Gluten-free has become a common buzz word in our culture today. There is a good chance that you know more than one person who is on a gluten-free diet. Perhaps you are eating gluten- free yourself. What is gluten and why would someone want to avoid it? Gluten is a protein complex of the two proteins, gliadin and glutelin. It is found naturally in wheat, rye, and barley. Those who choose to avoid gluten usually fall into one of three categories: (1) the 1 percent of the population who has celiac disease, an autoimmune inflammatory response to gluten, and must avoid even tiny amounts of gluten for the rest of their lives; (2) those who are gluten intolerant and feel better when they avoid gluten or limit the amount of gluten they ingest; and (3) those who avoid gluten because they have heard it is unhealthy for everyone.
Let's talk about the last category first. While avoiding gluten is vital for some individuals, many voices---particularly proponents of the Paleo diet---insist that gluten is harmful to everyone's health and that no one should be eating gluten-containing grains. Dr. William Davis's book Wheat Belly has added fuel to the anti-grain, anti-gluten fire. "Wheat is the most destructive thing you could put on your plate, no question," says Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist from Wisconsin. (I have read Wheat Belly, and find that Dr. Davis has used faulty logic, misrepresentation of scientific studies, and blatant emotionalism to sell his ideas. It is beyond the scope of this article to refute the misinformation in Dr. Davis's book, but I strongly encourage you to read the rebuttals to Wheat Belly which are linked at the end of this article.) [1]
Gluten, and thereby wheat, has been implicated in everything from mental illness to obesity to cancer. If you research these claims, however, you will find that credible scientific evidence is lacking to support the idea that gluten is harmful to everyone. But there is a more important reason why I know the anti-gluten, anti-wheat, anti-grain proponents are wrong. It is because God said so. "All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life. . . . All grain is good for the food of man . . . Nevertheless, wheat for man . . ." (Doctrine and Covenants 86:2c-3b).
I have heard some people say, "But when God gave that revelation back in 1833, wheat was different than it is now. Wheat was okay then, but modern wheat is bad for us." Are we going to believe that God could not foresee the changes that would be made to wheat? Did God say in 1833, "Wheat for man now, but later don't eat wheat"? Do we believe that God's word given in past times is only for those dispensations and not relevant to us today? To all of those questions, I answer a resounding NO! The Scriptures plainly tell us that God knows everything (2 Nephi 6:44), God does not change (Moroni 8:19), and God's word will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8)! And God said grain is our staff of life, and wheat is for man.
As stated in previous articles, I believe it does make a difference HOW we eat wheat. It has been firmly established that eating refined "white flour" grain products (just the starchy endosperm of wheat or other grains) is detrimental to our health. There is no doubt God meant the WHOLE grain when he said grain is our staff of life. But here is where it gets tricky. Flour produced on modern roller mills is not the same thing you get when you grind up the entire wheat berry in your kitchen. Commercial whole wheat flour, and the bread and other baked goods made from it, are not true whole grain foods. Roller mills can quickly produce large amounts of refined flour. The bran and germ are sifted out and the oils are removed during the milling process. To "make" the flour whole wheat again, a certain portion of the bran and germ are added back in, but the oils are usually not because they would reduce the shelf life of the product. Surely this profit-making way of creating "whole wheat" flour qualifies as the "evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days . . ." (D&C 86:1a).
Another problem is added gluten, which upsets the nutritious balance God created in whole grain. Gluten is separated from the rest of the wheat endosperm and added generously to flour, breads and other baked goods, and even products like taco sauce. This "vital wheat gluten," as it is called, can cause trouble for our digestive systems and may be the root of some gluten sensitivities.
What is the solution? Although I realize it is not possible for everyone, the best option is to invest in a home mill and grind your own flour from quality wheat berries, using this flour to make your own homemade bread and baked goods. (You can also grind fresh cornmeal and other whole grain flours!)
This might sound overwhelming at first, but there are many resources to help you along the journey. Another option for obtaining quality flour for home baking is to find a friend with a mill who is willing to grind for you, or to go together with friends or family on the cost of a home mill that can be shared. If you must buy flour, look for one that is ground the old-fashioned way with a stone burr mill. Store bought cannot match the freshness and nutrition of flour ground at home, but at least stone ground whole wheat flour should be the real thing. Wheat Montana and Bob's Red Mill are quality brands, and I'm sure there are others.
Making homemade bread is an art that takes time to perfect. I remember making may "bricks" before managing to bake a more edible loaf! Don't despair if your first efforts are less than perfect. Find someone who has mastered bread baking to mentor you if possible. If you cannot tackle making your own bread, you can greatly reduce the amount of commercial baked goods consumed in your home by making your own waffles, muffins, pancakes, and other quick breads. They are fast, easy, and incredibly delicious! If you must buy bread or other baked goods, look for ones made with stone ground flour and without added gluten. They will be hard to find, but worth your effort.
Now, let's talk about individuals who are in the second category---those who have a gluten intolerance. Food intolerances, including intolerance to gluten, can sometime be overcome by improving digestive health. Entire books have been written on this subject, but here are a few key points many alternative health practitioners agree upon.
- Clean up your diet. Eliminate as much refined, processed foods as possible, and eat more whole foods (which contain more nutrients and fiber needed to improve digestion). Reduce your sugar intake.
- Eat more probiotics to replenish the good bacteria cultures that are needed for a healthy gut. Eat naturally fermented foods, such as real sourdough bread, kimchi and other naturally fermented vegetables, miso, and homemade kefir. (Store-bought kefir has fewer cultures, but still contains more than commercial yogurt.) It is best to get probiotics from food, but taking supplements can be helpful, also.
- Be sure to eat prebiotics, too. Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates that feed the probiotic cultures. They are found in foods such as whole grains, bananas, onions, garlic, honey and artichokes---another reason to eat those whole grains!
- Some individuals find digestive enzyme supplements to be helpful. DPP-IV is the specific enzyme that helps digest gluten.
- Certain herbs can help heal and soothe the digestive tract. Slippery elm, yarrow, plantain, deglycyrrhizinated licorice root (DGL), or marshmallow root are good choices.
- Gelatin is very healing to the gut, but don't expect great benefits from commercial Jell-O with its added sugar and chemicals. Gelatin from grass-fed animals is best, or you can make your own gelatinous broth from bones the old-fashioned way. [2]
- Sleep is critical for healing our digestive systems. As God has told us, "[R]etire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated" (D&C 85:38b).
Some individuals will need to temporarily eliminate all gluten from their diets for several months while improving their digestion. Some will be able to find relief by eliminating foods with added vital wheat gluten.
What about those in the first category who are celiac or cannot tolerate gluten in spite of efforts to improve digestion? Even if you cannot eat wheat, it is still possible to use other whole grains as the staff of life as instructed in the Word of Wisdom. To accomplish this, you will need to be discerning when buying gluten-free baked goods and pastas, as many are full of refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour. Gluten-free refined carbohydrates are no more healthy than any other kind! Brown rice, millet, sorghum, teff, amaranth, buckwheat, and oats (that are certified to be uncontaminated with gluten) are healthy, whole grain gluten-free choices. Many books and web sites are available to guide you in the use of these grains.
What about those in the first category who are celiac or cannot tolerate gluten in spite of efforts to improve digestion? Even if you cannot eat wheat, it is still possible to use other whole grains as the staff of life as instructed in the Word of Wisdom. To accomplish this, you will need to be discerning when buying gluten-free baked goods and pastas, as many are full of refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour. Gluten-free refined carbohydrates are no more healthy than any other kind! Brown rice, millet, sorghum, teff, amaranth, buckwheat, and oats (that are certified to be uncontaminated with gluten) are healthy, whole grain gluten-free choices. Many books and web sites are available to guide you in the use of these grains.
All the things I have suggested in this article will require time and effort, but remember the promises God has made to those obedient to the Word of Wisdom: “And all Saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel, and marrow to their bones, and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint; and I, the Lord, give unto them a promise that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen” (D&C 86:3c-d). 
1. Rebuttals to Wheat Belly, a book by Dr. William Davis:
http://nogluten-noproblem.com/2012/03/wheat-belly-busted.html
http://info.breadbeckers.com/wheat-belly-fact-or-fiction/
http://www.aaccnet.org/publications/plexus/cfw/pastissues/2012/OpenDocuments/CFW-57-4-0177.pdf
2. How to make bone broth:
