a fight! Grains are remarkably well equipped for chemical warfare.
Lectins.
Grains contain a variety of proteins, some of which are called lectins (not to be confused with the hormone leptin. Sorry folks, you need to stay on your toes!). In simple terms, lectins stick to specific molecules and thus play "recognition" roles in biological systems.
For our purposes, we will look at wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which is one of the nastier lectins, but also one of the better studied. Keep in mind, WGA (or similar molecules) are found in all grains, but it"s my opinion (and that of many other researchers) that wheat, rye, barley, and millet, which are the gluten-containing grains, are likely the worst of the bunch with regard to health. Corn and rice can be problematic, but they are safer if consumed infrequently (we will look at this later). WGA and similar lectins are problematic for several reasons: 1. Lectins are not broken down in the normal digestive process. This leaves large, intact proteins in the gut. If you recall, most proteins are broken down in the digestive process, but the structure of some grain proteins makes them very difficult to digest (for the geeks: these proteins are high in the amino acid proline). Grains also contain protease inhibitors (dairy and some other foods also contain these), which further block the digestion of dangerous lectins. This lack of adequate protein digestion leads to serious problems, as you will see.
2. The lectins attach to receptors in the intestinal lumen and are transported intact through the intestinal lining. Remember how amino acids and sugars are transported out of the intestines during digestion? Certain lectins "fool" transport molecules in an effort to gain entry into our bodies intact.
3. These large, intact protein molecules are easily mistaken by the body as foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses, or parasites. It"s perhaps unpleasant to think about, but the intestines are not the nicest place to hang out. This area is a major source of infection by bacteria and viruses, and the immune system lies primed, waiting to pounce on any invading pathogen. Not only does WGA enter the system intact, it damages the intestinal lining, allowing other proteins to enter the system. Why is this a problem? Our immune system mounts an attack on these foreign proteins and makes antibodies against them. These antibodies are very specific to the shapes of these foreign proteins. Unfortunately, these proteins also tend to look like proteins in our body.
Brother from a Different Mother-Molecular Mimicry.
As you recall, proteins are made of molecules called amino acids (AA). Let"s imagine for a minute these amino acids are represented by Legos, with different shapes and colors denoting different amino acids. Imagine a string of Legos with a specific sequence; let"s say its five to ten Legos long. Now imagine another, identical set of Legos attached on top of many more Legos. The top five to ten of the long piece is identical to the short piece. Let"s a.s.sume the short piece is WGA and the long piece is a protein in the beta cells of your pancreas where insulin is made. If the WGA is attacked by the immune system and an antibody is made against it (because the body thinks WGA is a bacteria or virus), that antibody will not only attach to WGA, it can also attach to the protein in your pancreas. When that WGA antibody attaches to your pancreas, it precipitates a wholesale immune response-attacking that tissue. Your pancreas is damaged, or destroyed, and you become type 1 diabetic. If that protein happened to be in the myelin sheath of your brain, you would develop multiple sclerosis.