especially those with irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis, to eat lots of whole grains and to take fiber supplements. I eventually stopped pushing that so much because so many patients complained of increased bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. As I became more of an expert on celiac disease, especially after my wife’s diagnosis of celiac and my diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, I realized that such recommendations are not only unhelpful but harmful.

Feedlot bloat usually results in a slimy frothy coating of the cattle stomach (rumen). I frequently see this mucus or slimy coating on the surface of the small intestine when doing endoscopy on patients that I wonder if

Wheat fed to cattle sometimes die from a bloating disorder known as wheat pasture bloat, feedlot bloat, free-gas bloat or frothy bloat. Wheat and barley are fed to cattle because they are a cheap source of high protein grains. These grains result in rapid weight gain for finishing cattle off for slaughter. However, if too much wheat or barley is fed to cattle, especially high gluten containing wheat, the cattle can die. In feedlot or pasture bloat, the stomach or rumen as it is called in cattle, accumulates excessive gas putting pressure on the heart and lungs leading to death. I have patients who tell me that they feel like they are dying because of the pain and bloating they experience. Some have even said they wish someone could puncture their stomach to let all the gas out. After starting a gluten-free or wheat-free diet most no longer feel that way. They say their bloating is gone.

My physician wife with celiac disease grew up in rural Missouri and their family had a few head of cattle. When I asked her if she had ever heard of pasture bloat she described to me trying to help the local vet save one of their cows that developed pasture bloat. The stomach had to punctured to try to let gas escape but the cow died anyway.

Many of my patients also complain about being unable to lose weight. Yet a diet history reveals that, like most Americans now, they are getting more than 20% of their daily calories from carbohydrates containing gluten. If the cattle industry knows that wheat and barley grains rapidly fatten cattle we should not be surprised at the obesity epidemic in our grain and carbohydrate heavy diet. In contrast, overweight and obese people who go on a gluten-free diet lose weight. Many people who have celiac disease are overweight or obese and their diagnosis is missed because of the misperception that you can't have celiac disease if you are overweight. This is false. Many people with undiagnosed celiac disease are overweight as well as constipated. They usually do have severe bloating symptoms though.

The low carbohydrate diet, by nature a low gluten diet, has been so successful because not only do people lose weight but they note that their headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, brain fog and bloating are better. They lose weight and they feel better so they are motivated to continue. However, reintroduction of carbohydrates, especially gluten containing carbs results in weight gain as well not feeling well. However, giving up gluten can be difficult because of cultural issues, cost, inconvenience as well as the addictive properties of gluten associated with morphine like proteins produced by gluten breakdown.

The food pyramid and my GI training led me for years to advise people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis, to eat lots of whole grains and to take fiber supplements. I eventually stopped pushing that so much because so many patients complained of increased bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. As I became more of an expert on celiac disease, especially after my wife’s diagnosis of celiac and my diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, I realized that such recommendations are not only unhelpful but harmful.

Feedlot bloat usually results in a slimy frothy coating of the cattle stomach (rumen). I frequently see this mucus or slimy coating on the surface of the small intestine when doing endoscopy on patients that I wonder if

ience. Some have even said they wish someone could puncture their stomach to let all the gas out. After starting a gluten-free or wheat-free diet most no longer feel that way. They say their bloating is gone.

My physician wife with celiac disease grew up in rural Missouri and their family had a few head of cattle. When I asked her if she had ever heard of pasture bloat she described to me trying to help the local vet save one of their cows that developed pasture bloat. The stomach had to punctured to try to let gas escape but the cow died anyway.

Many of my patients also complain about being unable to lose weight. Yet a diet history reveals that, like most Americans now, they are getting more than 20% of their daily calories from carbohydrates containing gluten. If the cattle industry knows that wheat and barley grains rapidly fatten cattle we should not be surprised at the obesity epidemic in our grain and carbohydrate heavy diet. In contrast, overweight and obese people who go on a gluten-free diet lose weight. Many people who have celiac disease are overweight or obese and their diagnosis is missed because of the misperception that you can't have celiac disease if you are overweight. This is false. Many people with undiagnosed celiac disease are overweight as well as constipated. They usually do have severe bloating symptoms though.

The low carbohydrate diet, by nature a low gluten diet, has been so successful because not only do people lose weight but they note that their headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, brain fog and bloating are better. They lose weight and they feel better so they are motivated to continue. However, reintroduction of carbohydrates, especially gluten containing carbs results in weight gain as well not feeling well. However, giving up gluten can be difficult because of cultural issues, cost, inconvenience as well as the addictive properties of gluten associated with morphine like proteins produced by gluten breakdown.

The food pyramid and my GI training led me for years to advise people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis, to eat lots of whole grains and to take fiber supplements. I eventually stopped pushing that so much because so many patients complained of increased bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. As I became more of an expert on celiac disease, especially after my wife’s diagnosis of celiac and my diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, I realized that such recommendations are not only unhelpful but harmful.

Feedlot bloat usually results in a slimy frothy coating of the cattle stomach (rumen). I frequently see this mucus or slimy coating on the surface of the small intestine when doing endoscopy on patients that I wonder if

w, they are getting more than 20% of their daily calories from carbohydrates containing gluten. If the cattle industry knows that wheat and barley grains rapidly fatten cattle we should not be surprised at the obesity epidemic in our grain and carbohydrate heavy diet. In contrast, overweight and obese people who go on a gluten-free diet lose weight. Many people who have celiac disease are overweight or obese and their diagnosis is missed because of the misperception that you can't have celiac disease if you are overweight. This is false. Many people with undiagnosed celiac disease are overweight as well as constipated. They usually do have severe bloating symptoms though.

The low carbohydrate diet, by nature a low gluten diet, has been so successful because not only do people lose weight but they note that their headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, brain fog and bloating are better. They lose weight and they feel better so they are motivated to continue. However, reintroduction of carbohydrates, especially gluten containing carbs results in weight gain as well not feeling well. However, giving up gluten can be difficult because of cultural issues, cost, inconvenience as well as the addictive properties of gluten associated with morphine like proteins produced by gluten breakdown.

The food pyramid and my GI training led me for years to advise people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis, to eat lots of whole grains and to take fiber supplements. I eventually stopped pushing that so much because so many patients complained of increased bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. As I became more of an expert on celiac disease, especially after my wife’s diagnosis of celiac and my diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, I realized that such recommendations are not only unhelpful but harmful.

Feedlot bloat usually results in a slimy frothy coating of the cattle stomach (rumen). I frequently see this mucus or slimy coating on the surface of the small intestine when doing endoscopy on patients that I wonder if

low carbohydrate diet, by nature a low gluten diet, has been so successful because not only do people lose weight but they note that their headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, brain fog and bloating are better. They lose weight and they feel better so they are motivated to continue. However, reintroduction of carbohydrates, especially gluten containing carbs results in weight gain as well not feeling well. However, giving up gluten can be difficult because of cultural issues, cost, inconvenience as well as the addictive properties of gluten associated with morphine like proteins produced by gluten breakdown.

The food pyramid and my GI training led me for years to advise people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis, to eat lots of whole grains and to take fiber supplements. I eventually stopped pushing that so much because so many patients complained of increased bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. As I became more of an expert on celiac disease, especially after my wife’s diagnosis of celiac and my diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, I realized that such recommendations are not only unhelpful but harmful.

Feedlot bloat usually results in a slimy frothy coating of the cattle stomach (rumen). I frequently see this mucus or slimy coating on the surface of the small intestine when doing endoscopy on patients that I wonder if

especially those with irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis, to eat lots of whole grains and to take fiber supplements. I eventually stopped pushing that so much because so many patients complained of increased bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. As I became more of an expert on celiac disease, especially after my wife’s diagnosis of celiac and my diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, I realized that such recommendations are not only unhelpful but harmful.

Feedlot bloat usually results in a slimy frothy coating of the cattle stomach (rumen). I frequently see this mucus or slimy coating on the surface of the small intestine when doing endoscopy on patients that I wonder if it is due to excess carbohydrates in the diet. The accumulation of intestinal gas in cattle is due to their inability to eructate (burp). Some cattle become chronically affected and must be slaughtered. Increased bacteria production has been implicated. Fermentation of these grains is also believed to be involved as well as excess protein content of some wheat like winter wheat that is typically high gluten wheat. Wheat is fermented faster and in much more than barley, sorghum or corn.

So, why is wheat given to cattle? It is inexpensive. It produces very fast and increased weight gain. However, great care must be exercised in using wheat for fattening cattle. Supplements are required because wheat alone can result in low calcium levels that can cause grass tetany, a form of muscle spasms or paralysis. An exclusive or very high wheat diet can cause a ruminant acidosis (high levels of acid in the blood) that is also fatal to cattle.

Is your diet consisting of large amounts of calories being derived from wheat and gluten containing carbohydrates? Are you overweight and of constantly feeling bloated, experiencing unexplained muscle cramps and aches, headaches, balance difficulties, and abdominal pain? Maybe you should learn from the cattle industry since the medical establishment is not likely to tell you the truth about the dangers of a grain-based diet. However, my goal as the Food Doc is to help empower you with the knowledge you need to be healthy, my motto "healthy gut, healthy life".

On my blog, www.theFoodDoc.blogspot.com, you can see my latest photo of the two Twinkies, one being kept exposed in light and the other moist and sealed in a zip lock bag in the dark, that are now two weeks old and showing no signs of mold or deterioration.

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References:

“A review of bloat in feedlot cattle” Cheng KJ et al. J Anim. Sci 1998. 76:299-308.