SOMETHING YOU’RE EATING may be killing you, and you probably don’t even know it! If you eat cheeseburgers or French fries all the time or drink six sodas a day, you likely know you are shortening your life. But eating a nice dark, crunchy slice of whole wheat bread–how could that be bad for you? Well, bread contains gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and oats. It is hidden in pizza, pasta, bread, wraps, rolls, and most processed foods. Clearly, gluten is a staple of the American diet. What most people don’t know is that gluten can cause serious health complications for many. You may be at risk even if you don’t have full blown celiac disease. I want to reveal the truth about gluten, explain the dangers, and provide you with a simple system that will help you determine whether or not gluten is a problem for you.
The Dangers of Gluten
A recent large study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people with diagnosed, undiagnosed, and “latent” celiac disease or gluten sensitivity had a higher risk of death, mostly from heart disease and cancer. (i)
This study looked at almost 30,000 patients from 1969 to 2008 and examined deaths in three groups: Those with full-blown celiac disease, those with inflammation of their intestine but not full-blown celiac disease, and those with latent celiac disease or gluten sensitivity (elevated gluten antibodies but negative intestinal biopsy).
The findings were dramatic. There was a 39 percent increased risk of death in those with celiac disease, 72 percent increased risk in those with gut inflammation related to gluten, and 35 percent increased risk in those with gluten sensitivity but no celiac disease.
This is ground-breaking research that proves you don’t have to have full-blown celiac disease with a positive intestinal biopsy (which is what conventional thinking tells us) to have serious health problems and complications–even death–from eating gluten.
Yet an estimated 99 percent of people who have a problem with eating gluten don’t even know it. They ascribe their ill health or symptoms to something else–not gluten sensitivity, which is 100 percent curable.
And here’s some more shocking news …
Another study comparing the blood of 10,000 people from 50 years ago to 10,000 people today found that the incidences of full-blown celiac disease increased by 400 percent (elevated TTG antibodies) during that time period. (ii) If we saw a 400 percent increase in heart disease or cancer, this would be headline news. But we hear almost nothing about this. I will explain why I think that increase has occurred in a moment. First, let’s explore the economic cost of this hidden epidemic.
The most serious form of allergy to gluten, celiac disease, affects one in 100 people, or three million Americans, most of who don’t know they have it.
Undiagnosed gluten problems cost the American healthcare system oodles of money. Dr. Peter Green, Professor of Clinical Medicine for the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University studied all 10 million subscribers to CIGNA and found those who were correctly diagnosed with celiac disease used fewer medical services and reduced their healthcare costs by more than 30 perecnt. (iii) The problem is that only one percent of those with the problem were actually diagnosed. That means 99 percent are walking around suffering without knowing it, costing the healthcare system millions of dollars.
And it’s not just a few who suffer, but millions. Far more people have gluten sensitivity than you think–especially those who are chronically ill. The most serious form of allergy to gluten, celiac disease, affects one in 100 people, or three million Americans, most of who don’t know they have it. But milder forms of gluten sensitivity are even more common and may affect up to one-third of the American population.
Why haven’t you heard much about this?
Well, actually you have, but you just don’t realize it. Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity masquerade as dozens and dozens of other diseases with different names.
Gluten Sensitivity: One Cause, Many Diseases
A review paper in The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 “diseases” that can be caused by eating gluten. (iv) These include osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, anemia, cancer, fatigue, canker sores, (v) and rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and almost all other autoimmune diseases. Gluten is also linked to many psychiatric (vi) and neurological diseases, including anxiety, depression, (vii) schizophrenia, (viii) dementia, (ix) migraines, epilepsy, and neuropathy (nerve damage). (x) It has also been linked to autism.(ix)
We used to think that gluten problems or celiac disease were confined to children who had diarrhea, weight loss, and failure to thrive. Now we know you can be old, fat, and constipated and still have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Gluten sensitivity is actually an autoimmune disease that creates inflammation throughout the body, with wide-ranging effects across all organ systems including your brain, heart, joints, digestive tract, and more. It can be the single cause behind many different “diseases.” To correct these diseases, you need to treat the cause–which is often gluten sensitivity–not just the symptoms.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that ALL cases of depression or autoimmune disease or any of these other problems are caused by gluten in everyone–but it is important to look for it if you have any chronic illness.
By failing to identify gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, we create needless suffering and death for millions of Americans. Health problems caused by gluten sensitivity cannot be treated with better medication. They can only be resolved by eliminating 100 percent of the gluten from your diet.
The question that remains is: Why are we so sensitive to this “staff of life,” the staple of our diet?
There are many reasons …
They include our lack of genetic adaptation to grasses, and particularly gluten, in our diet. Wheat was introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages, and 30 percent of people of European descent carry the gene for celiac disease (HLA DQ2 or HLA DQ8), (xii) which increases susceptibility to health problems from eating gluten.
American strains of wheat have a much higher gluten content (which is needed to make light, fluffy Wonder Bread and giant bagels) than those traditionally found in Europe. This super-gluten was recently introduced into our agricultural food supply and now has “infected” nearly all wheat strains in America.
To find out if you are one of the millions of people suffering from an unidentified gluten sensitivity, just follow this simple procedure.
The Elimination/Reintegration Diet
While testing can help identify gluten sensivity, the only way you will know if this is really a problem for you is to eliminate all gluten for a short period of time (2 to 4 weeks) and see how you feel. Get rid of the following foods:
- Gluten (barley, rye, oats, spelt, kamut, wheat, triticale–see www.celiac.com for a complete list of foods that contain gluten, as well as often surprising and hidden sources of gluten.)
- Hidden sources (soup mixes, salad dressings, sauces, as well as lipstick, certain vitamins, medications, stamps and envelopes you have to lick, and even Play-Doh.)
For this test to work you MUST eliminate 100 percent of the gluten from your diet–no exceptions, no hidden gluten, and not a single crumb of bread.
Then eat it again and see what happens. If you feel bad at all, you need to stay off gluten permanently. This will teach you better than any test about the impact gluten has on your body.
But if you are still interested in testing, here are some things to keep in mind.
Testing for Gluten Sensitivity or Celiac Disease
There are gluten allergy/celiac disease tests that are available through Labcorp or Quest Diagnostics. All these tests help identify various forms of allergy or sensitivity to gluten or wheat. They will look for:
- IgA anti-gliadin antibodies
- IgG anti-gliadin antibodies
- IgA anti-endomysial antibodies
- Tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA and IgG in questionable cases)
- Total IgA antibodies
- HLA DQ2 and DQ8 genotyping for celiac disease (used occasionally to detect genetic suspectibility).
- Intestinal biopsy (rarely needed if gluten antibodies are positive–based on my interpretation of the recent study)
When you get these tests, there are a few things to keep in mind.
In light of the new research on the dangers of gluten sensitivity without full blown celiac disease, I consider any elevation of antibodies significant and worthy of a trial of gluten elimination. Many doctors consider elevated anti-gliadin antibodies in the absence of a positive intestinal biopsy showing damage to be “false positives.” That means the test looks positive but really isn’t significant.
We can no longer say that. Positive is positive and, as with all illness, there is a continuum of disease, from mild gluten sensitivity to full-blown celiac disease. If your antibodies are elevated, you should go off gluten and test to see if it is leading to your health problems.
So now you see–that piece of bread may not be so wholesome after all! Follow the advice I’ve shared with you today to find out if gluten may be the hidden cause of your health problems. Simply eliminating this insidious substnace from your diet, may help you achieve lifelong vibrant health.
Now I’d like to hear from you …
Are you one of the millions that have been lead to believe gluten is perfectly safe to eat?
How do foods that contain gluten seem to affect you?
What tips can you share with others about eliminating gluten from your diet?
Please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.
References:(i) Ludvigsson JF, Montgomery SM, Ekbom A, Brandt L, Granath F. Small-intestinal histopathology and mortality risk in celiac disease. JAMA. 2009 Sep 16;302(11):1171-8.
(ii) Rubio-Tapia A, Kyle RA, Kaplan EL, Johnson DR, Page W, Erdtmann F, Brantner TL, Kim WR, Phelps TK, Lahr BD, Zinsmeister AR, Melton LJ 3rd, Murray JA. Increased prevalence and mortality in undiagnosed celiac disease. Gastroenterology. 2009 Jul;137(1):88-93
(iii) Green PH, Neugut AI, Naiyer AJ, Edwards ZC, Gabinelle S, Chinburapa V. Economic benefits of increased diagnosis of celiac disease in a national managed care population in the United States. J Insur Med. 2008;40(3-4):218-28.
(iv) Farrell RJ, Kelly CP. Celiac sprue. N Engl J Med. 2002 Jan 17;346(3):180-8. Review.
(v) Sedghizadeh PP, Shuler CF, Allen CM, Beck FM, Kalmar JR. Celiac disease and recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a report and review of the literature. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2002;94(4):474-478.
(vi) Margutti P, Delunardo F, Ortona E. Autoantibodies associated with psychiatric disorders. Curr Neurovasc Res. 2006 May;3(2):149-57. Review.
(vii) Ludvigsson JF, Reutfors J, Osby U, Ekbom A, Montgomery SM. Coeliac disease and risk of mood disorders–a general population-based cohort study. J Affect Disord. 2007 Apr;99(1-3):117-26. Epub 2006 Oct 6.
(viii) Ludvigsson JF, Osby U, Ekbom A, Montgomery SM. Coeliac disease and risk of schizophrenia and other psychosis: a general population cohort study. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2007 Feb;42(2):179-85.
(ix) Hu WT, Murray JA, Greenaway MC, Parisi JE, Josephs KA. Cognitive impairment and celiac disease. Arch Neurol. 2006 Oct;63(10):1440-6.
(x) Bushara KO. Neurologic presentation of celiac disease. Gastroenterology. 2005 Apr;128(4 Suppl 1):S92-7. Review.
(xi) Millward C, Ferriter M, Calver S, Connell-Jones G. Gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(2):CD003498. Review.
(xii) Green PH, Jabri B. Coeliac disease. Lancet. 2003 Aug 2;362(9381):383-91. Review.
My only symptoms of possible wheat sensitivity were red dots on my shins that would turn brown then fade away and later even showed up on top of my forearm when I ate several Doritos a friend had brought to our house and I had neglected to see the ingredients. I learned later that they had wheat and MSG.
I have avoided wheat products for more than a year and have not had a return of the spots on my forearms. My legs are better but never completely clear.
I’m also more recently being treated for a very elevated TSH (subclinical, reverse T3 problem) with Armour Thyroid. Could there be a connection between these symptoms?
could there be a correlation between GMO wheats and an increase in intolerance to wheats?
Since we do not really understand what GMO products are doing to the genes and the enzymatic process in our bodies, I am curious if this has been looked into.
Thanks
jhm,
Dr. Mark,
Does the gluten antibody blood test work if the patient has been successfully abstaining from gluten for several weeks? In other words are the gluten antibodies present in signifigant number in the blood or stomach of a celiac or latent celaic who is free of gluten contamination? I am trying to find out if it is advisable to eat a gluten free diet prior to testing.
Due to the volume of queries Dr. Hyman is not able to respond to questions like these at the present. We recommend you consult your physician and the testing laboratory for more details.
I found some more details on the blood test here: http://www.celiac.com/articles/32/1/How-accurate-are-blood-antibody-tests/Page1.html#postedcomment
A year ago I learned about celiac disease (Scientific American article).. at that time I had endured increasing lower gut pain for about 5 years. I had read about “leaky gut”, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, etc… but could not pinpoint the problem. I just knew that some mornings I wanted to cry (the cramping was worse in the morning). by age 67 I knew my ovaries were atrophied, a small growth in my uturus not cancerous, and I had a very minor problem with diverticuli. I went gluten free for about a month before I decided to have test for celiac disease. I went back on a bit of wheat bread and cereal for about 10 days before the test. My doctor says the test was negative, no celiac condition. He acknowledges that there seems to a relationship between the consumption of wheat and my pain. I am uncertain about the validity of the test results because I went gluten free prior to the test. And because, I resumed eating gluten free and over a period of 3 months the gut pain went away. I’m afraid to add wheat back into my diet, but I guess that’s the next step.
Moral of my story: if you’re going to have the test, do it BEFORE going gluten free.
I have known for 30 years that anytime I tried a diet that eliminated carbs, I got sick after three days. So I thought that meant I needed carbs. Then I read about gluten withdrawal and decided to eliminate gluten slowly from my diet. I weaned myself from it and I was able to stop taking the 60 mg. per day of Prevacid (and spent a fortune on because insurance decided I only should get 30 mg.) I had needed for years. Now I take 15 mg. once or twice per week.
I tried probiotics but they also make me feel sick after 3 days. I am interested in what the problem could be with this. I am really trying to get my digestive system in balance.
Thanks for your books – I have learned so much and have improved my health.
Tricia
Read the book “The Yeast Connection and Women”. You could have yeast. Another good book is called “No more Heartburn”. Both of those books were recommended to me by a holistic MD. They are full of information on stomach issues.
Good luck.
HI
I have 6 auto immune diseases and have recently stopped eating wheat, my coeliac blood test was raised but said to be unlikely to be coeliac disease, mu IgA was raised too. I am omitting colourants and flavourings, processed food, caffeine nicotine and eating only fresh organic meat and veg. I have also started taking vitamins, minerals and electrolytes.
I hope you are right. If there is anything else you think I should be doing please let me know.
Regards
Marian
I am curious as to what medications have gluten in them. I have eliminated all gluten etc. Please respond. I was shocked to see lipstick on your list.
Mindy
Mind you wrote:
“I am curious as to what medications have gluten in them. I have eliminated all gluten etc. Please respond. I was shocked to see lipstick on your list.”
For more information about products that contain gluten including medications that have it, please see http://www.celiac.com
I am 46 and about 8 months ago, I began to be bloated, gas after eating, and have played around with decreasing bread, wheat from my diet…This eliminated the bloating and gas. I have a direct response when I eat pasta, bread etc…30 min later, stomach pain, gas or burping. Last night I ate a piece of carrot cake, big stomach pain 15 min later and diarreah 1 hr later. Should I get tested for gluten intolerance or just start sticking to the gi diet? Is there damage to my body if I have traces of gluten? Please suggest reading. Thanks!
Thank you for your message and interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
At the end of the day the “cure” for gluten sensitivity, whether you have celiac disease or are lower on the spectrum of gluten intolerance is simple: Avoid gluten. If you are sensitive, you will likely see your symptoms disappear when you avoid the substance.
I went for a physical with my PCP back in March. When she was ordering bloodwork, I asked her to test me for Celiac. She didn’t ask why, but I guess decided to humor me by ordering the test. When she got the results back, she was shocked on how high my numbers were. She said they were the highest she’d ever seen. She was also shocked that I had never complained of symptoms, and never really came to her with any other sicknesses. I had a few years of nagging gas, bloating, and diarrhea, but no other outward problems. But it was slowly was taking over my life though. I’d be in the bathroom 6-8 times a day, sometimes more depending on what I was eating. That’s when I decided to get tested.
I felt better almost immediately by eating gluten free. I find it strange though, that when I ate white processed flour, my problems weren’t as bad as if I ate whole wheat. Whole wheat products really put me over the edge. I also found it strange that when I was on vacation in Mexico last year, before I was officially diagnosed, I ate bread, pasta, and beer with absolutely no problems. Maybe Mexican wheat is different?
I’ve been working on whole grain, yeast free breads for most of the year and have learned a lot. Commercially almost 100% of “Gluten” Breads have added “Vital Wheat Gluten” which is vital only for profit not your health. Along with Gluten being an issue, Commercial YEAST is another problem and causes many health challenges and again is in nearly 100% of breads. I have clients who reacted to wheat but are able to enjoy Yeast free breads made of Rye &/or Spelt!
Challenges in the Gluten Free realm are all the breads made of highly refined flours and those like Tapioca flour whose nutrients are void of most everything but carbs. Celiacs need to eat balanced grains that offer natural fats through their oils, fiber, protein and natural vitamins and minerals (not enhanced): Amaranth, Buckwheat, Teff to name just a few. Slow carbs that offer, low glycemic nourishment!
seth
Commercial YEAST is another problem. I have clients who reacted to wheat but are able to enjoy Sourdough made of Rye &/or Spelt with no commercial yeast!
Most breads in the Gluten Free realm are made of highly refined flours, void of nutrients. Celiacs need to eat balanced grains that offer natural fats through their oils, fiber, protein and natural vitamins and minerals (not enhanced): Amaranth, Buckwheat, Teff to name just a few. Slow carbs that offer, low glycemic nourishment!
seth
Dr Hyman, glad to find you on HuffPo. In 2009 I was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomeruloscherosis (FSGS) through a kidney biopsy. Long story, short. I eliminated gluten from my diet 100% and went into full spontaneous remission and have stayed there. Never took the first line of treatment of symptoms: Prednisone. My body healed itself which is practically unheard of with this progressive kidney disease. I encouraged others with kidney disease to try a gluten-free diet. Of those that I am aware, 2 other adults and 4 children went into remission and have stayed there on a gluten-free diet. Some have suffered for years, some have had multiple hospitalizations. This diet did not help all who tried it, but it has been a lifesaver for some. Thank you for spreading the word. I learned about the gluten free diet from my best friend who has celiac disease, and she just turned me on to you today.
Yes, it is time someone looks into the GMO and gluten sensitivity issue (as well as other diseases that started with the GMO crusade – chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, etc. It’s been proven that GMO tainted food decreases our digestive enzymes, leaves their DNA behind in our bodies as well as other horrible health effects. Go to the Institute for Responsible Technology for more information.
Regarding gluten:
I have been living gluten-free for about six months. It was suggested by a physician to do this since every time I ate any gluten I would have asthma that sometimes increased for one week. I have asthma and multiple allergies anyway & did not want to increase my daily handled symptoms. I have found that being gluten-free has helped me very much.
Now my question. I was given a celiac and antibody test. Everything was negative. Before the test i had been eating gluten-free. Therefore, the test showed negative.
How do I find out if the tests were done properly ? How do I know for sure that I am negative when I react to gluten so strongly? Are there other tests that I should be having or done differently?
If you can address this mystery, I would be very grateful for your guidance.
Thank you.
Jeri Briskin
Thank you for your message, Jeri, and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I have had upper arm itching for three years. It seemed to be worse during the night so I blamed it on elevated hormone levels as I was also in peri-menopause. I had my hormones checked and I was very low. I saw two dermatologists who prescribed a medication that made me sleepy for days but elminated the itching, and steroid creams which I was overusing as the itching was so bad. I had many sleepless nights. Spent countless hours online trying to diagnose myself. I bought the book, Gluten for Dummies as a recommendation from a friend. I started gluten free about 5 months ago and I think I’ve found the culprit. The times I eat “bad foods” I totally get hive like bumps that itch. I may have other allergies, also, as just walking in the grocery store the other day I started to itch in one spot the entire time I spent in the store! I’m about 75% better being gluten free.
My daughter has been suffering for three years of a painful stomach. We recently discovered gluten wasn’t good on her. She’s been staying out of dairy and gluten for almost 6 months now, but I thimk she’s still inflamed. She doesn’t have the pain anymore. What treatment should she follow and what supplements does she need to get better?
Thank you, Maria, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I think I am going to wait until I see an FMD to get tested so I can get tested for sensitivity too not just full blown (which I know is all my Doc will test me for if I ask, and I am pretty sure because of symptoms I do not have full blown). I might try the elimination diet though, but wow, you have to check everything.
The only thing I am worried about is about 13 years ago (when I was trying really hard to lose the weight) I tried the Atkins diet, and I was in the induction phase where you eat no grains at all, and not only did I not feel better, I got sick (weak, practically passing out, sometimes really bad intestinal pain) and eventually had to go off the diet as it was not getting any better, but going off the diet cured all of those symptoms. You would think if gluten was the culprit that diet would have helped?
HI–
Have been gluten free for some months—had constant, painful sores in my mouth—and probably throughout my gi tract—and now am wondering about the cause. The mouth sores stay away when I eat no gluten.
I took massive doses of antibiotics in the ’90s for Lyme Disease. Might they have affected the lining of my intestine and caused a new, ineffective way of digesting gluten?
Thank you, Linda, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Bloating, belly fat, flatulence, brain fog (memory/recall issues), lethargy througout the day- do those symptoms indicate an allergy?
Thank you, Joe, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Over the last five years I had increasing gas problems, both upper and
lower digestive tracts. After quiting gluten foods, my digestion as almost
no gas. — A very big relief. I think there are reduced sinus symptoms, also.
I also have high blood sugar, as in type 2 diabetes. I’ll be watching the diabetes
for any changes.
I didn’t know until my husband was diagnosed with heart disease and we decided to follow Dr. William Davis’s advice on cutting carbohydrates, that I infact had been suffering a kind of irritable bowel problem for as long as I can remember – not realizing it had anything to do with wheat! I am now bloat-free, abdominal pain-free and not rushing off to the loo at frequent intervals!
So this information verifies my experience – thanks.
i discovered my gluten sensitivity after my doctor suggested the elimination diet. I was suffering from joint pain and stiffness in my hands, irritable bowels etc, but never imagined that the problem was caused by wheat. Now, I recognize the symptoms in other people, but hesitate to push. Gluten is in everything and folks don’t want to give up their bagels and chewy bread! For myself, I would love to see more gluten free products in the stores FOR LESS MONEY! Yes, I can go without, but I do enjoy a gluten free “english” muffin once in a while, just wish they cost less!
Really nice blog
Dr. Mark,
Thanks to the work you have done on the subject of gluten. It is so misunderstood in many conversations. I tested negative to the blood test. However, I had a rash on my face for 10 years – misdiagnosed. it starts as a hive, red, itchy and last for days. I tried steroids and anitbiotics which would initially help but then the rash would come back worse. I finally had a physician I work with tell me she thought I had celiac. I began a long journey to figure out what not to eat. It has been about 4 years since that time. I must say the first 2 years I was not a true believer and was not educated on the hidden sources of gluten. I thought I was allergic to everything such as food coloring and spices. I was wrong. It was always gluten. I just didn’t know how many items contain gluten under another name. I have now learned so much and feel so much better I cannot even explain in words. I would also recommend the Gfree diet book. It changed my life. Until then I thought I was going to be deprived of every good food. I have now learned otherwise and my husband actually eats all of my desserts!!
Keep the information coming! Thanks! Molly
Thank you to tell us more useful information. I am looking forward to reading more of your articles in the future.
I have an exophytic mass which was 1.1cm June of 2007, was diagnosed with a HiLar mass then but it resolved itself after doing a pet scan and no uptake, and then going on a gluten free diet. I began eating Gluten 2008 and this past Jan the 1/1 mass was 2.8×2.5.2×4 or around 13.8cc.
I went on the rave diet past February, no animal,dairy, alcohol,gluten, and a few times I fell off the wagon and it stayed at 12.8cc this past September MRI. Three weeks ago I took another MRI and it has grown to 4.1x 3.7 etc or 21cc.
I am going to have surgery(Robotic) with Dr. Bruce Lowe, Portland Or. in 5 weeks. I have cysts in both my kidneys,3 in the left kidney 2 in the right one attached to my adrenal, and tip of my lung, One in my thigh, one on my nose and one by my nostril.
I was checked recently at OHSU for Birt Hogge Dube syndrome and results were negative. I wonder if I have Von Hippel syndrome, being I am a Ashkenaze Jew my Father was born in Russia and NIH are looking for participants in a national study..
When I eat gluten my feet swell up next day and my eyes swell immediately..
Is there a Functional Medicine Doctor in Portland Oregon.
By the way I got a aspergilus poisoning in 2005 and it shows itself on my left arm.
Thank You
Fred Null
541 690 9236
Thank you, Fred, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. To locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website. Here you will find a place to enter your zip code and look for practitioner’s in your area that have completed the institute’s five-day training course in functional medicine. Understand that not all of the doctors listed here will fit your particular needs. Many different medical professionals complete this training, and you will have to do additional research on your own regarding a particular practitioner’s approach and whether or not it fits your specific medical requirements. This may include calling the practioner’s office, visiting his or her website, and/or scheduling a consultation.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Patricia,
You mentioned that you feel sick after three days when you eliminate carbs or add probiotics. Have you studied the effects of detox? Perhaps this is what your body is experiencing. Sometimes when our bodies stop receiving something toxic (or perhaps begin receiving something that helps eliminate toxins such as a probiotic) we will experience symptoms of illness which are actually our bodies detoxing, which is actually good, but you have to be prepared for it and be careful. I’m not a doctor so I would like to know what Dr. Hyman and his staff think of this. I have a daughter that I put on probiotics because of chronic bowel impaction. It completely cleared it up and as an added bonus, stopped her extreme emotional outbursts.
Thank you, Liv, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Grew up in the midwest. Food can make you sick? Ya gotta be kidding me!
Can’t have gluten, diary, or soy. They make me very ill.
Best tip? Be careful what you sub for gluten flours. White fluff is still white fluff and sugar is still sugar. Try nut flours. Delicious, nutritious, and GF. Second tip? You won’t have to worry about reading labels (to find gluten, diary, soy etc) if you eat whole natural foods. Vegetables, meats, seeds, nuts, eggs, and fruit generally are safe and have no need to read labels.
After much medicating during two months of severe digestive failure, I was biopsied and diagnosed with celiac disease — at age 74 with no history of digestive problems. Skeptical, I got the genetic test for HLA DQ2/HLA DQ8 at Kimball Genetics and learned I had no susceptibility. I quit gluten free cold turkey two years ago and never looked back. I suspect the disorder was caused by my statin drug or was tropical sprue picked up in the Indian subcontinent. I lost 20 lbs and kept it off, bringing down my blood pressure and LDL cholesterol to healthy numbers from never very bad. I’m now completely drug free and in fine health all around. I eat well, sleep well, work hard and exercise (some). Do read “Our Daily Meds.”
Do you think that God didn’t intend for us to eat Gluten? What happened? Just wondering.
i have a lack of b-12 for at least 4 years, pain started back in 1996 and increased each year to its peak in 2006, no one could touch me. also have sleep disorder because the pain keeps waking me. in 1997 i got the diagnose for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (Autoimmune Thyroid). in 2008 i got the diagnose Fibromyalgia. Oct. 2010 diagnosed gastric ulcer in clinic, there was the evidence of celiac, the next Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was in dec.2010 where they found with biopsy that my villy is already damaged, causing malnutrition. no wonder i feel extrem weakness.
))
Last month, when Celiac finally was diagnosed, my new Doctor told me that my pain will vanish when i follow the gluten free diet – what a gr8 hope that is
I was at my wits end when I finally decided to see if wheat/gluten was the culprit that was cramping my stomach into knots. I cut all gluten as well as meats, sugar, caffeine and artificial sweetners, etc. and have lost 18lbs over 3 weeks as well as having no more cramping. I don’t think I will be adding gluten back into my diet with my body’s response. Thank you for your articles. They are a wealth of information.
I read that corn and rice are gluten free yet now i am seeing corn-gluten and rice-gluten as ingredients in products. could someone please explain and/or provide links?
i avoid gluten because i get headaches but have not been tested for gluten allergy. i also avoide soy, dairy, and corn. corn seems make my body attack my cartilage. having been diagnosed with fibromyalgia back in the late 90′s because of all the pain, i started eating gluten-free (high in corn) but got worse. then i found out about the loss of cartilage in my knees. i stopped eating corn thinking i had other undiagnosed allergies and the pain went away (except for the headaches which i think are caused by a new allergy/sensitivity).
why am i continually developing new allergies/sensitivities?
Thank you, Lisa, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
My daughter had been for more than 3 years suffering from ,terrible stomach ache. Whith her pediatrician, we did many lab exams with no answer, from fecal exams to ultrasoundseven looking even for ovarian cysts, who could possibly be causing the pain. Other doctors told me it might be psychologycal. I was desperate because this made my girl loose many school days and it was afecting her in many areas. Her inmune system was in terrible sahpe and she got sick many times. The pediatrician told me her problem was in her gut, but he didn[t know what it was, so I should take her to a specialist. i finally went to see an homeopathist, who told me she should avoid dairy and gluten. The results were amazing! The pain stopped automatically. If only I could have known before. Since she was 3 she complained about her stomach feeling hot inside. We discovered this last year, when she was 12! She no longer gets sick. THis is the information people really need. Thank you!!
My son has been chronically ill for 3 + years. He is 14 and has GERD, a hyatial hernia, clinically obese, trouble breathing, trouble running, vomiting, migraines and a whole other host of things going on. The doctors haven’t been able to pinpoint what the problem. He is also suspected of having cyclic vomiting syndrome. He will vomit daily sometimes as many as 10 days in a row and then be completely exhausted. We have recently reduced gluten in his diet to only what is found in the school lunches. I’m completely amazed at the difference I’ve seen in just 1 month. It’s been 30 days since he last had a vomiting episode. We purposely ate a pizza during lunch one day and then later in the day he had bright red cheeks and ears which seem to be one of the symptons that something is happening in his body. He did not develope a headache or vomit, but I’m guessing that’s because he didn’t have enough gluten to trigger a complete episode. At this point, we should add gluten back into our diet to see what happens. But, I’m afraid to do that because I don’t want him to get sick and miss any more school. I’m convinced gluten intolerance is part of the problem. After so much time going by and the doctor’s not being able to pinpoint the problem, my 14 year is very skeptical and doesn’t want to give up gluten entirely. I’m very glad I’ve found your book and website for more help. Supposedly they already tested him for celiac and he was negitive, but I’m beginning to wonder if they really did do these test.
The tests for gluten sensitivity that you have mentioned in your very informative article may not reveal the entire picture in many patients where you suspect gluten sensitivity. The accuracy of the tests are low. Unfortunately, those tests may all come back negative but the patient may still have gluten sensitivities. The lab testing only tests for the alpha-gliadin. A patient can be reactive to a single wheat protein or combinations of proteins, peptides and enzymes associated with wheat. They can also have cross reactive food sensitivities that mimic gluten sensitivity that may miss the problem if not tested. Also, if a patient has weak immunity( low SIgA) than a SIgM should be tested and will be elevated.
My nose was stuffy every night, I have sleep apniea and it made it difficult to go to
sleep. I did the ultra Simple Diet; through the weeks I noticed my nose wasn’t
stuffed up at night. Then I started adding things back into my diet, when it came
to the yeast the stuffy nose came back. That’s a test I’m eager to take. Other than
that is was a very good experience and something I can use when I get off track.
The article you were referring to (reference #1) does not include gluten sensitivity–the 3rd category was latent celiac disease defined as positive celiac serology, but negative biopsy. There are no reliable tests for non-celiac gluten sensitivity at this time and the gold standard for diagnosing non-celiac gluten sensitivity is actually an elimination diet. Because there is so little research on this health condition, we don’t know what the true health outcomes are. There is no evidence suggesting people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity have higher mortality rates than the general population.
Also, for anyone reading this who suspects celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, be sure to get tested for celiac disease BEFORE beginning a gluten free diet! The tests are no longer accurate once gluten has been eliminated. Request the IgA TTG blood test– the most accurate test for celiac disease according to the National Institute of Health and the American Gastroenterological Association.
Good luck everyone!
Note: Gluten free breads are available in health food stores. I think Udi’s & Rudi’s are best tasting, in that order. Also, you can make your own, with gluten free ingredients -Bob’s Red Mill brand is easiest to find, & even available in some regular grocery stores. For those with kids on the Autism spectrum, you need to go GFCFSF: Gluten, Casein (Dairy) & Soy free. Just google TACA (Talk About Curing Autism)-Great resource and support! and ARI: (Autism Research Institute) for recipes. Also, even some shampoos & conditioners have gluten in them. Seems overwhelming, but it can be done. Read labels!
Wouldn’t you see an improvement in your health if you reduced the amount of gluten you were eating by 99%? Why would it not “work” if you had a small amount of hidden gluten in the food you were eating?
I want to try a gluten-free diet but feel discouraged when people say you can’t have even one crumb of gluten or you won’t be successful.
Dr. Mark,
Thank you for all the writing you do! When I went through menopause I developed a random rash that appeared in a variety of places. After many expensive creams pre scribed by the dermatologist, I determined it was gluten through your writing. I love how I feel on a gluten free diet! And, it is not that difficult.
Thank you!
I have been intolerant to Gluten and lactose for the last 30 years (I was 30 years old at the time that I found out about this problem). I am doing great and feel fine (unless I accidentally eat something with Gluten or lactose in it. The following might be of interest to you; I can eat anything that I want as long as I’m taking an antibiotic such as Tetracycline or Penicillin. I found this out by trial and error. I have never taken the Celiac test, but my guess is that it would be negative in my case (my weight is normal 172lb and 5ft 10inches). I’m also intolerant to caffeine, nuts and any type of berry (strawberries, blackberries, cranberries, etc.). I have no problems as long as I avoid all of the food items listed above. I drink Soy milk, and I can buy gluten and lactose free bread at a local bakery. I’m really interested if there are any medical breakthroughs in this area. It doesn’t seem like much of the medical field is interested in solving these issues, so I appreciate your work.
I suffered with a lump in my throat and food that got stuck in my esophagus for about five years–my local doc gave me Prilosec–said he had heard of a silent type of GERD. I had no symptoms of GERD–no heartburn, burping, etc. However, after taking the Prilosec for a few weeks, the choking and lump feelings disappeared. But whenever I tried to wean myself off of the Prilosec, I developed heartburn, burping, and the lump and choking returned. As soon as I started the Prilosec, it went away. After 7 years of this, my bloodwork went to hell and I started to lose my hair. My need for Prilosec increased as I needed it twice a day to keep away the pain. After seeing a specialist, he wanted me to start taking Protonix–twice a day (twice as strong as Prilosec). I refused. After seeing a nutritionist who put me on an elimination diet for 1 month–I never again had any heartburn or lump and choking. When I added back gluten, I felt terrible–cramping, etc.
It has been an interesting journey. My latest discovery is that it appears I may have had a lack of stomach acid all along. In testing for Hypochlorhydria, taking Betaine HCl with meals, I feel I am finally on the road to recovery.
I was constipated most of my life, and suffered with IBS since high school. My favorite foods were pasta, whole grain breads and crackers, and dairy products. All the while, I thought I was eating healthy. Just wondered if anyone else followed this path.
I heard you speak about gluten a couple of years ago and remembered my mother saying I was allergic to wheat as a child. As an adult I seemed to be no longer allergic, and I love bread, pasta etc. But I also had IBS, acid reflux, muscle pain and elevated CRP. So I tried the gluten elimination diet and my symptoms were relieved. About 4 weeks later, we dined out and I discovered — half way through the meal — that the dish I ordered included wheat, rather than corn as I had expected. The 24 hours of sheer misery that followed convinced me that I am gluten sensitive, and I have stayed away from it — for the most part — since. I can sometimes eat a small amount of bread without reacting. A friend suggested that taking digestive enzymes might help. So I tried a premium quality supplement with a variety of digestive enzymes. It has almost completely relieved any remaining symptoms — and seems to have increased my tolerance for gluten. My question — is it reasonable to conclude that adequate digestive enzymes may decrease symptoms related to ingesting gluten? Or is than entirely separate issue?
I was 36 when my weird symptoms started. I started to get frequent heartburn, the kind that would bring me to my knees, I couldn’t drink milk or take an antacid fast enough. My doctor gave me some heartburn medicine, which gave me hives, then he gave me predizone for the hives and that brought my heartburn back. It was a vicious cycle and I finally just stopped taking it all. I was also having circulation problems in my feet and hands. My thumb would turn blue at the same time two of my other fingers would turn white and ice cold. I was tested for carpal tunnel but that wasn’t it either. I also developed facial flushing and a massive burning sensation on my back, usually around the same time each day, about 3:00 pm. My body began to ache constantly and it was painful to shave my legs, it hurt to be touched. I was also working out for an hour each day and after 1 month of doing so, I didn’t lose an ounce! My regular doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with me after all the blood tests, carpal tunnel tests, etc. He told me it was all in my head and that I just needed to learn to dress in layers. What a quack! It wasn’t until I went to a Neurological Chiropractor that wheat sensitivity even came to be a thought. He used neurological stimulation and Applied Kinesology (muscle testing.) He tested my muscles first to make sure they “turned on” then placed a small amount of wheat on my tongue, he tested my muscles again and there was absolutely no way I could hold my arm up. He could make my muscles collapse by just using his pinkie! I have been gluten-free for over a year now and I can honestly say it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I instantly lost 10 pounds, my circulation returned, the burning went away, to my husband’s delight, I could finally shave my legs again and the facial flushing has minimized. I still get that once in a while but it is very minimal now and doesn’t last as long. I have hope that that too will go away. My daughter who was diagnosed with IBS – which is BS if you ask me, as also gone gluten-free, it has changed her life completely. I share my story with every and anyone and encourage them to at least give it a try.
I had very high scores on the blood test for gluten sensitivity but no real symptoms. After 2 yrs gluten-free I really don’t feel any difference. I think advising one to eliminate gluten to see if they feel better does not go far enough. There are “silent” celiacs who have no obvious symptoms but who are still causing interval damage by consuming gluten. It then becomes an intellectual decision to do what is best for the body based on the test scores.
How can I find a functional medical doctor in my area?
Thank you, Rebecca, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. To locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website. Here you will find a place to enter your zip code and look for practitioner’s in your area that have completed the institute’s five-day training course in functional medicine. Understand that not all of the doctors listed here will fit your particular needs. Many different medical professionals complete this training, and you will have to do additional research on your own regarding a particular practitioner’s approach and whether or not it fits your specific medical requirements. This may include calling the practioner’s office, visiting his or her website, and/or scheduling a consultation.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
In 1996 my allergist said she thought I was allergic to both wheat and dairy. I ran out of money for her to finish the testing but have done self testing which confirms I am sensitive to wheat, dairy & chocolate!!!! My abdomen distends almost immediately (while consuming wheat or dairy) and my nose begins to drain ugly green stuff. It totally destroys my singing voice and makes me cough due to post nasal drip. I am a singer and must abstain for at least a month prior to doing a show. Check out the Living Without website and Living Gluten Freely for recipes and hints. Oh……also, I have not been able to lose the 45 lbs. I have gained the past 6 years. I had a live blood microscopy done 2 years ago and the first thing he said was I have leaky gut and there was bacteria in my blood. I am now working on trying to heal my gut and see if better health won’t happen.
There was no mention or distinction made re bleached wheat flour. The bleaching agent chlorine dioxide combines with the glutens to condition them in so doing forms a toxic product gluten-chloride product aloxane which primes our systems to react to all glutens present. White flour is not a natural product but one that immunizes us to all gluten products.
I had a dark cloud of depression for several years. Five days gluten free the depression was completely gone. A couple months later I ate several cookies made with white flour. My depression returned. I quickly went back to eating a whole food plant based diet that was gluten free. No more depression.
HELLO MARK, i LOVE YOUR NEWS LETTER! I HAVE BEEN STUDYING GLUTEN INTOLERENCE. I FIND SOME SOURCES THAT CONSIDER OATS TO BE SAFE. wHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT? THANK YOU.
d
DIANE
I requested the celiac test after years of migraines. Only retroactively did a nutritionist tell me that the test is not effective after you have eliminated gluten from your diet.
I had been off gluten for about ten days at the time I was tested, and I came back negative. I am convinced that I have a sensitivity: a single sandwich after several weeks without threw me into a 48 hour migraine. SIx weeks gluten free and I am finally starting to feel human again. I still get menstrual migraines, but their frequency and severity has decreased tenfold. I am hopeful that as my gut heals I will continue to see improvement.
Here is what bothers me. I was diagnosed in 2005 with wheat and dairy allergies. How in the world can we get soy sauce and vinegars to take gluten seriously. It should be a no-brainer to be able to eat thai, japanese, vietnamese, chinese cuisine, but the soy sauce always has wheat in it. And the local groceries sushi lists wheat on the label for some reason. The tahini dressing at my favorite health food paradises use soy. Where do we sign to make this work for us!?!
PS: I buy a lovely gluten free tamari at Whole Foods.
I recently went Gluten free (paleo approach) in October for weight loss but what I realized was that gluten was the culprit for my constant fatigue that had plagued me since i could remember. I was always tired for no logical reason — no one ever mentioned to look at what I was eating – only that maybe my lifestyle was causing it and I should try meds. 7 days after being off of all gluten – i could feel a fog lift. A palpable feeling — and felt fantastic! I finally lost the last few lbs I had struggled with for years — sleep better, exercise better – you name it! And when I do have a roll or bread or whatever — i feel horrible the next day in all sorts of ways. I call it a gluten hangover! So I think very carefully if what I am considering eating is worth it …
This is a great article! I will share it on my site as well!
steph h
livefitandosore.com
I have to tell you, my friend gave me another article you wrote on gluten over a year ago because you mentioned a connection to Hypothyroidism and I had already gone through over a year long battle to regain my health. After doing more research (including reading your book UltraMetabolism), I did a gf trial for 3 weeks and had a reaction 24 hours after a piece of sprouted grain toast. I was a bit upset at first, but after 3 more weeks, I could feel the benefits of it. The symptoms of my hypothyroid that I was still having went away (except for the getting cold easily). I had energy again. The migraines I’ve had my entire life are pretty much gone. The IBS I was diagnosed with back in 2000 is gone. No more vertigo or heart palpitations. My thyroid levels have been normal the last 2 6 month check ups WITHOUT taking any medication or supplements. I feel so much better and I have you to thank for it!
I had two separate blood tests that came out negative, leading me to believe that I did not have any problems with gluten. Thankfully, I found a functional medicine practitioner to help me with my autoimmune Hashimoto’s Disease and he suggested I get tested through Enterolab (enterolab.com). Sure enough, I AM gluten intolerant and was having tissue damage from eating gluten—I never would have known. I’ve been completely gluten-free for about 9 months now and things are getting better, including about 35 lbs. of nearly effortless weight loss. I highly recommend Enterolab or Cyrex Labs to get a definitive diagnosis.
conventional gluten antibody tests are outdated. try the groundbreaking new one from http://www.cyrexlabs.com/CyrexTestsArrays/tabid/136/Default.aspx (array 3 test)
Check with your pharmacists before filling prescriptions about gluten free meds or try this website:
http://www.glutenfreedrugs.com/
Often a simple brand substitution is all that’s needed. Be sure to ask your MD to allow substitutions on the script so the pharmacy can give you safe meds!
Dr. Hyman,
I absolutely love your lectures (I’m an IIN grad) and respect everything you have to say. However, I don’t completely agree with this dramatic stance against gluten. It sounds like what you’re saying is that gluten is harmful to everyone…it’s not. Many cultures around the world have been eating glutenous grains for centuries without a problem. And if the body is not able to digest a particular food, regardless of what it is, it’s not necessarily the food’s fault. Gluten is not a toxic manmade chemical like MSG…it’s not inherently bad. If someone is suffering from gluten sensitivity, the short-term solution would be to eliminate it from the diet. By why the life sentence? How about repairing the person’s digestive system so that it can tolerate a food that is found in nature? I think the focus should be on how to balance the body rather than live a life of deprivation.
Although I suffer from no serious medical problems, I had been plagued with constant congestion and post nasal drip for the last several years. I was not “sick” and I had trouble believing I could constantly have hay fever. I decided to try Dr Hyman’s elimination diet. Within a matter of days these symptoms vanished !! Whenever I fall off the wagon and eat some pizza or a big fluffly piece of bread, I always wake up the next morning congested and my eyes and nose are itchy all day long.
When I was working in China I felt a lot better than when back in the States. I reasoned that it was the lack of bread, so I put myself on a gluten-fee program. After an ALCAT blood test I learned that I was also intolerant to casein, the protein in milk. It seems they work similarly in the body. Being 100% free off both, I am happier and the heartburn and bloating are gone. If I let some of either slip into my eating, I start deteriorating immediately and it takes months to correct the situation. Now I am trying to stay away from packaging which also wards: Gluten and dairy free but manufactured in contaminated facilities……I had hoped that I could introduce at least some cheese back in but it does not look like I can.
What can you tell us about FLAXSEED pros and cons? There is a lot of talk out there.
my whole family is gluten sensitive and it manifests differently in each of us. my husband gets horrible stomach cramping, bloating, and general weakness; my daughter gets migraines and at 14 is dealing with ovarian cysts – not sure if gluten is the cause, but I do believe if you’re sensitive it will create an overall imbalance in your body; and I get fuzzy-headed with aggravated candida issues. it’s not easy to eliminate gluten, but with diligence it can be done. most of the gluten free products in the stores are very expensive, however buying in bulk online has saved me time and money. also, the majority of conventional doctor are clueless about diagnosing and treating so find yourself a good alternative practioner.
About three years ago, I began having severe problems with bloating, stomach cramps and diarrhea or constipation. Trying an elimination diet, I determined wheat consumption was as a definite factor. I discussed this with my GI doctor, she simply told me “most people feel better if they don’t eat wheat” and did not recommend any testing. Continued to struggle with the above symptoms but not as frequently once bread, pasta, etc were eliminated. Through self education, I figured out it was probably gluten, so eliminating this, I felt 100% improved. Decided to get tested to confirm since the gluten free diet is so inconvenient. Finally finding a doctor to order some testing–I ate gluten products for two-three days and then had the following results. Gliadin IGA AB–6. and Gliadin IGA AB–98. My GI doctor determined I was gluten intolerant but probably not celiac, Endoscopy was inconclusive (but at this point I had been on a gluten free diet for several months.) Have continued on strict gluten free diet with excellent results.
“I consider any elevation of antibodies significant”
Hey Mark – do you really mean ANY antibodies? Because I thought gliadins and IgA could be elevated for a host of other reasons. I certainly agree that anti-endomysial abs and TTS elevations are significant. Has anyone looked at the cost-effectivenees of testing for the gene first, and if positive proceeding with antibody screening? Probably still too expensive.
The Women’s Health implications are important to mention – in addition to anemia and osteopoprosis, which we see so often in women that we forget they are abnormal(!), delayed menarche, sub-fertility, etc.
Thanks for the research update. Hope you are all well.
Barbara
Dear Dr. Furhman,
thank you so much for printing this article. I have gone gluten free for 3 years with dramatic results: brain fog to brain clarity, reduced muscle aches and pains (Fibromyalgia related) and recently had an abnormal brain MRI showing possible MS.
As a young girl, I had constant stomach aches, that I suspect now, were gluten related. We lived with a German Mother, who, always had lots of bread in the house.
When I eat gluten now, I do become ‘nuero toxic’, with some slurring of speech, parasthesias, and brain fog, exhaustion.
I suspect now that I can turn this around with some proper intestinal cleansing, changing my lifestyle to reduce inflammation and stress and checking for other food allergies.
I am curious about treatments to help with more severe cases, like myself, that you can share. I am a RN and I believe that I can turn this completely around with the proper diet and lifestyle.
Any resources you can share would be helpful.
Thank you so much,
Sincerely,
Deborah
Back in July, my MS flared and I took a fall. When I needed to find a way to maintain my weight loss while nursing an injury, my research led me to your Ultra Simple Diet. This is when I first went gluten free and I have felt better than ever since then. I did test out having some gluten around the holidays and it set me back for a good week kof feeling just awful. I felt weighted down and groggy, almost like I had the flu. So hard to believe that my diet style of over 40 years was making me feel lethargic on a daily basis. I never knew I could feel so vibrant! I still have MS symptoms but Dr. Mark, your Ultra Simple Diet has changed my life. I’ve been adding new findings and also try to keep my sugar levels down toward 15 g daily.
I didn’t know I could live without the gluten or the sugar. Once I got going, I just kept tweaking my diet and am expecting only more fabulous results. Thank you for all you do to unveil these hidden truths for the rest of us.
I was diagnosed with (sero-negative) rheumatoid arthritis at age 19. Suffered tremendously until enbrel came out. My son (age 3 at the time) had some neurological issues as well as GI and sensory related. We saw a wonderful doctor who suggested gluten free diet for both of us. My son has improved and I have been off ALL of my RA meds (humira, methotrexate) for almost 2 years. I have never felt better! I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. The only problem I have now is since getting off my RA meds I have a problem with psoriasis…but I’ll take that any day over not being able to walk!
Thank you for sharing this article. I am one of those who suffered for 50+ years with the symptoms you list, migraines, depression, constipation, bloating, and I had a rashy itchy face and could not sit still…my quality of life was poor…when I googled my symptoms I stumbled on gluten insensitivity so I began to try to eliminate gluten. I will be 58 soon and am gluten free…if I accidentally ingest some I do suffer the consequences…what I also have discovered recently is that I have Hashimoto’s disease (autoimmune disease) and as a result thyroid disease and even had a partial thyroidectomy. So I am a believer in what you are sharing here.
THANKS SO MUCH!
Lynn, I too have Hashimoto’s and am 57. I was diagnosedseveral years ago, but it wasn’t until I started seeing a Dr. that practices funtional medicine that I was also allergy tested for gluten intolerance. Sure enough, I’m gluten intolerant too. It’s hard to say which came first, “the chicken or the egg?”. Gluten free gets easier the longer you practice, especially when you know your body’s reactions to it. There are so many good places to look for support and alternatives now.
I see Gluten intolerance all the time in my practice!! It is a hidden medical nightmare. However once it is withdrawn from the diet the change in health is remarkable!
I also see that those with an Irish heritage have higher rates of gluten problems, because wheat was introduced after the potato famine and it is a food that is ” foreign” to this people group.
My son had hives, asthma, constipation, stomach aches, headaches, and swollen glands from age 2-6. The GI doc wanted him on prevacid, the allergist wanted him on allegra, and the dermatologist said “even if it is a food allergy, you’ll never fugue it out- it is too hard”. I finally put him on an elimination diet and he was better in four days. As it turns out he is gluten intolerant. I wish we could have those four years of growth and development back, but we are grateful that he is finally healthy and happy!
I was wondering about the increase in celiac or gluten sensitivity after surgery. Can the antibiotics that are given to prevent infection change the flora in the gut leading to increased sensitivity?
In the past 6 months I’ve been experiencing light headed -off and on. It’s moderate but I feel like I should be sitting down. Also I have skin eruption on my scalp. Seems to be getting worse. My scalp is itchy and I have sores that I scratch it – bad habit. Also for the longest time my ears have been itchy like eczema – again I scratch…. watery liquid dries up and again I remove the dryness. I would like to do a real good cleanse – what do you recommend? The only medication I take is dessicated Thyroid for hypothyroidism diagnosed 1 year ago. I am at a perfect weight – 56 years young – 4’10” – 98 lbs – BMI – 21. I was tested for heavy metals and Mercury is over the top…. I have a Infra -Red Sauna at home and would like to have the best regimen and cleanse to rid my body of these toxins.
This article is so informative…Thank you
I went to my first gastro-enterologist when I was 8 years old with stomach pain and diarrhea. Even as a baby I suffered red itchy rashes. Nothing was ever found. My mother called it dish-arrhea. Every night after dinner when she and my sisters would be doing the dishes I would be in the bathroom.
I suffered throughout my life with different illnesses, headaches, dizziness, periferal neuropathy, reflux, rashes, sleeping issues and the stomach pain was daily. I thought that is was all in my head. Doctors can not find a reason for any of it. I was on and off tons of prescriptions to treat each symptom. Nothing really helped. I had several colonoscopies and endoscopies. My colon and stomach were biopsied but not my small intestines.
Last year at 58 I thought I was dying. All the symptoms were getting much worse all at the same time. I had another endoscopy/colonoscopy. This time biopsies were taken of my stomach, small intestines and colon. The three small intestine biopsies showed, “blunting of the villi consistent with Celiac Disease”. My doctor told me I could try a gluten free diet but that it is very restrictive. I knew nothing about Celiac Disease. I started a gluten free diet and went to Columbia University Celiac Center after reading Dr Peter Green’s book Celiac Disease the Hidden Epidemic. I had suffered with terrible back pain all my life, within two weeks that was completely gone. One week later the neuropathy was completely gone- I could feel my right foot for the first time. Stomach issues resolved soon after. The thing that I am left with is other neurologic issues, dizziness, brain fog and difficulty concentrating. My doctor at Columbia told me it can take up to a year or more for all symptoms to resolve there is a chance that the damage from gluten may be permanent.
The major issue is the lack of knowledge by many doctors. They do not think to test for celiac disease. They think of celiac disease as a digestive problem only not an autoimmune disease that attacks the entire body. Which is exactly why articles like this are so important to raise awareness. In my case gluten had to attack my body for many years doing it’s damage before the problem was stumbled upon leaving me to wonder if the damage will ever be corrected or was I diagnosed too late.
I too have an autoimmune disease. I was diagnosed with MS in 2001 even though I believe I had it most of my life. I had been tested for years. I recently joined a wellness center as I was tired of doctors passing out pills yet not knowing why I had such inflammation in my body. I had fever and redness in my knees, rashes in the bend of my arms, etc. etc.
The wellness center discovered that I am allergic to wheat, gluten, soy, dairy and more! All these years I have tried to figure it out and now at 59 I know the answers. Since November I have been off of all these foods. I have discovered millet, cream of buckwheat, Almond Milk and more. What a change it has made and the bonus is I have also lost 16 lbs. and am never hungry!
I love my new life and feel so much better.
I am a functional medicine nurse practitioner, and have a gluten sensitivity. Had to test myself when I got sick a few years ago – since I was recommending to many of my patients.
worsening miraine headache, depression, fatigue, joint pain – no gut symptoms at all.
In my practice I use the enterolab test. I run the blood work, but make sure people understand that if you are positive – you know it absolutely – however, if negative – you still do not know. Research shows that 25% of celiac patients even will be negative to the blood work. Elimination diet is really the gold standard.
I discovered my sensitivity to gluten many years ago. The symptom, extremely red eyes, appeared suddenly, but it took many months to make the connection. My eyes would ache (usually only one eye), and the “skin” on the eye would get rumpled, like a carpet that needed to be tightened. All that would last about 5-6 days.
Later if I ate gluten several times in a week, my body skin would get very dry, including my nostrils, and I would get a very nasty cold. Dr. Carlton Frederick used to broadcast on WOR, NY. He said that the major reason people get colds is from dry nostrils…they become cracked, and allow viruses to enter the bloodstream. He said that to prevent the cracks, one should take the best form of vitamin D, and that is only found in unprocessed cod liver oil (not capsules). I take cod liver oil, and have gone cold-free for 9-10 years, with 5 kids bringing home all kinds of colds from school. Now you can buy very tasty cod liver oil, with orange or mint flavor. Almost delicious!
Your newletter much appreciated, thankyou. I can’t access information I know I know when I eat gluten and my skin gets dry. I don’t have coeliac disease however I do have an IgG response to gliadin and gluten.
My only symptoms were fatigue and a susceptibility to everything! I caught ear infections, had very severe menstrual cycles, terrible allergies and a tendency to catch everything my kids had, tenfold! I was tested for vitamins and minerals and despite my healthy diet, I was deficient in everything. I had the Celiac blood test followed by the endoscopy and was positive. I went on a vitamin regimen as well as eliminating gluten and I was a new person! I never had GI problems. You never know how it will manifest itself in your body!
Thank you for this email today…I tried the elimination diet a few years ago and lost 30 pounds immediately that never came back. My symptoms of gluten is coughing…whenever I eat something that has wheat in it, I cough. I was doing gluten free for a while but it gradually creeped up on me and after reading this, I am definitely going back to it and not looking back! My father was a baker and I understand also that bakers and their families have a tendency for gluten intolerance…Thank you…you have put me back in the right direction to total health.
The bottom line is if you don’t feel good after eating it, don’t eat it. Why mess with your health, with your life? Why do you “have” to have a test to prove what your body is telling you, and that if you listen, you intuitively know?
I myself “struggle” with gluten intolerance, actually have since I was a baby looking at my history, along with dairy. I go off it, feel better, then add these foods back in and voila I feel sick again … constipation, fatigue. Now experiencing menopause, makes the ride more painful.
I declare, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, and finally realize no doctor is going to cure me, though may empower me to honor my body and eat foods that fuel rather than deplete. It is up to me. So thank you Doctor Hyman for being a true health advocate and a true doctor – one that guides the patient to heal thyself.
It is a struggle to change eating habits and thoughts about what works for me and not. My boyfriend shared that Cary Grant had a health rule he “always” used before he ate. He would look at the food, pause, take a breath and ask if it was something that was good for him or not. Learning to listen to our bodies is an exercise, though one of the best exercises we can learn to embrace and enjoy.
Love yourself enough to listen to yourself – health is the vehicle to wonderful living.
I clicked on the link to a list of medications & other items that contain gluten and I got an error notice
Not Found, Error 404
The page you are looking for no longer exists.
Thank you for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Take a look at this post for more information and you can also sign-up for The UltraMind 6-Week Meal Plan at the bottom of the post.
http://drhyman.com/dr-oz-show-gluten/
You can also take a look at:
http://www.arrowheadmills.com/
http://www.lundberg.com/
http://www.hodgsonmill.com/
http://www.shilohfarms.com/
Wishing You the Best of Health!
A gluten free diet has resolved my inflamatory joint pain and Hashimoto’s disease – my thyroid antibodies are within normal limits and symptoms have disappeared. If I cheat, I have joint pain in fingers, elbows and feet within hours to say nothing of the brain fog and irritability. It is not worth the cake, bread or pasta if I suffer for days after.
Super article!
I actually credit your food plan with healing my husband of a variety of illnesses – from migraines to kidney stones to serious skin problems. After working through your program we have discovered he is very allergic to gluten, sugar and dairy. Doctors were putting him on a variety of drugs and he was miserable with a constellation of problems. After reading Ultra Prevention we put him on your regimine (me too!) and transformed his life. He has lost 33 pounds and at 53 years of age is playing ice hockey and tennis weekly and doing lots of winter mountain climbing. He is as active as a 30 year old and is happier, symptom free of a variety of problems and looks amazing. We adore your cookbook and look forward each and every evening to cooking together.
We credit you to everyone we meet who marvels at his energy and how healed he is. He has even gone back to the dermatologist to show him… The doctor was speechless.THANK YOU!
“Another study comparing the blood of 10,000 people from 50 years ago to 10,000 people today found that the incidences of full-blown celiac disease increased by 400 percent (elevated TTG antibodies) during that time period. (ii) If we saw a 400 percent increase in heart disease or cancer, this would be headline news.”
With all due respect, Dr. Hyman, I think that in that statement, you are (perhaps unintentionally) engaging in statistical sophistry.
Given that the incidence of celiac disease is a fraction of a fraction of the incidences of CVD or cancer (which are the two leading causes of death in the U.S, a 400% increase from a much smaller baseline makes it much smaller news.
Using your statistics–to wit that currently 1 in 100 people have celiac disease–and that represents a 400% increase from 50 years ago–then among the 10,000 people from which the blood samples from five decades ago were drawn, there would have been a grand total of 25 cases of “full blown celiac disease.”
Now I’m not a epidemiologist or a doctor–but 25 cases–or even 100 cases–out of a population of 10,000–does not strike me as particularly big news–let alone a health emergency.
Further more, it strikes me that what is unanswered is the question of what drove that 400% increase.
Has there been a 400% increase in wheat consumption in the U.S. over that period?
Based on the stats I see–the answer is no.
http://www.nationmaster.com
What does leap out to me there is that Australians apparently consume more than twice as much wheat per capita than people in the U.S.–with a population that I suspect is also similarly composed of European descent people.
Is the incidence of celiac disease double in Australia?
Thank you for spreading the word! I have suffered from chronic illnesses for years. I was gluten free for about a year, then let it start getting back in my diet. After a couple of months, I became terribly ill again. I learned my lesson the hard way.
Another food that I must avoid is dairy. Please write more about dairy sensitivity also.
I appreciate this article.
In 2006 I went to a different Dr. because I started getting incapacitating migraines. She did the Food Allergy test that was MVL using IgE and IgG4. I am allergic to lots of things, dairy, eggs, …and others. My test showed that I had a significant allergy to Gluten in general…but mild to oats and high moderate to rye, wheat, malt, barley and giladen….she didn’t understand this. She diagnosed me with a leaky gut and had me do a cleanse and eat no gluten…. BCBS would not cover any of her tests and I paid for all of the testing out of pocket.
I didn’t really trust her because my insurance company didn’t and took the tests to my regular GP…he said life was too short, we are all allergic to food and to eat whatever I want….and sent me to a neurologist. Needless to say, I only got worse, my migraines continued. In 2009 I started to have diarrhea daily so I could not work until 1:00 when it was all over. Last year I had every test there is for everything by a GI specialist….I even swallowed a camera in November. I have Crohn’s markers but no Crohns…my brother has celiacs…but I do not. My GI said that my problem had nothing to do with diet…it is genetic….so don’t bother changing my diet.
Finally on Jan. 1 this year I started eating vegan/raw and little wheat. On Jan 2….I did not have diarrhea. I feel great, my migraines have diminished. The morals of my story are…1. insurance doesn’t always cover things that it should and sometimes covers things it should not. 2. take allergies seriously. 3. we have to take responsibility for our own health.
Again…thank you for this article and for the results of the latest research. That is pretty frightening information.
I am 53 years old and for my entire life I have suffered from abdominal pain and distention, unexplained bloating,constipation & diarrhea . 6 weeks ago. I removed gluten from my diet because a friend said “you have celics” I feel like a new person, I haven’t been formally diagnosed and don’t feel that’s a requirement because all my symptoms are gone.I will remain gluten free for the rest of my life. It’s not difficult for me the alternative us far worse. I think any one who has digestive problems like I had should experiment and remove gluten. It has changed my life.
Dear Dr. Hyman: Thanks to your Book, The Ultra Mind Solution, I called my Gastro. Physician and asked if I could have Celliac Disease and she assured me that No I could not have it as she had done a biopsy at my last Colonoscopy. Wanting to find out my reason for Constipation, etc., I went without Gluten for 3 weeks and lo, all symtoms present for 30 yrs. disappeared. To confirm, I sent a stool sample and it was confirmed. Another Dr., in the Hospital, laughed at me when I explained the symptoms and stated I couldn’t possible have “Gluten Sensitivity”, but I soon realized that many Drs. do not studry Nutrition in Med School and are unaware of “Gluten Sensitivity”. Forttunately, I do not have Celliac Disease. Important to know is that Modified Starch contains Gluten and is in many foods. Thank you for your wonderful Book
Thanks for posting this! People really need to be aware that the sometimes the tests don’t say what they should. I was on a gluten free diet for a while before having my blood test and biopsy and both came back negative. The one thing I will never forget is all the problems gluten causes for me. The weird lumps in different places, the acne, IBS, hormonal upset, aches and pains, numbness, foggy mind, horrible menstral cramps, draining ears, sluggishness, malnutrition. I can go on and on, but one thing is certain. When gluten is not in my body all of those problems leave with it! The key to finding this diet is not tests, its the elimination diet! I can not tell you how glad i am to have done that first 6 years ago. I also have strong belief it has something to do with the children’s attention deficit disorder. Dr. Human have you found any correlation between the two in any studies?
Thanks
Tomeca
I’ve eliminated wheat from my diet and it has made a big difference in how I feel. I too was living on antacid pills. My problem was constant bowel movements every time I ate, a leaky gut, and I was extremely fatigued. What I didn’t know was that oatmeal, oats, have gluten in them. I started eating oatmeal for breakfast this week and was having the same bathroom problem but not to the extent of when I ate wheat. I don’t miss the wheat at all, I’ve substituted brown rice tortillas for my bread, and now oatmeal is out. Wondered about barley and now, after reading this email, that’s out too. I’m feeling much better, not fatigued, sleeping better also. I’m 73 and my mother had a problem with gluten but that was almost 40 years ago, she was 75 when she passed, and at that time there wasn’t much info about being gluten free. I also feed my dog a gluten free diet, I make his food and buy him treats without wheat because of what I’ve read about animal diseases and also personal experiences with people who have sickly pets and were told to take them off of anything with wheat. The change was dramatic, a dog that looked like it was going to die is now a healthy pet. Thanks for all the info.
I am starting to think that I may have celiac disease. I had lupus in my 20s and 30s. Then I started the Atkins diet and eliminated all complex carbs and with methotrexate went into remission. I have been off all meds for 20 years now but whenever I go off my low carb diet I get really swollen and arthritic. I can put on 10 lbs in a number of days. I thought this was a problem with sugar but perhaps it is celiac disease. Years ago I did have allergy testing that was negative but I am not sure exactly what was tested. I would really appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you, Pat, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Thank you so much for this information. I did notice that I felt much better when I eliminated starches from my diet and ate mainly fruits, veggies and lean proteins. Then I started to read more about gluten intolerance and was just tested a few days ago. The results should be in soon, but I really feel that this may be the answer to my migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, depression, bloating and gas.
Dr. Mark,
I am a patient and my tests showed some minor gluten sensitivity. I started eating gluten free (but only for short time and did not notice any changes) and then had my annual physical. My doc (who you know) said that I was definitely not gluten sensitive and to stop the dieting. So now I am wondering who is right and who is wrong? How do I know? Ellen
I am 58 years old–and I have a 26 y.o. daughter who was diagnosed with a wheat allergy at age 3 (scratch tests). About 8 years ago, I began to suspect I had something similar. I dramatically lowered my what intake. Now, when I *do* have wheat (rarely), I am now getting a rash on my face. I had a biopsy for celiac (at my last colonscopy) and it’s negative.
Starting around age 52 I developed: hyperparathyroidism, then hypothyroid (I take Armour), then hypertension, and then fibromyalgia…..latest is yeast in the digestive tract
I think I’ll eliminate gluten from my diet, and see what happens..
I have a history of chronic fatigue, lots of allergies and unexplained aches and pains. A friend suggested I do a saliva IgA test for soy, dairy, gluten and egg. I tested positive to everything but gluten. I had less congestion after getting rid of the offending foods, but still had aches and fatigue. I eventually eliminated gluten, too, just because I knew many test give false negatives. I felt no change till about 3 weeks when I suddenly realized I had more energy than I’d had in 20 years.
There’s no way I’ll eat gluten again. And I recommend going off it for at least a month to see if you feel better — it can take the gut awhile to heal.
I am self-insured and would like to get these tests done. Any advice on how to bypass the labs’ requirement that a doctor order the tests?
Dr. Hyman, what do you think of the ALCAT test? it has helped me in a big way to find and eliminate foods that i’m sensitive to- without having to do the food rotation diet type of thing. i’m 100% certain it helped me find relief from IBS. would it help people with undiagnosed gluten sensitivity?
After reading your Ultramind Solutions, I went off gluten and diary for 6 weeks, and the results were amazing. Lost 25 lbs. without effort and felt way better. Gradually reintroduced some dairy, but I avoid gluten like the plague. Regular practioners are pretty clueless in determining gluten sensitivity, you need a functional practioner or do it on your own. Thanks Dr. Hymen!
I have been on a gluten free diet for five years and I have doctors wanting me to go back on gluten for six weeks so they can take a biopsy to see if I’m allergic to gluten! No way! I did have genetic testing done prior to going on the diet – part was positive and part was negative – their conclusion – they couldn’t rule it out.
I feel better but am suffering the effects still after all this time. Will these things ever go away or is the damage permanent? I have neurological problems that may or may not be related – small fiber neuropathy and autonomic neuropathy are the two that are the most distressing. I am also lactose intolerant and have been put on a low fiber diet..
I find the gluten free life quite acceptable. I have gone through all my medications and had them switched to gluten free forms and my supplements I have checked as well.
I have low blood protein which could be a possible result of several things. Would damage from gluten do that?
I’m glad to see that grocery stores and gluten free bakeries are springing up. It was more difficult five years ago than it is today to have a more varied diet.
Thanks for the article. I will keep a copy in my file as I travel to doctors.
Oats do not contain gluten. However, they are most often processed on the same machines that process wheat and other gluten containing grains. You can buy oats that are not processed in those facilities and are therefor, gluten free. Cutting out gluten in this culture is tough, please make sure you do all of the research before you write an article and we have to unnecessarily eliminate another food choice. Otherwise, great article, very informative as more and more people are now becoming gluten intolerant.
All my life up until age 40, I always ate a lot of gluten containing foods… obviously suffering from addictive cravings. At age 24 I had a right hemi-colectomy to have a gangrenous portion of my bowel surgically removed. I researched for years after that; suspecting sugar, I changed my diet. I still ate lots of whole grains for years. In my 40s I discovered that Type O people should avoid gluten to prevent IBS, any kind of inflammation (I had varicose veins and more recently began developing arthritis in my neck, back (in site of old car accident injury) and finger joints. It also causes thyroid hormone suppression according to the sources I found. I began cutting back on rye, wheat, oats and barley, thinking they were the only culprits for gluten; I researched further, and after a bout of putrefactive bacteria last fall, I went completely gluten free. For the past 9 months after dropping kamut and spelt, I have been experiencing higher energy levels, clearer thinking and and have dropped 10 pounds though I eat as much as before, just make different choices. I no longer have any arthritis in my body. I feel like a different person.
Hey Dr. Mark,
This is amazing. . .I just recently went on the HCG diet – which forced me to eliminate all those things I was eating that had Gluten in them. Besides the weight loss the number one thing I noticed was that I wasn’t swollen and my joints (mainly my knees) weren’t inflamed. . .it was an AH-HA moment for sure. But as I was reading others comments here on your site – someone mentioned red dots on their shins and OMG I have for years had this rash on my lower leg and the top of my foot and it’s GONE – completely gone. I was among the millions of American’s that wasn’t aware that I had a reaction to Gluten products. This will change forever what I put in my body. Thank you so much for your article and insight that you share so freely with us all. You make a difference and I am so grateful for all that you do.
Peri
My son was diagnosed ADHD at age 5, he has OCD and Asperger’s Syndrome, it took us a long time to get him completely gluten free, it can’t be just a little, the younger you start the better, we started at age 9 and he is now 16, and he would not be diagnosed with any of the above symptoms, he still has struggles, and when he accidentally gets gluten he gets brain fog. When he was younger he would still try to sneak things he shouldn’t have but now that he is older he gets it and doesn’t like to feel bad. We had to eliminate gluten, casein, sugar, and no High fructose corn syrup! It took eliminating them all to cure him of his autism, but have to continue it. He is now an honor roll student and a gifted musician. I encourage anyone who suspects this problem, but it has to be all or nothing.
Good Luck it is worth it!
I suffered with GI problems my entire life – 50 years. I always had gas, pain and bloating, constipation- the same with my sisters and Aunt and other family members. We jokingly called it Faulty Family Plumbing because everyone had issues. 2 years ago I decided to eliminate gluten. No more bloating, stabbing pains. I literally could wear a smaller pants size as I didn’t have the bloating starting mid-afternoon building to a look of 6 months pregnant every evening. Both of my sisters severely limit gluten as well. I tested negative on the blood test (after being off gluten for 6 months) I was told to eat gluten for a couple of months and retest. HAHA – Like I would invite misery back into my life for them to tell me that I had to avoid gluten. I KNOW how I feel when I eat wheat so I choose to avoid it. I also have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis which has been better controlled in this 2 year period. Related?? My 17 year old son recently has become gluten intolerant. He was off gluten for a couple of months prior to blood test, which was also negative. He has had a myriad of health issues develop over the past 14 months. He has been off of gluten for for almost 5 months and seems to be getting a little better as the medical profession can’t find anything wrong with him. (We had been referred from a Rheumatologist to a Neurologist for a myriad of tests including metabolic myopathies) Our (old) Pediatrician practically sneered months ago when I mentioned Gluten and Thyroid as possible causes for his illnesses. Sad that medical professionals are not open to this as the root cause of many illnesses.
I’m 61 and started seeing a chiropractor who specializes in functional medicine 10 months ago. I have autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s) and have always taken Armour Thyroid (120 mg.) I did not test positive for gluten sensitivity but, she advised me to eliminate it since 99% of us with Hashimoto’s ARE sensitive. My symptoms of bloating, constipation, belching alot after every meal, and gas stopped right away! I also lost 25 lbs. over this period of time, and gained back my energy. I’m anxious and hopeful to see improvements in blood work that is done by my endocrinologist. It’s definitely worth a try to test yourself by eliminating gluten!!
A long-time friend suggested that I might try gluten-free diet. I just couldn’t give up sandwiches! We went away with her family for a long weekend. I just ordered whatever she ordered. Within three days I could tell a difference. Then I continued with the G-F diet for several months. I could definitely tell a difference.
I believe I am becoming even more intolerant to slight amount of wheat used in sauces now.
I also started losing weight until I added in gluten-free breads. I also find that I don’t do well with gluten-free products. So I try to cook with naturally gluten-free products now, not those processed so that they don’t contain gluten.
Dr. Hyman,
Good article, but my understanding is that oats do not contain gluten.
Best,
Doug
I urge you not to change your diet until you get a blood test. Once you go gluten free it will be difficult to officially diagnose gluten/Celiac. I went gluten free for a few months and was / am feeling a little / lot better.
THEN EDG with negative biopsy and negative igA (blood test) (which makes sense).
I was told (by a national lab) that it takes three weeks minimum but ideally 4 to 6 weeks of eating a gluten (normal) diet in order to show positive on IgA. It takes that long to build up antibodies…..So now I am stuck with out a definitive diagnosis and not wanting to go off gluten-free diet.
This happened to me with DR-4 and DQ-8 positive genetic test, which shows predisposition, and my mother is full blown Celiac.
So please get tested before altering your diet.
The incidence of gluten sensitivity may be even higher than we suspect. The tests used by Quest and Labcorp miss the majority of gluten sensitive people as they only test for the giladin subtype A. Sensitivity is just as much a problem for the other three subtypes as well as to the three deamidated subtypes of giladin (15, 17, and 33), gluteomorphins, gluten itself, and wheat germ agglutinins. While the allergy level reaction to gluten may subside within a few weeks, the autoimmune inflammation reaction to the gluten may last for up to a year. It can take that long being gluten free to really assess whether you are in fact sensitive to gluten. While the 4 week test then retest will positively identify you are gluten sensitive if you have a bad reaction, no change does not mean your problems are not due to gluten. Gluten sensitivity is a much bigger problem then our scientific establishment has yet really been able to assess. The very tests for this assessment have not been available for use by us Doctors until this last month. They have been only on a University research level until now. Once these tests become widely used we will be able to get a picture of just how huge this gluten intolerance issue really is.
Thanks so much for your article alerting folks to the importance of this health challenge.
My test showed me to have gluten allergies. I am diabetic and not eating any grains my sugars are coming down. I have been off the gluten for 4 months now. Hopefully I will soon be non diabetic..
Some years ago, I went on the Atkins diet… and in the first weeks 2 long standing problems cleared up: a skin irritation, and frequent diarhhea… after years of struggling with both. I think it must have been from reducing the gluten in my diet.
About 4 years ago (in my late 40s), annoying symptoms I’d had all my life became debilitating symptoms – mostly intestinal distress, pain and inflammation and mild depression.
Luckily, around that time I met a clinical nutritionist who tested me for food allergies. The results showed that I was sensitive to a wide range of foods, including gluten. Once I eliminated all the problem foods from my diet, my health improved dramatically.
Last weekend, after not having gluten for 4 years, (I tested negative for celiac disease), I ate two slices of pizza, along with a supplement called “Gluten Defense”. I experienced no symptoms! I will wait at least a month before I ingest gluten again, but this is very heartening. I know I probably will never be able to go back to a more normal diet, but I may be able to eat pasta or good bread on an occasional basis.
TIP: If you’re trying to eliminate gluten from your diet, eat as few processed foods as possible. If you can’t avoid them, then at least make sure you avoid this one insidious ingredient: MODIFIED FOOD STARCH. If labeled as such, you have no way of knowing whether the starch is derived from corn or wheat. Err on the side of caution and stay away from it.
I have found that some gluten sensitive people lose their serum anti-transglutamase antibodies off gluten, but still retain positive stool IgA antitransglutamase antibodies. I conclude that evidence of sensitivity remains in the gut even when it is not found in the blood profile.
So testing must be done according to the diet that the individual is following.
THIS ARTICLE WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. I AM GOING TO TEST MYSELF IN THE WAY YOU RECOMMENDED.
THANK YOU.
I am one of those who is gluten sensitive but not celiac. After eliminating gluten completely, I discovered that I can eat small amounts of food with gluten and have no ill effects if I do so only sparingly once or twice a week. If I begin to introduce gluten on a daily basis again, I suffer after about 2 or 3 days. One of the unexpected benefits of being off gluten is easier weight maintenance. I used to think I had to avoid all carbs or I’d put on weight at lightening speed. Now I know that it’s the gluten, not the carbs, that somehow upsets my metabolic balance enough to cause me to gain weight rapidly. Once on, it’s very hard to take off, but being gluten free is required for *any* weight loss. Luckily, there are so many wonderful gluten free products available now that one can eat favorite foods without feeling deprived. Yes, watching calories and exercising is still important –but in the absence of gluten I seem to have a normal metabolism, vs. a sluggish one.
I was taken off gluten 2+ yrs ago (in mid 50′s). I always knew I couldn’t eat much bread (sourdough was better but still not great) or my gut would “act up”. My chiropractor is the one who had me try going off after doing some muscle testing (also dairy and soy). It took a couple of months, but the startling thing was that the migraines I had begun having 3 yrs ago vanished unless I eat gluten. Within 2-3 hours of eating it I have a full on migraine that lasts for 24 hours or so. While it is not fun – it DEFINITELY keeps me from cheating and eating gluten! AS I continue to learn more about this whole issue and what it causes I’m amazed at all the little clues and symptoms I had all thru my life that were indicators! Keep up the good work.
I was wondering if anyone has noticed that bromated flours cause problems for them?
I have found that I have a problem when eating foods made from bromated flour but not when made with flour that has no bromate added. I make almost everything from scratch now and if I use flour that does not contain bromate I am fine.
I eliminated gluten for 3 weeks, then ate a piece of toast with jam.
I immediately fell asleep! I guess that’s a pretty clear indication I shouldn’t eat gluten!
Thanks for all your great research Dr. Hyman!!
Kathy
Although I’ve never noticed any problems, I avoid gluten in all refined/processed foods, no bread etc… Reading this article however, brought a couple of questions to mind. I drink wheatgrass on a somewhat regular basis. Since it is a grass, is this not good for people with this sensitivity? Also, what about raw sprouted breads or crackers that are made in a dehydrator? I guess what I’m asking is about the process and if that makes any difference.
I have EXEMA and have had similar symptoms for most of my life. I have been trying to stay away from wheat for over a year now and the symptoms are much better. If I have even one small amount of wheat I break out with a bad rash that will take a week to heal.
When I was a child, we thought it was poison oak, but sometimes it would come on when I had not been out in the woods or fields where the poison oak grew. Now I think that the wheat cereal I had most mornings for breakfast was the culprit. Also the white bread that I ate by the loaf as toast.
I have found wheat in so many things, it is hard to find things to eat. Even Soy Sauce has about 50% wheat. Who would have guessed that one? I have to read the ingredients on everything. I am grateful that I found the cause. Thanks for your work in this field.
In the last 2 years (I am 62) I have had horrible digestive problems, plummitting blood pressure and heart rate, achiness all over my body….No test results found anything accept that my C reactive Protein test is elevated on occaision. the last bout of this landed me in the emergency ward, again no reason…heart is good….So I thought, maybe I am allergic (we already tested neg. for celiac). I had the blood test done…I was allergic to everything they tested me for, I had an endoscopic exam and found that I had Barretts Esophagus. I am now eating only chicken and brocoli, if i eat anything else, I hurt and my bowels go crazy. I had the biopsy for celiac with the endoscopy….neg. However I am allergic to all the grains they tested me for, including rice. I was bitten by a tick 2 years ago, and now I am allergic to all mammal meat. This is a miserable existence…but at least it is an existence!
Thank you, Jeannie, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
for qualia –
I searched their site – thanks for the tip – but how much is this test that you refer to? thanks for the help
My son’s allergist weighed in on skipping gluten completely – he says don’t do it.
We generally avoid it since our son shows sensitivity, but the doctor says if left completely out of your diet, you lose the enzymes your body makes to digest it – then if/when you are exposed to it, your reaction will be more severe.
He recommends having gluten sporadically (every 2 weeks or so) so the body keeps up the specific enzyme production. This way you won’t be overloaded with gluten on a daily basis, but you won’t become victim to more pronounced reaction either.
Great info! Thanks. I did the 2 week gluten-free diet test several years ago and discovered I could even think so much better that I have mostly followed a GF diet ever since. (Occasionally indulging in a pizza when I am willing to spend the next three days a bit out of sorts.)
When I was living on white bread to save money while attending college, probably was a key factor in my eventual dropping out of college due to the resulting inability to think clearly anymore; I was studying to be a physicist. Had to accept a career as a mere technician due to that. If only I had known about the gluten problem back then!
Thanks again; this info can surely save lots of life quality for many Americans, and keep gluten from ruining more lives like it did mine.
I am 64 years old but was diagnosed with Celiac disease just 5 years ago. Fortunately the doctor I’ve had for the last decade has a mother and wife who are celiac. When I developed anemia which was unresponsive to traditional treatment, he suggested that I might have a problem with gluten. A lab in Texas found that I
had the genes for the disease and since then I have been on a gluten-free diet. It wasn’t simple at first but with the information out there, the many products available, and membership in the Canadian Celiac Association, I have learned what I need to omit and what is safe for me to eat. There are many more options for Celiacs now – books, restaurants, even dedicated bakeries and online
companies which can make a gluten-free diet easier to follow.
If you find that omitting gluten helps, look into testing. It will be necessary to consume gluten again in order to have valid results.
Recently, I have cut all known gluten from my diet. Until a couple months ago I had an unresolved productive cough for about four years,and was becoming increasingly asthmatic.I went to several top doctors in Boston,and none of them could figure out the source of my cough. At the urging of an Acupuncturist, I decide to visit a raw food wellness center,I had already tried everything else. The diet there was very simple,almost completely salads and a few fruits. Almost immediately my cough lessened to a dramatic degree. Since returning home, I have added cooked vegetables back to my diet along with fish,and some chicken,and I am still doing much better. Before my changes,my meals often included bread, or my much loved pasta. I have also eliminated diary in my diet. I am a 58 yr female, who has been thru a heart bypass almost 2 years ago. I always understood that there was a relationship between my reoccurring gum issues, and heart disease,but never knew what exactly I could do about it,I was already seeing my dentist more often than recommended. I have no real idea if there if there is a connection between what I am no longer eating and my gums ,but my gums look and feel fine.
Which Test detects if you are allergic the best. My Natural Path wants to take a blood sample and send it somewhere. She said it cost 98.00. I just want to know the best way to be tested.
I am allergic to U.S. wheat, but not European wheat, manifested by terribly itching eyes. Because I have constipation rather than diarrhea, I did not think I had gluten intolerance and no doctor has suggested it either. However, I have recently developed severe migraine headaches which seem to be related to inflammation in my colon. I have tried many remedies, none which seem to have made any difference. But I have not tried going gluten free, as other grains than wheat do not evoke the itching eyes. I am going to give the gluten free a try. My problem has been going on about 10 yrs.
I was diagnosed 1 year ago w/ gluten intolerance thru a blood test…I had no idea. My symptoms were intestinal which I translated into “female problems”. Bloating and tenderness etc. Off of wheat for all this time and everything is gone, also a less brain fog and fatigue. Amazing.
Thank you so much for your commitment to exposing gluten as a problem to some in our diets.
I had a the antibodies test done in January 2011 and discovered a reaction to gluten. Immediately went of all gluten. By the way, I’ve had Adrenal Fatigue for many years. Two weeks ago, I ate at a restaurant where they couldn’t have been kinder in going out of their way to accommodate my needs. However, I must have eaten something with gluten in it , although it is a mystery what, but i became very ill from that meal. The symptoms were confirmed as gluten reaction from my naturopath. My reaction was a greater version of bloating around my middle I’ve had for years. I felt raw on the inside like I’d had internal surgery. Previously, I thought I’d just been getting fat from menopausal symptoms. That worsening of the symptoms after 6 weeks gluten free convinced me of its poisonous effects on my body.
Now, gluten free again. I feel great. AND my energy is improving, along with muscle strength. I did some gardening yesterday and was amazed at my endurance. This discovery is the best thing I’ve made since coming to terms with Adrenal Fatigue, which may be the root physical cause. We shall see.
If I had not tried an elimination diet I never would have thought I was sensitive to glutens. I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, osteoporosis and numerous other auto-immune diseases that all are directly related to a life time of ingesting glutens. Now at 52 years old I am gluten free and working on regaining my health and my life.
One thing of importance, if you suspect that you may have celiacs, get tested first. This is very important. If you go gluten free first and notice the changes, you will not want to reintroduce glutens in your diet, nor should you. Also, if the test come back negative but you can see a difference when going gluten free, then trust you instincts. The patient is the best judge of what works for them.
I have eliminated gluten from my diet for the past 3 yrs secondary to a saliva test ordered by my daughter who is a chiropractor and specializing in nutrition. The results were + for gluten and soy. The symptoms she noted as a sluggish adrenal gland were poor sleeping habits and consistent annoying nasal drip. The nongluten/soy diet definitely cured both of these. I spent a month in the Mediterranean last year where I added gluten back into my diet and both symptoms returned. The nasal drip took 2 months to disappear again after going gluten free on my return. I am now sleeping a consistent 7 hrs nightly.
I am a definite believer in the issues from gluten and other food allergies and an example of how much better one can feel when aware and following a proper diet for me.
my daughter has been suffering from severe stomach pains for over a year. it was so bad she was missing 2-3 days of school every week as well as social events – which has been horrible for a very outgoing athletic 14 year old. we could not afford a naturopath last year and of course our insurance wouldn’t pay for it. the first thing we did was to go to her regular doctor as ask for allergy testing for gluten and other items. it came back clear. she then suffered through just about every test the doctor and hospital could think of – costing thousand of $$ only to say in the end that it must all be in her head.
3 weeks ago we finally took her to a naturopath who immediately tested for 94 foods & found her highly allergic to gluten & wheat!!!!!!! she is 100% better and feels fantastic with a simple change of diet. i am so angry at her doctor and the insurance company for putting her through all of this. Why could their allergy tests not reveal the gluten problem when it was so obvious to the naturopath???
keep sharing your information – it will change peoples lives and hopefully they will not have to go through all the pain and suffering that my daughter had to endure.
I am 100% committed to gluten free living since last August … I was 90% committed from 2007 on … which is basically useless with this sensitivity. I was diagnosed at that time with lesions of unknown origin and suspicious of MS … also had severe stenosis of C 4-7 and had it surgically repaired in September, now am looking at hip replacement due to degenerative osteoarthritis in that joint … very likely all related to a gluten sensitivity … and I can no longer knowingly ingest a substance that could demolish the quality of my life more than it has. I feel 100% better, and have a long ways to go to … I’m posting this to my FB wall …
Thanks for upping the awareness of all of us …
After having problems, (diarrhea) for the past 4 years, after many doctors visits, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease early this year. After cutting Gluten from my diet, after a few weeks, diarrhea is gone. I wonder how much damage is done to my intestines though?
Had suspected possible gluten sensitivity. Forgot, ate a plate of spaghetti and slept for 5 days.
I think Dr Hyman that if you are asking people to share their stories with you here that the least you could do is respond to their worries. You have worried them and asked for their response which provides you with research, the least you could do is respond generally without a diagnosis. Fair is fair! Research would cost you greatly.
Thank you, Linda, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Questions regarding conditions cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I’ve been gluten-free about 10 years. Before that I suffered from discomfort & pain after each meal, sometimes during, with other intestinal symptoms causing diagnosis of IBS & testing for fat intolerance, parasites, etc. After fighting sarcoidosis which led to rheumatoid arthritis & then breast cancer a few years later, I changed my diet. I had one of the IG tests in the late 90′s but it was inconclusive since I’d already been gluten-free for months. After 3 weeks of gluten-free I no longer had discomfort from food. Ingesting a single bagel or soy sauce caused enough of a reaction to convince me to avoid glutens forever. Now on a gluten free vegan diet & healthier than ever.
THANK YOU so much for this article (& everything else!). It’s SO exciting to me that a slow & steady health revolution has begun in this country!
After going on an elimination diet I also learned that I had a hidden gluten (& dairy) allergy. We are now (in my family of 5) about 90% gluten, dairy & sugar-free for a number of years. (Also NO fake foods & chemicals.) I used to be very depressed, highly-irritable, un-focused/foggy brain, angry & a yelling mom. My oldest son was incredibly hyperactive/adhd & on meds. Changing our diet has changed everything! Even our personalities!! I’m so grateful that my son is off of meds and doing great.
I also learned about how there is a lot of gluten & chemicals in personal care products that affect our health, too. It’s now my mission to help moms take their families back & change the next generation. I truly believe there is NO way to be walking in your God-given purpose, to be living the true abundant life that He has called us to, or to hear the Spirit in our lives if we are in a self-induced food coma. I now work teaching workshops by sharing my story and what has worked for me. Feel free to contact me if anyone wants to connect and share stories!
I was diagnosed with celiac over a year ago and have been really diligent in not consuming it. I had hoped that my anxiety attacks would finally go away but no so luck. Has anyone had any experience with this? Btw: the few times I’ve cheated nothing noticibal has happened. Shouldn’t I become really sick or something.
I found out while looking for help for my daughters fibromyalgia she was not interested at that time. So I tried it Nd so far have lost 80 pounds without dieting. It’s wonderful I would not eat glut in for anything.
Nancy Sullivan
Hi! I believe it was an article on your site many months ago, which made me
realize that my digestive problems and severe, sudden knee arthritis may be linked!
I eliminated gluten from my diet, and within a week was pain free! The ONLY time I’ve had knee pain since, is when I accidently ate a white bread sandwich while I prepared for the grandchildren. (It looked so delicious, and being v. busy, just ate with them!) I had knee pain for a week after that.
My digestion is good, so long as I live well, and stay gluten free!
With many thanks for all your work,
(Mrs) Marj Drewitt
Victoria,
Australia
Dr. Hyman’s Ultrasimple Diet helped me diagnose myself with Celiac disease after years of health problems and dozens of useless doctors.
Thank You Thank You Thank You!
I’ve been gluten free 2 1/2 years now and I’m doing much better.
I have food allergies to almost everything right now-the symptoms I have is reflux and asthma symptoms. Why is there not more said about gluten and asthma ?
I removed gluten from diet more than 4 years ago. I did it just as Dr. Hyman recommended — eliminating ALL gluten from my diet for 4 weeks. i felt better but I decided to test myself and I put gluten back in my diet and i had an awful reaction. I have been conscientious ever since but if I ever waver or if I inadvertently have some something that may be dusted with flour or even have a tablespoon or two when I am eating out, I find out fast. I have found that going gluten-free is easier and easier all the time. When I first started, very few gluten free products were on the shelves. Now, it’s easy and satisfying to be gluten free. I would tell anyone who has any health issues to just go on an elimination diet and see how you feel in a month. I believe that you must do this 100% or not at all to see proper results. I am nearly 74 and most people think I’m 10 – 15 years younger — you look better because you feel so great. BTW…I’m not sensitive to other products.
Three very good books are:
Dangerous Grains, by Dr. James Braley, MD and Ron Hoggan;
Going Against the Grain, by Melissa Diane Smith, PhD;
The Gluten Effect, by Drs. Vikki and Richard Peterson, DC, CCN
The book, Dangerous Grains, has a list in the back of the book showing about 190 diseases/disorders associated with gluten intolerance. Celiac disease is only ONE disease known to be caused by gluten, but it is the ONLY disease accepted by the medical community as being caused by gluten. The authors of Dangerous Grains also coined the phrase “non-celiac gluten intolerance.” The authors recognize that gluten intolerance is much broader than just celiac disease.
Melissa Diane Smith goes into other issues about why wheat is a poor choice as food. Phytates that bind with minerals and prevents mineral absorption, which can result in mineral deficiency. Antinutrients in grains that inhibit protein enzymes, which ends up interfering with protein digestion, which can lead to many different problems. And, grain-based foods displace more healthful foods such as vegetables and animal proteins.
The book, The Gluten Effect, is just a very good, basic primer about gluten intolerance.
THANK YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE — I was diagnosed with M.S. 10 years ago — I am 67 years old. I was diagnosed by Dr. Kita in Seattle, a M.S. specialist. I also have irritable bowel, Hashimoto’s, Restless leg, & high blood pressure. I was gluten free for a LITTLE WHILE but I’ve slacked. This is the second article about gluten sensitiviity I’ve read in the last two days and I’m going to try to get back to healthly. The last 4 months my symptoms have increased, I had diverticulitis, plus my immune system is compromised because I’ve been sicker in the last four months than I’ve ever been. Probably the one thing that has kept me well up until 10 years ago when I was diagnosed is my diet has ALWAYS been organic, lots of vege’s from my garden, plus I ground my own organic wheat and made my own bread.
I recently decided to try to become vegetarian and thus eliminated chicken and fish as much as possible (I had already eliminated red meat) and substitute grains and legumes. Soon after that I began to get pains in my hip joints, which I thought must be arthritis. I started taking the advertised supplement, “i-flex,” which is made from Rose hips, in addition to glucosamine chondroitin. It has helped quite a bit, but when i happened to read in a health book brochure that came in the mail that gluten could cause inflammation and activate arthritis, I began to wonder if all the grains I had been eating could be contributing to the hip joint pain. So I am beginning to gradually eliminate the grains and have hardly any more joint pain.
Thanks for this information. I recently suspected gluten was the cause of my bloating, irritable moods etc and tried a week without it to see if I felt better.
The difference was incredible even in that short time – bloating gone, fluid retention gone, clear head, huge increase in energy and motivation, mood swings gone and I felt the best overall that I have ever felt in my 35 years.
I returned to gluten after that experiment and all the above returned within 2 days. My mother has just read this article with me and as I cook for her has agreed to trial gluten free with me (this will be a permanent change for me this time) to see if it may help her with chronic rheumatoid arthiritis. Thank you
I recently tested negative for the celiac test, but I am positive I have a sensitivity. I have had digestive problems for years such as uc, ibs, diverticulitis and reflux. I have been able to clear up most problems with changes in diet. Recently, I noticed every time I would eat food containing gluten, I would become so exhausted and could not function mentally. I took it upon myself to stop gluten. Thank you Dr. Hyman, for this article. It came at a perfect time. It is my opinion that eliminating gluten can help anyone to improve how they feel.
I started the ultrametabolism elimination food program in January and as of today I’ve discovered that I am gluten intolerant as well as lactose intolerant. My first clue was when I had completed the 3 week detox phase and then ate a breakfast sandwich. Within 20 minutes I had a hot flash feeling, neck ache, headache, and even wanted to cry. The next thing I tried was macaroni and cheese and after only 3 tiny bites I had a really dizzy reaction. Now several weeks later having kept these things out of my diet I’ve lost 15 pounds without even trying or doing intense workouts. I feel so much better, energy is up, and I’m not ‘swollen’ with these ingredients that my body couldn’t tolerate. Changed my life for sure. I recommend everyone try an elimination diet because I had NO CLUE that I could have been intolerant to these things. I thought I was just stressed out!
Thanks!!
Thank you so much for sharing this Gluten study. I have auto-immune disease that includes parathesia in my hands and feet in the last 3 years. I have chronic gastritis which has kept me on proton pump inhibiters the last 15 years. The last year I went gluten free for one year and my parathesia subsided 95%. I didn’t want to be gluten free forever, so I went back on rye for 3 months. I developed a gradual suttle brain fog that got progressively worse. I was miserable. After reading the Ultra Mind solution, I went gluten free again and the brain fog is lifting. Ironically I never tested positive for gluten, it was always negative. Please make doctors more aware of this. Not one single headache specialist that included multiple neurologist had a clue about gluten causation. Health care dollars were wasted on MRI’s, expensive scans and expensive drugs that didn’t put a dent in my migraines. Thanks again.
Or could it be that the grains are commonly contaminated with fungus from being stored in silos–the fungus causing dysbiosis (imbalance of good and bad bacteria) in the intestine. Check out: http://www.knowthecause.com
I am very gluten intolerant, and find that I get really bad diarohea when I eat it. I also have hyperthyrodism that had antibodies off the scale, and I believe that some doctors attribute a gluten intolerance also to this problem. My antibodies are gradually coming down.
I really don’t like many gluten free breads or cereals, that are usually full of sugar, and find that if I mix up pancakes (made simply with eggs, gluten free SR flour, and soy milk) in the morning and have them with honey and tahini (instead of margarine or butter) then I can still enjoy my breakfast.
It took some time to get used to changing my diet to a gluten free one – but it is SO worth the effort. There are lots of easy, healthy meals that are gluten free.
Thankyou Dr Mark for sharing the info and for your 6 week UltraMind food guide program which I completed. Many of the recipes were delicious and the results were all good including losing 5 kilos. Since then I have returned to eating some gluten foods(oats and occasional rye bread) and have found that I get a rash(red weal) on my neck and one on my left cheek. So it looks as though I need to make gluten free a permanent part of my life. I also have some Psoriasis that improved greatly from the program and Hashimotos which was diagnosed 7 years ago. I am 71 years of age.
After Christmas 2010 I Had the Blood test from my doc for Celiac. They told me it showed negative. Are there more than one kind of blood tests? Stool tests or other types of testing before the biopsy?
I want to share what I have recently learned regarding gluten sensitivity. In addition to gluten found typically in wheat products many people who are gluten sensitive also have foods that they are cross reactive to. This in part because of plants cross pollinating. The gluten free oats you are seeing become available in the marketplace today are grown in isolated areas to prevent this cross contamination issue.
A new laboratory Cyrex labs opened earlier this year and is offering tests previously unheard of. See the “Array 4:” description below for more details as well as visiting http://drknews.com to more fully understand just how serious gluten sensitivity is.
I have known for over 10 years that I had Hashimoto’s and have dealt with an untold number of physicians and only recently learned from one of them that there is a 1:1 correlation between Hashimoto’s and gluten sensitivity and that if you have one of these issues or the other that you might want to consider being checked for the one you are not sure of.
Array 4: Gluten-Associated Sensitivity and Cross-Reactive Foods
Twenty-four foods that cross-react with gluten or are newly introduced to a gluten-free diet
One of the most frustrating scenarios for both the practitioner and the patient is when a gluten-free diet fails to have any effect on a person who seems so clearly gluten-intolerant. Newer research shows this may be due to cross-reactivity.
In cross-reactivity the body mistakes another food for gluten and reacts accordingly. Array 4 tests for 24 different foods that may be causing cross-reactivity.
Dairy
Cross-reactivity is common with dairy as its structure so closely resembles that of gluten. In fact 50 percent of people who are sensitive to gluten are also sensitive to dairy.
Coffee is surprisingly cross-reactive with gluten
However Cyrex researchers were surprised to find coffee has the highest rate of cross-reaction with gluten. In other words, some people’s immune system mistakes coffee for gluten, triggering a reaction. This test informs people whether one needs to give up coffee (gasp!) to prevent gluten cross-reactivity.
Amaranth and quinoa
Array 4 also tests for foods that many people eat for the first time on a gluten-free diet, such as amaranth or quinoa. Never having been exposed to these foods could trigger the immune to respond as if these grains were foreign intruders, especially in the case of a leaky and inflamed gut.
This panel has great clinical significance as it explains why people still react even after giving up gluten and even dairy.
In the interest of health and vitality…
According to your article, you are implying that the person may suffer from celiac disease, not the symptom of diarrhea ONLY, I take products containing wheat germ am completely healthy without autoimmune diseases.I dont Understand please clarify me as entire populations of our ancestors lived on the cultivation of wheat, they had not existed then.
I am one person who had been diagnosed for years with MuLtiple Sclerosis. Since eliminating gluten (and a few other irritants) I am improving and feel better than I have in years!
I was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis about 10 years ago. I was becoming less and less mobile. I’ve always been fairly active and was devastated by not being able to move without pain. I also had frequent migraines and chest pains. The fatigue was debilitating. A friend of mine suggested I stop eating wheat. I had nothing more to loose and everything to gain. Within 3 weeks I not only had less joint pain but migraines has stopped. I do still eat barley and oatmeal but no wheat of any kind. You can’t pay me to eat my former favorite food, crusty Italian bread.
I am forever grateful to my friend.
Years ago: After a lifetime of trouble, some microscopic gut damage was noted.
Doc did some test for gluten, but it was negative. He suggested I try the diet.
It Worked! My body and my mind and spirit were rejuvenated!
Doc said the tests were notoriously unreliable…Just follow the diet!
If you feel better gluten-free (NO CHEATING/MISTAKES!) you won’t need a test.
And you will NEVER regret it!
You couldn’t force me to eat gluten again!
I suffered years what I thought were allergies… Headaches, congestion, stomach problems, coughing, fatigue,depression,and flulike symptoms. When I decided to try eliminating gluten from my diet, I knew within 3 days what the root of the problem was. It is mind boggling to me that I knew I was allergic to “hay, pollen, and grass” and it never occurred to me that if I was EATING grass-like substances in the form of wheat and bread, that it might be making me very, very sick. I’m exercising again, not depressed, have more energy, and can BREATHE. The “gluten free” tabs on grocery store foods make eating this way simple and easy. Hopefully there will be a day when this substance is eliminated from the market due to the enormous risk to public health.
I don’t know if I have a sensitivity to gluten, but I have a suspicion about it. Everytime I eat something like pasta, breads, cereals I get so bloated and feel like I need to lay down and go to sleep. I don’t feel well after eating these things and don’t know if it’s the gluten or something else. I think I will eliminate gluten for 4 weeks and see how I feel afterwards. Dr. Mark, do you think this could be a gluten problem or something else?
Thank you, Maria, for your message and interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Dr Hyman,
It’s refreshing and encouraging to read your article and listen to your video about gluten allergies and sensitivities. Two and a half years ago I had an intense reaction of abdominal pain immediately after eating, enjoying fresh bread and wine before my entree. Thereafter I noticed a reoccurence when I had bread. I eliminated it from my diet and began using alternatives. Within a few months I was getting abdominal pain after ingesting any foods with (alternative) flours. Within another 3 months I was getting abdominal pain after eating any grains, corn or potato (in any form including small amounts of corn starch or potato starch used for thickening a sauce. I live rurally and went to the local clinic for a blood test, after 9 months of being gluten free, 6 months grain free, 3 months starch free. My antibody tests were negative for gluten. I was at a loss of what to eat, when I came across an SCD cookbook using almond flour, eggs and cheese. I started feeling better and enjoyed having some carbs again. Concerned with having no medical diagnosis, I went for a colonoscopy and endoscopy. The endoscopy showed inflammation from esophogus to duodenum, but no explanation. After about a year on SCD my pain began returning, and I went to a Naturopath for testing. He found in addition to gluten allergy, I had now become allergic to almonds, eggs and dairy as well. Now off these too, within 3 months, I am eating rice, corn and potato again, as well as gluten free oats (evidentaly oats in themselves do not contain gluten but are processed in facilities that do, unless otherwise stated).
My question, Dr Hyman: Does this sound like I developed celiac disease and thereby developed allergies to other the other protein & starch combination foods I consumed regularly ( bread like foods made with almond flour combined with egg and dairy)?
Thank you so much for considering this question and for educating more people about the dangers of gluten allergies.
Maureen Davison
Thank you, Maureen, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
?? I went raw and quit dairy and cured my arthritis in my knee. Could it also be that going without bread products it was my lack of gluten?? Maybe both have helped my inflammation in my knee. What do you think??
There is often a connection between gluten and thyroid autoantibodies and hypothyroidism.
Dr. Datis Kharrazian has written an excellent book that discusses this, among other thyroid issues, called ” Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When my Lab Tests are Normal.”
Dr. H, this is an excellent review article. Thank you for it!
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s..so I take bio identical thyroid. A few months after this diagnosis, I then developed symptoms that were similar to a heart attack. After all types of tests, they could find nothing wrong. I happened to read an article that mentioned that severe gluten sensitivity symptoms could mirror a heart attack. I took the test of not eating any gluten for two weeks and then taking a slice of bread. Sure enough the strong symptoms came back in an instant. So, gluten free I am. However, I do get bouts if what appears to be IBS or whatever inflammation from the gluten caused. Is there any help for that??
It is my understanding that the eastern Europe connection meant that people were not able or used to digesting grasses. Can I eat grass fed beef?
Is there any way to reverse Hashimoto’s?
My sincere thanks for highlighting this difficult disease and pointing out how prevalent it is.
The problem with the gliaden testing is that it only tests for alpha-gliadin and many so called negative results are missed because of other wheat proteins and their close relatives which can test positive. Cyrex Labs has newer and more effective testing which can better identify those at risk. If you are testing the alpha-gliadins then it should also be the deamidated test .
I was diagnosed as “slightly gluten intolerant” 8 years ago while I was in college. I had been complaining of weight gain and symptoms of my bowels emptying out almost immediately post meals. After this diagnosis however, I was told to avoid greasy foods, but was not told to change my gluten intake.
Last year, I did the Paleo/Primal diet cold turkey 100%. After the 30 days without gluten (amongst no diary, legumes, processed foods or sugar) I was down 10 pounds. At that point I attempted to add gluten back in my diet. I immediately noticed a problem. My stomach would bloat for 4 days after eating one slice of bread. My face, which had cleared completely during the 30 days, was breaking out again. Needless to say, I don’t eat gluten anymore.
It is my thought that my mother was an undiagnosed celiac. She suffered obsesity, hypothyroidism, diabetes and high blood pressure. She always complained about stomach problems. She died at age 48.
My son also has gluten sensitivity. My son (18 months) gets the belly bloat and also gets red scaly patches on his back and legs.
I am a firm believer that 100% of people should go Paleo/Primal (or at least gluten free) for 30 days to, if nothing else, see how their body processes food.
I am of Finnish decent and have had weird arthritic symptons since my 20′s. I am now 61 and have been gluten free for about 3 months. I first noticed mild IBS symptoms to resolve and I can now eat more fiber without it going right through me. Less otc meds needed for arthritis, but still stiff. Also cutting back on the AA found in meat and eating mostly plant based diet with some fish or wild meats. Will never go back to eating gluten!..Like sushi, don’t touch soy sauce, have to check that out. Anyone know? All my best!
I’ve been gluten free for about a year. Im finding there is great selections of gluten free items. But many are high in carbs and calories. I was always eating whole wheat breads and high fiber foods. I’ve put on at least 10lbs and I do workout 1 to 2 times a day 5 days a week. Im also very tired. Does celiac’s have a harder time to lose weight than non celiacs? I just had blood work and everything is good.
Dr. Mark,
Giving gluten the heave ho–along with dairy–plus blasting candida were the big things that turned me from a depressed/anxious, 3-migraines-per-week, chronic fatigued mess into someone who could actually reach a renewed life of energy, clarity, and optimism. It was my daughter with autism who pointed the way–the gut-brain connection in that disorder is plain and central, as you so well know. I saw the possibilities for mental health in what brave parent-researchers in the autism world learned and shared–and when her remedies worked for me, I couldn’t keep it to myself. I teach a course where I give people THE ULTRAMIND SOLUTION as the textbook, and invite local, functional medicine experts to speak on drug-free approaches to mental wellness. Thank you so much for your courage, breadth of knowledge, and persistence. This article was awesome and I will forward it widely.
I have eliminated almost all gluten from my diet and I feel much better because of it. I used to get naucious from eating bread. pastas, etc.So I started to make the connection. The resultwas I have lost weigh, especially around my waist. I also have much more energy. My allergies have diminished as well. I agreewith the doctor. I think gluten is a big problem for many people. Unfortunately Americans are addicted to too many gluten based foods like hamburgers, subs, pizzas, mac and cheese, etc.
I gave up gluten entirely over 2 years ago and I am not asthmatic anymore after being asthmatic for almost 30 years.
Twice now I have eliminated gluten for several weeks, upon starting back I suffered debilitating depression. The second time, I was able to make the connection and by eliminating the gluten was able to stabilize. I have seen very little about gluten and depression, other than a mention that they may be related….anyone out there have a similar experience?
Is there any connection between gluten sensitivity and FSGS, the kidney disease which is linked to auto-immune disorders? I have a son who was diagnosed with FSGS and is waiting for a kidney transplant. I would like to know more about any possible connections. I have looked on several internet sites but have found no studies only annecdotal evidence. Is there anything out there that is more conclusive?
I’m really confused about my symptoms. I’ve had chronic constipation for 20 years, maybe even as a child. I have been tested IgG (not sure if he did IgA or not) & found no gluten allergies/sensitivities. I was gluten-free & dairy-free for a month & noticed no noticeable improvements in my digestion. If I’m gluten-sensitive, should improvement be noticeable within a month of being gluten & dairy free?
For those looking for specfiic dietary help for healing your gut, try Donna Gates’ Body Ecology Diet: http://www.bodyecology.com/ or the GAPS diet: http://www.gapsdiet.com/.
Such an informative article, I so wish we could get this info out to the public. I was tested for celiac and the test came out negative, but when I eat products with gluten, symtoms evidently tell me there is a connection with my illness. Symptoms include inflammation or swelling, I can feel my clothes tightening around my waist and chest, loose stools, and afterwards, headache behind and around eyes, serious brain fog and what I will be researching next crossing the blood brain barrier.
Please keep me posted if you come up with alternatives to these foods. I have tried rice bread and nut crackers when desperate. Hope that helps someone out there…
I have gluten senititivity I have had really bad stomach pains which I know is my small intestines. Everytime I eat gluten or MSG it hurts really bad finally I decided to go gluten free and the pains have stopped. I only get them now if there is hiden MSG or gluten in foods when I eat out. And I pretty much know now what to stay away from. Sometimes it is slipped in there and I dont know it. But it is good to know that is what is causing the bad pain and I mean bad. We were on a trip one time and I ate to much gluten (before I knew this) and I was sick from Fla to VA. before I felt better. This was not a fun trip
I had severe diarrhea for 10-12 years. I tried everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. I am very health conscious and always have been, but had often to stay home because of this frequency and urgency!! My hairdresser has celiac disease and suggested I try gluten elimination. My symptoms disappeared within one week and have remained so for over a year! STUNNING!
Your comment about being ‘old,fat an constipated’ is right on. I believe that I have been suffering from celiac disease since I hit puberty. I have had anemia and at times pernicious anemia as long as I can remember. My doctors minimized my anemia my whole life(eg. well you are a busy student, well you have young children, well you have preteens). Even when the lab could not get even a ’1′ reading on my ferritin level, I was only given more ineffective iron tablets which my stomach instantly rejected. Finally diagnosed with celiac, immediately went on the diet but I felt no change in my well being. After several years heard about iron infusions and went on these and this helped. Sorry to say the regular medical profession is so ridiculously behind the times. Seeking alternative therapies, my naturopath etc. have had me rebuilding a very damaged intestinal system with herbs, pro and prebiotics and digestive enzymes. Everyone needs to be their own advocate and thank God for the all of the information on the internet.
P.S. I haven’t for years but I can eat gluten and have no reactions. I have never had a ‘typical’ reaction to eating gluten. perhaps this is because for so many years it was undiagnosed. I have a brother-in-law who is a celiac and cheated for decades and he doesn’t have a ‘typical’ reaction either. He does have cancer however. Perhaps the intestines just become desensitized. So just because you don’t have cramping etc. doesn’t mean you don’t have it and even though you may be apparently symptom less like me it is important to follow the diet to minimize cancer and other serious diseases.
My son has celiac disease although untested because they required him to eat gluten for 2 months! I cannot believe a doctor would even suggest this. He was in so much pain it was awful. we do not need the test. WE KNOW! I suggest others realize their strength and go with your gut and DO NOT RELY ON TESTS. They are after all, only numbers.
My brother has gluten intollerance and I have rheumatoid arthritis with no rhematoid factors. I just read your piece and I am blown away that gluten may be causing my problems! The exhaustion is getting out of control. Because of my son, I have learned a lot about gluten free. Since he is now at college I got back to eating bread etc. Maybe that is why I am having problems now.
I grew up as a family of 11, eating bread and pasta. It was cheap and it filled you up. Cinnamon toast was my favorite treat. I am now going to cinnamon apples/bananas.
Thank you! By the way, substituting Corn Chex for bread in bread stuffing is a substitution that is delicious. Don’t buy the gluten free bread etc. They are expensive and do not taste good. We just concentrated on Van’s waffles, gluten free, and salads and soups. Just give up the bread lifestyle. It is easier and healthful.
I wish I had read this article 7 years ago, I might have been able to save my thyroid and my health. I put my son on a gf diet 7 years ago because he had constipation and autism and it really helped him in so many ways, but I was in denial that gluten was a problem for me until I simply could not ignore it anymore. I had all the classic symptoms of celiac disease except weight loss, I had weight gain. I have now been gf for almost 2 years and on my way to healing.
Good Article. I am 57 years old and for the past year had very painful bursitis in both knees. After seeing multiple docs and trying everything they recommended with limited results I decided to take myself off of gluten and see what happened. The results were amazing. In about 3 weeks the pain had gone down substantially and continued to dissipate over the next few weeks. Now that I look back, I can see that I had other symptoms including intestinal issues, but they were not bad enough to get my full attention. The bursitis led me to go gluten free and now I feel remarkably well. My energy level is back and brain fog has cleared. People, you have to try this elimination diet if you are having inflammatory problems! Don’t wait for your doctor to figure it out. It really is so simple. Also want to mention that gluten is in most soy sauces, so watch for that.
I was diagnosed with celia disease in October 2009. In November 2009, my family went gluten free: my husband has gluten sensitivity and my son has ADHD/Aspergers (etc). Over the first year, I lost the 40+ pounds I had gained the year prior to being diagnosed, my stomach swelling and pain went away and some of the pain I was attributing to fibromyalgia reduced. I still have the fibro pain but it is slightly less now and every little bit helps. If I accidentally ingest gluten, I immediately get stomach pain and stomach bloating even one cough drop with gluten in it can cause these symptoms.
I encourage anyone who thinks they have gluten sensitivity or celiac to go gluten free. It is NOT really as hard as everyone initially thinks….there are so many great alternatives and restaurants and major companies are starting to take notice and making and labeling gluten free products. Try it and you might just feel a whole lot better!
I was diagnosed with celiac disease three years ago. I was devastated at the diagnosis, but I truly need to feel better. I suffered from extreme stomach cramping, daily, all-day diarrhea, depression, mood swings, virtually untreatable rosecea, persistent facial rashes that would not go away no matter how many dermatologists I saw and how much antibiotics I consumed. The list goes on, but you get the picture. I was miserable! I went gluten-free cold turkey. I felt better within days. I was different person within months. My rosecea. rashes — GONE. My intestines are infinitely happier. I find it’s challenging at times eating at restaurants. Even if they prepare the meal gluten-free, sometimes there’s cross contamination. I do the best I can do and just have to live with the bathroom sprint when it happens. Initially not eating pizzas and bread were tough. But after a couple of bouts of diarrhea and stomach cramping after indulging–that fixed my attitude quickly. I’m never going back. I always find something to eat, even at restaurants. A grilled piece of meat and veggies are almost on all menus. Good news, I’m 46 years old and my doctor says I have the bloodwork of a 26 year old–just by cutting the gluten.
When I eat gluten, I get extremely fatigued within 15min of eating it. I also get this drugged feeling, a foggy brain so I can’t think clearly or make decisions, super irritable and impatient, and can’t connect into my abdominals when I’m exercising/doing Pilates.
I have noticed similar but different effects with oatmeal: I still get tired, but it’s more of a severe drowsiness rather than a drugged feeling. Organic, gluten-free steel-cut oatmeal doesn’t have such a strong effect as regular Quaker rolled oats, but I still definitely feel icky when I eat it.
I did some allergy testing almost 25 years ago and was positive for wheat, rye and barley allergens. I stayed away from gluten for a while but eating it didn’t seem to bother me so I added it back into my diet. Five years ago I noticed the soles of my feet would be sore when I first got out of bed in the morning and I was feeling pain in my knees. Gratefully, I had just taken a job at the local health food store and the owner suggested I try removing gluten from my diet. It only took a day to start feeling better and within in three days all my symptoms were gone.
Thank you for making people aware so they may avoid covering up the symptoms with medication. The word is getting around as I am currently studying to become a health coach and most of the people I speak with are gluten free!
Thank you so much for your well thought out article. The research supporting exactly what you said is so abundant, yet I continue to see patients who have been told “disinformation” by their clinicians.
I join you in the quest to increase awareness and accurate diagnosis of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
You endorsed my book “‘The Gluten Effect” two years ago, for which I thank you. We have made great strides since then, but we still have a long way to go.
Thank you for the incredible work that you do. I’m on your team!
I’m 31 years old and was raised on white bread. For 6 years now I have eaten what I thought was good for me and had a moderate amount of exercise. The weight wouldn’t come off. I would have sharp stabbing pains in my stomach, usually at night. My face would get puffy and break out on my chin and around my mouth. My good friend told me for years that it was gluten and after years of suffering I did it cold turkey! After only 3 days my face started to clear up. 10 to 14 days later I ate a sugar cookie around X-mas and within 24 hours the symptoms came back. Now I’ve been gluten free for almost 3 months. I feel better emotionally and physically. My skin is glowing and I’ve lost 15 lbs. I feel bad for people who are suffering and have no idea. THANKS for sharing. Our health is so important!
Fantastic well written article!! Thank you so much. I have been off of gluten for years now….and sometimes slip. I have never been diagnosed, but have done my own elimination diet, including dairy. (except for raw goat cheese, which I tolerate well) I have told NUMEROUS people, and my new clients, to eliminate gluten for 2 weeks to see how they feel. I also am now a personal chef to someone with a gluten intolerance, and since I have cooked over the years for myself and my family gluten free, know the deal. Being of Italian descent, I make some mean Italian dishes, all sans gluten and dairy!! Also, my sister, who is diabetic and was a patient at the Joselin Center for Diabetes in Boston, Ma, was given BOOST to drink as a meal replacement (high fructose corn syrup) and WHEAT bread as a dietary recommendation. Wasn’t losing weight…etc. I took her off gluten AND got her off Boost. She lost 13 lbs and feels great!!
Again, Thank you so much, and Dr. Hyman, I totally enjoyed your lecture from IIN that I listened to THREE times last month. You are a rock star to me.
Susie Falco
After years of taking my son to different medical professionals, trying tons of different therapies and medications, and not seeing any positive changes in his behavior, I took it upon myself to remove gluten and casein from his diet. He is a completely different child now. If he gets accidental contamination, we know it immediately. He becomes a holy terror. Otherwise, he’s a typical child.
Hi OATS ARE GLUTEN FREE. It’s when they are processed at mills where grain which does contain gluten are processed that they become contaminated with gluten.
HI MARIAN try a raw food organic juicing diet plenty of raw food websites.I turned around from asthma, diabetes rheumatoid arthritis chronic fatigue and a list of stuff by going raw dairy free and meat free.I went from bed and wheelchair bound within six months to steadily getting my life back. After reading this the wholewheat and other grains are going to go too.Good luck from Scotland
Dear Dr Hyman,
I have read both of your books and my husband and I are on the third week of the first stage of your recommened diet. We are suprised that we haven’t yet shed any considerable weight. According to all the comments on your web, it looks like people are sheding tons of weight only on the first stage of the diet.
Both don’t have specific allergic that we know of and both also cought a cold on the first week of the diet.
We follow the book very closely and still not very remarkable results.
I am sure that this is a great and healthy diet and we enjoy most of the foods suggested. I find myself to be very creative in the kitchen and it’s a great feeling to know that we only let healthy food cross our lips.
It’s almost impossible to have the food blood, hair tests in Israel and we would love to know if there is a way to get to the bottom of the reason that stop us from losing weight?
Another one to consider is that both of us are vegeterian, eat healthy on a normal basis and do our fair share of sport. Can we expect weight loss in the next week or the 4 weeks stage 2 to follow?
We would love to lose those extra 5 kgs and want very much to recommend this life regime to others…. needless to say, if our friends won’t see us losing weight, they won’t take this regime to them for sure.
Many thanks
Ruti Halvani
I’ve had a long history of stomach problems starting in my 30′s, I was finally diagnosed as celiac after my only child was born. When I went into labour, at first I thought I was having my usual cramping which I had experienced for years! I had been avoiding wheat before my pregnancy after doing the pulse test, but when I got pregnant I felt I should eat wheat for my baby, then found I could not eat half of what I normally could eat, thus it was very difficult to gain weight, and I was back to my normal weight as soon as my daughter was born. After her birth I went gluten-free again, but still had problems. I suspected I had a yeast problem, and that seemed to do the trick. I have lost weight doing detoxes, and unable to gain that weight back.,still have fatigue, now think I have adrenal fatigue (I am a worrier). I can’t afford to pay for alternative treatments, so I do a lot of research and experimenting. I found the food combining diet (not eating starches with proteins) has helped, especially with the heartburn I had. I’m trying digestive enzymes but seem to be sensitive to these as well, so am having to go slowly with these. It’s a tough, frustrating battle to say the least!
It was recommended that I abstain from gluten by a physician, and I like the way I feel. She found a heightened sensitivity to rye, but another physician discounted her findings. Either way, although it can be costly, I am happy to be gluten free.
As I am attempting to change careers into the field of nutrition, my concern with this article is the claim that oats contain gluten. To my knowledge, oats are technically gluten free but are usually processed in plants that also process wheat, and therefore most processed oats are not labeled as gluten free.
Comments please, thanks!
I went on Ultra Simple Diet with a thought I would just loose few pounds safely! I followed it 100%except for part what to do after your 7-day program was over. I went ahead and had a toast for breakfast next morning and reaction was scary! That day I was weak, laying on a coach, going in and out of sleep ( and I have 2 young children at home), having nightmares, swollen hands, earaches..too much to list!!!! These symptoms were going on for next 72 hours!!! At this point I don’t know what to do next, if I need any further tests done, etc..but as of now..I am back on Ultra Simple diet.
I grew up with constant throat clearing from the time I was a teenager. This continued until I was around 50. Sometimes it would give me headache and stomach aches.
When I stopped eating gluten, my heartburn stopped, throat clearing virtually disappeared, concentration improved, sleep improved, and I almost never get colds or flu any more (it’s been over 2 years now).
FYI, I’ve also eliminated virtually all sugar from my diet as well as dairy. I do, however, still love my caffeine (coffee and iced tea) every day.
Thanks for sharing this information. It is very timely!!
I have IBS, Arthritis and many other minor problems. I gave up wheat several years ago and it has helped many of my problems. When I gave up gluten, my arthritis vanished!!! I’m not 100% gluten free yet, but since reading this article I am going to do it. I need to lose weight and I have a feeling that gluten may be the culprit that is keeping the weight on.
There are so many wonderful FaceBook sites on Gluten now and I’ve gotten a lot of help through these. Gluten Free Girl is my favorite.
Thank you for this information!
I have been gluten free for 4 years now. I have never been tested, just came across it while doing research on acne in adult women. I was going through my 2nd bout of cystic acne in my late 30′s and had had it with dermatologists, so I started researching on my own. To make a long story short, what I discovered is that my acne is from adrenal fatigue which I have because of eating gluten my whole life. I take adrenal support supplements and am gluten free and my skin is just fine.
I understand that Celiac Disease is serious, but this whole “gluten is the enemy” thing kind of bothers me. As we know, gluten is naturally found in certain grains. Humans have been eating those grains for 1000′s of years w/o problem. Now, almost suddenly, there has been an eruption of people with CD or gluten-sensitivity. If you are a label reader, you will see that there is gluten in many of our everyday products, not just breads and baked goods (which I have found have added gluten, even though they are using gluten containing grains). Perhaps the real ‘enemy’ is not gluten itself, but Big Industry for throwing it into so many products. Our bodies are being inundated with it, which, I feel, is leading to the problem. If we keep following all of these “conspiracy theories”, we won’t have any food left to eat. They tell us not to eat meat b/c of added hormones and antibiotics, not to eat sugar, not to eat corn, not to eat certain grains b/c of gluten, not to eat fruits and vegetable b/c of pesticides and not to eat fish b/c the waters are contaminated. Oh, and don’t store food in plastic containers b/c of BPA. The only things you can eat are organic, no matter how much it costs. I do the best that I can by making and growing as much of my own food as possible and feeding my family a healthy diet. If that’s not good enough, then I’m at a loss. I’m not knocking on those with gluten issues, but let’s not make it Public Enemy #1 just yet.
I have ulcerative colitis, an irritable bowel disease, and my dad has Celiac, so you can imagine how much my doctors suspected that I had a sensitivity. They did an endoscopy that proved I didn’t have Celiac, and then a natural doctor took food allergy tests that all came up negative. Still, I stopped eating it for a month and felt no differnet, possibly worse, and when I reintroduced it, I was fine. But I STILL get dietitians, doctors, etc. telling me to stop eating it. No. Although I see that a lot of people have this sensitivity and don’t know it, I also think that dietitians and nutritionists have gone a little crazy with this “fad” by telling everyone that has any kind of problem to stop eating gluten and dairy. Not everyone’s problems are derived from that. It is NOT the solution to everything.
About 20 months ago, at the suggestion of her best friend, my daughter sent a DNA sample (cheek swab) from their 4 family members to Endro labs, & found that she & her daughters had two ‘gluten sensitivity’ genes, & her hubby had sensitivity & celiac genes. Though I wasn’t tested, I knew I’d passed on a gene, so went gluten free with them.
My 10 year old has been off seizure meds for the last 8 months (had ‘mild seizure disorder,’ diagnosed at 7), no more ‘tummy aches,’ & her reading scores raised significantly. The 6 year old’s playschool went GF for the 2009-2010 school year, (including making their playdough with rice flour!) & her behavior shifted to much calmer, clearer & more rational. Her teacher remarked that she’d seen the most improvement in her than any other student.
My daughter had anxiety for a 12 year period, waking up with heart palpitations – those stopped the first WEEK she was GF! She also has DH – dermatitis herpidiformis, which is thought by some to be a ‘non-gut celiac’ … she’d been given skin creams by several doctors, who all viewed it as a skin problem. Her skin has cleared significantly. Her hubby thought he could ‘get away with’ an occasional beer with a friend, but came home with a gut ache each time. He’s now fully on board as well, & is off dairy now, too, (occasional hard cheese is OK)
I realized that when we eliminated shampoos & other hair products containing gluten (!) the ‘itchy scalp’ I’d had since childhood cleared up! My own version of DH, … & though I didn’t think of myself as ‘anxious,’ I realized things bother me much less these days. I also lost 20# that first year, the extra ‘post- menopause’ weight I thought I was stuck with! I rarely ‘need’ an afternoon nap, & have more energy.
Our family has a history of lorodosis, excess low back curvature, & my daughter & I notice ours is straightening out (she’s 40, I’m 60). We also have a family pattern of Dyslexia, & hope that catching this young helps the girls with their reading/ processing.
I have many friends with chronic health problems, most don’t want to hear about gluten issues! A few of my massage clients have been inspired to make the GF shift, & are noticing benefits.
I agree that the statistic for those with Gluten issues is at least 30%. In a group that goes out after a dance class, 1/3 of us are eating GF – & we’re lucky to live in Western Oregon, where Bob’s Red Mill provides much GF info & great flours & blends.
Having eaten natural & OG foods for 40 years, I am concerned that many of the GF grains are NOT Organically grown – hope this begins to change as well!
Thanks for this great overview
Went gluten free and lost 5 lbs w/ out trying. Also occasionally ‘mental fog’ went away and need for naps diminished. When I go back and eat something w/ gluten I usually have to nap for about 2 hours and wake up ‘foggy’ but refreshed. I know I have slight gluten intolerance. Very health otherwise.
I have been feeling bad for a lot of yrs.My stomach would always bother me and bloated, it was worse after eating, even after I started eating right and whole grains…Well..a month ago I decided to see for myself if it was gluten, so I took myself off of it, and it was like a miracle…I have felt so much better!!! I have psoriasis, fibromiaiga { ever how you spell it} BUT! since I have stopped gluten, my psoriasis is getting better then it ever has with all the meds that were harmful for me; and I’m not nearly has tired or sore and nor have to take a lot of naps. Also I have even lost weight…
I had heavy, heavy monthly bleeding for years to the point where I was anemic and my periods would last for 2-3 months. My OBGYN had tried several medications, none of which were successful. His final option was surgery, and I wasn’t too happy about that option. I went online and started doing research. I found a website that listed a possible side effect of gluten intolerance was heavy bleeding and swelling of the ankles, which was me! So I decided I had tried everything else, why not? I immediately stopped eating gluten and with in 3 days my period returned to a “normal” flow, and within another 2 days it had completely stopped. I haven’t had any more trouble since and the idea of a gluten intolerance was never suggested by my OBGYN, but that was the cause! I am so happy to know not only what was causing the problem, but that it was a simple and natural fix!
Thank you for this information. 4 years my daughters suffered from abdominal cramping, diarrhea, headaches, panic attacks, heart palpitations, not menustrating, just to mention a few. The doctor said it wasn’t celiacs because the panel came back negative. Finally this past December we found a doctor that did the celiac gene test and both of my daughters were positive. Now that they are gluten free, they are healthy again. Our doctor suggested that my husband and I should be tested for the celiac gene, and we both tested positive. I tested positive for both celiac genes, and was told even though I have no symptoms I must be gluten free or I have a high risk of becoming a Type II Diabetic. My sister refuses to be tested for the celiac gene because she believes this to be a “Made up, Nonsense disease”. Both my parents have several symptoms, but I just cant convince them to go gluten free to see if they feel better. I wish there were more information out there about this problem.
Thank you, Karrie, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
how do you know what medicines have gluten in them?
Our 34 year old son was told as an aside by an MD at an IBS clinic that he might have a sensitivity to gluten. He took himself off all gluten 2 years ago and ended his IBS symptoms (diarrhea), regrew his hair (he had gone almost bald) seasonal allergies disappeared,snoring and sleep apnea disappeared and all psychiatric problems (Depression, anxiety OCD ) disappeared with time. mouth sores gone. The list is almost endless of things that bothered him that have disappeared. What is slowly resolving are pelvic muscles that became overly tight and have given him tremendous problems while relearning to slowly relax. Hopefully soon this entire nightmare will be over for him. Hard to believe that four gastroenterologists all agreed it was IBS and recommended Imodium for the bowel. Also three different psycharitrists thought he has significant problems and no one ever considered gluten as the problem. Just put him on numerous unnecessary meds.
Thank you for bringing this to light and hopefully helping others
Thank you for posting this article, Dr. Hyman. I remember before I was treated at your clinic by Dr. LePine, I really thought I was dying, yet for many, many years
and many doctors, only my “symptoms” were being treated – no one knowing where to look for underlying causes. My massage therapist had read your book “UltraMetabolism” and gave it to me to read the chapter on inflammation specifically.
After treatment at The UltraWellness Clinic, my health has improved and improved.
My thyroid condition, (hypothyroidism) has been treated and continues to improve, I am off of dairy as well as gluten and life is great! I no longer feel like I am dying, but I am really living well again. I am hoping that your article will reach many more people like me who have suffered for years with no relief. Thank you to you and your wonderful staff of doctors, nurses, dieticians. etc.
Doctor Hyman..for decades, I’ve suffered from severe anxiety, depression, and as of Dec.1st, 2010, an unidentifiable (and frightening) numbness, or ‘pins-and-needles’ sensation that seemed to start around my Adam’s apple, face (upper teeth, sinuses, ears, brows), arms, fingertips and soon after, all my lower extremities were affected as well. At times, palor and a faint, nauseous feeling appear then cease. I’ve had a normal c.b.c., a normal brain m.r.i., and a normal scope of my sinuses, throat, esophagus and epiglotis by my e.m.t. as well as a clear lung x-ray on Sep. 1st, 2010. Five years ago, I had to have a hemithyroidectomy because of a benign cyst…MY physicians’ inability to pinpoint the cause of this has me fearful– and frustrated..I am DEFINITELY going to try the gluten elimination test you mention !!….Thank you SO much for this.___Joseph
Thank you, Joseph, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Dr. Hyman-Thank you for this article. You have made a huge impact on my life by shedding your knowledge even though the medical community doesn’t want to hear it. People are so stuck in their ways that they don’t want to realize we may be doing something wrong. Not to say that the medical system is entirely corrupt, but we’re rapidly becoming unhealthy. The main problem in this country is people are so concerned with immediate results that we end up with a chain effect of health problems from people looking for a quick fix. I never understood the point of taking a drug to mask a symptom that’s going to create more problems. It’s an endless cycle of keeping someone sick and in debt. It makes more sense to treat the root of the cause and not the symptoms. I’m actually about to try the gluten free diet for once. I have an enlarged prostate and am only 26 and have had stomach issues for a while. It doesn’t make sense to have all these problems at my age and I have been in state of allergic reaction my whole life. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thank you for being an innovator in your field!
When I cut grains out of my diet, besides a decrease in fatigue, gas pains, indigestion, and congestion, I also started being able to digest milk. I used to be lactose intolerant and now I can drink milk all day long. I wonder if the inflammation in my gut decreasing could increase my intestine’s lactose digesting capacity.
Dr. Hyman i recently saw you on the Dr. Oz show talking about Gluten free diet/products etc.On this show you mentioned you have your patients have a very specific blood test which shows possible problems in a patients body.Can you please email me the name of this blood test so i can discuss this with my own doctor , i would like too have this test done ASAP.
Thank you
Adrian
Thank you for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Please take a look at this link:
http://www.celiac.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=13
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I suffered from IBS/constipation since childhood. No one could diagnose my problem until I had a colonoscopy much later in life which showed bleeding spots on the colon. These were biopsied and revealed Crohn’s/ulcerative colitis. I stopped eating wheat and my problem got better. I have to take flax seed daily. No doubt I did a lot of damage during childhood years which could not be repaired. My last colonoscopy was normal with no signs of Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis. Not sure how cutting out wheat would work for anyone else with this problem but it is worth a try.
My daughter had been a fussy baby since birth. The pediatrician diagnosed her with colic. Additionally, she developed numerous ear infections throughout infancy/toddlerhood and spit up quite a bit after every feeding.
During her preschool years, she broke out into hives from head to toe on several occasions. The pediatrician told me that he sees hives often in kids and while the cause is unknown, it is normal.
By the time my daughter entered Kindergarten, she was developing headaches and stomachaches on a daily basis. The aches almost always led to vomiting. With every episode I offered dry toast or crackers. She would become so sick she would vomit and then sleep the remainder of the afternoon. She missed a lot of school.
At my pressing, many years into stomach-emptying spit up, inexplicable fussing, numerous ear-infections and rounds of antibiotics, several outbreaks of hives, unexplained motion-sickness, stomachaches and headaches…. after all of that over the course of 5 years, the doctor FINALLY recommended she go for some testing.
My 5-year old had an MRI, CT Scan, x-rays, and blood work. Everything came back “normal”. We traveled out of town to see a pediatric gastroenterologist too. He found H. Pylori in her gut and prescribed an antibiotic cocktail that made her symptoms much worse. When I complained she was not getting better, the receptionist scolded me and snapped that I needed to give the medication time to work. I had phoned the office 2 weeks after her last dose.
A few days later, my daughter became so ill I ended up rushing her to the ER. While en route, she passed out from the force of her vomiting. As usual, all testing came back “normal”.
By chance, I visited a new doctor for my own health issues. My daughter was sick as usual during my appointment. He observed her and recommended that I make an appointment for him to see her when she was well. I returned with her the following week. At that point, he recommended we eliminate all gluten and dairy from her diet for 30 days. I couldn’t believe something as simple as avoidance could restore my daughter’s health. I was skeptical but we gave it a try.
Within 1 week, all of her symptoms subsided. ALL of them. We introduced wheat back into her diet at the end of 30 days and the headaches returned the following day.
I shudder to think what may have happened to my daughter had we not crossed paths with our wise doctor. My daughter is now 10 and is extremely healthy.
Thank you for your efforts to get the dangers related to gluten into the public!
I’ve been dealing with intermittent exhaustion and achiness for some time, that seems to be alleviated by not eating gluten. Seeing various specialists was not ultimately helpful, as I do not have celiac’s disease. So I’ve tried my own “elimination” diet, which includes products that are marketed as gluten free, as they also seem to give me symptoms.
Dr. Hyman has listed foods that contain gluten – I would recommend in hindsight to become aware of what nutritious grains do *not* include gluten, and to keep or add those into your diet, as some of that nutrition is essential. And this might also make the challenge of eliminating gluten a bit easier.
I have also found that planning ahead about snacks and meals makes it easier to avoid time-pressed decisions to eat “convenient” food that includes gluten.
Thank you, Dr. Hyman, for this article.
Thanks Dr. I have elevated thyroid antibodies (Hashimotos), but on eltroxin I am now euthyroid. I had terrible inflammatory symptoms in 2008 and the Dr even sent me to a neurologist to be tested for MS. Luckily I was found not to have MS, but my peripheral neuropathy, trigger finger, stiffness and aches and pains continued. Finally I joined a forum of Hashimoto’s sufferers on facebook and gave up gluten. I’ve never been tested for gluten intolerance. I have been off gluten for almost a year, with a couple of glitches. I have been really well lately and I am enjoying a challenging job. The other day I had a chocolate (I am also dairy intolerant)… thinking I was just being naughty on the dairy and not realising it had gluten in it. Now all of my symptoms are back with a vengeance. I only hope being disciplined will get me feeling better soon!
hi,everyone,my friend recommends a very good website to me
It troubles me that you said gluten sensitivity is “100 percent curable”. It is treatable by removing gluten from one’s diet but there is no “cure” for celiac disease or for gluten sensitivity.
Thank you for all your efforts in keeping us informed, and
trying to get and keep us well. My first meeting with you was
“Ultra Prevention,” a wonderful book.
I’ve read several times that there used to be gluten in oatmeal
because the oats were processed in the same facility as wheat,
barley and rye. Supposedly things have changed and oatmeal
is safe for us with gluten problems, Do you not agree?
I was finally properly diagnosed with gluten sensitivity two years ago. I have been dealing with health issues since 1988 – irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, vertigo, depression, skin rashes, joint pain, vomiting, weight loss and bloating – and no one could ever give me a final cure, instead they told me it was in my head. After my sixth miscarriage in 2009 I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, at that time my healthcare provider finally put it all together. I eliminated gluten completely and have not had any pain since, no stomach issues, no migraines, no irregular bathroom habits. I am no longer afraid to join in the activities of life. Unfortunately, my marriage fell apart due to the hardship my pain and withdrawal has caused, and I will never have a family of my own. Wish this information came out decades ago. Thank you for your research!
I FINALLY found gluten to be the source of SO MANY health problems. I’ve seen a variety of health issues lessen or disappear completely, (IBS/constipation, joint inflammation, mood swings, sluggishness, super fuzzy headedness, migraines, etc.). I have fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, EDS, CFS, and eliminating gluten has made a big difference in many aspects of my life, for the better. PLEASE keep up the good work. The world needs to know!
My biggest issue is that gluten free eating is almost a paleo diet if you can’t afford all the gluten free flours and foods. Many don’t want to know that gluten is a problem for that very reason, they couldn’t do much about it in their house hold given the economic situation, and that their families are NOT interested in eliminating gluten. I sure didn’t want to, as I love, CRAVE, gluten containing foods!
Guess I’ll admit to being a conspiracy theorist, as BIG PHARMA and BIG FOOD are in on this together. They want to keep us sick so we’ll have to keep going to the doctors, buying awful pharmaceuticals (MANY OF WHICH ALSO CONTAIN GLUTEN AS A FILLER!), and generally TRYING to keep us sick. There’s no money to be made on root cause analysis of health problems; the docs and pharmaceutical companies wouldn’t make NEAR the money they do today.
As per Tim Ferriss’ suggestion, I went off gluten late last year and I’m keeping off it pretty well. I do make a rare exception occasionally and even then only on Saturdays if I must (eating out with friends for example). I found that I don’t miss bread much and there are good gluten-free options out there. Overall, I can’t say it made a huge difference in my life — I’m probably not very sensitive to it. But I do feel better knowing I’m removing a possible source of inflammation from my diet. It helps me eat more veggies, which I love and are good for me.
Good article. Thanks for sharing.
As a victim of a false dianosis of gluten allergy, and cielac disease I desended into food court hell and did my very best to avoid all gluten. Then I slowly added it back into my diet and then I tried to eat as much as I wanted to eat of it, always making the wheat choice and guess what? No symptoms what so ever! Every time something went wrong my dr said well you need to try harder to eleminate wheat to the point to where no one was looking at the gall bladder I lost, nor the fact that I do have a disease. It is called Anlylosing Spondylitis or HLAB-27 positive syndrome. After finding out about the dna tests for gluten, we did the tests and I am not as it turns out positive. I have less than .2222222% gluten allergy. It is impossible for me to have cieliac disease btw from Quest Dianostics which is mentioned here. I am back to guilt free eating of wheat. I think the bigger question should be who gets to profit if we all go on animal protien and leave the wheat protiens out of our diets. I have been there. It is a big mistake eat your gluten and enjoy it. Yes you may be healthier if you eat berries and food grown from the ground but you still need protien. So I am happy. If I cut back on my gluten maybe it will help and maybe it makes people sick to eleminate it and so the medical community can profit off your insurance and you can be misrable over wheat. Not me.
I am a Celiac, as is my daughter. My other daughter is currently being tested and I am anxious to see if she is diagnosed with Celiac also, or gluten sensitivity by exclusion. I felt this was a good article — minus the statements which said that “Celiac is a form of an ALLERGY to gluten.” Celiac is not an allergy at all, but rather an autoimmune disorder. Statements like this just add to the public’s confusion surrounding CD, GS and wheat allergies, and in my opinion, detract from what could otherwise be an accurate article. Please consider rewording those lines. Thanks for considering this…
It is nice to see that there are some doctors who are knowledgable about and care about people with Celiac Disease.
I am so sick of those in the medical profession who don’t have a clue about Celiac disease and don’t even seem to care. Similar to one of the comments just above I suffered with Psoriasis for 50 years, mouth ulcers and muscle cramps for over 30 yearsand if it hadn’t been for the fact that I took large amounts of vitamins and other supplements for years I’m sure I would be dead long ago.
Even after I told my Dr. “I think I have Celiac Disease” (10 years ago) the blood test came back negative. Now I am trying to live gluten free, but by now I guess I’m dairy intolerant or maybe there’s just to much hidden gluten in foods and vitamins.
If you could just make the JAMA and NEJM mandatory reading for every doctor I’m sure that we could solve this problem in just a short time.
Thank you for what you do.
I requested a celiac panel and my Dr ordered only a Tissue transglutaminase.
Will my results be accurate on that test alone?
since I eliminated gluten from my diet, I hardly ever have the, shall I say, rank gastrointestinal distress (if you know what I mean) that I used to have. very little bloaing either. And since I am not being shy about impolite topics, my stools pass quite simply and require virtually no paperwork.
I do wonder though, the grains you listed with gluten: wheat, rye, oats, etc, do they still possess the gluten if they are sprouted. I know there are some brands of bread that are made exclusively with sprouted organic grains.
Where would I find gluten free foods?
Thank you for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. You can find gluten-free foods at:
http://www.shilohfarms.com/
http://www.hodgsonmill.com/
http://www.lundberg.com/
http://www.arrowheadmills.com/
Wishing You the Best of Health!
This is a great article. I figured out on my own two years ago that I am gluten sensitive. Mainly based on the fact that I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. When I eat gluten I have nerve pain in my legs at night, I don’t sleep at night, medications & supplements don’t work well for me, I am grumpy the next day, my fibro pain flares up the next day and my moods are up & down. It took avoiding gluten and then feeling those symptoms when I ate gluten for my mind to associate gluten as poison. Once my mind associated it as poison it becames easy for me to avoid eating any.
I have heard that stool testing can be more accurate than blood testing for igG and igA testing. The tests can be done even if you have been gluten free for a year or sometimes longer. I am not sure how many labs out there do this testing and how accurate each lab is. I have two relatives who had the testing done through Enterolab. They both came back as having an active non-celiac gluten sensitivity. They also had the genetic testing done with it. It showed that they both inheirted gluten sensitivity genes from each parent which means any children they have will carry at least one gluten sensitivity gene.
Thank you for this wonderful article.
My story:
Symptoms prior to diagnosis: Weight gain, swelling, numbness, neurological tingling with bursts of electrical-shock style pain—particularly in my limbs; chronic diarrhea with leakage, reoccurring mouth sores, back pain, acute body aches, fatigue, muscle weakness (couldn’t carry even the most lightweight items), BRAIN FOG, runny nose, recurrent sinus infections, bruising, low white cell count (not yet sure is white cell count has anything to do with gluten). My feet became so bad, I could hardly walk. For what seemed forever, the only shoes I could wear were Crocs. It hurt to shake hands with people.
Malabsorption: Vitamin D deficiency (almost no D in my body despite eating vitamin D rich foods and taking a quality multi-vitamin each day).
Final diagnosis (University of Chicago Celiac Center): Gluten Intolerant with double HLA-DQ6.
I do not have celiac disease. However, the more I learn, the more I question if my particular form of gluten-intolerance causes neurological issues rather than upper intestinal issues, thereby acting just like celiac disease, but attacking neurologically rather than intestinally.
Note: At one point prior to diagnosis and going to the University of Chicago, I also had skin lesions. They popped up out of nowhere—open slits. They looked horrible but were not at all painful or itchy. I went to three physicians (dermatologist, rheumatologist and internist). None of the doctors could tell me what caused the lesions. I was told it was not dermatitis herpetiformis, (which can be common among Celiac patients), and so, they did not order a biopsy. The break-outs cleared up about six months after going gluten free.
There is hope! Gluten-free since Sept. ’09, and I have my life back – I feel better than I have in many years.
I have a 10 year old daughter who is now gluten free since aug 2010. She is doing much better. She has lost the puffiness in her body and went down 2 sizes in her clothes. She also has hypothyroidism diagnosed at age 3. Celiac panel ran when she was 5 , one part of the test was elevated and the pediatrician interpreted her test as normal. So sad that she has suffered for almost 5 years. She is feeling much better but still has days when she has muscle pain and her legs hurt. Her thyroid antibodies are still elevated even though she is on levoxyl and gluten free. As for the rest of the family, my husband and I have hypothyroidism caused from elevated antibodies and recently had my 14 year old tested and her tsh was 3.22 and thyroid antibodies were elevated. We are all going to try the gluten free diet to see if our fatigue and muscle pain improves. My husband and I also have brain fog and some days it is hard to stay motivated. I do not think the levoxyl that we are all taking is working. I am hoping the new diet will.
I have Hashimotos, complete physical in May, showed I was very healthy, nothing wrong except thyroid which was ‘normal’ with meds. I asked why do I feel so tired, so lousy and so fat? Didn’t know. Found a flyer stating autoimmune disease should be gluten free. didn’t have anything to lose, so I went gluten free July 17, 2010. in TWO days, I felt like a 20 yr (I’m now 59) no more sleeping pills, no more OTC pain meds for knee and hip, went in to Dr, he said he didn’t know, did blood test, extremely high antibodies even tho GF for 4 months. I have lost 35 lbs by replacing gluten for gluten free foods. If I accidently eat gluten, I have gut pain, bloat, feel awful. I tell everyone about this, have saved 3 people, one with diabetes, one with rhumatoid arthrits, one with Chrons. they are like new people, no more pain, much more energy.I only cook and bake GF, take my GF salad dressing with me to restaurants or have V & O on salad. I still get caught on a few things, so carry enyzmes with me everywhere. I now feel I have a new lease on life.
I went off gluten, then slipped up because friends gave me some carrot cake on my birthday. I broke out in a really wierd rash, which I now know is called dermititis herpetiformis, a classic celiac symptom. I went back off gluten, but finally convinced my doc to do an IgA test. A score of between 20-30 is needed for celiac, but even after 6 weeks had passed I had enough gluten reaction left in me to score a 16. That was enough to convince my doc that I had celiac. I now recognize that many episodes of diarrhea that I thought were “food poisoning” and other digestive troubles were due to wheat & gluten, not any of the things I thought were wrong at the time. Yes, this is a drag and disappointing and confusing and a lot of trouble, but it really is better to KNOW this than to not know. Stick with it, argue with you doctor until you get a good test done and the right answers emerge.
So many times when holistic practioners talk about health isssues and lifestyle adjustments,the first benefit listed is weight lost. I’m 50 and weigh about 120lbs,and have been vegan for 16 yrs and vegetarian for longer. I deal with HTN,knee pains and unexplained fatigue at times. Shouldi do test first or start the elimination diet.
I knew it! I have Hashi’s, anemia and now maybe PCOS. All auto immune diseases and all seemingly without cause. Not to mention the fact that I feel subpar most of the time. I never believed all these things were without cause, even though no Dr could come up with one. I am going to eliminate gluten and see what happens. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. For the first time in a long time I feel like there is a solution to these problems. Thanks so much for this information. I guess I have to stop eating play-doh now.
The easiest, least expensive and most accurate way to test for gluten intolerance is through a stool test. Contact Interolab (Dr. Fine) in Dallas, Texas. Google it. I know it sounds yukky, but it will eliminate the wondering. The lab will send you what you need to collect it and will do the testing. Believe me, their job is worst than yours. Seven years ago, a friend was diagnosed with Celiac Disease through a biopsy, and since there is no medication for it, her doctor, who was totally uninterested, told her to do some research on the Internet. Later, she called me to tell me I should get tested because everywhere she read, psoriasis, which I’ve had all my life (I’m now 64), was listed as one of the diseases caused by gluten. So, I contacted Interolab and got tested and also found out I was dairy intolerant. One thing Dr. Hyman did not mention is that gluten creates a delayed reaction unlike an allergy to, say, shrimp or peanuts. With them, you know right away. It can take up to 4 days before you notice any symptoms. With something like psoriasis, it can be even more confusing. You don’t wake up the next day and see a bunch of new psoriasis plaques. It can take weeks. However, I have many other gluten-sensitive reactions, one of which is massive digestive problems, including constipation. Another thing to realize is if you think you can’t live without certain foods like flour products—you crave them—you’re sensitive to them. That’s the way the body works: you crave what’s killing you. I have been gluten free (unless it’s in my lipstick) for 7 years. I would love to say the psoriasis is gone, but it’s not. It’s considerably better, but I have experienced several flare-ups during this time as well as other health problems. A few years ago, I had a series of food allergy blood tests run and gluten along with 21 other foods, including eggs, showed up as allergens. After a lifetime of unknowingly eating foods that were slowly killing me, which create leaky gut and malabsorption of nutrients, it may take a while and a boatload of the proper supplements to heal the damage. I’m still floundering but still trying. I do not take drugs or go to conventional doctors anymore. During the years I did, not one of them ever helped me. They just pushed toxic drugs. I hope this helps some of you, and like Dr. Hyman says, it’s serious.
A note about gluten: my fiance is obviously gluten intolerant. After watching your video together, he asked me to add this: He finds that, just like carbs in general, eating gluten creates cravings for more gluten eating. If he eats anything with gluten, he craves more and goes on a “binge”. Once he stops it again, he is fine. Thank you again, Dr. Hyman, for all your useful information presented in such an easy way to “digest”.
I stopped wheat, dairy and sugar and feel incredible. All of my creaky joint pain went away.
there seems to be some disagreement about the type of gluten in oatmeal.
the reason this is important to me is because Dr Barry Sears author of the “Zone” books says oatmeal contains an essential substance GLA I think? Without which total health isn’t possible. Thanks for you’re help. your knowledge and expertise in your field is amazing and truly valuable. THANK YOU !
I am 80 years old and have suffered with IBS for at least 40 years.
For this last bout I had all of my digestive track examined as well as a full blood screening. Everything was normal – no celiac – no chrones. I was beside myself until my daughter suggested trying a gluten free diet.
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All the symptoms of IBS went away and I feel great.
It/s just too bad that I had to suffer for 40 years.
I have gluten intolerance. The doctors say I have Crohns disease which I suppose is possible. They told me I could eat gluten and that my biopsy was negative. All I know is that if I eat it I get horribly ill and have to go on steroids for at least a month. NO FUN! If I don’t eat it, I feel better. My symptoms present as stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating, as well as eczema rashes on my elbows, knees and eyelids, and also extreme fatigue and some aches in the joints. Not worth eating it.
Again the doctor said I can eat it and that it’s not hereditary…I can’t eat it and feel well…Also, my mom, grandpa, one uncle, 2 cousins and one nephew are also very sensitive to gluten. Go figure! I am so thankful medical doctors are finally realizing their error in this. If it wasn’t for Dr. Betty Behl in Alta Dena my family and I would still be suffering. She was an amazing nutritionist and biochemist who advised my mom to quit eating gluten after she had to have a section of her scarred intestine removed. She has been healthy ever since.
For many years I was of the understanding I had hay fever and was allergic to everything, I am 65 years of age and about 15 years ago realised that part of my problem could be gluten.
I have removed breads, colourings, flavourings, any processed foods, I read every label, I check where foods come from with possibilities of contamination. It took a long time to eliminate these foods from my diet because all the foods I found caused problems were my favourite foods. I am not sure that the symptoms I experience can be labelled what you have indicated as I have asthma type symptoms, chesty cough etc.if there is the slightest amount in any food I eat.
Your articles are very interesting and this one in particular interests me. Thanks.
Why is it so hard to find a doctor who has information on this topic? After my MRI and tests came back negative my neurologist implied my symptoms were from stress. Rather than suggest gluten intolerance he ordered the Minnesota test to see if I’m a hypochondriac or mentally imbalanced (hmmm… I wonder if someone suffering from chronic pain will score high for hypochondriac on a bubble sheet test). Yup, I could just make my body go numb and tingly with muscle pains, greatly increased migraines and light sensitivity, fatigue, migratory arthritis pain, painful lymph nodes and full ears, and once a week or so I’d have the sensation of heavy arms for three days at a time.
After doing my own research I thought that either I was developing MS, Lupus, or Fibromyalgia, or something that mimicked one of these diseases. After eliminating gluten, yeast, dairy, MSG, Asparteme and most soy (and as much artificial anything as is possible) I felt 75% better in a week. The full ears was the last symptom to go. I went from becoming a disabled person to becoming a healthy person again with dietary restrictions. I can’t have even a trace of gluten or parts of my body either go numb for 24 hours or I have muscle pains for 3 days.
I have been gluten free (and dairy and soy free, but trace amounts don’t appear to bother me, at least not as significantly as the gluten) since November and have gotten my life back. This is not an imaginary illness. I really believe that I was developing an autoimmune disease (my mom has Rheumatoid arthritis) and I reversed it by eliminating gluten. My hands still feel really inflamed for a week or two if I do 1/2 an hour of heavy yard work. I wouldn’t say I’m 100% back to normal, but pretty close. I’m healthy again. What is so surprising is that I can get more information from my online than I can from my family doctor or my neurologist. Disappointing.
Thank you, Dori, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. To locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website. Here you will find a place to enter your zip code and look for practitioner’s in your area that have completed the institute’s five-day training course in functional medicine. Understand that not all of the doctors listed here will fit your particular needs. Many different medical professionals complete this training, and you will have to do additional research on your own regarding a particular practitioner’s approach and whether or not it fits your specific medical requirements. This may include calling the practioner’s office, visiting his or her website, and/or scheduling a consultation.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
In response to this:
“We can no longer say that. Positive is positive and, as with all illness, there is a continuum of disease, from mild gluten sensitivity to full-blown celiac disease. If your antibodies are elevated, you should go off gluten and test to see if it is leading to your health problems.”
At the age of 24, my blood said I tested positive for celiac. I cut down on gluten, then came the biopsy. According to my doc no damage to my intestines, and I should go back to eating gluten. After awhile I did(money at the time) Then 5 years ago I became sick, an stressed with many problems, now I am dealing with getting over something that could have killed me( supposedly no relation to gluten). Although doctors said years of malnourishment could have contributed.
Should I have avoided gluten altogether based on my blood test results?
Overweight for much of my life, I tried a low carb diet at the age of 53 and realized overnight that I felt better in every way, from having more energy to feeling the blood circulating in my previously bloated extremities and veins. I mentioned this change to my doctor, who scheduled me for an endoscopy and colonoscopy. The biopsy revealed full-blown celiac disease. A genetic disease, I was the first and last person so far in my family to be diagnosed. My other major symptom was severe daily diarrhea. Symptoms vary from person to person). The endoscopy revealed that I’d also developed scarring of the esophagus, thought to be caused by excessive caffeine, but possibly another consequence of celiac disease. Other health problems that have been identified that may well be related to celiac disease include osteopenia, erectile dysfunction, anemia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, esophagitis, edema, low testosterone, high cholesterol, obesity, anxiety and depression. In spite of all of these minor complaints, I feel emotionally and physically much, much better than I ever did in the 54 years of my life before the diagnosis. I have more energy, can think more clearly and feel less stressed out than before. I believe I will live longer. I strictly avoid all gluten, and on the rare occasion I make a mistake and ingest something with gluten in it, I know almost immediately and become sick. As long as I stay away from gluten, however, I feel fine. Left in the diet, gluten can lead to some deadly serious diseases in those with celiac disease, including dementia, cancer, oesteoporosis, and brittle bones, to name a few. My greatest wish is that others in my family, on both sides, would heed the warning and get tested. If I have it, others in my family have it, too, undiagnosed. Their prospects for a happy, healthy and long life are greatly diminished if they fail to discover the condition, or if they have been diagnosed and then choose to ignore the diagnosis.
elimination of high amounts of carbs typically make any one person feel better – generally speaking. so by removing these products from the diet, how you determine if it is just elimination of high carb counts vs gluten intolerance?
tw
I did the UltraSimple Diet back in Nov of 2010. I lost 7 pounds and learned about the sensitivities I have to Gluten. THE BEST THING IS THAT I HAD SUFFERED WITH GENITAL HERPES FOR 25 YEARS, EVERY MONTH. I HAVE NOT HAD AN OUTBREAK NOW FOR SEVEN MONTHS. i THINK THIS IS BIG NEWS FOR SUFFERERS.I am off coffee, particularly and I drink green tea now. I do eat a little grain and flour. I think the coffee must have something to so with it.
Does your staff have anoy other news like this?
Imma
In looking at the study by Ludvigsson, what is modest increase for death? Does this mean in shortens one’s life by a year? I am not against the research helping save the lives and improving the quality of lives of those who suffer from celiac or gluten sensitivity, but I am concerned about hype around it. Could someone explain more clearly what this study is saying?
I have a gluten sensitivity that produces an autoimmune response against my thyroid. I have eliminated gluten form my diet and my thyroid antibodies have been reduced greatly. My comment to anyone who laments the loss of bread and wheat products is this; wheat/gluten products are processed foods so by eliminating them from your diet you are probably better off. I have also shied away from the gluten free products (breads, cookies,cereals) because these are still processed foods and not necessarily whole or nutritious foods.
Thank you Dr. Hyman for sharing this information.
It’s all too easy to grab something on the go without being mindful of the presence of gluten – but I’m learning. Little by little, sniffle by sniffle, migraine by migraine, I’m learning. I have 56 years of symptoms to catalog, and nearly all of them can be traced to the “staff of life.” No point in wishing it had been different, though, so here’s to several health decades to come!
I eliminated gluten from my diet for 2 weeks, then challenged it with a few wheat crackers. I was shocked to feel stomach pain, strong hunger and a craving for more wheat as well as tired within half an hour. I am very angry that a dermatologist told me that my acne (started at age 10) had nothing to do with food and told me the only answer was acutane. Now I know that I suffered needllessly with depression, irritablity, acne, headaches, stomatch pain, and inflamation in general most of my life. I am a psychotherapist, and I try to get all my clients to read your books, because as you point out, people can’t truly benefit from therapy if their nervous system is continuously stressed and imbalanced. It takes a lot of work to help people be willing to really make these lifestyle changes. I encounter a tremendous amount of resistance. But I am living proof that it is unquestionably worth the effort. I feel so strong and healthy! A million thank yous!
My 6-year-old granddaughter won’t eat much other than starchy carbs. Corn is her only vegetable, and chicken tenders her only meat. She often suffers from cramps, especially when having a bowel movement. She also gets nausea and intestinal-related illness alot, keeping her home from school. Could the high-gluten diet be causing the cramps, and could this be one way in which Celiac or Gluten sensitivity develops – too much gluten in the diet? Or is it more of a genetic thing that you either have or don’t?
Thank you for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Am curious about why Dr. Hyman didn’t mention the gluten antibody STOOL test available through Enterolab. Dr. Fine’s research seems to show that the stool test is much more sensitive than the blood test. Would love to know Dr. Hyman’s thought on that.
Thanks.
I’m curious what you think if the stool testing through Enterolab.com. I tested positive for gluten sensitivity and also have Hashimoto’s and Sjogren’s. I’ve been off gluten for 2 years. Out of curiousity, I tested my daughters and they both came back positive for gluten sensitivity and also positive for autoimmune reaction to gluten (which I tested negative for). I just started the kids gluten free this week. Bedsides getting off gluten, what products do you recommend for healing the gut?? I do probiotic, Vit D, Omegas, olive leaf extract.
I just want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to prevent diseases for both me and my children.
I read your Ultrametabolism book 2 years ago and I give you all the credit for starting me on this journey and teaching me about functional medicine. I also LOVE the Ultrametabolism cookbook (had the roasted butternut squash tonight!). I have also found it incredibly difficult to find a doctor that understands food sensitivities and how important they are to our health. They blow me off and say “yeah, if you feel better off gluten, then fine, but it’s not the reason you have thyroid issues and there’s no need to worry about your kids etc.”. Basically, they make me feel like the crazy “gluten free mom”.
In a recent article, Dr Hyman recommended VSL#3 to aid in improving gut health. Coincidentally, the doctor who recently performed my endoscopy to test for Celiac Disease recommended the same probiotic. My primary doctor, however, stated that her understanding was that it is far more beneficial to take a probiotic that has multiple strains in it, and VSL#3 is a single strain product. Can you shed any further light on this subject? I am now on a gluten-free, dairy free regimen and would like to take a probiotic as an aid to getting my GI tract back in better shape.
Thanks!
I didn’t test positive for celiac’s but went off gluten for a while to see what would happen. I have severe osteoporosis (8 breaks in feet and legs), IBS, and acid reflux. The bloating, gas and constipation had become intolerable. Since quitting gluten (not completely, but generally), there’s no acid reflux, the constipation has lessened and, believe it or not, the osteoporosis is now osteopenia.
A Dr Bob Anderson of the Australia Coeliac Society’s research arm has developed a vacine for Coeliac disease. It has successfully undergone clinical testing and is expected to be available in 2017.
The thing about gluten sensitivies that I am concerned about is that Monsanto has genetically modified wheat to be resisitant to the bugs that plague them. They literally have modified the wheat plant to “blow out the intestines” of the bugs that eat them, thereby protecting the crops. If the genetically modified grains are blowing them up from the inside out, how do we think, or how can they think this won’t or isn’t a problem for our digesting the same grains?
Also, many who are sensitive to wheat are also sensitive to corn. I don’t know if this is for the same reason, but if elimiating wheat doesn’t completely stop your symptoms I would suggest taking corn out of your diet as well.
If you look at children with autism and adhd most of them recover and or improve with taking these foods out of their diet. Cheese is another culprit.
Also, for those who find they have wheat or gluten sensitivies typically they are testing low for vitamin D. The newest research is showing that 2000 to 4000 units of vitamin D3 will bring your levels to optimum levels. You can ask your doctor for a D3 test so you can monitor it. It can make a huge difference in mood, depression and overall immune strength.
Thanks for all the comments. It helps to share our stories and experiences.
Great article! TYPO – “substnace”
“So now you see–that piece of bread may not be so wholesome after all! Follow the advice I’ve shared with you today to find out if gluten may be the hidden cause of your health problems. Simply eliminating this insidious substnace from your diet, may help you achieve lifelong vibrant health.”
thank you!
For the story on grains & gluten see Dangerous Grains by Braly at http://www.amazon.com For those of you wanting to minimize gluten without 100% elimination or who are merely sensitive to gluten, you might try a rotation avoidance diet (after a total elimination period and tests showing low Ig_ levels), i.e., small amounts 3-5 days apart, and using sprouted wheat products (which have no added gluten or any added gluten as far down the ingredients list as possible) that don’t include any regular wheat, barley, etc. Also, you could try moderate eating of recipes using old world grains which are, and always have been, naturally low in gluten and not since manipulated to increase their gluten contents.
Note too that modern flours and thus breads are not what they used to be, so they come with a payload of additional trace ingredients that aren’t healthy. The flours may not label 100% of what’s in the bag. Like our entire food system, this is a result of the transformation of baking from a small scale skilled craft to a competitive industrial enterprise (that has lobbyists). Combine that with mass marketing to convince you it should be whiter, fluffier, lighter, longer lasting, ad nauseam and now you’ve got a race to increase gluten content and ‘doctor’ the flour mix with additional chemicals which exist for their food processing benefits and bottom line.
Diane notes Monsanto’s GMO wheat. Round Up Ready is a GMO line which allows Round Up to be used on the crop field – which is a chemical that also presents health problems. Bottom line is GMOs are not adequately tested for safety and there’s plenty of evidence they’re not. See the scandal of Gov’t approval of GMOs at Seeds of Deception by Jeffery Smith at http://www.amazon.com. Also see Double Dipping Danger at http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=pKe5cgHIpGor%2B%2BfT6gOwnEiQDO6BOUcA and info at http://www.responsibletechnology.org/ and http://www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com. I have an app on my iPhone called ShopNoGMO.
Hi. I was tested 4 years ago for gluten intolerance. There is a definitive stool sample test by Enterolab.com that can positively tell you whether you have gluten intolerance and/or celiac disease. While the elimination technique is okay, I found it easier to totally eliminate gluten from my diet forever by having this testing. I know I can never eat wheat again and I have the proof. The testing showed that the insensitivity came from both of my parents and suggested that my siblings were likely to have it also. 2 of my three sisters have been tested, one has the celiac gene and the other has gluten intolerance.
I do wish that more people would suggest the enterolab stool sample testing as it is more sensitive than blood testing and can tell you if you are gluten intollerant as well as celiac. The auto immune diseases caused gluten intollerance are just as significant as having celiac disease. You can also identify other allergies/intolerances by this test including lactose, soy, and egg. Thanks.
I was diagnosed with celiacs disease in April 2010. Although I have absolutly NO SYPMPTOM the doctors insist that I have this disease. I had a biopsy done and was told that it “indicated” celiacs desease.
I went on the gluten free diet and while on the diet is when I started having stomach problems, including sharp abdomen pain, constipation, gas, bloating. The doctor then told me it was heartburn! I went off the diet and felt much better. I went for bloodwork and it came back with vitamin deficiencies and was told to go back on the diet and once again while on the diet I have felt awful.
Has anyone else or know of anyone else who has experienced anything like this. Many people have told me it doesn’t sound like I have celiacs disease.
Just confused and looking for a little more information.
Heather
Thank you so much for this article. Myself and family members are all dealing with gluten intolerance. I am the only one that ended up really sick because of it. I was malnourished, lost a lot of weight, weak, dizzy, rapid heart rate, blood pressure goes up as well… which I still deal with, digestion problems my whole life. I knew I was dying this past year.
I went gluten free and I have been gluten free for almost 5 months. My digestion has improved and I have put on some weight. My energy level has improved somewhat. I am still dealing with a rapid heart rate every few days and a few weeks ago I ended up in the hospital because I almost passed out in a store.
Although those things are still happening I have improved so and I don’t have that feeling that I am actually dying anymore. Thank God.
I had the blood test done but I had already been on a gluten free diet for a few months so it came back within normal range. I had the gene test done and it came back that I did not have the gene for celiac disease. Does that mean I can not have celiac disease? I am aware that I am still at risk for health issues even being gluten intolerant. So is there really a difference?
Also a part in you article confused me a little bit.
“The findings were dramatic. There was a 39 percent increased risk of death in those with celiac disease, 72 percent increased risk in those with gut inflammation related to gluten, and 35 percent increased risk in those with gluten sensitivity but no celiac disease.”
Is it true that people with gut inflammation have that much of increase to death as to people with celiac disease? Does gut inflammation happen to non-celiacs (gluten intolerant people)? How do I know if I have gut inflammation? My guess is that I do because I was so sick and I am still struggling with getting better.
I’m nervous and not sure where to go from here. Any help, information and answers would be greatly appreciated. I have a three year old little girl who needs me.
Thank you!
Thank you, Meghann, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Or you may choose to locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website. Here you will find a place to enter your zip code and look for practitioner’s in your area that have completed the institute’s five-day training course in functional medicine. Understand that not all of the doctors listed here will fit your particular needs. Many different medical professionals complete this training, and you will have to do additional research on your own regarding a particular practitioner’s approach and whether or not it fits your specific medical requirements. This may include calling the practioner’s office, visiting his or her website, and/or scheduling a consultation.
Wishing you the best of health!
I have just been off gluten for about 9 days, I already see changes in me. The most easily seen is that my rosacea is almost completely gone!! I still have signs of old breakouts, but there are no new ones!! I was wondering if the intestinal upset takes longer to even out.
I have had digestive problems all my life, primarily with stomach pain and constipation. The last several years, my symptoms increased to bloating, gas, and burping. How embarrassing!
I had the blood test for celiac as well as full bowel and intestinal exams with no positive results. I was told it must be IBS. But through researching my symptoms, I decided to try eliminating gluten from my diet. I have determined positively that I am gluten intolerant, simply because I feel “normal” when I stay away from it. One bite of bread, however, and the symptoms are back. It takes me at least a week gluten-free to get back on track.
I have also determined that I am allergic to anything in the onion family, especially garlic. My symptoms with that are stomach irritation (inflamation), burping and gas but not constipation as with gluten. Plus I get a rash on my face. Does anyone else experience a reaction to onions or garlic?
My brother is 43 and has Down syndrome. I have cared for him for 29 years. Most of that time he has some level of diarrhea, thyroid disease, very low white count, and in 2004 developed alopecia. A recent checkup revealed fairly advanced scoliosis no one had noticed before. I would assume osteoporosis is involved in the latter. He could consume massive quantities of food, never gaining weight, and seemed to be hungry all the time. I kept him on what I thought was the best and healthiest diet with plenty of whole grains. Rural area, uninformed doctors, brother on public health care (Medi-Cal), etc. When I learned about gluten sensitivity’s relationship to autoimmune dysfunction, I took him off all wheat products. Me, too, actually, as I was beginning to shrink in height, had developed severe basal joint arthritis, and had developed low thyroid. Anyway, this is 8 months without gluten and brother has about 40 percent of his hair back on his head. He’s doing very well; we both are. I had been ill for many years with chronic viral infections, and I feel stronger every day now and am returning at last to the editorial work I had abandoned almost 10 years ago, when I stopped thinking clearly enough to do it. When I point out my brother’s improvements to the doctors at the local clinic, they say, “That’s nice, dear.”
Like so many others, I too suffered from extreme stomach pains, vomiting, bloating, etc. After a host of tests (negative), my doctor suggested Ultrametabolism that happened to be gluten-free. Within weeks I felt totally different. More energy, no bloating and indigestion, no asthma (for which I has been taking two different medications), no stomach pains, itchy eyes. Now, two years later I can have some gluten- a slice of pizza every once in awhile. However, I stick to a vegetarian, low fat diet and buy a few gluten-free items like bread. Being gluten-free can be expensive but with a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, it doesn’t have to be.
All of what you say is of course absolutely correct.
Consider:
Diagnosis–Agree that any antibody positivity is, by definition, abnormal. Recommending treatment only for those who have such severe disease that an intestinal biopsy is positive entirely misses the point.
Getting people to undertake the difficult cure is quiet another thing.
We need very clear food labeling A prominent label for “contains gluten” and one for “gluten free” Education that whole foods–fruits, vegetables, meats, corn and rice are naturally gluten free.
Relying on the “I feel better” test for telling that it’s working just isn’t enough. The many symptoms are too diffuse. We must decide on clear biological markers to guide us.
You Got To Die Of Something, Sometime.
We all have a Sell By Date!
KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid & that goes for everything in life.
Sure, if it is bad for YOU, don’t eat it. One man’s poison is another man’s food!
Keep away from REFINED FOOD, especially SUGAR< CORN SYRUP & SALT.
I have 50ml Apple Cider Vinager in a glass of water first thing in the morning.
20 minutes later I have a mug of freshly ground coffee, no milk, no sugar.
My one meal consists of Steak or Lamb chops & veg & Yes, I have a slice of bread with it, along with my bottle of Red Wine.
I am 60 & Diabetic with Diabetic Neuropathy in both feet 7/24. For the past few weeks I have neuraligia in my face. I accept the fact that I have to live with these things. Yes! My blood sugar level is NORMAL from 5.8 to 6.8. I take 300mg of Vitamin B1, 5 tablet of Vitamin B12 25ug, 4000 ug of Vitamin D, 600mg Alpha-Lipoic Acid, 500mg L-Carnitins, 4mg Astaxanthin Complex, 30mg Zinc, 2 B Complex caplets1000 mg Calcium, 500mgMagneuism, 400ug GTF Chromium, 400ug Selenium, & 3500 mg Brewers Yeast. I also take 500mg of Milk Thistle & I take a spoon of Cinnamon.
I put a spoon of Cayenne Chilli Pepper in my mouth & let it disolve.
I rub Hydrogen Peroxide to my feet & body every day.
I have a few red grapes & nuts during the day.
After that, whenever the Lord wants to call me home, I'm ready! Praise the Lord!
Enjoy life! Its the only one you have!
Hello. I have been overweight my whole life (which was always puzzling because we were poor so I could not overeat if I wanted to), and also suffered from allergy and sinus problems. The only weightloss success I’ve had is from low-carb diets. And as soon as started adding back even the slightest bit of “low-carb” bread, the weight returned. I am, once again, trying to get this weight off but it’s been slow going. After reading your list of hidden sources, I will test to see if any could be causing my stall. You mentioned, ” 30 percent of people of European descent carry the gene for celiac disease”, do you the figures for any other groups? I am African American. We tend to be lactose intolerant, but I’m sure gluten isn’t helping…
Thank you for this article. It is vital that the medical community continue in their research with regard to Celiac and gluten intolerance. It is so important that professional continue to get this information to the general public. There are thousands who suffer from this disease/intolerance that do not have a clue.
I suffered from Celiac for years with no diagnosis. It caused digestional issues all through childhood which was explained by doctors as a “nervous stomach”. In my early 20′s, I started having problems with teeth – crumbling and cracking. My mouth is full of caps and two teeth that crumbled I have not been able to afford with implants. I was told by a chiropractor at 35 that I already suffered from osteoporosis. I suffer from skin problems and sores all in my mouth. Until starting a gluten free diet (after a lot of reading and research on my own) in June, 2010, I noticed within 24 hours that my digestion issues were better. Also, my mouth sores went away within 2 days. This is something I never really realized was an issue because I had ALWAYS had mouth sores. I didn’t know what it was to live without them.
The health benefits I have experienced this last year from moving to a gluten free diet are numerous. I had suffered with anxiety/depression and stress induced lupus for years. I can’t say that has totally gone away…anxiety is still an issue sometimes, but there is a difference.
I don’t know if I am a full-blown Celiac sufferer or just have gluten intolerance. From the symptoms of Celiac, I would say that would be it. I haven’t had the money to have a biopsy. But, it doesn’t matter. I KNOW that I must keep gluten out of my diet because I finally have my life back at 43.
Thank you for continuing in your efforts with imporoved health. I always enjoy your articles. Keep up the great work.
Dr. Glen Aukerman at The Ohio State University Center for Integratve Medicine has informed my wife and I that we are both affected by gluten. Neither of us had overt symptoms—–until we went gluten free and found out how much better we felt. As simple as a bloated overfull feeling after eating. My wife is a cancer survivor which we suspect gluten as an underlying factor. Amazingly since eliminating gluten and adding supplements she has completely eliminated a painful neurological tic which before was only controlled with powerful drugs.
It is incredible how many prepared “foods” contain gluten, for no apparent good reason. All the more reason to avoid the grocery store altogether and buy local real food!
Keep up the good work.
thanks for the article.
I have read your Ultra Wellness book and have made use of introducing pro-biotics in my food intake ( I take yogurt with added pro-biotics daily)
by eliminating bread and wheat products I have realized that I am sensitive to Gluten.
I have Lactose intolerance too. I have Gluten Intolerance after my father, but no one could diagnose it as Gluten intolerance!
I am not planning to do any tests for although I am an athlete and get exposed to lots of sunshine during swimming and other outdoor activities, I discovered by accident that I had Vitamin D acute inefficiency.
I am 49 years old,very healthy except for symptoms of Gluten intolerance ranging from cramps to bloating when I eat any product containing Gluten or certain types of cheese and pure milk.
your book and continuous input on food and Life routines have improved my health enormously. I thank you Dr. Mark from the bottom of my heart.:)
Glad to see this information is getting out to the public. However, I saw no mention of non-responsive celiac/gluten intolerance. Eight – thirty% of patients experience this as a result of the pro inflammatory state of the gut. A complete detox program and gut specific protocols have to be implemented for success.
I just couldn’t eat much. By night time, I was feeling full and if I ate more than just a little, I was sick ask night. For other reasons I decided to do a gluten free trial. What a miracle. I can eat again!
After being gluten free for a few weeks, I accidently ate something that had been cross contaminated. Oh my heck! Major pain and discomfort!!! It was awful. I silk definitely start gluten free!!!
I just couldn’t eat much. By night time, I was feeling full and if I ate more than just a little, I was sick all night. For other reasons I decided to do a gluten free trial. What a miracle. I can eat again!
After being gluten free for a few weeks, I accidently ate something that had been cross contaminated. Oh my heck! Major pain and discomfort!!! It was awful. I will definitely stay gluten free!!!
I don’t know if it was the gluten but I had had allergy symptoms since my early 30′s (I’ll soon be 66) and since eliminating as many high-glycemic foods as possible, including the “healthy” breads that I loved, I have lost 25 lbs in 2 months and have not had one allergy symptom since. My main symptom was uncontrollable sneezing. It was confusing as I had generally suspected pollens or molds but got the symptoms at times and places where pollens or molds could not be present. In any event cutting out all sugars and foods that ‘turn’ to sugar (i.e. bread, pasta, potatoes, etc) I have completely changed my life. Not sure that gluten was the problem but just wanted to add my situation to this thread.
I had an enlarged thyroid with a cyst 3 years ago. About 3 months ago I went gluten free to see if this would help. My mother (Hashimoto’s disease) and sister are both on thyroid medication. My thyroid seems to be shrinking and I feel better but still also have some IBS. I have been trying to found out what the ratio of gluten in GMO wheat to that of wheat before it was modified. I have heard 3x to 10,000x. I want to know the real ratio. Anyone? No exaggerating, please.
It was important for me to go off of all grains for a while – I was reacting to so much. I did a total elimination diet, and still follow this – and will until the end of the year, then I will start adding thing back into my diet. I have suffered from recurrent shingles, fatigue, depression and weight gain. All of these symptoms have subsided and I feel like I’m getting my health back! I hope to be healthier at 70 than I was at 50! Thank you, Dr. Hyman!
Morbidly obese, and diagnosed with CFIDS/Fibromyalgia, I was having a difficult time losing weight even eating a so called “healthy” Meditteranean type of diet which included whole grains. I discovered the 17 Day Diet and decided to try it. The first 17 days completely eliminate anything with gluten, along with processed foods. After 7 days of “detox symptoms” – headache, extreme fatigue and muscle pain. I felt better than I had in years.The 2nd cycle allows some starches back in like oatmeal, but I chose legumes instead. It wasn’t until 34 days later that I ate my first whole wheat roll. I was sick. I thought it was food poisoning until a few days later when I had another roll and was sick again. All these years ( I’m turniing 60), I never knew I was sensitive to gluten. My Doctor tested me 20 years ago for “food allergies”, because I told him I had more cravings and hunger when I ate wheat; but they came back negative. I wish that I had known 20 years ago – I would be fit and healthy now.
I am wondering about the connection between Gluten intolerance and Leaky Gut. Does Gluten intolerance/sensitivity cause Leaky Gut or is it the other way around? Also is the elimination diet as Dr. Hyman suggests more effective than the lab tests or are they both necessary? My Dr. tells me I have a “little” leaky gut, but I have not seen a direct connection to Gluten. Some other blood tests have indicated that I have food allergies, but these are yet undiagnosed.
My gluten sensitivity manifested itself in “lichen Planus”– which showed up as constant sores in my mouth. Eliminating gluten has allowed my mouth to heal quickly.
I have been suffering from joint pain, excessive itching and rashes, body odor and lethargy for years. The only cure I have found is to elimiate all gluten, yeast and sugar. Although I’ve been tested for Celiac and Candida and both are negative. So obviously something is up with my immune system, but I can tell you that the elimiation works. And although I sometimes go ‘off’ my eating and binge on some dried fruit, the symptoms always come back, forcing me back to the elimination. I’m a big proponent for the gluten-free message!
PS I am a 2008 graduate of IIN and saw your lecture live. You are my all time favorite speaker!
Anyone who is hypothyroid and taking a thryoid hormone should seriously consider eliminating gluten. It is now estimated that 90% of those who are hypothyroid have hashimotos disease. This is an autoimmune condition where the body attack the thyroid. It is believed that the thyroid peroxidaise (TPO) enzyme is very similar to gluten and the body confuses them and attacks it. Your body uses TPO in the thyroid to make thyroid hormones. This attack inflames and damages the thyroid tissue resulting in you being hypothyroid.
Most GP’s or Endocrinologist will not tell you this. They will just prescribe synthroid and keep upping your dose as your thryroid gets destroyed over time.
When you get your thryoid tested ask for the TPO and Tg antibodies to test for Hashimotos disease. If you have antibodies eliminate gluten and you will be bettter off by slowing down one root cause of the probelm. Again many doctors will not run these tests when testing your thyroid. You should specifically ask so you can know why your thyroid is slowing down.
Another benefit for your thyroid by eliminating gluten is that most bakery products today use bromides as a dough conditioner vs. the traditional iodine based conditioners. Bromides displaces iodine in your body. Your thyroid and other glands need iodine. Everyone should avoid bromide based products to be proactive.
There is more and more info available on the internet about this topic. This is controversal as allopathic medecine fights this but do some research and apply common sence.
Years ago, my daughter was told she was lactose intollerant from her doctor. After eliminating lactose from her diet her symptoms still didn’t go away. A friend suggested going gluten free for one week, just to see if her symptoms would get better. After 3 days it worked! My daughter, 14, is living a gluten free diet. It gets hard at times when friends are constantly eating pizza, and processed foods. However, she knows if she gives in to eating those things again, she will be ill.
I decided to go gluten free with my daughter, to support her while eating family meals. At 45 yrs old, my hormonal balance seems better, less migraines and overall health has improved. I will be gluten free for life.
I was tested for allergens and gluten was one of them. I was sensitive to wheat but fine with gluten. THe doctor was stumped and thought it weird because usually the two go hand in hand.
What do you think of my result after having seen so many test results in your practice? Can you give me a quick insight on this?
Thank you for your dedication!
Great information! I’ve been overweight most of my life. About 10 years ago in my early 40′s, when I was at my heaviest, my health really deteriorated. High blood pressure, anxiety, panic attacks, blood sugar out of whack, you name it. It turns out gluten intolerance was a big one for me. Taking that out of my diet changed my life!
The only other things I’ll say about this article is that it sort of loses some credibility when the email talking about it, features a food recipe that includes pasta. That sort of defeats what the article is trying to promote!
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about a year ago. After taking prescription pain medicine and Cymbalta prescribed by my rheumatologist I was feeling better, but it turned out that the pain medicine was elevating my liver enzymes and I needed to discontinue. I began another treatment program, part of which was doing allergin testing and eliminating all from my diet that indicated any type of sensitivity and then reintroducing items back into my diet one at a time. My pain scores doubled when I reintroduced wheat and wheat gluten. This occurred twice and I am currently gluten free. It has been a challenge to redesign my diet, but well worth it.
After many years of being sick with severe cramps and diarrhea, I was finally diagnoised by biopsy with collagenous collitis and a bacteria overgrowth in my intestines. I went on medication to treat both which I do feel like I have. I read on the internet about Dr. Fine in Dallas, TX that did the antiboties test for celiac disease through stool test. This made sense to me that if you had celiac disease it would show up in the stool test before it got severe enough to show in your blood test as full blown celiac disease. So I contacted Dr. Fine and arranged for the stool test. It was positive for the antiboties so I tried a gluten free diet for several weeks and my symptons did improve. I shared all this information with my gastroentrologist and he checked my lab test for celiac disease and it was negative. Unfortunately it was so hard to be gluten free I introduced it back into my life. I have many health problems now including depression, arthritis, migraines. I have neck and back issues also. After reading this article it makes me want to try the gluten free diet again to see how I feel. Thanks for all this information. I hope all the gastroenterologist in the country will be up on these studies.
I got rid of gluten and got my life back. It’s not that I was dying, but I did have a whopper of a heart attack five years ago (I’m 62 now) that had all the docs scratching their heads wondering why? No one suggested or asked about my gut. It was my daughter who reminded me that I had had “stomach aches” that made me lie down as far back as she can remember. It’s weird, but sometimes the most blatant and chronic symptoms are completely overlooked. Also, I was a bread-aholic. I knew it was contributing to my being overweight, but like an addict, I would eat it anyway until I had to go lie down.
Then, thanks to Dr. Hyman’s work, I thought, what the heck, I’ll try it. It’s been nine months now off gluten, and I am a new woman. I never have pain in my gut anymore, my energy is back, I ride my horse everyday, I feel twenty years younger. No kidding. And something that I haven’t read others saying – I don’t miss it! I do plan ahead to make sure I don’t get caught out without food that is gluten free, and have found the gluten free breads that are delicious. (Yay! Udi’s!) I have slowly lost about 15 pounds, that just seems to keep melting away. But maybe nicest of all, that “addition” thing, the craving of bread and the overconsumption of it, has just disappeared. I can even walk into a bread store, smell that aroma of fresh bread, and be unaffected. If they don’t have gluten free, I eat something else.
What I really want to do is THANK YOU, Dr Hyman. I am one more person your information has saved from pain, and quite possibly, another heart attack.
May all the good work you’ve done return to you threefold.
I have been diagnosed Celiac for 2.5 years and suffer from chronic constipation, abdominal pain, lethargy, depression and anxiety, yet i eat gluten free. My Gi has never done a vitamin deficieny panel on me so i am seeing a new one in a week. I am always tired, could sleep all day and night. Many emotional problems due to Celiac; I hate it and i hate food! I have joined websites for support, but in a small town there just is not much support vs. a large city. I feel all alone out here, and i know i am not the only one. I am an RN who is now disabled due to the above plus chronic back problems @ only 39 years old. I am working on getting a handle on my health but it is along process. I know it will get better, or at least so i hear! God Bless all the MD’S who care and are working hard to help us!
I came across my wheat and gluten intolerance somewhat by chance after having an acupuncture session. At that time I was told I had a leaky gut. What? Also, at that time I was experiencing some terrible breakouts on my face. Along with those horrible things my eyes, nose, face and hair were itching off the charts. I did some research and discovered “inflammation” in the body and that wheat could be the culprit. I took wheat from my diet, not thinking it was the cause of all the discomfort but after a while I realized I wasn’t itching and my face was starting to heal. I was convinced! After my realization I, completely by accident, would occasionally get some wheat (gluten) into my system and in about three hours I was itching like crazy. I am careful now and although I miss the foods that contain gluten I don’t miss them bad enough to subject myself to the repercussions.
Thank you for giving this information to us. It has been a huge part of my healing!
I would like to know if Ezekiel bread or Genesis bread are considered a good alternative , if you have gluten sensitivity. i was told its good because is all sprouted bread. What do you think?
thanks
josephine
Hi Josephine, we cannot recommend a particular type of bread, it would be best to contact the bakery and ask them directly. Thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s website and for your comment.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I had migraines ever since I was young, including anemia most of my life. When I was in my 40′s I had a migraine that started on Christmas Eve and continued until March of the next year when my M.D. referred me to a neurologist. The neurologist had me go off of all foods except unseasoned meat, potatoes and a few vegetables. I went on the diet and after 3 weeks I was migraine free. The neurologist had me add one food at a time and every time I ate something with gluten, bang, a migraine. I have friends that suffer from symptoms of celiac but will not try the gluten free diet. It is so sad to see them suffer, when they could at least try going without gluten for a short time to see if their symptoms dissipate. Your article hit home. Very informative.
After developing serious arthiritis in my 30′s I was told to buy a wheelchair. Instead I sat down and did some logical thinking coming to the conclusion that it could be wheat that I was allergic to so I cut all things with grains out of my diet and 5 days later the arthiritis was gone! No doubt it’s the gluten. I believe eating grains is one of the worst things we can do. It’s in so many things that label reading is very necessary. It’s often called “farine” or “farina” instead of wheat which is so sneaky. Eating wheat also causes me to retain fluid. And it makes us put on weight. On finding they have celiac disease people moan and groan about never being able to eat toast or have a sandwich again. It’s a small price to pay for wellness, and I don’t miss those things one bit. It also means eating unprocessed foods for the most part which is also a good thing.
Vera
I was been diagnosed with celiac disease several years ago. I would erupt into blisters. I have since been working on how to stop taking the medication they gave me, (possible side effects I didn’t want to deal with). I have been using supplements since. I have found that enzymes are one of my best friends, both protoelytic and digestive. I have been steadily reducing my meds. I also take probiotics and a good multi vitamin.
I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in 2004, a year after my first child was born, and I am completely compliant with the diet, and it helps enormously. If you are confused you may think you have gone gluten free, but there is still gluten in your diet that you may not be aware of — even this article fails to mention SOY SAUCE which is typically full of gluten, so beware! Your make up, your hair care, all may be full of gluten, so please take a serious look at it all. Plus if you live in a home with a toaster with gluten crumbs, any amount of gluten will cause problems in a system that is sensitive to it, especially before the healing has taken over. Also a fryer in a restaurant is not gluten free if they make fries where they make tempura or onion rings. Forget restaurants while you eliminate. Be simple with food at home and it will be easier. In the beginning it is extremely important to know every ingredient — call the manufacturers of your favorite brands, and you can pretty much forget Trader Joe’s – everything there, even their gluten free foods, is manufactured near gluten. Good luck to all the newbies! It takes time, but it is worth it in the end — you are worth it! Protect yourselves and you will feel so much better.
Thank you Dr. Hyman for bringing this to light. I feel like shouting this to the world.
I spent a year (about 3 yrs ago) trying to find out what was wrong with me. Chronic stomach aches, losing cognitive functioning, depression that was not like me. I did enterolab’s stool test and found that I am gluten sensitive (not celiac-they are two different things and TWO DIFFERENT GENES) . My daughter is too.
Three years later, I am so much improved but still feel there are consequences of eating gluten for too long. I am now a health coach and have found it very difficult to convince people to even TRY a gf diet. People are really attached to their wheat! This article will help. I’ll pass it along!
Thanks for the course in Gluten 101. I had no idea how much trouble it causes.
A friend of mine will hear from me about celiac, which I believe she suffers from; has for years.
Marilyn
Can psoriatic arthritis may a part of autoimmune symptoms caused by sensitivity to gluten? Thanks
Hello Sandra, thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s website and your comment. We cannot answer your specific medical question responsibly over the Internet in regard to gluten sensitivities beyond that of what is in our articles on the website regarding gluten.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
My friend and I both get terribly sick with gluten, and we’ve both tested that we *aren’t* allergic to gluten. My friend actually landed in the emergency room last week because she accidentally ingested a significant amount of the stuff. Sometimes just listening to your body is the best thing. Interestingly, my friend and I are both terribly allergic to grass (which did show in blood tests); her doctor says that many who are severely allergic to grass also are intolerant of gluten.
Thank you for the info, “can anyone name an alternative to the gluten breads to eat?
I have found a “millet” bread with 70 calories at my local health food store. Is “MILLET” considered Gluten? What can one choose to eat for a replacement besides veges and wanted bread for sandwiches and bread crumbs for baking? Thank you
I discovered that eating a gluten-free diet eliminated my acid reflux. I also suspected that it improved my mood. However, after a long time staying off gluten I discovered that I could eat some and have no NOTICEABLE effect. Gradually I got back to eating it quite regularly. Now I find myself having a lot of stomach trouble and also a lot of bone ache and somewhat depressed mood. I think gluten has something to do with it but I hate to admit I don’t seem to be able to get off it. Also, it seems that I now also have trouble with milk and cream. Butter and goat cheese don’t seem to bother. So I KNOW I need to eliminate both these elements of my diet…. Maybe the dire information you have provided here will kick me into gear!!
I suffer from all the autoimmune diseases you listed and from the countless visits and tests by specialists to only be told there was nothing showing up wrong. The Good Lord caused an email to be sent to me on the book The Gluten Connection. As I read it I realized that they were describing me perfectly. That was a year ago and I have been off gluten ever since. I have only had to visit the doctor once this year instead of my usual once a month antibiotic. I have lost inches in all parts of my body due to the elimination of much of the inflammation. Staying on the diet isn’t easy but I am a good cook and have learned to modify my recipes to eliminate gluten. I make my own bread, crackers, buns and biscuits with rice, millet and gluten free oat flours. Three years ago I had a colonoscopy for pain in my gut and the doctor said I showed no sign of problems except IBS and I should just eat more grains and fiber. I tried to comply by eating whole wheat everything. I believe if I had continued much longer I would have killed myself. My new doctor sees the change in my need for medications and is curious why it is happening but encourages me to stick with the gluten free diet. I think that this issue has not reached the main stream doctors yet. Oh, this month they were able to take me off my blood pressure medicine because it was lowering my blood pressure too low so I didn’t need it. I hope you can help get the word out to more people.
Dr. Hyman,
In my late 20′s I was diagnosed with Anklosing Spondalytis. 6years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. 2years ago I went to a Chiroprator who sold himself as a functional Endorcronologist. He ordered many blood tests and showed me I had elevated antibodies to Gulten. I followed his diet and herbal /supplemental protcols religiously but it did not alter my blood sugar readings. He diagnosed me as a type 1 diabetic. My medical doctor refered me to an endocrologis who was also a board certiefied nutritionist. The medical endorcrologist perscribes insulin supplementation and the Chiroprator endocrologist Perscribes insulin avoidance as he said I was postive to antibodies to insulin. Seeing no blood sugar correction following the chiroprator I have with some question been taking insulin which has increase my weight without my increase in food intake. I am about 90% gluten free. Any advice or direction. Also, just watched a video on Lyme disease and there seems to be a connection to Angklosing Spondlytis and type 1 diabetes also. BOB
My doctor insisted that I take the gluten blood test without eating Gluten and it came out negative. Since it did, when I vacationed in Italy I ate a lot of Gluten, Pasta etc. which I had not for a number of years beecause I have Gerd. When I came home I got Poymialgia Rheumatica which I had 18years ago. I was told that it most probably was because of the 25 hours it took to get home. Should I have eaten Gluten before I took the test? If it was normal, if I do eat Gluten before taking the test will it show that I might have be allergic?
Thank you for writing about this and raising the awareness!I went gluten-free over a year ago based on the recommendation of my doctor due to my Hashimotos. I was worried at first because I lived off bread alone but I gotta say, it was easy once I realized all the things I CAN eat. I eat totally primal now – lots of veggies, fruits and meat. I have never felt deprived – probably because potatoes and chocolate still make it into my diet from time to time.
Here’s how I reframe what to eat when I’m craving something from my gluten days: when I want a hamburger, I get it the In and Out way – “protein style” – a lettuce wrap. Desserts such as creme brûlée, mousse, ice cream, strawberries and cream, flourless chocolate cake are all great! For snacks, I enjoy nuts, beef jerky, gmo-free popcorn, etc but i snack a lot less then i did when i ate gluten. Focus on what you can eat, not what you can’t.
I had an “immuno bloodprint” which not only tested for the anti-gliadin antibodies, but also for IgG sensitivities to 150 foods. Interestingly I did not show to have an issue with gluten, but definite sensitivity to wheat, barley AND buckwheat (which is not glutenous). So I might as well operate on gluten-free plus watch out for buckwheat.
I have a daughter with intractible epilepsy. For a long time her neurologists have believed that her idiopathic epilepsy is related to a metabolic disorder, but no doctor has been willing to pursue the issue of food allergies. They also say that we just don’t know enough about metabolism to do anything about it at this time. Please let me know about studies I can read and cite to interest her doctors on these clues. Thank you.
Hello Judith, thank you for your note and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s website. One suggestion is the UltraMetabolism Book. There are also articles on the website that reference metabolism that you could refer to such as: http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/07/18/why-treating-your-symptoms-is-a-recipe-for-disaster/.
Please search the website for both metabolism and food allergies, there are many articles that may help you and your daughter.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
From August 2010 thru February 2011, I suffered with gluten intolerance symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. I tested negative for celiac. I put myself on a gluten free diet and it significantly reduced my symptoms. I joined the gluten free club and in February of this year they posted an article about enzymes and its affects on gluten intolerance. I put myself on Garden of Life enzymes and within 2 weeks my symptoms disappeared! I was on the enzymes for about 2 months and have been off of them until about a month ago, when the symptoms, mostly pain in the sigmoid colon area, returned. I have put myself back on the enzymes but have not had the favorable results as before, but I’m hoping they work again. I have not taken myself off of gluten. If symptoms keep occurring I will try the suggested gluten fast and see what the results are. I will keep you posted!
Thanks for the info….I didn’t know that lipstick also contains gluten.
There is no ingrediënt list on the lipstick if you buy this at the drugstore, so how would I know. I’m from the Netherlands and in some supermarkets they sell their housebrand wich says glutenfree or not. Very handy with a pictogram.
They should do this with all products.
Yep, if i want a stiff back, all-over joint pain, swollen fingers, chapped lips, and even some anxiety and melancholy thrown in for good measure, all i have to do is eat a piece of bread, or anything that has gluten in it, pasta, croutons, gravy, etc. and i’m guaranteed next day symptoms. i remember very vividly after 6 weeks of being “very good” i noticed that i had forgotten to be worried, among all the other benefits of being able to bend down to tie my shoes without back pain, go without lipbalm, fit into my pants loosely (no bloating and gas!) and just feel a million times better. be careful of corn, too, though, as lots of the “fake” bread and pasta, etc. has corn. seems i can’t handle that either. here’s to your gluten-free journey! you’ll feel BETTER! go for it!
I do a lot of blood and genetic testing for gluten sensitivity in my patients, and I can say from experience that a 2-4 week challenge is not long enough to to determine if a person is in fact not reacting to gluten. I myself tested up genetically gluten intolerant, and it took more than 9 months for me to start seeing improvement in my symptoms after completely eliminating gluten from my diet. There are 10 different components that have been identified in wheat that a person may be intolerant to. Improvement after only 2-4 weeks is more likely an intolerance to WGA – wheat germ agglutinin, a wheat lectin.
thank you Dr. Hyman, I’m sending this to everyone !
My husband and I have been gluten-free for 8 yrs. Within 3 weeks of eliminating all gluten from our diets, we both noticed a change in our skin – smooth and no need for moisturizers (in the middle of a midwest winter!). We also noticed an increase in our energy levels, and we both felt an overall improvement in our health. We are not only gluten-free, we are also dairy, soy and corn free – but all have improved our health and chronic issues (auto-immune; inflammatory)
I hear continually from people who think that by cutting out some, or most, gluten that they believe they are doing themselves good – when I explain that they have to be 100% gluten-free, they ‘roll their eyes’!! I appreciate and applaud that you mention that one must be 100% gluten-free – perhaps they will listen to you!!
Dr. Hyman,I started eliminating gluten from my diet about 6 weeks ago. Truly, I feel lighter. As a “Daniel Plan” participant, I want to be devoted to eating and living healthy. This article helped me to see there are so many more gluten-filled products that I should be concerned about. So now I will research to find out more products whose labels I should pay close attention to. I already read the labels, but if a product has gluten and I am clueless, at least through research, I can know without reading some labels. Thank you and prayerfully I want to be YOUR patient!
Hazel from Texas
I am so glad to see you continue to speak strongly about this. For me, it was huge. Along with dairy, these intolerances were giving me nearly constant migraines, self-hating paranoid voices, eventually so much chronic pain I thought I’d be bed-ridden. People don’t want to hear it, of course, that their lovely cakes and bread may be creating an opiate-like effect in their brain, so it fall so often on deaf ears. Thank goodness there are medical champions like you, for then they do listen.
I absolutely understand this! I was tested for Celiac (came back negatve), normal colonoscopy (no biopsy done for gluten problem). For 3 years I had unexplained swollen inflammed gut, severe pain, lupus like auto-immune disease (HUVS) , diarrhea constantly, malnutrition, severe pain (unable to work)..i saw every doctor there is and finally was told I have IBS from stress. I had done lots of reseach and told them I thought is was gluten. I was told my tests came back negative, so it could not be…I was so angry that I was not being listened to. I did an elimination diet myself (no gluten) and the transformation was amazing! It was a struggle to find foods without gluten; now i mostly eat raw fruits and vegies, beans, fish, and nuts. Forget the processed foods!
I get soooooooooooooooooo sick of all these scare tactics. You might as well go on and on about “horrible PEANUTS!” that COULD KILL YOU.
I applaud your attitude! About six years ago a doctor friend of mine suggested I go on a gluten free diet. I had a genetic test done. It showed half positive and half negative and they said celiac couldn’t be ruled out. It took me about two years to follow his advice but once I did I noticed a great difference.
Once again in digestive trouble the doctor wanted me to go off the diet for six weeks so she could get a biopsy to prove celiac. I thought she was nuts. The digestive trouble was basically caused by my cheating on my diet once in a while. Besides digestive problems, my energy level bottomed out. I cannot cheat! Since I have cleaned everything up, I am doing well again.
I have suffered from irritable bowel syndrome and fatigue for all of my adult life (I am now almost 60). Anyone who has IBS can understand the things you do to accommodate it, such as not eating before you go somewhere or making sure you always have your car keys in your pocket. Recently I went to a Functional Medicine Chiropractor who tested me for gluten intolerance and I came back positive. I am now 3 months into a gluten-free diet and the difference is remarkable. I haven’t totally gotten over the fear of having a stomach issue while out somewhere, but I have not had even one problem. The fatigue is also better, as is the GERD I was told I had because of a hiatal hernia. I am now off my thyroid meds as my tests were normal. I have also lost some weight, dropped my blood pressure and my liver enzymes are back in the normal range for the first time in 4 years. While going gluten-free is not easy because it is found in almost everything I am actually thankful for my diagnosis, not just because I feel better, but also because it has forced me to make other changes that all lead to improved health. I should add that my doctor advised me to avoid ALL grains if possible so I have greatly reduced my consumption of brown rice, etc., and am avoiding all the gluten-free but not necessarily healthy mixes and substitutes found in the grocery store. I shop the perimeter of the store, concentrating on hormone-free meats, a very limited amount of dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables. I invested in a Vita-Mix to make eating greens and fruits easier. These are life changes that I have made, not a temporary diet, and I am hopeful that I will be able to maintain good health for a longer time into my senior years.
Dr. Hyman, I chose to eliminate gluten a few months ago based on information and how I was feeling. I had a stool test done with Enterolab. Also tested for soy, casein, and albumin. Gluten came back 5 . Normal range is less than 10 units. It was an anti-gliadin IgA test. Soy and others 1.
So, I felt a little stupid….ate a little gluten on vacation and felt awful for 4 days.
The test was not conclusive, but how I feel is conclusive.
I get tired, grumpy, itchy, moody, stomach bloating, indigestion etc.
So, it is a very tricky thing in my experience. AND my friends DO NOT understand and believe I am being overly causious, or stupid. That is frustrating ..however, I know when I feel good and not good.
Thank you for your web site and your insight. It is very incouraging and enlightening.
Heartfully, Joyce
To Pat Garlinghouse:
To start off , re peanuts: for some, merely inhaling the smell of peanuts can kill- this is FACT. Some people need to eat a certain amt of something to experience an allergic reaction, but with some foods any kind of contact whatever causes serious problems, a common one’s being the throat swelling.
Gluten allergy? Don’t kid yourself, it is every bit as dangerous- and prevalent, as has been stated. This is only for those who are allergic, of course;; THEY ARE NOT STATING THAT GLUTEN IS A HEALTH HAZARD FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT SENSITIVE TOWARDS IT!
I had agonizing abdominal spasms– I actually thought I might have end-stage colon cancer. I have been off gluten for 3 years now and have never had another attack.
Yes, there are warnings about too much saturated fat and too much salt or sugar, but this goes for everybody. For you to ridicule the effects of allergic reactions is a big mistake.
Please do yourself a favor and educate yourself- it might save someone you care about.
too bad Pat that you cant see whats truly in front of you. I am in the health industry and since my gluten elimination, I have asked my 50+ clients to do the same, and a large percentage of them responded very well. Less inflammation around the gut, clear skin, clear brain, more energy. maybe you need to get off gluten too!
I had severe eczema for 4 years. I tried a gf diet and within a few days my eczema cleared up. If I accidentally “get glutened” it comes back and lasts for about a week.
I am normally very athletic and energic, until a few years ago. Little by little I have done less due to pretty bad muscle fatigue and fibromyalgia. My accupuncturist said gluten can cause fibromyalgia. So I went off it and felt so much better….so good that I went out for pizza this week. I woke up feeling absolutely hung over….bad headache, sore muscles, inflammed joints and no energy. Yick. I just have a hard time accepting that I am gluten intolerant….until I tried it and felt like I had been run over by a bus.
I have gone on a raw food detox for 3 weeks at OHI in San Diego. NEVER have I felt that incredible in my life. But I live in the Northeast and it’s just too hard to maintain in the cold. But it did make an enormous improvement in my health and energy!
Allergies are so much better. Yeah!
I needed an antihistamine to get to sleep because of my terrible post nasal drip and would wake during the night after pill wore off, ending with a pile of used tissues each night! Always had to have tissues in my pocket, around the house, in the car, etc. No more! Now the makers of Kleenex aren’t so happy with me because my tissue usage is down.
i quit eating gluten because my nutritionist thought it might be a culprit. i also quit dairy. well, 10 months later, i accidentally ingested a little wheat. ugh. i was miserable for a week, including depression, fatigue, and sore, hot joints all over my body. now, do i need a test to see if i should be avoiding gluten? ummm, no.
Someone please tell me what we can eat instead!!! Is there a bread we can eat that doesn’t have gluten? Please email if you have an answer as I probably will not be back here. Thanks!
I tried putting a little gluten back into my diet to see if I could handle it again after keeping it out for 1.5 years. I think I am getting sick to my stomach from it now because I cannot digest it… although this is a non tested thought. I feel foggy headed and still do not feel 100% after trying it again five days ago. I have been trying Horsetail, aloe vera, and have taken kelp, milk thistle, ground flax seed (I keep in the freezer) and b-complex for years. I am about to embark (again) on an anti-inflammatory diet of lots of fruits and veggies and 3TBSP of olive oil a day with no”hard” carbs for a while – will add 1/2 cup of brown rice after a month or so.
I am actually looking at the correlation between parasites and gluten intolerance. I read that it is thought that 75% of us or more have parasites and do not even know it. Additionally, in another article, I read that we should do a parasite cleanse every year. Additional reading/research has me looking at candida/yeast in our systems as to being a problem and in correlation to gluten intolerance. Something to look further into most certainly. And if you were to draw a line from parasites that may cause gluten intolerance, from gluten intolerance to causing diabetes and cancer (another article) and how colon cancer and diabetes runs in my genetics then I have to get going on cleaning up my diet.
I know someone who is deathly allergic to peanuts and knows it when hey enter their mouth. Even when they do not know it.
the tingling starts immediately and we had to go to the ER immediately.
This was before the labeling to protect people from this lethal allergy.
I also have a husband who was incorrectly diagnosed with diabetes, although he is an active 59 year old. (he just played in an over 55, USASA tournament in Orlando).
I knew better.
So with our Indian Dr.’s help, we tried B-12, waited for his cells to regenerate, (which is one of the many amazing benefits of B-12) and tried the gluten cleanse.
He has lost 38 pounds over 5 years, his sugar is fine now (he was at dangerous levels when an Endocrinologist said it was diabetes) his facial skin has stopped peeling, burning, and erupting, and he feels great!!
Dr. Hyman always states that this is an educational, informative article to help all of us help each other, and to help us discuss our health with each of our doctors.
It is not for everyone, it is a tool to help us further understand the foods around us.
To Pat Garlinghouse….information about gluten intolerance is not a “scare tactic”. I was miserable for several years until I read a book that changed my life. I had never considered that gluten was causing my many health issues. It took a while to really come to grips with the possiblity that I would have to give up my beloved bread, but after many trials with going gluten free and going back to eating gluten I finally realized that gluten made me sick. Not only did I suffer physically but also emotionally and mentally. I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sick of people that “don’t get it”. Like I keep saying “the proof is in the pudding”. If you are not gluten intolerant then I am very happy for you, but for those of us that are, we “get it”.
Oats do NOT contain gluten.
I already know this information due to my own research, but am appalled at the lack of knowledge my own doctors (so called specialists) possess about this topic. There are books out there is you look. This is an epidemic and with my son and I both being struck with Crohns disease, I would love to see this information being more widespread than it is now.
I was just diagnosed with lupus, which has damaged my kidneys, and blood veassels and nerves in my legs. This is after a long history of undiagnosed lupus like illnesses and a slew of GI problems. Gluten does seem to be implicated in that when I eat whole wheat products I have horrendous diarrhea but this is relatively new. I have an identical twin with Chrohn’s disease. Regardless of the outcome of the celiac tests, your article and my experience has convinced me that it is a menace to my health. It is not difficult to give it up, and I have virtually done so already. Thanks for the useful information and the further incentive. I will be beginning treatment for lupus shortly, when all tests are completed. But the gleuten part is easy. Just don’t eat it! I will report any positive benefits. Thank you
I am a 25 year old woman, recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. My nutritionist and I were just discussing how some have found relief from most of their pain symptoms with a gluten free diet. This article has just convinced me to give it a try. It won’t be easy because I love bread and pasta, but living in level 10 pain most days hasn’t been easy either – so it is worth a shot!
Nourishing traditions Cook book by Sally Falon states that if the grain is soaked and sprouted that the negative effects of gluten are negliable. So sprouted whole wheat products should be ok for us to eat in regards to gluten intolerance. What do you think?
Hello Sarah, thank you for your comment and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. We are not sure about this method and cannot respond to it’s validity, if you try it please share your results with us.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
This is extremely helpful information on gluten, as I am doing some research on Gluten / Fungus/ Mold Sensitivity and food. Do you have any research on the ingestion of foods such as corn and rye being quick to mold and grow fungus / micotoxins? I am looking for information here, as I am writing an informational and recipe book (electronic download) that can help people who have these problems.
Thank you!
I happen to have gluten sensitivity and have had it for years, undiagnosed. Now that I am gluten-free I feel so much better. It’s hard to get used to, for sure, and being in the beginning stages of the lifestyle change – I have a lot to learn. I appreciate doctors like Mark Hyman who get to the heart of the illness, rather than keep treating only symptoms. Gluten sensitivity is 100% treatable and helps with so many common disorders – by just stopping the consumption of gluten. What is so scary about that?
Are there any links between a gluten sensitivity, gut health, and infertility?? I know you have to be eating when you get tested.
Hello MargAret, thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work and for you comment. We do not know about this link with gluten sensitivity, but there are articles on the site regarding this topic if you search on the word gluten.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Thanks for this great article. Having been a diet consultant, and using a diet system for my clients (the Cambridge Diet) which did not involve high levels of carbohydrates, especially gluten, I saw what a difference it made to some of them. One lady in particular who had a ‘pot belly’ lost that belly within a couple of weeks and as soon as she ate bread, the belly reappeared. She said after eating bread she felt bloated, so I explained that a lot of us (especially classic ‘hunter-gatherer’ metabolic types) weren’t well adapted to wheat in particular. Another of my former customers have polycystic ovary syndrome, also now believed to be linked to a high carb diet if this is the wrong fuel type for your body. Personally I know if I eat too many starchy grains I get eczema, migraines, PMS, painful periods and my weight balloons. I can put on 7lb in a week and I feel constantly hungry and malnourished, because they just don’t do me any good. My partner is the opposite – starchy carbs are fine for him, with a little bit of protein – because his metabolic type is perfectly adapted for this fuel source. One size does not fit all and the classic ‘healthy diet’ high in carbs and low in fat spouted by so called western nutritional ‘experts’ is clearly unsuitable fuel for many. If it was we would all be thin by now. The Maasai eat mainly milk, meat and blood. Eskimos eat mainly meat (seal, caribou), fish and fat. These cultures are adapted to their diets, which do not conform to the wetsren ‘norm’ and they remain healthy, vigiorous and while they stick to their traditional diets, relatively free of auto-immune diseases which afflict the rest of us, and also of obesity. For anyone who wants to find out more about our lack of adaptation to grains I would strongly recommend reading The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, and Neanderthin by Ray Audette (sadly a rare find as out of print). I would also strongly recommend The Metabolic Typing Diet by William Wolcott and Trish Fahey. I now write a newsletter for a friend of mine about diet and nutrition (Cambridge Weight Plan in South Africa http://www.cambridgeweightplansa.co.za) and feel that your article would make an excellent basis for an article in our newsletter. A lot more people are now becoming aware of how poorly adapted we are to starchy carbs and how for many people a high carb low fat diet will simply increase obesity rather than reduce it. Thanks again Mark.
Thanks for this well-laid out case for reevaluating gluten in one’s diet. Will be sharing. I wish I’d had this info four years ago, when I developed a “hot” case of the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, although upon reflection, I’d symptoms for years prior.
The incident that led to the diagnosis was caused by extremely high carb consumption at Christmas, baking cookies, breads, sweet rolls, etc for visiting company. (My triglycerides and cholesterol also shot up after that incident). I was also in a new, extremely high0-stress job, and was also taking in excess iodine in the form of brown seaweed (Modiflan), a useful mercury detox. The stress, high wheat consumption and excess iodine (can be like pouring gas on a fire for a Hashi’s patient) kicked me into an immune crisis. Treatment stabilized me, but I still felt crappy, brain foggy, arthritis-y, and fatigued.
Thankfully, I read the book “Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Tests are Normal?” and did the elimination trial immediately. How frustrating it is to find out that gluten in in so many processed foods! Ice cream? Salad dressing? This drives me nuts. I did improve, although it took me a year, not “two to four weeks” and when I added gluten back in (in the form of a cookie), the resulting fatigue and brain fog were unmistakeable signs.
One other comment, to clear up a common misconception:
I am in the agricultural field, and to date, THERE IS NOT a genetically modified wheat on the market, although believe me, companies are trying.
There ARE conventionally-bred wheats that are higher in the gluten protein. This gives elasticity to bread, and was considered desirable for baking. Only now are we experiencing the fallout., but it was no evil plot.
in addition, when Diane mentions GMOs that “blow up the guts” of insects, she is partially right, but NOT in regards to wheat. Monsanto incorporated a gene from a bacteria, bacillus thuringius (sp?) into CORN.
That GMO in corn DOES sicken the larval stage of insects of the lepidoptera species (ie, worms). The effect is systematic, that is, all through the corn plant including grains and pollen. The drifting pollen has proved problematic to nymphs and other “hatch”-type creatures in streams, sickening them too and afecting fish and stream life as a result.
I, too, have had my doubts about the usefulness of having this bacterial effect in the human gut. But, again, it’s in non-organic CORN, not wheat. Wheat is not as much affected by worm-like pests, in my understanding, although I’m willing to stand corrected on that particular fact.
Bottom line, when we eat corn (and soy for that matter), if it’s not orgnic, we don’t eat it, because it is most certainly genetically modified.
A word to Pat, who complained about scare tactics. These things are real, not scare tactics. People have died eating peanuts. My son has celiac and when he has the slightest of gluten, sometimes by cross contamination, he is sick for days and continue sometimes for weeks. Have some compasion and be thankful to God that you do not have any of these problems
Great article! I was recently diagnosed through blood tests and this just serves as even stronger motivation to get through the confirmation biopsy so I can get rid of gluten in my diet.
I do have one tiny bone to pick though. Celiac is not curable. A cure would mean those affected could eat gluten again. It is 100% treatable though.
My brother and I both having Multiple sclerosis, we do not eat wheat either, and it really does help. We follow what Roger Mcdougall did to stop MS and it really seems to be working. The Paleo Diet. Since being off of wheat I haven’t had any excerabions nor my brother who would get at least one a year. And we both do not take any drugs for MS I never have and it’s been 20 years my brother did for a short time but medicare didn’t seem to want to pay 1200.00 a month on the drugs which is the best thing they could have done for Thomas. He does have the Intrathecal baclofin pump in his stomach but that’s now been turned off for 8 months, he’ll have to decide if he wants to have it removed. So It just keeps getting better and better with no wheat gluten what ever it is making us better. Thanks for putting the truth up Dr. Hyman
Thank you for incredibly important information!! I recently discovered I was gluten oversensitive, having been very ill with various symptoms for the last 15 years. I have been desperatly looking for the answer to my illnessess and finding out it was gluten was a huge relief. After cutting out gluten i feel a lot better, but its still hard to avoid a lot of the time since its such a staple diet. A lot of people need to know this. Thank you so much Dr Hyman!
I too was diagnosed with diabetes and was on medication and a strict diabetic diet . After genetic testing and a gluten free, casein free, soy and walnut free diet for 1 year I no longer have diabetes, and don’t believe I ever had true diabetes. All my Celiac symptoms , diarrhea and upper respiratory infections have gone away including asthma. I had all the tests for Celiac disease including small bowel biopsy and they were negative except the genetic test was a big positive. Thankgoodness.
I went on a 1 month fast from dairy, gluten, corn and soy on recommendation from my doctor for pelvic pain. I know unfermeted soy is not good for me I discovered many years ago. I am a pretty healthy eater, mostly fruit and vegies, raw natural milk, grass-fed meats, no sodas, occasional home made desserts so it was a mystery to me. I felt worse the first week of the fast then the same pain level for the rest of the month. I was very careful and strict not to accidently eat any of these. As I slowly added back in each item I had no reactions what so ever. Had all the test before going on diet with negative markers. In the long run I was diagnosed later by my OBGyn with just tight pelvic muscles causing referral pain. With physical therapy all my pain went away. It took 2 years getting the right diagnosis after a lot of trial and error with diet and supplements to no avail. Several people I know have also done the restrictive diet for various medical conditions and most have not had relief or no difference in their medical symptoms. No one has had a miraculous healing so far. Only a few have metioned they think soy or eggs might have a slight reaction when added back in. But will stay off longer on those items and try again. It is trial and error sometimes to find the solution. I believe how we deal with stress is one of the biggest culprits in our health though. I am happy that this works for some and I think there is merit to it, unfortuantely it is not working for all of us.
Since I stopped eating gluten my finger joints have stopped hurting. And I have recently found almond flour recipes for almost any gluten filled food at http://www.elanaspantry.com. Apparently this woman and her son are both celiacs and her quest to replace gluten is a gift for all of us. I am not a celiac, but feel so much better when I don’t eat gluten that it’s just not worth it to to eat gluten filled foods.
I have been diagnosed with severe eczema mostly on face and neck and a few other areas. I have been battling with this for over 6 yrs. I am now on Metrotrexate, something I have been avoiding. I also use steroid/cortisone creams on my face which is bad I know. There are so many foods that seem to create allergic like reactions…. Itchy, red rashes and swelling. I feel depressed since there are so many things I cannot eat like fruits for example. I have seen so many drs and naturopaths. No one seems to know what to do to get to the bottom of this. Since May, I have started a GF diet. I have not notice a dramatic change with my skin, although it is hard to say since I’m on medication. I still have allergic reaction but I have been told that it might take 3-6 mths for the GF diet to work for me and that I am probably not allergic to all these foods. My intestines are probably irritated and with time all these reactions will go away if I stick to the GF diet. Is this true? Can you please let me know what you think. Oh, and I must admit that I cheated a bit here and there without realizing the impact that could have. My life is upside down, I feel depressed since food is always a concern. Thank you.
Gluten gives me massive headaches and the same symptoms I get with hayfever. My best advice is for people to become educated about food ingredients. Many things can be made from either wheat or something else ( such as citric acid). If your not sure, contact the company. Or stick to whole foods.
PLEASE give me non-gluten diet options! Just saying how bad it is without options is depressing.
Thank you, N Toro, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Please check out the links below for gluten-free ideas!
Wishing You the Best of Health!
http://drhyman.com/dr-oz-show-gluten/
http://drhyman.com/the-ultramind-gluten-free-meal-plan/
I’m surprised you included oats in your article. Unless they are contaminated, they are listed as a safe food on the Celiac.com website.
Dr Hymen, thanks so much for this post! I was told for DECADES that I had “IBS”, when it was actually celiac disease!
To Deborah Pocino, yes, this article IS for EVERYONE! They just don’t know it….yet.
To Pat Garlinghouse…. all you show by your comment is your abysmal ignorance and stupidity (not to mention the fact that you love your Wonder Bread more than you love your health).
Our bodies do not do well on grains. Period. End of story. There are LOTS of scientific papers out there by paleobiologist/anthropologists who have documented the fact that the ENTIRE HUMAN RACE was healthier BEFORE we learned how to grow, process, and eat GRAIN!
People were taller, they had fewer illnesses, they lived longer, and their babies didn’t die as often BEFORE agriculture!
OK, now who wants to claim that whole wheat bread is a GOOD thing???
We should eat just as we did when we were hunter-gatherers, before agriculture. That means eat fish, poultry, eggs, meat, nuts, berries, edible root veggies and leaves, etc. BUT NOT GRAINS.
I’ve been on my own journey to get to that point, and to get my family to that point. We’re definitely gluten free, and have been since 2008, but not entirely grain free yet (we still eat rice and corn sometimes).
And if the health argument doesn’t get you, maybe this one will! Just ask yourself, what does a farmer feed his cattle (or his pigs or his chickens, etc) to fatten them up? Grain, of course!! OK, so WHY do you think that Americans are so incredibly FAT???? Grain, of course!!
Stop eating grain (and sugar), and you will lose weight. Eat what your body was designed to eat, and you will feel SO much better!
I am so happy that I figured out what was making me so ill. It hasn’t been easy and every day I have to make a focused effort to make sure that I plan my meals and know what I am consuming. It is not the end of the world to be Celiac or Gluten Intolerant. I embrace it now. I have tried and found so many new favorite foods! That is why I say … Celebrate the foods that you can eat on my Gluten Free Foodies blog! Let me know if I can help you find some new favorites too! Take care and cheers to good health!
I went to a nutritionist, years ago who advised me to avoid wheat and gluten. After about a month and a half, my symptoms simply disappeared and I felt much better. Prior to that, I have severe cramps, gas, and was exhausted all the time. I urge people who might have some of the symptoms in the doctor’s blog, to follow his advise and stay off it completely for some time and reintroduce it and observe what happens. This is the best way way to diagnose whether you have a gluten problem or not as the symptoms can be deceptive whether they are attributed to something else or simply go unnoticed. Great blog.
Anita, you should be eating gluten before the testing for a few weeks. You can’t test for something that isn’t in your system!
Pat, get your head out of your arse. As a Celiac who suffered for years, this isn’t a scare tactic. I also know someone who is gluten sensitive and when eating gluten will have their throat close up. I’d like to see how you feel with constant joint pains, bloating, fatigue, etc. I’m athletic, eat a clean diet and live a busy life….which I can now be productive in again thanks to my testing. If you don’t know what you are talking about, then shut up
I went off gluten just over a year ago and my health has turned right around. I could barely move my joints were so swollen and every day tasks were so difficult but I hid it because I was embarrassed. Today I am able to walk and move like I am a different person. I struggled to go up or down my stairs at home. I felt like I was eighty. I could not walk with my kids anywhere. Today I am thankful but never say too much to anyone because I think people have a hard time believing me. So I try not to go on about it because unless you are the one suffering you will never really know.
Hi Dr. Hyman! I believe I am gluten intolerant; when I eat foods containing gluten, my joints hurt and I have a hard time concentrating (brain fog). It is amazing how much better I feel when I can stay off gluten. Every once and awhile I will try gluten again and get the same result, so there is no mistaking the cause and effect.
Thank you so much for all you do to educate us! My famliy is healthier because of you! God Bless You and thank you!!
Hi Dr. Hyman; thanks to your diet, my husband was able to determine that he cannot tolerate gluten and he’s been better ever since.
I wanted to ask if you know about this gluten lab test by Entrolab (http://www.enterolab.com/Default.aspx) where they analyse intestinal specimens for food sensitivities.
Thank-you!
Hello Sandra, thank you for letting us know about your husband’s success and for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s website. We are not aware of that particular test, please share if you have good results with it.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I cut out wheat and corn a few months ago and my brain fog has lifted. It’s pretty incredible because everyone kept saying this is what happens in menopause (i’m 50). But I’m not buying that. I don’t think you have to be fuzzy just because you’re in menopause. Maybe that’s just the age where everyone starts to feel it because so many people are overloaded with with the toxins from all the stuff we weren’t meant to eat!
My headaches went away and I lost weight too. What a nice side affect from eliminating these sorts of things.
My son suffers from allergies. Every summer he can barely open his eyes even though he takes around the clock allergy meds. I have never had allergies, but I have headaches, hx of seizures, recently started having allergy type symptoms, and experiencing anxiety! This is so strange to me! I suggested to my 15yo son that we trial gluten free as suggested and see how it helps. We will keep you posted. I also don’t believe that this article is a “scare tactic” it is an educational article for those that want the education. Proper education vs. Scare tactics is needed in the healthcare field.
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis 6 years ago.I was seen by the medical profession and was prescribed weekly injections and daily doses of 4 medications.Early Spring I was lucky enough to go and spend 3 days listening to Dr Hyman, and he has changed my life.
I went gluten, dairy and sugar free that day, and it has been 3 months now and counting.My injectiions have stopped altogether and my meds are down to every other day.I went from a sluggish size 16 to a healthy size 10 and I feel like a new woman.I have no joint pain most of the time , and I am waiting for my heavy metal test results to see if more detox is needed.
How do you thank someone for giving you back your life..the only way I know how is to tell anyone that will listen about this incredible journey that I find myself on.Thank you Dr. Hyman, I look forward to learning more from you.
I love the scare tactics comment—the usual reaction to useful information that might cause you to actually do something.
I tried eliminating wheat/gluten for 30 days and found I had less inflammation after yoga. This inspired me to keep going and after 90 days all the arthritic pain in my right hand went away. I never thought the two were related and it didn’t have anything to do with my decision to stop eating gluten. My hand hurt so bad I couldn’t reach into my pocket. It was an old cycling injury-multiple broken bones. After 90 days the pain is gone. I’ve decided I like my right hand better than bread and so have continued to be gluten free.
Great website Doc!
I was diagnosed with Celiac in my fifties. Several months after being totally gluten free, i woke up clear headed and awake. A new wonderful experience for me.
Dr. Hyman-I found your article fantastic and it hit almost all the points you need to know about Celiac’s Disease. I have seen people waste away with this malady as well as create what many believe to be permanent damage to their intestinal tract and their ability to absorb foods. This is the area I would like to give hope to people who have succombed to the serious damage they have encountered. I have found that because of glutens glue-like quality or gooeyness (is that a word?) within the intestinal tract, the fingery like villi tips which absorb the nutrients into the body become glued down and coated with the continuous assault of gluten, and other acid forming foods. This is where the malabsorbption occurs that starves them of nutrients and eventually possibly there lives. What I have seen that has bene so miraculous is that through serious intestinal (and often liver/gallbladder) cleansing (actually a very specialized cleanse that is like having an internal surgery), I have seen people come back to life. It is truly remarkable and life giving. I couldn’t help but share this for all those suffering. Blessings always, Catie
Some people prefer to close their eyes and pretend everything is fine because they don’t accept or are scare of changes to what is normal for them or society. But some will choose to open their eyes and get educated. Not because some things are the norm we have to accept they are save and good for us. You have to be smart and do your own search to expand your knowledge and really differentiate what is a scare tatics & what is REAL. Thanks Dr. Hyman for educating and helping us!
@ pat garlinghouse:
Some people prefer to close their eyes and pretend everything is fine because they don’t accept or are scare of changes to what is normal for them or society. But some will choose to open their eyes and get educated. Not because some things are the norm we have to accept they are save and good for us. You have to be smart and do your own search to expand your knowledge and really differentiate what is a scare tactic & what is REAL. Thanks Dr. Hyman for educating and helping us!
I was just writing part of our newsletter for August which says this same thing. Man evolved 40,000 years ago to eat 65% protein and 35% vegetables which include nuts and seeds. Grain is relatively new in the grand scheme of things and our genetics aren’t made for that. Grain isn’t any better for us than it is for cows which is why they have to administer antibiotics to the cows just to keep them alive when they are finished on grain. At first I though the Paleo Lifestyle way of eating was a new fad but it seems this backs up the research I have seen about this way of eating being the most healthy.
Thanks Dr. Hyman.!
I recently had an ALCAT test done because I am suffering from Migraines and Severe Sinus and allergy responses after eating foods and I could never pin point excactly what. One of the many things I reacted to was Gluten. I showed a mild intolerance. I was advised to avoid gluten. I did for about 10 days. Then at a party I thought… well 1 piece of Pizza, 1small piece of bread and a bite of birthday cake wont hurt me for one day…. Then next day I had a terrible itchy rash under my chin and neck.. Went to dinner had a bite of bread..Decided maybe it’s ok to have Ezekiel bread? made a sandwich.. Had a little pasta one day. Rash worsened.. It was horrible for 7 days. I called my nutritionist thinking maybe it was something in the vitamin she gave me.. She said” NO it’s the GLUTEN”. I stopped it and rash cleared up with in a day! I think I was in denial. I am convinced gluten has been a major part of my issues now. I love Bob’s redmill gluten free oats. and creamy buckwheat cereal. Thanks for your information.
Hi Dr. Hyman,
I work as a registered nurse in Long term care, I had all the symptoms of systemic metabolic syndrome. After eliminating gluten, processed foods, dairy, night shades from my diet I am feeling so much better. I have read some of your books followed your advice thank you. I would like to be part of a movement that is ready to teach the world about food as medicine, and how to stop poisoning our selves with drugs and bad foods.
keep up the good work
Thanks
I am 68 years old and am borderline for osteoporosis. My doctor discovered that I am not absorbing Vitamin D as I should. He immediately suspected gluten sensitivity and had me tested for celiac disease. The test came back negative. However, he suggested that I try being gluten free for several weeks just to see how I felt. I told him that I feel fine–no aches or pains, no bowel problems. He said, “If you’ve never felt really fine, how would you know you feel fine?” I am now in my 4th week. of a gluten-free diet. I feel great. The one thing I have noticed is changes in my adult ADD. I am not so easily distracted; I ‘m better able to organize; I don’t feel so mentally spaced out; I’m not in panic mode most of the time (it’s hard to explain). Also, I’ve had no skin eruptions on my face during this time. It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be, just reading a lot of labels and doing my own baking. As a pastor I make my own gluten-free communion wafers and carry them with me on Sundays. Thanks for the article.
I have been suffering with IBS and Yeast Infestions for several years all of which my doctor believes has resulted in leaky gut. I have had many symptoms of arthritis, imflammation throughout my body, vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia, nerve problems for which I now take cymbalta, and migrains, as well as overall fatigue. I have been doing alot of research and have been practicing an elimination diet for several weeks. I have gone off of gluten and have found a significant difference. However, after reading the unsafe food list from http://www.celiac.com, i seen that I haven’t gone completely off of gluten since I didn’t know that it was in some of the items on the list which I didn’t know contained gluten.
I am 100% committed to using food as a medicine and I understand that I am what I eat. It only makes sense that if you are not feeling well to look at what you are eating, however, many of the foods in the market that are promoting health are not really as good for you as they may claim, especially now that food our tauting the whole grain philosophy. It is so important to take the matter into your own hands and use the internet and books to research, along with your doctor’s help to find out what the real causes are to your illnesses. Otherwise, you will be spending an enormous amount of money and time trying to treat the symptoms.
Thank you Dr. Hyman. I did eliminated gluten for my son and myself. We both gained more focus, our family doctor didn’t see any autistic symptoms in my son anymore (after about 6 month without gluten). I can function much better (I need a long nap after having a piece of bread, and exhausted anyway for the rest of the day).
Thank you
Thank you, Deborah.
Pat, if you find this information so threatening, I suggest that you try to look inward and figure out why. Might be informative.
In the last year, I have been told to get off glutten, dairy, and yeast. One of my grandsons (8 yrs old) has also been diagnosed was being glutten intolerant. My great nephew (6 yrs old) has been diagnosed as both glutten and dairy intolerant. Clearly the celiac gene issue is an issue in our family. This whole issue (I am 60+) of celiac was almost a non-issue for most of my life and now seems to be a big health concern all of a sudden. Clearly something had changed. The piece that I had only surmmized and is now confirmed is the issue of agro business yet again finding a way to f…. up our food supply. So now it is not just frankenfood (gmo) but supper gluten. No long term thinking here eveidently. Or they just don’t care.
I am hoping that the change in my diet will help reduce the impact of the diabetes and heart issues that I have been struggling to manage over the last decade. I have always been clear in my mind that there was a connection between the diabetes, heart issues and a life long struggle with inflamation/yeast infections. The doctors just would not hear me. Now I feel better about the decisions I have made to look after myself. Thank you Dr. Hyman.
Dr Hyman what about bread products made fro non genetically modified
corn, are these products safe?
Hi Lennie, thank you for writing in to us and for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s website. We canot say whether or not these products are safe, please check with the bakery.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I was diagnosed w/ Celiac disease in 2004 after becoming violently ill from a virus. Prior to discovery, I was hospitalized for 4 days, tested for everything possible EXCEPT gluten – including a scope of my small intiestine. It took 4 weeks for the GI Dr. to test me for Celiac. Long story short, Naturopathy was the answer and within 2 weeks I was better.
I lived a strict gluten free lifestyle for years…..then I got bold and fell off the wagon. Nothing seemed different, so I got bolder.
I haven’t felt right for some time now, and need to get back to a strict regime. But stress, depression and self destuctive behavior is keeping me “hooked” on foods I want to eat and have easy access to. Now I eat a 75% or so gluten free diet. It is not enough. I need to “get clean” .
When I was so sick I almost died, I took it very seriously. But subtle symptoms didn’t alarm me. These new statistics you have presented are scary – and I am going to quit gluten cold turkey — again. I have to change my behavior patterns first and foremost. I know I can do it, and i know it is hard.
Some foods are just so damn good, and there is not an affordable or tasty enough subsitiute. But if my life is shortened and my quality of life is declining it’s a no brainer.
Advise – takeit seriously, make sure you have a good Doctor, and get support.
The first time I tried the Ultra Simple Diet I discovered I was sensitive to Gluten – within a week all my lower back and joint aches and pains went away. Unfortunately my love for bread resulted in me saying “I just can’t believe it “- so I started eating gluten again and all my aches and pains came back. Six months later I did the Ultra Simple Diet again with resolution of almost all aches and pains again!! I have now been gluten free for 3 years and while it is difficult at times (particularly since I am vegetarian by choice) I don’t miss taking 800mg of ibuprofin 2 to 3 times every day (which I did for years and years). Interestingly I have recommended the Ultra Simple Diet to literally hundreds of people with few takers – it seems many of us would rather live with our pain than have to make a change
I took an IGG test with lab corp and had antibodies to just about everything I was eating including wheat. I removed all of the foods from my diet and the osteoarthritis that I had experienced for 20 years was gone in two weeks. I began to loose weight without trying and lost a pound a week for 6 months.
Only through diet was I able to confirm my body’s intolerance of gluten. I have been struggling with migraines, pain, inflammation, along with a host of others mysterious symptoms. I am convinced diet plays a major role in one’s health (or lack thereof!)
Thank you, Dr. Hyman,
My doctor had me order the home test from http://www.enterolab.com to test for gluten sensitivity. The “gold standard,” biopsy, does not search the length of the intestines and, consequently could miss the damaged area giving a false negative. The stool test is a little nasty but if effective in its diagnosis.
Once I had my diagnosis, I went on and off wheat for the next couple of years – it is difficult to give up. Each time I would start my gluten elimination, I lasted longer than the time before until I managed to stay off gluten for three months. Then I slowly added gluten back in to my dient and noticed minor stiffness in my ankles. Then i added more gluten and got Charly Horse cramps in my legs. Once evening, the Charly Horse cramp spread through my entire body – even my fingers bent with crampls, and I was paralyzed with pain. That was a year ago! Pain is a great motivator. Now, if I accidentally get a little gluten in something, I can tell because my fingers and ankles get sore and stiff.
For anyone who really wants bread, the best one I have found is Udi’s which can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store. We recently did a long road trip and I took a loaf of Udi’s with me in the car. We made a dinner stop at Subway’s and when I explained my condition to the manager, he let his staff make my sandwich on my Udi bread. I find most restaurants are very accomodating. I have also found a great website called http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com. You can get a free daily subsription and the few recipes I’ve tried have been fabulous. For a quick and tasty grain, try Quinoa an amino rich grain that is naturally gluten free.
It’s been a year and I am finally gluten free for life. It’s hard, but new GF products and alternate grains really help. Good luck to everyone.
I had eliminated gluten 6 yrs ago because I had an overgrowth of yeast in my digestive tract and felt great after I got treated with anti fungal (yeast turns into fungus when it is out of control) and went gluten free. I lost my job a few months ago and low funds sent me to try to eat gluten products again and I got unbelievably ill and sent me into a despair and depression. Luckily I figured out what happened again and am on the road to recovery again. One of your other posts about a client named Heather helped me realize the yeast had turned into fungus again. I had two pills left of anti fungul meds and took them to see if I would feel better and have seen a marked improvement. Now I need to convince my mainstream doctor to give me more so I can get completely well again. Thank you so much for your work Dr Hyman because I have been told by doctors that this didn’t even exist and because these health problems caused by gluten affected my brain function so much it was terrifying to be told I was imagining something I knew to be true. I had went through this before so I knew it was true. I am going to print your post about Heather and bring it to the doctor next week. Wish me luck in convincing her about what I know to be true about my own health!!!
oops! I was wrong, the name of the girl is Sarah who is 18 and wanted to learn lines for acting. I went to print the article and saw the correct name. Thanks again Dr Hyman! I will I could go see you instead of my doctor who just thinks I should take an anti depression pill and that will solve everything! Not!
If only I can get a job, I can afford to buy my own food. I wonder if there is spaghetti pasta that doesn’t include gluten. I WOULD LOVE to avoid gluten to see how it feels. One upon a time in my life, I was going to an old but good fitness center as a child with my aunt and brothers. They’d have free watermelon, outside pools without fountain where I learned to swim underwater. I remember a nice steam room I was afraid of ever entering. What’s so significant about remeniscing memories from LONG AGO, is the DIFFERENCE between how I felt then and how I feel now. I’d LOVE to feel how I used to, even though somewhere on the inside, I just didn’t want to have feeling, but now that I’d like to face such things, I WANT TO FIRST become healthy again… I wonder if children are more healthy than most people because their bodies are growing, well, I if that’s true, I want to be just as healthy with the discipline… WHAT discipline I still have in tact before I hopefully never give up and just eaten gluten.
Dear Joe, here are another article for you to refer to as well as the gluten-free diet Dr. Hyman has in his Ultramind book.
http://drhyman.com/dr-oz-show-gluten/
http://drhyman.com/the-ultramind-gluten-free-meal-plan/
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I have been mostly gluten free for five years now, since a naturopath suggested I go on a cleansing diet. Once I brought back in the wheat and gluten, my symptoms flared up – sore throat, wheezing, tight chest, loss of voice, as well as flatulence and later I discovered my vertigo or dizziness was triggered by eating gluten as well. I did have achey joints and weepiness, bloated, tired and depressed, but was blaming it all on menopause.
The celiac blood test didn’t show postive, but then I had been off gluten for a few years at the time. It doesn’t hurt to try going without wheat products for a week or two so you can test it for yourself. You’ll see soon enough what the results are.
My family has a lot of food allergies, and my mother has irritable bowel syndrome, so once my sisters and mother started finding out about their allergies, it was only a question of time before I got curious about my own symptoms. Things like this do seem to be genetic, or run in families.
thanks for a great article
I had thought that I didn’t eat much gluten and a salivary IgA test was negative for me. But I noticed when my consumption went up I had more joint pain. I went 100% gluten free in early 2011. Since then I have no more arthritic joint pain, no more itching and no more constipation. There are many wonderful resources on the internet for recipes and many good products available in the markets. Even restaurants are starting to offer GF choices. It’s great to feel good again and so worth it. But take note just because it’s gluten free doesn’t make it always healthy, it can still be full of sugar and processed junk food. I initially gained 7#’s trying all the new GF dessert recipes!
I eat LCHF. Low carb high fat-diet. Perfect for me with gluten sensivity and former IBS.
Thanks for the great info. As a sufferer of multiple chronic illnesses (and someone who has lived through a rare, severe reaction to the “wonder drug” I was put on to help them) I appreciate your advice on a natural way to feel better. I’ve been about 95% gluten free for a couple of years and have experienced much less fatigue and depression–but still struggle with Interstitial Cystitis and Colitis. Since I don’t have actual Celiac disease, I thought a little gluten wouldn’t hurt me. But I’m definitely going to eliminate 100% from now on. I’ll keep you posted!
PS–I’ve been seeing one of your colleagues, Rick Mayfield, at the Center for Well Being in Mpls. I believe functional medicine is literally saving my life. Let’s hope one day insurance companies see its obvious benefits!
@ Pat Garlinghouse Just because you and I are not allergic to peanuts does not mean that no one is allergic to peanuts. Some people die from eating foods that were supposedly “peanut-free” but contained just a trace of peanut oil or ground peanut.
Celiac disease is even more common than peanut allergy and many people suffer its effects without knowing they have it. In Italy, all children are tested for celiac disease. We should be doing that in the US. It might decrease the number of children diagnosed with autism and ADHD.
Instead we have many doctors who refuse to test patients for celiac disease because they “know” the patient doesn’t have the disease. If drug companies had an anti-celiac drug to sell, doctors would be diagnosing ceiiac disease in half their patients in order to get their rewards from the drug companies. Wake up and see what’s going on around you.
I went gluten free 2 years ago and it made a world of difference in just 30 days. Living gluten free eliminated my severe joint pain/swelling and what had been diagnosed as IBS / stress / Chronic Depression. If I accidentally ingest gluten I know within just a few hours – joint pain and gut issues. It was a hard change to make in my life and I wouldn’t stay gluten free unless I had to (geeeees I miss chewy bread!!!) – but the difference is just amazing.
Can drinking a single beer cause the celiac reactions that you are writing about? What would be the symptoms and how long would these symptoms occur? How much of the reaction would be necessary to show up on a blood alcohol meter?
I went gluten free grocery shopping and tell me its a learning process because I brought home two items that I thought for sure were gluten free got home, ate half of it and realized, nope not so. I have worked at going gluten free before a year ago but now see that its a combination of going gluten free and taking thyroid medication, but also knowing why I need to be on thyroid. Basically getting to the cause of the problem. So thanks for making it clear that I need to go 100% gluten free, which seems like a daunting task right now, but I am up for it. Thanks for being a stand that our food system takes a look at it self.
during bout of diarhea decided to cut out gluten, since i’ve had irritable bowel for many years. Brother and sister had asthma and many allergies when young, but i did not–even could walk through poison ivy with no effect. But in my late seventies and early eighties (now) have begun to get intestinal allergies. Have had to cut out coffee, a big blow, and sugar and mayonnaise. After reading your book, I wondered when gluten was coming. Diarrhea stopped in tracks and grocery bill went down. So keep up the good work, and I’m grateful to you.
If someone got rheumatoid arthritis late in life (in their 60′s), would this be an indication that this might be a problem with gluten or some other allergy? If it’s an allergy to food, would the person not have the problem earlier in life?
For everyone, Being gluten-free does not mean having to give up all the foods you love. There are brown rice and other different kinds of pasta that are every bit as good as their wheat counterparts or better. Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free Brownie Mix makes the best brownies I have ever tasted (I add nuts and additional chocolate chips). Gluten-free bread mixes make wonderful bread, albeit a little more expensive. Also, Carol Fenster has a cookbook out called 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes with everything you can imagine–pancakes, waffles, muffins, sandwiches, wraps, and tacos, pastas, pizza, cakes and cupcakes, cookies and bars, pies and pastries, homemade gluten-free ingredients, plus fish, seafood, poultry, meats, vegetables, salads and soups, appetizers and snacks, grains and beans fruit and custard desserts, etc. I got my copy at Ollie’s, but I’m sure you might find it anywhere books are sold. Anheuser-Busch, Inc. even makes Redbridge, a gluten-free beer brewed from sorghum; and I understand that Yuengling will soon also have a gluten-free beer out. Happy eating!
How do you know if you have inflammation?
I had extreme malnutrition and since going gluten free I have been doing much better.
Before gluten free I had stomach pains that I thought were ulcers, fatigue to the point I couldn’t even shower, rapid heart rate where I ended up in the ER twice. This too has improved.
I was seeing doctors for 3 years and they couldn’t find anything wrong. In desperation I tried eliminating gluten from diet and started feeling better. THe only problem with this is I was never diagnosed and since I am gluten free none of the test will come back accurate.
After reading this article, especially this…. “The findings were dramatic. There was a 39 percent increased risk of death in those with celiac disease, 72 percent increased risk in those with gut inflammation related to gluten, and 35 percent increased risk in those with gluten sensitivity but no celiac disease.”
I am extremely nervous about whether I have inflammation. Is there anyway of knowing? Is there anything I can do to get inflammation down?
Thank you!
Meghann
I have mild sensitivity, and had no idea about it for years. I am GLUTEN-FREE AND VEGITARIAN. Many people wonder WHAT do I eat. Just as a fair warning, I am Not the disciplined and sacrificing type of person at all, so I had to figure out how NOT to use any discipline and still stay on the diet. In fact, I LOVE my diet, its very fullfilling, and I love 100% healthy condition as a result. I dont feel as if I am making any sacrifices at all. Zuccini sauted in pesto, stuffed potatoes, parmesan and cilantro stuffed grilled tomatoes, strawberries in vanilla creamy yogurt with a tint of maple syrop, cuban-style fried plantains, thai-style green chilly vegitables on bed of rice, mango-banana-pear protein shake – list goes on and on – and it hardly looks like a sacrifice, glutein people, get excited! To make sure u are fullfilled – u just have to come up with your own strategy on how to eat well and tasty without stuffing stomack with glutein. Will share my tips about glutein-free strategy with those who are just starting, hope this will help transition
Getting off glutein does seem pretty challenging in the beggining, especially when pasta and bread are your every day favorites – been there 
. Once u eating well and gluten-free, ur body will not want to eat anything with glutein, u know exactly how bad its going to make u feel and u have all the great alternatives in your mind ready – so u will feel naturally averted from glutein most of the time – at least this is how it works for me. Sympom that made me go to a doctor was all of a sudden extreme allergy to cosmetics. MD had no answers for me besides antihistomine and steroids and stop using cosmetics, take a $700 dollar allergy test and stop being around chemicals. Thats no way to live, we all are always around chemicals, polishes, fabrics, deodorants, perfumes, etc etc, and I love house projects too. After few month of taking meds and getting kind of desperate – I heard of good local Naturopathic doctors. And they helped me. By elinimation diet (oh btw unlike allergy test, its FREE & be warned of few great side effects) figured out i had glutein sensitivity. My allegry cleared out completely in 2 weeks, and been 100% med-free since then. I also noticed that working out became a lot easier, no aches and pains in muscles, a lot more flexibility. Just as I thought that I was getting older and it was time to lay off of those backbends 
. Now onto diet. Answer is A LOT of fruit, veggies, nuts. My protions of green beans and such are now 2-3x bigger than before – 
. If u are a meat eater – u probably wont feel that u need to increase ur meals, just sub the glutein parts. Fruit or veggie or both with EVERY meal. I find this diet very fullfilling and enjoyable. I dont miss bread at all. Ok once in a while I would have a piece of bread in a restaraunt, or when confronted with mom’s pie and home made pirogies – yes I will break the glutein rule few times a year. Since I am not celiak, it does not make me sick, I just know I cannot continue take in glutein. On day to day, meat and bread free, using herbs, pesto, chillies, and such, veggies, rice and beans, fruit, cheese and spices – every meal is GREAT. Buckweat for hot cereal, rice-puffs for cold cereal. Investigate if u sensitive to both corn and wheat gluten, or just wheat. Beware, many cornmeal recipes contain parts of wheat-flour. Great sub for pasta are Tinkiyada Pasta Joy bown rice pasta brands, I prefer spagheti type, spinach or plain brown rice. Quinoia pasta from Ancient Harvest is great as well. My preferece is their colorful pasta. Quinoia pasta is a little harder in texture, almost rather always feels al-dante, and not fully cooked – but its still great for those who like al-dante texture. Udi’s breads – especially white sandwich bread are good. Rice Tortillas – very yummy sub for tortillas and flat bread. I sprinke tortilla with cheese and herb – for instance cilantro – fold, throw onto the flying pan (or microwave if at work) with a little oilve oil – 3 min – mid-day snack done. Baking with glutein free flower is a little challenging – but it is possible to make bread and deserts that taste and have texture just as good. I think the trick is to use more baking powder, my mom done it for me, and I m very lucky to have found local gluten-free bakery too. Definitely find recipe specific to glutein-free flour. Otherwise it wil not work at all, u cannot just substitue regular flour. Baking is time consuming, so I am yet to learn how to do it. When I go to a picknic with close friends – I drag a pack of glutein-free crackers with me for appetizers, and if its an Italian cookout – bring and cook my own brown rice pasta. When I go to more formal gatherings or to a restaurant – I eat at home before I go out . No time? – little pack of peanuts and hazel nuts for the road, chocolate – so I am not hungry in a restaruant. I can always find an appetizer, salad, couple of sides, or a desert that is veggie and glutein free to keep company and not be rude to people who are eating actual dinner. All there is of a change – ur salad in a restaurant comes after main course (at home), no big deal. It is a great strategy actually. Many restaurant foods contains too much processed stuff, even in good restaurants. Once u stop eating bulks of restaurant food – u will not want to eat much of it again, due to the taste and smell – its just not that fresh and good tasting afterall. I always went to more upscale places, and even there, many times there are preservatives, oils, etc. that create kind of thick and non-fresh flavor. When I can – I sub eating outings for coffee, tea, ice cream, deserts, walks, visiting interesting places, etc. Food is our best medicine, so as much as possible, I reserve best stuff for that role, not something cooked up in a restaurant 
. When bulk of your diet is healthy, it is totally great to eat out 2-3 times a week, I dont want to make impression that i am in any way deprived of fun and social part of eating in restaruants. Also – its a lot cheaper to eat most of your food at home. Veggie and glutein free cooking (i dont even know if it qualifies as “cooking” really) is super easy, cheap, and quick: while your rice or pasta is preparing, wash, cut, sautee lightly or raw, sprinkle some cheese, oil and vinerar, herbs – its done. In super hurry – throw a potato into microwave + chives, cheese, sour cream. Or prepare meals in bulk few days ahead. Many Asian cultures do that – make a bulk of rice and chilly veggies for couple days ahead. Once u eat a proper diet with all ingredients your body needs – you should not have ANY cravings, or hungry feelings. If u keep having invaisive cravings – it maybe your alert to not getting enough to eat – increase portions, or not enough nutritients, or some type of contamination in digestve track, etc. there are few underlying causes. Talk to an ND about those cravings, these can be easily diagnosed and fixed. I have tried to talk to an MD about cravings being a sympthom of something wrong with the system – they out loud laughed at me. So ND with detailed tests is my answer. Dont forget to visit ur MD or ND to run all the tests 1-2 times a year to ensure u have everything balanced in your diet – and u all set 
Thank you so much for your clarity. I discovered a couple of years ago that I have a gluten sensitivity. My wedding ring finger was swollen and red. I was horrified at the thought of having to cut it off. I reviewed what I had eaten the day before: a half bagel with cream cheese and salmon for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch and vegie pasta for dinner. All, I thought were pretty healthy but I noticed the heavy wheat component to each meal. The thought of giving up my favorite foods was awful, but I tried it for about 3 weeks and then ate the same things again, a bagel with cream cheese, a sandwich and pasta. Sure enough, all my fingers were somewhat swollen and my stomach felt awful, which is when I realized how great I had felt for the previous couple of weeks. After reading your article, I realized that I haven’t had a migraine since quitting gluten, my muscles don’t ache at night when I try to get comfortable. Today I find there are many substitutes for gluten products and frankly I feel so great that I don’t really miss those foods that made me sick.
Thank you so much for your clarity. Keep it coming!!!!
Tom:
Tom I agree that eating well is more expensive than eating junk food: bread, pasta, pizza.
My grocery bill went up since I buy fresh produce and lean meats.
BUT… my bread replacement is cheaper now…
I eat brown rice for breakfeast with an egg and a bit of chicken.
Yes rice is dull, but I add some canola or olive oil to it, some fresh onion bits, salt and pepper.
For lunch I eat salad and some canned fish.
For supper: ground beef, carrotts, potatoes and spices.
You can replace bread with brown rice and pototoes.
The only down side is that I can’t make a sandwich out of those and I can’ t go grab a burger when I’m out and I get hungry.
But the way I’ve felt better off bread and gluten, I can’t go back to gluten foods.
Plus from cutting out all the junk foods (bread, pasta, pizza) I’ve lost over 20 lbs.
Being vegan for over two years and still having difficulty loosing weight and having high cholesteral I decided to get some more blood tests done. My test came back with a severe vitamin d difincency. Some of my symptoms were consitent stomach growling, foamy diareah, and extreme fatigue, dry skin, rashes, anxiety, social phobia, etc.. After speaking with my doctor she suggested I eliminate gluten and immediatly started feeling better. In five months my bad cholesteral dropped 75 pts and my trigs dropped 140 pts. Wow … and I actually was eating more fat and salt then I normally do. Pretty much all of my symptoms have dissapeared. The one thing that hammers me the most is alchohol gluten which very severely floods the symptoms back. I believe the alchoholic gluten drinks helps deliver it into the blood stream more effectively than ingestion through foods. My hangovers would last 2-3 days and only have to have a half a drink mixed in with the others. The alchoholic gluten drinks seems to have more of an effect on my mental status: anxiety, depression, paranoia, ocd thinking, irratability, cognative disfunction, etc … Gluten free drinks cause normal hangover with none of the mental symptoms. My biggest warning for celiac and gluten intollerants is watch out for the alcohol. There needs to be more studies on gluten and alcohol/alcoholism.
I tested negative for celiac (stool test), but am, never-the-less sensitive to gluten. I’ve discovered this on my own my going off gluten and then re-introducing it to my diet. Or accidentally ingesting gluten. It gives me diarrhea. I used to say I had an iron stomach – nothing every gave me stomach pain short of an intestinal virus. Then, over a period of years, I gradually had more and more problems. I also have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, so I have autoimmune issues. Gluten intolerance is often an accompanying ailment, and it proved to be true for me (but hadn’t shown up yet when I was diagnosed with Hashi’s).
I was finally convinced to go completely gluten free when I met a person with Celiac. She pointed out to me that just because my test was negative, doesn’t mean I’m not developing Celiac, and that any negative reaction to eating grains should be enough of a signal that my body isn’t handling it well. Catching it early before it becomes Celiac is the way to go.
I don’t like the gluten-free bread substitutes at all (I used to love whole wheat bread and so “white” substitutes seem pathetic to me). But I am happy on a diet of grass-fed beef, free range chickens, fresh fish, vegetables and fruits.
Essentially it all comes down to your immune system. GMO foods are everywhere and when one eats a ANY GMO food, your immune system does not recongnize this food so it “reacts” and tries to intergrate or eliminate it. Gluten and dairy often times go hand in hand, so watch the dairy too!
And one must keep in mind that testing antibodies require one to be exposed to gluten, otherwise the test WILL come back negative!
So after 2hearing colonoscopies, 2 CT scans, an MRI and tons of blood work we are still trying to find out why my husband hurts everyday. Sometimes it is debilitating. I think it may be a gluten allergy, but of course im not a doctor. I would think after 3 years we could figure it out. Now that I know more about gluten we will go gluten free to see if we can rule that out. Thank you for the info!
I am Celiac and found out May 17, 2010 when I was 71 years old. I have always been a walker and very active so when my osteopenia became osteroporisis I was very upset. I don’t drink or smoke and I always try to eat the right foods. What I noticed my whole life was that food was suppose to give me energy only I always got very tired and very light headed. I do have low blood pressure which I know is a sympton of a gluten allergy. Now I could be out driving my car and then all of a sudden I would want to put my head on the steering wheel and fall asleep. Now that is scary!!! The fatigue I felt just kept getting worse over the years. I also suffered from a patch of eczema on my left elbow. Now I have an itchy patch on my back. I also think I have a very mild case of DH that comes and goes. I have never been a big pasta and bread eater. My biopsy tested inconclusive. I did have the changes in the duodenum which is Marsh 1-11 plus I am positive for TTG and EMA. I was also diagnose with H.Pylori grastritis and I no longer have that problem.
So on June 17, 2010 after my biopsy procedure the gastroenterolgist told me my villa was slightly bent and part of my stomach had atrophy. He advised me to go off the gluten. Right away I felt better. Now I really had some interesting changes going on in my body. When I went to bed at night I could feel my stomach tightening or pulling it is hard to explain. There were other bodily sensations which seemed to be muscular. The bottom of my right foot below the arch always itch. That too was pulling and the itch went away. I know this sounds weird. It really is the sympton of a gluten withdrawal. Now months laters my vertical lined nails that were also wasting away started to become free of so many of the lines and I am actually getting healthy nails back free of lines and spittings. Just today I noticed I no longer have hangnails. Another problem I had was the thinning of my hair. I was actually getting a bald spot on the back of my head. A few months ago I noticed the hair lost has grown back.
So nowadays I am a lively 72 year old senior who doesn’t fall asleep watching television. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night with nausea below my belly button which I use to think I probably ate some bad food. Actually I did. I ate some poison called gluten.
Now I never had that diarrhea that so many people have. I don’t have a vitamin D problem. Celiac has many stages for different people. Never make comparisons just get tested if you don’t fell good for no reason you can figure out.
Thank you for shedding more light on this topic, Dr. Hyman. So many people blame their health problems on other things when the solution lies in a simple change to their diet. But then again, the same people don’t seek out alternative answers to their problems and tend to listen to their doctors, who give them prescriptions, treating the symptoms instead of the cause. I found out why I constantly had allergy symptoms after I had a in depth Biomeridian Analysis (BMA). It found I had a sensitivity to gluten as well as wheat and rice. Many gluten free foods, such as bread, uses rice as an alternative to wheat, so that’s a challenge for me. I’ve found to use other non-rice and wheat grains, such as coconut and almond flour for baking and cooking. I still miss my bread though! There are a few good recipes for breads using almond flour I have yet to try. I stick to the Paleo Diet because it really serves me well. Even though I had the BMA, I still want to have blood or saliva tests to confirm my food allergies. If more people realized that many of their health problems occur from factors they can control, it would be an amazing epiphany for people everywhere!
I’ve shared this article with many of my clients, who struggling with binge-eating and weight related issues. I’ve always known that even people who didn’t test positive for celiac (myself included) could be powerfully impacted by gluten in food. I believe many of my clients have sub-clinical sensitivities to the gluten and particularly wheat that triggers the binges that make them feel so miserable.
When we’ve tried them on a gluten-free plan, the results are typically really exciting. Moods stabilize, cravings and binges stabilize and disappear, other symptoms like inflammation/arthritis or allergic and asthma symptoms.. gone.
I’m not a researcher but I know that for most of my clients who suffer around disordered eating, that ditching the gluten can bring huge relief.
Thanks for all your powerful work and all of the great information online.
Love and Blessings,
Lisa Claudia Briggs, LICSW
Intuitive Mentor and Overeating Expert and Interventionist
Http://www.IntuitiveBody.com
Simple Sacred Solutions for Living Beautifully In Your Body
Thank you Dr Hyman for an excellent and extremely informative article. In my own practice I have met several patients who suffer with arthritis whose symptoms dramatically improved on a gluten free diet. That included actual swelling of joints as well as mobility, energy levels and overall wellbeing. I myself have experienced my episodes of “brain fog” disappear on eliminating gluten from my diet. I had not realised however the full extent to which it is present in everyday items such as vitamin pills and lipsticks so thank you for this superb article. I was wondering if you felt it may also be implicated in cases of difficulties with fertility, miscarriages or early ovarian failure?
Thank you
I have full blown celiac disease, diagnosed in my sixties. Looking back now, I know that I’ve had it since my early twenties. My mother and grandmother died at the age of 60, one from colon cancer, the other heart disease. I have no doubt that they, also, had this disease. My granddaughter, unfortunately, has also inherited it.
I’ve had atrial fibrillation for about 30 years and going on a gluten free diet has cut down drastically on the number of episodes I experience. I still suffer from IBS, though, and don’t have much hope that that’ll go away, even though I’ve been gluten free now for three years.
So does one just walk into a Quest diagnostic lab and ask for this? I thought that a perscription of some sort from an MD was necessary.
Hi Rene, we advise that you manage your testing through your physician.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Looking at the responses it is clear how prevalent this issue really is. I am a physical therapist with a daughter who is a chiropractor. During a visit about 4 yrs ago she commented that I appeared as if I had a sluggish adrenal gland and would like to test me. The symptom that clued her in was a constant nasal drip and coughing to clear my throat. I also was having difficulty sleeping. Otherwise I felt very well with energy to spare. She administered a saliva test that was sent to a lab she uses in Texas. The results came back as a gluten intolerance and a soy intolerance. I went totally gluten and soy free with the sympyoms disappearing in about 3 months.
My point is that the symptoms can be very subtle with other food intolerances combined in the picture. Further testing did prove I had a leaky gut with inflamation. I was tested about 1 yr later and my gut had healed, my symptoms abated but I continue to stay on a gluten and soy free diet.
I am wondering why the saliva or stool tests are not used more frequently? Isabel
~~Well thats interesting I have a constant nasal drip in the winter months a cough that won’t go and although I haven’t managed to successfullly stay off all forms of gluten for a long period, I have given up bread. If I do eat bread I am almost comatised within the hour and can’t stay awake. I guess I should really give up all forms of gluten permanently.
A thought about those trying to avoid bread. I take with me for the day salads that have a base of lentils, Quinoa, brown rice, or beans like Flagelo, kidney,butter beans etc. a few walnuts scattered in or toasted sunflower or pumkin seeds, the addtion of a little lemon zest and some nice lemony/olive oil dressing with plenty of pounded garlic in it. If you have corriander leaf or basil, mint so much the better. Every mouthful tastes fantastic and full of goodness not to mention roughage etc.
I think it is very sad that we don’t have more funtional medicine trained people around. Many would scoff at the attempts those with chronic problems make to get themsleves well, but you would not have desperate people taking up desperate measures if they had someone to guide them. It is too expensive for many to get help and too much of a mine field without help. How is it that main stream Dr’s have managed to elevate themselves to such a postition in society when it is obvious they are not truely interested in finding a solution to peoples health issues.
I found out that my severe chronic eczema was completely caused by a wheat intolerance through a detox/elimination diet. My hands were so broken out that they were often bloody with only periodic help from steriod creams. Now they are completely clear like a baby’s! I’ve been off gluten for the most part for the past 6 years, today we made pancakes with a combo of pamela’s gluten free pancake mix, 2 Tablespoons of freshly ground flax seeds and 1/2 cup of ground gluten free oatmeal….fantastic! Now if I eat any wheat or gluten products my hands don’t break out but I get hangnails around my finger nails, you know, the kind you just have to pick at? Anytime I eat a wheat or gluten product I get several of those within hours. Not sure why but at least I know what causes it!
Thank you for your enlightening article about gluten. This is a serious health problem, and your information is right on target. I was diagnosed eight years ago — at age 55. I have been celiac all my life. With dermatitis herpetaphormis as well as a miriad of other skin issues, a life of consitpation and bloating, severe fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, an underactive thyroid, and many other issues, I could have used this diagnosis a very long time ago! I am totally gluten-free, and it has changed my life completely. I am an advocate and talk to people nearly every day about this issue as many, many people are suffering because they do not know about gluten — and because their doctor’s make no money by promoting a gluten-free diet! Please know that if you want a blood test diagnosis, do not go gluten-free first. The test will come back negative. And also, the gut begins to feel better in a week or two; the skin takes at least three months to clear up. It’s worth all the effort; educations is the key as well as self-reliance. Don’t depend on the medical community for your advice — self educate as there is a ton of information to be found. Thank you, again, Dr. H.! Keep up the good information!
I was having serious health issues and went to my Dr. I was diagnosed with several problems. My Dr. wanted to run the tests for celiac, but I refused. The first “attack” I experienced felt like a heart attack (tho I have never had one). The second ” attack” I thought I was going to die. I read up on this Celiac (Gluten) and decided to make changes. I totaly removed all wheat, rye and GLUTEN ect. from my diet, begining in late January of this year. a few months later I ate a very small piece of chocolate candy that had a wafer inside….. the pain was awful. That was all it took for me. I am wheat and gluten free and have lost 50 lbs. I eat mostly fruit and veggies, turkey and chicken (beef seems to bother me as well). I found that alot of make up has gluten as well. My face would break out in the areas I would use blush. I have found many resources in which I can get gluten free recipes. Grocery stores are finally catching the clue and offering gluten free items on their shelves. I do have to read EVERY label so as not to cause myself any undo pain. Worth it however. I am pain free!!!!!!
Great discussion. I just wanted to share two great cookbooks that have really made a difference in our family. We still can enjoy muffins, cookies etc. without the gluten or all the starches/rice found in many gluten-free products. (We have found we are also sensitive to brown rice.)
These books use almond flour and are nothing short of GREAT!
“Grain-free Gourment” & “Everyday Grain-free Gourmet” by Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass.
I have recommended these books so often…. I really should get commission from Jodi and Jenny! lol
very interesting information. many thanks. it made me wonder about the ‘fake food’ as a main source of protein in chinese veggie restaurants. i always feel sick to my gut after eating it! is this fake food on your radar of what not to eat?
Two intestinal resectionings, 20+ years apart; diagnosis Crohns. Stomach ulcers and recently ulcers found in intestines. Constant diarrhea.
Then realized felt great for 24 hrs after raw food meetups. Wife did research and saw that gluten free seemed to be what people were saying. (I’d tested negative for celiac) Now, only take supplements, probiotics, and doing great. I thank my wife for improving my quality of life 200%!
Two intestinal resectionings, 20+ years apart; diagnosis Crohns. Stomach ulcers and recently ulcers found in intestines. Constant diarrhea.
Then realized felt great for 24 hrs after raw food meetups. Wife did research and saw that gluten free seemed to be what people were saying. (I’d tested negative for celiac) Now, only take supplements, probiotics, and doing great. I thank my wife for improving my quality of life 200%! AND if you can afford it, there are gluten free breads, pizza crusts (eat out at Zpizza), and pastas, brags aminos vs soy sauce, etc.
Hello!
Have you heard of Doug Kaufman, the host of Know The Cause and author of the Fungus Link? This man goes even more into depth on the facts you have presented here. If you haven’t read his theories, I would highly encourage you check him out. You may have a new ally!
I truly think the world needs to realize the the American Healthcare System and the FDA really aren’t helping people explore and care for their bodies; rather, they are covering up the problems that could actually be corrected by eating whole, raw/live foods and taking high quality natural supplements. My husband and I eat strictly whole and raw/live foods. We don’t eat fungi, grains, sugar, GMO’s or consume alcohol. On occasion we will because we will think that we miss those old eating/drinking habits, and we are quickly reminded how terrible it makes our bodies feel.
This life style change began when we heard of Doug Kaufman. Many of the symptoms that he addressed were caused by fungus, which in turn basically means grains, were many of the issues our family struggled with. My mother-in-law had rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, high cholesterol, colitis and bursitis. She began a lifestyle change within her eating habits and ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE GONE! My husband also suffered. He had arthritis, chronic sinusitis and beginner’s case of colitis. He too changed his entire lifestyle around and not only have all of his medical concerns been cured, but he also lost about one hundred pounds. (It’s amazing how much weight Americans put on only because of how gluten causes our bodies to inflame.)
It’s a shame there aren’t more people addressing this concern. Instead, people are going on about their busy, American lives whipping up foods that are quick: pb & j, lunch meat sandwiches, spaghetti with garlic bread and grabbing crackers with cheese for a fast fill. They have no idea that these foods are working completely against their mental state, their weight and their health as a whole.
I hope you reach a large group of people. Thanks for your words!
There is a probiotic for gluten-protein that colonize in the gut. It is called Probiozym and is developed by the Norwegian company Neurozym. It also helps on milk-protein. Look at: http://www.neurozym.com/en/
Neurozym also have a test for analyzing peptides from gluten and casein in the urine developed by dr.med. Karl L. Reichelt at the National Hospital in Norway.
i went gluten free 6 months ago now whatever i eat i have allergies
I was experiencing arrhythmia, fatigue, asthma, and depression. I was given everything from Singulair to Prednisone. Nothing worked. I finally got off everthing and eliminated gluten from my diet and all the symptoms went away. Astonishing how bad gluten can be for some people and I suspect probably everyone but they don’t know it yet.
Thank you for the comprehensive info here. I “stopped” ingesting the obvious gluten 5 years ago but didn’t worry about hidden gluten until 15 months ago when I was diagnosed with brain lesions suspicious of MS, as well as a degenerative spine/bone process resulting in 4 surgeries in the past 2 and a half years. Hidden gluten results in balance disturbance, and an over all slowing of movement and reaction time … don’t like that feeling … feeling alive and vibrant is important to me and cutting out gluten, dairy, lowering my carb intake … and keeping my body in internal balance directly impacts the external balance… Haha …. more in that statement than meets the eye!!! It is more than a choice … it is a decision to be well.
My son has had Petit Mal seizures for almost 4 yrs now. After trying clinical medication that did not stop nor reduce his seizures, we decided to take a safer, less invasive method and tried alternative medicine and chiropractic.. Last January we met an amazing doctor, who told us he probably had a gluten sensitivity/allergy. We had never even heard of gluten, and then to find out it was in EVERYTHING pretty much. After we eliminated gluten from his diet, we seen a reduction in the seizures by about 80-90%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOTHING we had ever seen before! Why aren’t we told more about this sneaky little death trap? Thank you for posting such a wonderful article about it!
I’ve been having a few minor digestive issues of late. Wondering if the lab tests for IgA and IgG are the same type that are done by numerous independent labs, such as Allettess, etc.? Or are the ones provided by LabCorp and Quest more specific and reliable? I’ve heard a lot about IgG and IgA antibody testing by ELISA for food sensitivities, but aren’t sure it is the same as what you mention here.
Hi Sarah,
The Elisa/RAST IgE for type 1 or acute hypersensitivity reactions to food or environmental allergens while the IgG can be tested best by immunolabs for food sensitivities.
Quest nd LabCorp are conventional tests and might be good for some labs but nit highly specified for food allergies except for gliadin IgG IgA antibodies to gluten.
In good health!
In May of this year I had a CT scan that showed severe inflammation and fluid in my intestines. After several appointments and medications that only made the pain and eating more painful,I eliminated gluten from my diet and began a Paleo lifestyle.After two weeks I improved and now after 8 months gluten and grain free the doctors concurred that I was gluten sensitive and wheat allergic. I also lost 53 pounds,I have balanced my hormones and reduced my blood pressure. I would encourage anyone who has any symptoms to try eliminating grains from their diet and see of they have any issues with gluten intolerance or even celiac disease. It truly changed my health and I am truly amazed and grateful.
I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis last year and was taking several medications to mask my symptoms. About ten weeks ago, I vowed to change my eating habits and began with a 30-day detox/cleanse which eliminated gluten among several additional toxic foods and additives. Not only have I lost 12 lbs., but more importantly have stopped taking medication for pain and depression. I have more energy and feel clear headed-no more foggy thinking! On Thanksgiving, I sampled everything, from bread stuffing to sugar laden desserts. The next day, I felt like I had to stay in bed with a food hangover! I suffered from an intense headache, bloating, increased muscle fatigue, and brain fog. It was clearly attributable to the toxic foods that I had eliminated from my diet, including gluten. I am so thankful for people like you who are educating others about the dangers of gluten! Avoiding it can really make you well again!
I was diagnosed over ten years ago with a blood disorder…low neutrophils and high lymphocytes. I don’t know if there is a connection, but last week I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and put on Levothyroxin. I pulled out my copy of Ultra-Metabolism and was surprised to discover that gluten can be the culprit in hypothyroidism. I am just now switching to a gluten free diet. Luckily, there is a store in town where I can buy gluten free foods. I’ll be curious to see if my labs change both in regard to my blood disorder and my TSH after a time without gluten. I also plan to ask my doctor about Armour thyroid when I go again.
How do you gt enough fiber in your diet if you eliminate all wheat, barley, rye, spelt, oats and spelt?
Hi Pat,
There are many grains such as quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, teff buckwheat and millet which are gluten free and have plenty of fiber, nutrients (including protein!) and are safe to eat if one is sensitive to gluten. Also, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans have PLENTY of fiber!
In good health,
Lizzy
These gluten grains have been around since earth began. Isn’t there something that could be eaten with them that would counteract them? Like beans and corn make a full protein, grains and milk etc..
Fatigued adrenals can cause a lot of these symptoms or fungus infection.
Someone said they don’t eat meat! That’s not good because we are carnivorous and beef is the main food that gives us niacin -a B vit. for memory. Sugar will deplete the B vits. .
Vit C will counter allergies. (I took 30,000 mgs to stop the reaction of a brown recluse spider bite and had no reaction as I did after the first bite. (This according to an Adelle Davis nutrition book) Pantothenic acid also counters allergies. I can’t eat bananas . I found they make me terribly dizzy but PA counters it immediately.
There must be a “countering food” for gluten also. I would hope someone would do research on that.
The best article Iv’e seen on gluten. I have dermatitis herpetiformis that appeared
around age 35. Another link I may have is low thyroid. Eliminating gluten is an ongoing process, but I feel better now after controlling gluten.
Great article! Thank you to Dr. H, nutritionist, and all the peoples comments! SO much helpful information. I have a problem with the sinus issue, gas and bloating from gluten. I have had a difficult time cutting all the gluten out of my diet but now with the helpful info on cook books I’m going to give it my all and all. New Years resolution for 2012. I also notice stiffness in my joints from too much gluten. I’ve been keeping my intake of gluten to 1 serving a day which has helped but now I’m ready to cut it all out. There are plenty of other whole good foods that I can eat, so this is a great time to change! Also I hear others mentioning dairy being a difficult product to digest and I’m curious if raw dairy products cause the same problems as pasteurized and homogenized products? I’ve recently tried raw milk and I have never been able to drink milk without some digestive problems or difficulty with sinus as well as mucus in my throat. I don’t drink much but I don’t seem to have the same problems with raw milk. Please offer comment. Thank you so much!
Can gluten ROB the effects of Magnesium on the body? I am finding my heart and lungs to be feeling heavy lately, to the point where my breathing is not deep and, YES, I’m an seeing a doctor and was also seen in the ER recently. Diagnosed with ‘stress’….put on Ativan (yuk!)….last nite as I felt I might possibly NOT wake up IF I were to go to sleep, caused my husband to suggest I take my 2ooo Vit C, 10meq of KlorKon and 2800mg of Magnesium Chloride (I am thyroidless btw) to see if it would help. I WAS able to sleep well! But had to take another large dose of the Magnesium Chloride this morning…. I had had an organic blueberry pie made with spelt and some hazelnut cookies earlier. — Thanks for any input you have for me…..
Hi Sandi,
Thank you for sharing your conerns. It sounds like you might do better eliminating all gluten from your diet to start. Because we cannot give you the proper care you need via the internet but do hope you receive the attention you need from a qualified practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
Pat, you did realize there is fiber in fruit and vegetables, right? There is never a reason to consume any sort of grain, not even the fiber. And fiber in fruit and veggies tends to be better for you as these foods tend to be higher in soluble fiber but not as high in insoluble, which is not as good for you.
Also, you don’t need tons and tons of fiber to be healthy. In fact, if you eat too much fiber relative to the fat content of your diet, you will not be able to absorb as much mineral from your food. This is a bad thing: minerals are important not only to build your bones but also to keep lots of other bodily processes healthy, such as your metabolism.
Also, if you have insulin resistance, grains are ridiculously high in digestible carbohydrate for the amount of actual nutrition you get out of them. And that’s when they’re not rancid, and they also contain antinutrients which also compete with nutrient absorption.
If you *must* continue eating non-glutenous grains, the Weston A. Price Foundation has information on how to make grains safer to eat. Personally I do not have the time or resources and I’m too disorganized to always plan ahead to soak grains before I use them. Not worth it, so I don’t bother at all.
be aware — almost all prescription medications use some form of gluten to produce the tablets. have come at this from the back door in that it was not food but meds that first called my attention to the issue. many pharmaceutical driven primary care physicians will be in serious denial when presented with these facts. this is when the push of diet and exercise become the first lines of defense. with diligence they work at least as well as the pills without the dangerous side effects,
Thankyou, I have suffered from gluten sensitivity for years and got diagnosed 5 years ago. I went through series of tests and spent almost a year before I got diagnosed. It’s very painful and now if I eat anything I mean anything with tiny bit of gluten, I know it right away. Life has changed a lot.
“Dr Hyman
I found out I was intolerant to gluten in Feb of 2007. Before figuring out I was intolerant to gluten. I had become unable to eat, unable to breath without many allergy medications, had lost weight due to the chronic diarrhea, had GI bleeding, had been without menstral cycles for 6 of 9 months, had begun to be unable to wear my lip products without my lips getting raw and red.
After removing gluten, I was able to breath without any medication in as short at 24 to 48 hours. By May I was pregnant. However, noone could still give me a conculsive diagnosis. My tests for celiac disease couldn’t say I had it and and yet couldn’t say I didn’t. I had very slightly elevated antibodies. My small bowel biopsy showed increased intraepitheal cells. I knew celiac disease was genetic and I needed to know if I should ever introduce wheat to this child I was having. During the pregnancy I continued to become more and more intolerant to more and more foods. After the delivery I tried to figure it out with lots of trial and mostly frustration and error.
That is when I ended up seeing a MD/ND who did and ALCAT test on me. WOW did this ever change my life. Seems I developed and intolerance to most things in the world. Foods, chemicals, medications, things we consider normal parts of our day.
This new list of intolerances for the first time actually gave me a tool to use to control my own health. However, that question of celiac disease still wasn’t answered. So I travelled to the University of Chicago for genetic testing. When my test came back it showed a HLA DQ2 gene but it was one that was listed as rare for celiac disease. At this time I was being told I was celiac. The baby was one by this time with chronic diarrhea so we did a limited ALCAT on her. Yes she tested postivite to gluten and dairy among other foods that we still avoid almost 3 years later. It was amazing how her diarrhea stopped. To this day if she gets a food on this list she will break out with eczma. Since they thought I was celiac we had her tested genetically. Yes she showed this same rare gene as me. But now Dr Guadalini said
this is not a celiac gene.
Well now we knew we were in the catagory of gluten sensitivity, with a history of my grandpa that died from esophagus cancer, dad that died from stomach cancer, and uncle that died from stomach/esophagus cancer. We will continue to be gluten free along with free of the rest of the list that our ALCAT tests have provided us that cause inflammation in our bodies and maybe some day there will be more answer for us than “there are some things we know and some things we don’t know and you are what we don’t know”
Goodluck to the rest of you out there. I am greatful for the recent advances in recognizing what I already experienced to be true.
For those who want to not just avoid gluten but rather effect real healing, perhaps look into the Gut and Psychology Syndrome nutritional plan.
Thank you for sharing what I have known for years and felt frustrated at people not understanding. This issue is one of the most important health issues of our time. Thank you. Thank you Thank you for your work!!!
Gluten-free is all new to me. BUT I did suffer from thrush and hypothyroidism (underactive). My thyroid was so out of range that the doctors freaked & prescribed me Thyroxin but I didn’t take it. I researched, cut out gluten by 98% and dairy. Also all refined sugars. But AS SOON AS I eliminated gluten, I FELT better! I felt more energy! Less brain fog! Well, 3mo later I went back to re-test thyroid. Perfectly normal. An incurable condition had been REVERSED?! Gluten is a pest haha.
Quitting gluten is the best thing I’ve ever done. The arthritis pain in my hands and elbows stopped. I no longer feel nauseous after eating, and my asthma hasn’t been an issue for the last few years. When I do eat some gluten, I notice the effects within a day so I do try to avoid it as much as possible.
There are lots of substitutes to help with a gluten free diet. You can find rice pasta which is quite good, Ezekiel bread and english muffins made with sprouted grain do not contain gluten and are pretty good as well. You can also bake with various types of gluten-free flour. Good luck in your quest for good health!
Did anyone EVER ingest a Fluoroquinolone, prescribed by your Dr?? Cipro/Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/Levofloxacin, Avelox/Moxifloxacin, Floxin/Ofloxacin, Vigamox eyedrops… and others of this class… affect you in about the same manner as gluten issue. Look into THAT!! Fluoroquinolones are POISON. PERIOD. Search “Fluoroquinolone Toxicity” while you’re looking at “gluten”, you just might discover the REAL CULPRIT!!
Excellent article….but I found it plagarized in another blog….without credit to you …..shame on the other writer your hard work … and they take credit without using you for a reference……
the article in question is posted here
http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/12/is-something-youre-eating-making-you-sick.html
In 2002 after my second child was 8 months old I changed my diet which drastically changed my life. I didn’t know I was sensitive to gluten nor did I know it was the culprit to my chronic asthmatic bronchitis. Nearly 20 years of illness, fluctuations in weight, and GI issues I finally got to the root of my problem and now I can live my life healthy, strong, and happy. Read my story in Oxygen Magazine 2012 Fat Loss Issue on newsstands from Jan. – March 2012. Thank you!
This article is a real eye opener and vindicates so much of what I have researched on a personal level for several years. The one thing that really causes me concern is the constant preoccupation farmers (here in Australia) have with increasing the protein content of their wheat. My brother in law was so proud last year to tell us that his wheat had 17% protein – and I recall that when I was young (50 years ago) the average wheat protein level was about 4% for “high protein” wheat – that is about a 400% increase! Ring a bell with the information from this article??? What no-one seems aware of, or wants to be aware of, is that the enzymes which make up gluten are in direct proportion to the protein level in wheat. That means that over the last 50 years, in the pursuit of “soft” white bread and flours that “rise” well we have been subject ourselves and most especially our children to an increasing dose of a hidden “poison” which is now affecting a large proportion of the population. I wonder also if the increase in the related sensitivity to lactose that many of us gluten sensitive people experience may be more to do with diet of the cows that produce the milk than actually with “milk” itself – cattle graze on wheat stibble, each wheat based “nuggets” and have many other wheat-related supplements; whereas traditionally cattle grazed on grassy pasture, and were supplemented with beans, lupins, vetch, etc. This could also be worth addressing.
Sorry about the spelling errors – a little brain fog possibly due to ingesting (deliberately) some gluten containing product about a week ago. I have noticed the effects last longer now as I age; won’t be tempted again – the reaction wasn’t worth the pleasure (of having a slice of ‘real’ toast.)
THANK YOU to all who have contributed here. I’ve just been told I may be gluten intolerant, and so am reading everything I can about what I need to do. Allergy tests I’ve been given have shown me to have zero allergies! But I’ve suffered with them since age 2. (I am now near 80). I have no thyroid gland, have always been allergic to egg albumin, all seafood and fish. So, I have not thought of gluten, but now I will research this possibility to see if my “old age” symptoms will diminish!
I was diagnosed July 14, 2010 with full blown Celiac Disease. What a benefit to finally find out what had caused my problems all my life. I had suffered from childhood on, but no one mentioned Gluten Intolerance in the late 50′s early 60′s. I was first told I had Colitis, IBS and then Crones disease. I had multiple miscarriages, multiple bladder infections, multiple bronchitis, constant nausea, headaches, fatigue, aches and pains all over my body and yes, I have asthma, too. I was told I was a hypochondriac and I had an anxiety problem. I was prescribed tranquilizers to help me with this so-called anxiety. Nothing worked, I still was constantly getting sick. I also was told I have Fibromialgia. I finally had two female children because I was given a fertility aid called DES. Eight years later, I found out how bad DES was for female offsprings and I live in constant worry about my daughters’ health and uterine cancer (a side effect for them from DES). Later, I developed Endrometreosis and had to get a hysterectomy in my 30′s. I have lost friendships and relationships as a result of being constantly ill because they could not handle being with someone who was well one moment and sick the next. I feel SO MUCH BETTER being on a gluten free diet…now I thought I can reclaim my life. I also have DH (dermatitis herpetiformis). Last week, I tested positive for Lupus! I will be going through a battery of tests to see if this is fact and not a false positive. It is amazing to me that so many people do not know what Celiac Disease is about and what it can cause. I may have spelled some of the medical terms wrong, but I think the point is made of how serious this is.
Thank you for your article and the blog,
I’d like to hear more about how gluten relates to neurological disorders.
I can’t wait to buy you book, and have been spreading this message about gluten.
Hi Cheryl!
Thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Check out these links for exciting info on your queries:
1. http://drhyman.com/downloads/UltraMind6weekEatingPlan.pdf
2. http://www.ultramind.com/
In good health
Lizzy
Dr. Hyman is right on! Antibiotics destroyed my flora; which opened the pathway for pathogens, candida, malabsorption, acid reflux and lots of pain (Genova Diagnostics Lab does the best testing). I have had every test known to man and have been seen by 8 specialists and the only answer I got was to take the purple pill and see a counselor! After 2 years of suffering with extreme acid reflux and inability to digest many foods, I saw Dr. Hyman on the Dr. Oz show. Dr. Hyman really answered questions for me and my family doc. I had been tested for celiac disease by a gastroenterologist and of course it came up negative. My Doc re-tested me using Dr. Hyman’s suggestions and we found that I am predisposed to celiac disease which was brought on by the antibiotics. I am working daily to be sure not to get any gluten. It has been trial and error when it comes to finding things that I can eat but as long as I have no gluten I have no pain.
I hope that once I am stabilized my osteopenia will correct itself and my thyroid function will get better. I also hope that I will be able to eat eggs, chicken, and dairy products once again. Already the acid reflux is almost gone, my thinking is clearer and my energy is coming back.
I cannot thank Dr.Hyman enough for in my opinion “saving my life”.
Response to Shells…. see my prior email. Levaquin is what started everything. It about killed me.
My daughter has celiac disease (38 years old, diagosed 2 years ago). My mother (89 years old) has recurrent acute pancreatitis that started the day of gall bladder removal (70+ attacks). She has been to mayo clinic, no one can help her. Mayo did blood test for celiac – negative. Do you think gluten could be behind her problem?
HI Kathy,
Thank you for sharing your mother’s health story. Gluten may be a contributor although we have no way of knowing based off of internet interactions. The best way to tell if someone will get relief from going GF is to eliminate it for a 2 week trial and see… In order to provide you the proper care you need we hope you will seek the attention of a local qualified Functional Med practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there. Or, if you would like to recieve more in depth nutrition advice: http://store.drhyman.com/Store/List/Coaching-Programs We would be happy to serve you more!
In good health
Lizzy
Lizzy
I understand all of this and more. I had numerours digestive problems my whole life and doctors said it was all in my head. I kept years of food journals and saw many GI doctors. After many doctors expensive test and medication I found out its allergies and intolerance to food. I found out that i am allergic to yeast, wheat, corn, soy, avocado, melons, banana, ragweeds, weeds, grass,mold, pollen, trees, cats, dogs, almost all antibiotics, cucumbers,shellfist, etc.. and intolerance to rice , nuts, dairy and other foods. I am having a hard time figuring out what to eat. Also am allergic to dust mites, dyes, perfume, household cleaners and more. My work environment has fumes, gas, oil, diesel and nastier chemicals. I cant take allergy shots had allergic reactions to them. I get bloating and retain water, rashes, tounge – lips, throat swelling, food indigestion and servere constipation. I carry an epi phen and benedryl. Eating and environmental allergies at work and home are not fun. So I have become a vegan but am still having a hard time with everything and no one i know understands. I just found out my son has extreme asthma and environmental allergies like me not food just yet. My list of food is getting shorter. Its hard to stay away from the food you like and know you cant have
I am allergic to many medication and have problems with herbal drugs and supplements too. My body is just unhappy and tired. I am not sure what to do anymore.