Gluten-Free Diets are Beneficial for Many

by Dr. Joeseph Mercola

Gluten-Free Diets Are Beneficial for Many — Not Just Those With Celiac Disease

In recent years, the benefits of a gluten-free diet have become widely recognized and, according to recent research, people are embracing gluten-free in ever-growing numbers, even though the number of Americans diagnosed with celiac disease has not increased since 2009.1,2,3,4

In 2009, an estimated 0.5 percent of Americans were on a gluten-free diet. By 2014, that number had more than tripled, to 1.69 percent. Meanwhile, the number of people diagnosed with celiac disease remained fairly steady, declining only slightly, from 0.7 percent to 0.58 percent. Gluten-free diets are particularly popular among Caucasian women and younger adults between the ages of 20 and 39 — many of whom do it simply because it makes them feel better.

It’s well worth noting though that while gluten-free has many advantages, just because a food is glutenfree does not automatically make it healthy. There are plenty of gluten-free junk foods out there. Just because a food is gluten free doesn’t make it a health food, just as a food sold at Whole Foods does not make it a health food. There are plenty of lousy fake foods in both categories. For most people, drastically cutting down on your net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) is the key to optimal health. This includes but is not limited to grains (not just wheat, as all grains will spike your insulin levels and contribute to insulin and leptin resistance). Doing this will help your body burn fat rather than carbs as its primary fuel, which helps optimize your mitochondrial function and boost weight loss.

Is Going Gluten-Free a Pointless Fad?

Some doctors dismiss gluten-free as a mere fad,5 fueled by celebrity endorsements and an increasing number of books linking wheat and gluten to a wide range of health problems, from gut dysfunction and allergies to neurological diseases and autoimmune problems. This includes The New York Times Best Seller, “Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar; Your Brain’s Silent Killer,” written by Dr. David Perlmutter, a neurologist, in which he reveals how processed grains contribute to dementia. My own book on this subject, “The No-Grain Diet,” was published in 2003. While still in medical practice, I recommended eliminating gluten as a first line intervention before I would further fine-tune a patient’s diet to address their specific health problems. As the title of my now 13-year-old book indicates, I believe most everyone would benefit from avoiding all grains, not just gluten, as doing so well help you burn fat much better. Plus, healthy fat is a far cleaner and more efficient fuel for your body. Despite the prevailing skepticism, studies are now confirming that many people do indeed experience adverse reactions to gluten even if they test negative for celiac disease. This suggests gluten-sensitivity is a real problem,6 and that gluten-free diets may benefit many — not just those with celiac.

Celiac Disease Versus Wheat Allergy and Gluten-Intolerance

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. People with celiac suffer severe gastrointestinal (GI) reactions and malabsorption of nutrients in response to gluten found in wheat and other grains, and a strict 100 percent gluten-free diet is critical for these people. Celiac disease is typically diagnosed by measuring the presence of autoantibodies such as transglutaminase 2 (TG2), which is thought to be the most sensitive marker for celiac.

Many others have wheat allergy or some level of gluten intolerance or sensitivity, and fare better on a glutenfree diet even if they don’t have celiac disease. If you’re

allergic to wheat, consuming it will result in an immune reaction that can be diagnosed by measuring antibodies called IgE and/or other immune system markers. Food intolerances, on the other hand, are typically related to a lack of a specific enzyme to break down the food in question. Food intolerances tend to generate fewer symptoms that are slower in onset, and can therefore be more difficult to diagnose. Diarrhea or constipation, bloating, headache, anxiety and fatigue are common symptoms of a food intolerance, but may not appear until hours or even days afterward. Gluten sensitivity IS real though, researchers say, and may affect up to 6 percent of the population.

Gluten Sensitivity May Affect a Majority of People

Gluten is a protein made up of glutenin and gliadin molecules, which in the presence of water form an elastic bond. Gluten can be found in grains other than wheat, including rye, barley, oats and spelt. Gluten can also hide in processed foods under a variety of names, including but not limited to11 malts, starches, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), texturized vegetable protein (TVP) and natural flavoring. If you do a search of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, you will find that gluten-containing grains have been linked to dozens of adverse health effects12 and adverse modes of toxicity. Topping this list is neurotoxicity, and in his book, “Grain Brain,” Perlmutter specifically looked at the neurological impact of gluten (wheat) and casein (dairy) on both our brain and autoimmune diseases. He also believes gluten sensitivity may be involved in most chronic diseases, because of how gluten affects your immune system. According to Dr. Alessio Fasano, director for Celiac Research and the chief of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at Massachusetts General Hospital, gluten sensitivity may be far more prevalent than previously suspected.13 He estimates virtually all of us are affected to some degree, because we all create something called zonulin in the intestine in response to gluten. This protein, found in wheat, barley and rye, makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your bloodstream. This sensitizes your immune system and promotes inflammation and autoimmunity. In the press release announcing the publication of his new book, “Gluten Freedom,” Fasano said:14

“We’ve shown now that gluten sensitivity actually exists. It’s moved from a nebulous condition that many physicians dismissed to a distinctly identifiable condition that’s quite different than celiac disease. Gluten sensitivity affects six to seven times more people than celiac disease.”

Mercola, J. “Gluten-Free Diets Are Beneficial for Many — Not Just Those With Celiac Disease” Retrieved September 21, 2021, from http://articles.mercola.com/ sites/articles/archive/2016/09/21/gluten-sensitivityceliac-disease.aspx

____________________ 1 JAMA Internal Medicine September 6, 2016 [Epub ahead of print] 2 Reuters September 6, 2016 3 WebMD.com September 6, 2016 4 Huffington Post September 8, 2016 5 Huffington Post September 7, 2016 6 Mother Nature Network September 8, 2016 11 Celiac.com, Unsafe Gluten-Free Food List 12 PubMed National Library of Medicine. Adverse Health Effects Gluten. 13 Celiac Disease Foundation February 2014 14 Newswire October 24, 2014