Could You be Sensitive to Gluten?

Did you know that even if you're not diagnosed with full blow Celiac disease you may still benefit from a gluten free diet? Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that does not allow the body to properly process the protein, gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley and malt. When people with Celiac disease ingest this protein the body reacts to it as a foreign substance producing antibodies in response to the protein. Gluten also destroys the finger like villi that line your small intestine and serve to absorb nutrients. Therefore, when you have Celiac disease and don’t adhere to a strict gluten free diet, your villi will be destroyed (yes-even if you have a crumb of bread) and you won't be able to absorb the nutrients from the good foods that your body does recognize like fruits and vegetables. Celiac disease affects one percent of the population and has been on the rise over the past few decades.

Recently, my younger son was suffering a lot of stomach aches and visiting the school nurse many times a week, sometimes multiple times per day. After visiting her about a dozen times within a month and a half, and realizing he wasn’t in there for social hour, or because he was nervous or trying to get out of a particular task, I asked the nurse if she could call me when he visited so that we could keep track of what time he went in to see if there was a pattern. Each time he visited her it would be for the same reason, “My belly hurts and I keep throwing up in my mouth” (translation- acid reflux). She would go through the motions, take his temperature,  and each time send him back to his classroom saying that he was fine.  Over time I realized that not only was he having stomach aches in school, but he had them at home as well. He was also lethargic much of the time and what I thought was very whiney for a six year old.

One day he came home from school and complained that his belly hurt. When he went to the bathroom he said it hurt to go and there was blood coming out. It wasn’t a lot, but it was still blood and it concerned me. This might just sound like constipation to someone who doesn't have Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis in their family, but because those issues are prevalent in our family, (on both sides I might add), this raised a red flag for me. I called the doctor and we went in the next day to have him evaluated and tested for Celiac disease again. He had been tested in 2010 and didn’t have any of the antibodies for Celiac disease. At the time I was told he could develop antibodies for the disease over time, and we should have him tested every three years.  So, the fact that it’d been about a year and half and he was complaining of tummy aches often, it was a real possibility to me that his body was now responding negatively to gluten.  

Thankfully, the Celiac panel came back negative. But, he continued to have stomach aches and generally didn’t feel good. As much as I offer him fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, he prefers grains and dairy over anything else, (probably like most kids). I would guess that almost 90% of his diet is comprised of those two food groups. So it became obvious to me that either the gluten or the dairy was giving him problems. I took it upon myself to put him on a gluten free diet for two  weeks. I was originally very hesitant to do this, because he craved carbs A LOT and I could just imagine the fits he would be throwing. I remember one time he was so upset about something not even related to food, that he threw a full out tantrum and was screaming for a donut, (as if a donut would make him feel better).  Not only that, but he could eat bagel after bagel and piece of bread after piece of bread and still not be satisfied. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that this isn’t a well-balanced healthy diet containing the five major food groups.  

When I introduced the idea to him, he wasn’t as upset as I had anticipated. Apparently the way I presented being gluten free for two weeks, came across to him with a bit of a “cool,” factor.  You could see the light in his eyes and the wheels turning in his head with the thought of having an “allergy” like one of the other kids at school. When my older son was first diagnosed with Celiac disease the little one started pretending that he was allergic to different things like strawberries, broccoli, or even cupcakes. Silly boy wanted to be just like his big brother.

Over the years I heard the term “gluten sensitivity” tossed around, so when I told the doctor how different my son’s behavior was in the two weeks he didn’t consume gluten and how his stomach aches subsided, he said, “Well then, he should go on a gluten free diet.” Even thought I had initiated the conversation about him benefiting from gluten free, when the doctor confirmed my thoughts, I still responded to him with disbelief when I said out loud, “Really?” Of course, I didn’t want my son to have to deal with all the difficulties throughout his life of being  gluten free, and so this was A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW!  

When we got home, I noticed that the physical form indeed said that he was Gluten  Sensitive. Upon further investigation about what this term really means, I came across a few articles on the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website.  Not only is Celiac disease on the rise, but Gluten Sensitivity is also on the rise, said to affect about six percent of the people in the US alone.  I believe it! I honestly run into about one person every week or two that either has a child with a lot of stomach aches, behavior issues or they themselves have fibromyalgia or other unexplained pains or stomach issues themselves and have thought about gluten being the culprit.

The bottom line is that the way our foods are being processed is different than how they were processed when we were kids. The way wheat is being processed is different, and there is said to be more gluten in our bread now than there ever has been. On top of that, gluten is an inflammatory and inflammation = disease. Just watch any Dr. Oz episode.  If you don’t believe me, he will tell you. The evidence for eliminating or at least cutting down on gluten in our diets is there. It’s all over the internet and in books and if you want to find out if it would really work for you, try a two week elimination. I think you will see a difference! Of course you should always consult with your doctor first. I am not a doctor and am only sharing information and experiences that I have learned on my journey.  

Stay tuned within the next few days for my list of books that I’ve found helpful on Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.