More Good Results From A Super Gluten Free Diet

[T.H.]

I was very happy to find out a while back that on this whole 'avoid every last particle of gluten that I can' diet, my gut has entirely healed. However, anyone could argue that my gluten free diet could have done just as well, without my restricting gluten so severely, and honestly? I couldn't show any proof to the contrary. Maybe I was just someone who took longer to heal. Maybe my allergens were impeding the healing process. It could happen.

However, now I have another moment of success that actually has a distinct difference between gluten free vs. super gluten free levels: my thyroid and vitamin levels.

5 years before I was diagnosed, my hair started falling out and my thyroid levels started going up. The numbers more than doubled. Before diagnosis, my vitamin levels were so-so, but not terrible. By 1 year gluten free (diet was no processed foods, just salt and barely contaminated fresh veggies/meat/fruit), my vitamin levels were steadily going downward and my thyroid numbers were still steadily climbing to bad places.

Since then, I haven't found any vitamins I can take except for iodine, so with this last round of blood tests, I was expecting bad numbers.

I got the complete opposite! In the year since going super gluten free, my thyroid levels have dropped back to what they were before I lost my hair! My vitamin levels are all back up to good levels, too! I'm SO happy. And I want to once again thank all the folks here and other places that made it possible. Because seriously: who would look at a veggie/fruit/meat diet and think: oh yeah, that's still too much gluten.

Nobody who hasn't gone through that.

But still, going that extra, crazy-seeming step of interviewing all the farmers and ranchers and food suppliers so that gluten almost never, ever touches my food has eliminated a problem that I was SURE I was stuck with forever.

So, just...anyone who is trying out a super gluten free diet and isn't sure what kind of difference it can make, I can at least raise my hand to give one good example. :-D

[rosetapper23]

Congratulations! You deserve your good health!

Thanks for sharing...

[dilettantesteph]

Since then, I haven't found any vitamins I can take except for iodine, so with this last round of blood tests, I was expecting bad numbers.

I got the complete opposite! My vitamin levels are all back up to good levels, too! I'm SO happy.

Congratulations! This part about the vitamins was interesting. I found that to be true for me as well.

[Bubba's Mom]

Congtatulations! It's good to know your detective work and diligence have paid off.

[dilettantesteph]

By 1 year gluten free (diet was no processed foods, just salt and barely contaminated fresh veggies/meat/fruit), my vitamin levels were steadily going downward and my thyroid numbers were still steadily climbing to bad places.

But still, going that extra, crazy-seeming step of interviewing all the farmers and ranchers and food suppliers so that gluten almost never, ever touches my food has eliminated a problem that I was SURE I was stuck with forever.

So, just...anyone who is trying out a super gluten free diet and isn't sure what kind of difference it can make, I can at least raise my hand to give one good example. :-D

I was thinking about this last night and this part really hit me. The diet of no processed foods wasn't enough. You had to do the seemingly crazy things that we do to make the difference.

I like having my craziness validated. It is validated by my lack of symptoms, but that could of course just be more craziness. It is nice to have it validated with real test results.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Thanks for sharing, especially about the vitamins! I am also having trouble finding vitamins I can take and I have just stopped taking any vitamins right now because every type I take makes me sick or tired somehow. It's been around 6 months since I took any vitamins and my hair is not falling out anymore and I'm not struggling with major fatigue. I go to have my thyroid and vitamin levels retested in September. The main concerns for me were anemia and borderline hypothyroid. I really notice when I eat lots of beef, spinach and chickpeas I feel great. When I cut back on those foods I feel tired and weak. Whenever I eat hummus especially I feel a burst of energy. So I take that as a sign that my body is absorbing those iron and B vitamins.

[Skylark]

That's great. It's so nice to hear when someone's hard work pays off.