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Almost Gluten-free?


JenM

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JenM Apprentice

Just wondering, is there such a thing as almost gluten-free? Would being on a 80% gluten-free diet be of any benefit? Thanks.


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skoki-mom Explorer
Just wondering, is there such a thing as almost gluten-free?  Would being on a 80% gluten-free diet be of any benefit?  Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not if you have Celiac Disease. If you have celiac disease, you must be 100% gluten-free. People with intolerances may have different thresholds, but the pathology is not the same as celiac disease. If you have celiac disease, you body will react to even the smallest amount of gluten. This is why you can't have cake on your birthday, for instance. So, for someone with celiac disease, if you don't give it 100%, I don't really know what the point would be. Trust me, it's hard enough to be gluten-free when you are really trying, and most of us with celiac disease wind up inadvertently ingesting it anyhow, which is why it is so hard for some people to control symptoms.

Hope that helps.

MySuicidalTurtle Enthusiast

No, 80% gluten-free would not be helpful to someone with Celiac Disease.

nettiebeads Apprentice
Just wondering, is there such a thing as almost gluten-free?  Would being on a 80% gluten-free diet be of any benefit?  Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, no. It's almost like saying 80% pregnant or something like that. The body will react to a minute amount - someone in another post said to take one slice of bread, divide it into 48 pieces, and that 1/48 of a slice is enough to trigger a reaction. And remember, if you have celiac disease, when the body reacts to the offending protein, it also attacks itself, which is not a good thing.

tarnalberry Community Regular

Nope. It's a chemical reaction, so any gluten will cause the reaction in the intestines.

Carriefaith Enthusiast

Any amount of gluten can cause intestinal damage in celiacs, a crumb, a slice a bread, medication with gluten in it, ect. In order to feel better and heal the intestines you must be 100% gluten free.

If you are gluten free for other reasons, then you would also have to be 100% gluten free to notice improvment and get better.

KaitiUSA Enthusiast

Yep backing up what the others have said here....you have to be 100% gluten free to prevent damage.

Anything and everything needs to be checked...gluten can be in makeups, hair products, soaps, household products, medications,foods, etc... and the gluten containing ones all must be eliminated.


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JenM Apprentice
:huh: Your'e all making this very hard! :( What it all boils down to is that I need to go 100% gluten-free, assuming I have a gluten sensitivity. Is that correct?
aikiducky Apprentice

That's correct. Otherwise you might just as well not bother. It's an all or nothing thing.

It's worth it though, when you finally start to feel well. :)

Pauliina

skoki-mom Explorer

Jen, I was where you are less than 2 months ago. Well, the exception being that I have a conclusive diagnosis of celiac disease. The limitations of the diet are overwhelming. But, it's one of those things you just have to do. It gets a little easier every day. Is there stuff I wish I could have?? Oh yeah, but then I think of the risk factors, and remind myself it's just not worth it. I'm one of those freaks that has absoloutely no GI symptoms, so it's not like I'd even "get sick". Fact is, my gut is sick, so I need to take care of it. There are a lot of pretty good substitutes out there. I just had my first gluten-free Thanksgiving, complete with stuffing and gravy (it was great!), and today is my first gluten-free birthday. I just got home from a fab dinner at Tony Roma's and my kids and I had brownies that I made with gluten-free graham wafer crumbs. I am (was?) the hamburger queen, and if I can do it, so can you! About the only unforged territory left for me is gluten-free bread....as in to eat it like regular bread/toast. I find it a little intimidating looking and I'm scared to blow that much $$ on it, lol!!!

Keep coming here, it's a great place for info and you will also find that people can relate to what you are going through.

((hugs))

JenM Apprentice
Jen, I was where you are less than 2 months ago.  Well, the exception being that I have a conclusive diagnosis of celiac disease.  The limitations of the diet are overwhelming.  But, it's one of those things you just have to do.  It gets a little easier every day.  Is there stuff I wish I could have??  Oh yeah, but then I think of the risk factors, and remind myself it's just not worth it.  I'm one of those freaks that has absoloutely no GI symptoms, so it's not like I'd even "get sick".  Fact is, my gut is sick, so I need to take care of it.  There are a lot of pretty good substitutes out there.  I just had my first gluten-free Thanksgiving, complete with stuffing and gravy (it was great!), and today is my first gluten-free birthday.  I just got home from a fab dinner at Tony Roma's and my kids and I had brownies that I made with gluten-free graham wafer crumbs.  I am (was?) the hamburger queen, and if I can do it, so can you!  About the only unforged territory left for me is gluten-free bread....as in to eat it like regular bread/toast.  I find it a little intimidating looking and I'm scared to blow that much $$ on it, lol!!! 

Keep coming here, it's a great place for info and you will also find that people can relate to what you are going through.

((hugs))

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have no GI symptoms either, just an autoimmune disease and a recommendation to go gluten-free. I'm glad to hear you can eat out. My husband and I do often (I hate to cook and am horrible at it.) Good luck with the bread. I just went to the store and bought some today. I've tried it before. I don't want to discourage you, so I'll say it wasn't bad. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm on my way to Outback now. :):)

ILOVEOMC Enthusiast
:D You can do it!! Just make the initial adjustment and you will feel better and that will be incentive enough. Good luck!
Carriefaith Enthusiast

You will feel overwhelmed at first, but you should quickly adjust. Once you know what you can and can't have, it gets a lot easier. Please ask us if you need gluten-free product lists, recipes, or meal ideas. That's what we are here for B)

Claire Collaborator

Plenty of reaction to this thread!

What can I say? Grrrrrrr! The question disturbs me that much! I am one of a few people on the forum who have the neurlogical damage done by gluten - see posts by tiredofdoctors. Gluten attacks your cells - any cells and promotes the development of autoimmune diseases - meaning that the body's immune system is attacking your body. If it attacks your brain cells - then you, like me, would be in big trouble.

Don't even consider a little bit of gluten. It's true that you might as well do nothing as do a little. It is an all or nothing situation. No compromises, no cheating. Because you may not feel the damage being done does not mean damage isn't being done. It sneaks up on you - and then it is too late. Claire

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    • trents
      Not necessarily. The "Gluten Free" label means not more than 20ppm of gluten in the product which is often not enough for super sensitive celiacs. You would need to be looking for "Certified Gluten Free" (GFCO endorsed) which means no more than 10ppm of gluten. Having said that, "Gluten Free" doesn't mean that there will necessarily be more gluten than "Certified Gluten" in any given batch run. It just means there could be. 
    • trents
      I think it is wise to seek a second opinion from a GI doc and to go on a gluten free diet in the meantime. The GI doc may look at all the evidence, including the biopsy report, and conclude you don't need anything else to reach a dx of celiac disease and so, there would be no need for a gluten challenge. But if the GI doc does want to do more testing, you can worry about the gluten challenge at that time. But between now and the time of the appointment, if your symptoms improve on a gluten free diet, that is more evidence. Just keep in mind that if a gluten challenge is called for, the bare minimum challenge length is two weeks of the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten, which is about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread. But, I would count on giving it four weeks to be sure.
    • Paulaannefthimiou
      Are Bobresmill gluten free oats ok for sensitive celiacs?
    • jenniber
      thank you both for the insights. i agree, im going to back off on dairy and try sucraid. thanks for the tip about protein powder, i will look for whey protein powder/drinks!   i don’t understand why my doctor refused to order it either. so i’ve decided i’m not going to her again, and i’m going to get a second opinion with a GI recommended to me by someone with celiac. unfortunately my first appointment isn’t until February 17th. do you think i should go gluten free now or wait until after i meet with the new doctor? i’m torn about what i should do, i dont know if she is going to want to repeat the endoscopy, and i know ill have to be eating gluten to have a positive biopsy. i could always do the gluten challenge on the other hand if she does want to repeat the biopsy.    thanks again, i appreciate the support here. i’ve learned a lot from these boards. i dont know anyone in real life with celiac.
    • trents
      Let me suggest an adjustment to your terminology. "Celiac disease" and "gluten intolerance" are the same. The other gluten disorder you refer to is NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) which is often referred to as being "gluten sensitive". Having said that, the reality is there is still much inconsistency in how people use these terms. Since celiac disease does damage to the small bowel lining it often results in nutritional deficiencies such as anemia. NCGS does not damage the small bowel lining so your history of anemia may suggest you have celiac disease as opposed to NCGS. But either way, a gluten-free diet is in order. NCGS can cause bodily damage in other ways, particularly to neurological systems.
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