Taste Life Blog

Recently, in the course of a week I have met five people who are on the gluten free diet to lose weight. Does it work? Let’s explore this whole topic of gluten. Even, bananas have stickers that boast gluten free…a food that never had gluten in them in the first place. Gluten free products are everywhere with sales expected to be five billion by 2015. Target Field sells gluten free hotdogs and beer.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein that is found in common cereal grains like wheat, barley, and rye. And in more uncommon grains like spelt, faro, kamut, graham, and semolina. It is used as a thickener in ice cream and helps ferment alcoholic beverages and vinegar. Gluten is even found in your lipstick, Play-Doh and envelope adhesives. These new gluten free products help people with a celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Celiac Disease

The Center for Celiac Research estimates that about 3 million Americans or 1 in 133 in the US suffer from celiac disease, but it’s becoming more prevalent. When people with a diagnosis of celiac disease eat even a small amount of gluten it can set off autoimmune reactions that flatten the finger-like villi lining of their small intestine. The most common symptoms include cramping and bloating. It can also cause skin rashes, chronic fatigue, osteoporosis, neurological problems, liver problems, diabetes, infertility in both men and women, and cancers including lymphoma.

Wheat Allergies, Gluten sensitivity

A smaller group of people have a specific allergy to wheat which can lead to rashes and asthma. Less than 1% of children have this allergy and most outgrow it by age five.  Gluten sensitivity, also known as gluten intolerance, affects 1 in 20 Americans. There is no test or defined set of symptoms; though more than 100 symptoms have been loosely linked to gluten. Their symptoms include mental fogginess, mood swings, depression and behavior changes. This is great news for people who have suspected their ailments may be linked to gluten but failed to find doctors who agree. If your doctor rules out celiac and conditions with similar symptoms like Crohn’s disease and your symptoms improve after you ban gluten, you may be sensitive.

If you suspect you have celiac disease because you are experiencing GI distress, fatigue, unexplained infertility or have a family history of celiac disease, make sure you get tested before you cut out gluten. Your doctor can’t test for celiac if you don’t have gluten in your system.  It can be diagnosed with a blood test, but an intestinal biopsy is needed to be sure.

Stay tuned for the next post if a gluten free diet can help you with weight loss…