HEALTH and NUTRITION

Recognizing Gluten Sensitivity: Inflammation

A forty-something man whose sister has celiac is diagnosed with Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. He does not test positive for celiac. His physician prescribes two different medications, which he takes religiously for two years—until his sister forces him to try a gluten-free diet. He becomes pain- and symptom-free and is able to stop taking both medications.

The mother of a 15 year-old girl newly diagnosed with celiac comes to a class to learn how to make a cake for her daughter's sweet sixteen party. In a discussion with others, she mentions that a younger daughter often has headaches that are so painful she cries. The mother is encouraged to have her tested. Although the younger sibling does not test positive for celiac, the mother starts her on a gluten-free diet. The girl's headaches disappear.

A thirty-something woman walks into one of our classes. She has been on a gluten-free diet for five months. Previously, she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was having trouble walking. On her own, she discovers links to celiac and gluten-related health problems. She begins a gluten-free diet, and within months her walking is back to normal and her other symptoms disappear.

A three year-old boy who has been diagnosed with autism is put on a gluten-free diet by his parents. His mother comes to a class to learn how to make his favorite treats. He has not been verbal for close to a year, and he wears a helmet to protect his head because he is constantly hitting it against the floor. Within two months on a gluten-free diet, the boy stops hitting his head. Within three months, he begins to speak again.

A fifty-something woman has been exhausted and depressed for longer than she can remember. After reading about celiac disease in a magazine, she goes to her doctor and asks to be tested. Although negative for celiac, she goes on a gluten-free diet anyway and comes to a class to learn how to make bread and muffins, the foods she misses most. Within months, the woman feels better than she has in years. Her fatigue and depression fade into the past.

THEY COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. THEY ARE YOUNG AND OLD AND
from all walks of life. Their complaints are varied. They have one or multiple symptoms: headache, depression, body pain, chronic fatigue, metabolism and thyroid problems, runny nose, sinus infection, cold sores, intestinal and stomach problems, osteoporosis, seizures, numbness in their legs, skin rashes, and tooth discoloration. They are told they have infertility, ADHD, borderline diabetes, or they are misdiagnosed with irritable bowl syndrome, lupus, fibromyalga, Crohn's disease, or multiple sclerosis. Amazingly, the one thing they all have in common—the one thing their doctor won't think to tell them—is that they are gluten-sensitive.

It is difficult enough to get physicians to recognize the symptoms of celiac disease in their patients and to test them accordingly and correctly (how many times have we heard people tell us that their doctors incorrectly told them to stop eating wheat before their blood test and endoscopy). But eating foods that contain gluten can also have a negative impact on the health of those who don't test positive for celiac. In fact, doctors and researchers who study celiac are beginning to realize that there are many non-celiacs who become sick when they eat gluten. They just do not know how many—yet.

When the body senses an invasion of any kind, it responds to eliminate the problem. The gluten protein molecules found in wheat are simply not digested well by humans. People who are gluten-sensitive develop an immunological reaction to these molecules that then start to inflame and destroy tissues in the body. Normal tissues become damaged, preventing growth and regeneration. In celiac disease, it is the intestinal villi that first become damaged and flattened. But there are many chronic health conditions that have an inflammatory component. Unfortunately, the inflammations caused by ingesting the gluten found in wheat, rye, and barley are rarely considered to be the cause. All too often, your doctor prescribes a medicine rather than a gluten-free diet.

Researchers now know that gluten can cause inflammation in any organ and any cell of your body. Inflammation of the heart can cause shortness of breath or fluid retention, and it is now recognized that inflammation is an important contributor to heart disease. Inflammation of the kidneys may cause kidney failure or high blood pressure. Inflammation of the large intestine may cause cramps and diarrhea. The term arthritis literally means inflammation (itis) of the joint (arthr). Cerebral inflammation is often the cause of unexplained headaches and ataxia. Inflammation of the nervous system contributes to such conditions as neuropathy, epilepsy, and dementia. All of these medical conditions (and others) can be directly related to ingesting gluten.

If you do not have celiac, the best way to know if you are gluten-sensitive is to go on a gluten-free diet for two months and see how you feel. The focus of your gluten-free diet should be whole foods: lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean protein, foods containing omega-3 fats (like fish, flax seed, and olive and canola oils), nuts, and whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, millet, and oatmeal (uncontaminated by gluten in processing). Check out our gluten-free archive for instructions on how to make gluten-free breads and baked goods.

©2007 by Claudia Pillow and Annalise Roberts