Continuing on from Part 1 we will now take a look at what researchers have found more recently in regards to The gluten diet. We will also be looking at the potential benefits and potential risks of eating a diet low in gluten. I will also give you some examples of good gluten-free foods and the kinds of foods you should avoid.
In the early 2000’s Dr. Fasano continued the study of celiac disease, and the gluten-free diet. He also completed a large study that found the prevalence of celiac disease in the US to be about 1%. Which was actually 10 times higher that what researchers in the US before this study! Fasano’s research was published in the Journal JAMA International Medicine 2003.

After the spotlight was placed on Celiacs Disease in the US, many more studies were done and published, regarding the gluten sensitivity in Americans. Some research began to suggest that a gluten free diet might actually be beneficial to people with other health conditions, not just Celiacs. There have also been research done that showed that there could potentially be a link between gluten and schizophrenia, or gluten and autism.

“There is a possibility that some groups of individuals with other chronic inflammatory conditions, including autoimmune diseases like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, of course autism … and schizophrenia … there could be a subgroup of these individuals that could benefit from embracing a gluten-free diet,” Fasano said.

As research on this issue has continued, links between gluten-free diets and improvements of various other symptoms and disorders, has been found.

Around 2010 celebrities started to speak out about gluten-free diets. A popular singer and actress put out information on social media that she had lost a significant amount of weight by removing gluten and lactose from her diet, she did also say that she has allergies to gluten and lactose. But not everyone heard it chose to listen that she cut it out due to allergies and only saw that when she did this she lost weight. Around this same time, multiple food manufacturing companies began working to expand products that were gluten-free to keep interest in the products among the groups that were eating gluten-free diets. At this time rules for defining gluten-free products changed and would now require that food labeled as gluten-free must have an undetectable level of gluten. The early 2010’s is when the shift in gluten-free diets started. At this point removing gluten was not longer a medical treatment Celiac’s Disease, but a diet method.

Although in the past, gluten sensitivities were very obscure, it is now estimated that gluten-related disorders could affect 10% of Americans. While gluten sensitivity is being seen more often all over the world. It has been found that more consumers who don’t have any Celiacs Disease, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, decided to change to a gluten-free diets by choice. According to a study that was published in The Journal of Internal Medicine in November 2016, in 2009 and 2010, 0.52% of Americans without celiac disease eliminated gluten from their diets, and by 2014 that percentage rose to about 1.69%.

The increase in people on a gluten-free diet could be due to the benefits that can be found from eating that way. Dr. Axe wrote an article talking about Gluten. He states that a diet low in gluten could potentially increase fat burning, provide a burst of extra energy, reduces inflammation, and easing of digestive symptoms like gas, bloating it diarrhea.

In the article by Dr. Axe he lists 6 ways a person can benefit from a gluten free diet. They are:

1. May ease digestive symptoms
2. Could provide extra energy and resulting in less brain fog
3. Could be beneficial for children with autism
4. Can decrease inflammation
5. Promotes fat loss
6. Improve symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Some research in the last few years has found that gluten & gluten containing foods can potentially be a trigger for joint pain. It has been proven that certain foods are pro-inflammatory, meaning they increase inflammation. Pro-inflammatory foods could include gluten-containing grains, and any of the thousands of foods that are made from those grains. Many people with celiac or gluten sensitivity have found that when they remove gluten and gluten containing products they have less arthritis pain. However, most providers don’t feel like there has been enough research done on humans to determine if gluten can really help reduce inflammation.

That being said, medical experts caution that no one should begin a gluten-free diet for arthritis before having testing for celiac disease. Due to the fact that it might not be gluten causing the problems it could be a wheat protein allergy or lactose allergy or an issue with FODMAPs(which is small sugar molecules in some fruits and veggies.) They can all be pro-inflammatory and irritate the gut as well.

Since gluten-free diets have become one of the current “fad diets,” experts have began to warn people that gluten-free eating might not offer benefits. If you don’t have gluten sensitivity changing to a gluten-free diet could actually do more harm than good in the long run.

“We definitely don’t recommend a gluten-free diet for weight loss. My dietician will tell you that. The reason why is, when they remove gluten from a lot of these foods to make them taste more appealing, they add more calories or carbohydrates,” said Dr. Runa Watkins, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who specializes in celiac disease.

“The second thing is, being on a gluten-free diet also puts you at risk for other nutritional deficiencies in the long run, such as like B-12 and zinc and folate,” she added, “And cost-wise, it can be expensive. So we definitely don’t recommend it just because.”

What you don’t hear much about is other foods, chemicals and medications that cause inflammatory issues, which is great for those without a diagnosis. People who have celiac symptoms or inflammatory issues who test negative for celiac disease are left without a diagnosis. But we are starting to learn about other foods and meds that could potentially produce the symptoms they are having. Recently there have been studies that have shown that the following foods and additives can trigger symptoms identical to celiac, gluten sensitivity and increased inflammation

The following list contains foods and additives that can potentially cause the aforementioned symptoms.

1. Sugar
2. Vegetable Oil
3. Fried Foods
4. Refined flour
5. Dairy
6. Artificial Sweeteners
7. Artificial additives
8. Saturated Fats
9. Grain Fed Meats
10. Processed Meats
11. Gluten in store bought bread
12. A second round of alcohol
13. Trans fats
14. Fast food

There is new research that has been done and published in the Journal of Proteome Research that has identified 5 new groups of non-gluten proteins that are responsible for inflammatory issues in patients with celiac. These proteins are very different to the gluten proteins that are known to cause celiac disease. This research gives those who test negative for gluten antibodies but respond well to a gluten-free diet hope. Hope that one day we will really understand what foods cause inflammation issues, GI symptoms, and what foods don’t.

In order for you to totally remove gluten from your diet, reading food labels is essential. Sadly, most of the time you won’t find “gluten” listed in a food label. So instead you should avoid foods that contain the following

• Wheat
• Rye
• Barley
• Malt
• Brewer’s Yeast
• Oats (unless you see on the label that they are gluten free)

So now you may be thinking, “What’s left?” So below you will find a list of good gluten-free foods, that are very nutrient dense.

• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Brown Rice
• Corn Grits
• Gluten-Free Oats
• Nut Flowers
• Veggies and Fruits
• Meat, Poultry and Fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Beans and Legumes
• Dairy Products

Fad diets will come and go, just look at how Jenny Craig, South Beach Diet, or Weight Watchers are in and out of popularity. Everyone is always going to be looking for the easy out and the quick way to lose weight. The gluten-free diet is not one you should look into for weight loss though. Gluten-free diets really should be reserved for those who truly have a gluten sensitivity or have tested positive for celiac disease.

It is essential that you talk with your doctor before you make ANY DIETARY CHANGE. If you want to eat a low gluten or gluten-free diet, your Doctor needs to check to make sure you don’t have a gluten sensitivity. Simply because changing to a gluten-free diet can actually be detrimental to your health if you don’t have a reason to be eating that way. If your doctor okays the diet change, and you have a good experience with the change, stay the course. But remember when shopping to read the labels. In many cases when gluten is taken out of products, a lot of preservatives are put in its place. Many times there will be more calories and carbs in “gluten-free” food. If you are changing your diet and removing gluten and gluten containing products to see if inflammation levels will drop, please check with your dr before making dietary change. What may work for one person may not work for another. That being said, I expect that in the coming years more research will come out about how gluten impacts inflammation. I also expect more guidelines to come out from the FDA regarding the nutritional content of gluten free foods.

I hope that you were able to learn something from the information provided. And that you might be able to make a more educated decision on what you want to do regarding gluten in your diet!

** If you like this type of research based post please let me know in the comments. I want to produce the kinds of things you guys like to read!!

With Love,

Amber