http://www.greenmedinfo.com/page/opening-pandoras-bread-box-critical-role-wheat-lectin-human-disease
Here's and excerpt that is interesting and stands out.
WGA stands for Wheat Germ Agglutinin
Grains are rich in lectins
Each grain contains about one microgram of WGA. That seems hardly enough
to do any harm to animals our size. Lectins, however, are notoriously
dangerous even in minute doses and can be fatal when inhaled or injected
directly into the bloodstream. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, it takes only 500 micrograms (about half a grain
of sand) of ricin (a lectin extracted from castor bean casings) to kill
a human. A single, one ounce slice of wheat bread contains
approximately 500 micrograms of WGA, which, if it were refined to its
purest form and injected directly into the blood, could, in theory, have
platelet-aggregating and erythrocyte-agglutinizing effects strong
enough to create an obstructive clot such as that occuring in myocardial
infarction and stroke. This, however, is not a likely route of exposure
and, in reality, the immediate pathologies associated with lectins like
ricin and WGA are largely restricted to the gastrointestinal tract
where they can cause mucosal injuries. The point is that WGA, even in
small quantities, could have profoundly adverse effects, given suitable
conditions. Ironically, WGA is exceptionally small, at 36 kilodaltons
(approximately the mass of 36,000 hydrogen atoms) and it can pass
through the cell membranes of the intestine with ease. The intestines
will allow passage of molecules up to 1,000 kilodaltons in size.
Moreover, one wheat kernel contains 16.7 trillion individual molecules
of WGA, with each molecule of WGA having four N-Acetylglucosamine
binding sites. The disruptive and damaging effects of whole wheat bread
consumption are formidable in someone whose protective mucosal barrier
has been compromised by something as simple as nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, or a recent viral or bacterial
infection. The common consumption of both wheat and NSAIDs may suggest
the frequency of the WGA vicious cycle. Anti-inflammatory medications,
such as ibuprofen and aspirin, increase intestinal permeabilty and may
cause absorption of even larger-than-normal quantities of
pro-inflammatory WGA. Conversely, the inflammation caused by the
absorption of WGA lectin is the very reason there is a great need for
the inflammation-reducing effects of NSAIDs.
Owning the Night.
11 years ago
