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By Michelle Graham on March 7, 2017 It seems like everywhere you go someone is advocating going gluten free. Gluten free products are showing up in even mainstream cafes and restaurants. So, what's the problem with eating gluten? Haven't we been eating this stuff for hundreds of years and people survived okay? According to modern research the effects of eating gluten can take decades before we realize the damage that it has done to our digestive system. The main issue begins in the stomach where, if there is insufficient acidity present, the gluten protein chain cannot be broken apart into its individual amino acids. The gluten then passes into the small intestines in one long chain and is akin to an "elephant in your lounge room" as it drags through and over the microscopic villi responsible for absorbing nutrients in your food. In the process these villi are damaged and less nutrient absorption can happen. Over time we end up with a fraction of our former nutrient absorption capacity and the result is chronic malnutrition at a cellular level.