Gluten-Free Diet Effects On Non-Celiac Sufferers?

[Chiana]

I'm about five days into the gluten-free diet. My stomach is doing crazy things that it hasn't done before, and I haven't had this many stomach problems since I was a child. I've read several posts on here that say that this isn't surprising, and not to worry. My boyfriend doesn't have Celiac Disease but wants to start the diet with me this week as moral support. My question is, will he have similar stomach problems when he quits eating gluten, or is it usually only Celiac sufferers? Does anyone else here have relatives or friends who stick closely to the diet, and what did they experience when they started?

[ravenwoodglass]

If your boyfreind has no gluten issues then the diet will not be a problem for him. What sometimes happens though is that people don't realize they have a gluten issue and when they go gluten free to support someone else and then occasionally consume gluten they notice symptoms. If that happens it is because they also need to be gluten free.

Have you deleted dairy also? It might be a good idea if you haven't until you have healed fully. Many of us also have issues with dairy that come to the forefront when gluten is removed. Many are able to add it back in after the intestines heal.

[Chiana]

If your boyfreind has no gluten issues then the diet will not be a problem for him. What sometimes happens though is that people don't realize they have a gluten issue and when they go gluten free to support someone else and then occasionally consume gluten they notice symptoms. If that happens it is because they also need to be gluten free.

Have you deleted dairy also? It might be a good idea if you haven't until you have healed fully. Many of us also have issues with dairy that come to the forefront when gluten is removed. Many are able to add it back in after the intestines heal.

I've been trying to eat vegetables, whole grain rice, corn, and meat heavily. Up until the other day, I couldn't find a chocolate that didn't have either soy or dairy in it. My bf picked some of the 'Enjoy Life' chocolate chips, so I've got my chocolate fix now. I'm going to have a bit of a hard time giving up cheese and yogurt, but even if I get rid of 80 or 90% of it for now, it should help, right?

[ravenwoodglass]

I've been trying to eat vegetables, whole grain rice, corn, and meat heavily. Up until the other day, I couldn't find a chocolate that didn't have either soy or dairy in it. My bf picked some of the 'Enjoy Life' chocolate chips, so I've got my chocolate fix now. I'm going to have a bit of a hard time giving up cheese and yogurt, but even if I get rid of 80 or 90% of it for now, it should help, right?

You may be able to get away with hard cheese like cheddar and the yogurt. Both have less lactose than wet cheeses like mozzarella or a glass of milk. It all depends on the person.

[Emilushka]

Make sure he's taking a multivitamin. You should take one, too. Otherwise, he should just notice that the gluten-free bread kinda stinks. ;-)

[TPT]

I would think, and I could be wrong, that simply taking gluten away would not bother a non-celiac. I would GUESS that the items you replace those foods with could. For example, if he adds a lot of rice to his diet it could constipate him. Or if he starts eating lots of brocoli and the like, it could certainly make him gassy initially.

[jessicalw28]

Many people think that our bodies are not designed to consume gluten anyway. I'm sure he'd be fine without it as long as he got some other sources of fiber and protein.

[Roda]

This very subject has come up a lot for me lately since I put my son gluten free. My husband and some of my coworkers feel that if you eliminate something long enough, that when you eat it again, anyone would have problems. When food was only available during particular seasons, did everyone start reacting the next season when people started consuming it again? Ugg! I'm not trying to be sarcastic by any means. I think it is great that he is being so supportive and if he doesn't have gluten issues then eating both shouldn't be a problem for him. Good luck to both of you.

[Cypressmyst]

If he goes 100% gluten-free with you there is a better than good chance that he will discover he is also unable to handle Gluten. It just takes a different route with him, perhaps a subtle route like insomnia or brain fog or muscle twitches. He will inevitably get accidentally glutened and that will likely tell him for sure. Just keep an eye on it.

I am of the mind that everyone has a gluten issue based on what I've read and seen first hand. And at the very least the Gluten Doctors are now putting it at 50% of the population having a problem with this junk. The flip of a coin.

I don't have Celiac, but I do have anti-gliadin anti-bodies in my system and other auto-immune inflammation problems. Or rather...I did before going gluten-free.

So what can your boyfriend expect by going gluten-free...in my estimation he can expect to live a long and healthy life, free from much of the chronic pain that plagues the elderly.

[Takala]

My husband has eaten gluten free at home for several years with no reaction, but he is not gluten free because he eats it at lunch on weekdays at work, usually. He is one of those rare adults who can still drink regular milk with no reaction, either.

I would not expect people who are NOT having an auto immune reaction, and who don't have the damage to their digestive tract, to have the same reaction when the problem protein for us is no longer consumed.

[jerseyangel]

My husband has eaten gluten free at home for several years with no reaction, but he is not gluten free because he eats it at lunch on weekdays at work, usually.

My husband also eats gluten-free meals at home but is not anywhere near gluten-free.

About avoiding a food for a long period of time and possibly becoming sensitive upon reintroducing--just my experience, I was completely dairy free for almost 6 years. I reintroduced it about a year or so ago with no problems whatsoever. I think that if there were to be a problem reintroducing a protein such as gluten or dairy, it is because there was an unrecognized sensitivity there.

[ravenwoodglass]

About avoiding a food for a long period of time and possibly becoming sensitive upon reintroducing--just my experience, I was completely dairy free for almost 6 years. I reintroduced it about a year or so ago with no problems whatsoever. I think that if there were to be a problem reintroducing a protein such as gluten or dairy, it is because there was an unrecognized sensitivity there.

I agree. If not eating a food for a long time would make someone sensitive to it then folks that only eat pumpkin pie or other 'holiday' or 'seasonal' foods a couple times a year would all be getting sick. It would make elimination diets and their challenges totally worthless. It also would have basically wiped people off the earth long ago as for a very long time what people ate depended on what was 'in season' where they lived. A bit of an exaggeration of course.

[jessicalw28]

My fiance is a vegetarian and gets sick if he gets contaminated accidentally with meat. It's probably the same way if you eat gluten-free all the time. I would suggest he eat gluten free at home with you, but not when he eats out. Unless he wants to go all the way.

[Chiana]

My fiance is a vegetarian and gets sick if he gets contaminated accidentally with meat. It's probably the same way if you eat gluten-free all the time. I would suggest he eat gluten free at home with you, but not when he eats out. Unless he wants to go all the way.

I thought about the vegetarian thing, because he was a vegetarian with one of his exes many moons ago. I think that perhaps meat is harder for a system to digest, and when you go vegetarian you eat nothing like it for a long period...Whereas, Celiac sufferers eat rice, corn and potatoes, which are similar foods. We aren't completely starchy-plant-free. They are completely meat free.