Scientists at the University of Alberta have designed a new supplement to allow those who suffer from celiac disease to digest gluten. The supplement, derived from the yolks of chicken eggs, works by binding with gluten in the stomach in order to absorb the hard to digest gliadin (the difficult proteins that make up gluten), limiting the damage it can cause to the small intestine. The idea is that one of these pills, which they hope to have available over the counter, will allow the gluten sensitive person to eat any food with gluten for up to two hours without experiencing their usual symptoms. The scientists in charge of the project predict that the only negative in this situation is the inability of those with egg allergies to partake in the supplement.

♫ ♬ Oh, Oh, Oh, It’s Magic… ♪ ♫

This pill will be marketed as the answer to celiac disease.

If you suffer from celiac disease, you can now enjoy a “normal” social life! Take this pill and you can go out to restaurants and eat whatever your friends are eating! Shopping will be easy! No more diet restrictions! No more inconvenience!

What is this pill really going to deliver?

The supplement isn’t designed to heal or prevent celiac disease. Its sole purpose is for people to be able to consume the very foods that led to a chronic disease in the first place.

A condition like celiac disease forces you to examine what you’re eating and to accept a greater responsibility for what you’re feeding your body. Chances are, your entire diet is healthier now that you don’t eat gluten than when you did.

Eating a truly healthy diet requires discipline, so it’s not hard to see the downside to this magic pill – replacing dietary discipline with immediate gratification. In the long run, this is a pill that will enable the gluten-intolerant, allowing them to return to eating food that harms rather than heals.

Gluten is Big Business

While the gluten-free market has not yet reached the sales level of sugar-free foods and drinks, it has already surpassed the revenue generated by no carb items and items aimed at lactose intolerant individuals. Sales of gluten-free items in categories like cereal, snacks, and crackers reached over a billion dollars last year.

Those numbers are extremely exciting if you’re the company who is offering a large share of those shoppers a magic pill that affords them the ability to go back to eating regular processed foods.

The companies that are sponsoring this research, like IGY Immune Technologies and Life Sciences Advanced Technologies, are no strangers to the pharmaceutical industry. They’re responsible for biochemical products, medicines, and antibiotics for both human and agricultural uses. On at least some level, they’re aware of the uber profitable hamster wheel of unhealthy eating.

More people eating unhealthy, processed food products will result in more revenue for big agricultural companies. This inferior quality of food will create an uptick in medical bills and prescriptions, resulting in more revenue for pharmaceutical companies, medical establishments, and insurance companies. While this new pharmaceutical does indeed perform a service for people with celiac disease, a look at the long-term potential asks another question. Who is doing who the favor?

Get Off the Hamster Wheel

Gluten and today’s modern wheat and wheat-based products are one of the principal causes of Candida overgrowth and intestinal damage. The list of symptoms for celiac disease is long and sympathy cringe-inducing, from constipation or diarrhea to weeping rashes, joint and muscle pain, and arthritis. There isn’t a cure, and the scientists developing this pill have already made it clear that that isn’t their goal. The only way to truly heal from the damage caused by gluten is through diet and complete elimination of gluten. It requires hard work, discipline, the ability to recognize the damage that processed foods do to the body, and the will to choose better for yourself. Start by looking at a healthy diet (80% raw) and see what you could achieve if you decide to make yourself and your health a priority instead of looking for quick fixes. Check out Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases and see Foods To Avoid With Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease.

Sources:

• Attention celiac sufferers! Scientists are working on a pill that will let you eat bread and pasta – Quartz
• New Pill Could Make Pizza and Beer for Gluten-Free Diners – Eater.com
• Gluten-Free Market Trends – The Gluten Free Agency
• Is Wheat Poison? What’s Behind the Rise of Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance – Organic Lifestyle Magazine