Knee joint pains caused by GM foods containing gluten?

I have been googling about gluten and knee pain and I learnt from this website that knee joint pain could be linked to eating food that contains gluten, such as wheat and other grains.

http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/prescription-pain-trap/

Foods That Can Trigger Joint and Muscle Pain

In my clinical experience the following short list of foods commonly contribute to arthritis. The list is not comprehensive, but includes some of the more common food triggers of joint pain.

• Grain (all grains including wheat, barley, rye, oats, corn, rice, millet, sorghum, etc)
• Nightshades (potato, eggplant, tomato, peppers, tobacco)
• Hydrogenated Fats (hardly a food, but added to a lot of processed food items)
• Sugar (in all processed forms)
• Coffee and Tea
• Soy
• Peanuts

I have been eating wholemeal bread containing grains such as bran wheat the past few years as I learnt they are generally healthy and contain high fibre which is good for the digestive system. Then again, I have also been experiencing knee joint pain on and off around the same time too. About 10-20 years ago, I didn't experience knee pain often despite I the fact that I have been eating bread for breakfast every morning. So, my guess for now is that (most of) the bread that is sold in supermarkets today may contain genetically modified (GM) wheat (although it is not labelled as GMO). I will continue to do research to verify this information.

I just came across this website that says:

http://www.mamiverse.com/eat-your-way-out-of-sickness-15420/
"A recent study by the Mayo Clinic found that 1 in 100 people has CD, making it four times more common today than it was in the 1950s. According to Dorfman, this may have to do with the fact that the gluten in today’s wheat has been genetically modified to contain more protein, causing it to become more reactive. If your child shows any of these symptoms, Dorfman suggests starting an elimination diet. Even if the CD screen comes back negative, you should start the elimination diet anyway because the child may still be sensitive to gluten. "

While I think I may not be gluten sensitive or gluten intolerant since I usually have no problems consuming rice, barley, oat and so on as my staple diet, the gluten in today's wheat that has been genetically modified to contain more protein may trigger symptoms related to celiac disease, as noted by the above article. So, in the meantime, I hope the health authorities will consider labelling GMOs for a start so that people can make informed decisions on whether to buy foods that contain GM wheat and so on.

Do we have the right to know what's in our food?

Yes, we all have the right as consumers to know what is in our food. I have googled about label GMO and learnt that 50 countries with over 40% of the world's population already label GMO foods. It's high time for other countries to follow suit to give consumers the right to know what's in their food, especially since there are studies that show GMO foods may pose health risks in the long run. I learnt that in Singapore there are no such laws requiring GMO foods to be labelled as such, and the authorities appear to be dragging their feet about it, citing economic concerns, which is not really surprising since they appear more worried about companies making profits than people's health and well being. I will see what I can do to help spread awareness on the need for more people to know what is in our food too.

I also learnt that while there is no GMO label on foods in Singapore yet, there are some foods that have non-GMO labels, as mentioned in a forum.

Originally posted by harrow:

"Haha, well it's true that in SG there is no ruling that you can't use GM food. However, you cannot label your product as Non-GMO unless it is true. If you want to be on the safe side, look for foods with labels that state Non-GMO.

Also for your reference, Europe is not the only country with strict Non-GMO rules. Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and even Thailand is very strict with that."

So, at least I can choose to buy foods that are certified organic or labelled non-GMO, which are safer and healthier. I have also stopped buying canola cooking oil some time ago after reading about its side effects due to it being genetically modified. I have switched to other kinds of cooking oil instead.

Occupy Monsanto

"Not all of us can eat 100% non-gmo every single day, but all of us can manage to do one day a week with some efforts. Shoot for the moon, but never forget that every little step you make counts."

Yes, each of us has the power to make a difference. Like what Helen Keller said,"I am only one, But still I am one. I cannot do everything, But still I can do something;" So just like each of us can save the environment through making adjustments in our own lifestyle, I can also do my part in not supporting GM foods and the companies that produce GM foods by choosing to buy organic and/or non-GM foods wherever I can. Every little step counts indeed, not only for the good of the environment, but also for my own health.