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Celiac disease (CD) was initially described in the first century A.D. by a Greek physician named Aretaeus of Cappadocia. (1) But neither Aretaeus nor anyone else knew that CD is caused by an autoimmune reaction to gluten, a protein in wheat. That didn’t become clear until 1950 — several centuries later — when Dr. Willem Dicke, a Dutch pediatrician, conclusively proved that gluten was the culprit. (2) Dicke’s discovery saved millions of children and adults from the perils of untreated celiac disease, including malnutrition, stunted growth, cancer, severe neurological and psychiatric illness and even death.
Since then, the mainstream view of gluten intolerance has been relatively black or white: Either you have celiac disease, in which case even a small amount of gluten will send you running to the bathroom in three seconds flat, or you don’t, and you can chug down beer and bagels without fear. This “all-or-nothing” view has led to some doctors telling patients that suspect they’re sensitive to gluten but test negative for CD that they’re simply imagining an affliction that doesn’t exist.
It turns out those doctors are wrong.
The Many Shades of Gluten Intolerance
In order to explain why, I have to give you a quick lesson in the biochemistry of wheat and wheat digestion.
Wheat contains several different classes of proteins. Gliadins and glutenins are the two main components of the gluten fraction of the wheat seed. (They’re essential for giving bread the ability to rise properly during baking.) Within the gliadin class, there are four different epitopes (i.e. types): alpha-, beta-, gamma- and omega-gliadin. Wheat also contains agglutinins (proteins that bind to sugar) and prodynorphins (proteins involved with cellular communication). Once wheat is consumed, enzymes in the digestive tract called tissue transglutaminases (tTG) help to break down the wheat compound. In this process, additional proteins are formed, including deamidated gliadin and gliadorphins (aka gluteomorphins).
Here’s the crucial thing to understand: Celiac disease is characterized by an immune response to a specific epitope of gliadin (alpha-gliadin) and a specific type of transglutaminase (tTG-2). But we now know that people can (and do) react to several other components of wheat and gluten — including other epitopes of gliadin (beta, gamma, omega), glutenin, WGA and deamidated gliadin — as well as other types of transglutaminase, including type 3 (primarily found in the skin) and type 6 (primarily found in the brain). (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
This is a huge problem because conventional lab testing for CD and of gluten intolerance only screens for antibodies to alpha-gliadin and transglutaminase-2. If you’re reacting to any other fractions of the wheat protein (e.g., beta-gliadin, gamma-gliadin or omega-gliadin), or any other types of transglutaminase (e.g., type 3 or type 6), you’ll test negative for CD and gluten intolerance no matter how severely you’re reacting to wheat.
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Beyond Celiac: Why CD Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Official statistics suggest that Celiac disease affects between 0.7 percent and 1 percent of the U.S. population. (9) But considering the limited scope of the testing, it’s possible that the actual incidence might be much higher.
In addition, CD is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to gluten intolerance. Celiac disease is caused by a distinct autoimmune response to wheat proteins and transglutaminase enzymes in the gut. But CD is just one possible expression of gluten intolerance; there are many other ways that sensitivity to gluten can manifest in the body. These are collectively referred to as “Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity,” or NCGS.
There’s no consensus definition of NCGS yet, but the most common understanding is that it’s a reaction to gluten that is not autoimmune (like CD) or allergic (like wheat allergy). Another definition I’ve seen is, “a reaction to gluten that resolves when gluten is removed from the diet and CD and allergy have been ruled out.” (10)
It’s difficult to estimate the prevalence of NCGS because there is no definitive diagnostic test for it. As I mentioned above, the currently available tests for gluten sensitivity are primitive and only screen for a small fraction of the components of wheat that people react to. Another issue is the variety of symptoms caused by CD and NCGS. While most people assume that gluten intolerance always causes digestive distress, this is not the case. Almost 50 percent of new patients diagnosed with CD do not have gastrointestinal symptoms. (11) Moreover, for every one case of CD that is diagnosed, there are 6.4 cases that remain undiagnosed — the majority of which are atypical or silent forms without gastrointestinal symptoms. (12)
Gluten intolerance can affect nearly every tissue in the body, including the brain, skin, endocrine system, stomach, liver, blood vessels, smooth muscles and even the nucleus of cells. CD and NCGS are associated with an astonishing variety of diseases, from schizophrenia and epilepsy, to Type 1 diabetes and osteoporosis, to dermatitis and psoriasis, to Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism to peripheral neuropathy. (13) Because the range of symptoms associated with gluten intolerance is so broad and nonspecific (e.g., can be attributed to any number of conditions), many patients and doctors don’t suspect gluten may be the cause.
Even with these limitations, some estimates suggest NCGS may occur in as many as 1 in 20 Americans. (14) And while some mainstream medical professionals continue to insist that NCGS doesn’t exist, several studies have validated it as a distinct clinical condition — including gold-standard, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. (15)
The Gluten-Free Challenge: Still the Best Test for Gluten Intolerance
With all of this in mind, the obvious question that arises is, “What’s the best way to test for gluten intolerance?” Because of the limitations of current laboratory testing I described above, most experts on gluten sensitivity agree that the only reliable test is a “gluten challenge.” This involves removing gluten from the diet completely for a period of at least 30 days, and then adding it back in after that. If symptoms improve during the elimination period, and return when gluten is reintroduced, a diagnosis of NCGS can be made.
However, for many people a gluten-free diet isn’t enough. Some grains that don’t contain gluten, such as corn, oats and rice, contain proteins that are similar enough in structure to gluten to elicit an immune response in people with CD or NCGS. In addition, about 50 percent of patients with CD show signs of intolerance to casein, the protein in milk. (16) This may explain why up to 30 percent of CD patients continue to have symptoms or clinical signs after adopting a gluten-free diet. (17) For this reason, I recommend a completely grain- and dairy-free diet during the gluten challenge period.
Finally, though the gluten challenge is still the gold standard test for gluten intolerance, there is a relatively new lab (Cyrex Laboratories) offering a comprehensive blood test which screens for all of the wheat and gluten proteins and transglutaminase enzymes I mentioned above. This can be a helpful diagnostic tool, but it should never replace a gluten/Paleo challenge. (Note: It must be ordered by a physician or health care practitioner.)
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I’m reporting back to say I am a lot better. It took about 2 months of pretty strict eating. I notice when I have a bout of IBS it takes about 2 months for me to heal. I’ve noticed this pattern.
I have been able to introduce back small amounts of most food groups (including dairy, nuts and beans) without issue.
What I am continuing on with now is really small meals, minimal simple carbohydrates, and as soon as I feel a bit unwell, or full, keep to a very strict simple diet on that day. I really have become more attune to when my body if feeling bloated, or not 100%.
I suspect I might have had an ulcer (which have had on the verge before) and it has healed, but if I eat too many foods that are not good for me, then it will flare up an inflammation.
I don’t think I am necessarily gluten intolerant, I think I am ‘everything intolerant’ when my stomach is overstimulated from too much processed foods.
I am having a lot of digestive problems but they are intermittent. I had terrible stomach pains about 3 years ago which went undiagnosed despite a number of tests and I tried going gluten free for 3 months with a bit of relief but no increase in symptoms when I started eating gluten again. The pain gradually wore off over about a 2 year period and I was ok for about a year. Recently my mum got really sick, I got stressed and it all started up again. I am trying to track the relationship of the symptoms with food and one of the obviously bad foods seems to be pasta although bread and other gluten foods seem fine. Does this make sense to anyone? What is in pasta that is not in bread, that I might be reacting to? if anyone knows I would be most grateful to hear. Thanks
Am having a lactose intolerance test next week.
After having my first child, I developed extreme pain in my abdomen after eating certain foods. i figured it was a dairy intolerance, so I cut dairy completely out of my diet and things got better for a few months. The symptoms returned a few months later, even though I hadn’t been eating dairy. The next step was to eliminate gluten from my diet. I lost 60 lbs, and the pain went away almost completely. I find now, if I have traces of either in my diet my joints swell, i retain a lot of water, and my abdomen is very painful and bloated. i have not done any official diagnostics yet, as they require you to eat the bad food for up to six months and I’m not willing to be in so much pain for that long.
Well, I have been tested for celiacs and it has been negative. I didn’t think anything of it. I have been suffering numerous symptoms, tiredness and dizziness followed by sort of changes in bowels. Another symptom I noted was I was really bloated. So bloated but I never gained nor lost weight. I have been to countless doctors who try say it’s all in my head. One doctor said id a bit of a problem with blood pressure. So I cut out gluten to stop the bloating to see if it helped. Not entirely but soecificlly bread. Then today I ate some nice salad on white bread. It was delicious, however no less the one hour I go to the toilet with diarohea, ugh. Now, I have eaten brown bread and gluten containing food here and there but the white bread I had cut. As I tested negative I’m not sure. My crp level came back a little abnormal which suggested inflammation. Secondly, I already have an auto immune disorder since I was young and have read the link between leaky gut and auto immune disorders. Do you think I’ve an intolerance? I have a friend who is celiac she had loads of gastro intestinal issues. Another terrible symptom I have is brain fog, lightheadness and palpitations. Every test for everything else has come back normal so I’m at my wits end. The fact I ate bread today and suddenly followed by diarohea concerns me.
I’m slowly starting to believe I too an gluten intolerent. It seems like it’s just something that has slowly happened to my body. That’s what I dont understand. This is so frustrating. I havent always had this. (I’m 32, female, healthy)
After I eat, I’ve been noticing sharp, sometimes stabbing pain in my lower abdomen. And LOTS of gas. More than what should be considered normal.
I’ve been more irritable lately and just feel tired.
Headaches too…and I used to never get headaches.
So, today, I packed myself a nice lunch. I thought to myself, ‘I will eat healthy all week and see what happens.’
I normally eat pretty well. But I do enjoy pizza, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, etc).
So, I drank a cup of green tea this morning, along with my Kashi Pumpkin Flax Granola Bar.
Well, not 15 mins later…I started having gas and severe bloating and cramping in my stomach.
Green tea usually eases my stomach. So, I’m thinking it was the granola bar. I picked up the wrapper that I had thrown away and i see the first ingredient is whole wheat. It also has barley and rye in it.
I’m going to TRY to go on the Gluten Free diet and see if I feel better. Then, I will know.
Again, this is so frustrating…as I have always enjoyed the freedom to eat what I want.
Why are we hearing more and more about gluten nowdays?
Are they putting something different in our foods? Are they processing it differently today than years ago??
This is how I feel, Stephanie. What’s going on to make so many people sick? I haven’t always been like this. I do know that taking probiotics has been a godsend. I buy high quality ones and take them religiously. I have a feeling I’d be a lot worse off if it weren’t for taking them but I still get the same reactions that you describe when I eat wheat.
Question: Once eliminating wheat and other cross-reactive foods for 30 days, if I am able to tolerate the reintroduction of a food, what additional damage could it cause if my symptoms are no longer noticeable? In other words, can the reintroduction still be damaging my gut to the point where the either the sensitivity returns (where it’s so mild I don’t notice it) or worse, an autoimmune disorder is created. For your information, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s 10 years ago. I eliminated refined flour and sugar 9 months ago (and feel better) and further went on to eliminate grains and legumes 2 months ago. I am struggling with whether to further eliminate nuts and dairy without going overboard, yet I am also concerned with thyroid function. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks for everything!
Over the summer, my son started having problems with diarrhea. At first, we thought maybe he had food poisoning, but then it started happening with greater frequency, especially after eating foods like pizza. We tried a gf diet for a few weeks, and his symptoms resolved. On the advice of a friend, we put him back on small amounts of gluten before we had his ped order a celiac test. The ped suggested a dairy free diet, which also made his symptoms lessen. He tested negative for celiac, so we found an integrative medicine specialist to perform allergy testing. Gluten, casein, egg, and a few other things were his main problems. After about 6 weeks gluten free, we were traveling and he accidentally ate some gluten in airplane peanuts (honey roasted). He was mildly nauseous the next morning. During the day he ate a twizzler. That night he had severe nausea and vomiting. By the next evening, after just a day with no new slip ups, he was fine again. We haven’t tested the diet since. Whether he has CD or just an intolerance to gluten (and dairy), eating those things makes him violently ill now, so we won’t be going back.
Hi Im sure I gluten intolerance. When I eat anything with gluten, after about 20mins my heart pumps really hard, I feel very tired and grumpy. I could fall asleep. I have major gut bloating and cramps. Does anyone here have this reaction? I have been gluten free for 4 years, but sometimes I have gluten as I did two days ago, now I feel like Im coming down with gastro. Ive even had the chills! I dont have gastro. This is crazy! I also have the heart thing when I eat corn ,rice and oats. After reading these pages, I now know why. I would really like to know why my heart pumps really hard and if anyone else gets this symptom. Looking forward to some replys thankyou Melanie
In 2001 I finally consulted a doctor about my heart palpitations and had an EKG, which was normal. It was August and it occurred to me that I had been eating a lot of corn on the cob — almost daily. In recent years I find that eating popcorn or corn chips is likely to result in an immediate bladder infection, even if the corn is organic. A friend told me that because of cross contamination even organic corn is likely contaminated with genetically modified corn. I don’t know if GMO is the problem or corn in general, but I now generally avoid it.
Last March I read Dr. Davis Wheat Belly Cookbook and decided to try GF for a while. The recommendation was 5 weeks and I found relief at about 5 weeks.
Symptoms included edema in the ankles/legs below the knees. Peripheral neuropathy in hands and feet becomes extreme when I eat wheat based foods. The reaction is uniform in all extremities and a sclerosis has been ruled out. I’m taking 3 small dose meds daily to control blood pressure. I am not diabetic but have been warned for many years that I’m prediabetic (age 57). I was wearing support hose and taking an occasional diuretic to control the edema, which helped. After several months of wheat free, my edema symptoms are gone and the neuropathy is reduced but not eliminated. When I get into some wheat based food, always by accident, I will suffer with the consequences for up to 3 days.
I am not dairy free but never drink milk. Cheese and yogurt is a favorite of mine. Beer used to be standard beverage of choice but now only if wheat free (and even then rarely).
The ebbs and flows of the neuropathy symptoms are a huge concern. I’ve been playing with diet since march and lost 35+ pounds in the process, which may also have contributed to the improvement in edema symptoms. I now never wear support hose or take a diuretic. My fingers and feet now have some ability to feel sensation but the problem has not been restored to “normal.”
Classic Celiac disease symptoms do not involve the gut, but some Celiac sufferers do experience some of the edema and neuropathy symptoms.
How do I isolate the gliadin from gluten, etc., to determine the real source of my problems?
I’ve got DH/Dermatitis Herpetiformis due to my gluten allergy. It hit me out of nowhere with no warning and it wasn’t until a full 6 weeks into an extremely overwhelming, itchy, uncomfortable rash, that I figured out what was going on. A couple week after that, the rash is very slowly subsiding but I swear…I am beginning to understand how one might get to the absolute end of their rope with this.
I have been sick for years (about 7). I have had a host of symptoms but no diagnosis. Many were Lupus like but not completely. (Pos ANA followed by a neg, hemorrhage in my eye, irregular EKG, Raynaud’s like symptoms in hands and feet but no clear line of demarcation, fatigue, depression, headaches, anemia, diarrhea, skin rashes, flakey skin, swollen lymph nodes, brain fog, ringing in my ears, dizzy spells, joint stiffness and swelling and shrinking in my fingers). I didn’t think any of it could be diet related since I ate healthier than most people I know. I have tried to start eating gluten free. The first day I felt great but the second day I felt miserable again for a solid 24 hours shortly after breakfast. After reading the pecan and walnut packaging (the only difference from the previous day) I found out they could have gluten from the processing. Since eliminating that as well I feel better again. I am very quickly feeling clear headed, energetic and happy again. While it’s too early to tell if this is the problem and the cure I am impressed with the results so far. It seems like I am tolerating dairy, corn, and basmati rice normally. The verdict isn’t in on Irish oatmeal yet. The McCann’s version didn’t seem to make me sick the first day even though it isn’t guaranteed to be gluten free. I wonder if the cleaning process of the factory plays a part. This is only day 4 for me.
sir,ive been suffering from celiac disease since the age of 3,currently i am of 22….till the age of 18 i was on gluten free diet…and if i used to consume it,i used to get severe abdominal pains…but as i went out to another city for studying…i started intaking wheat products but i since the age of 18 till today i hvnt got an abdominal pain,though i feel very weak…i am undergoing a treatment from,sanjay gandhi hospital(pgi),lucknow…and doctors scold me that if i continue like dis ,i will soon b a cancer patient….is it true..i am scared..
what should i do??
Chris, I would love for you to address the Cross-Reactive grains in an article by itself. I have had the Cyrex lab tests and show sensitivities to gluten, dairy, rice, corn, yeast, and coffee (which i have never in my life drank because I hate it). I’ve been told to NEVER EVER AGAIN consume these things because they will harm my digestive system and I’m testing positive to having problems with these foods. No 30 day test of reintroduction is ‘allowed’. There is basically NO information or research out there other than anecdotal stories, and opinions, to say these tests are right or wrong. Or that once positive, always positive, and more importantly, always problematic. I feel I’ve been in a tug of war with myself for months. I’ve been very strictly Paleo for 7 months.
Hi Chris,
This is one of the best articles I’ve ever read in regards to gluten intolerance. I’ve suffered from this “on-off” my whole life but am always healthier, more full of energy, less lethargic and less bloated when I eliminate gluten, but also diary. At one stage, I was a diet and the only “grains” I could eat were corn, potato and buckwheat! This was to eliminate on going nausea I had been experiencing for about 2 yrs ! That was really hard! I’m so glad there is someone out there explaining other explanations aside from celiac disease – for years doctors did (and still do) ignore any attempt I give to explain my health problems! Thanks for the grant article !
Hi, around 18 months ago I finally came to the realisation that my stomach issues weren’t normal. After living with them for over 15 years (I’m 34) My doctor told me I had ibs and to live with it. I also was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia with No obvious cause. After feeling like death warmed up when staying at a friends and having eaten more bread than normal, porridge and pasta I decided enough was enough and thought I’d give cutting wheat out of my diet. Within a week I felt amazing. Having been able to count on one hand the number of days my stomach felt normal before I suddenly felt normal most days. I couldn’t believe what I’d put up with! Eventually I realised it was oats, barley and rye too. I cut them out and felt great. I went to my GP who ordered a celiac test (I told them I wasn’t eating gluten but they did it anyway), it came back negative. As did a second one. I didn’t care, I felt great so stayed off the gluten. That was until I started having protein shakes for the gym. I ended up with severe neck pain, like you can’t imagine, brain fog, palpitations, anxiety, depression, dizziness. I realised (after far too long) that dairy proteins and egg proteins seemed to be causing it. I cut them out and a year long bout of neck pain ended within 2 weeks, that was 6 months ago. I cannot describe how good it felt to feel ‘normal’ for the first time in my life.
My GP sent me to the dietician after a lot of persuasion, she recommended a full elimination diet as I’d never really done it properly before. So that’s what I’m in the middle of now.
I was so shocked to find I reacted to fructose and corn, I also reacted to oats within 2 hours of eating them and then took 8 days to get back to normal. Barley reacted within 1 hour. Milk caused me to have 2 days off work but cheese wasn’t too bad. Now here’s where it gets weird, I’m 36 hours into eating Wheat and I’m yet to have a stomach reaction. Is this normal?! Could it be a delayed reaction? Or could I just not be showing symptoms? It’s 18 months since I last ate wheat. I am getting a bit of insomnia and I have slight neck pain and a little nausea when I eat but that’s all and all that could be the aftermath of 2 months of an elimination diet! Has anyone else noticed anything similar? Might a reaction to wheat take longer?
Should I ask my dietician for another celiac test with me eating gluten? I’m scared to carry on eating wheat in case it does any damage to my stomach in the long run. I am just so shocked that my belly hasn’t reacted to wheat!
I’ve still a way to go with the elimination diet but I’m getting there. Hopefully will be done by christmas :))
After suffering with ulcers and gastritis (caused by excessive Advil use), my naturopath suggested I try going grain/wheat/dairy free to allow my stomach to heal. I can now eat a bite of grain every now and then but too much will cause my stomach to burn and brain fog unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. This evening my son wanted bread crumb coated chicken for supper and I ate half a breast with the rest of the plate full of vegetables. The burn in the middle of my chest is pretty bad, I feel like I have a lump in my sore throat and brain fog. Oh and if I eat dairy?? My heart will skip beats (definitely my heart and not my stomach because my pulse is irratic) to the point I am light headed.
My family doctor is not a firm believer in gluten sensitivity but does support my decision to heal myself naturally. And I guess that’s all I could ask for 🙂
I developed some serious digestive issues after having mono a few years ago. I had debilitating stomach bloating and cramps and serious constipation, which also led to weight gain that has really upset me. All of my tests for gluten intolerance have come back negative but I find a huge difference when I do not consume gluten. I am still working on the weight loss, it doesn’t come as easy to me as losing weight did before I had these issues for some reason. Although I don’t eat gluten, I occasionally have some stomach issues and also do have swelling of my knees, hands, and face. I dont understand if this swelling is connected to my gluten intolerance or not though since I religiously do not eat gluten. I have been to many doctors for my digestive issues and they all generalize and tell me its IBS (or one very rude endocrinologist told me I was depressed which I know that I am not). But through my own research and trial and error I have found it to be a gluten issue. It is very frustrating to not get any answers. Any advice from individuals experiencing similar issues with gluten intolerance/weight gain/swelling would be greatly appreciated!! 🙂
Rachel, I have similar issues to you, severe bloating, cramps, constipation etc
I also got an extreme reaction to probiotics, apart from becoming severely ill, nausea every day, all day, flu symptoms all the time, dizzy, brain fog, joint pain, hair loss, I also puffed up like a balloon on my face. I also become even more intolerant to food, I was on a FODMAP diet, and then even a stricter chemical related diet, where I could not even have herbs as flavouring and only one type of apple with the skin peeled off, as fruit! I was not loosing any weight even though I was on these strict diets!
That’s when I looked outside my diet (food) and realised it had to be something else. Probiotics were magnifying my symptoms ten fold.
I am still finding it very hard to lose weight, but I did loose a bit once I went off the probiotics, but I also went travelling in Europe, so I was walking heaps, drinking lots of water and getting heaps of Vitamin D, which I am low in. Vitamin D is very important for people with IBS symtoms.
So I would look outside food…is there anything that you are consuming that is not food, such as supplements, headache tablets etc? Take at other factors as well. I didn’t even think of them at the time.
PS – I am so much better since off the probiotics! That was a nightmare…but I am not cured by any means. However, I would suggest seeing a dietician and maybe getting them to put you on a FODMAP diet. That does help quite a bit as well. I have lots of triggers, beans, dairy, spicy, acidic foods, ibuprofen, probiotics, sugar, eating too much (have to have really small meals), eating too fast etc
Exercise is really important, but I think low impact is better, walking, cycling etc. Anything where you jump around can be a bit of an issue…or at least for me.
Yes, there are cross reactors, and I think coffee is one. Gluten is indeed everywhere. I made the decision to acknowledge that gluten is in the world, but that I would on occasion eat out, and travel, and give my best effort to knowing where gluten resides and not knowingly eat it. Several restaurants in my town are on top of the whole gluten free issue. When traveling, I have found some amazing gluten free restaurants, even Italian ones.
I agree with you that some people find it easy to give up foods that make them sick. Others desire to keep eating the food and suffer the consequences, knowing exactly how NOT to have those consequences. But usually the foods that make us sick are also foods we enjoy. We eat them a lot, which is why our bodies over time begin to be less able to process them without becoming ill. That is the decision point for each individual. In fact, I have read that the foods that are worst for us are the ones we crave the most, because of the temporary high they produce … we crave the feeling the food gives us while eating it, even knowing that we will pay later.
You say that your husband doesn’t react negatively to any foods. Yet he has Hashimoto’s. It could be from the gluten. It could be something else, or a combination of things. But it is very probably a food. Is it worth it to him to try and find out? His choice. I am not celiac, and could eat wheat if I chose to, but apparently eating gluten multiple times a day for my whole life was destroying my thyroid gland, unbeknownst to me. I don’t eat gluten because of my thyroid, not my digestion. The digestion tends to be visible; autoimmune conditions more hidden, until they become full blown and symptomatic. Antibodies can only be seen blood tests. I will tell you I was stunned (and willing to continue to not eat wheat) after watching my Hashimoto’s antibodies go down to zero.
After almost three years of grain free (except for a some rice a la Perfect Health Diet), it is very obvious to me that each person must find their own “off limits” foods. Testing is often inaccurate or vague, and it would be a shame to develop an avoidance/paranoia about a food that isn’t harmful for you, but is indeed harmful for a family member, just because a test hinted at it. But a test can be used as a guide.
Gluten-free products in general are high in carbohydrate and low in fiber, and can introduce other metabolic and digestive problems. Cutting out processed foods altogether is difficult but desirable.
It isn’t easy, but neither is it easy to live with autoimmune and metabolic diseases. I watched the PBS specials on President Kennedy this week, and it turns out he had colitis his whole life. This is a condition we now know can be entirely avoided with diet. The strong drugs he took to relieve the bowel inflammation destroyed his lower spine and left him in almost constant pain from his back. He developed Addison’s disease (an autoimmune condition). The only thing that gave him relief were strong pain killers, offset by amphetamines. He had a doctor administer those to him in preparation for meeting with Kruschev about the nuclear arms treaty.
I have been musing about this, and wonder if the President might have enjoyed good health had he known about GAPS, SCD, gluten free, dairy free, or other protocols for the colitis that set off his chain of illnesses. He should have been easily able, with an elimination diet, to find out which foods to avoid. We have had for generations in our country, though, the mindset that people should be able to eat anything, and that medicine should just be applied to symptoms without regard to diet. That is changing, but only because people are taking matters into their own hands and finding what works for them.
Knowledge gives us some important tools to begin to work with. In the same way that you refrain from smoking and excess alcohol use because of their known health effects, certain foods that you discover are harmful for you, begin to look like toxins. It doesn’t take long before you feel so much better without the food, you really don’t miss it.
Oh wow,… Becky, thank you. I actually think I get what you are saying.
I don’t know why I was thinking this way, but for some reason, every time someone said, GLUTEN IS MAKING YOU SICK, digestion was all that came to mind. And I could honestly say, no, gluten does not seem to effect us. Cause it didn’t upset our stomach.
Soy, (again I firmly believe was our initial trigger for Hashi’s,) I could understood effected the Hashi’s independent of our stomachs. Why I couldn’t make the same connection with the gluten seems silly. But I think its because I have always heard complain of the effects gluten has on their stomach, bloating, IBS… I’ve always thought of gluten as a stomach issue.
I did order the Cyrex Labs array #4 yesterday. I figure, if he test positive for foods, then we will definitely avoid those. And if he has food triggers that mimic gluten, then gluten is a trigger.
So my final thoughts are, wait on the tests. I will feel better either way, just knowing that our reaction is warranted. We will do whatever we are able to do. He has our support and the changes made for him will be whole household. Can’t say we any of us are excited about it,… ha ha, but he is not alone in this. Hashi’s effects on him effects our family and so will his treatment.
Becky, thank you again for persisting in helping me deal with understanding this a bit better.
Well, gluten free can make a huge difference for some people. And that difference makes it worthwhile for them. As a family member, please understand that a wheat-avoiding person is serious about it BECAUSE they feel better and because a medical condition is resolved for them. I now have much more respect and consideration for people who avoid a food, now that I am one of them!
Standing in line at a coffee shop or at a brunch buffet, I see people loading up on pastries, essentially sugar and wheat flour. If they are not harmed by sugar and wheat, that is wonderful. But many of the people chugging down the refined carb items are quite obese, and many don’t look exactly happy, like they’re thinking, “Oh, I like these so much. I’ll feel like crap later, and I really need to lose weight, but oh, I like these so much.” (Hey, I recognize it because I used to be one of those people!) Refined carbs put me right to sleep, and if I wasn’t near a bed, I actually looked around for flat surfaces to lie down on. Ha!
BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE TEST INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY. To test for gluten sensitivity, you have to have been eating gluten all along before the test. If you stop gluten before the test, it won’t be accurate.
As well, if you and the family decide to eliminate or reduce grains, be sure to Google “resistant starch paleo” and also check out the Perfect Health Diet. The grain-free diet is evolving, and you may need to add in some potato or tapioca starches, or black beans and garbanzos, to get resistant starches. The main thing is not to eat a TON of any one thing, just because it’s easy or tasty. That’s how humanity went so wrong with wheat!
Good luck!
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I have a couple fears about going gluten free. First, failure. Gluten is everywhere it seems and to know if gluten is the problem you have to be 100% gluten free. Plus there are cross reacting foods that mimic gluten and those would also have to be eliminated. And going gluten free isn’t cheap or convenient. I’m all about making my family, not just my husband, but my whole family healthier, but I’m trying to be real about this too. They get bored with their food options now. That’s why I thought a test that said, these foods right here are off limits and the rest are fine would be better. I don’t want to give up rice if rice is fine. I don’t want to give up potatoes if they aren’t the problem… And coffee… Who wants to give that up.
I’m not trying to be difficult. It’s not as easy to do as it is to say. At least that is how it seems.
I felt the same way but for my husband and I we know and have experienced how much better we feel being gluten free. I have found that I don’t crave all the carbs that I couldn’t live without before. I also find that food tastes better and there are great gluten free products and recipes on line. We have chosen not to use many of the gf products except on rare occasions. I do occasionally treat myself to some ice cream as I have found a few that do not contain gluten and I don’t have reactions to dairy.
Ultimately you have to chose but I have found that I actually feel like a normal person! I also don’t see this as a diet but an actual lifestyle. Good luck!
Stop! You don’t need expensive tests. Try giving up gluten. My Hashimoto’s antibodies went down and down, then completely away after I went on a paleo/Perfect Health Diet (some rice). The Perfect Health Diet is an excellent book. You need some carbs for good thyroid health. My doctor said that stopping wheat probably is what got rid of the Hashimoto’s antibodies. You are right about soy … it’s a goitrogenic food and very bad for the thyroid, and health in general.
I posted about my Hashimoto’s going away here.
http://pistachioandthorn.blogspot.com/2012/07/hashimotos-resolved.html
It would be easy to give up foods that made you feel sick. But giving up things that you enjoy is a whole other deal. He doesn’t react negatively to any foods.