Book Review: The Gluten Effect — Drs. Vikki & Richard Petersen

How “Innocent” Wheat Is Ruining Your Health by Drs. Vikki & Richard Petersen, D.C., C.C.N.

Gluten plays a role in more diseases than you can imagine

Food that enters the intestine goes through a complex digestive process. It must be broken down to molecules that can pass through the intestinal wall. The intestine is also a major part of the immune system, producing antibodies that destroy harmful bacteria entering the digestive tract.

But some foods we ingest contain proteins that the body does not recognize, and so the intestine mounts an immune response. One common protein that is relatively new to our species and abundant in our food supply is gluten found in wheat, rye, and barley.

For those of us who are sensitive to gluten, this immune response begins to inflame and damage the intestinal tract causing what is known as “leaky gut syndrome.” Gaps in the intestine then allow uninvited molecules into the bloodstream. As the body mounts a defense against these intruders, it often mistakes its own tissues as the same foreign bodies. And thus many develop autoimmune diseases. Additionally, the body’s ability to absorb nutrients is compromised, resulting in malnutrition.

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This book provides a comprehensive explanation of gluten sensitivity and how it contributes to diseases such as celiac, ADD, ADHD, arthritis, diabetes, IBS, fatigue, sleep disturbances, thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, malnutrition, depression, fibromyalgia, obesity and many other unexplained symptoms–both physical and mental.

The book emphasizes finding the cause of your illness and eliminating it, as opposed to the common practice of drugging the symptoms while the underlying disease state progresses. I wish this book could be mandatory reading in medical schools.

The authors teach when and how gluten sensitivity testing should be done, and they provide numerous case studies of patients they have treated who have renewed their vigor, improved their mood, lost weight, and reversed many chronic diseases.

I highly recommend The Gluten Effect for anyone suffering from autoimmune diseases, general fatigue, or unexplained illnesses, aches or pains. The information could completely change your life.

Buy The Gluten Effect.