Experiences of eliminating gluten from your diet

[LadyMary1918]

Thinking about doing this and wondering if others had done this and if so, what were the results ? Do you think it made a difference and if so, what type of difference did it make ?

[dementedpixie]

Do you have issues with gluten?

[Bumply]

If you think you might be coeliac you'd be much better getting tested before going GF, as the results are only meaningful if you're still eating gluten.

[Didthatreallyhappen2]

I'm another one wondering why you might do this? Do you think you've got a problem with gluten? Bumply is absolutely right - if you go GF and are then tested, the results won't be accurate.

I'm coeliac and in three months have lost half a stone in weight. But as I was asymptomatic anyway, I feel no different having changed my diet (although my jeans are looser!).

[Snog]

My gum health has dramatically improved and I no longer have bumpy skin on my arms

[LadyMary1918]

Thanks for replies.
To my knowledge I have no issue with gluten.
However I gave quite a few friends (all at different times) who have said that it made a real difference to them and the ways differ - for example, one said it made her less anxious and she felt considerably calmer, another said it reduced his flem/sinus issues, another said she felt a lot less “foggy minded” afterwards, another said it reduced her symptoms of adhd ...

So that’s what made me ask

[LadyMary1918]

@Snog did you stop because you were tested or just due to health concerns ? Or something else?

[Snog]

I have hashimotos (thyroid problem) and it's recommended by many to go gluten free if you suffer from this. Not recommended by to me by my GP though.

[Hassled]

Useful article stating that unless you are Coeliac or have a gluten intolerance there is no benefit to going GF and in fact it may lead to vitamin deficiencies and a lack of fibre. There are many many articles out there saying pretty much the same thing.

[NicoAndTheNiners]

Well dd has had to do it because of coeliac disease and it’s incredibly hard.

I think you’d struggle to maintain a strict GF diet unless you saw serious health benefits and if you don’t have anything particular you’re struggling with I’m not sure you would? The cynical part of me thinks that your friend feeling calmer, etc it’s just a placebo effect and nothing to do with going GF. Though being “foggy minded” is actually a coeliac symptom.

Gluten is in so much stuff. It isn’t just a case of cutting out bread and pasta. It’s in sauces, sausages, soy sauce, soup, dairy milk chocolate.....the list is endless. You can’t eat anything with oats unless they’re GF oats.

You can’t drink coffee from Starbucks because of cross contamination from the nozzles as they use oat milk for some customers and can’t clean the nozzles properly. Eating out is a nightmare. You’ll need your own toaster, bread board, utensils, butter, etc at home.

The GF bread, biscuits and cake all “taste like ass” according to dd. And they’re expensive!

[Kintan]

I have Hashimotos, so avoid gluten which does make a big difference to me. The ‘foggyness’ your friends mention could be to do with thyroid issues so perhaps your friends that have given up gluten and reported an improvement in their health have undiagnosed thyroid issues? Can you just cut down on gluten - it seems silly (and difficult) to cut something out like that for no apparent reason.

[JanetLovesJason]

It helps people with IBS to cut down on gluten too. I think it’s because gluten containing grains also contain fructans, which are banned on the Low Fodmap diet.

IBS often includes gut dybiosis issues (imbalance of gut flora) and some of the consequences of gut dybiosis can be foggy mindedness, attention problems and skin issues (as well as digestive distress). So cutting back on any food that exacerbated the dybiosis could make a difference there.

There is increasing evidence that some people with (post-infectious) IBS actually have a parasite called Blastocystis Hominis. Not only does this cause gut dysbiosis, but there’s also evidence that foods high in phytic acid and lectins cause the parasite to release an enzyme which causes the IBS symptoms (spasms, digestive distress etc). Grains are one off the key trigger foods there ( so are pulses and seeds, also fruit and veggie skins). So as a gf diet can cut out a lot of grains, it could help in that scenario too.

A lot of gut issues are just beginning to be better understood now. There are links to lots of MH conditions for example. Conditions like IBS have been diagnosis that actually cover a lot of different conditions, which are just starting to be unpacked and understood now.

So, yes, it’s looks totally possible someone who’s not coeliac could benefit from cutting out gluten. That’s without going into non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, or other auto-immune conditions like Hashimoto’s.

[LadyMary1918]

Thanks - incredibly helpful
Off to do some reading

[FinallyGotAnIPhone]

I have been recently put on a gluten free diet by the doctor. I honestly can’t see why anyone would do this for fun. Cut out bread and pasta and the like from your diet- fine - but like others have said - there is gluten in so much stuff. It’s only been 10 days for me so I’m still pretty raw and mourning other food but gluten free pizza base tastes a bit like plastic, bread tastes like cardboard and so many things are made in factories where other gluten products are made so you can’t eat those.

[JellySlice]

I avoid gluten, and it makes a huge difference to me. The weeks leading up to having the blood test for coeliac were hideous. It came back negative, but I still returned to eating GF.

For me it's definitely some form of intolerance, and I can tolerate small amounts of gluten. Too much, and I get bloated and windy, I reflux, and I get dry, itchy skin. I have more headaches and feel generally grotsome and tired.

Avoiding gluten is far easier than eating a strictly GF coeliac diet. I have no difficulties getting vitamins and fibre. The only challenge, really, is fast food on the fly: no sandwiches, for example.

[LadyMary1918]

Yes I think in the absence of a medical diagnosis, perhaps reducing gluten rather than eliminating may be the way to go

[Snog]

Pizza express do good GF pizzas and the Genius brand do good bread.
I cook from scratch and don't find GF particularly difficult now that I am used to it, but I think that if you LOVE baked goods and cakes it would be tough.