Gluten is a word that’s treated with caution and some may not be clear on why. Can you eat gluten or should it be avoided? Do you need to invest in expensive gluten free products or can you continue to buy traditional wheat based products?
The short answer is that you should definitely consider removing gluten from your diet, especially if you have any health problems. Continue reading to make up your own mind.
Gluten is considered one of the most inflammatory foods that we eat with as many as 20-45% of adults in Westernised cultures self-reporting it as a symptom trigger (1) whilst the rest of us may be sensitive to it but don’t even know it.
Gluten is a protein naturally found in wheat, rye and barley, and these plants are the basis of most of our processed foods and therefore gluten is part of our staple diet. A typical day consisting of cereal for breakfast, followed by a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner would mean gluten was included in every meal of the day. It’s an innocent and popular diet but can wreak havoc with your health unless the sensitivity is recognised. So why would a natural protein be so inflammatory to our guts? It’s not black and white as to whether it’s due to the modern over-processing of innocent grains, or simply overconsumption, but it’s agreed that it’s something to beware of.
Coeliac disease is a common immune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten. It affects 1-3% of us (2) and is diagnosed by a biopsy from the gut. But, gluten sensitivity is a little more of a grey area and it’s incidences are less clear due to the lack of diagnoses available to the public. However, it can cause just as many health problems if gone un-noticed. The symptoms are usually different from person to person. The signs of gluten sensitivity are, but not limited to:
- brain fog
- skin rashes and eczema
- constipation
- bloating after eating
- congested nose or throat
- muscle and joint aches
- stomach cramps
- poor mood
- headaches
Beyond these common everyday symptoms gluten sensitivity is highly associated with autoimmune diseases (3) of which there are about 150. They include rheumatoid arthtritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis to name a few. It can also affect the brain and nervous system leading to migraines, poor memory and concentration and even nerve damage.
These diseases are brought about by the weakening of the gut lining for those sensitive to gluten (4). Weakening leads to particles being released into the blood stream that shouldn’t be there, leading to inflammation, tissue damage (5) and long term health complications. Advanced weakening is termed Leaky Gut which is the basis of multiple diseases.
Here’s a reminder of where gluten is found:
- bread
- pasta
- white and brown flours
- barley
- semolina
- wheat
- cous cous
- rye
- processed foods like sauces, ready meals, cakes, chocolate, biscuits etc
Short term symptoms can occur shortly after eating gluten, so if you suspect you have a sensitivity to it, try an elimination diet:
- Remove all gluten containing products from your diet for 2 weeks
- See if the symptoms persist
- After 2 weeks reintroduce gluten and see how your body and mind react
- If your symptoms improved, gluten may very well be the culprit. If not then there may be another offender. If you’re concerned then seek help from your nutrition/health practitioner for support.
If you’re healthy and feel no symptoms after eating gluten then continue to eat it as normal, gluten sensitivity doesn’t affect all of us. But be aware that sensitivities can emerge later in life so always be mindful gluten.
References
1. Biesiekierski, J.R., Iven, J. (2015). ‘Non coeliac gluten sensitivity:piecing the puzzle together’, United European Gastroenterol Journal, 3(2), pp. 160-165.
2. Meijer, C.R. et al. (2015). ‘Coeliac disease and noncoeliac gluten sensitivity’, JPGN, 60(4), pp.429-432.
3. Losurdo, G. et al. (2018). ‘Extra-intestinal manifestations of non-celiac gluten sensitivity: An expanding paradigm’, World Journal of Gastroenterology, 24(14), pp.1521-1530.
4. Lerner, A., Ramesh, A., Matthias, T. (2018). ‘Going gluten free in non-celiac autoimmune diseases: the missing ingredient’, Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, pp. 873-875.
5. Mu, Q. et al. (2017). ‘Leaky gut as a danger signal for autoimmune diseases’, Frontiers in immunology, 8, pp.598.
