Wheat – the Great Pain Killer

I have recently had a massive ‘aha!’ moment around wheat.

As a naturopath, I frequently help my patients to identify their wheat intolerance. Upon receiving the final diagnostics that wheat is no longer tolerated by the body and I start the discussion with my patient about excluding wheat from the diet, I am often met with a wide range of responses from – “I would rather be sick than stop wheat!” to “What do I eat if not wheat?!”

My ‘aha!’ moment came with a long term patient of 3 years, dedicated to managing her health naturally. After 8 weeks of avoiding wheat she returned to my clinic sicker than I have ever seen her.

Her depression was at a point where she was considering anti-depressants for the first time – usually well managed with 5HTP (5 hydroxytryptohan) – and her pain picture, similar to fibromyalgia, was all back and usually well managed with fish oils and magnesium.

Both confused as to the sudden relapse in her condition, we carefully traced our steps back to the removal of wheat from her diet.

Then the light bulb went on – wheat contains opioid substances, peptides that are broken down from the proteins in wheat as a substance known as exorphin.  Mother nature has provided us with foods that have an opium-like effect, helping us to deal with our pain. That is why it is so hard for us to give up these foods and why we consume it in such vast quantities.  The overuse of this food group can lead to all sorts of immune complications and should only be used short term while we are dealing with our pain.

For my poor suffering patient it was a simple matter of giving her body another protein/amino acid – phenylalanine aiding her body to product its own source of opiates.

Milk also contains opioid substances known as casemorphins broken down from casein, but that is another story.