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Gluten: Friend or Foe?
Health | January 21, 2016
Gluten talk is everywhere! Gluten has been quite the buzz word in nutrition over these past few years. Some people regard it as poison, where others dismiss being gluten-free as just another diet fad.
I recently read a fascinating article in the New York Times about a new way to test gluten sensitivity in athletes. This study was so interesting because it was the first ever study where the participants were unable to tell if they were ingesting gluten or not. Before we go into the specifics, let’s talk gluten for a minute.
What the heck is gluten, anyway? The website for the Celiac Disease Foundation tells us that, “Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together.” Bread, cereals, baked goods, and wraps are all common foods that usually contain gluten.
Many people believe that eating gluten causes inflammation of bodily tissues and intestinal distress. They call it gluten sensitivity. Some people also have what’s called Celiac Disease. And there’s a big difference between gluten sensitivity and Celiac Disease. The CDF also tells us that, “Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.” When the small intestine gets damaged, it makes it hard for the body to absorb nutrients. This can cause chronic diarrhea, vomiting, delayed growth in children, dental defects, bone loss, joint problems, etc. If you think you might have Celiac Disease, it’s important to talk to your doctor so that you can be tested for it. Autoimmune disorders are very serious.
It’s because of gluten’s possibly serious effects on our bodies that researchers were eager to test how ingestion of the proteins affected performance and inflammation levels in athletes. It’s very common in the fitness world for athletes to adopt a gluten-free diet, believing that it makes them feel better and perform at higher levels.
For the duration of the study, which was published in December of 2015 in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers asked 13 cyclists (each of which tested negative for Celiac Disease) to eat a gluten-free diets. For two weeks, all of the cyclists trained similarly and in addition to their gluten-free diets, ate protein bars given to them by the researchers.
For one of the weeks, the protein bars given to the cyclists were gluten-free. For the other week, the bars contained a pretty hefty dose of gluten in each bar. The cyclists were unable to tell the difference in taste between the gluten bars and the non-gluten bars.
Amazingly, whether they were eating gluten or not, there was no difference in the athletes performances, or in the way they felt, or in digestion, or in their inflammation levels. This led the researches to believe that the intake of gluten in non-celiac athletes doesn’t really matter one way or the other.
I think this study raises a lot of questions. I’d personally like to see more research on the subject. What about you?
And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this hot-button topic. What do you think about gluten? Have you had any experience with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity? Do you think this study proves anything?
Private Member |
from slovakia, living in the uk
I love the video haha 🙂 very interesting article Zuzka. I didn’t know what gluten is either to be completely honest. But at least I don’t maintain gluten free diet haha 🙂
Private Member |
ponte vedra beach, fl
I think the study would have been more beneficial if they studied athletes eating GRAINS period vs. not eating grains. It doesn’t surprise me that there was no difference in gluten vs no gluten unless of course some of them had gluten issues. My husband has celiac disease along with vitiligo both autoimmune diseases. I have suffered from adrenal fatigue since I was 18. We tried to address my issues at the time but only holistic doctors could help me and insurance wouldn’t pay so it became unaffordable. I ignored if for 10 years and am just starting to address these issues again. The adrenal fatigue has led to many more issues with hormones and digestion. Anyway, my point is that this is also autoimmune. I believe that grains are gut irritants which allow food particles to pass through to the blood stream. This is when you get “leaky gut” which can lead to any number of autoimmune disorders. I think that if you’re not predisposed to gut issues you can eat grains/gluten and be fine. My husband’s father died from Crohn’s disease and my family has a history of IBS issues. I eat a very strict diet -the autoimmune paleo protocol and through that discovered I also have troubles with high FODMAP foods as well. Right now my meals are very bland but my stomach feels SO much better. There is so much more to this topic… like how wheat isn’t what it used to be and how with today’s standard american diet people eat far too much of it which is why you’re seeing more sensitivity to it.
Private Member |
switzerland/, france
I also started the FODMAP and although I don’t have any autoimmune illness, I very much am interested in the AIP.
Being a biologist and in the field of clinical trials for 15 years, I could imho state that a research held over 2 weeks is really not enough.
I would say that it is the same if you smoke for 2 weeks and you don’t get cancer ..then you conclude it doesn’t give you cancer…sounds too simplistic.
Except for allergies where the body can react in matter in minutes, if not seconds…other things may have an effect on your body but the tolerability will get the response in matter of months or even years.
It is very difficult to prove one way or another , so I follow my feelings and remain on the lookout of scientific outcomes.
Reminds me of my chemistry lessons: everything is poison, it is just a matter of quantity!
You could die of the substance contained in almonds, but you’d have to eat like 4kg…not gonna happen!
Private Member |
Because I have a close co-worker who has celiac disease, by proxy, I am annoyed with the gluten-free fad dieters. I believe some people DO suffer from a sensitivity to gluten without having Celiac, but it seems a lot of people have tricked themselves into believing they are gluten sensitive. In a way, it’s good for the Celiac community, because more places label and offer GF, but sometimes, people with Celiac get looks because people think they’re just on the fad diet.
Private Member |
sheffield, united kingdom
Hi Zu! I believe that even though it does not interfere with athletes performance it might interfere with some other things such as tissues in our body. We need more researches..
Private Member |
ca, usa
That video was hilarious. Amazing how people start following a certain way of eating and have no idea why they are doing it or the science behind it. I am a firm believer in moderation and to not be “obsessed” with any way of eating. That is not sustainable for a lifetime. I think if people found ways to manage stress better they would be much better off than eliminating certain foods from their diet, unless of course, you have Celiac.
Private Member |
czech republic
Some people cant eat strawberries, nuts, bananas, but that does not mean I am going to stop eating those. As I have no complications while eating bread and baked stuff, I dont see why I should avoid it. But of course I understand the opposite. If I had complications, I would go for glute-free products. Of course.
Private Member |
I believe gluten free as something “healthy” is a fad much as the fat-free fad in the late 80s. Meaning it stemmed from a real problem. The fat free diet stemmed from a surge in heart problems after the boom economy — more eating at restaurants, more fancy rich food. Doctors found that significantly cutting fat could reduce and sometimes reverse heart issues. This caught on and next thing fat-free was the big health deal. Fast-forward, early 2000s, Celiac was on the rise. Probably from all the refined wheat added in the junk food. (I agree more research here is needed) When people had gut issues, drs, Nutritionists etc suggested people cut out gluten to see if that helped. This caught on mainstream as something unhealthy for everyone.I agree with Tina, it’s like nut allergies . . Nuts are healthy as long as you’re not allergic to them.
I just spent a month in France where I ate about a baguette a day. I did my ZGym workouts but I ate small portions and walked a ton and I lost weight ( I didn’t need to ) and I feel great. The problem is processed foods. And regarding the treatment of wheat, I’m interested in more studies about this. What I’ve read is that corn is the most genetically modified food, even if it is organic corn and most gluten free things use corn as the substitute. Whereas wheat hasn’t changed nearly as much. Again I am interested in more info.
Private Member |
I decided to try “glutenfree” diet for myself, but what prompted me was I an hypothyroid and even being very strict about my medication every day, I was still having huge energy and mood swings. I was getting so frustrated and my chiropractor suggested trying cutting out wheat. I did it for 30 days, when someone unprompted noted how much energy I had and how upbeat I had been lately. I then continued on for almost a year with some “cheating”, every time I ate wheat I felt terrible, had mood swings and stomach issues. So now, two years later I stick with a strict “gluten free” diet and I feel fantastic. I don’t think this diet is for everyone though. I have to eat a lot of quinioa, rice, potatoes…etc to keep up with my carbohydrate needs. I hate saying I’m gluten free to most people because its because such a ridiculous fad now. Wheat isn’t the issue for everyone, controlling portions often is, avoiding processed sugars and fatty foods etc. Gluten free isn’t always healthier, nor is being a vegan automatically healthier. You can be an unhealthy gluten free person.
It seemed to work for me, it doesn’t work for everyone. My boyfriend accidentally goes gluten free when I do a lot of the cooking on certain weeks, and he’s absolutely starving and dragging in energy when he doesn’t eat enough wheat.
Private Member |
curitiba, parana, brazil
Hi Zu…I have autoimmune disease related to my thyroid and for many years I suffered with body fat, lack of energy and I was not able to get up early in the morning. I used to eat lots of food with gluten, mostly breads and bakery products, pizza, pasta, snacks etc. My stomach was so huge that people would offer me the seat in the bus thinking I was pregnant. That time I could not realize how fat and out of shape I was. I was not exercising also. One day I decided to lose weight and I read that someone had cut gluten and lactose and became lean and strong. I gave a try and later on I came to know that gluten free diet is directly related to autoimmune disorders. I felt so good when I stopped eating tons of food with gluten…I started baking my own gluten free breads and cakes and I got so much energy and stamina…my whole life and body changed instantly. I lost all my body fat (almost all hahaha) and got a new lifestyle with low carb diet. My diet is not 100% gluten free, but the quantity I eat now is very less. I would advice everyone to try at least to reduce gluten to see the changes on body and level of energy. Mostly not everybody is Celiac but many people is sensitive to gluten and do not know it until they stop eating gluten for sometime! So for me, no gluten friend! 🙂 See u, take care
Private Member |
uk
I have no problem with gluten and eat sourdough bread for breakfast every day. Unless you have celiac there is no reason to avoid wheat. Gluten free is just a fad. And if you keep gluten in your diet you dont have to put up with those weird low carb substitutes that never tastes like real thing anyway. When people give up gluten (or sugar) and lose weight and feel better is because they give up processed food and eat less calories and eat more veggies. It has nothing to do with the actual gluten (or sugar) in the diet. Eat everything. That is the best thing for you immune system and gut flora. Once you start eliminating certain foods there is no end to it and you end up eating nothing but meat and veg. Healthy mind – healthy body.