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Are there degrees of gluten sensitivity?Every weekday, a CNNHealth expert doctor answers a viewer question. On Friday, it's Dr. Melina Jampolis, a physician nutrition specialist. Question asked by Sue R. of Oakland, California I know that I'm sensitive to carbs but I wanted to know how sensitive I was to gluten. I had a test taken by a nutritionist, and it came out positive. So I wanted to get tested by an official M.D., which I did. He tested me for celiac disease, even though I told him I didn't have it. He didn't understand when I told him that gluten sensitivity has different degrees of impact. Was I misinformed? I always thought it was a spectrum. Expert answer: To get the most up to date and comprehensive information, I spoke with an expert in the field, Dr. Joseph Murray, professor of medicine and consultant in gastroenterology and immunology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. Murray explained that gluten sensitivity is a real entity and most likely represents more than one clinical condition. The first is a condition that probably falls under the heading of gluten sensitivity Murray refers to as "celiac lite," meaning that a person may or may not have antibodies in the blood characteristic of celiac disease, does not have the intestinal damage seen in celiac disease (intestinal damage can be confirmed only by biopsy - taking a small piece of the lining of your intestine), but does have symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea and does benefit in terms of symptoms from following a gluten free diet. The second group of patients, categorized as having nonceliac gluten sensitivity, have the same symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea, but do not have antibodies or the genetic predisposition for celiac disease. [An earlier version of this post incorrectly said this group of patients do have antibodies or the genetic predisposition for celiac disease.] They are often told they have irritable bowel syndrome, but their symptoms improve on a gluten free diet (generally within one month). A recent double blind, placebo controlled Australian study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology strongly suggested the presence of this form of nonceliac gluten sensitivity or intolerance, but was unable to determine the cause. So assuming that celiac disease has been ruled out by your doctor (antibodies to the protein TTG are the most accurate, according to Murray) and depending on your symptoms, you may have gluten sensitivity. There is no reliable test to diagnose gluten sensitivity, according to Murray, so whatever your nutritionist ordered is not medically approved. If your symptoms resolve after one month on a gluten free diet, and the diet does not stop working several months later, this is probably the case and you should do your best to follow a gluten free diet long-term. One thing to consider is that many people feel better on a gluten free diet because they are eating less food overall (due to fewer choices) and cutting out most sources of refined grains, both of which are a good idea even if you don't have gluten issues. Your "sensitivity" to carbs may also relate to blood sugar fluctuations and insulin resistance, both of which can improve by reducing total and particularly refined grain intake. Follow Dr. Melina on Twitter.
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I went through every test in the book to find out what was wrong with me only to be told that it was irritable bowel or "anxiety" when it only took my daughters friend to say to me, since NO ONE else did, "maybe it is the wheat bread you are eating"!!! After years of diarrhea and daily stomach issues it was indeed gluten sensitivity. I tested negative the celiac but I am still very sensitive to oats, wheat, rye, ect.. I now stay away from it as much as I can and I am much better. I just can't believe no one doctor said this to me, or even mentioned it. I never put the two together either..
You may be sensitive to more foods than you are aware of. Check out the tests for cross-reactive foods in gluten sensitivity
offered by Cyrex labs. We are using this in our Clinical Nutrition practice now for our gluten intolerant patients.
Doctors are NOT trained in nutrition. If they did take a class, they probably weren't paying close attention. You also need to be aware of cross contamination where gluten free foods are prepared in places which have gluten foods. Chris is correct also as foods can have a more complex relationships with each other making some choices not quite as obvious. Doctors are trained to look for the "classic" celiac which only affects a very small percentage of the population. There is a major percentage of people who are gluten sensitive. Not all those who carry the genes for gluten sensitivity have these particular genes activated. It can be activated by some major stressful event. Good luck with your diet and the good news is that food producers are finally recognizing this issue and producing more foods for those that are gluten sensitve. I often wonder if I would need to be embalmed since I eat foods that have so many ingredients that I can't pronounce and that they are designed to "preserve" foods. That list is sometimes longer than the edible ingredients in the food.
enterolab is another place for testing gluten sensitivity. You do not need to follow a gluten free diet before getting tested. I am not afflilitated with them.
Like John said, doctors are not trained in nutrition. It may be the cynical response, but I think a good chunk of that may be because there's not enough money in prevention, including cases like allergies to food, so it isn't focused on. There's more money pumping you full of drugs to deal with your problems instead of preventing them by avoiding things in your diet or environment.
Some research has shown that appoximately 90% of the world population is gluten sensitive and so just about everyone has some degree of reaction to eating these types of grains although it may be something "minor" like inflammation of the gut. Gluten gets a lot of publicity lately but it's only 1 of the multiple proteins in these grains that have been proven to cause gastrointestinal problems in humans and possibly leading to all kinds of diseases. The human digestive system just wasn't designed to eat grains like these and everyone would be better off cutting that stuff out of their diet.
Which exactly are these studies? Who said that? Based on what? What was the methodology? "Some studies" suggest all kinds of things.
Yes Yes Yes!!! Why have there been no CNN reports on Lectins and all of the havoc they reek on the immune system!?? We shouldn't be eating grains or rice or beans or corn or milk or potatoes! And as for research, start with Dr. Loren Cordain.
90% seems pretty far-fetched. The latest research I've seen (published in march by the University of Maryland) indicates that around 18% of the population is gluten-intolerant to various degrees. I don't eat much grain myself, and it certainly isn't necessary to the human diet, but most people seem to eat it with no ill effects.
Humans have been harvesting wheat for well over 10,000 years. Rice? Over 12,000 years. Maize? "Only" 3,000 years. Potatoes? Up to 10,000 years. The Irish survived on a potato diet for hundreds of years. And yet, you contend that we should have none of these? Yeah... how's that deep end you went in?
kake79, The Irish survived on potatoes but did not thrive. Look at pictures of the Irish potatoe eaters and you will see unhealthy distended bellies. Grains are relatively new in human diet.
They are not good for health.
Riprap, potatoes are not grains. They are tubers. Those "pictures" of "Irish potato eaters" (do you mean the famous painting by van Gogh?) depict poor subsistence farmers in a dark room. Good grief.
check out the book Primal Blueprint for details on the ill effects of grain based carbs. He lists several medical studies to back up claims.
I wanted to reply to the person who said that we have been eating grains for thousands of years. The grains have changed. Modern advances in agriculture have made grains to have a higher composition of gluten than before. Also corn and wheat are mostly GMO's which you would never want to eat anyway because they are untested for safety of human consumption and the lead scientist who was suppose to prove the safety was never even allowed to finish his research and the plants were already approved. His research concluded GMO's are NOT safe for human consumption but governments made him stay quite. Read his book "Seeds of Deception" by Jeffery Smith or if you can't read a whole book check out his website as he has videos. Only eat grains if they if they are organic. If you ignore this, well consider yourself warned.
Some information regarding adverse health effects of grain on humans:
http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/3/12/the-argument-against-cereal-grains-ii.html
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/09/19/paleo-diet-solution/
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/page/dark-side-wheat-new-perspectives-celiac-disease-wheat-intolerance-sayer-ji
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/content/opening-pandoras-bread-box-critical-role-wheat-lectin-human-disease
10,000 years is miniscule in terms of evolutionary biology. It is not enough time for any genetic adaptation to grains to occur. Also, there is plenty of evidence that agricultural societies are less healthy than hunter gathers, ask any anthropologist.
Please always be careful of abdominal pain. "Irritable bowel" can be endometriosis in women, which can be mild or severe. It can also be colon cancer. In my case, a colonoscopy only showed some diverticula, but a laparoscopy (surgery) showed massive endometriosis (causing internal bleeding) and adhesions on the outside of the bowel, which pulled all the internal organs to the left. In my husband's case, his clean colonoscopy did not explain abdominal pain, so he was given anti-spasmodics. A year and a quarter later, he couldn't defecate at all one day, and a few days later it was found that he had colon cancer through the wall and into the lymph nodes (stage 3C), surgery, and now is on his second course of chemo therapy. It was explained that the cancer might have hidden in the wall or on the outside of the colon; not all cancer is seen in a colonoscopy apparently. So, if you feel better gluten-free, great, but always remember what a gynecologist once said on a blog: "IBS [irritable bowel syndrome] means I... BS; I don't know anything about endometriosis." Don't expect every gynecologist or gastroenterologist to be able to treat these conditions. Ask doctors who they or their wives would go to.
Good health to your husband and to you.
Good advice! Trying to figure out what was wrong with me, my OBGYN did lap surgery and did find endometriosis as well.
I believe it is simply the undigestable nature of gluten that triggers constant acid production that overwhelms the natural buffers of the intestine to inflame the mucosa "downstream." Acid production is provoked by the presence of proteins and diminished once the protein is dissolved. However, and undigestable protein will not dissolve and therefore perpetuate constant acid production. Simple!
What people never mention when discussing Gluten Intolerance is those of us with Gluten Ataxia. Before experimenting with a GF diet, i couldn't control my emotions or reactions, had extreme chronic fatigue, 'foggy brain', short attention span and no libido. I also had chronic abdominal blaoting and edema of the hands and face. It also affected my blood sugar and insulin levels leading to almost constant hunger, and sometimes binge eating.
I started eating a GF diet on my own in October of last year. It only took three days for the fatigue to disappear, but it took almost two months until all of my symptoms were gone. I could go to the doctor and have my diagnosis confirmed, but I would have to eat gluten for two weeks prior to testing and it is not worth the symptoms just to have it 'official'.
i don't know why anyone would voluntarily go gluten free without medical reason, though. i know it's trendy right now, but believe me, it sucks.
I could have written your response... the same thing happened to me and it was last October that I also gave up gluten. The fog lifted, the food cravings disappeared, my blood sugar levels have recently (finally) come back into line and overall, I feel like I was reborn because the exhaustion and sore achey joints are finally gone. No doc figured this out, I did it on my own after purplexing many specialists for over a decade with a miriad of health issues that have all since disappeared over the last few months. My doc was amazed at my discovery and said it would be unethical on his part to ask me to go back on gluten for a few weeks in order to be tested since the transformation in my health condition was so profound. Therefore, I call myself gluten sensitive with no formal diagnosis. Doc said I should avoid gluten for life and I plan on it.
Yes, gluten free diets do suck in the beginning and they are VERY expensive but to me, it's worth it because I have my health (my life) back. No fad here, just eating in a new way that keeps me healthy allbeit happy in the long run. I'll bet if more people went GF it would revolutionize our country's health status and bring health care costs in this country along with our insurance premiums WAY down. I'm living proof.
there is new good testing available through Cyrex labs to gluten sensitivity in many "arrays" to test for intestinal permeabliity,
wheat gluten reactions, and cross reactions to many different foods.
check it out – it is a new "gold-standard" in testing for gluten intolerance.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-david-perlmutter-md/gluten-impacts-the-brain_b_785901.html
Interesting article on gluten-sensitivity and the brain.
April, it sounds more like you were pre-diabetic and now that you have cut back on your carb bingeing you have lost weight and feel better. Water retention has more to do with salt than gluten (the edema you spoke of). Fatigue can be caused by constipation, which you likely had if you were that bloated. The fact that you don't "confirm" this with a physician makes me skeptical. Keep up with the healthy diet, but be aware that it's the probable reason you feel better.
Let me add that I was never overweight (115 lbs, 5' 6" tall) and did not fit into any pre-diabetic risk category. My doctors were completely perplexed by my condition. I do have autoimmune thyroiditis and the theory is that it was caused by the gluten sensitivity. There are many studies out that show a direct correlation between gluten sensitivity and auto immune disorders of the endochrine system (which includes the thyroid and pancreas). I have now been able to reintroduce gluten-free whole grains/complex carbs that in the past would have skyrocketed my glucose levels (just because they are high in carbs) but now my glucose levels stay in normal range. I am due to have my A1C level checked (blood fasting levels are not the gold standard for detecting diabetes anymore, the A1C test is) and my thyroid autoimmune antibody levels checked before the end of the summer. It will be a great day for me if I see a reduction in both of these levels.
Health improvements I noticed since going off gluten: mental fog lifted, sore joints stopped hurting, eyelashes grew in and got longer (and have stayed that way), hair is thicker (on head), mouth ulcers have disappeared, 95% of neuropathy in extremeties has gone away, painful ovulation and early signs of PCOS completely gone, inflammation in eyes has gone away, gum health improved, hives gone, digestive track is now happy, dry skin has completely gone away – especially on hands and scalp, feel different – like I woke up from a long, dragging dream. Been off gluten since October 2011. I read it can take a few months to up to two years before all the benefits of this GF diet are fully realized within the body including the autoimmune antibody levels in the blood, like for my thyroid.
I always ate healthy but after I gave birth to my children, my body definitely changed and I think the hormonal changes spurred on my intolerance to gluten. I now eat mostly fresh fruit, vegetables, and lean meats. I avoid sugar and gluten in all its forms and I am now finally able to eat gluten-free complex carbs without my blood sugar levels going through the roof (I have a home meter). I hope this information can help someone else who is struggling with health issues that doctors cannot find answers for. It seems like everyone's symptoms of gluten sensitivity can vary greatly. You have nothing to lose by trying a gluten free diet, just research it thoroughly and do it right so you don't compromise your health or nutrition in any way.
There are so many hidden sources of gluten, and that makes eating out a challenge unless you eat foods flavored only with salt and pepper, or give the waitstaff a quiz over every sauce, marinade, cooking surface, etc. Solution? I buy restaurant cards from http://www.living without.com and carry them in my purse. They're the same size as a business card, and not expensive. I let waitstaff know I have some food allergies (celiac isn't, but that's the term they understand), and I ask to order with the manager. Hand over the card, and it's all good. Oh, and if you need extra help with your food, tip well. Makes them more willing to help the rest of us out there.
This isn't complicated.
If you feel better when you don't eat something, don't eat it.
But if it doesn't make any difference, then don't worry about it and go back to whatever you were eating.
Keep it in perspective. Most humans can eat most foods. If we couldn't, we'd have all died out thousands of years ago. There haven't always been mega marts to supply any variety and combination of food we think we want or need, and in much of the world, there still isn't. Yes, a few people will have a few issues with a few foods. But huge numbers of people suddenly deciding they are ill from this, that and the other food "sensitivities"? Think latest food fad. Literally billions of humans have been eating grains successfully for thousands of years. We're just not that delicate.
Right, you have to wonder what else these people are eating that could be making them so sensitive to these grains.
Great, common sense advice, Sydney.
I have food allergies, some of which developed when I was about 4 years old, and others at about age 25. Before I was 4 I ate everything my parents put in front of me. One day I just stopped eating corn, pickles, meats prepared in certain ways, etc. Drove my mother absolutely crazy. When they ran allergy tests years later I was allergic to corn, dill, and a bacteria that grows in meat. I didn't need to throw up or have a horrible reaction to know that I shouldn't eat these foods ... they just didn't make me feel good.
My doctor had me go off gluten and milk a while ago and in three months it made no difference in how I feel or how much I weigh. Seems like the gluten thing is the latest trend.
We spend a lot of time and money chasing a diagnosis to problems, but I think most of us just need to learn to listen to our bodies. If it doesn't make you feel good then don't eat it. Simple.
Billions of people have been eating dairy for thousands of years – but there are still billions around who cannot. I don't know what more they'll find out about gluten intolerance, but celiac is a genetic disease. Many people develop it later in life (like my aunts, one of whom had 2 kids, and the other of whom had 5 before diagnosis) so their genetic material certainly got passed on. Again, not much research on intolerance has been done (though the latest from University of maryland indicates about 18% of the population is gluten intolerant to some degree – a very large number) but with celiac, populations that adopted grain later than others (like the Irish and Scandinavians) tend to have a higher rate of the disease. Just because humans have been eating grains for at least 10,000 years doesn't mean that ALL human populations have been doing so.
Gluten free is obnoxious, and believe me, the fadists will stop doing it soon enough.
On the other hand, we certainly do live and thrive a lot longer than people back in the day.
Why do you care what people eat and don't eat? If people don't want to eat gluten, that's their choice. In what way, shape, or form does that affect you at all?
Honestly, grains are not all they are cracked up to be. For one, most are sprayed with insecticides. For another, we rely WAY too much on them in our diets. They also sit in grain silos and grow all sorts of nasty molds and mildews on them. And...they *are* a fairly recent addition to the human diet...just b/c we DO eat them, that doesn't mean we should.
Corn is probably the WORST thing that people/animals can eat, particularly since it's in every single damn thing you buy in one form or another.
Kat...."gluten free is obnoxious"? Are you one who thinks that "meat free" is "obnoxious", too? Again, what other people chose to eat and not eat is really not your concern.
Boy there sure are a lot of try hard doctors in here. I would love to eat wheat. I love cake and bread and would happily live on only wheat. My sister's rather mild symptoms were diagnosed as celiac disease. I had all the symptoms of it but my tests came up negative although they didn't do the intestinal biopsy which I suppose they should have. They are supposed to do two blood tests by the way but my doctor hadn't even heard of one of them. IGA deficiency test. Anyway, as far as I know I don't have it but my chronic diarrhea, horribly stinky gas and stomach pain that I had for years went away within three days of not eating gluten. I get so offended by people who tell me I'm following a fad diet! I'd love to have a piece of cake. I used to make the most delicious bread. I would love to eat it. I cheat sometimes and eat what I want and pay dearly for it about 3 or 4 days later. Doctors are ignorant of celiac disease and gluten intolerance and apparently you back seat amateurs are doubly so.
Do you understand how addictions work? Addictive substances make you "feel good" but are certainly not healthy for you and grains have known addictive properties.
Chronic diseases do not occur instantly, they build up over time. What if the known anti-nutritional components of grains increase aging over a lifetime of consuming them? What if because of eating grains you end up with various chronic diseases at age 60 rather than age 75? There is a variety of evidence available that indicates that this does in fact occur.
Take it from a person that was diagnosed with Celiac over a year ago. This isn't the latest "food fad". Believe me I would go back to regular breads, pasta and other foods and enjoy not having to read every label. Those that are truly diagnosed with Celiac didn't do anything different this is an auto immune desease. It has nothing to do with being sensitive or delicate.
10 yrs. ago, I woke up, made french toast with wheat bread, ended up in the hospital unable to breath. I suddenly at 31 became deathly allergic to wheat. There were no signs, the skin tested me, then blood, and said sometimes your body just changes, i could not understand how over night I could get such an allergy. I researched and researched, finally had my thyroid tested, and sure enough my thyroid levels were off, they said my thyroid was starting to go bad, "hashimotos thyroiditus", and unfortunately this was a symptom. Now I am also allergic to peanuts, and shellfish, which I started to eat more regularly since wheat was out. Now I eat different foods spread out, not all of the time fearful that the rice, or corn I eat may be next on my "do not eat list". So my suggestion, is check your thyroid levels, it could also be the culprit just like mine was.
If you want to find out what foods are helping your body, and what foods are hurting your body, just find a good Applied Kinesiologist. This information can significantly improve your quality of life, and is generally accomplished in one short visit.
While some people experience a problem with Gluten, typically from Wheat, Oats, Rye, etc, there is another grain which does have its own Gluten, but does not seem to cause the same problems as with the previously mentioned grains...that is Spelt, which is a relative of wheat, a predecessor. Many people tolerate Spelt and its gluten and generally cooking and baking with it, most people cannot tell the difference. Spelt is widely used in Europe, especially Germany where it is called "Dinkel" and you will find pasta, cookies, fresh baked breads (from German bakeries), etc, made with it. It's very good and nutritious. Many people are told they cannot eat gluten, although can eat Spelt with no problem. My wife is able to eat Spelt anything with its gluten, although cannot eat wheat, oats, rye, etc, products. Of course if there is any concern, please consult a doctor or nutritionist. Hope this helps some to be able to cook, bake and eat breads or other things typically made with other grains.
Spelt is absolutely not appropriate for anyone with celiac disease. I assume you're wife is gluten intolerant? If she is celiac and eats spelt, she is causing the same damage to her intestines as if she ate standard wheat, no matter what her outside symptoms.
Kat...Yes, my wife is "Wheat intolerant", not "gluten intolerant", when people say gluten intolerant, that is really a misnomer and is technically incorrect. As mentioned above, Spelt has its own gluten and many people that are wheat or other grain intolerant, can handle Spelt. As a result of the Spelt gluten, it can be used like wheat, etc, for baking and cooking. I understand and concur with what you are stating about celiac disease. And as I also suggested, if there are questions, individuals should consult an physician or nutritionist.
Great article on a subject that is all too often overlooked diagnostically. However, Dr. Murray is apparently of the opinion that immunoglobulin G antibody testing is "unproven", despite the number of research studies indicating that the issue is very real. It isn't about just heartburn or diarrhea, either. Just google Free medline and put in search terms such as "gluten immunogloblulin g" and you will see studies showing mental conditions as well, such as bipolar conditions. We can also be sensitive to the metabolites and by-products of gluten as we digest it. Examples of this are epitopes such as prodynorphins, alpha gliadins, and gluteomorphins. It is possible to test negative for gluten and yet be very reactive to some of these substances. Cyrex Labs is the only one I'm aware of that does this testing so far. No affiliation, btw. For more good info, look up Sage Labs or foodallergy.com also. Research is far ahead of medicine in this field. People that have gotten off gluten and healed know the truth. The responses so far paint the picture more clearly! good luck to all of you on your path to health.
The US seems very far behind in coping with the spectrum of gluten sensitivities. Groceries can be so much more expensive, labeling of allergens is sporadic, dining out is difficult. Waitstaff have no idea what gluten is, what is gluten free, and in some cases have been outright rude to me: "if you get sick it's not our fault."
This is all by way of comparison to the Republic of Ireland. Gluten free groceries are widely available in grocery stores, labeling of allergens is common, most restaurants have added the designation "C" to meals that are "coeliac friendly" (meaning gluten free) and when questioned about the menu, waitstaff can quickly tell you what is safe to eat. Restaurants and hotels have gluten free breads on which to build a sandwich and gluten free biscuits to offer with one's coffee. 1 out of 200 in the population have some level of gluten intolerance. Many of the Catholic churches offer gluten free wafers for communion. There is a greater awareness of the condition in general, and restaurants, bars, and cafes have done much to accommodate a diner's needs.
I think the only people behind are the medical doctors. I am a nutritionist and teach this stuff all the time and I can't tell you how many times I have had doctors "undo" my education as they are so stuck in the old paradigm of celiac spure or not. The whole message of whole grains are good for you, is from the USDA. The USDA is not a nutrition program, it is an agricultural department. They know nothing about health. They are all about selling the product that we pay farmers to produce through farm bills. Follow the money people. Grains are not heart healthy.
Warning to people: The standard medical test for Celiac is EXTREMELY inaccurate, and doctors know it, but they don't have anything better, so they go with it. Unfortunately, it's causing a huge amount of undiagnosed Celiac and gluten intolerance out there.
There is an up-and-coming test that studies show does a much better job, but is not commonly known by doctors. I don't work for these people, but I tested negative with the standard blood test and positive using this test, and going off of gluten changed my life, and explained a lifetime of health problems. Like I said, I have no connection to them, but I was impressed by their professionalism. Look for Enterolab on enterolab.com. They test for antibodies in your stool, which is much more direct.
Bottom line, we need better tests! I suspect gluten intolerance and Celiac is far, far more common than anyone realizes.
My uncle just passed from multiple myeloma and I do believe he was gluten intolerant as well. I did some reading and apparently there is a connection between the two. Does anyone know anymore about this and if so can you please give some information about it because it is a bit scary.
I am allergic to wheat–the more gluten the better. I don't eat more than 2-3 servings of wheat per week. Tested by the allergist and also allergic to many other foods. Alcohol–citrus, tomatoes, and the cow–dairy–including the meat. Seldom eat other people's cooking.
I'm not a lover of grains and have long believed that grains are not as necessary to our diet as the grain companies would like us to believe. I have known for years that I get immediate heart burn and/or acid reflux after eating oatmeal. I love oatmeal but it just doesn't agree with me. When my son's pediatrician told me to introduce cereal into his diet I bought some oatmeal hoping that he would not have a problem with it. But I was wrong. I noticed that he started spitting up a lot more after he at his morning oatmeal. As soon as I noticed it, I switched him to brown rice cereal and he hasn't spit up since.
Anyone has any input Re: Gluten sensitivity and "out of gut" symptoms e.g. ADD/ADHD type symptoms?
funny you should ask. i was thinking about how my adult add has subsided a lot. ive been gf for about 2 yrs now( self diagnosed, im a part of the 4o bazillion with no health insurance) & i noticed how i was able to do what i need to do with out having the "squirrel!" affect. ( the movie "up") but i also noticed that not only could i focus on what i was doing & get it done, i now get sorta irritated when someone trys to distract me from said task.i thought the whole thing was funny.ive a very outgoung personality to start off with & now im mad couse i cant get my stuff done. i dont know when this happened thou. i just recently noticed the whole focusing thing.i feel theres a conection definetly. can i prove it? not in a docters office. but i can ask those that know me best. i hope this helps.
Just curious: how possible is it that people who have an underlying but perhaps undiagnosed insulin resistance find relief from a (more restrictive?) gluten free diet and inaccurately chalk it up to being gluten sensitive rather than flat-out carb-sensitive?
Anyone who has been diagnosed with "Irritable Bowel Syndrome" please please please find a Naturopathic Doctor and ask them to give you an IGG (not to be mistaken with IGE) food allergy panel! An M.D. will not give this test nor will an allergist but it will tell you what foods you have a latent allergy to. My life has completely changed since I found out the foods that were hurting me, and the naturopath can also help you to heal your gut so that you may be able to tolerate those foods again in the future.
I had been plagued with stomach pain, hives, depression, exhaustion etc. and fixing my diet has changed my world!
I am just so glad to see so many educated consumers out there about this stuff. I love hearing people promote real health by not going to a "MD" and even making comments like yours that say, don't listen to out of touch MD's. MD are great for somethings but when it comes to diet, they know nothing but are also won't admit it.
This month I am taking the Food Stamp challenge (to read about it http://www.fusiononthefly.com) and my absolute favorite comment came from a woman in Washington on food stamps. She noticed that I was eating a lot of pasta. Her comment:
"Did you ever notice how poor people never have gluten sensitivity or food allergies? I think we just can't afford them."
Enjoy your degrees of sensitivity those of you who have the means to enjoy being 'special'.
Right, because people with gluten and other food sensitivities are just doing it for attention and to feel ~special~. I don't dispute that it's shameful that people living on low incomes have to eat a llimited junk diet - that's a political issue we all should be working on. But giving people with illnesses crap about it is a jerkish and ableist thing to do.
First and foremost, don't let this troll get your bowels in an uproar with his comments. Gluten sensitive people have enough trouble in that department.
I certainly don't feel "special" in any way because of this condition. I'm grateful that the remedy is only diet related for me, and I feel for the people that have resulting auto immune diseases that have to take medication and will suffer with symptoms for the rest of their lives.
Usually people like "Mr. Wilder" are ignorant of the facts and like to make snide remarks before educating themselves on the issues. He probably feels that he is doing something magnanimous by taking the Food Stamp Challenge, and by inferring that food stamp recipients have "real" and not imaginary issues to contend with, I'm sure he intends for us to feel ashamed and self-absorbed. This is a health discussion and no place for a political argument, which he is trying to start.
I propose "Mr Wilder" should go gluten free for his next "challenge". It might make him feel better about himself, clear up his brain fog and correct his diarrhea of the mouth.
I don't know if the prevalence is 1 in 200 or 18% of the population, but gluten sensitivity (non coeliac) is a real problem for some of us. I don't remember when the sympotoms first started for me, but they were definitely there by the time I was 20. Not only intestinal gas and bloating but also a chronically stuffy nose. People would ask whether I had a cold and I would have to make some excuse. Could not chew food with my mouth closed as I then would be unable to breathe. I never had acne as an adolescent, but in my mid 20's I went through several years of large red welts developing on my forehead and inside my nose (very painful). Also, if I were to do push ups or hang in an inverted fashion, the blood vessels in my face would rupture and splotches would appear. I was the subject of a Dermatology Grand Rounds at a local teaching hospital but nobody could state a cause.
Would always sit away from other people at lunch meetings due to the need to pass gas ( sometimes several hundred times a day). I ate oatmeal almost every weekday for breakfast because I liked it and it was supposed to be healthy. This was after I had moved from my parents home to a different state for graduate school. Interestingly, when I would visit my parents my symptoms would remit somewhat and I concluded that there must be something in the water in the state where I moved to. In actuality, my mom would make me eggs and bacon for breakfast and I was therefore taking in less gluten.
All this was happening in the late 70's and early 80's. At that time, I had never heard of the word gluten and food labeling was nowhere near as extensive as it is today. I confided my excess gas problem to a physician friend of mine who said he thought it had to relate to diet. I dutifully cut out "gassy" foods from my diet without any effect. So I continued with these symptoms for almost 25 years.
My stomach would make its loudest "growling" noises when either full or empty. One day in 1999, I was sitting in a late evening class having not yet eaten dinner. At the break, a person sitting in the row in front of me and three(!) people down said "You really ought to eat something, I could hear your stomach growling all the way over here". At that point I said to myself, "That's it – No one else has these problems" I made an appontment to see my doctor and was tested for "wheat" allergies ( along with other substances).
I am allergic to wheat, oats, rye and barley. It took less than 24 hours of not eating these to notice a huge difference. I don't have coeliac so I can eat these items but I know what they will do to me. The symptoms can start within a minute or two of eating them. I even discovered that I was allergic to beer, since it's made with barley malt. My first drink of gluten free beer (made with sorghum and not bad) was totally different than any beers I had previously had.
For those of you with gluten problems, perhaps much of what I have described here is familiar. It took 25 years for me to find out my problem. I now am much more observant of other people and any dietary issues they may be having and as a result, haved helped two friends discover their own gluten sensitivities.
If you still think this issue is overblown do an Internet search on "PTC paper" to discover some of the genetic issues underlying taste ( I myself am a non-taster). Also, some of you may be lactose intolerant. Do you know that this is the normal human condition as a gene turns on to help wean us off mother's milk. Lactose intlerance is much more prominent in individuals with recent african or mediterranean heritage. The thinking is that as humans moved north towards scandanavian countries, where foods were more limited and people relied more on dairy products such as milk and cheese, the gene which prevented the development of lactose intlerance was selected for, resulting in much less lactose intolerance in people with heritage from this area.
Please help to spread the word about gluten. For some, it's no problem at all. For others, not having it can make a major difference in their quality of life!
Late onset gluten sensitivity: I am 70 and never experienced food allergies et al in my life. About 5 months ago I had a dreadful episode of gassy stomach, bloat, not-quite-but-sort-of diarrhea. I have never eaten very much gluten at one time ... and of late, even less so. Had not my cousin told me about her horrendous experience with celiac disease ten years ago, I doubt that I would have made any connection, although years and years ago, I did indeed believe that the "pasty" feel in my mouth after eating some sandwiches was distinctly related to bad-quality bread.
For some reason in March last past several days in a row took me to meals that had relatively lots of gluten ... and for me, it was like a melt-down. Along with "The Miserable GI Episode"I went from 100 lbs to 90 in a week ... and now have to work hard to eat enough to keep that weight / but I find it is only home-cooked food that keeps me going.
I also experience some nasal stuffiness / it is almost asthmatic and sometimes happens quite suddenly when certain foods are put in front of me or when I eat them.
I find it fairly easy to not eat foods containing gluten in all its sundry forms. [I do think gluten is used in spray products or whatever that are used by caterers and restaurants and/or other commercial places to keep fresh, raw salads and other veggies fresh ... I do tend to have a problem with these. Generally, I do find it somewhat hard to find foods that satisfy natural hunger and energy needs. So far, I am inclined to think that some other foods / food allergies are involved. Overall, I feel a lot better with no gluten!
Although I would love to check in with a trained nutritionist and/or physician, it will be a cold day in hell before I put a slice of bread in my mouth ... much less a two-week diet of similar. I am sure I will fail their test, etc.
Overall, the original article and all the comments above have been for me useful reading. Thanks to all for sharing so much experience.
About 15 years ago my mom found out she had gluten sensitivity. Over the years, all 5 of us siblings have found the same in our lives. Doesn't seem to cause any other health problems, but getting a case of the '2 step", or even "1 step" is bad enough.
For me, there is a linear relationship between gluten consumed and 'discomfort'. An occasional slice of toast can be tolerated, but much more than that and I had best be thinking about proximity to the head tomorrow!
Funny, but I have also developed a similar problem with onions! No more onion sammiches to keep me single...!
My husband has Celiac Disease and adheres strictly to the gluten-free diet. He also suffers from a legume intolerance which includes soy, peanuts and all beans, and the symptoms mimic those of celiac: gas, bloating, skin rash, and severe diarrhea. I have found that most physicians know nothing about legume intolerance. Ours had called it irritable bowel system, and prescribed Metamucil. Anyone who continues to have symptoms should try eliminating legumes.
Hello. For those of you that may be having grain/gluten issues with babies and young children, please consider FPIES (Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome). If our 16-mth old daughter ingests ANY grains (rice, wheat, barley, oats, etc.), she begins to vomit about three hours later and it continues every 10-15 minutes for 3 to 4 hours. Yeah...not fun. This started when we introduced rice cereal into her diet at 6-mths. She tested negative for celiac and we are 95% sure she has FPIES. We decided to forgo an official clinical diagnosis for now, as it requires testing in a controlled environment that will likely require her/us to go through the whole vomiting sequence multiple times, and we are just not willing to put her/us through that. Fortunately, children usually outgrow this by 24-36 months.
If your child is having problems, and you are not able to figure out what is going on, print out info on FPIES from the web, take it to your pediatrician, and discuss the possibility that this condition might be affecting your child. It seems that many doctors are not familiar with FPIES and it is often misdiagnosed as stomach flu, celiac, or other intestinal disorders.
Good luck,
Brad
http://www.AModernDad.com
Once again, the medical "experts" have missed the sense of what's going on. Many have a gluten sensitivity that doesn't manifest as anything in the gut. My wife gets fluid retention, swollen joints, headache, extreme tiredness and other non-abdominal symptoms for several days after eating gluten. This is not celiac disease at all. It is an entirely different set of symptoms and was mis-diagnosed by the western medical establishment for years. After thousands of dollars of diagnostic testing of everything from auto immune diseases to lupus to endrocrine disorders, etc, a nutritionist spotted it right away. As her symptoms abated on a gluten free diet, her internal medicine doc scoffed at the idea that she had gluten issues because he said she doesn't have celiac symptoms.
I don't have much good to say about the arrogance of doctors who can only treat what they can measure.
I experience the exact same things as your wife. I eat gluten free diet. If I eat any kind of gluten the next day I basically feel horribly hung over. Like I spent the entire night downing shots. I also noticed that different kinds of breads/grains have different levels of effect on me. All of them make me sick but to different degrees. Also since I stopped eating gluten/bread I no longer experience hypoglycemia. I was tested for every auto immune disease there is, diabetes, and lupus. Getting rid of gluten is the only thing that has made any difference.
@Fiona
I could have written a post similar to April , and I am fairly confident that you totally missed April's point. Your theory, and I am sadly sure you are not alone, is an example of why food sensitivities are not taken seriously enough.
While I can appreciate the seriousness in which diabetes is now given, people are forgetting that slight blood sugar abnormalities can be symptoms of other issues, and in error focus too narrowly on the slightly out of normal range blood sugar as the problem, and therefore miss the big picture. Since going on a gluten-free diet, my asthma and slightly out of normal blood sugar range have gone back to normal, despite the fact that in theory, I have what would be considered a worst diet for a diabetic since going gluten-free. I very carefully tested my diet and simply getting rid of the gluten made all the difference. I would disapprove your theory, and I would guess that April does as well.
The medical community is more comfortable with throwing more and more people into a standard recognized diagnosis such as pre-diabetes and asthma, instead of taking allergies and food sensitivities more seriously. I feel bad for people out there that would benefit from a gluten-free diet, but get some generalized standard diagnosis for something else, and don’t get the specific advice that they really need.
I have a B.S in Biology, I have worked for a medical school in the past, and I have personally tried to research nutrition and allergy information all my life because I suffer from multiple allergies and food sensitivities, and the information and testing available is still lacking. This does make it less of a problem, just less recognized.
I meant above that it does NOT make it less of a problem, just less recognized.
There is more to wheat, rye and barley than "just" gluten. Sometimes people who do not have celiac disease feel better when they eat less of these foods because they are eating less fructans, a type of carbohydrate/fiber. Fructans can cause all kinds of GI symptoms. Fructans are one of several kinds of carbohydrates known as FODMAPs. Google FODMAPs and IBS diet and you can find out more about this idea.
Dr. Vikki Petersen, co-author of "The Gluten Effect" contributed an article on this very topic on my gluten free recipe blog. She disagrees with Dr. Murray on a few counts. In regards to there not being a valid gluten sensitivity test she states, "There certainly IS a reliable test. And one of the best and substantiated by research as valid is also free – eliminate gluten from your diet for 30 days and see how you feel. If you notice an improvement, that is considered to be a valid test." She goes on to say, "There is an anti-gliadin antibody test that measures the body’s immune system response to the protein gluten. If the body doesn’t consider the protein to be a problem then it wouldn’t make something called ‘antibodies’ against it. This test measures this reaction." Read the full article on my blog, "Gluten Free Recipe Box". http://glutenfreerecipebox.com.
Ahhh The Dude has to be corrected. Oye. Idiot.Obviously gluetn free bread as you know is free of wheat, rye, oats and barley but is still BREAD! Here's my suggestion: (I m a lazy baker so I dont bake my own GF bread, so I m passing on info I've gotten from other Celiacs.)That is a great yahoo health group and they had a sort of academy awards for GF products. I looked but couldnt find the file, but they voted on best bread machine. Join the group, post a question (ask for Joy, she ran the awards) and ask their thoughts on bread machines.I have heard good things from Celiacs about the Cuisnart one and the Sunbeam!I personally buy all m y bread premade! Im a preg mother of a 2 yr old, no time to bake from scratch!