Benefits of Gluten free diets for regular folks?

Nerdy_Rose

Gluten-free bread products are higher calorie than normal, so it can cause weight gain if you're not careful with it. 50/50 split tastes like cardboard or decent. Expensive. Pain in the *kitten*. Etc. I only do it for medical reasons.

gauchogirl

I was just a "regular" person as far as I knew, no problems with gluten. Until I stopped eating it and realized you can go through life THINKING you feel "good" (normal) until you feel GREAT and realize that "good" was only OKAY. My IBS was gone within a month. With no other change to my exercise or lifestyle, I've lost 30+ lbs since cutting out all grains (not just gluten, but ALL grains.) My rosacea is also gone, I no longer have to take daily antibiotics to control it (Rosacea is in the "allergy family", like Eczema.) I don't buy "gluten-free" products (ie: replacements for gluten products, like gluten-free breads and cereals), I just choose to not eat them at all. It usually isn't too difficult. I don't know if everyone should try it, but I know for me, it made an actual, significant, difference.

Marla64

the people on here are hardly "experts"

and your expertise is stating the obvious, obviously.

suziecue66

Yes the benefit is lowering the good bacteria in your intestinal tract. Find the study ( i seen it in the past)

This one?

Gut Microbes. 2010 May;1(3):135-137. Epub 2010 Mar 16.
Effects of a gluten-free diet on gut microbiota and immune function in healthy adult humans.

Sanz Y.

Microbial Ecophysiology and Nutrition Group; Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA); Spanish National Research Council (CSIC); Valencia, Spain.
Abstract

Diet is a major environmental factor influencing gut microbiota diversity and functionality, which might be relevant to subjects following dietary therapies. Celiac disease (CD) is an enteropathy caused by an aberrant immune response to cereal gluten proteins and the only therapy is the adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD). In this context, a preliminary study was conducted to establish whether the GFD in itself could modify the composition and immune properties of the gut microbiota. The trial included 10 healthy subjects (30.3 years-old), which were submitted to a GFD over one month. Analysis of fecal microbiota and dietary intake indicated that numbers of healthy gut bacteria decreased, while numbers of unhealthy bacteria increased parallel to reductions in the intake of polysaccharides after following the GFD. Fecal samples of subjects under a GFD, which represent an altered microbiota, also exerted lower immune stimulatory effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cells than those of subjects on a regular gluten-containing diet. This addendum presents further discussion on the rationale behind these findings, limitations of the study and possible consequences of dietary counselling in the care process of celiac disease patients.


Keep in mind that this was a small, preliminary study. But it does suggest that there may be drawbacks to eliminating gluten unnecessarily.

Lower immune stimulatory effects would be good if you have an auto-immune condition.
Did they eat gluten-free polysaccharide sources?

Okay in the study:
"Moreover, the findings suggest that dietary counselling aimed at promoting polysaccharide and probiotic intake could be considered in the care process of treated patients in the future."

So just have to make sure to eat gluten-free polysaccharide sources when eliminating gluten and consider a probiotic (supps or food sources).

"Gluten is not an essential nutrient. Therefore, replacing the gluten in your diet with whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, wild fish, and whole, gluten-free grains will result in a more nutritious diet. Processed baked goods of any kind, with gluten or gluten-free, are less nutritious than whole foods and should not be the foundation for any healthy diet."
http://www.fitnessgoop.com/2011/02/can-eliminating-gluten-be-unhealthy/

carriempls

if you dont need to i wouldnt recommend it. i'm not celiac but i have allergies to it and it's a pain in the butt being gluten free. the gluten free versions of food are way more expensive .

plus one side effect is that when people jump on he bandwagon, it ends up hurting those of us who actually do need to avoid gluten for legitimate reasons. i recently discovered a pizza place near me that advertised having gluten free dough. i ordered but then i got a skin rash and immediately knew i had gluten. i called them up and someone fessed up that they starting saying they had gluten free stuff because people were jumping on the bandwagon and they didnt think there were medical reasons. apparently they had been making the "gluten free" pizza for months but i was the only one who ever called them on it...

That is so wrong, and I believe illegal.

i know! i'm thinking the only reason why they havent really been in trouble was because no one has gotten really sick.

i belong to a gluten free group who are mainly celiacs. apparently the celiacs just dont even bother with anything bread like unless they are making it themselves from scratch because the stakes are so much higher for them than someone like me.

if i eat a pizza or several slices of regular bread i only get bloating, hot, itch ears and itchy rash skin that's uncomfortable for a few hours unless i take antihistamine but it's not life threatening. a celiac on the the other hand would need to be rushed to the hospital for that same amount.

Actually, that's not true at all, at least not for most folks with celiac. Most people who have celiac disease have it for months or even years before they figure out what the issue is and they are not constantly rushed to the hospital. It often can be misdiagnosed as IBS or Krohn's as most symptoms are GI related. They would probably just get really sick feeling in the stomach and have diarrhea.

A lot of folks who don't have celiac disease who go gluten free lose a bit of weight, mainly cause they're cutting significant carbs and don't replace the calories they were eating with bread, pasta, etc. My friend actually gained weight once he moved to a gluten-free diet as his body was finally properly absorbing nutrients.

I'm not aware of any health benefits for going gluten-free for folks who don't have wheat allergies or celiac disease. As long as you're getting in proper nutrients it probably won't hurt you in the short term, though.

tigersword

If you aren't gluten intolerant, it will not have any overall effect on health. You will most likely drop water weight, as eliminating gluten will generally lead to a serious reduction in carbs, which leads to a loss in water weight because the body will store less glycogen. Otherwise, it's won't have any negative effects, but won't really have any positive differences either.

If a doctor is suggesting it, I'd assume they are looking for a potential gluten intolerance issue, as cutting out gluten is a good way to test that.

mynameiscarrie

If you're not intolerant, I wouldn't suggest it. Both my sisters have celiac and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Honestly, I think it's stupid to cut anything out of your diet unless you have to. If you're lucky enough to be able to have it, then don't take it for granted. Just eat. In a year there will be another fad out there.

islandnutshel

Lots of people don't know that they are sensitive to wheat till they try going off of it. It can cause inflamation in the joints, indigestion, headaches, poor concentration, irritability, unexplained rash, bloating and all sorts of things that you might not expect it to. And it can be hard to determine if it is wheat or gluten. On the other hand wheat can be a completely healthy part of some ones diet.

Why? One explanation is that we have basicaly one type of geneticaly modified (to contain more gluten) wheat used for 90% of wheat products. Also people are looking to have whole grain bread be as fluffy and light and bound together as the wonder bread they had as children. To do this the bakery adds more gluten into the whole grain mixes. Now the typical diet contains more bread products than ever before. Pretty much every meal and snack.

If you want to know if wheat or gluten is causing you the sypmtoms you could try a 2 week gluten free fast. Not easy as most sauce, soups, processed meats and even some yogurts and cottage cheese contain gluten. (and stupid things like flour dusted cranberries)
If you feel noticeably better after 2 weeks then add in spelt, kumut, oats and other grains that contain small amounts of gluten and see if these bother you. (gluten test)
If not then try adding wheat back. (wheat test)
It may seem extreem but it took me two decades to figure out I was celiac. I always knew wheat made me ill. But my immune system never healed till I cut out all gluten. Now I consider myself healthy.
Up to you.

suziecue66

If you aren't gluten intolerant, it will not have any overall effect on health. You will most likely drop water weight, as eliminating gluten will generally lead to a serious reduction in carbs, which leads to a loss in water weight because the body will store less glycogen. Otherwise, it's won't have any negative effects, but won't really have any positive differences either.

If a doctor is suggesting it, I'd assume they are looking for a potential gluten intolerance issue, as cutting out gluten is a good way to test that.

To test you have a gluten problem you cant be off gluten, you have to have it in your diet whilst being tested otherwise won't be accurate. But being off gluten you will see less bloating etc.

Phaedra2014

My wife's doc has recommended a trial period on a Gluten free diet - specifically she recommended the "Wheat Belly" approach.

My wife hasn't been officially diagnosed with any gluten intolerance though, especially not with celiac disease, and since I'm not familiar with gluten free eating, I thought I'd ask you experts about it.

Are there any studies showing the effects of gluten free diets on non-gluten-intolerant people? Are there benefits?

Have any of you heard of or read "Wheat Belly" and what are your opinions on its validity? Just want to make sure this isn't the doc jumping on a fad bandwagon.

Thanks guys! :drinker:

My suggestion would be to cut out all gluten products for 8 weeks. That means learning all the alternative names for wheat and gluten so you can read labels carefully.

If after 8 weeks you feel healthier, stronger, better, eliminate it from your diet. If you don't feel any different then keep eating it.

No scientific paper, doctor, expert, nutritionist, or MFP member can tell you how YOU will feel until you try this for yourself. We can only share experiences and opinion but it's not the same thing. You live in your body. we don't

suziecue66

Lots of people don't know that they are sensitive to wheat till they try going off of it. It can cause inflamation in the joints, indigestion, headaches, poor concentration, irritability, unexplained rash, bloating and all sorts of things that you might not expect it to. And it can be hard to determine if it is wheat or gluten. On the other hand wheat can be a completely healthy part of some ones diet.

Why? One explanation is that we have basicaly one type of geneticaly modified (to contain more gluten) wheat used for 90% of wheat products. Also people are looking to have whole grain bread be as fluffy and light and bound together as the wonder bread they had as children. To do this the bakery adds more gluten into the whole grain mixes. Now the typical diet contains more bread products than ever before. Pretty much every meal and snack.

If you want to know if wheat or gluten is causing you the sypmtoms you could try a 2 week gluten free fast. Not easy as most sauce, soups, processed meats and even some yogurts and cottage cheese contain gluten. (and stupid things like flour dusted cranberries)
If you feel noticeably better after 2 weeks then add in spelt, kumut, oats and other grains that contain small amounts of gluten and see if these bother you. (gluten test)
If not then try adding wheat back. (wheat test)
It may seem extreem but it took me two decades to figure out I was celiac. I always knew wheat made me ill. But my immune system never healed till I cut out all gluten. Now I consider myself healthy.
Up to you.

It's very easy to be gluten-free nowadays as most packaging lists gluten as ingredient or gluten-free.

suziecue66

My wife's doc has recommended a trial period on a Gluten free diet - specifically she recommended the "Wheat Belly" approach.

My wife hasn't been officially diagnosed with any gluten intolerance though, especially not with celiac disease, and since I'm not familiar with gluten free eating, I thought I'd ask you experts about it.

Are there any studies showing the effects of gluten free diets on non-gluten-intolerant people? Are there benefits?

Have any of you heard of or read "Wheat Belly" and what are your opinions on its validity? Just want to make sure this isn't the doc jumping on a fad bandwagon.

Thanks guys! :drinker:

There must have been a reason the doc recommended it - certain symptoms she may have?

islandnutshel

Lots of people don't know that they are sensitive to wheat till they try going off of it. It can cause inflamation in the joints, indigestion, headaches, poor concentration, irritability, unexplained rash, bloating and all sorts of things that you might not expect it to. And it can be hard to determine if it is wheat or gluten. On the other hand wheat can be a completely healthy part of some ones diet.

Why? One explanation is that we have basicaly one type of geneticaly modified (to contain more gluten) wheat used for 90% of wheat products. Also people are looking to have whole grain bread be as fluffy and light and bound together as the wonder bread they had as children. To do this the bakery adds more gluten into the whole grain mixes. Now the typical diet contains more bread products than ever before. Pretty much every meal and snack.

If you want to know if wheat or gluten is causing you the sypmtoms you could try a 2 week gluten free fast. Not easy as most sauce, soups, processed meats and even some yogurts and cottage cheese contain gluten. (and stupid things like flour dusted cranberries)
If you feel noticeably better after 2 weeks then add in spelt, kumut, oats and other grains that contain small amounts of gluten and see if these bother you. (gluten test)
If not then try adding wheat back. (wheat test)
It may seem extreem but it took me two decades to figure out I was celiac. I always knew wheat made me ill. But my immune system never healed till I cut out all gluten. Now I consider myself healthy.
Up to you.

It's very easy to be gluten-free nowadays as most packaging lists gluten as ingredient or gluten-free.

Much easier than in the past. But there are lots of food people don't think to check, ie processed meats, dairy, or all beef hamburger patties in the grocery store, cranberries, .... or if they love sushi, the fake crab, the tempura, the soy sauce. Soy sauce has even been added to the rice while cooking.... It took me a long time to figure it out.
If you are doing the elimiation diet, I would suggest doing most of your own cooking. And do your grocery shopping with a magnifying glass.

twoisplenty

Purchase the book Wheat Belly, it will change the way you think. I do not think this is a fad by any means, just because we can eat it, doesnt mean we should.

wookiemouse

I haven't read wheat belly, but I do know a lot about gluten (son is sensitive, and I'm the house cook).

If you have intestinal problems that appear to be IBS, it's definitely worth a shot. I would give it a 6-8 week trial and go NATURALLY gluten free. Super easy to do - veggies, fruits, rice, oats, corn, meats, dairy - they don't contain gluten. Make sure to watch out for hidden sources in things like soy sauce, tho. Sub in a corn tortilla for a whole grain one, PB & J on a rice cake, etc.

I would 100% avoid PROCESSED gluten free foods, however. A ton of them are unhealthier than their glutened counterparts - more sugar and more chemicals to replace the gluten. If you're craving a GF brownie, then make one at home. If it's marketed as a GF option and comes in a box, pass it by. This is how a lot of people get healthier on a GF diet - not because it's the lack of gluten, it's because they're eating less crap food like donuts, sugary cereals and cupcakes!

suziecue66

Purchase the book Wheat Belly, it will change the way you think. I do not think this is a fad by any means, just because we can eat it, doesnt mean we should.

I wouldn't buy it:
http://huntgatherlove.com/content/wheat-belly

Arleigh7

Wow...lots of opinions as always. I'll try and quickly recap my experience. I started working with a nutritionist a couple of years ago to help me with weight loss and to lower my cholesteral. She recommended I try Gluten Free as I was having various aches and pains from my heavy weight lifting that she thought could be related to slight inflamation.

When I stopped eating Bread and other foods that contain gluten (there is a surprsing long list) I started to feel better, had much less pain in my joints and tendons and also found I had more energy. Also surprising was my cholesteral dropped which she said is more from the reduction of inflamation AND that she was pushing me hard to replace the carbs from gluten foods with vegetables.

It's now been over 2 years and I've maintained 99% gluten free. I do cheat occasionaly but when I do I feel poorly for several days after. That's my direct experience. Works for me might not work for your wife but I think it's worth a try. If I never had tried I wouldn't have found out that I have a slight reaction to Gluten.

suziecue66

Wow...lots of opinions as always. I'll try and quickly recap my experience. I started working with a nutritionist a couple of years ago to help me with weight loss and to lower my cholesteral. She recommended I try Gluten Free as I was having various aches and pains from my heavy weight lifting that she thought could be related to slight inflamation.

When I stopped eating Bread and other foods that contain gluten (there is a surprsing long list) I started to feel better, had much less pain in my joints and tendons and also found I had more energy. Also surprising was my cholesteral dropped which she said is more from the reduction of inflamation AND that she was pushing me hard to replace the carbs from gluten foods with vegetables.

It's now been over 2 years and I've maintained 99% gluten free. I do cheat occasionaly but when I do I feel poorly for several days after. That's my direct experience. Works for me might not work for your wife but I think it's worth a try. If I never had tried I wouldn't have found out that I have a slight reaction to Gluten.

Thats great.

laus_8882

Seems a good way to cut out fibre and spend a lot of money. A lot of gluten free food is highly processed and completely tasteless so you're also going to be left unsatisfied by your meals. Even things like soy sauce have to be rethought as wheat's a fairly common ingredient. So unless you're going to be the sort of gluten-free type who skips bread and pasta but happily munches on a gravy made with a small amount of flour and almond cake that's not entirely flourless, you're in for a world of stress when it comes to shopping and eating out. And if you're going to approach gluten-free eating that way, why bother? Surely a small amount of gluten is just as bad for you as a large amount; I know my coeliac friends react just as strongly to gluten, even the small amounts. Some react horribly to trace amounts of gluten. It's a bit odd to want to share their limitations.

No diet is sustainable when it's so limiting. And gluten-free is such a very obvious limitation. You're basically broadcasting to everyone you eat out with, as well as to those who have you over as a dinner guest, that you've no issue at all inconveniencing them because the internet or a book told you to follow a fad diet.

Damiilla

Benefits? None.

It's a common myth that wheat in this day and age is bad for you. The higher fibre and nutrient contents of wholegrain wheat actually promotes digestive health.

Bloating is caused by intestinal gas. It has multiple causes such as insufficient fibre, food intolerance or simply just....holding 'it' in!

Long story short: It's a fad.
Or unless you have coeliac disease, don't listen