The Truth About Gluten Sensitivity

There has long been controversy over whether gluten sensitivity is a real condition.

There’s no doubt that people with celiac disease cannot tolerate the grain protein. They typically have a swift and severe reaction to wheat products. They may suffer intestinal cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, overwhelming fatigue, and even bone loss.

But other people have reported subtler symptoms after eating gluten. Doctors often dismissed their complaints, saying it was all in their head.

Now, a new study bolsters evidence that gluten sensitivity is real.

About 1% of people suffer from celiac disease. It’s an autoimmune disorder. People who are genetically predisposed to the illness often have a reaction to gluten that can result in debilitating symptoms and painful damage to the small intestine.1

There’s no debate about that. Much more complicated is the issue of gluten intolerance. It’s also called gluten sensitivity.

It’s when gluten causes milder symptoms than seen in celiac disease. Sufferers report bloating, tiredness, rashes, and stomach aches.

For a long time, mainstream medicine was skeptical about gluten intolerance. Some doctors thought the symptoms were psychosomatic.

But new research has found that the condition is indeed genuine. In fact, gluten seems to have mental effects that had not been previously documented.

Gluten Harms Mental Health

Dr. Jessica Biesiekierski led the study at La Trobe University in Australia. She and her colleagues looked at 14 people who said they had gluten sensitivity. 2

For one experiment, subjects ate yogurt with gluten. Two weeks later, they ate the same type of yogurt without gluten.

For the other experiment, subjects ate muffins with gluten. Then they ate gluten-free muffins a few weeks later. Both types of muffins and yogurts tasted the same. Participants had no clue which was which.

After eating the foods, the subjects’ mental state was analyzed with detailed testing.

Subjects reported feeling more tired after eating the gluten yogurt. They also felt more depressed with fewer positive emotions after eating the gluten muffins.

Dr. Biesiekierski thinks this may show why people often report feeling mentally better after they stop eating gluten.

The results back up previous research by Dr. Biesiekierski. That study found that gluten caused more depression symptoms in people with gluten sensitivity.

Dr. Michael Potter of the University of Newcastle in Australia said: “These studies suggest there are definitely people who have reproducible mental health responses to gluten when they undergo blinded challenges.”

Should You Go Gluten-Free?

Maybe you’re tired even when you get enough sleep. Or you feel mildly depressed. If so, try removing gluten from your diet.

Grains you should not eat:

Wheat
Rye
Barley
Oats (unless labeled “gluten free”)
Triticale (it’s a hybrid of wheat and rye)

Grains you can eat include:

Quinoa
Amaranth
Millet
Buckwheat
Hominy
Teff

You’ll want to give yourself a week without gluten to see if you feel better.

Editor’s Note: Lack of energy can be related to more than just gluten sensitivity. It’s one symptom of what we call “Male Aging Syndrome.”

Most men think this is a consequence of getting older… when it may actually be an easy-to-fix hormone imbalance. See the four ways you can break free of Male Aging Syndrome HERE.

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References:
1 https://celiac.org/celiac-disease/understanding-celiac-disease-2/what-is-celiac-disease/
2 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2179419-gluten-may-be-making-you-tired-and-depressed-according-to-a-new-study/?intcmp=NLCNSNS2018-0914-GLOBAL-NSDAY&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS&utm_campaign=NSDAY
3 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/gluten-free-diet/art-20048530