The gluten free diet benefits individuals with celiac disease, an inherited condition in which the body is unable to digest gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye and barley. However, researchers are finding other groups of patients who potentially can benefit from the gluten free diet, even though they haven't been diagnosed with celiac disease. According to pediatric gastroenterologist and allergist Dr. Rodney Ford, gluten affects the brain as well as the intestines, and can cause mood disturbances, difficulties concentration, depression and anxiety.
Significance
The gluten free diet eliminates all foods containing any ingredients from the grains wheat, barley and rye. Implementing a gluten free diet can be tricky, since most processed foods contain some form of gluten and most people eat gluten-containing foods multiple times a day. It may seem daunting to drop all those foods from your diet. People who have been diagnosed with celiac disease have little choice, since their risk of cancer rises dramatically if they continue to eat gluten. But others may see huge benefits, too.
Function
Many other patients--for example, those with an underactive thyroid or those who suffer from migraines--could potentially benefit from a gluten free diet. That's because common tests to detect celiac disease cannot detect gluten sensitivity, in which gluten isn't damaging the intestines, but is damaging other parts of the body, such as the nervous system or the thyroid.
Effects
The gluten free diet also may help heart health. Cardiologist Dr. William Davis says that he routinely tells his heart patients to give up wheat and other gluten grains to improve their cholesterol numbers. Dr. Davis says that patients who go gluten free often find that they lose weight and feel better, and their risk of heart attack and stroke drops dramatically, too.
Benefits
People who take the plunge into a gluten free diet--either on doctor's orders or on their own initiative to see if it makes them feel better--often say they start to feel better within a few days. Still, it can take months for all lingering gluten-related health problems to clear completely, and any dietary slip-ups that result in gluten ingestion can set back a patient by several days, according to Dr. Ford. Patients who begin a gluten free diet also may find that they become very sensitive to gluten, and cannot eat even a crumb of it without feeling the symptoms again.
Considerations
The gluten free diet can be tricky to follow; gluten often hides in unexpected places, such as flavored yogurts, condiments and soups. It's important to read food labels carefully to avoid gluten in processed foods. In addition, eating out in a restaurant while gluten free can be challenging, since adhering to a gluten free diet while eating out means determining where any hidden gluten may be lurking in the restaurant's foods.
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