Article In Runners World

[jmrogers31]

I had a couple thoughts about an article published in Runner's World.  They posted an article titled, "Are you really Gluten sensitive?"  Basically the article says that while Celiac Disease exists in 1% of the population most people who say they are gluten sensitive aren't.  The study took 37 people who said they were gluten sensitive and gave them a diet made in low-fermentable, poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates, or FODMAPs.  These foods include apples, artichokes, mushrooms, chickpeas, and wheat.  They then took these same people and moved them to a diet containing gluten.  The participants intestinal inflammation and fatigue levels improved when reducing the FODMAP foods in 34 patients while 3 patients showed a worse  reaction to gluten.  Why this article was interesting to me was that I was never officially diagnosed as gluten intolerant.  But, I was diagnosed by an allergist as allergic to wheat and sesame (severaly allergic to sesame).  So, I wonder if avoiding certain foods like wheat, sesame, or certain carbohydrates would be more beneficial to me than the actual gluten itself.  Not hard to imagine confusing a wheat allergy with gluten intolerance.  My second point is that I know several people who say they are gluten intolerant and feel better gluten free but still eat gluten a few meals a week.  It drives me crazy and I finally told one of them either you are or you aren't, but if you don't do it 100% then you might as well not do it at all.  Your body can't heal if you don't stop 100%.  The reason it bothers me is people who do have a problem can't be taken seriously if others think they might and are willy nilly with their diet.  The comments on the article were concerning as well as most comments were along the lines of that's not surprising, or yep, just a fad.  These feelings come when people say they are intolerant and then a few times a week 'cheat'.  If they really felt like most of us on this board did, then they wouldn't be tempted to 'cheat'.  Interesting stuff.

[pricklypear1971]

Interesting. I don't remember the thread's name, but it's somewhere on here...

Edited: here it is https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/101271-how-important-is-an-official-diagnosis/?fromsearch=1

That FODMAP sensitivity is an alternative exanation for feeling better off gluten in patients who test negative for celiac disease. This is coming from one of the big names in Celiac - Fasano? I'm sure someone can chime in here.

I can see how this can happen. I also can see how since there's so much unknown about NCGI, leaky gut, etc. that finding out "the truth" may be almost impossible. Question: is FODMAP sensitivity something that signals gluten sensitivity? Is it something that leads to celiac disease, like some think NCGI leads to celiac disease?

We definitely need studies.

[jmrogers31]

Thanks for that link!  I am going to post the summary below.  I obviously would be #3 on the list as confirmed by an allergist.  I had noticed before I went gluten free that bread was my main culprit.  I could drink a beer or have a rice krispie treat and not notice anything 

but pizza, pasta, tuna sandwich, etc would be a problem.  Obviously going gluten free took out all the wheat from my diet and could be why I started to feel so much better.  I know you can be both gluten intolerant and have a wheat allergy so I am nervous about re-introducing barly, rye, and oats.  But man I haven't had a cold beer in 2 years so that is a tempting test right there.  I am going to do some research on the FODMAP foods.  Maybe it would be worth trying to avoid those for 2 weeks to see if I notice a difference.   

 

Five reasons exist as to why someone might feel better on a gluten-free diet. It’s crucial to understand which of the five is the cause in order to implement a safe dietary program.

1. Celiac disease
2. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity
3. Wheat allergy
4. Sensitivity to foods rich in FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols); wheat grains are rich in FODMAPs and those sensitive to them have reported marked improvement
5. Placebo effect (this is quite common in adults)