Gluten Free?

Tezzzz2018
Tezzzz2018 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 23 in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,

Why do people choose to go gluten free? Im thinking of going gluten free-I suffer a lot from stomach bloatedness and Im wondering if giving up bread will help?

Thanks
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Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Some real issues, but mostly hype/fad/ignorance. Ask yourself: Are you bloated or is it fat? Do you react to gluten or is it just stomach distention after eating? Do you get the same reaction after eating pasta, or is it just after eating bread? Do you eat more than usual whenever you eat food with gluten? Do you have a distorted idea of how normal (female) stomachs look?
  • Unknown
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  • purplebobkat
    purplebobkat Posts: 68 Member
    If you're worried or think it might help try going gluten free for a couple of weeks and see if it helps you.

    You wont lose any essential nutrition as long as you eat healthily so it wont hurt & it might just help.

    On the other hand if you find it has no effect you can chill about gluten and work out what the issue actually us.

    My mom tried it and found that the 40 years of stomach problems went away after a couple of weeks . Issues that GPS had put down to loads if other things ( stress, IBS etc). She has had a remarked improvement and has even come off depression meds. However i tried it and found it didn't do much for me.

    You could go to the drs and get tested for gluten, but its easiest to just illiminate gluten for 2 weeks and see what happens.

    Good luck :smiley:
  • NeverSawAWildThingFeelSorry
    NeverSawAWildThingFeelSorry Posts: 16 Member
    I don't eat gluten because I get nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, followed by full body rash and eventual blister formation on my hands, feet, elbows and knees. I also get joint pains. I don't know why anyone would not eat gluten if they can. I try it once or twice a year to see if it's magically better....I miss croissants and home made ravioli so much.
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    edited November 2017
    Our house has been gluten free for a dozen years now. So many stores make it easy with all the new products now. What for hidden sources like soy sauce, other sauces and condiments, frozen items that have been dusted with flour to prevent sticking together, etc. Labels will identify wheat generally in the bottom of the ingredient list in bold if it's there.

    Try it a couple of weeks or a month.

    We make a flour of 1/3 rice flour, 1/3 potato starch or tapioca starch, 1/3 almond flour. I keep it in a canister like regular flour and use for everything :) GF Bisquick is magic for anything that needs to rise.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    NeverSawAWildThingFeelSorry wrote: »
    I don't eat gluten because I get nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, followed by full body rash and eventual blister formation on my hands, feet, elbows and knees. I also get joint pains. I don't know why anyone would not eat gluten if they can. I try it once or twice a year to see if it's magically better....I miss croissants and home made ravioli so much.

    Have you ever been formally tested for Celiac? Because it completely sounds like that's what you have.
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    Only a small % of people have a gluten problem.

    Most who don't eat gluten don't have a clue about it.
  • counting_kilojoules
    counting_kilojoules Posts: 170 Member
    I have problems with bloating (and other issues) because I have IBS. Cutting out gluten would do absolutely nothing for me. If you're worried or it's causing you enough discomfort that you're considering cutting out a major food group then seeing a doctor would be a good idea.
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
    I had migraines for years. I eliminated gluten and the migraines went away. I have hypothyroidism and my doctor recommended I steer clear of gluten. Not sure how it impacts hypothyroidism but I am happy not to have migraines any more!
    Some people do experience bloating, digestive issues, and fatigue from eating gluten. You could give it up for a month or so to see if it makes a difference. Just be sure to eliminate all gluten- even the sneaky wheat in soy sauce. Do your research. Wish you all the best!
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    edited November 2017
    I went gluten free because I have a wheat allergy and wheat is the most common culprit. I also have Hashimoto’s and gluten free diet is often recommended for people with thyroid disease as well
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    Really going gluten-free is very different than just cutting out bread. It's fine to try either to see if it impacts your bloating, but if you're going truly gluten-free you need to avoid things like oats, most soy sauce, beer/other non-gluten-free alcohols, etc.

    If you are planning to get tested for celiac disease in the future, it's best not to go gluten-free for any significant length of time beforehand, since the test for celiac disease is actually testing for antibodies produced in reaction to gluten, and if you're gluten-free you may get a false negative on the test.

    This is bang on. Gluten free is much more than avoiding bread. You'll need to avoid most noodles, baked goods, many sauces, and even using contaminated toasters, butter, or fried foods that were fried in oils of breaded foods.

    If you do suspect gluten is the problem, get tested for celiac disease first. If you choose to test in the future you need to resume eating daily gluten for 2-3 months so you will be sick enough to make enough autoantibodies for the blood tests to detect. Not fun.
  • Mandygring
    Mandygring Posts: 704 Member
    When I eat gluten its always followed by a lot of pain in my gut and tummy. My mother has been to the doctor and been told she can't have it. She reacts terrible to it. She told me when I'm finally done feeling the painful effects I'll give it up too.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Tezzzz2018 wrote: »
    Hi All,

    Why do people choose to go gluten free? Im thinking of going gluten free-I suffer a lot from stomach bloatedness and Im wondering if giving up bread will help?

    Thanks

    My husband is gluten free because doing so cleared up his IBS
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Mandygring wrote: »
    When I eat gluten its always followed by a lot of pain in my gut and tummy. My mother has been to the doctor and been told she can't have it. She reacts terrible to it. She told me when I'm finally done feeling the painful effects I'll give it up too.

    @Mandygring you should get tested for celiac disease. I went undiagnosed for about 30 years. During that time the inflammation led to getting at least 2 other autoimmune diseases, steroid use and the insulin resistance, and serious osteoarthritis and autoimmune arthritis by my late 20s and 30s. I am now in my early 40s and needing double hip replacements. Yuck.

    Don't ignore symptoms if at all possible. If you are a celiac, or even have non celiac gluten sensitivity, the gluten is not worth it.

    Best wishes.
  • cbohling1987
    cbohling1987 Posts: 99 Member
    OP, if you think an allergen is causing your problems, go ahead and go to the doctor and get an allergen workup and gluten sensitivity test.

    That said, what you are describing does NOT sound to me like a gluten allergy. My wife has celiac disease and when she accidentally eats gluten she gets violently ill, not just a little bloated.

    So go ahead and get the test, but understand that unless you have a medically diagnosable gluten allergy, there is no compelling reason to cut it out of your diet.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
    my brother went gluten free because he has Celiacs! Finally got tested for it THREE YEARS after he started having issues.

    I also wonder why it's become a fad diet (as in, no medical reason) bc honestly, it'a HUGE PAIN in the butt. Rice bread is odd to say the least, and rice pasta goes from hard to soggy in a split second! And it's in the weirdest stuff, like soy sauce!! SOY SAUCE.

    Eating out is a minefield- since so many people claim to be allergic some restaurants don't take it seriously.

    AND because it took so long to diagnose, he also can't eat a lot of diary, so baking is always an interesting chemist experiment. Non dairy cheese is just.........weird.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Wheat is a migraine trigger for me, so I'm gluten free. Be aware that some people who react poorly to wheat also react poorly to other grains, so you might want to try totally grain-free for a while to see if that clears up your digestive issues. There are rice pastas and such that are gluten and grain free, but read labels because gluten is in many many products that you wouldn't necessarily anticipate (like soup).
  • cbohling1987
    cbohling1987 Posts: 99 Member
    Relser wrote: »

    Eating out is a minefield- since so many people claim to be allergic some restaurants don't take it seriously.

    Yeah, my wife and I have found eating out together to be almost impossible because even restaurants that claim to have "gluten free" items don't do enough to avoid cross-contamination and she still gets sick. We live in a town of over 100K people and there is only one restaurant in town that we've found to actually have strict enough policies with regards to keeping gluten out of the "gluten free" area of the kitchen.

  • Fitnessmom82
    Fitnessmom82 Posts: 376 Member
    I'm slowly eliminating gluten from my diet. I do not have any issues that would require me to not eat gluten. However, I have noticed a significantly less bloating and inflammation since reducing the amount of gluten I eat. I also take Synthroid and have been able to lower my dose. My endocrinologist said that there are some studies showing that gluten free is helpful for people who are hypothyroid. But she also said that it's not necessary to eliminate it. Just do what feels best for you!
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
    I also think a lot of people confuse not eating gluten, with eating less processed food. Because gluten is in a lot of processed stuff. So it's like, yeah of course you feel better, you stopped eating all that processed stuff and instead are going fresh fruits and veggies and home cooked meals.......
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,130 Member
    If you think it is negatively affecting you, give it up for a couple of weeks. Then eat a big ole' gluten-filled meal (for me, it was only a sandwich). You will IMMEDIATELY feel the effects if you are allergic and/or sensitive to it. It's easily done and you'll know if it's an issue for you.

    For me, the celiac test came back negative, but I'm told it gives false negative 25% of the time. I have no doubt.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    monicaamy902 wrote: »
    I quit gluten because I can't stop eating it when I start!! Haha! Our gut is basically the center of health for us. It basically has to do with everything, the way we feel, the way we perform, if we get sick, even autoimmune diseases can be cured by keeping our gut healthy. The main things that I have been told to take out of my diet for gut health reasons are processed foods, sugar, dairy and gluten. I am paleo, which makes it easy. Once you have taken them out for a while, you can try putting them back in slowly and see how your body reacts.

    Who told you that and what sources were they basing their advice on?
  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
    I get bloated all the time. Mostly due to hormones but also due to sodium. I don’t worry about it because I’m still losing fat from my deficit. I can’t be sodium free or gluten free or carb free forever, so I just put up with the occasional bloat and I’ll live my happy thin life. I wouldn’t worry about it
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    monicaamy902 wrote: »
    @janejellyroll, Told me what? About processed foods, sugar, dairy and gluten? A lot of people. Taking sugar and processed food out of your diet is just an obvious first step. I eliminated dairy and it has cleared up my skin issues as well as other people who have told me the same. A lot of people have issues with gluten.

    Or are you talking about autoimmune diseases and overall health? I have heard that from people who have overcome diseases by eating clean, gotten rid of prescriptions, went from being diabetic to not having issues anymore, etc.

    The medical community doesn't point you in that direction, but we are an overweight, processed food eating country and the diseases have skyrocketed because of it. If we could get back to clean eating, it would solve a lot of these issues.

    I'm also curious about your claim that clean eating will cure autoimmune diseases. Perhaps you meant to say that some autoimmune diseases may have a GI or nutritional component, and for some individuals with those specific autoimmune diseases, diet modifications may be helpful...? There's no scientific evidence to suggest that all autoimmune diseases will respond to any specific dietary protocol, let alone be cured by one.
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