Watch Out for Gluten's Sneaky Partner

by Al Sears, MD

You know, I don't go to the grocery store very often. So when they make a change, I really notice it.

Like the huge section of gluten-free foods they now have.

That's good news, because when you're sensitive to gluten, it can ruin an enjoyable meal by giving you serious stomach pain.

You see, gluten is not part of our native diet. Your body recognizes it as a foreign substance.

You may already know that gluten is a gooey protein commonly used in baked goods.

Gluten holds on to the carbon dioxide made from yeast and expands. It's what makes dough stretchy, holds cookies together, makes cake rise, and why bagels are doughy.

Gluten also hides in lots of foods that don't seem like they would have grains in them. For example, different types of ketchup, mayonnaise, sauces and ice cream also have wheat flour mixed in to make them thicker.

Many processed meats, like sausages and hamburger patties, add in bread crumbs or wheat products for texture.

The problem is, it's not so easy to just say "avoid glutens" and you're home-free. Gluten is only one part of a whole group of digestive troublemakers. It's a group of sticky proteins called lectins.

Lectins are found in plants and serve as a natural defense system to fight off mold and parasites. When they sense an invader, lectins counterattack by binding to the foreign sugar molecules. That stops the unwanted cells in their tracks.

That's good news for the plants. But when lectins get into your body, they're still programmed to attack sugar molecules. That's bad news for your digestive system, which is lined with sugar-containing cells that help you break down food.

The lectins are drawn right to that lining and your immune system retaliates. Then you have the perfect recipe for upset stomach, irritable bowels, bloating and other not-so-pleasant consequences.

But other lectins are even trickier to avoid, because they're not only in grains…but also dairy, eggs, beans, peanuts, and even nightshade vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant.

It's almost impossible to avoid them all. And that's why, for some people, a seemingly "gluten-free" diet is not enough to keep their digestive systems comfortable.

The medical advisor over at True Health™—Dr. Michael Cutler, MD—has developed a unique, natural way to fortify your digestive tract and neutralize the lectins. He calls it Ultimate Lectin Defense™.

It uses "sacrificial sugars" to distract the lectins. The lectins bind to the "sacrificial sugars," instead of to the naturally-occurring sugars in your intestines. That keeps the lectins away from your digestive system so you stay comfortable.