Type 2 Diabetes and gluten free diet

[Jillebjill]

Hello! I'm just wondering if there's anyone that has type 2 diabetes and trying to be gluten free? My daughter was diagnosed with celiac 3 weeks ago now, she is completely gluten free as I have made our house a safe place, being completely gluten free. My family at home is being gluten free except when they are not at home but I am a stay at home mom and have gone completely gluten free along with my daughter. I have noticed my blood sugars going crazy high all the sudden since switching and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced any blood sugar symptoms and what they have done? Any articles I have read about this that are current say type 2 diabetics should not go gluten free but there is no supporting science behind it or much for reasoning.

 

Thank you!

[trents]

Jillebjill, welcome to the forum!

Can you link some articles that say people with type 2 diabetes should not go gluten free? The only connection I can think of is that gluten-free flours tend to be carby and are not enriched and fortified and generally don't have much fiber compared to their wheat/whole grain counterparts.

Also, there is often a withdrawal experienced when going gluten free and this could be happening with you such that it is affecting metabolism. Gluten is addicting and interacts with the brain much like opiates do.

[Jillebjill]

That is a very good point, I could just be going through withdrawal and dealing with those symptoms. Here's one article I read, not very helpful tho!

 

https://www.healthshots.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/do-you-have-type-2-diabetes-then-stay-away-from-gluten-free-diets/

[knitty kitty]

@Jillebjill,

Welcome to the forum!

I have Celiac Disease and Type Two Diabetes.  I follow the Autoimmune Protocol Diet.

Here's a good summary...

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/aip-diet-autoimmune-protocol-diet

Yes, my glucose levels do go up if I eat carbohydrates, so I have to pay attention to portion size and frequency.  

A Gluten free diet is beneficial for Type Two Diabetes...

Gluten intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in three large prospective cohort studies of US men and women

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182774/

And...

Multidimensional Disadvantages of a Gluten-Free Diet in Celiac Disease: A Narrative Review

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7920475/

"A gluten-free diet is based on the products which have a high glycemic index and are devoid of dietary fiber. These foods contain many simple carbohydrates and fats. These factors can give rise to nutritional deficiencies, constipation, and the development of the metabolic syndrome [82]. The malabsorption syndrome observed in celiac disease, as well as an improperly balanced gluten-free diet lead to nutritional deficiencies including iron, folic acid, calcium, and vitamin D, as well as B vitamins and zinc [83]."

 

You need to keep in mind that while gluten containing products are required to be enriched with vitamins and minerals lost in processing, gluten free facsimile foods are not required to be enriched.  Unfortunately, in either case, food manufacturers frequently use cheap vitamins to keep costs down, but these cheap vitamins are not bioavailable forms and can't be assimilated and utilized by our bodies as well.  

One vitamin that Diabetics of both types are deficient in is Thiamine Vitamin B 1.  

I followed Dr. Lonsdale's high dose Thiamine regimen.  With the Autoimmune Protocol Diet and high dose Thiamine, I keep my type two diabetes in check without medications.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8533683/

And one more for good measure...

Possible Prevention of Diabetes with a Gluten-Free Diet

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266002/

The third section discusses type two diabetes.

Hope this helps.  These are all peer-reviewed scientific studies from the National Institute of Health.  

Edited November 19, 2022 by knitty kitty
Typo correction

[Jillebjill]

9 minutes ago, knitty kitty said:

@Jillebjill,

Welcome to the forum!

I have Celiac Disease and Type Two Diabetes.  I follow the Autoimmune Protocol Diet.

Here's a good summary...

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/aip-diet-autoimmune-protocol-diet

Yes, my glucose levels do go up if I eat carbohydrates, so I have to pay attention to portion size and frequency.  

A Gluten free diet is beneficial for Type Two Diabetes...

Gluten intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in three large prospective cohort studies of US men and women

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182774/

And...

Multidimensional Disadvantages of a Gluten-Free Diet in Celiac Disease: A Narrative Review

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7920475/

"A gluten-free diet is based on the products which have a high glycemic index and are devoid of dietary fiber. These foods contain many simple carbohydrates and fats. These factors can give rise to nutritional deficiencies, constipation, and the development of the metabolic syndrome [82]. The malabsorption syndrome observed in celiac disease, as well as an improperly balanced gluten-free diet lead to nutritional deficiencies including iron, folic acid, calcium, and vitamin D, as well as B vitamins and zinc [83]."

 

You need to keep in mind that while gluten containing products are required to be enriched with vitamins and minerals lost in processing, gluten free facsimile foods are not required to be enriched.  Unfortunately, in either case, food manufacturers frequently use cheap vitamins to keep costs down, but these cheap vitamins are not bioavailable forms and can't be assimilated and utilized by our bodies as well.  

One vitamin that Diabetics of both types are deficient in is Thiamine Vitamin B 1.  

I followed Dr. Lonsdale's high dose Thiamine regimen.  With the Autoimmune Protocol Diet and high dose Thiamine, I keep my type two diabetes in check without medications.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8533683/

And one more for good measure...

Possible Prevention of Diabetes with a Gluten-Free Diet

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266002/

The third section discusses type two diabetes.

Hope this helps.  These are all peer-reviewed scientific studies from the National Institute of Health.  

Thank you so much!! I will for sure take a look at all this info! I greatly appreciate your help!

[Rogol72]

I'm not a Diabetic so I can't really speak from a Diabetic's perspective. I've been told many times in the past few years to watch my blood sugar as they were creeping into the "we need to watch this closely" zone, yet I follow AIP and don't consume excess additional sugar. My iron levels have been borderline for a while, so when I focused on addressing that, my blood sugars dropped to normal. I wanted to find out why, so I did some digging and found this article. I've quoted the relevant part. Something to consider.

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/anemia-and-diabetes#blood-sugar-effect

"How does anemia affect blood sugar levels?

Anemia can affect blood sugar levels in several ways.

One 2010 studyTrusted Source found that anemia produced false high blood sugar levels on glucose meters, leading to dangerous hypoglycemia events after people overtreat that false high blood sugar.

As shown in a 2014 studyTrusted Source, there’s a direct link between anemia caused by iron deficiency and higher amounts of glucose in the blood. A 2017 reviewTrusted Source of several studies found that in people both with and without diabetes, iron-deficiency anemia was correlated with increased A1C numbers.

This resulted from more glucose molecules sticking to fewer red blood cells. After iron-replacement therapy, HbA1c levels in the studies’ participants decreased."

[trents]

Jillebejill,

Have you been giving attention to supplementation with vitamin and minerals to compensate for the inevitable deficiencies that celiac disease produces? The blunting of the small bowel villi it causes reduces the efficiency of vitamin and mineral absorption from the diet.