I'm Gluten Free But That Doesn't Mean You Should Be Too

I haven’t (intentionally) eaten gluten in years.. and I feel great! A gluten-free lifestyle is not for everyone, but it is definitely for me. I’m not gluten free to maintain my weight or because I’m experimenting with a diet fad…

I’m gluten free because I tested positive for Celiac Disease antibodies and I feel so much better without gluten in my diet. The only known cure to Celiac Disease is a lifelong gluten free diet. Believe me! My life would be a lot easier if I could eat gluten without any problems.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Oats are questionable because they are usually planted next to gluten containing grains in fields causing cross-contamination pre and post harvest. For someone with Celiac or an intolerance to gluten, oats must be certified gluten free. People that suffer from gluten intolerance/sensitivity or Celiac Disease cannot process and digest gluten the way normal people can. Consumption of gluten triggers an autoimmune response in those with Celiac Disease.

Gluten Sensitivity vs Celiac Disease

Consuming wheat, barley, or rye can cause great anguish on the small intestine in people with gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease, this is an area of the GI tract where many vitamins are absorbed. A person that has gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease may suffer from malabsorption of many nutrients including macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Malabsorption can lead to other health problems that may become more serious over time. (Think anemia, bone density loss, infertility, depression, cancer, etc.)

Flashback to middle school when I was suffering from GI issues. It just so happens that this all started after getting over a bout of Mononucleosis aka “Mono” or “the kissing disease”. Because Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder, it is not a far-fetched to ponder whether the Mono virus ‘brought out’ the Celiac Disease symptoms in me. This is something I will never know for sure, but it’s definitely a hypothesis. More on the link between Mono and Celiac Disease here. A lot of MDs and medical professionals think there must be a genetic, environmental, and physiological link initiated in persons with Celiac Disease. If one factor is missing, the disease may never come to fruition. This would mean that a person could carry genes that make them more susceptible to getting Celiac, but if the other two factors are not present, they won’t have issues with gluten.

I was dealing with stomach pain, cramping, bloating, and if I wasn’t constipated.. it was the opposite. I was tired, irritable, and just felt like crap. After trying different medications and a lactose-free diet without any success, my doctor ordered a blood test for Celiac Disease antibodies, more specifically: tissue transglutaminase antibodies specifically (tTG-IgA). I tested positive and my doctor explained the importance of a gluten-free diet.

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation “All celiac disease blood tests require that you be on a gluten-containing diet to be accurate. The tTg-IgA test will be positive in about 98% of patients with celiac disease who are on a gluten-containing diet.”
This being said.. the tTg-IgA test is not ALWAYS accurate.

The gold standard test for Celiac Disease is a biopsy of the small intestine. In a patient with Celiac Disease, the fingerlike projections called villi in the small intestine may appear flattened or damaged. (Although this is not always the case). Because my general doctor was not familiar with the exact procedure for diagnosing Celiac Disease at the time (~10 years ago), I never got a biopsy. Because I was not officially diagnosed with Celiac, I label myself as being “gluten free” rather than a person with Celiac Disease because the truth is, I am not 100% sure that I have Celiac Disease. What I do know is that since following a strict gluten free diet, I feel so much better. I don’t have the bloating, pain, irritability, fatigue or stress that came along with eating gluten. I also have fewer migraines (something I’ve been dealing with my whole life).

Now that I have been gluten free for years.. it would not make sense to get the gold standard test done unless I started having disruptive GI symptoms again in the future. The hope is that my small intestine is thriving now that I don’t eat gluten and I plan to stay free of gluten as long as my symptoms do not change.

I don’t recommend a gluten free diet to others unless they too show symptoms of sensitivity, intolerance, or test positive for Celiac Disease with the specialized blood test or small intestine biopsy. Being gluten free can come with burden. Gluten free products tend to be more expensive than ordinary products and the diet can make social events and eating experiences difficult. A common misunderstanding is that “gluten free” products are healthier than the alternative. This is not true and in some cases the opposite! A balanced diet can be achieved with or without consumption of gluten. Gluten containing foods especially whole grain wheat, rye, and barley are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates and fiber. There is no reason for people that don’t have a negative response to gluten to avoid these foods.

Thankfully, there are so many more gluten free products on the market than when I first went gluten free. The products are also more nutrient dense than they used to be. Also, more people in the restaurant and food industries understand the importance of keeping gluten free products away from gluten containing products because there is more information out there regarding food allergies and intolerances. This is a topic I could go on and on about because it is something I live with everyday, but I am going to cut it off now because I feel like I typed “gluten free” 500 times. If you have a gluten free experience to share or any questions for me, post them below! XOXO