If eating gluten – any amount of gluten – takes a toll on your health, you’re not alone.
Millions of people suffer gluten-related symptoms, which can include:
- abdominal pain
- diarrhea
- constipation
- foul-smelling gas and stool
- indigestion
- bloating
- nutrient deficiencies
- depression and anxiety
- headaches
- joint pain
- muscle aches
- rashes
- fatigue
And while going gluten-free sounds like the obvious solution, it’s not… for three very important reasons:
- Gluten shows up in dozens of surprising places
- Many gluten-free foods are contaminated with gluten, and
- Even strict gluten-free diets rarely fix the damage gluten has already caused
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t avoid gluten whenever you can or that following a “gluten-free” diet won’t help at all.
It means that a gluten-free diet alone probably isn’t enough to calm your symptoms and repair damage to your gut. To do that you’ll need some targeted support… in the form of special gluten-busting enzymes and restorative probiotics.
Beware Hidden Gluten Where You Least Expect It
When you think “gluten,” bread, pasta, cookies, and other wheat-based foods probably come to mind.
But, as it turns out, gluten can hide in some extremely surprising places:
- Wine coolers
- Bouillon cubes
- Hot dogs
- Ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise
- Tomato sauce
- Rice mixes
- Soy sauce
- Instant coffee
- Candy and fruit snacks
- Rice syrup
- French fries
- And many more
On top of that, gluten can also hide in medications, low quality vitamins, toothpaste, and mouthwash. Heck, even the glue on envelopes and stamps may contain gluten.
And if you think it’s safer to look for foods that are officially labeled as gluten-free…
Gluten contamination is measured in parts per million, or ppm.
32% of Gluten-Free Foods Contain Gluten
Gluten contamination can derail people trying to stay gluten-free, and it’s much more common than you might think.
A 2019 study ran 5,624 tests on gluten-free foods, looking to see just how free of gluten they really were.
Overall, they detected gluten in 32% of foods labeled as gluten-free. That’s practically one in three foods! And since most of us eat around three times a day, that could mean we’re getting gluten every day – even if we’re trying to avoid it!
Plus, when those scientists looked more closely, they found some foods were more contaminated than others. They detected gluten in
- 34% of gluten-free “dinner” foods
- 51% of gluten-free pasta
- 53% of gluten-free pizza
And this is just one study…
Other research has found:
- It’s impossible to avoid gluten contamination if gluten-free grains are milled on the same equipment as grains containing gluten which they almost always are)
- A 2020 review found evidence of gluten contamination in 23 of 24 studies, leading the researchers to conclude that “foods labeled as gluten-free should not be considered safe” for people with gluten issues
- Another recent study found that more than 38% of gluten-free foods sampled contained gluten, and that breakfast cereals were the most problematic
Bottom line: You can’t really trust gluten-free labeling to provide you with 100% gluten-free foods. And even some foods that would be naturally gluten free could still be contaminated with gluten.
Gluten-free doesn't mean completely free of gluten. According to FDA guidelines, foods can contain trace amounts of gluten (less than 20 ppm) and still be labeled as gluten-free.
Your Gut Can’t Heal with a Gluten-Free Diet Alone
Going gluten-free (at least as much as possible) can help reduce new and ongoing gluten-related damage, but it can’t completely repair existing intestinal damage brought on by gluten proteins.
What exactly does gluten do to your gut? When you have any level of reactivity to gluten, its proteins cause immune responses, mainly inflammation. And the more gluten you consume – even if it’s unknowingly – the more harmful inflammation your gut has to deal with. That inflammation damages the lining of your intestines (also called the gut barrier), causing pain and other symptoms… and setting you up for some serious chronic diseases.
When you stop consuming gluten, your gut gets a break from additional inflammation and new damage. And for most people with gluten issues, going gluten-free isn’t enough to fix the damage that’s already been done…
- One recent study found that adults with celiac disease often have lingering gut damage – and other serious health issues – even after switching to gluten-free diets.
- A 2010 study revealed 65% of celiac patients still had intestinal damage after 2 years on gluten-free diets, and 34% showed incomplete recovery after 5 years of gluten-free eating
- A 2009 study that tracked 465 celiac patients on strict gluten-free diets for 16 months showed that only a handful of them – just 8% – had fully healed intestines
So, the research confirms that sticking to a gluten-free diet may minimize new damage. However, simply avoiding gluten won’t fully restore your gut health. For that, your gut needs some help.
A Gluten-Damaged Gut Repair Kit
You can protect your gut against hidden gluten and help your gluten-damaged gut heal with a “repair kit” of special enzymes and supportive probiotics.
To tackle hidden gluten proteins, you need two specific enzymes:
- DPP-IV and
- Tolerase G
These enzymes work by unraveling gluten proteins (kind of like how rope unravels) so they’re much easier for your body to break them down all the way and remove them.
Next step: Give your gut the support it needs to repair any damage the gluten has already done. To do that, you need the support of three specialized probiotics… and the first one may really surprise you…
Saccharomyces boulardii isn’t what most people think of when they hear the word “probiotic,” but this yeast (yes – a probiotic yeast) offers many health benefits – including support for gut healing. Research confirms that S. boulardii can:
- Improve immune response for better gut health
- Boost nutrient absorption in the gut by increasing enzyme activity
- Stabilize gut barrier function to reduce leaky gut
- Reduce inflammation in the gut so it can heal from gluten reactions
- Protect against gastrointestinal distress and quickly reduce symptoms of GI conditions including diarrhea, IBS, and diff (Clostridium difficile) infection.
Bacillus subtilis is a super-powerful spore probiotic that can survive the harsh environment of your digestive tract (unlike most of the probiotics you’ll find on store shelves). B. subtilis can produce at least 24 kinds of antibiotics that destroy harmful bacteria in your gut. That sets the stage for healthy balance of good bacteria in your gut, which delivers a wealth of benefits including:
- Robust immune system support
- Reduced intestinal inflammation and improved gut barrier function, which help your gut heal from gluten attacks
- Increased production of healing short chain fatty acids, which strengthen and nourish the gut barrier
Bacillus coagulans, another spore probiotic strain, travels through your digestive tract and arrives in your gut 100% alive and ready to go to work. It’s special power: B. coagulans works quickly and effectively to relieve GI distress. As soon as it arrives in your gut, B. coagulans helps
- Reduce inflammation to soothe and heal your gut
- Ease gas, bloating and abdominal pain after eating
- Support your intestinal barrier function to reduce the symptoms of leaky gut
- Enhance the diversity of probiotics in your gut microbiome, making it more robust
And several clinical trials show that B. coagulans can be effective for combatting diarrhea (no matter what brings it on), colitis, constipation, IBS and more.
Gluten Away Gives Your Gut What It Needs to Take on Hidden Gluten
No matter where or what you’re eating, there’s a pretty good chance that some gluten has gotten into it.
Gluten Away provides a blend of powerful probiotics and enzymes, including B. coagulans, B. subtilis, S. boulardii, DPP-IV and Tolerase G.
With Gluten Away, your gut will have the extra support it needs to deal with unexpected gluten. That means you can eat your favorite gluten-free foods with more confidence… whether you’re at home, attending a dinner party, or even dining at a restaurant.
Try Gluten Away today to clear out lingering gluten and put your gut on the path toward total healing.
