Gluten Free: Is It Meant to Be? (Part 1)

Going gluten free almost 20 years ago changed my life and restored my health. I feel better now than in my twenties, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone. Numerous misconceptions surround gluten. Two decades ago, it wasn’t chic or trendy to be gluten free. Nowadays, the gluten free industry is a huge money maker, but a lot of confusion has been created along with that dough.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is the protein component of wheat, rye, and barley. Oats are inherently gluten free, but are sometimes contaminated with gluten through contact, so it’s best to buy oats which say “gluten free” if you’re sensitive. Common dietary sources of gluten are bread, pizza, flour tortillas, crackers, and pancakes. Many products that contain wheat or gluten which we don’t think about are foods such as soy sauce, soups, gravies, and imitation crab and beer.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune condition affecting less than one percent of the population. Persons suffering with this disorder cannot even tolerate trace amounts of gluten. Some are so sensitive that just brushing against someone who has touched gluten can set off a reaction. It often leads to gastrointestinal side effects, but some symptoms are unrelated to the gut, such as anemia.

Is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity a Real Disorder?

When I went gluten free, my family and friends questioned me, saying it was “all in my head.” Having suffered with low back pain, swollen feet, hair loss, weakness spells during which I couldn’t lift my arms, and elevated liver enzymes, I discovered that I needed to avoid gluten. Going gluten free was life changing, as if a fog had been lifted from my brain. I was suddenly seeing the world in technicolor clarity, experiencing movies and conversations with astonishing detail. The doctor had performed an intestinal biopsy and blood test before I went GF, which were both negative for celiac disease. But I was so sick! Later, when I decided to get a state-of-the-art blood test for “Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity” (NCGS), it confirmed what I knew: I had numerous antibodies to wheat and gluten coursing through my blood stream. I felt so much better once I got off gluten but having it “in writing” was so validating.

Harvard University, Celiac.org and others now recognize gluten sensitivity as a medical disorder but can’t agree on how best to test for it. In the patients for whom I’ve ordered blood tests, about 40% show antibodies against gluten and wheat, and only a very small percentage tested positive for celiac disease. One patient in her twenties suffered from psoriatric arthritis. She couldn’t take her immunosuppressant meds due to severe side effects, one being that she had developed a pseudotumor cerebri- swelling in her brain. She tested positive for NCGS, completely went off gluten, and is now able to be healthy without medication. I’ll give more dramatic examples from my private practice in my next blog.

Symptoms of Celiac and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

How do you know if you have issues with gluten? Symptoms can be anything from stomach upset to headaches, brain fog, painful joints, fatigue, numbness in the hands or feet, hair loss, hypothyroidism, psoriasis, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis and more. If you want to avoid getting a blood test, you can try and avoid gluten for six weeks to three months to see how you feel, but it’s tough to maintain the motivation to completely avoid gluten (not even one bite!) without getting tested.

If you can avoid the deprivation of a gluten free lifestyle, that is the way to go. If you’re not sensitive to gluten or don’t have celiac disease, it’s not necessarily healthier to go gluten free.  Whole grains are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, not to mention they add so much joy to life. But for those of us who need to avoid gluten to be healthy -or just lift our arms in the air- gluten free is meant to be!

Join me for my next blog, Part 2 of “Gluten Free… Is It Meant to Be?,” where I discuss strategies for eating in restaurants and social settings while being gluten free, show you interesting case studies, and explore some of the social and emotional aspects of a gluten free lifestyle.

Sheri Weitz, RDN, CDE is a Registered Dietitian with a private practice in Los Angeles. If you would like to get tested for gluten sensitivity or find out more about how nutrition and food sensitivities/allergies can affect your health, contact Sheri for a free consultation:  MovetoWellness7@gmail.com, or visit www.MovetoWellness.net.