Gluten..

2

Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Why eliminate if reduction alleviates symptoms just the same?

    For many, its easier.

    Flip it around - why screw around with measuring and tracking and remembering when elimination alleviates symptoms just the same?

  • kungabungadin
    kungabungadin Posts: 290 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    ...It's usually large quantities of wheat that are a problem and it's a matter of elimination and slow re-introduction to determine tolerable amounts. Eliminating gluten because of a FODMAP problem is overkill.

    It's not overkill if it alleviates your symptoms and makes you feel better - especially if it's a FODMAP that is particularly troublesome for you, personally. Gluten-containing foods are not required nutrients for good health. If eliminating something that causes you physical distress works, and it won't harm you to do it, why wouldn't you do it? :\

    Well said. I am so tired of people thinking gluten sensitivity is not real because it is real.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    I would like to add on my wife's condition. We discovered the sensitivity through trial and error. After my wife's gallbladder ruptured, she got pancreatitus and after a year and a half in and out of several hospitals she was still having stomach issues and always was tired. So while working with a GI doctor and endocronologisy, it was recommended to try gluten free since my wife's diet, like a lot of women, was carb heavy. Immediately, we saw a change in behavior. After 3 days my wife stopped napping and had energy. In the 7 years i have been with my wife, it was literally the first time she didnt need to nap.

    Shortly after that she was diagnosed with POTS by a cardiologist. Once meeting with a POTS specialist, it was confirmed that many cases come with food intolerances, especially gluten. So for 3 years my wife has been gluten free and when she tries to splurge, she pays.... pure exhaustion and gas.
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    I would like to add on my wife's condition. We discovered the sensitivity through trial and error. After my wife's gallbladder ruptured, she got pancreatitus and after a year and a half in and out of several hospitals she was still having stomach issues and always was tired. So while working with a GI doctor and endocronologisy, it was recommended to try gluten free since my wife's diet, like a lot of women, was carb heavy. Immediately, we saw a change in behavior. After 3 days my wife stopped napping and had energy. In the 7 years i have been with my wife, it was literally the first time she didnt need to nap.

    Shortly after that she was diagnosed with POTS by a cardiologist. Once meeting with a POTS specialist, it was confirmed that many cases come with food intolerances, especially gluten. So for 3 years my wife has been gluten free and when she tries to splurge, she pays.... pure exhaustion and gas.

    Yes the need to nap and gas I can relate to. Within 20min of digesting I'm out for the count although the degree can vary. I don't get the same reaction from GF foods which I put off trying for years because "fad" and cost and I was told I was carb sensitive - yet I can eat GF carb laden food. I just do the best with what I know for now.

    The idea of the FODMAP has me thinking though.
  • Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Why eliminate if reduction alleviates symptoms just the same?

    For many, its easier.

    Flip it around - why screw around with measuring and tracking and remembering when elimination alleviates symptoms just the same?
    So by that reasoning, it's easier to eliminate sauces, gravies, beer, some yogurt, seasonings and salad dressings, and restaurant sauces, seasonings and fried foods even though for people who have fructan issues, they are fine?

    Alrighty then.....

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,203 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    ...It's usually large quantities of wheat that are a problem and it's a matter of elimination and slow re-introduction to determine tolerable amounts. Eliminating gluten because of a FODMAP problem is overkill.

    It's not overkill if it alleviates your symptoms and makes you feel better - especially if it's a FODMAP that is particularly troublesome for you, personally. Gluten-containing foods are not required nutrients for good health. If eliminating something that causes you physical distress works, and it won't harm you to do it, why wouldn't you do it? :\

    Well said. I am so tired of people thinking gluten sensitivity is not real because it is real.
    What is gluten?

  • Charlottesometimes23
    Charlottesometimes23 Posts: 687 Member
    edited December 2014
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    ...It's usually large quantities of wheat that are a problem and it's a matter of elimination and slow re-introduction to determine tolerable amounts. Eliminating gluten because of a FODMAP problem is overkill.

    It's not overkill if it alleviates your symptoms and makes you feel better - especially if it's a FODMAP that is particularly troublesome for you, personally. Gluten-containing foods are not required nutrients for good health. If eliminating something that causes you physical distress works, and it won't harm you to do it, why wouldn't you do it? :\

    Well said. I am so tired of people thinking gluten sensitivity is not real because it is real.

    If you actually read my post, you will see that I'm talking about IBS and not gluten sensitivity. IBS can be alleviated by following a FODMAP plan. Gluten is not a FODMAP, it is a protein that occurs in wheat and other grains. It is the indigestible carbohydrate content in these grains that may cause problems in large quantities.

    My point is that some people who believe that that have gluten sensitivity, may in fact have IBS. IBS is quite common. People with IBS don't need to eliminate gluten.

    Anyway, I'll continue to enjoy my soy sauce and yummy yogurt while I watch my bread intake.

  • Oi_Sunshine
    Oi_Sunshine Posts: 819 Member
    edited December 2014
    tigersword wrote: »
    Without watching the video, I'm just going to point out that, unless you have celiac disease, gluten is not bad for you. To even hint otherwise shows a complete ignorance of the topic.

    There's evidence that we've been baking and eating bread for over 30,000 years. If it's bad for us, then we'd have died out long ago.

    That's not true. There are other medical conditions that are exacerbated by gluten.

    Name one.

    Hashimoto's. A little is usually ok, but of I eat a serving of pizza or bread, I get bloated and constipated for a long time. It can take a month to stabilize.

    Going GF is a big inconvenience. Don't do it unless you have to.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    Shortly after that she was diagnosed with POTS by a cardiologist. Once meeting with a POTS specialist, it was confirmed that many cases come with food intolerances, especially gluten. So for 3 years my wife has been gluten free and when she tries to splurge, she pays.... pure exhaustion and gas.

    I am so glad that you wrote this. I was diagnosed a few years ago with POTS and since giving up gluten due to a celiac diagnosis, my POTS (and rheumatoid arthritis) has also improved.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    lynn1982 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Shortly after that she was diagnosed with POTS by a cardiologist. Once meeting with a POTS specialist, it was confirmed that many cases come with food intolerances, especially gluten. So for 3 years my wife has been gluten free and when she tries to splurge, she pays.... pure exhaustion and gas.

    I am so glad that you wrote this. I was diagnosed a few years ago with POTS and since giving up gluten due to a celiac diagnosis, my POTS (and rheumatoid arthritis) has also improved.

    At our last appointment with our electrophisiologist, she was also recommended to go low carb. So its something to consider too.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Aren't Gluten free products usually higher in calories than regular foods??
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Aren't Gluten free products usually higher in calories than regular foods??

    Some are.... it depends on the type of flour they use to make it.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Why eliminate if reduction alleviates symptoms just the same?

    For many, its easier.

    Flip it around - why screw around with measuring and tracking and remembering when elimination alleviates symptoms just the same?
    So by that reasoning, it's easier to eliminate sauces, gravies, beer, some yogurt, seasonings and salad dressings, and restaurant sauces, seasonings and fried foods even though for people who have fructan issues, they are fine?

    Alrighty then.....

    For some people, that's undoubtably true.

  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    As soon as I saw Onision, I couldn't take this seriously.
  • catb58
    catb58 Posts: 239 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    I am actually one of those people who develops inflammation, pain, nausea, and vomiting out both ends (TMI) when I consume wheat/gluten products. I tend to lose too much weight from not getting enough nutrition, not being able to eat, and from my body trying to purge the bad stuff.

    In the last couple of years before I discovered what was causing it, my co-workers actually thought I had cancer because I looked so terrible, and was getting worse over time. My doctor ordered me to eliminate gluten, so I did. My official diagnosis is IBS with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. (Except I don't really have IBS anymore now that the gluten is gone.)

    Since eliminating gluten, my inflammation markers in my blood tests have dropped dramatically, I'm not anemic, and I no longer get sick after eating. It's been a couple of years now, and I am NOT going back to being sick all the time, like I had been for over a decade. I don't care what the Interwebz and it's many expertz say. They don't have to live on the bathroom floor for hours on end, waiting for the next wave of nausea and vomiting to pass. If you haven't suffered through it, your opinion means nothing to me.

    I agree that if you don't have any medical reasons to avoid gluten, you shouldn't bother. It's somewhat inconvenient and it isn't a solution for weight problems. However, I'm not sure why all the hate for people who voluntarily eliminate gluten. There's nothing unhealthy about going gluten free, unless you start eating a lot of high-sugar, high-calorie gluten free processed foods. There are certainly other ways to get whole grains, fiber and vitamins than through wheat products.

    There seems to be a lot of unnecessary hate out there for gluten free people. If it's not dangerous, what do you care if someone cuts a food out of their diet? Don't even worry about it.

    What she said ^^^

    I used to know my bathroom floor all too well.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    lynn1982 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Shortly after that she was diagnosed with POTS by a cardiologist. Once meeting with a POTS specialist, it was confirmed that many cases come with food intolerances, especially gluten. So for 3 years my wife has been gluten free and when she tries to splurge, she pays.... pure exhaustion and gas.

    I am so glad that you wrote this. I was diagnosed a few years ago with POTS and since giving up gluten due to a celiac diagnosis, my POTS (and rheumatoid arthritis) has also improved.

    At our last appointment with our electrophisiologist, she was also recommended to go low carb. So its something to consider too.

    Thanks for the tip! By low carb, do you mean low grain, or do you actually mean low carb?
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
    I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy 30 years ago when there were no gluten-free foods in stores. There was very little available for me to eat as replacement foods, and I had to go to health food stores to get the few available foods. Now, I can find so many foods because of all the gluten-free foods that are available.

    It's great to be able to find breads that taste like real bread. And it's great to have pasta that tastes like real pasta. I even bought gluten-free bread crumbs after 30 years of using oatmeal in place of bread crumbs. It is amazing to me that now there are snacks/desserts available to me: crackers, cakes, brownies, etc. I hadn't eaten a cracker in years! And the gluten-free ones actually taste good. I don't eat much of those types of food, but it sure is nice to have them available. And I can actually go to restaurants and order gluten-free pizza, pasta and hamburger buns. You have no idea how great that is after all these years of having to order burgers with no rolls, and never being able to order pizza or pasta.

    The bulk of what I eat is still lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, etc., but it's sure nice to be able to eat a sandwich or pasta when I want to!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    lynn1982 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    lynn1982 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Shortly after that she was diagnosed with POTS by a cardiologist. Once meeting with a POTS specialist, it was confirmed that many cases come with food intolerances, especially gluten. So for 3 years my wife has been gluten free and when she tries to splurge, she pays.... pure exhaustion and gas.

    I am so glad that you wrote this. I was diagnosed a few years ago with POTS and since giving up gluten due to a celiac diagnosis, my POTS (and rheumatoid arthritis) has also improved.

    At our last appointment with our electrophisiologist, she was also recommended to go low carb. So its something to consider too.

    Thanks for the tip! By low carb, do you mean low grain, or do you actually mean low carb?

    Low carb, similar to those with PCOS, but each case is slightly different.

  • I went gluten free before I went Paleo. I have IgA (kidney disease) and was looking at some powerful meds for treatment. Instead, I found 2 studies linking gluten to IgA and autoimmune diseases. Went gluten free for 1 year and increased my kidney function from 28% to 40%. Next year subtracted out sugar, all grains, dairy and increased kidney function to 70-80%.

    I also turned the whole family on my new eating plan! Aunt and husband now controls their diabetes with diet. And my son, who accidentally became gluten free, now gets headaches from eating gluten. He's never had headaches before.

    Gluten free may not be fore everyone but why not give it a try if you are having health issues?


  • I have Celiac disease but I don't even eat anything that's labeled gluten free. Gluten free does not mean fat free. The box stuff is loaded with sugar and higher in price. I just eat smart meats veggies and fruits it's basically paleo.
  • NextPage
    NextPage Posts: 609 Member
    I do not doubt that being gluten free is a good idea if you have an illness or condition that will be reduced and/or eliminated if you go gluten free. However, health studies show that this is a small segment of the population - less than 1-2 percent. However, the gluten free product and Wheat Belly type diet book folks are not sensitive people that want to help people with serious health problems have a better quality of life. They are making millions of dollars claiming that gluten is the devil and we will all lose weight (and will only be healthy) if we go gluten free. Many of the gluten free products are processed items, with high sugar content, low nutritional value, poor taste, and a higher price than regular more natural products. In contrast to the much, much smaller population of people with gluten related disorders, there is a very large population with obesity and this is causing heart attacks, stroke, diabetes etc. We need to concentrate on advice about eating less and exercising more rather than going gluten free, fat free, or whatever other elimination buzzword 2015 will bring.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    NextPage wrote: »
    I do not doubt that being gluten free is a good idea if you have an illness or condition that will be reduced and/or eliminated if you go gluten free. However, health studies show that this is a small segment of the population - less than 1-2 percent. However, the gluten free product and Wheat Belly type diet book folks are not sensitive people that want to help people with serious health problems have a better quality of life. They are making millions of dollars claiming that gluten is the devil and we will all lose weight (and will only be healthy) if we go gluten free. Many of the gluten free products are processed items, with high sugar content, low nutritional value, poor taste, and a higher price than regular more natural products. In contrast to the much, much smaller population of people with gluten related disorders, there is a very large population with obesity and this is causing heart attacks, stroke, diabetes etc. We need to concentrate on advice about eating less and exercising more rather than going gluten free, fat free, or whatever other elimination buzzword 2015 will bring.

    uh..I don't think anyone said anything about fat free... In any case, many foods are naturally gluten free - fruits, vegetables, meats, legumes, nuts, and even many whole grains - replacing a regular cookie with a gluten free cookie is still eating a cookie. You're right - all of these gluten free products that come in boxes labeled "gluten free" are simply marketing ploys. There are many healthy gluten free alternatives that maybe, just maybe, are better alternatives for everyone since it would mean more vegetables, more fruit, and less junk.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    ...a straight edge vegan...

    WTF is a "straight edge vegan"?

    Straight edge is a hardcore punk movement whose adherents don't use drugs and alcohol or tobacco.

  • Myriambaril18
    Myriambaril18 Posts: 9 Member
    herrspoons wrote: »
    Whilst it is undoubtedly true that some people have coeliac disease and that some people have wheat intolerance to varying degrees, the simple truth is that the overwhelming majority do not.

    Unfortunately, people tend to believe complicated lies rather than simple truths sometimes.

    Love your last sentence.... it applies on soooo many health related pseudo-science topics.

    I find it so annoying all these e-mails i get from relatives about the dangers of this, the dangers of that, etc. People also like to have complicated solutions to simple problems.

  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
    Some of us are sensitive to gluten with having Celiac disease. I found my frequent migraines disappeared after a few months of eliminating gluten from my diet. It seems to be a migraine trigger for some people.
  • Louise1583
    Louise1583 Posts: 97 Member
    Laurend224 wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    ...a straight edge vegan...

    WTF is a "straight edge vegan"?

    Straight edge is a hardcore punk movement whose adherents don't use drugs and alcohol or tobacco.

    Some also are strongly against promiscuous behaviour (i.e. they don't sleep around).
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  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    If no other conditions besides celiac disease affect people if they eat gluten then why do people report less intestinal discomfort who have tested negative for celiac disease but have discomfort eating it?

    I don't have a name for it, other than, "Ya'll better watch the eff out."

    I don't have celiac, but I am gluten insensitive. How do I know? If I cut wheat out, I feel fine. I eat too much wheat, I get deep set in joint pain, and muscle tremors. The only redeeming factor is that it's a threshold issue. If I eat beyond a certain amount in a period, I'll get screwed up.

    Why do I name it what I name it? My fuse gets real short with others.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    From the other side I'm a coeliac and cannot have gluten. I do agree that for some people (especially those with GI problems) it can also cause a problem and tbh it is so much easier to find gluten free products these days.

    However from the point a view of someone who has both coeliacs and numerous foodintolerances I cant understand why some people would just cut a major food group from thier diet when they have no health issues. I would kill for a decent cake or just be able to eat out with my family but it is not worth the illness afterwards.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,203 Member
    edited January 2015
    Flab2fitfi wrote: »
    From the other side I'm a coeliac and cannot have gluten. I do agree that for some people (especially those with GI problems) it can also cause a problem and tbh it is so much easier to find gluten free products these days.

    However from the point a view of someone who has both coeliacs and numerous foodintolerances I cant understand why some people would just cut a major food group from thier diet when they have no health issues. I would kill for a decent cake or just be able to eat out with my family but it is not worth the illness afterwards.
    Many people like to be in on the latest trends, they just can't help themselves, but when nobody's watching they are eating cake, trust me, I see it every day. New years eve we put out about 190 dinners through the dining room and I got 3 requests for no onions, and where the servers told me they were allergic and couldn't consume onion at all. I take this very seriously for obvious reasons and informed them that most of the entree's had onion in some form or another or that I couldn't guarantee they would be free of onion traces from the kitchen, not even salads......all three changed their minds and it became a non issue. Funny how that works, and I'm not saying that some people don't have allergies, but in the business of making and serving food you get to see this constantly. But gluten is the butt of many jokes in the restaurant business, simply because desserts laden with gluten are consumed with abandon from these same people. Trendy is an understatement.

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