Tip Wheat and the Zonulin Issue Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Diet & Fat LossEating Tip Wheat and the Zonulin Issue Why do many non-celiacs feel better when they drop gluten Because gluten may not be the real problem with bread and pasta Info here by David LaPlaca, PhD March 27, 2019May 12, 2022 Tags Diet Strategy, Dietary Myth Busting, Nutrition & Supplements Beyond Gluten Gluten is a divisive issue. Many believe that unless you have celiac disease, it's nothing to worry about, and avoiding it is just a fad. But recent research has shown that most of us would be better off avoiding gluten and its wheat-protein cousin, gliadin. If you just look at the numbers, there isn't much of a difference between pasta and rice. Both have about 130 calories, 25 grams of carbohydrates, a gram of fat, and very little in the way of vitamins. However, wheat pasta contains gluten and gliadin. More and more studies are showing how both contribute to the release of something called "zonulin," a protein that modulates the permeability of tight junctions between cells of the wall of the digestive tract. (1, 2). Researchers are finding that zonulin opens up the spaces between the cells of the intestinal lining, a problem associated with autoimmune diseases and cancer (1, 3, 4, 5, 6). These spaces are indeed supposed to open up naturally, but zonulin basically causes them to open up too much. If you think about our intestinal lining as a pipeline, zonulin puts big holes in it, allowing substances into parts of our body they don't belong, causing hosts of problems such as allergic reactions. It doesn't matter if you're celiac or not. This is how our bodies are responding to the wheat we're eating today. Our bodies look at certain components of wheat as a harmful substances, like bad bacteria, and zonulin is released to open up the tight junctions in our intestinal lining (1). If we're able to keep a strong and intact intestinal lining then we can keep food where it's meant to be, optimizing digestion and limiting any adverse food reactions. This is likely a huge reason why so many people that are non-celiac are going gluten-free – because they feel and perform better without wheat and other gluten-containing foods (7). Fasano A. Zonulin, regulation of tight junctions, and autoimmune diseases. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012 Jul;1258(1):25-33. PubMed. Simpson M et al. An exploration of Glb1 homologue antibody levels in children at increased risk for type 1 diabetes mellitus. Pediatr Diabetes. 2009 Dec;10(8):563-72. PubMed. Di Pierro M et al. Zonula occludens toxin structure-function analysis: identification of the fragment biologically active on tight junctions and of the zonulin receptor binding domain. J Biol Chem. 2001 Jun 1;276(22):19160-5. PubMed. Fasano A et al. Zonula occludens toxin modulates tight junctions through protein kinase C-dependent actin reorganization, in vitro. J Clin Invest. 1995 Aug;96(2):710-20. PubMed. Fasano A. Zonulin and its regulation of intestinal barrier function: the biological door to inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer. Physiol Rev. 2011 Jan;91(1):151-75. PubMed. Wang W et al. Human zonulin, a potential modulator of intestinal tight junctions. J Cell Sci. 2000 Dec;113 Pt 24:4435-40. PubMed. Bronski P et al. The Gluten-Free Edge: A Nutrition and Training Guide for Peak Athletic Performance and an Active Gluten-Free Life. The Experiment. ISBN: 9781615190522. 2012. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Diet & Fat Loss 4 Foods Your Body Hates These foods can wreak havoc on your gut and interfere with your goals, even if you're counting the macros and calories. Dietary Myth Busting, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements David LaPlaca, PhD March 7 Eating How to De-Fang Your Favorite Carbs Here are some cool tricks that will reduce the calories in rice, bread, potatoes, and pasta, along with keeping blood-sugar levels low. Carb Control, Nutrition & Supplements TC Luoma June 10 Supplements Tip Why Your Vitamin D Isn t Working Taking vitamin D? Awesome. Just about everyone needs to. Too bad it's probably not working. Here's why and how to fix it. Magnesium, Nutrition & Supplements, Super Health, Tips, Vitamin D Chris Shugart March 12 Eating Dirty Nutrition 2 Dr. Bowden describes the perfect meathead breakfast, after which he discusses addictive foods, CLA, sugar alcohols, and oh yeah, Megan Fox. Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Jonny Bowden, PhD October 7