Modern Gluten Isn’t the Same: How Today’s Wheat Is Wrecking the Gut

If you feel worse after eating bread, pasta, or baked goods—but were told “gluten was never a problem before”—you’re not wrong.

At Camarata Chiropractic & Wellness, we see it every week: patients struggling with bloating, joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, nerve irritation, autoimmune flare-ups, and chronic inflammation who are shocked to learn that modern wheat is dramatically different than the wheat humans consumed for thousands of years.

This is not about food trends.
This is about biology, inflammation, and gut integrity.

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Why Gluten Is a Bigger Problem Today Than Ever Before

The wheat in your food today is not the wheat your grandparents ate.

Over the last 50–70 years, wheat has undergone:

• Aggressive hybridization

• Genetic manipulation to increase yield and shelf stability

• Dramatically higher gluten concentration

• Increased exposure to chemical desiccants and pesticides

The result?
A food that the human gut is no longer well-equipped to handle.

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Hybridized Wheat = Harder-to-Digest Gluten Proteins

Modern wheat contains altered gluten proteins—especially gliadin—that are:

• More inflammatory

• More resistant to digestion

• More likely to activate the immune system

These proteins are broken down incompletely in the gut, creating peptides that can:

• Irritate the intestinal lining

• Disrupt the gut barrier

• Trigger immune and inflammatory responses

For many people, this happens long before obvious digestive symptoms appear.

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Gluten, Zonulin, and the Gut Barrier Breakdown

One of the most critical mechanisms behind gluten-related illness involves zonulin, a protein that regulates intestinal permeability.

Gluten has been shown to:

• Increase zonulin release

• Loosen tight junctions in the gut lining

• Allow inflammatory molecules to leak into the bloodstream

This process—commonly referred to as gut barrier dysfunction or “leaky gut”—can lead to:

• Systemic inflammation

• Joint and muscle pain

• Nerve irritation

• Autoimmune activation

• Brain fog, fatigue, and mood changes

This is why gluten reactions often show up outside the gut.

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Glyphosate and Wheat: A Dangerous Combination

Modern wheat is frequently treated with glyphosate-based herbicides as a drying agent before harvest.

Glyphosate has been shown to:

• Disrupt gut microbiome balance

• Damage beneficial bacteria

• Increase intestinal permeability

• Amplify inflammatory responses

When combined with high-gluten, hybridized wheat, the inflammatory load on the gut becomes significant—especially for individuals with compromised digestion, chronic stress, or existing inflammation.

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Why “I Ate Bread My Whole Life” Doesn’t Apply Anymore

Many patients say:
“I ate gluten for years with no problem—why now?”

Here’s why:

• Gut health declines with stress, illness, antibiotics, poor sleep, and inflammation

• Immune tolerance weakens over time

• Modern wheat exposure is far higher and more aggressive than in past generations

The issue isn’t you.
The issue is the food environment has changed.

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Gluten and Whole-Body Inflammation

When gluten disrupts the gut barrier, the immune system stays chronically activated.

This can contribute to:

• Chronic low-grade inflammation

• Autoimmune progression

• Poor tissue repair and recovery

• Heightened pain sensitivity

• Nervous system dysregulation

This is why gluten sensitivity often overlaps with:

• Back pain and joint pain

• Sciatica and nerve symptoms

• Headaches and migraines

• Fatigue and poor recovery

• Hormonal and metabolic dysfunction

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Why Standard Testing Often Misses the Problem

Traditional lab testing usually:

• Screens only for celiac disease

• Misses delayed immune reactions

• Does not assess gut barrier integrity

At Camarata Chiropractic & Wellness, we use and recommend advanced functional testing—including the KBMO Diagnostics FIT 176 Food Inflammation Test and gut barrier testing—to identify how gluten is impacting the body at a cellular and immune level.

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Dr. Sam Camarata’s Personal Experience With Gluten

When Dr. Sam Camarata completed advanced testing, his results revealed extreme inflammatory sensitivity to gluten.

Despite being health-focused for years, gluten was quietly driving inflammation in his body.

Dr. Sam has now been gluten-free for over one year, and going gluten-free was one of the best health decisions of his life—leading to improvements in inflammation, clarity, recovery, and overall function.

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What We’re Seeing in Our Patients

Not every patient reacts to gluten—but many do.

Through advanced testing, we frequently see:

• Severe inflammatory responses to gluten

• Gut barrier stress contributing to systemic symptoms

• Long-standing issues finally making sense

Removing gluten becomes a foundational step in reducing inflammation and restoring balance for many patients.

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Final Thoughts: This Isn’t About Fear—It’s About Awareness

Modern gluten is not the same.
Modern wheat is not benign.
And modern chronic inflammation has consequences.

Understanding how today’s wheat affects your gut and immune system empowers you to make informed, personalized health decisions—not follow trends.

If you’ve tried everything and still feel inflamed, run down, or stuck, gluten may be one of the hidden drivers holding you back.

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Get a Hold of Us

If you want to know whether gluten or gut barrier dysfunction may be impacting your health, our team is here to help.

Camarata Chiropractic & Wellness
3237 Union St, North Chili, NY 14514
Phone: 585-617-4145
Email: info@camaratachiropractic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camaratachiropractic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camarata_chiro/

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Frequently Asked Questions About Modern Gluten & Gut Health

Why does modern gluten cause more gut problems than in the past?

Modern wheat has been aggressively hybridized to increase yield and gluten content. This has altered gluten proteins, making them harder to digest and more inflammatory. Today’s wheat also exposes the gut to higher immune stress than traditional wheat varieties consumed decades ago.

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Is today’s wheat genetically modified?

While most wheat is not classified as GMO, it has undergone extensive hybridization and genetic manipulation through selective breeding. These changes have significantly increased gluten concentration and altered protein structures, which can negatively affect digestion and immune tolerance.

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How does modern gluten damage the gut barrier?

Gluten increases the release of zonulin, a protein that loosens tight junctions in the intestinal lining. This can lead to gut barrier dysfunction (often called leaky gut), allowing inflammatory molecules to enter the bloodstream and trigger systemic inflammation.

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Can modern gluten cause symptoms outside of digestion?

Yes. Gluten-related gut barrier dysfunction can contribute to joint pain, muscle tightness, nerve irritation, headaches, fatigue, brain fog, autoimmune flare-ups, and poor recovery. Many people experience symptoms far beyond the digestive tract.

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What role does glyphosate play in gluten sensitivity?

Modern wheat is often sprayed with glyphosate-based herbicides before harvest. Glyphosate can disrupt the gut microbiome, damage beneficial bacteria, increase intestinal permeability, and amplify inflammatory responses—especially when combined with high-gluten wheat.

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Why am I reacting to gluten now when I ate it my whole life?

Gut health changes over time due to stress, illness, antibiotics, poor sleep, inflammation, and aging. As immune tolerance decreases, the body may begin reacting to modern gluten even if it was previously tolerated.

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Is gluten sensitivity different from celiac disease?

Yes. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes direct intestinal damage when gluten is consumed. Gluten sensitivity does not cause the same intestinal destruction but can still lead to significant gut inflammation, immune activation, pain, fatigue, and neurological symptoms.

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How does Camarata Chiropractic & Wellness test for gluten sensitivity?

Our team of chiropractors recommends advanced functional testing, including the KBMO FIT 176 Food Inflammation Test and gut barrier testing, to identify immune reactions to gluten and other foods at a cellular level—beyond what standard blood work typically reveals.

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Did Dr. Sam Camarata go gluten-free because of testing?

Yes. After completing advanced testing, Dr. Sam Camarata discovered extreme inflammatory sensitivity to gluten. He has now been gluten-free for over one year and considers it one of the best health decisions of his life due to reduced inflammation, improved recovery, and better overall function.

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Do all patients react poorly to gluten?

No. Not everyone is sensitive to gluten. However, many patients who complete food inflammation and gut barrier testing discover moderate to severe inflammatory reactions to gluten that were previously undetected and contributing to chronic symptoms.

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Can removing gluten help reduce chronic inflammation and pain?

For individuals with gluten sensitivity or gut barrier dysfunction, removing gluten often leads to reduced inflammation, improved digestion, better energy, less joint and nerve pain, and improved overall healing capacity.

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Where can I get gluten sensitivity testing in North Chili or Rochester, NY?

Advanced food inflammation and gut barrier testing via KBMO company is available to our patients at Camarata Chiropractic & Wellness in North Chili, NY, serving patients from Chili, Churchville, Spencerport, Rochester, and Monroe County. Our team focuses on identifying root causes, not just managing symptoms.

The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual results may vary.

Camarata Chiropractic & Wellness does not diagnose or treat disease. The content shared is meant to support overall health, wellness, and informed decision-making. Always consult with your primary care physician or other qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, lifestyle, supplementation, or healthcare plan—especially if you have a diagnosed medical condition, are pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription medications.

Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking care because of information you have read in this article.