Gluten-free eating has gained popularity, though many that do not eat gluten-free do not understand exactly what gluten-free means or the danger that cross-contamination poses to those with celiac disease, wheat allergies or wheat intolerance.
Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, can damage the small intestine of those with celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.
However, many people that have not had a medical diagnosis of celiac have opted to follow a gluten-free path. Some are anxious to try what they consider to be a healthier diet, but many are merely desperate for relief of symptoms that have no clear cause.
Jodie Snavely said she suffered from severe abdominal pain, as well as other symptoms. “I’d had stomach issues for twenty-plus years,” she said.
“I had quite a few thousand dollars worth of tests,” she said, but noted that the cause of pain was never found. In desperation, and having heard the name referenced many times, she went to Wellspring Custom Pharmacy and poured out her story. The pharmacist asked her if she’d considered a gluten-free diet.
She decided to try gluten-free eating, and a year later, she is pain- and medication-free, she said.
“People ask if I choose to be on it, or am I diagnosed,” said Snavely, “I don’t see that it makes any difference. It’s not that I choose to be, it’s more that I have to be at this point, because now if I have any gluten, I’m really sick.”
For an accurate celiac disease screening, a person must be on a full gluten-containing diet for eight weeks to a year. The first step in the test is a blood screening, followed by a biopsy of the small intestine.
People with good results from the gluten-free diet may be reluctant to return to a gluten-containing diet, fearing a return of symptoms. The invasive nature of the follow-up biopsy may also be a deterrent for many.
Snavely noted that she has not had the celiac screening. “For me, there’s no reason to have this test done. It is what it is. If I eat gluten, I’m sick,” she said.
Jessica Hall, Clinical Dietician at Avita Health System in Galion said, “Only 4 percent of those following the gluten-free diet have been diagnosed with celiac disease.”
Hall added that non-celiac gluten sensitivity cannot be diagnosed. “It’s more of a symptom diagnosis,” she said, noting that based on current studies there is some controversy as to whether the condition even exists.
Hall noted that a gluten-free diet without a medical diagnosis is discouraged by health professionals, “The reason it’s important is that a lot of the gluten-free products that are out there, the grains they are made from are not enriched with certain nutrients so you can actually develop certain deficiencies. Also those products tend be higher in calories because there’s added fat and sugar to make up for some of the taste that’s lost.”
Hall said that B vitamins are one of the deficiencies that may occur, as well as iron and fiber. As many vitamins and other medications contain gluten as a binder, Hall suggested finding a multi-vitamin labeled gluten-free.
She also suggested that those on a gluten-free diet focus on whole grains that are naturally gluten-free including quinoa, though it is technically not a grain, rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, and oats.
However, oats can be cross-contaminated if processed in a facility that processes wheat products. Label checking is important.
“For someone with celiac disease,” added Hall, “a microscopic amount of gluten, even just from a toaster, can cause intestinal damage.”
Many local eateries now cater to the gluten-free crowd, including Doc’s Deli in Mansfield. Owner Susan Vander Maas noted that she is aware of the danger of cross contamination, “If you want your sandwich grilled, we use foil to keep it from touching the grill.”
Snavely noted she does not like to refer to gluten-free eating as “the gluten-free diet.” “That makes it sound like you want to lose weight. It’s not so much a diet as a lifestyle,” she said.
More information on healthy gluten-free eating may be found at eatright.org.
