- 1 in 133 Americans is gluten-intolerant.
- 1 in 22 Americans is gluten-intolerant if an immediate family member is gluten-intolerant. (So, my family members, pay attention here.)
I have been thinking about writing a post on gluten-intolerance for a while and decided today is a good day since Spider63 asked me about gluten after my last post. (If you read my last post, I discussed my excitement at having an entirely gluten free restaurant meal, including beer.)
Typical Symptoms:- There may be none!
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Gas (Stinky, too)
- Abdominal Pain
- Fatigue
I only found out I was gluten-intolerant last summer, because I was having all of the above, felt constantly lethargic and a little bit foggy in the brain. I also knew that something I was eating wasn't digesting quite right.
It was one lone day when I ate a 100% wheat pita and had the big D within a few minutes, then continued to have abdominal pain, the gas, bloating, and hay fever-like symptoms, too, that I decided that I should probably get some food allergy testing done for wheat.
I got tested a week later and did find out that I was allergic to wheat and corn and soy products (much to my surprise). My allergist, given the symptoms that I discussed with him, asked me to get tested for celiacs disease. I did get the blood test done, which came back negative. He is still encouraging me to get the more invasive test done (where they scope out your intestines), but I haven't gotten that done. (It takes on average 12 years for someone to be diagnosed with celiacs... I don't feel like waiting around for that!)
I have already found that when I get rid of wheat, soy, and corn products my digestive symptoms almost entirely disappear (including bloating, which is nice for the figure), and my allergies get better in general .
Most people who are allergic to wheat are actually allergic to the gluten (a protein) found in wheat and several other grains, including:
Wheat
Barley
Rye
Farina
Graham flour
Semolina
Durham
Bulgur
Kamut
Kasha
Matzo meal
Spelt (a form of wheat)
Triticale
I avoid all gluten products. There is some debate about whether people can have oats. Oats can often be cross contaminated with wheat and other gluten-containing items. I am an oat fanatic, so I haven't removed them from my diet. Maybe I should for a while and see if things get even better, but... we'll see.
Interesting Side Effects/Risk Factors:
Diabetes/Blood Sugar Sensitivity: Another reason I think people in my family should pay attention is that diabetes and sugar sensitivities are often linked with celiac's disease/gluten-intolerance. Several people in my family have one of the two of those.
Thyroid Diseases: A link has also been shown between thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto's and Graves Diseases, and gluten-intolerance. Several people in my family are affected here, too. A few more links on this:
http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/celiac.html
Lactose Intolerance: People who are gluten-intolerant, have celiacs disease, are allergic to wheat, etc., are often lactose intolerant due to the damage to their intestinal lining caused by the intolerance/disease/allergy. I was very lactose intolerant. One interesting thing, is that if you take gluten out of your diet, your lactose intolerance can go away as your intestines heal. I am no longer lactose intolerant! It is crazy! I can actually drink a latte made with normal milk and not pass out in pain from the effects.
PCOS and Gluten-sensitivity: Recently, people are finding that PCOS (disease that affects women's fertility) patients are often highly likely to be gluten sensitive. One nutritionist found that 85% of her PCOS patients were gluten sensitive.
If Left Untreated...
Another complication for women:
If you think some of the items in this article apply to you, you may want to try a gluten-free diet for a month. It takes your body 2 to 3 weeks to begin healing, if you are gluten-intolerant. There are a ton of great sites for gluten-free recipes. I have one listed on my favorite blogs.
Here is a good British Web page from their National Institute of Health that discusses celiacs disease. The British are ahead of the curve on tracking the problem, because a good portion of their population appears to be affected.
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