Is a Gluten-Free Diet Right for You?

“Gluten free” has fast become one of the nutrition buzzwords in the past few years. Inquiring minds want to know whom eliminating gluten might help. Some people must strictly adhere to a gluten-free diet owing to an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine called celiac disease. Others want to try it in the hope that it will improve the way they feel.

The grains that have the protein gluten—namely wheat, rye, and barley—are, to say the least, pervasive in our traditional diet and cuisine. The foods most often substituted for those that traditionally contain wheat flour are potato, rice, corn, and soy.

Although it is a huge challenge to follow a diet free of gluten, there has never been a better time to try given the ever-growing inventory of products and resources now available.

Here are a few brief answers to some of the questions I had about gluten-free eating:

• Should I avoid oats too? Oats have traditionally been considered harmful to people with celiac disease, but new research indicates that questionable protein in oats (avenin) is not harmful if eaten in moderate amounts and if not contaminated by wheat during processing. Some authorities still doubt the safety of oats.
• What other diseases and conditions are gluten-free diets sometimes used to treat? Gluten-free diets are also used to treat dermatitis herpetiformis (a chronic and severe disease of the skin involving itchy skin blisters). Some people may be advised to eliminate gluten from their diet to help discover whether they have a less severe general intolerance to gluten.
• If I don’t have the symptoms of celiac disease, how do I know if I have the less severe condition known as “general gluten intolerance”? If, over an extended period, a gluten-free diet seems to improve your health and quality of life, you may have a general gluten intolerance.
• Why don’t some people with celiac disease experience the traditional symptoms? Their small intestines are undamaged, and they can absorb enough nutrients to prevent some of the traditional symptoms; however, they are still at risk for complications of the disease.

Celiac disease can occur at any age. It’s sometimes triggered by events like surgery, pregnancy or childbirth, viral infections, or severe emotional stress. Celiac disease is one of the most misdiagnosed maladies in the U.S. today and is often misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and others. The physical reaction to eating gluten can be immediate for some people; for others, it can be delayed for weeks. No two reactions are alike when it comes to celiac disease.

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
The Recipe Doctor Blog