It’s clear that gluten sensitivities and other foods cause their own set of symptoms or may exacerbate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. But there is simply not enough research to determine if the two are totally related.

Since many of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia are similar to gluten intolerance (and even Celiac’s Disease) it is commonly misdiagnosed. Of course when this happens, and people remove the gluten from their diets, the symptoms often subside.
If you have Fibromyalgia or another auto-immune disorders, you may consider a trial of eliminating gluten from your diet and see if your symptoms improve. It’s not like the body needs gluten at all, and in the last few years, there’s been an explosion in foods that taste great and are completely gluten free, making eating gluten free easier than ever.

Kim Wirth is a registered nurse in Austin, Texas with significant experience helping people to live full lives without the presence of gluten in their diets. Send her questions at kwwirth@yahoo.com

In some people (about 23 percent of the population), these foods cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea–and it doesn’t just come from refined white flour, it comes from whole grains as well (so if you’ve switched to whole grain wheat bread and still have these symptoms, think gluten-. sorry–but it still has gluten).

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, is the common denominator in most of the grain-based products we eat, such as cereals, breads, and pasta, and your body may have  a difficult time metabolizing the gluten in these foods.

It is not a true allergic response, and it does not cause permanent damage to the intestines. But it generally does worsen over time.
Simple gluten intolerance can be uncomfortable, but the symptoms typically don’t last long. The good news is that gluten intolerance is not a food allergy, and eating gluten does not usually cause damage – unless you have celiac disease.

Unfortunately, there is no reliable test for gluten intolerance, but there is for Celiac’s disease. If you suspect that your symptoms are caused by gluten,  you may consider a trial of simply eliminating it from your diet and see if they  subside.

If you’re symptoms are more severe, or you suspect that you may have Celiac’s disease, you might want to be tested by your doctor. Words of warning, Don’t eliminate gluten from your diet though, because if you do, the test will be inconclusive since the test requires gluten to be causing a reaction in your system for it to show up.

Kim Wirth is a registered nurse in Austin, Texas with significant experience helping people to live full lives without the presence of gluten in their diets. Send her questions at kwwirth@yahoo.com

But if you’ve been trying to go gluten free and are still experiencing symptoms, you might not be aware of some of these foods where it shows up (especially processed foods)

• Salad Dressings
• Cold Cuts and sausages
• Egg Substitutes
• Beer (although, beer is made with wheat and barley, so you should know better)
• Instant flavored rice mixes
• Flavored potato chips
• Imitation crab
• Some herbal teas
• Licorice and some chocolates (oh yes)
• Soups
• Ice Cream.

The hidden gluten in these foods comes from some of those questionable ingredients on the labels, such as Modified food starch, preservatives, stabilizer, and natural ingredients. And here’s the rub–it may also be found in medications, lipsticks and makeup, play dough, and cat litter.So check those labels if you’re going gluten free.

(Just FYI, our product Arzu is prepared in a designated, gluten-free kitchen and is certified  gluten-free by the Celiac Sprue Association. )

Kim Wirth is a registered nurse in Austin, Texas with significant experience helping people to live full lives without the presence of gluten in their diets. Send her questions at kwwirth@yahoo.com ]]> http://www.grainiacs.com/2010/07/beware-of-gluten-lurking-in-proccessed-foods/feed/ 2 http://www.grainiacs.com/2010/07/the-celiac%e2%80%99s-disease-catch-22/ http://www.grainiacs.com/2010/07/the-celiac%e2%80%99s-disease-catch-22/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:39:24 +0000 Kim Wirth http://www.grainiacs.com/?p=402 Almost 25 percent of the population considers themselves to be gluten intolerant. Of those people, one percent are actually diagnosed with Celiac’s disease.

Overall, the symptoms of Celiac’s disease are vague, and the same symptoms can easily have other causes. But in general, symptoms include typical bowel issues such as constipation and diarrhea (and a host of other digestive problems), muscle cramps, rashes, joint and bone pains, and issues caused from malabsorption like osteoporosis, and anemia, and can even be the cause of seizures.

These symptoms are all autoimmune related, meaning that the body emits an autoimmune response to attack the gluten, which in turn, destroys the villi. When those are destroyed, it creates a smooth surface area (along with inflammation) in the intestines and you lose your ability to absorb nutrients. So that’s why it leads to calcium deficiency and anemia.

Simply giving up gluten will alleviate these symptoms (I know, it’s not that simple–but stores such as Whole Foods and other gluten free companies have made it easier to follow a gluten-free diet.)

But here’s the rub–Celiac’s disease can be tested for, BUT, if you have restricted gluten from your diet, the test will be worthless because it requires measuring the higher levels of certain antibodies that the body as produced to fight the gluten. So no gluten, no antibodies–you get the idea.

Restricting gluten from the diet is the remedy for Celiac’s disease, but there are certain reasons that you may want to know that you have it. On the top of the list is probably the fact that if you’re diagnosed with it, the medical care is most likely covered on your insurance. Also, because Celiac’s is genetic, the chances of your offspring having it go up to 1 in 4!

As a nurse, I’ve come in contact with several people that are pretty sure that they have Celiac’s disease, and would like to be tested, but they can’t tolerate the symptoms of adding gluten back into their diet to simply go get the test.

So if you’ve already given up gluten, you may decide that the benefits of testing for Celiac’s do not outweigh the consequences. But if you’re having some of these symptoms regularly, (pay attention at Thanksgiving and Christmas when we tend to eat a lot of Gluten rich foods) it may be worth having a discussion with your doctor.

Kim Wirth is a registered nurse in Austin, Texas with significant experience helping people to live full lives without the presence of gluten in their diets. Send her questions at kwwirth@yahoo.com

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, hops (are we making beer?)and rye–So if you’re eating whole wheat, it’s in there. Gluten is the protein that causes elasticity (the bubbles of air in the bread and gives it its texture and allows the yeast to rise).

Your body’s immune system is designed to protect it from foreign invaders. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system forms antibodies to gluten which then attack the intestinal lining. This causes inflammation in the intestines and damages the villi, the hair-like structures on the lining of the small intestine. Nutrients from food are absorbed by the villi. If the villi are damaged, the person cannot absorb nutrients and ends up malnourished, no matter how much he or she eats.

People that have Celiac’s disease have a genetic predisposition for the condition–similar to diabetes. We’re unsure of all the causes, but we know that stress can trigger the genetic disposition to manifest.

So if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms (webmd) try eliminating gluten from your diet for a week. It’s not that hard–just stay away from anything with wheat, rye, and barley in it (yes, beer would be on that list).

Check out this slide show on WebMD’s site talking about the first steps in eliminating Gluten (webmd.com-gluten free diet)

Kim Wirth is a registered nurse in Austin, Texas with significant experience helping people to live full lives without the presence of gluten in their diets. Send her questions at kwwirth@yahoo.com