Gluten....Is it the enemy? Or the Victim?

As a culinary nutritionist, one of the foremost and most common thing I deal with is a gluten allergy or intolerance. I have very mixed views on this topic, so I will try and tell you all the facts and figures associated with gluten intolerance and allergy. 

" It is a chronic, inherited disease, and if untreated can ultimately lead to malnutrition. Gluten intolerance is the result of an immune-mediated response to the ingestion of gluten (from wheat, rye, and barley) that damages the small intestine. Nutrients are then quickly passed through the small intestine, rather than being absorbed. To develop celiac disease (CD) three (3) things must be present: 1) you must inherit the gene, 2) consume gluten, and 3) have the gene triggered. Common triggers may include stress, trauma (surgeries, pregnancy, etc.), and viral infections. Approximately 1 in 20 first-degree relatives could have CD triggered in their lifetime. The disease is permanent and damage to the small intestine will occur every time you consume gluten, regardless if symptoms are present."  --gluten.net

"Celiac disease was once thought of a disease with only GI symptoms. It is now recognized that the disease is a multi-symptom, multi-system (organ) disease. Celiac disease also does not routinely present with the 'textbook' symptoms that physicians learn. More often it presents with symptoms that can mimic other problems.

Most physicians recognize the classic symptoms of celiac disease : diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, anemia, chronic fatigue, weakness, bone pain, and muscle cramps. Physicians may not be aware that celiac disease frequently presents with other symptoms, some that do not involve the small intestine. More often, symptoms can include constipation, constipation alternating with diarrhea, or premature osteoporosis. Overweight persons may also have undiagnosed celiac disease. Children may exhibit behavioral, learning or concentration problems, irritability, diarrhea, bloated abdomen, growth failure, dental enamel defects, or projectile vomiting. Others will have symptoms such as rheumatoid conditions, chronic anemia, chronic fatigue, weakness, migraine headaches, nerve problems such as tingling of hands or difficulty walking, or other conditions that are unexplained and/or do not respond to usual treatment. People may have one or more of the above symptoms. Patients are frequently misdiagnosed as having 'irritable bowel syndrome', 'spastic colon/bowel', or Crohn's disease'."  --gluten.net

"A new study in the journal BMC Medicine may shed some light on why. It shows gluten can set off a distinct reaction in the intestines and the immune system, even in people who don't have celiac disease.

"For the first time, we have scientific evidence that indeed, gluten sensitivity not only exists, but is very different from celiac disease," says lead author Alessio Fasano, medical director of the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research."  ---wsj.com

Now that I have hit you with a bunch of facts and research, let me see if I can make some sense of it for you.  Celiacs disease, REAL celiacs disease is actually very rare, and very deadly.  Then there is a gluten intolerance, this can present itself in many different ways. But for the most part it causes swelling in the intestines and stomach lining that can create all sorts of uncomfortable things to occur, from IBS to vomiting. 

The "simple" way to test if you are gluten intolerant is to cut gluten from your diet for one week.  If you lose more then 2 pounds, then you are intolerant, and if you lose 3 or more pounds then more then likely it was making you very sick. 

Now the flip side to all of this:

There are so many other reasons why your body will lose weight during your trial. If you just stop eating all gluten but you dont eat anything else you can cut enough calories to lose weight, and most people can lose that much weight with any drastic change in their diets.  It being something that is considered a "fad" diet, people are claiming to be gluten intolerant when they are not and they are becoming unhealthy. For Nutritionists and Dieticians this is a red flag for an eating disorder. When otherwise healthy people start claiming gluten intolerance and then not eating because of it they are building the psychological foundation for an eating disorder. One that normally turns into Anorexia because it starts with gluten, then dairy will make them sick, then eggs will, then meat, and so on and so forth. 

Its because when you stop eating your body will stop producing the necessary enzymes to break down your food. (for example, someone that is vegan and has been for a long time will have a hard time reintroducing dairy, eggs, and meat into their bodies) 

So as a culinary nutritionist I take it very seriously to help people find out if they really have an intolerance to gluten or if they are just having other issues and they just don't know what to call it. But in the end the only one that can give you a clear idea of what is truly the matter is a doctor. 

The good news is:

there are some very simple, yummy, and great ways to eat gluten free. If you do not have any other allergies or intolerance's then you can eat nut flours and quinoa, which are both very high in nutrients and protein. 

If you have any favorite gluten free recipe, then please share them with us!  I have started a collection of gluten free recipes. :)

Hope some of this has helped clear up some of the confusion surrounding all this talk on gluten. 

if you have any questions, or related information, then just let me know. :).