Chances are there’s someone in your circle of friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers who is sensitive to gluten. Or you’ve seen gluten-free products on grocery shelves, or heard about gluten-free diets in the media. You might be wondering: why all the talk about gluten? Is this a legitimate health concern or a fad diet?
Not everyone is genetically susceptible so gluten is not a concern for many people. When it does become a concern, it is often looked at as an attempt to uncover the reason for unexplained health symptoms. Gluten doesn’t just cause problems for people with Celiac Disease, it has been considered as a contributing (or aggravating) factor for everything from asthma to psoriasis, autism to psychiatric problems, allergies to inflammation and cancer.
Gluten can be responsible for a wide range of inflammatory symptoms and affect different parts of the body: each person is unique. Symptoms might appear within a few hours of eating a food containing gluten, or it may take a few days. Another possibility is that a person has a gluten “intolerance” (related to the gut, rather than the immune system directly).
All of these challenges make gluten sensitivity difficult to diagnose. A typical biopsy or antibody (blood) tests might appear to rule out a clear diagnosis of celiac disease, but according to recent studies, other tests are necessary to provide an accurate diagnosis, but most everyone agrees that a simple elimination diet can help provide more information.
Researchers from the University if Maryland Center for Celiac Research (in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and others internationally) report that an estimated 18 million people in the U.S. suffer from gluten sensitivity. One theory for the recent concern is that grains have been genetically modified and are grown, stored & processed differently than in previous times in history. Others say that our exposure to these proteins is higher because gluten is an additive in processed foods.
If you suspect you are sensitive to gluten, talk to your healthcare provider. They can either guide you through an elimination protocol for a period of time, order testing (biopsy, antibodies, genetics), or refer you to someone else.
The process can be confusing and overwhelming, but with determination and qualified support, you can get answers. If you do discover that you need to avoid gluten, get familiar with foods that contain it: besides the obvious breads & pasta, gluten can be in everything from French fries to salad dressings… so read labels and do your research: it might also be helpful to join a support group for other useful resources.
Here's a beginning for those who need to be careful about gluten-containing foods:
Here's a beginning for those who need to be careful about gluten-containing foods:
- Foods that generally contain gluten: wheat, barley, kamut, bulgur, couscous, seitan, semolina, malt or undistilled white vinegar, coloring or additives, any processed food that might be contaminated, food additives (if sources from outside the US & Canada).
- Foods that generally don't contain gluten: oats (unless contaminated), buckwheat, corn , caramel coloring & modified food starch (unless sources outside US & Canada), blue cheese (unless made w/bread mold), distilled vinegars
- Foods that might or might not contain gluten: beer, soup, cereal, chocolate, coffee, tea, imitation foods, rice pasta, sauces, seasonings, soy, processed meats, and medications
For more support with foods and recipes for a gluten-free household, schedule a visit (I offer Skype sessions for those outside the San Diego area) by emailing me: Bonnie@AmaraWellnessCenter.com
References: Dr. Mark Hyman MD, Donna Cardillo RD MA, Dr. Daniel Auer DC CCN, Dr. Peter Osborne DC CCN
No comments:
Post a Comment