Food For Thought: skin sensitivities may be linked to the intake of gluten - a protein derived from wheat!

Hi Everyone !! First, before I begin to write this article, I would like to say that due to a packed schedule and unforgiving lack of extra time..I have missed a couple of weeks contributing my thoughts of skin care issues for MORE THAN SKIN DEEP... I apologize and have sincerely missed connecting with all of you! Hopefully, I am back on track ... You may expect to see new and thought provoking topics discussed every two weeks...OK...Let's get started !!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT : SKIN SENSITIVITIES MAY BE LINKED TO THE INTAKE OF GLUTEN - A PROTEIN DERIVED FROM WHEAT !!

Did you ever wonder why a lot of times...breast-fed babies who are colic and fussy are affected by WHAT the Mom is eating....Simply put...her diet affects the outcome of how her babies feels...???...Because what we put into our bodies by way of food truly does take its toll on all of us, not only our children. Or that skin allergies  become apparent and are started to be noticed...once we begin introducing solid food into our children's diet...??? There is a certain percentage % of us Moms, Dads and children that probably have an intolerance to ingesting any form of WHEAT...and we are totally unaware of it !!! These symptoms are rarely detected by most main stream pediatricians and by the time you have actually discovered what is wrong...your poor child has been suffering needlessly and all of this could have been AVOIDED by switching their diet !! I am a big "believer" of the following statement:  "What we put INTO our BODIES by way of food...and what we put ONTO our SKIN by way of skin products...truly affects our health !!" Let me explain further...

Just what is "gluten" ? GLUTEN is  a mixture of the proteins "gliadin" and "glutenin" . These exist, conjoined with starch in most of the grass-related grains...mainly wheat, rye and barley. These proteins make up about 80% of the protein contained in the wheat seed... it is however, insoluble in water and it can be purified by washing away this associated starch...( You see, it is all in the  beginning "process" of HOW we prepare these grains....) Gluten is an important source of nutritional protein for most of the world...However, the stored proteins of corn and rice are sometimes called glutens but their proteins DIFFER GREATLY from WHEAT GLUTEN because it lacks GLUTENIN...This GLUTENIN in wheat flour gives kneaded dough its elasticity allowing leavening to occur and contributes to the "chewiness" in baked products like bagels....Even though WHEAT supplies much of the world's dietary protein...there is a growing percentage% of  people that are gluten-intolerant and CANNOT consume it safely !! Every day these numbers are increasing and people are discovering that living a GLUTEN FREE lifestyle has changed their quality of life and vastly improved many ailments...Recent medical research linking people with the following conditions most definitely benefit considerably from a gluten - free diet:

~Eczema       
~Rheumatoid Arthritis
~Autism
~Multiple Sclerosis
~Parkinson's Disease
~Seizures
~Anemia
~Cognitive Problems ( "brain fog" )
~Osteoporosis
~Ataxia ( loss of balance )
~Down Syndrome
~Type 2 and Type 1 Diabetes

On a personal note....My husband was stricken with Rheumatoid Arthritis as a small boy...his case was so extreme  that he was unable to walk for almost three years and every professional told him that  if he was lucky enough to walk...it would NEVER be properly...he was basically going to be disabled for the rest of his life....He was not born in America...and I am sure that 50 years ago..the research was not what we have today...but, luckily, he defied all predictions and went through many painful years of rehabilitation...back then, it was his Aunt that happened to be a nurse ( and was far ahead of her time...) and had several holistic approaches to help him walk again...one of them was to REMOVE ALL WHEAT from his diet... Go figure... ???...!!!

One out of every 133 healthy people in the United States... (and this includes children, too) experience digestive problems if they eat ANYTHING containing GLUTEN, according to the University of Chicago  Celiac Disease Program. Maybe you do not even know you or your children have this sensitivity...the following symptoms are commonly associated with gluten consumption: iron-deficiency anemia, diarrhea, no energy, failure to thrive and abdominal distention. There is a growing  gluten-sensitivity epidemic occurring and evidence of this ALLERGY to GLUTEN (which we now know is the protein derived from wheat) may be further studied by reading a self-care book called "Elimination Diet - A New Health Care Tool" by Sharon Weiselfish-Giammatteo, PhD . In this book, the author discusses ways to slowly eliminate certain gluten filled foods from your diet...the results are remarkable. If you try this diet on yourself or your children for 3 short weeks...if you have any of the above mentioned symptoms...You will see them disappear!! An interesting fact that I discovered while researching this topic was that gluten sensitivities affect people with a diverse genetic make up...quite differently. For example, in 2005 , a study from a Swedish Dr. Ivarsson...noted that Sweden has experienced an epidemic of gluten sensitivities, particularly in their children, that has no likeness anywhere else in the world. This article was published in a journal that was primarily read by Doctors and Gastroenterologists..."half of the epidemic was explained by an increase in the proportion of  infants introduced to large amounts of gluten after breast-feeding had been ended !! Children born during the summer had an increased risk for these sensitivities and celiac disease, as they were mostly introduced to gluten through their diets during the winter months ." Now, of that isn't a real eye opener !!

Now you may ask ..."What does this all have to with skincare  for me and my family?"...EVERYTHING!!!.. You see, I first wanted to educate you  a bit about the diet aspect of gluten sensitivity....But Gluten Sensitivity IS NOT just a digestive/food problem...it is also a  SKIN RELATED PROBLEM !!  When you are looking for natural hair and skin care products....I suggest to use the same values as you would use when you are shopping for gluten-free foods.  As I always remind my Moms and Dads ....The skin is the largest organ that we have and most definitely, "YES" it DOES MATTER what we put on it !! Especially, when we know that our children's skin is 5X THINNER than that of an adult !!

All of us are unique and have skin that reacts uniquely. It has been proven and goes without saying that NO individual ingredients and/or combination of ingredients are universally ALLERGY- FREE . This also applies to certain natural, organic and synthetic ingredients...I have compiled a list below that has been known to irritate the skin...if you have a GLUTEN ALLERGY:

WHEAT DERIVED INGREDIENTS:                
~ Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
~ Hydrolysed Wheat Gluten
~ Hydrolysed Wheat Protein
~ Hydrolysed Wheat Starch
~ Wheat Amino Acids
~ Wheat Bran Extract
~ Wheat Germ Extract
~ Wheat Germ Glycerides
~ Wheat Germ Oil

WHEAT PROTEIN INGREDIENTS:
~ Wheat (Triticum Vulgare) Bran Extract
~ Triticum Vilgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids
~ Triticum  Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract
~ Triricum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil
~ Barley Derived 
~ Amino Peptide Complex
~ Barley Extract   
~ Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract

OAT DERIVED INGREDIENTS:
~ Avena Sativa (Oat) Flour
~ Avena Sativa (Oat) Flour Kemel                           
~ Oat (Avena Sativa) Extract
~ Oat Beta Glucan
~ Oat Extract
~ Oat Flour
~ Sodium Lauryl Oat Amino Acids

You see...If you eliminate Wheat/Gluten from your diet , but are still using skin care products that have the same ingredients and are applying it to your skin...it is being absorbed INTO your bloodstream and if your child is prone to these wheat/gluten sensitivities....You are TOTALLY defeating the purpose !!
A couple of skin care products ( that I know of...) that are currently on the market are EARTH'S BEST (who merged with JASON'S) and created a whole  skin care line for children ...they are sold in WHOLE FOODS..(the packaging is  yellow bottles with bright green caps...) they are loaded with OAT BETA GLUTEN...not good and AVEENO ( owned by J & J ) have certain OAT based ingredients that are supposed to calm irritated skin...in their washes, lotions and diaper creams...but, also not good...Bottom line..." AWARE PARENTS ARE EDUCATED PARENTS...READ THOSE LABELS...AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING ON YOUR CHILD'S SKIN !!"

Until next time….”Happy Parenting!!”
Rosemary Anthony
Owner of Love Me Baby Me 

P.S. For more information...just post a comment and I will supply  you with many references...including books to educate yourself further . Looking forward to hearing from you !!

Comments

[Jantzen]

My mother was diagnosed with celiac disease years ago, and recently started getting sick when coming into physical contact with gluten. Her doctor keeps stating there is no way that just touching gluten could cause her to become ill and we have done research and have found nothing to support this. She is all out of ideas and is desperate! Do you have any resources on the topic of gluten being abosrbed through the skin?
Thanks!

[Rosemary Anthony]

Dear Jantzen:
So sorry, I haven't answered you sooner...I had an unexpected trip to New York and now I am back...
"Thank You" for your comment on my article re: gluten being absorbed through the skin ! I am so sorry to hear about your Mother's diagnosis of Celiac Disease...Your Mom's body knows her best !!! Let me explain something here...The Doctor's you went to aren't inside your Mother's body...feeling her symptoms...There are ALOT of people with Celiac Disease and Gluten sensitivities who experience getting sick when they come into contact with Gluten physical...Just because main stream doctors have NO EVIDENCE...in their current studies...yet...doesn't mean it isn't a viable condition . I know this because in my travels with speaking/lecturing...people come up to me ALL the time...and tell me their own personal stories...If you personally contact me @ www.lovemebabyme.com and/or at my bus#(818)292-8689 or my cell#(818)297-9022...I am going to put you personally in contact with a woman who just recently contacted me with a similar story and she knows for a fact that Gluten DOES effect you physically when your skin(which is the largest organ in the entire body) DOES come into contact with Gluten. There are loads of info and support out there for you...in fact, I am currently in the "talking" phase of having a major online store that is totally devoted to a Gluten-Free lifestyle carry Love Me Baby Me...Also, did you know that most Moms with Austic Children not only have their children on a Gluten - Free diet but they also do not let their children "physically" come in contact with any form of Gluten...They have discovered my product line...and my products are flying of the shelf !! As far as the topic...Gluten being absorbed into the skin...Of course, it is...ANYTHING you put onto your skin will be absorbed DIRECTLY into the bloodstream!! Think about it...all the hormone patch therapy and quitting smoking patches...this is absolute proof that what you put on your skin actually absorbs into your body...Your Mom shouldn't be "out of ideas"....Once I put you in contact with this one particular womanb...you and your Mom won't feel so alone, misunderstood and desperate...!!...Support from people who are experiencing the same thing as you is very important...Please understand, I am just protecting this person's privacy...that is why I am not posting her info on Mom 4 Lufe's Blog...Looking forward to hearing from you and helping you "connect" with a good support system !!! Take Good Care...
Happy Parenting !!

Rosemary

[Layla]

My 2yo daughter has Coeliac Disease (we spell it differently in Australia) and I know when I use certain moisturisers on her skin it becomes red and hot to touch. The worst reaction she ever had was from the Arbonne Baby lotion, I don't know what the ingredient is that could have caused the reaction, so now we use a cream call Aqueous - which has about three ingredients in total! What you say about gluten absorption through the skin is interesting. Our doctor and dietician thought I was crazy when I started asking about whether it was safe for my daughter to touch play dough or use a wheat heater bag in winter. They said unless it is ingested there is nothing to worry about. I have always erred on the side of caution - now I'm glad I did! We are living gluten-free quite happily (me too as I'm breastfeeding my new baby and she may also have the condition) and I've never felt healthier :)