What YOU should know about GLUTEN SENSITIVITY

Yes I am a volunteer mod, but only a member just like yourself.

I am not self diagnosed, and have not started to take medication off the black market All I did was take all the info I had to my doctors, asked if removing this item from my diet could 'hurt' me and of course it cannot.

My neurologist (migraines) said the studies are ongoing. He agreed with me that if the removal of gluten was the only change, it is likely it is helping with my migraine threshold

My gastro tested me for celiac, I had an endo and colonoscopy, and blood test for allergies 1 month AFTER I stopped gluten. I refused to go back on for a month so they could draw my blood again to see if I came back positive. He agreed this change in diet 'could' be helping me, but without the blood test would not confirm. He was, however happy with the results.

The ortho said that he is excited about the information coming around about gluten and it's effect on the body. Mainly the inflammation it can cause. He of course could not confirm removing gluten was the cause of my no longer having pain in my hands and feet, but is hopeful.

Not one doctor of mine said "BS go eat some bread and a muffin!"

So I hope this clears things up. I am a volunteer moderator-and I am indeed not self diagnosed, I have been to many doctors who agree with my issues and that removal of this item will in no way hurt me.

You are, indeed, self-diagnosing when you do not allow your doctors to perform the necessary tests to confirm or deny the existence of a condition. Self-medication does not always involve "black market drugs".

Your doctors have more patients than you to care for. You are insisting that removing gluten from your diet has improved symptoms and do not appear to have a serious medical condition. As a result, your doctors are happy to let you believe what you want as long as it gets you out of their office and allows them to treat their next patient of the day. Cutting gluten out of your diet, however unnecessary, will probably not hurt you, after all.

I thought this was the thread where we only said nice things about gluten so as not to hurt its feelings.

Looks like I was very *very* wrong about that.

I must say that I have not really learned anything new in this thread, other than people on MFP can have a debate without it devolving into name calling

cheers :drinker:

I just saw this today and thought it was interesting and relevant.

Randomised clinical trial: gluten may cause depression in subjects with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity - an exploratory clinical study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24689456

Abstract
BACKGROUND:

Current evidence suggests that many patients with self-reported non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) retain gastrointestinal symptoms on a gluten-free diet (GFD) but continue to restrict gluten as they report 'feeling better'.
AIM:

To investigate the notion that a major effect of gluten in those with NCGS is on mental state and not necessarily on gastrointestinal symptoms.
METHODS:

Twenty-two subjects (24-62 years, five male) with irritable bowel syndrome who had coeliac disease excluded but were symptomatically controlled on a GFD, undertook a double-blind cross-over study. Participants randomly received one of three dietary challenges for 3 days, followed by a minimum 3-day washout before crossing over to the next diet. Challenge gluten-free food was supplemented with gluten (16 g/day), whey (16 g/day) or not supplemented (placebo). End-points included mental state as assessed by the Spielberger State Trait Personality Inventory (STPI), cortisol secretion and gastrointestinal symptoms.
RESULTS:

Gluten ingestion was associated with higher overall STPI state depression scores compared to placebo [M = 2.03, 95% CI (0.55-3.51), P = 0.010] but not whey [M = 1.48, 95% CI (-0.14 to 3.10), P = 0.07]. No differences were found for other STPI state indices or for any STPI trait measures. No difference in cortisol secretion was identified between challenges. Gastrointestinal symptoms were induced similarly across all dietary challenges.
CONCLUSIONS:

Short-term exposure to gluten specifically induced current feelings of depression with no effect on other indices or on emotional disposition. Gluten-specific induction of gastrointestinal symptoms was not identified. Such findings might explain why patients with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity feel better on a gluten-free diet despite the continuation of gastrointestinal symptoms.

I feel badly for the poor people who feel a bit low when eating gluten, but that's certainly not what happens when I eat it.

"BACKGROUND & AIMS:

Patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) do not have celiac disease but their symptoms improve when they are placed on gluten-free diets. We investigated the specific effects of gluten after dietary reduction of fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates (fermentable, oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols [FODMAPs]) in subjects believed to have NCGS."

My understanding of this is to test the effects of a low FODMAP diet in subjects believed to be NCGS (non-celiac gluten sensitive). To me, this says nothing of dispelling the idea of NCGS's existence.

...we found no evidence of specific or dose-dependent effects of gluten in patients with NCGS placed diets low in FODMAPs.

I read this as saying that there is no evidence of gluten effects in patients put on a low FODMAP diet.

In all participants, gastrointestinal symptoms consistently and significantly improved during reduced FODMAP intake, but significantly worsened to a similar degree when their diets included gluten or whey protein.

Gluten-specific gastrointestinal effects were not reproduced.

This is confusing to me. On one hand they say gluten increased symptoms, on the other they say they couldn't reproduce effects?

Coincidentally, some of the largest dietary sources of FODMAPs -- specifically bread products -- are removed when adopting a gluten-free diet, which could explain why the millions of people worldwide who swear by gluten-free diets feel better after going gluten-free.

This makes perfect sense to me. Having confirmed IBS, and a low FODMAP diet allegedly reducing IBS symptoms, it makes complete sense that removing gluten and starches from my diet improves my symptoms drastically without having either NCGS nor a wheat allergy.


I'll remain on the fence about this one until more double-blind studies come out; about either NCGS or FODMAPs.

So, in other words, the media is misrepresenting the actual study findings.... yet again.

Go figure...

Science works. Unfortunately, so do yellow journalism and politics.

Selective science and hypochondria are fun combos...

"Science is wrong because <insert anecdotal observation>

Out of curiosity, would you suggest that this hypochondriac just go on eating the gluten and suffer the symptoms, because 'science' has not proven that my symptoms were indeed caused by the gluten?

I have never had a doctor have anything but a very positive reaction to my change in health.

That's not the same as a diagnosis. If I were you I'd keep trying to determine what the issue is. The studies above show no evidence of gluten sensitivity, which is definitely not the same as proving it doesn't exist, but it should at least make you question what is really going on.

Edit: typo . . . #problemswithsmartphones

OK, so are you saying I should go ahead and eat the gluten and wait for someone to give me a 'gluten whatever' diagnosis.

I do have diagnosis: Migraine, complicated by aura and visual disturbances, IBS, Reflux (hiatal hernia) and arthritis. All diagnosed with blood tests, xrays, CT scans, MRI, MRA and scopes.

I suppose my biggest issue on the thread is what does it matter if I do not eat gluten. What am I missing other than filler?

I am a bit confused really by some of the responses :ohwell:

I was once diagnosed with IBS. This was 20 years ago, before the whole gluten fad. I had terrible digestive issues, painful bloating after every meal to the point that I would sometimes have to leave work early and go home to lie down. This went on for years.

It went away. I never took medication for it, I never eliminated anything from my diet, but eventually it just went away all by itself.

Not a statistically significant story, but neither are the other anecdotes offered by other members.

I'm actually wonder how much of these "sensitivities" and digestive dysfunctions are caused by disruption in the intestinal flora. We already know that poop transplants help people with Chrohn's disease because it restores the flora. Have any of you with these sensitivies and conditions been on antibiotics before? (Probably a silly question, these days everyone has been on antibiotics numerous times). Do you take a probiotic?

Saying that a handful of people placed on a low-FODMAP diet don't show responses in observed markers to changes in gluten does not, by any stretch of the imagination, equate to "thoroughly showing gluten sensitivity doesn't exist."

It does show that more research is needed in both the effects of FODMAPs in conditions that have anecdotal improvements from going gluten-free, and the effects of changes in gluten in diets that aren't low in FODMAPs.

It also shows that the better way to actually confirm/deny the existence of gluten sensitivity is to not tell the subjects they're eating gluten, but rather that they're not eating it, even if they are (after all "blind" -- double or not -- can go both ways, especially in situations like this). Congrats, the scientists have also proven that the placebo effect works both ways.