95% of Americans have Gluten Sensitivity & causes wt gain.

*Trying to ignore all the negative stuff and focus on the topic, despite the original post flub* :flowerforyou:

I've worked with numerous specialists in nutrition, autism spectrum disorders, behavioral health, and the list continues to grow as I try to gain a better understanding of how something as simple as a protein digested can impact my son's health. As a parent, when numerous specialists say: "Have you tried removing gluten from his diet?" You try it. You want to do everything you can for you child so you do it. Then you research it to death because you try to comprehend the "why" is this happening question.

For my son, after removing gluten from his diet when he was three his digestive issues completely disappeared. He was nursed for a year and I didn't introduce baby food until he was 6 months old. I couldn't comprehend how after doing everything "I was supposed to do" that he still had crazy tummy issues. I was all about organic/probiotics, whole wheat/whole grains when we did move to food. I was at the doctor's office all the time. He was vomiting every single night between 2 and 5 am. His MD said "it's 'likely' acid reflux." That didn't add up for me, but tried the script--didn't work. I tried eliminating dairy, soy, you name it, I tried it! It was incredibly frustrating (and expensive).

As my son started preschool the differences between he and his peers started to become visible. His behavior was consistent to a spectrum disorder: i.e., scripting (memorizing something and continuously repeating it over and over again), fleeting eyes, odd hand movements, terrible mood swings, withdrawing to his own little play world, odd interactions with people, inability to express pain when he felt it (ear infections), fine and gross motor delays. I can continue, but you get it. Despite that list, he memorized everything and was reading at three. I think I was tuning out everything and just focused on him being a great reader and ability to memorize everything. I'm an optimist! His preschool stepped in though and thought it best to have him tested. I agreed. There was too much happening that I didn't understand and knew it was best.

I never connected the dots between his diet issues and his behavior issues: who would?

We started screening, seeing specialists, began intervention, and then a panel of experts recommended that I remove the gluten from my son's diet. I tried it. Within two weeks it was like my son came out of this fog. Digestive issues? Gone. Above listed spectrum symptoms? Greatly improved over the first few months: I kept a log. One thing I learned: log everything!

I went gluten free with my son because he's my partner in crime and it's just easier for me to manage. I lost a few pounds, but as with many changes in diet your body adjusts so I gained the few pounds back once my body adapted to the change. I have no food allergies or sensitivities.

The companies on board with advertising gluten free products?! HOORAY!!! Hopefully that will help decrease the cost for those of us spending more than double of what it costs for typical, every day groceries: supply and demand. The demand is increasing (unfortunately because spectrum disorders are increasing), but the prices are still so high. The more companies on board the better for those of us with children who cannot properly digest gluten. My son can now have Rice Krispies Treats! Score!

The answer to "why" we're experiencing an increase in spectrum disorders, food allergies, and how food and environment impacts these fields is still developing and relatively new. I'm very much interested in it. It's frustrating when you're in it because of all the unknowns. Do know that it is not an easy process to obtain a spectrum disorder diagnosis. It took us--and I'm sure the majority of other parents--about a year as it should. Then you get a second opinion and a third if necessary. Most experts on spectrum disorders will advise you to try a gluten free, casein free diet. Casein is found in dairy.

So, although the original post was related to diet and gluten, hopefully this post sheds some light on how significant of an impact gluten CAN have on an individual outside of weight loss. I was hesitant on posting this because it was pretty personal, but if our experience can help even one parent going through the same then it was worth it.

A lot of sandwiches and pasta dishes, cereals. Pretty much every meal I was eating wheat. I first cut out HFCS and foods with preservatives because I was having so many digestive issues I was tested for Chrons and ulcerative colitis, my body basically cannot break down highly processed foods. I get terrible stomach cramps, like, knock you off your feet off the charts painful. I have a very sensitive stomach, sometimes even drinking water I will get stomach cramps, it's just something I've always dealt with. I also cut out enriched bleached flour, which helped, but I'm still having symptoms that are sometimes attributed to celiacs or gluten intolerance like migraines, cramps, digestive problems and the like. I'm still in the process of going gluten free though. I'm transitioning into it because it's so damn expensive and Im a broke *kitten* college student.

I have opted to cut out gluten as well. I am not quite a broke *kitten* college student, but just some things to think about. You don't have to buy the gluten-free counterparts to bread and pasta. They do cost more and are higher in calories than the regular ones. Just cut out bread and pasta completely. There are Larabars and Luna bars that are gluten free. I keep a box around for the occasional snack. And for cereal, Chex has a good variety of GF flavors. I used to eat the Cinnamon ones out of the box lol. But it is possible to avoid buying tons of "special" products.

Some statistics I'd like to see are:

How many that have seen digestive improvements with cutting out gluten went from eating minimally processed whole grains with gluten to eating no gluten vs. how many went from eating overly processed grains to eating no gluten

How many who were eating overly processed gluten grains such as white bread and pasta tried switching to overly processed non-gluten products such as white rice bread or pasta and had good results.

It seems that on all the "grains are evil", "gluten is evil" or "carbs are evil" posts I've seen, people who gave them up were not eating whole grain before they did. That sounds more like "overly processed carbs are evil" to me.

So to those of you that think it doesn't exist, or its over diagnosed, believe me, it does exist and probably is under diagnosed because most of us don't have truthful conversations with our drs!

Some statistics I'd like to see are:

How many that have seen digestive improvements with cutting out gluten went from eating minimally processed whole grains with gluten to eating no gluten vs. how many went from eating overly processed grains to eating no gluten

How many who were eating overly processed gluten grains such as white bread and pasta tried switching to overly processed non-gluten products such as white rice bread or pasta and had good results.

It seems that on all the "grains are evil", "gluten is evil" or "carbs are evil" posts I've seen, people who gave them up were not eating whole grain before they did. That sounds more like "overly processed carbs are evil" to me.

My transition was from minimally processed whole grains to no grains (and as a result, gluten free). In other words, I went from a mostly real food diet *with* grains to a mostly real food diet *without* grains. I would characterize the "digestive improvements" as extraordinary.

Is it the gluten? Is it the lectins? Is it some magical universal blessing because I stopped harming the totally innocent wheat plant? Is it something else? No idea. Oh, don't get me wrong, I have my own personal theories on it, but can I say definitely that I know why? Absolutely not...and I'm okay with that.

About six months into my no grains/legumes/added sugar/soy/etc. journey where I experienced all of these improvements to my health, I had a substantial portion of plain old dead flour noodles in a hamburger casserole...and you know how my body reacted to it? Exactly...absolutely no response whatsoever (and it was freakin' delicious too...Mom's always been an awesome cook.) Completely fine. Am I now going to start eating grains as a regularly part of my diet? Absolutely not. (But why would I given how nutritionally weak grains are.)

A few weeks before this noodle experience, I also had my first regular dairy in a long time...a small bowl of homemade ice cream...so delicious...and my stomach blew up like a balloon and I was miserable for hours. Obviously, I also won't be adding regular dairy back into my diet either.

What does this mean for everyone else? No idea. Do what you want. But for me? I think I'll continue doing what works (for whatever reason) instead of doing what doesn't work (for whatever reason). Makes sense to me.


(EDIT: because there should always be an equal number of open and close parentheses...it's the law.)

Gluten sensitivity is grossly over exaggerated. Just like ADD and Autism

What a delightful statement. I have ADD, which I have begged for 17 years now to get medicated for, but doctor's refuse because I've "coped for this long". I had to fight tooth and nail to get my son medication for his ADD because nothing else was working and his doctor was resistant to "just throwing medication at the problem". It has taken a year of trial and error, plus a combination of medication and behavior modification, to get him to a place where he can thrive and show the potential that we've all known he has.

Maybe parents over exaggerate their children's problems because they don't want to deal with the behavioral problems their children have. But for those of us living with children with ADD or Autism, it's not an over exaggeration how hard it can be. Think before you post such dismissive crap.

You are ignorant. ADD is a behavioral disorder of childhood. DSM diagnostic criteria are all written for children. By the time you are an adult it is assumed that you have learned the minimal level of self-control required to function in society, and if not, that there is probably a deeper issue present. "adult ADHD" has 0 clinical basis, and is basically just a doctor's way of saying "here, take this speed and leave me alone!"

Gluten sensitivity is grossly over exaggerated. Just like ADD and Autism

Sometimes it is best to just not say anything at all, especially when you're about to piss some parents off who have to manage even one of the above issues on a daily basis with their children. :flowerforyou:

Gluten sensitivity is grossly over exaggerated. Just like ADD and Autism

What a delightful statement. I have ADD, which I have begged for 17 years now to get medicated for, but doctor's refuse because I've "coped for this long". I had to fight tooth and nail to get my son medication for his ADD because nothing else was working and his doctor was resistant to "just throwing medication at the problem". It has taken a year of trial and error, plus a combination of medication and behavior modification, to get him to a place where he can thrive and show the potential that we've all known he has.

Maybe parents over exaggerate their children's problems because they don't want to deal with the behavioral problems their children have. But for those of us living with children with ADD or Autism, it's not an over exaggeration how hard it can be. Think before you post such dismissive crap.

You are ignorant. ADD is a behavioral disorder of childhood. DSM diagnostic criteria are all written for children. By the time you are an adult it is assumed that you have learned the minimal level of self-control required to function in society, and if not, that there is probably a deeper issue present. "adult ADHD" has 0 clinical basis, and is basically just a doctor's way of saying "here, take this speed and leave me alone!"

I know 2 adults who have been diagnosed with ADD in their 30s, so I am not sure where you have got your information from.

Gluten sensitivity is grossly over exaggerated. Just like ADD and Autism

My son has ADHD, and is overall it is not exaggerated as you may think but I do see your point. Very smart child that easily gets bored, and that doesn't obey, doesn't listen to others, yells all crazy, and that does crazy things overall is one thing that my child is not because we take care of the behavior end as parents, however, when he was in school at first he would be very impulsive and we sought natural treatments and none worked. We chose to go the medication route 2 years ago and he has improved his behavior a lot in school, and his grades. However, he has lost a lot of weight as well. I taken him off the medication all summer long and he has been pretty good. In fact they lowered his dosages as well. With this in mind you have to think about parents who are not responsible like us. The ones who don't correct behaviors and go straight to the pill route. In that sense, ADD and ADHD is grossly exaggerated as a way to paralyze the children to make them machines.

A few weeks before this noodle experience, I also had my first regular dairy in a long time...a small bowl of homemade ice cream...so delicious...and my stomach blew up like a balloon and I was miserable for hours. Obviously, I also won't be adding regular dairy back into my diet either.

Thanks for the judgment, but it appears that you are the ignorant one. I have plenty of self-control to function appropriately in society; however, I cannot concentrate and focus on tasks without extraordinary effort - even on activities that I enjoy and want to be doing. This is a problem I have been dealing with since childhood, and it has not gone away in adulthood. Maybe it doesn't appear in adulthood, but it certainly can continue into it, and I know I'm not the only person who is dealing with it. I would challenge you to get through a day the way I do. But hey, have yourself a wonderful day.

You seem to have no trouble maintaining a pointless argument on the internet.
Regarding ignorance... I have a degree in Psych, and my child and abnormal psych professor was a double-doctorate (Neuroscience and Psychology) whose thesis was on... guess which disorder? Hint: ADHD.
While this does not make me a world-renowned expert on the subject, I feel confident that I have more knowledge than a layperson, particularly a self-diagnosed individual who has been told by medical professionals that they do not require medication, and yet still seeks it out.
The judgement is justified: it is people like you who give the children who legitimately suffer from ADHD a bad name.

A few weeks before this noodle experience, I also had my first regular dairy in a long time...a small bowl of homemade ice cream...so delicious...and my stomach blew up like a balloon and I was miserable for hours. Obviously, I also won't be adding regular dairy back into my diet either.

You are now lactose intolerant. If you have given up dairy (which happens when people adopt a full Paleo eating style), your GI tract stops producing lactase. You cannot digest the sugar found in milk (lactose) and if you eat/drink diary you'll get pretty gassy and.or diarrhea.

Interestingly, undiagnosed celiacs often also have lactose-intolerance.

If you slowly reintroduce diary, starting with yogurt (very low lactose) and then have small amounts milk at the same time as a meal, many times the lactose-intolerance will resolve and your GI tract will resume lactase production.

kona
Registered Dietitian, Crossfit Masters

I would suggest reading Wheat Belly. Excellent book.

I gave up gluten about ten weeks ago. I was taking motrin (joint pain), protonix (acid reflux), proventil and flovent (asthma), singulair (allergies), neurontin (nerve burning and neuralgial headaches), and synthroid (hypothyroidism).

Now I only take the synthroid and that is at a lower dose!!!!

If I had known what I know today about gluten, I would have given it up years ago.

The problem is that when wheat is hybridized, it combines the number of genes. Compare that to humans, where the infant takes on some characteristics of each parent. Wheat takes on all the characteristics of each parent.

Over the years, as Einkorn wheat was hybridized and the result of that hybridization hybridized and so on, the amount of gluten in wheat has practically quadrupled. This is why we have people with Celiac disease, gluten allergies, and gluten sensitivity.

Now, I believe that those with gluten sensitivity actually have gluten allergies. It is just the first step toward the allergy. Further exposure will push the person toward an allergy, so let's call it what it really is - gluten allergy.

Celiac is known for the characteristic digestive issues, but they are finding that there may be people who are not affected digestive-wise. They may have issues with allergies, headaches, migraines, joint pain, nerve issues, urinary incontinence, etc. I am of the feeling that these things should also be called Celiac Disease because the problems are being caused by gluten in the diet.

The reason why people with gluten issues gain weight is quite simple - their body is starving because of the damage to the digestive system and other systems, causing the metabolism to slow down and the body to hold on to all it can as far as energy reserves. This should sound familiar to those here at MFP - it is just like starvation mode. The slower metabolism and holding on to energy reserves (fat) means that the person can be overweight and still have gluten issues.

I find it interesting that the further out I go with staying away from gluten, the smaller a dose of synthroid I have to take. I will say that the joint pain, tender abdomen, bloating, and indigestion went away within three days. The asthma and allergy issues got better within three weeks. The nerve issues took about six weeks. I am happy, though, for all these improvement.

If anyone is on multiple medications, I would recommend that you try a gluten-free diet for at least six to eight weeks and see how you feel. It may help and it may not help. You will not know until you try.