Is Gluten-Free a Fad? A Gluten-Free Diet Decreases Inflammation and Supports Immune System Health

Is Gluten-Free a Fad? A Gluten-Free Diet Decreases Inflammation and Supports Immune System Health

by Michelle McCaslin

The term “Gluten-Free” is everywhere. There are gluten-free menus at restaurants and whole sections in the grocery store are devoted to this phenomenon. It is a word that gets thrown around a lot in conversations these days, but why? Is it a fad?

At Alternatives, we know going gluten-free is indeed NOT a fad. We have seen the elimination of gluten greatly improve the quality of life for many of our patients. (Including myself and Dr. Ryan-Carlson!)

There are an increasing number of individuals who are showing signs of gluten intolerance. As a result, these people notice that when they eliminate gluten from their diets, they feel better.

Gluten intolerance involves an immune response in which the end result is inflammation. When consuming gluten, individuals exhibit symptoms that relate to inflammation within the gut lining such as abdominal discomfort, bloating and gas. And some have no symptoms what so ever but have a familial line of autoimmune diseases.

Most people notice that various gut symptoms will be treated with trial elimination of gluten, which reduces inflammation and supports the immune system, resolving many underlying gut issues.

In addition, we have seen a number of other symptoms resolve from simply going on a gluten-free diet:

·      Migraines

·      Headaches

·      Rashes

·      Joint pain

·      Neuralgia

·      Depression

·      Endometriosis

·      Obesity

The body is multifaceted and there are many causes to various symptoms. At Alternatives, we pay attention to the whole person and all the various causes in order to help significantly decrease inflammation and assist patients in achieving optimal and quality health. Elimination of gluten is but one tool that helps decrease overall inflammation. 

In practice, I have had many experiences with treating gut issues and autoimmune diseases by suggesting a gluten-free diet with great results. It is profound to help people understand the effects of diet choices and how the body responds to the quality and choice of foods we ingest.

So what is gluten? Wheat is made up of starch, water, fats and proteins. The total protein is broken into albumin, globulin and gluten. Gluten is then comprised of gliadin and glutenin. Gluten is what gives breads the doughy texture, helps the process of rising and gives the shape of the bread. Over the years, the amount of gluten in breads has increased and the amount of wheat flour used in foods has increased as well. On top of increasing amounts of wheat flour in our diets, the wheat in the US is often (but not always!) sprayed with Glyphosate or Round-up prior to harvest. Wheat is obscurely in many of the foods Americans eat and it is chemical laden.

There are three types of people who will benefit from a gluten-free diet:

1)   Those with Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the small intestines. Those with Celiac will have unwanted immune reaction to gluten that causes the body to attack the healthy cells within the small intestines, which induces inflammation and destruction of small intestine cells.

2)   Those with an actual wheat allergy. Having a wheat allergy elicits an immune system response to a component of wheat, which results in a histamine release and inflammation.

3)   Those with gluten-sensitivity. Gluten-sensitivity is when there is an immune system response to the gluten that causes symptoms similar but not as severe to what Celiac patients report.

Aside from the three immune responses to wheat or gluten, wheat is chemically laden with glyphosate, which also contributes as another source of inflammation (Samsel & Seneff, 2013). The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has a handout that explains the difference between Celiac Disease and NCGS (Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). In the handout it states:

“The research on NCGS is only in its infancy, but it is estimated to affect 6% of the population, or 18 million Americans and Celiac disease affects 1% of the general population; 1 in 133 Americans.”

A study done in 2011 (Sapone, Lammers et al., 2011) showed that both Celiac Disease and gluten-sensitive are different, although patients may have similar symptoms. Celiac is a disease that can be diagnosed with labs and biopsy, while the term “gluten-sensitivity” is not as easily diagnosed.

Regardless of the diagnosis, gluten is a common cause of inflammation. Most people notice that various gut symptoms will be treated with trial elimination of gluten, which reduces inflammation and supports the immune system, resolving many underlying gut issues.

Several other studies also show how elimination of gluten helps decrease inflammation, such as the 2012 Italian study (Marziali, Vemza, et al., 2012) in which women with endometriosis were put on a gluten-free diet for 12 months. 75% of the women in the study reported significant pain relief. While another study done in Sweden in 2011 (Sapone, Lammers, et al., 2011) actually found that women with Celiac Disease were actually more at risk for endometriosis.

In the practice of Functional Medicine, diet is key in treating people. Our highly qualified Nutritionist, Stacy, is critical in helping heal our patients. She can assist with diet modification by meal planning and removing roadblocks while partnering with you in your health quest for going gluten-free and increasing your overall quality of life!

Marziali M, Vemza M, Lazzaro S et al. Gluten-free diet: a new strategy for management of painful endometriosis related symptoms? Minerva Chirurgica 2012;67(6):499-504

Sapone A, Lammers K, et al. Divergence of gut permeability and mucosal gene expression in two gluten-associated conditions: celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. BMC Medicine 2011;9:23

Stephansson O, Falconer H, Ludvigsson JF. Risk of endometriosis in 11,000 women with celiac disease. Human Reproduction 2011;26(10):2896-2901